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29 gal community photo log

28K views 266 replies 19 participants last post by  thekoimaiden 
#1 ·
As I've now started to make some serious changes on my 29 gal tank, I thought it would be neat to share them with everyone. I'll try to get at least one picture a month.

This was the tank about 4 months ago. It wasn't anything to look at. In fact, I avoided looking at it.


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This was the tank about three weeks ago, shortly after I added black sand and more plants. You can also see the half-giant betta that is currently calling the tank home. The plants are Rotala in the back left. Dwarf sagittaria in the back right. Pygmy chain sword in the front right. Water sprite is floating. Java fern is tied to the driftwood, and there's a tiny sprig of anubias rooted to drftwood in the back. See if you can find it! ;-)


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I was comparing this picture to how my tank looks now, and there really hasn't been much growth. The stem plants are showing good growth and the pygmy chain swords show some growth compared to this picture. But I tugged on some of the plants and they seem to be getting pretty good root systems. I just added some root tabs, and I'm hoping those will help, too.

The tank is far from done. I'd also like to add chain sword, undulated crypt, and maybe a tiger lotus, but I'm going to let the tank and substrate mature a while before I add them. I'm also on the hunt for a nice large piece of driftwood for the left side of the tank (which is why it looks so bare). I'd like something tall and rooty. Once I get all the plants in and established, I'll go get my cardinals! (And promptly put them in QT.)

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Because I don't know how much of my other tanks you've seen I'll include the most up-to-date pictures of my goldfish tank and betta tanks just for kicks.


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I'm still battling with the plants to get them to grow. I'm hoping some root tabs for the swords will make a difference. Next time I set up a goldfish tank, I'm doing a freshwater refugium and only have a hardscape in the tank.


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The betta tower! What's the best thing to do when you have too many tank? Stack them! :-D

Also, any tips for tank photography are much appreciated!
 
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#90 ·
So wonderful that they're breeding already! AND that you got to see it! *GRINS* Just. . .amazing! You might just have to leave this brood to fate, hon. It isn't the right time, and you weren't prepared - who would have expected them to go to it within a day of their arrival in a new home?!!

What's up with the loach? Poor little thing - is it a scrape or a cut? Or something totally different? I know my loach looked like a zombie when he went into my filter. I ran melafix and pima fix as a JIC through the tank, and he was nearly 100% better within a week. I don't know if you saw his picture, but dude was a mess, I was AMAZED with how quickly he healed up. I hope yours does the same. *worries*
 
#91 ·
I talked to Mika about it, and she suggest it might be a scar. Sang reminded me that injuries do happen in wild captures, and all kulies are wild-caught. I'm trying not to worry about the little guy and just keep my eye on it the next few days.

But.. I seriously do want to try my hand at breeding the gourami later this year, tho! It's soo neat watching the male guard his eggies!
 
#95 · (Edited)
Well... I had to remove the nest. The male was just being too nasty to EVERYTHING in the tank. Even me when I came close.

But I do want to raise a spawn (on purpose!) later this year!

EDIT: .... They're at it again. The male has built another nest and is enticing the females. STAHP!
 
#97 ·
LOL! Even if it's a bit of a troublesome situation, it's still just wonderful (to me) that you've gotten such amazingly healthy and perfect fish. Always nerve-wracking to order online where you can't CHOOSE the fish yourself. . .I hope they all do okay in the 29, and don't get too snarky with the nest and need to be rehomed. That would suck! Speaking of health, any changes to your lil' loach?
 
#98 ·
I am happy that I got healthy fish. But I'm also a little worried about the gourami. One of the females seems to be much more aggressive than the other. I'm hoping this will clear up when I put them in the 29 gal as they'll have more hiding spots and more things to hold their attention. Maybe without the tannins the male will calm down, too. He's in crazy breeding mode, and while he's gorgeous, he's being a butt. :evil:

The little loachy with the spot (who I'm now calling Scar) seems to be doing about the same. Maybe his high level of activity is what got him the wound in the first place. He's always the first one to food and sometimes just runs laps for the fun of it.
 
#99 ·
Heehee! Scar sounds like a cutie! I've noticed that with my loaches there are a few who are just. . . insane, and more prone to cruise the tank - even though they all do it from time to time. But with those, specifically, I've noticed that once they settle into a new place (a month or two), they seem to settle down, and once their tank 'matures,' they seem to chill out a bit more. I'm no expert, lol! Just something I've noticed over the 4 batches of loaches I've had. I'm always super-attached to my 'cruisers!' Love seeing that loachy craziness come out!

I hope you're right, and that the move to the main tank calms things down a bit! Crazy gourami! Another user on here had a similar problem with 1m/2f - when they hit breeding age, one of the females was really getting snarky. She ended up returning her to the shop and *knock on wood* hasn't had any problems since. Hopefully you're right, and they ALL settle down a bit in their new home. I've really been studying up on gourami since I decided to put some into Becoming when I upgrade, based on many experiences I've seen, I think I'll be keeping more females in the harem than the two that are usually recommended. . . it does seem to be hit-or-miss sometimes. SHE'S prolly just trying to win her mate - can't blame her, really. He's a pretty boy!
 
