My 75 gal Journal - my first ever aquarium!

**KevinVA** · 02-05-2013, 02:15 AM

Congrats on a beautiful 1st tank! =] Sorry to hear you had some losses. Those are the breaks with fish-in cycling, though. Your plants look wonderful, as do your fish.

**gronlaura** · 02-05-2013, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by KevinVA

Congrats on a beautiful 1st tank! =] Sorry to hear you had some losses. Those are the breaks with fish-in cycling, though. Your plants look wonderful, as do your fish.

If I had gotten the extra scissortail and the 4 tetras instead of the 6 danios I don't think I would have had any losses. I am learning. I can't wait to get the rest of my tetra school this Saturday. Will do a water change and clean the right side filter first, then off to the fish store!

The plants are a combination of silk and plastic. The fish I chose to stock need a heavily planted tank, with most of the plants along the sides and back, with open swimming space in the middle and front. That is what I was going for and the fish really seem to enjoy the aquascaping. Sometimes I think they are playing hide n seek with each other, swimming in and out of the plantings. If the fish are happy, so am I.

I took a long time to make a decision about filtration and am very glad I decided on the 2 AC110s. They are very easy to maintain. Initially, I was concerned about possible noise from the waterfall, but it's not a problem at all. I like having just the intake tubes (which I can hide pretty well with the plants) and the fish really enjoy the current the filters provide.

**gronlaura** · 02-05-2013, 06:26 PM

Another video of the fish and the tetra tank nibbler.

**talldutchie** · 02-05-2013, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by KevinVA

Congrats on a beautiful 1st tank! =] Sorry to hear you had some losses. Those are the breaks with fish-in cycling, though. Your plants look wonderful, as do your fish.

Fake plants tend to do that!

Personally on a tank with this much light I would have gone for real plants. Anyway, it does look good as a whole, it looks amazing if you consider it's a first tank.

**gronlaura** · 02-05-2013, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by talldutchie

Fake plants tend to do that!

Personally on a tank with this much light I would have gone for real plants. Anyway, it does look good as a whole, it looks amazing if you consider it's a first tank.

Thanks for your kind words. Everyone on the forum is so supportive. I can't imagine trying to set-up an aquarium without the help (and humor) of the forum members.

I'm very happy with the look of the tank. The light is a BeamsWork (not Beamworks as I put in my original post) single brite 48 inch LED. I think it looks brighter as I took the photo in a dark room. I have since made an adjustment to my canopy frame so that the light sits about 1 1/2 - 2 inches higher above the tank. Love the blue moonlights (so do the fish).

**KevinVA** · 02-05-2013, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by talldutchie

Fake plants tend to do that!

Personally on a tank with this much light I would have gone for real plants. Anyway, it does look good as a whole, it looks amazing if you consider it's a first tank.

lol, well, I more meant the arrangement. She did an excellent job at piecing it together. =] Fake or not, it's a tank I'd be proud to own.

**steeler1** · 02-06-2013, 02:55 AM

I like your choice of Scissortail rasboras, they were my first tropical fish years ago. Although I've never kept them again, this brings back some great memories.

**talldutchie** · 02-06-2013, 04:23 AM

Originally Posted by KevinVA

lol, well, I more meant the arrangement. She did an excellent job at piecing it together. =] Fake or not, it's a tank I'd be proud to own.

The arrangement of the plants looks nice that's certainly true. IT shows that fake plants used well can add to an aquarium

**gronlaura** · 02-12-2013, 06:22 PM

On Sunday I completed my Golden Pristella Tetra school with the addition of 7 new fish, for a total of 11. Only wanted 6, but they had 7 and knowing how shy they can be if not in a proper school, I didn’t want to leave a lone fish at the LFS. They wouldn’t get more till this Thursday. What a difference a large school of this fish makes – no more shyness! All 11 are everywhere – and they have 3 of the Rainbows who think they are Pristellas, schooling together and riding the current across the front of the tank! I love it!! What fun and active fish the Tetras are – I’m really glad I changed my stocking list to include them. My tank is very lively!

I also got a juvie Panama Red BN cat (he/she is about 1¾ inches). I think they are also called "Calico" or "Marble". Love him/her already! Loves the driftwood and found the algae wafer right away. My largest male Rainbow also found the wafer and between the two of them they destroyed it! My Rainbow let the BN eat, but chased away everyone else – too funny. Will try a zucchini slice tonight after lights out.

Will add 2 more Rainbows in 2 weeks (a male & a female) to complete that school and maybe one more juvie BN. That will complete my tank.

I missed half of one of my recorded programs last night – was watching the fish and forgot to watch the TV!!!!

Here are 3 videos – the new Tetras mingling (and enjoying a Tetra Veggie Tank Nibbler) with my male Rainbow going goofy over the algae wafer, my new BN claiming his algae wafer and then enjoying his driftwood.

Don't know why the videos come out so bright - my tank isn't lit that brightly. It must be the camera on my phone - will have to see if I can make an adjustment.