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Finally moved into the 30 Gallon!

9K views 70 replies 12 participants last post by  angella 
#1 ·
Well I am officially moved into the 30 gallon finally! Received some of my plants today, so I planted and moved the fish over along with the Penguin 100 filter that is cycled and was on the 10 also an AquaClear 70 size bag of Bio-max ceramic rings that were in the cycled 10 for a month (thought I was gonna go with that filter so i bought those in advance). Lighting is 4 15 watt 6500K CFLs. Substrate is play sand.

Currently:
8 Pygmy chain sword plants
6-8 Dwarf water lettuce
6-8 Salvinia Cuculatta
The seller also threw in a couple stems of Limnophila Aromatica, not sure if I will be able to grow them but I will try!

Just placed an order for:
6 Vallisneria Spiralis
5 stems Giant Hygro
5 stems Brazilian Pennywort
3 Java Fern
1 Dwarf Lilly

Current inhabitants:
6 Harlequin Rasbora
1 male Sunburst Platy
1 Male Guppy
1 African Dwarf Frog
5 Ghost shrimp

Excuse the pics...the Penguin 100 had to hang on the front since the tank was too close to the wall to fit it on back, and the BioMax is just laid on a rock....







 
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#27 ·
Okay everyone this is starting to get to me. Everything I have read says that there really isnt a cycle with a planted tank. Would my tank be considered pretty well planted? Because my ammonia is 2ppm. I use Prime in my water changes and have been putting some in everyday since my API kit is saying there is ammonia. The hang in tank Seachem Ammonia Alert thing says it is safe (because it only reads the bad ammonia not the Prime converted ammonium like the API liquid kit). I know when I had the 10 gallon going it was the same way and after a while (normal cycle time because there were no plants) the ammonia was 0, but I thought I wouldnt see that with this tank being well planted? Am I missing something?
 
#28 ·
Not sure if I would call it "well"planted but I think that's all a matter of opinion anyways. As for a no cycle cause of plants. Fast growing plants work best for this like stem plants for insteads pennywort, Wisteria, watersprite just a few that come to mind and lots of them. These will work best as they will absorb the ammonia faster then slow growing like your Java ferns. I definitely would keep an eye on the ammonia since you have fish in the tank. With the plant you do have I would think things hould calm down pretty soon though.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Ok. I'll see if I can get some Wisteria or or Water Sprite real soon. I got the giant hygrophila corymbosa for that reason, but looking at it again, it was called a nitrate buster, so not ammonia buster like I was expecting..... I do have about 8 stems of pennywort, all but one floating. The one that isnt floating, a couple og the leaves (larger ones) are turning black in a couple spots...
 
#30 · (Edited)
Those were just examples I could think of there are others too lol. Just a word of caution Wisteria is somewhat light demanding. I have had success with it but know others on here who have not. If you like duckweed that would work to. I had it once it was a hitchhiker plant I got lol. It quickly took over the entire top of my aquarium. I found it a pain to keep trimmed down so I got rid of it.
 
#31 ·
Yeah I know. There is a guy here locally that has some water sprite I'm gonna try and get may just float it for a while to help with the ammonia.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Havent updated in a little while....

Never did get the water sprite, have been doing water changes almost daily. I am not having luck with the Hygrophila Corymbosa. Have already lost a few stems and the 4 I still have, the leaves are getting holes/turning clear and falling off. I wonder if I have them too close? I have 2 stems bundled together with a weight.

The Pygmy Chain sword has been doing amazing. Started with 8 plantlets and there are now 14 and 6 more runners that havent sprouted. Still have not gotten my root caps yet (mail mix up). My vals have started a couple runners. I do have 1 Osmocote root cap that I got from a friend in the middle of those so that helped I'm sure.

The Limnophila Aromatica that I didnt expect to do well has actually grown about 1 1/2 - 2 inches. Its pretty cool. The undersides of the leaves are a nice pink/purple.

The Dwarf lilly bulb has sprouted. It has, I think, 3 stems coming out of it about 1 1/2 inches long.

Dwarf water lettuce is sending runners.

I am getting some algae on the driftwood. The branch right in the middle that curves upward a little is getting some green/brown algae, and what looks like maybe hair algae. I'm thinking it's because it is closer to the light. Have been trying to keep the floaters in the middle to block it some. Next water change I will try and clean it off, and I will cut the light back by an hour.

The fish are doing well, except that I did lose 1 of the cories :-(. Had to have been the ammonia. The rest are doing great, no red gills or anything and very playful.

This is my next plant order, I think. Please give me some insight on what may or may not work:
1 bunch (6 stems) Bacopa Caroliniana
1 bunch (6 stems) Ludwigia Repens
1 Crypt Wendtii 'Red'
1 Crypt Undulata
2 pieces of Java moss

Thoughts? Which of the 2 would more like do better for me out of the Bacopa and Ludwigia? I will use the Bacopa/Ludwigia in the spot where the Hygro is now. Will probably combine the 2 spots where I have the Limnophila and put the Crypt Undulata in the other spot. Crypt Wendtii Red may also go where the Hygro is now instead of the Bacopa/Ludwigia. I thought about getting an Amazon Sword but I am afraid it would take over the tank haha. Also looked at Echinodorus Parviflorus 'Tropica' which is like a mini amazon sword I guess, as it only gets to about 6 inches high.

Well, that's enough rambling from me for now. I will get some pics up this evening hopefully. Thanks for reading!
 
