120 Litre Set-Up...from Lake Tanganyika to South America

**~firefly~** · 12-09-2012, 04:08 PM

Got the decent camera out tonight so here's a close tank shot.

I've upped my stock to beyond bursting point now. The cherry barbs have been very active lately, lots of breeding behaviour, and with 12 males vs 6 females that's a bit unfair. I added 11 females yesterday. I must say, the tank doesn't really look like it has that many fish in it (I'm amazed).

Added a bit more moss to some of the branches (from the shrimp tank). My Christmas moss seems to have died off so it's mostly all Java moss now.

I'm still seeing phosphate deficiency so I'm hoping more fish will provide the waste material the plants seem to be craving.

I also picked up 3 more peppered cories too so the total stock is now:
29 cherry barbs (17 females and 12 males)
6 peppered cories
5 sterbai cories
10(ish) otocinclus
2 assassin snails

50% water change once a week (or two 30% changes a week if I have time). I think this wouldn't be enough if I didn't have a huge filter and lots of plants.

Parameters are looking really good. Still have a yearning for giant vals though (my LFS didn't have any this week).

**jeffs99dime** · 12-09-2012, 04:21 PM

That looks absolutely WONDERFUL!
That's the same WC schedule I have.

**Lady Hobbs** · 12-09-2012, 07:07 PM

The many faces of this tank. It looks wonderful. Nice job.

**talldutchie** · 12-09-2012, 07:09 PM

Tastes differ. I like planted tanks so I much prefer this one. Nice wood! That broadleaf thing on the extreme right looks like it could get rather big. Might wanna move it back a bit.

**~firefly~** · 12-09-2012, 07:19 PM

Thanks, I'm really pleased with how this tank has come on. I can honestly say it wouldn't look like this without the inspiration and advice from this forum. So thank you all.

The broad leaded plant on the right is Echinodorus bleheri (Amazon sword) and it's never thrived in this tank and has stayed small. I do feed it root tabs and make sure it's not too covered. I've been toying with the idea of moving it up onto the wood on the right. There are quite a few vals behind it but they never achieve full height (despite spreading reasonably well).

**talldutchie** · 12-09-2012, 07:20 PM

hmm.. in that case keep an eye on it.

I was in a shop two, three weeks ago and they had some fully grown adult bleheri. They can get BIG!

**fishmommie** · 12-09-2012, 07:22 PM

looks gorgeous!

**~firefly~** · 12-09-2012, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by talldutchie

hmm.. in that case keep an eye on it.

I was in a shop two, three weeks ago and they had some fully grown adult bleheri. They can get BIG!

Cheers, yeah I will. It's probably my most high maintenance plant. Sickly thing.

My favourite is the cryptocoryne crispatula. Slow growing but looks awesome against wood.

**talldutchie** · 12-09-2012, 07:44 PM

Yeah... I know that feeling, I always have to work at getting vallis to prosper.

**KevinVA** · 12-10-2012, 01:18 AM

Ok... someone needs to stop this girl... She's off on a tangent. We get it! You keep perfect tanks!

J/k.

I'm absolutely in love with this tank. Your underwater gardening skills are astonishing. It must be the water over there... must be. ;P

Your pictures are beautiful, as well. What kind of camera are you using (and lens)?