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29 Gallon planted community tank


qtheepie
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Let me journal about my journey! And a journey it will be.

I welcome gentle suggestions and comments!

It all started last Thursday I received an offer on a well established 20 gallon tank with

stand, accessories and 2 fishes.

The two fishes are a approx. 5inch clown loach and a albino bristle nose pleco. Now I can work

with the pleco but I need a new home for the loach. But that will come later.

When I get there to pick up the tank the first thing I see, is at least 4 inches of sand in it, very very

fine sand. 3 big Anubias seem to be pretty happy. there is a nice layer of deposit on the glass of the

hood under the light. There is a few nice pieces of bogwood. The filter is a Marineland 100 filter.

THE PLAN:

-replace a portion of the sand for flourite black gravel

-get a better filter

-get lots of plants

-get a new neon

-clean the glass hood

-add an air stone and pump

-get fishes

(not necessarely in this order)

When I got home I dumped out half the sand, then I discovered it's mixed with vermiculite and a fine gravel

that might be clay but there is little of it, there is also those decorative shiny blue glass flat pebbles.

Now the vermiculite I only really noticed when I filled up the tank back with water, what a mess, but it's almost

midnigth and the tank is in my 6 yrs old daughter. So I keep going. did I say what a mess.

After it's filled up I remove chlorine and test ph, nitrate, nitrite and amonia just to make sure, everyting is

great. after starting the filter and making sure the temperature is fine I add the two fish.

The next day my 3 yrs old son is sad because he does not have fishes of his own. So even if I wanted to wait

I go and I coach him in choosing fishes, well at least my tank is establish, so we should be ok, maybe a mini cycle,

I'm lucky he wants serpae tetras perfect, we get 5 for starters might add 3 more later.

Over the weekend I get some plants of a fellow forum member add it to the tank. I also trade my clown loach (who is having fun pulling out the plants) for a nice pair of veitail blue rams and some nice plants with a fellow board member.

Yesterday my daughter was having major dental surgery where she was under general anestesia and wanted fish

as a reward for being so good. She got a pair of pearl gouramis, (her initial choice was some nice pictus catfish but our tank is too small).

My next step will be to add the flourite so the vermiculite mess will be under control and a new filter.

Edited by qtheepie
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I'd watch the serpae tetras with the gouramis. They are one of the more aggressive tetras but with lots of plants you may be OK. I'd also suggest (gently) that your tank is now at its bioload with the exception of maybe a few oto cats to keep your plants free of algae.

I also see you are looking for a red tiger lotus. I have a nice one for sale if you are interested. Also have some windelov java fern.

Edited by Blue Ram
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I'd watch the serpae tetras with the gouramis. They are one of the more aggressive tetras but with lots of plants you may be OK. I'd also suggest (gently) that your tank is now at its bioload with the exception of maybe a few oto cats to keep your plants free of algae.

I also see you are looking for a red tiger lotus. I have a nice one for sale if you are interested. Also have some windelov java fern.

Thanks I already have a tiger lotus in transit from Malaysia, and also a windelov.

So far serpaes are keeper to each other they will try to nip at each other's fins but are leaving the gouramis alone. I've had serpaes in the past and never had a problem as long has I had a school of them. I have 5 and want to add 3 more when I get a more powerfull filter and more plants. The otto cats are in my plans too and maybe a few cories but that all depends on the said filter.

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