Rescape time
31 posts • Page 1 of 4
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tekneb - Posts: 211
- Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:45 am
Rescape time
Gave my tank a much overdue makeover today. I got rid of the cliche background and went all black. I also added some caves made from leftover glass I had lying around (with the edges very tediously sanded down of course). The pics also feature my first live plants in ten years! A java fern in the left hand corner and a still blossoming onion barely visible in the back. My apologies in advance for the low quality, my camera sucks. I'm not sure what happened in the last pic (my tank does not have a red light) but it looked cool so I included it. Let me know what you guys think!
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yasherkoach - Posts: 1306
- Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm
cute tank
my only suggestion, because of the fish you have in that tank, that you upgrade to a much larger tank, say between 55 to 90 gallon tank in the next 6 months.
MOst of the fish you have average in size at about 5 inches (rosy barb alone will get to 6 inches adult). 20 gallon alone, just for the rosy barb - which is semi-aggressive or territorial (needs caves) will house only one rosy barb that is if your aim is to make the fish comfortable in its surroundings. As babies they all look so cute and cheery - but we forget they do grow.
Outside of this, nice little set up you have.
my only suggestion, because of the fish you have in that tank, that you upgrade to a much larger tank, say between 55 to 90 gallon tank in the next 6 months.
MOst of the fish you have average in size at about 5 inches (rosy barb alone will get to 6 inches adult). 20 gallon alone, just for the rosy barb - which is semi-aggressive or territorial (needs caves) will house only one rosy barb that is if your aim is to make the fish comfortable in its surroundings. As babies they all look so cute and cheery - but we forget they do grow.
Outside of this, nice little set up you have.
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tekneb - Posts: 211
- Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:45 am
Damn, I was hoping no one would notice that :P
Thank you yasher, the truth is I have been getting increasingly worried about that very same thing. When I read about the rosy barbs it said their size could range anywhere from 3-5 inches. Being the naive optimist that I am I bought them and hoped they would stay on the low end of that spectrum, but alas it was not meant to be. Right now I am trying to take steps to lessen the effects of the overstocked tank. I bought the two plants to help curb excess nitrates and phosphates, and I'm doing water changes of at least 33% at least twice a week. I also made sure that every fish I bought was either to tough (redtail, clown pleco) or to fast (rainbows and neons) for the barbs to bother should they become aggressive, although so far they have been fairly docile. However, I do realize that these are all temporary solutions, and that investing in a larger tank is inevitable, and preferably sooner rather then later.
One thing though. I did not realize I would have to go as big as a 55. A 36 or 45 would be plenty big no?
Thank you yasher, the truth is I have been getting increasingly worried about that very same thing. When I read about the rosy barbs it said their size could range anywhere from 3-5 inches. Being the naive optimist that I am I bought them and hoped they would stay on the low end of that spectrum, but alas it was not meant to be. Right now I am trying to take steps to lessen the effects of the overstocked tank. I bought the two plants to help curb excess nitrates and phosphates, and I'm doing water changes of at least 33% at least twice a week. I also made sure that every fish I bought was either to tough (redtail, clown pleco) or to fast (rainbows and neons) for the barbs to bother should they become aggressive, although so far they have been fairly docile. However, I do realize that these are all temporary solutions, and that investing in a larger tank is inevitable, and preferably sooner rather then later.
One thing though. I did not realize I would have to go as big as a 55. A 36 or 45 would be plenty big no?
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natalie265 - Site Admin
- Posts: 746
- Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm
You could probably get by with a 45 gallon with the fish you currently have, but you should keep in mind that most of the fish you have, including the rosy barbs, prefer to be kept in schools of 5 or more. I would go with a bigger tank (55 gal or larger) and up your numbers. That, and/or get rid of one or more of the species that you are keeping--for example, get rid of the rainbows and up your rosy barbs to 5 or vice versa.
But hey, any excuse to get another fish tank!!
But hey, any excuse to get another fish tank!!
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tekneb - Posts: 211
- Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:45 am
Guess I'd better start putting some bids in on larger tanks on craigslist. I see a nice little 65 gallon for $125 thats right up my alley :). And getting rid of my rainbows is definitely out of the question, so I guess I'm just gonna have to buy more barbs. Thanks all!
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yasherkoach - Posts: 1306
- Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm
yes, minimum 55 gallon...but if you go larger than 55 even better. Two things in this hobby where you can go as huge as you like: more filtration the better and the bigger the tank the better.
and I agree with natalie, rosy barbs like to be in schools, so if you get a huge tank, and get a good school of 6 rosy barb, and on one side of the tank you have natural rock formation and leave the other half of the tank for open swimming, your fish will be in a very comfortable zone for the rest of their lives.
let us know how it goes
and I agree with natalie, rosy barbs like to be in schools, so if you get a huge tank, and get a good school of 6 rosy barb, and on one side of the tank you have natural rock formation and leave the other half of the tank for open swimming, your fish will be in a very comfortable zone for the rest of their lives.
let us know how it goes
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tekneb - Posts: 211
- Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:45 am
I'm not really a fan of the natural rock look. I feel like everyone does that. I have tons of spare pieces of stained glass around my house (my dad makes stained glass artwork) so I'll probably just make caves out of that.
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natalie265 - Site Admin
- Posts: 746
- Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm
The fish won't care if it's glass (sanded of course) or rocks. I think a big fish tank full of stained glass caves would be pretty cool. If you go for it, you'll have to post pictures.
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yasherkoach - Posts: 1306
- Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm
that's cool tekneb, if you choose to just use stained glass, that's fine as long as there are not many pointed edges. Not that rocks can't cause damage to a fish's scales - for they do. But if a fish is playing, and comes up fast from under a ledge of glass, and if the glass is razor sharp, well we'd have a pretty big mess on one's hands, ya know?
so just do what you can (as you have said above, you sand the edges), and you will be fine.
Though natural rock is closer to the all natural habitat in streams, oceans, rivers etc - if you like to create on one side of the tank an all stained glass ledge formation, go for it.
let us know how it goes
so just do what you can (as you have said above, you sand the edges), and you will be fine.
Though natural rock is closer to the all natural habitat in streams, oceans, rivers etc - if you like to create on one side of the tank an all stained glass ledge formation, go for it.
let us know how it goes
