wot should i get?

[geffaz]

yeah im not saying ther bad fish just not for me!

my mate hade one for years and it used to mouth the glass when anybody walked in the room! pritty smart thing! just felt a bit sorry for it as most of the time it just hung ther waiting for the next guppy!

i need plenty of activity! you know the type of tank! the one that beats tv hands down and u can just gorp at! watching the little fishy soap opera take place! (anyone else get this or am i just a bit weird?)

[geffaz]

p,s (sorry moody) i dont think ill go for cold water unless i can get a baby pike or 2!

i know being another ambush pred like the peacock bass (oscars) they will just hang about but being into piking be good to see how they behave! then when they get to big its of to the local no fishing pond with them!

 

[ 07. October 2005, 11:55 PM: Message edited by: geffaz ]

[Moody]

Geffaz, I think these are tanks to GORP at.!

 

http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2004...ategory=0&vol=3

 

Have a look here too.

http://www.vectrapoint.com/index.html

 

This is the type of fish keeping that i do!

[geffaz]

yeah absolutly stunning! i take it most of thos scapes can only be achievable with a Co2 system!

im thinking maybe my next tank is going to be minimalist! with coral sand and branches up side down in the water to give the effect of mangrove roots! make a real tangle!

dont know realy just playing with ideas!

wot u think mate?

[geffaz]

just re read your post and u say somthing about tank building! years ago i built a part wood part glass tank! realy satisfying filling it up with no leaks!3ftx3ft! which is quit a bit of pressure! lasted years never a prob! in the end sold it to a mate and as im aware is still going!

[Moody]

Yer all the tanks will have CO2 systems with sub stater fertalizer and liquid fertalizers being used and strong lighting.

 

When i mentiond the tank building, i meant the intalation design and setup of the tank to get a result of somthing similar to whats on those links, selling it to hottels restaraunts bars ect,

hopfully having a shop too with tanks of all sizes setup around the shop as examples of my work.

What i will say is when you do set up your tank if its not marine then plant it up, its not hard and you can make your own CO2 unit ( i can show you how on the real cheep).

 

If you want brackish you can still have it planted up theres a list on the right of this page. These will all grow in brackish condition with CO2 and some fertalization

 

 

http://www.tropica.com/default.asp

[geffaz]

the thing that pisses me off is alge in thos sort of systems! as in high uv lighting! cant stand plecos and gibiceps that ar needed to keep it on a level!

[Moody]

I apreciate your argument, but its simple realy.

 

(1) Do regular water changes, every day for a mini cube 3ltr - 10ltr ,once a week with tanks 10ltr - around 150lt and then every two with any think bigger, the bigger the water volume the more stable the water conditions.

(2) Dont over stock ( one of the hardest things to controle, the urge for more fishys!)i tend to understock and over filter. Over filtering biolgicaly and machanicaly its self will help keep alge under controle.

Phosphate is the biggets culprit of alge, you gan get low phosphate fish food and liquid fertalizers, but tap water is the biggets carryer of phosphates.

(3)I dont like plecs either but iv found a fish i realy like but does the same thing ( ottocinclus sp.) its about 3cm long and eats alge but you need them in large numbers to have any effect, plus thers the ( cardinia japonica, amano alge eating shrimp ) all easy to get hold of and do a great job providing you do your water changes avoid high phosphate goods/water and avoid over stocking and alge shouldnt be a pain in the ass!

[big tinca]

How about a Pygocentrus shoal either....

 

Pygocentus natterie

Pygocentrus Piraya

Pygocentrus Ternetzi

Pygocentrus Cariba

 

Super aggresive fish these and great colours aswel look cool in any tank

[Alan Hammond]

I have kept tropical fish on and off for years. At the moment I have an Amazon community tank with half a dozen discus in as well as an assortment of teras and corydoras. I have had no problem with it. It is heavily planted including floating plants and algae has never really existed. I do a partial water change once a week coupled with a general clean up, total time half an hour and that is about it.

 

The only slight drawback as you say is the cost of the discus. But I find them very rewarding to watch as they sort themselves out and have their various domestic disputes. They also recognise individual humans who approach the tank. If I go near them they invariably get agitated and start looking to be fed. But they ignore everbody else.