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Hi Mike,

The tank looks good, so far . Interesting how employees always get the best driftwood .

The moss will take somewhere between 2 and 4 weeks to anchor, maybe I should have mentioned that a brown/black thread is less visible during that time. But don’t worry, even the white one will stain and blend itself into the wood. BTW, did you soak the wood for a few days? If not then you will get some tannins in the tank, but that doesn’t hurt anybody.

Your shrimp, I dare to identify :

If this is not a brand new species that you have at the store for the first time then I believe you got a Wood Shrimp, Atyopsis moluccensi. I believe to have seen them there. If so, then bring it back – a 4” clawed monster is too big and greedy for a 10G. I cannot give you a link to easily identify if that is what you got. I found quickly 2 links but it looks different on both sites. Anyways, [link=First Link]http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Shrimp" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link] and [link=Second Link]http://www.azgardens.com/shrimpfactory.php" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link].

About the 90G: Impressive collection, but how should I say this --> The tank is way too small, but I believe you know that .

Keep us posted,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

And as links

[link=Picture 1]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/ImolaF430/0644e400.jpg" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link]
[link=Picture 2]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/ImolaF430/47bc95d6.jpg" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link]

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I've got big plans for the next year or so. I'm most likely upgraded to a 120g (6" wider than my current 90g) for my rays and such. In the meantime, this guy is going to get grown out. What comes next is still in the air. I have the space and resources for a large indoor pond, so that is definetly a possiblity. Depending how work goes, a large tank could happen as well (8x3x2 most likely).





Here's the Jur being a Jur haha.

Mike,

Doesn't that fish easily exceed 20 inches?

What is your contingency plan?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Well, planted tank was fun for a bit, but I'm a true monster fish keeper at heart. I picked up a B.Juruense last night from work. As it turns out, he has an affinity for Amano and Bee Shrimp, Guppies, and Cory Pygmates. Anyway, the plants are still in there, but I'm not expecting much haha.

I really have no idea. They actually look pretty crappy right from the store. I know the Wisteria in particular was buried under some other plants and wasn't getting much light, so that may do it. Let's hope everything turns better in my tank.

Mike,

Yup - you guessed right on the plant IDs

I am wondering why parts of the Water Sprite seem so white?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Full tank shot...note the blatent lack of aquascaping]
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/ImolaF430/f1e6a31d.jpg

I think this is the wisteria?
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/ImolaF430/8d2bb009.jpg

...and I think this is the water sprite
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/ImolaF430/0afe2acd.jpg

I'll update this thread every so often.

I got some water sprite and wisteria last night, as well as a bottle of Flourish Excel. I basically placed the plants spread apart to insure everything gets a fair share of light. No real aquascaping going on, trying to grow these plants out. Anyway, I added 1 full cap of Excel as an initial doze. I plan on dosing as per the bottle's recommendations every other day. I'll get pics soon. I need to scrub that horrible algae off my front glass. Silly panaque...

"Bee Shrimp" is what I have, according to your first link. THanks for the compliments. Yes, the tank is horribly over crowded. I need to get a new tank or consider downsizing. It's a shame, because my filtration is massive and could definetly handle the bioload. It's a matter of space. I've got a 30g sump on a 90g tank haha.

Well, I just emptied out a 10g and got 2.3 guppies and a blue eyes panaque in there at the moment. I picked up some java moss from work today and decided I would give anchoring it a shot. So, I pull out a piece of driftwood from the tank and grab some fine thread from a drawer nearby. I tied up the moss in small bunches in 5 different spots. I think/hope I remember reading an Amano article that the thread will eventually dissolve without any ill effects? Depending how the next few days go, I may switch this tank over to a nice little planted tank. I don't want to go nuts, just have a bunch of plants to contrast the fish in there. Just need a few recommendations.

Lighting-would like to utilize the fixture I have and maybe a new bulb?

Filtration-I have an Aquaclear 50, so I don't think that's really an issue.

CO2-necessary? (Ingo, you would no this. Are those things we sell at my store any good?)

Substrate-I currently have your average aquarium gravel in there in a fine layer. I was planning on getting 5-10lbs of fine aquarium gravel in addition, or maybe even sand?

I'll think of more questions I'm sure, so bare with me!

-Mike

I snapped some pics of the 10g tonight. Granted, the pics leave something to be desired, you'll get the point, I'm sure.

Whole tank
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/ImolaF430/IMG_1172.jpg

Driftwood (is everything tied correctly?). How long before the moss anchors itself to the wood?
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/ImolaF430/IMG_1173.jpg

Panaque (granted, no shot in hell you'll see much. They guy stays tucked away during the day. I'll have to surpise it in the middle of the night, camera in hand).
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/ImolaF430/IMG_1171.jpg

My 90g tank inhabitants (RIP ST).
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/ImolaF430/image02.jpg

Well, I picked up two more bags of gravel today, and am pleased with the results. While I was there, I picked up 3 Pygmy Cories, 3 Amano Shrimp, and 3 other shrimp that I liked. They are tan with dark brown bands, if anyone cares to ID? Anyway, I'm enjoying this little tank more than any of my big tanks. I'm seriously considering setting up a 55/75g planted tank right now.