#100 ·
The female that is being witchy is the larger one who did breed with the male. I thought that might have something to do with it. I really do hope that putting them in the main tank will decrease the general nippyness I've noticed. The alternative is to rehome the submissive female... I'll keep an eye on things and make a decision later.
 
#101 ·
Oh yeah! No giving up on any new friends just yet!!!! Or ever! You DO have that QT tank. . . that someone *could* live in if need be ;) Hopefully they will chill out when they get to the main tank. I've read of people taking the less-dominant fish and putting them in the new tank first in similar situations. Then the 'underdog' is already comfortable, and knows where the hiding spots are when the dom comes over, and things go a bit more smoothly. Might work with these guys if they keep it up all through QT.

Any more eggs yet? I know it's all kinds of trouble, but SO COOL!!! :)
 
#102 ·
That's not a bad idea. Throw the smaller gourami in there a day ahead of the two butts. Thanks, Jes!

So today everyone had their first water change. It was chaos as you can imagine. The loaches (all of them) went nuts and sent the gourami into hiding. And for the first time EVER one of my cats took an interest in the fish.

Still no eggs, and there probably won't be another for a while as I destroyed the male's bubble nest with my water change. He didn't seem to happy about that.
 
#104 ·
Thank you! Unfortunately the lotus didn't live. I haven't seen a leaf from it since it wilted. Oh well. Later in the year I'm going to try for more crypts since they seem to be doing wonderfully.

When I woke up this morning the smaller female gourami looked too stressed to leave her in the QT any longer. The older female is being quite the bully. So I've put the smaller one in to the community first as Jes suggested. Let her find the hiding spots before she has to deal with the other female and Mr. Sunshine. The rest of the fishies go in on Wednesday.

I've also decided that I want some Amano shrimps in my 29 gal instead of cherries. ... I saw the female eying the cherries today, and I don't think it will end well with three gourami and 12 or so tetra. Amanos get double the size as well as have the bonus of being better camouflaged than a beautiful red shrimp.
 
#106 ·
It does seem like gourami are a bit of hit or miss. But I hope there will be enough hiding spaces in my 29 for everyone to get along.

That being said, since all has been clean in the QT for a week, I'm putting everyone in the main tank! I took off the lid and.... MORE EGGS!! :shock: I can't make them stop breeding!

Everyone is in the main tank now. The aggression between the two females appears to be much less now. Thank you Jes for that suggestion! But I'm waiting for the lights to come on tomorrow... who knows if the peace will stay.

The loaches are going nuts... expected that. They are loaches after all. Jes, I don't envy you.. having to catch loaches smaller than mine. Patience, a big net, and a little luck lol!

AND! To make things better I snapped a few pics of everyone in the new tank before I sent them to bed!


The happy couple wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day!


Mr Sunshine and one of his ladies as well as the loaches. These are the new guys... the old ones are more red-brown.


And one of my two ladies.
 
#107 ·
Ahhhh! Beautiful! Glad to hear that everyone is safe at home, and aggressions seem to be cooling off a bit. Hope things continue to go well, they're all really beautiful - can't wait for the lights to come back up! Yeah. . . I don't envy anyone who needs to catch loaches, lol! Tricky lil' buggers - but well worth it in the end! :) Glad all went well for you!
 
#108 ·
Very pretty tank! What is the beautiful floating plant, and do you have a glass cover over your tank? I want something that floats but have a glass cover, and I don't think the two mix well from what I've read. Your calico is gorgeous, BTW; my late great calico has been succeeded by two large cats who are very interested in the fish...my point being the glass cover is a necessity for me. Or I'd surely find one of the cats swimming :lol:...
 
#109 ·
Thank you, Plummy! I do not actually have a glass cover on this tank, but I do have one for my QT tank. The only type of live plants I have in that tank are the floaters and they do wonderfully! Glass tops come with a back section that is just plastic. Removing that will aid in circulation and help the floaters stay healthy.

Oh no!! We don't want any cats in tanks!! (Just ask Boredomb ;-) ) I don't know whether to say I'm sorry or you're lucky about your cats being interested. I can't even get mine to give the fish a second look!
 
#112 ·
Haha Cats in a tank = One big freaking mess!!

You know Izzy ever since I got mad and redone my tank I have not ONCE caught a cat up there!! :evil: I don't know why they wouldn't leave it alone with the way I had it setup before buy they are now for the time being!

Anyways I just wanted to say water sprite is been growing pretty well for me in my tanks. Both have a glass top on with the plastic piece still attached.
 
#111 ·
That floater is water sprite. I also have duckweed in the tank as well as some floating riccia. The riccia was just introduced in the past month, so the clumps aren't huge yet.

:lol: When a cat wants something it's hard to stop them! But at least with the glass lid it should prevent them from taking a bath in the tank!
 
#115 ·
Pretty good, Jes! I'm not exactly at home right now (on vacation with the SO). But when I left my tank all of the babies were getting along just fine. The two female gourami have set up their territories and now spats just happen when they cross the line. The male is still trying to woo them and neither are interested anymore.

The loaches are... well being crazy. I luff them so!
 
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