Ishar's 20GH Planted tank

[ishar]

Well I snapped a quick picture before the water change today and I thought I would post 'er up (sorry but this one is likely the winner for "Kyle's worst picture yet" contest). I didn't realize it until today, but my leopard vals are at the top and are growing across the surface! This is such good news because they melted a bit with the excel and my terrible luck with vals before, so I am really happy about that! My jungle vals are still stunted or something, and are just surviving rather than growing, but that is fine- as long a they don't die there is always hope.

The extra nitrogen has brought back the colour in my rotala quite quickly, but it hasn't helped my anubias as of yet. My hairgrass is sending out new runners all over the place, so hopefully it won't be too much longer until the hairgrass fills in .

[ishar]

Well I went to the LFS today. I wanted to pick up a new plant as I am slightly losing interest in my tank due to pressures of school, and I didn't see too much I liked. But I saw an onion bulb with a really healthy looking bulb on it, and good leaves to accompany it. I thought hey, why not though a bit more variety into my val section. So I grabbed one bulb and planted it into a vacant space amongst the vals- pretty well back-center of the tank.

Also, when perusing the fish tanks I saw a tank of GBRs. I always saw them and they didn't look too special, but this time there was one with a good orange colored fin and good coloring on his sides. I figured if I am ever going to get on it will be one like him, so why not snag it?

So I added a GBR who isn't even 1" yet and a Crinum thaianum bulb. Both very healthy looking specimens . I may add a picture later once the ram is acclimated, but it will be another laptop pic of the whole tank, so nothing special.

So that brings my Fauna list to 1 GBR, 5 neon tetras, a bunch of fancy guppies, 2 female amano shrimp and 1 oto.

[ishar]

Well here are the pics- and I think they turned out ok

Overall tank shots: see the new bulb in the middle with the bright green ribbon-like leaves?


GBR Pictures: he/she is already colouring up a bit! I can see his/her blue sparkles already and the orange coming back

[Big Vine]

Impressive setup!
That ram might help keep down the guppy fry population.

BV

[ishar]

thanks BV .

A few days ago, I fed a sinking pellet and I didn't like what I saw- I saw a tonne of small guppies crowding the food. Some got huge bellies and others didn't eat anything. I think my tank is overcrowded. That night I took some iced water (kept it in the freezer until ice formed on top, then broke the ice so the water was accessible) and started dropping female guppies into it. 12. I caught 12 female guppy fry/juviniles and I killed them... and when I look in my tank it doesn't even look like I have made a dent.

I am going to do some more today of any little ones as well. I have three males I want to keep, but all of the little ones are too young to know what they will look like or what gender they will be. I am tempted to just do all of the babies, leave the three males, the five neons and the GBR plus clean-up crew. Then maybe one day soon I might grab a few more neons and bring that school up to a nicer size of 7 or 9 (more likely 9).

Anyways, I felt kind of bad doing what I did, but I wasn't left with much choice- no one will buy a baby guppy who's growth has been stunted due to overcrowding and lack food reaching them.

I snapped a few laptop pics again. I moved the crinum over to the right side as there was a gap in the vals there... and man what a PITA that was!!! Holy crap! Had to take the wood out, trim some vals, replant some vals who didn't want to stay planted, then th bulb got up rooted from putting the wood back in and grr! lol. It's ok though- it is down now. And the GBR's colour is starting to come back pretty well so I thought I would show one of him as well.

[big54bob]

You dang meanie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:P
When my 20gal was housing gups i had fry for a while but they were killed by meaty and Peirre the con i got rid of.

[silver dollars]

Nice ram!!!!! Looks like you have a male cause i don't see any pink in its belly

[ishar]

Thanks Silver Dollar . Unfortunately his stomach has recently been sinking in :S. I haven't seen him eat much either. That is why I keep killing off guppies because I can't get any food to the ram or neons while they are around.

What food do I feed for the ram? It doesn't seem to want to go to the surface for the flakes or blood worms...

[emmanuelchavez]

Couldn't you try sinking pellets for your ram?

[ishar]

tried. He doesn't touch them The guppies LOVE them so they crowd him and the neon out.