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GirlieGirl8519- Yep, Im planning to get a male and female dwarf gourami. Would 4 otos be OK?

keithgh- I have been planning/reasearching this tank for about a year. Unfortunatly I dont have a digital camera yet but im probably going to get the Sealife DC500 5mp digital camera next year some time.

upikabu- Where can I get aquarium safe laterite? I was originaly going to use it but I could not seem to find any. I think your right about the root fetiliser, it would probably need to be replaced. Thats quite disaponting about the shrimp. Are there any types of shrimp, not crayfish, regularly availible in Australia? There is only ever yabbies availible in aquarium shops around here. About the insects, would ants, worms and moths be OK to feed to the fish?

Thanks for all your help
Shaun

Shaun,

IME sand is fine to use in planted aquaria, as long as (a) you have enough of it (at least 3" deep) and (b) you put another, more nutrient-rich substance under it. A cheap but effective one would be laterite, an iron-rich clay. I can get a small bag for $6 here, enough for a 30"x12" surface area. You'll probably need at least 3 bags of it. Other good ones are Flourite, Onyx Sand, and Eco-Complete. These are nutrient-rich substrates made specifically for planted tanks and can be used by themselves or combined with your sand. They're very expensive though here in Oz (at least $50 for a 7kg bag) and not very common (but can be ordered online).

I don't have personal experience with the Dupla root fertilizer, but if it's like other root fertilizers they're usually not cheap and need to be replenished at a regular basis. The ones I mentioned above don't need to be replaced, at least not for a few years.

Regarding the shrimps, I highly doubt customs will allow those in if you order them from the US. There's a reason you don't see them in shops.

Lastly, I was curious about an entry in your food list: "suitible insects found in garden?". Which insects are you thinking of? I'm not sure any of the fishes you listed would eat garden insect (worms maybe), but I could be wrong. I'm certainly not brave enough to try it on my little fishies.

Good luck mate!

Last edited by upikabu at 02-Dec-2005 05:38

-P

By the look of your planing you have done your research very well. It should work out very well for you.
Dont forget the photos. I did progressive photos for my Betta tank.

Have a look in [link=My Profile]http://
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[link=Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tanks]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/Betta%20desktop%20tank/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

Keith

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You should get more than 2 ottos because they like friends. I have only one in my 55g but I am getting a few more this weekend. They like being in the company of their own kind.
If you plan to plant your tank more later than I would suggest a small gravel instead of sand. I have heard that sand can be hard on the roots of some plants and tends to get anaerobic pockets that may kill the plants. I'm sure someone else will explain this better.
If you are going to get 2 dwarf gouramis, get a male and female. Males are very aggressive towards each other. I had two males in a 10g and one killed the other by chasing him and torturing him. When that happened I posted on here and someone told me they had 2 in a 46 or 55g (can't remember) and one bullied the other. So if you can only get males, I suggest you only get one...and avoid the aggression. Good luck! :%)

*Kristin*

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Why should I add 6 or more otos? Wouldnt they consume all the aglae really fast? I only decided on tyhe two otos for eating the algae the bristlenose pleco missed.

I was wondering about buying shrimp in Australia because they never have them in the aquarium shops- only yabbies. Does anyone know where I can get either cherry, ghost or amano shrimp in Australia? I found a shop that shipped shrimp internationally- http://www.azgardens.com/shrimpfactory.php
It sounds fairly complex and expensive though. And im not sure about if the shrimp are on the allowable imports list.

Thanks For your help
Shaun

Rest of plan-

Fertiliser-
Seachem Flourish
Duplarit K root fertiliser
Maybe Seachem Flourish Excell

Filtration-
Aqua Pro CF-1500 1500lph canister filter

Filter media-
media included with filter
Aquaclay 1L
Ceramic Rings 1kg
Petpac filter wool 200g
aquarium science filter carbon in media bag
Supreme Aqua filter sponge

Airation-
Spray bar on canister filter
Aqua One precision air pump with 4" airstone and check valve in silicone tubing
battery air pump in case of power failure

Food-
Omega One super colour flakes
Omega One cichlid pellets small
Omega One Kelp flakes
Omega One shrimp pellets
today's freeze dried blood worms
HBH veggie waffers
Wardley brine shrimp
fresh vegetables and fruit
suitible insects found in garden?

heating-
2 150 watt aqua pro heaters

substrate-
pool filter sand
Duplarit K under plants

Other stuff-
Marina Easy Clean gravel cleaner
mag-float glass cleaner medium
hagen fine net blue 15cm
hagen fine net blue 25cm
worm feeder small
computer controlled automatic fish feeder
hagen mini-reach algae scrubb
hagen fish net breeder
Seachem Stability for cycling tank
aquarium pharmaceuticals stress coat
hagen thermometer with suction cup
light timers
buckets
driftwood mangroove root
aquarium science multi purpose remedy
aquarium science broad spectrum antibiotic

Quarantine/hospital tank-
10G
Pro Aqua 50 watt mini heater
Supreme Aqua Bio Filter
Seachem stability for bacteria supply
no substrate
plastic plants

hope ur plan works well..i do agree with the rest...put more otos in there...at least 6 in total...but u should add them like...when ur tank is established already...where theres plenty of algae, brown, for them to it, sometimes, depend on the batch, otos r sensitive.

That looks really interesting.

I would add more Ottos & more Corydoras but the rest semms quite interesting with all those Shrimps & Plants.
Just take your time & do it right & post some pictures when it's ready.

ps. If you have any problems, just ask them here & you'll get plenty of reply's.


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Last edited by jasonpisani at 01-Dec-2005 07:41

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Hi, welcome to FP!

Sounds like a good first plan.
Fish: I'd up the number of otos - to at least 6.
Inverts: Would be curious where you can get Amano & cherry shrimps in Oz? I have never seen them around here (Brisbane). I didn't think they're even allowable imports. Even ghost shrimps are very rare.
Plants: The only advice is to plant heavily from the start. With that lighting you should be able to grow most commonly available plants. Add fast growing plants like water sprite, hygrophila polysperma, wisteria, etc. Once the plants are established in a few months you can replace these weeds with better looking plants. Here's a good article about setting up a planted tank.

What kind of filtration are you planning to get? For that size tank I'd recommend a canister filter like an Eheim or Fluval.

Good luck & keep us posted!

-P