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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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#196 ·
Hmm I have never had my Seachems tabs do that. I have completely uncovered them at times and moved them and never seem to have gotten cloudy water from doing so. Well not that I could tell, they may have a little but it wasn't enough for me to even notice.
 
#197 ·
The tank (way back when these last shots were posted, lol) looks FANTASTIC!!! I know I'm in no way allowed to do so until I update my own journals, but. . . I'll do it anyway. . .
*DEMANDS UPDATES*

The API root tabs make a lil' bit of a mess for me *nods* nothing major like that though - certainly not enough to cloud a tank!!! But they do. I've dug up enough of them while moving plants from tank to tank lately that I've noticed - usually just a little *puff* of grey in the area on the substrate, then it's all gone. I wonder if disturbing the substrate may have caused a bacterial bloom or something? Either way, I'm sure that's loooonnnngggg past now, lol! Sorry I've been so busy this summer. I miss you!
 
#198 ·
Actually I do have some updates but they aren't good. I'm having issues with the crypts in this tank. Some major melt issues. I made a thread about it hoping for some advice. I'll also post the pictures here. I have a ... black hole ... in my tank and aquascape.

 
#205 ·
I would find it odd that there is a zone of little to no movement right in the middle of the tank, tho. That's why I eliminated water movement as a issue first. I don't have any algae issues there or anywhere else in my tank (knock on wood). The amanos and my farlowella take care of most of the algae.
 
#206 ·
I couldnt exactly tell where you were talking about where you couldnt get them to grow at in the pic. Yeah it might be kinda odd right in the middle of the tank Izzy. The last full tank shot you posted is that how the tank looks now?? Its awe dark in there by that shot. Is thayvjust cause you had the lights off (not the tank but room?)? Too me that seems pretty dim it might be an issue of too many floaters. Not sure here and just brainstorming. You could be totally of track here through. :/
 
#207 · (Edited)
No. I don't think you are off-track with the lighting issue, John. When I showed those pictures to Cory he mentioned the lighting issue, too. I've since done a MASSIVE trim of the floaters in the tank, and it's much lighter now. I think that may have been part of the problem. I'm thinking about changing the bulb as it is getting close to a year old. If I had a bit more expendable cash I'd even consider upgrading to a 30" T5NO fixture, but that's not in the budget right now.

Here are some pictures I took today.





I've circled the afflicted area.
 
#208 ·
o_O I am sure glad you can decode my message there Izzy!! That was terrible! One of these days I will learn to proof read them FIRST!!!!! This a 29 gallon is it not?? What type of bulb are you running? I know its a T8 but is it a GE or a pet store brand??
 
#210 ·
Wow it seems really dim for that light. That is the exact same kind I have on my 29. If its close to the year date I would start there and replace it. As you know that needs to be done regardless if its the problem or not. I do think its some of it for sure though.
 
#211 ·
Hmm... I'll certainly do that later on this week when I can get over to Petco. Hopefully that will help. I know removing a lot of the floaters helped the remaining crypts put on a new leaf. Maybe a new bulb will help them explode back!
 
#212 ·
Now. This tank is still a challenge to photograph. Nothing. Stays. Still. But I have more settings on my new camera. Hopefully I'll find one that works well and get some better pictures. For now, I give you the current state of the tank. I got a new light and everything seemed to like that. Now I just need to get some more crypts to fill in that hole.

 
#220 ·
Well it looks like the video isn't going to be done tonight. I was singing in the background and didn't realize this until too late. Don't want to kill you guys, so I have to edit out the sound.

Anyways, I was playing around with the settings on my camera, and I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. The tank got a MAJOR trim today so a lot more light was coming in which always makes for better pictures. I've also added some new plants. There are two baby C. lutea and a (not so baby) red lotus in there courtesy of Jes and her amazing green hands. There have also been some changes to the fish. I lost two tetra a month or so apart and my shy female gourami eventually succumbed to the bullying of the larger one. Nothing I did seemed to help :(



And one AMAZING shot I got of Sturgeon the Farlowella. (Yes that is his name). He's the only thing in the damn tank that stands still enough to get a good picture.

 
#223 ·
Thanks, guys!! Well I finally bullied youtube into halfway doing what I want. I wanted the audio removed or replaced. Turns out the easiest way to do that is to put a popular song in the background and youtube will "remove" it for you. Funny that it didn't catch Summer Night in Heaven. Anyways. I present to you. Feeding time!!

 
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