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Olympia's Tanks :)

26K views 236 replies 15 participants last post by  Chesh 
#1 ·
Well, finally got the initiative to talk about this tank a little bit on here!
So until today the only life in here was my 6 sakura shrimp and some creepy snails. The shrimp are doing really well, ones even carrying eggs. And since finally my plants have stopped melting down and creating tons of pollution, I decided to add some fishes today.
Off to the fish store I went, to get 5 threadfin rainbows. Well, I'm lucky that it's a fish store with fish savvy workers, because apparently there was only 1 threadfin, and what I thought were females were actually female cherry barbs.
So I felt bad for this last little threadfin boy and I took him home! The store is getting more in this week if the suppliers have any (they better).
He's a little skittish and confused about his tank, the bright red shrimp are kind of scary I guess.

So, full tank shot. I'm horrible at tank photos, yes. We got some java moss, amazon sword, some sort of hygro, sunset hygro, aponogeoton natans that refuses to grow more than 2" from the bulb, anacharis, hornwort and some sort of crypt. Debating over whether to use driftwood or rock for the hardscape.
The brown thing is pantyhose to protect shrimp from the intake, not the most attractive thing, I know.


Okay, here is momma shrimp. The plant is the sunset hygro, which when through a crazy melting when I added it, but now the bottom has new sprouts which I'm glad about!



And here is new fish. I bought the smallest pellets they have but they are still too big. They didn't have any .5mm pellets. x.x I hope he figures it out soon. He's coloured up a lot since I got him, though the photos don't show it well his belly is now yellow.
He reminds me of a sardine with long fins. :lol:

 
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#3 ·
This is looking really nice. Honestly I think it would look really good if you could get some root type looking wood to put on one side of the tank and maybe some smooth river rocks. Put it to that bare patch on the left or you could try to put it mid depending.
 
#4 ·
Thanks Chesh! :D He's a funny thing, his eyeballs are huuuuge! He's just swimming around, kind of looking dumb, probably wishes he had a school. I wonder if he misses his cherry barb friends.

Yea, I don't think I can find a rooty driftwood. I'm pretty much stuck with the big chunky ones at petsmart. No one else sells anything, and there aren't many driftwood suppliers in Canada, I don't think that's the kind of thing I want to be shipping across the border. Root-looking wood is my favourite though. :(

It's come leaps and bounds. I MAY have overdone it on the sand a little though, haha.
 
#8 ·
Not really an effect, Hal. :p The light is really short and has to sit on a diagonal across that corner.
The sword isn't really enjoying itself in the dark so I think I have to move it, or get something to hold the light up.
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#9 ·
hahaha! Well... it still DOES look nice. Maybe you can put some plants that don't like the light as bright over there :) In my 10g QT tank, I often have one light or the other off, to give new fish/creatures a dark spot to de-stress. They seem to like it. Of course, I alternate sides every day or two to give the plants some light. The fish don't seem to mind, but i imagine it confuses the heck outta them! lol
 
#10 ·
Hmm, maybe I'll play around with it a little bit if you guys like it so much!
Mr tiny fish is doing well. I watched him chasing around a rather large daphnia or something today, so I guess he must have enough to eat.
 
#12 ·
LOL! Limpi!!! Mr.Tinyfish is the BEST NAME EVER! I love it!!! I'm glad he's doing well, and finding some good grub in that big ol' tank. You said the shop would be getting more in this week - any idea when, yet? They're gonna be gorgeous all grown up and pretty. Can't wait to see it! Mr. Tinyfish. . . *giggle* He's gonna be the biggest of the soon-to-be group one day - watch and see!

Hallyx, I do this in my QT tank, as most of the creatures that live there are new or ill, and I think they kind of need that bit of darkness to de-stress and recover. I can often tell how they're feeling by where they are in the tank. When they just get into the tank and aren't feeling their best, they hang out in the darkness and hide in the plants, but as they start to feel better and/or are more comfortable with their new environment, they come out more, and will be seen all about the tank - regardless of the light. Just one more way to check on their progress, and (hopefully) help them heal faster/feel more comfortable. :) glad I could help - hope it works for you, too!
 