"2.3 Guppies
1.2 Montezuma Swords
5 Amano Shrimp
3 Cory Pymgatus (maybe)"

Skip the swords, theyre lovely but they get big. If you find the pygmy cories you can get 6 if your water chem is good.

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

"Cory Addict-I actually paid $250 for my 2" Panaque. I'm not sure if you've ever kept any of the royal plecos, but you'll know their rediculously slow growth. I've had this one for about 6 months and it hasn't grown at all. Mind you, this thing chews away at driftwood like it's going out of style and devours potatoes, kiwi, and zucchini. I think he'll be fine in the 10g for at least another couple of months. I'm no stranger to expensive fish lmao-I've got a Leopoldi and Motoro Ray in another tank."

That's good you know what your doing. I've heard of people simply receiving these fish from their friends and having no idea how to care for them or even what a rare fish they are, which was why I was concerned.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Cory Addict-I actually paid $250 for my 2" Panaque. I'm not sure if you've ever kept any of the royal plecos, but you'll know their rediculously slow growth. I've had this one for about 6 months and it hasn't grown at all. Mind you, this thing chews away at driftwood like it's going out of style and devours potatoes, kiwi, and zucchini. I think he'll be fine in the 10g for at least another couple of months. I'm no stranger to expensive fish lmao-I've got a Leopoldi and Motoro Ray in another tank.

Ingo-thanks for the advice. I'm actually going in today to pick up some more gravel and the Amano shrimp. I'll pick up some more plants next week, along with the Excel. I think I'll see how this setup goes for a bit, minus the CO2 and any additional lighting. Worse comes to worse, I can pickup PC's from work.

The main reason for the plants is cover for fry. Montezuma swords go for $20 a pop, so it can become quite lucrative haha.

Mike,

Cory Addict pretty much gave you all the answers for the moment. I can only second her opinions in means of:

- Lighting: in order to evaluate if you should get more light one would need to know a) how much do you have now and b) what plants are you planning to grow (my guess would be that I infected you with the Glosso bug )

- The moss does not need a lot of light, but approximately 2wpg (even without CO2) will make it grow faster and nicer than very low light. The thread should disintegrate within a few weeks to maybe a few months. I must have used some “special” thread in my 29G as it is still there, but one cannot see it anymore as the moss is covering it up completely. If I wouldn’t be so lazy I could take out the wood and simply cut the thread off.

- Your filter is good, I have the same on my 20G Long and think that it is maybe a little small, but it for sure should be fine on a 10G.

- Yup, stick with the gravel, much less problems with plants (looks over his shoulder if a sand-person is reading this). I would suggest that you mix the bottom 3rd with laterite as a substrate fertilizer base. Try to get about 3 inches of substrate.

- CO2 – Well, that depends on the light and plant selection. It is basically not a necessity but plants do appreciate the carbon source. As you know, plants need 3 things (besides water) to grow, light, nutrients, and carbon. Leave one out and growth will be limited to non existent. The things you have at the store are not something I would buy, expect if I would need a diffuser as the ladder is pretty good (not the best, but good). The rest of the system is maybe ok, IMHO. Instead, if you should have at least medium light (over 2wpg), I would suggest to add Flourish Excel to the tank. If you don’t get a major rebate at the store then buying it from Big Al’s is for sure the cheaper solution. That would leave us with the question on what to use as a macro and micro nutrient, but we will get to this once we know the light/plant situation.

- Your livestock – Guppies, all male, right? Swords, don’t they get to be up to 4 inches (never had swords)? Cories, can be very nice, might become a problem if you have a small plant ground cover, like Glosso or Dwarf Hair Grass, as they could potentially uproot these plants.

I guess that concludes it for now,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

"Lighting-would like to utilize the fixture I have and maybe a new bulb?"

It depends on what your lighting is now. If you have incandescent bulbs, you should probably switch them to screw-in compact fluorescents. If you have a regulat fluorescent hood (one long bulb), that will be fine for growing Java Moss. If, however, you want to switch to higher-light plants, you should invest in replacing your hood with a compact fluorescent one.


"CO2-necessary? (Ingo, you would no this. Are those things we sell at my store any good?)"

For Java Moss you definitely don't need it. Even for most plants it is not necessary, but if you really want to get a hardcore jungle of a tank, it is a helpful thing to have.


"Substrate-I currently have your average aquarium gravel in there in a fine layer. I was planning on getting 5-10lbs of fine aquarium gravel in addition, or maybe even sand?"

Stick with the gravel - it is much better for the plants' roots. Sand compacts and prevents water and nutrients from moving freely around the roots.


One question: Do you really have a Blue-Eyed Panaque? Last time I checked, they were exceptionally rare and were selling for at least $300 each. They also get to be about a foot long, so they really shouldn't be kept in a 10 gallon tank for any amount of time.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Just to add, here is what I want to keep in the tank in terms of livestock.

2.3 Guppies
1.2 Montezuma Swords
5 Amano Shrimp
3 Cory Pymgatus (maybe)