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Just bought a new tank


davidP

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OK, 2 weeks in and I have the PH level down to 7, an outbreak of snails (must have been on one of the plants) and a brown algae infestation. Not unexpected in a new tank but it's pretty bad and has done for a couple of the plants. I'll have to go and look for asomething to deal with the algae this weekend.

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Spoke to the guy in the shop and he suggested that even though the tank has only been up for 2 weeks I should put in a few algae eating fish. So I now have two golden sucking loach and two flying foxes. Will probably end up adding a plec at some point as well but as I want a bristle nose one and they're quite exensive I'd rather stick with the cheaper fish for now just in case.

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Two weeks is long enough to start adding a few fish for sure. Loach are quite hardy, and the fish will help to seed your gravel and filter (from the photo it looks like you have undergravel filters and a corner filter - good choice IMO) and they will help to clear the algae.

 

However, you will have to buy a scraper if you want to keep your glass clean, even with the plecs they will not be enough. There are some on the market that use a protected razor blade on a metal rod but I seriously suggest that you do not use them, they can very easily scratch the glass. There is a similar product using a rubber-edged scraper (a lot like a tiny ice-scraper for your car), my advice is to buy one of those instead. Don't bother with the 'velcro' magnetic type either, bits of gravel gets trapped between the scraper and the glass and causes even more scratches :(

 

Any ideas on what fish you'll be buying in future? :)

 

Take care

 

Take care

John S

Quanti Canicula Ille In Fenestra

 

Species caught in 2017 Common Ash, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, White Willow.

Species caught in 2016: Alder, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Crab Apple, Left Earlobe, Pedunculate Oak, Rock Whitebeam, Scots Pine, Smooth-leaved Elm, Swan, Wayfaring tree.

Species caught in 2015: Ash, Bird Cherry, Black-Headed Gull, Common Hazel, Common Whitebeam, Elder, Field Maple, Gorse, Puma, Sessile Oak, White Willow.

Species caught in 2014: Big Angry Man's Ear, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Common Whitebeam, Downy Birch, European Beech, European Holly, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, Wych Elm.
Species caught in 2013: Beech, Elder, Hawthorn, Oak, Right Earlobe, Scots Pine.

Species caught in 2012: Ash, Aspen, Beech, Big Nasty Stinging Nettle, Birch, Copper Beech, Grey Willow, Holly, Hazel, Oak, Wasp Nest (that was a really bad day), White Poplar.
Species caught in 2011: Blackthorn, Crab Apple, Elder, Fir, Hawthorn, Horse Chestnut, Oak, Passing Dog, Rowan, Sycamore, Willow.
Species caught in 2010: Ash, Beech, Birch, Elder, Elm, Gorse, Mullberry, Oak, Poplar, Rowan, Sloe, Willow, Yew.

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The filter is actually an external one - the inlet pipe is in the pipe down the right corner with the outlet spraybar also right of centre at the surface. The thing in the left corner is a CO2 infuser to promote plant growth. As to future fish, I'm going to let the wife choose the mid & upper water so will probably be some tetras, danios & maybe some small gouramis. I'll do the corys, the plec and perhaps something like a couple of upside down catfish (had good experiences with them before) or pimelodella cats.

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Picture Updates

 

2 loach on the tank front and you can see a bit of the algae on the plants.

2nd%20week%202.jpg

 

Bit out of focus I'm afraid - must take those plant labels out!

2nd%20week%203.jpg

 

Algae clearly visible on bog wood at the back and totally covering the low plant behind.

2nd%20week%204.jpg

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David, are you sure that the "brown algae" is that?

I put some lumps of bogwood in my tank and the peat stained everything brown. I took the bogwood out and out of interest placed them in a bucket of water....the water turned brown.

 

No bogwood for me.

 

Den

"When through the woods and forest glades I wanderAnd hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,And hear the brook, and feel the breeze;and see the waves crash on the shore,Then sings my soul..................

for all you Spodders. https://youtu.be/XYxsY-FbSic

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Yup, it was definitely algae as the fish have eaten it. I now have some green thread algae instead of the brown, but I'll control this by manual removal and by reducing the amount of time the lights are on for. I introduced some more fish yesterday. I now also have 6 columbian tetras, 5 blue tetras and 4 upside down catfish as well as the loach and flyig foxes. They're all feeding quite hapilly after 24 hours and seem to have settled down OK. I'll be introducing a few more fish as the tank matures. Current plans are looking at cardinal tetras, some coryadoras catfish, silver shark, plecostomus, gaint danios, rosy barbs & possibly a rather cute goby they had in one of the tanks.

 

3rd%20week%201.jpg

 

3rd%20week%202.jpg

 

3rd%20week%203.jpg

 

3rd%20week%204.jpg

DISCLAIMER: All opinions herein are fictitious. Any similarities to real

opinions, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

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