#13 ·
Mr Tiny Fish is already full grown- 1 inch long. :-D So he will have a pack of tiny fish friends soon!

Also, major change of plans. I REALLY wanted a school of sterbai cories in this tank. But I've had a change of heart. My 6 cories in my divided 15 gallon have moved to the 20 gallon. So double the space for them! :D Not sure if I should still try and fit another species in however.


So, now my 15 gallon is being divided 3 ways. 5 gallons for Reuben, 5 for Gilbert, and 5 for a.. dwarf puffer fish! :-D
Kind of spontaneous of a decision, but I've always wanted one and I thought- heck why not divide a space for him. :-D
 
#15 ·
Ooooh!!! I'm in love with Puffers, too! Pics, please??! You'll have to keep me posted on how he does - any names yet? You're having such an exciting time right now with those tanks. YAY, you!!! Be careful with those spur-of-the moment decisions, though - you KNOW they have a terrible habit of biting your behind when you aren't looking ;)
 
#16 ·
Hopefully I can pick him up Friday, if I get the tank divided by then. I'm gonna name him Boomer. :)
What could possibly go wrong? ;)
And yes, it's summer break. So I'm doing nothing some days and I'll just be sitting there and I'm like "hm maybe I should do this to the tank," so lots of stuff being done. My summer school is online so it's no where near as tiring as actually going to school, so I'm less lazy about things now. xD
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#19 ·
Oh man. Lot's of stuff. First of all: impulse buys: African dwarf frogs and bumblebee gobies. 2 of each. I just got too frustrated with that fact that Mr Tiny Fish probably won't have a school any time soon. :cry:
Did some rearranging today. I really like it, it's the nicest any of my tanks has ever looked. Gonna vacuum the sand up a bit tomorrow, I'm so tired already. :-D










Cories- always hiding. :(







Mr Tiny Fish update:




Also, this goby is REALLY fat. I think it may be a female. I hope so. :D
It's belly is also spotted, which I don't know if that's normal, no other pics on google have anything like this.

 
#21 ·
LOL! Don't worry about the frogs nomming on anything they shouldn't be - rather that they get enough to eat in a community tank! Be VERY aware of that!

I LOVE BUMBLEBEE GOBIES!! And, of course, ADFs. . . AND Corys! You're gonna have the CUTEST tank that ever was if you keep this up! I wish I had the right water for Gobies. . . :)
 
#23 ·
Thanks guys! Yes I'm loving them!

Chesh, I NEED some aquarium photography tips! Hahah!
Also, the frogs are the biggest things in this tank. They are extremely pushy of everything else. I think they'll end up being the bullies of the tank, honestly. :s
Good thing Mr Tiny Fish isn't really competing with anything. He's constantly zooming around, I can see him eating his invisible little food things. Quite funny, he chases them around like crazy, it just looks like madness since they're invisible to me.
 
#25 ·
GOBYGOBYGOBY! I wonder if they'd be as cute if they were named something else? I love your little un's CHUBBY TUMMY!!! (looks like it needs to be TICKLED!)

Really? Your FROGS are BULLIES??! You GOTTA take a video of this, cuz' I don't believe you. . .

Tank shots are H A R D! I am NOT the one to ask about how to do it! I'm still working that out myself. Just be prepared to toss more pics than you keep, lol! I find I get my best shots in the absolute darkness to reduce reflections - but it's tricky to get the shutter speed and aperture balanced so that nothing is blurry or blown out highlights. I'd say impossible, but I've seen it done - I just haven't figured out HOW yet! If you're using flash, you'll find that shooting the tank on an angle will give you the best shot without a reflection of the flash - but, of course, you then give up your full frontal tank shot! It doesn't matter, Lympster! Your piccies are PRETTY to me!
 
#26 ·
Guess I gotta practice the photography.

They are quite rude. First thing one of them did was try and eat Mr Tiny! And now they are just stepping on the cories and the gobies. :(
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