#33 ·
The standard Amazon Sword does get pretty big, I once had one that nearly filled my tank (20 gal tall), had to get rid of it. I have two Echinodorus parviflorus currently and in my tank are only about 2-3 inches tall max. If you want something a bit bigger, take a look at the 'compacta' variety of Echinodorus bleheri. I had one before and liked it a lot, got to be only about 6-7 inches tall.
 
#35 ·
Hope everyone had a merry Christmas! I sure did.

Got a PetSmart giftcard and finally bought my MagFloat. Also picked up 5 stems of Anachris for $3. Then I saw 2 peppered corys all alone so I bought them too, lol. Figured being with my 4 corys would be better than being the only 2 fish in the tank. Once they settled they were swimming right along with the Melanistius.

Placed another plant order:
1 Cryptocoryne wendtii "Red"
2 Cryptocoryne undulata
1 Water Sprite (1 12-15" plant/stem)
1 Rotala Rotundifolia (6 stems)
1 Bacopa Caroliniana (6 stems)

Also ordered some more MTS and a set of 12" tweezers. One Straight tipped and the other angled. Hopefully these will help with planting!
 
#36 ·
Plants came today!

Ordered
1 Cryptocoryne wendtii "Red" - received 1
2 Cryptocoryne undulata - received 2
1 Water Sprite (1 12-15" plant/stem) - received 2 plants
1 Rotala Rotundifolia (6 stems) -definitely received more than 6 stems, maybe 12 or more
1 Bacopa Caroliniana (6 stems) - received about 10 stems

Pics aren't great, water was still a little cloudy. I will get some better ones probably tomorrow.







Wendtii 'Red'


Bacopa Caroliniana and 2 Undulatas


Rotala


Dwarf lilly is doing great the leaf on the right is about 3 inches across


Let me know if you have any tips, something I may have overlooked.

Fish are doing great. Except the dwarf frog....cannot find him to save my life, thought I might have trapped him under a rock a couple nights ago, but when I moved that rock while I was planting tonight he wasnt there. Think he may have jumped ship and gotten eaten by one of the cats... Not cool.

It is crazy looking back at previous pics and seeing how much the Pygmy Chain Sword has multiplied, it's awesome! Started with 4 Vals and have about 6-8 new plants ranging from 1"-4".

Thinking about getting a canister for my birthday next month...we will see how that goes.

Okay enough for tonight. Let me know what you think!
 
#38 ·
Hi! I kinda just came in and read this page and your first one but I wanted to say I LOVE the wood you have in your tank, and also your Harlequins look AWESOME. The cories are cute as well ^^

Super jealous of your tank haha. I'm gonna go and look through the pages now.
 
#39 ·
Actually I was apparently not on the right page when I made my last post 0.o

I'm redoing my 55gal right now and I hope it looks half as amazing as yours does! I love all the live plants you added, and I honestly didn't think it could get much better than the "plain" yet really cool way it looked on page one.
 
#41 ·
Oh man, thanks Angella! I love it. Just hope I can keep it looking this way. I have a feeling the Rotala will lose the red/pink color. And I LOVE my Harlequins! I may be adopting some cherry barbs but if not I plan on getting 6 more Harlequins
 
#42 ·
I know what you mean, I love mine aswell. I love watch them try to mate! I think cherry barbs would be great, but I bump up the harlequin # to 9 or 10. Also were did you find your dwiftwood?
 
#43 · (Edited)
Me too Jayy. I think the Harlequins LOOOOOVE the real plants. Every time I add more plants they start doing their upside down wiggle dance haha! The plants came about 30 minutes before my lunch break, so my wife just floated them in the tank, well the Crypts were potted and sank, when I came home for lunch a couple pairs of the Harlequins were already trying to spawn in them!!! Never did see any eggs though....
 
#45 ·
No problem Haze, you've honestly done an amazing job.

And you guys make me want to get some harlequins! xD Maybe I should get them instead of my planned red-eye tetras...... Hmmm.

And I'm pretty excited about getting the order of 8 cherry barbs I placed for tomorrow =)
 
#47 ·
Since the day I got my Harlequins I have been REALLY thinking about getting some Cherry Barbs to go with them. I just think the colors would mesh really well. And would be very nice to look at.

A member of my local fish club has a friend moving out of the country and may be giving his fish away. Among them are 3 Cherry barbs. I have already claimed them if he does decided to rehome them. I will then get another 3 and have 6 Harlequins (may go to 9 like Jayy suggested, lol) and the 6 Cherry barbs. Then just add my Bolivian Ram and call it stocked!
 
#49 ·
I really like the Cockatoos as well. But.....I told my wife I would stay under $10 a fish and the cheapest I can find a pair is $25. And she doesn't really like they way they look...I think she's crazy. They are such a good looking fish. But I love the Bolivians too and she likes them so thats what I will go with. Want to try and at least keep her interested in it haha.
 
#53 · (Edited)
Some more pics! Dont know what was going on with the white balance in the camera, some look really yellow and some really blue/green but they still came out okay.

FTS










Dwarf lilly is doing great!




Melanistius Corys! They love "sunbathing" on this rock. These guys are awesome. Don't know that I'll ever be able to catch it on camera but they have this really cool teal/silver sheen in their gill area at just the right angle.


Platy and a MTS


Crypts have started to melt a little, but that was expected. Java fern is starting to sprout adventitious plantlets. Rotala seems to be losing some of the red hue, but again, this was expected with my lower lights/no ferts/no CO2. Really like the way the Pygmy Chain Sword has filled in. Won't be long and I will be ready to start giving some away.
 
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