Tropical Fish

[Grandma]

Grandma has taken upon a new hobby...

<sarcasm>(pausing to let you all take in this fact with incredulity as it's soooo not me...)</sarcasm>

I now have a fishtank!
It's my Xmas present off my darling KFTurtle and various family members for bits and bobs for it.

It is a 250litre tank with a cabinet designed especially for it. It has in-hood T5 lighting and filtration. Full specs in spoiler

Spoiler: show

3 * 35watt T5 Bulbs (2 white, 1 red - day & night)
900lph Powerhead
1800lph Powerhead with a jetstream going into the tank in addition to the amount going through the piping to the filter system.
300watt cheapo heater with double-insulated protective glass
300watt Juwel E-series heater with dual thermostats and LCD screen with monitoring and alarm in addition to flow monitoring
2 sets of ceramic ring bio-filters
2 sets of active carbon chemical filters
4 sets of mechanical foam filters
Couple of thermometers in different locations
Seachem PH monitor (Constant in-tank measurements)
Seachem Ammonia monitor (Constant in-tank measurements)

Current Fish Stock in order of addition:
6 * Platys - 5 male, 1 female (asked for all male, only found out afterwards we'd gotten a female)
These are small red fish with black fins.

1 * Gibbiceps - male (called George)
This is an algae eater and has a leopard print pattern and looks a little like a shark.

4 * Swordtails - 2 male, 2 female
Very thin fish, lengthy tails with the males having pointy arrow tails

3 * Swordtail Fry - babies
Tiny tiny little yellow fishies

2 * Sailfin Mollies - male
Quite a decent size, large finnage that is used for displays

2 * Bolivian Rams - male
Medium sized fish, fairly see through

Pictures:

Full Tank

Will add more in a bit

[Half-bak3d]

I always thought there was something fishy about your hobbies grandma

[MrJohno]

I used to have a big tank with mbuna in it, my demasoni's wrecked the tank one night when i was in bed, every fish but two were alive, i was gutted.

I Should be setting up another tank sooner or later.

[Grandma]

Yeah, decided I didn't want a cichlid tank, wanted to have quite a variety. They are pretty though!

[Grandma]

Well, thought I'd update you guys on the progress of my tank. If you want to first remind yourself of how it looked at the start with the first sets of pictures and then take a look at the videos below. I've annotated them all so that you can tell which fish are what.

Hope you like!

[Ordog]

I have a 5ft tropical tank, looking at getting rid and going marine now im more knowledgeable. I love having fish, they are really good to watch and an ace hobby. I love changing the themes from time to time too, just gotta be careful as it can get expensive very quickly. I started with a fish bowl, then went bigger and bigger lol.

My greatest achievement is this common plec that ive had since it was a tiny baby.. Now hes a monster.

These pics are fair old and hes a bit bigger now.... Awesome ruler i know

[Grandma]

I'd love to see more pictures and maybe some videos of your tank inhabitants. My tank is only a 3ft one, as was all I could really afford and fit (probably still cost me over £1000 mind with all in). I've also just purchased a small 30l tank to use as a quarantine/hospital tank. Just got to get myslef a small heater and filter for it now.

I've only had all my setup since late November last year, so quite pleased at how it's progressing and also pleasantly surprised at how much some fish have grown. My gibbiceps is about half the size of your plec - but I got him as my first inhabitant and he was easily a quarter of his current size then!

[Ordog]

Good idea with the quarantine tank, something will happen one day where you need to treat them or something. Also your more than likely going to get pregnant fish lol.

Ive changed my theme and theres lots of wood with moss growing on it at the moment, its starting to look really good however ive developed a "hair algae" problem.

This stuff attaches itself to everything, glass, ornaments, wood etc etc and will not come off. Im treating the water with some removal solution currently so once its cleared up ill give it a quick clean and take some more pics

I have two large Gourami "kissing fish" which are funny to watch. If you press your finger against the glass they kiss it with their massive sucker lips

[Grandma]

Haha, excellent.

I have already got 4 currently pregnant fish. This is the third time pregnant for the platy, the second time for the swordtail and the first time for the two molly's. This is all since late november too, so quite pleased at that! The platy does keep churning them out though, so a little worried if she carries on doing that!

My Moonlight Gourami will come up to your finger and rub themselves along it if you dip your finger in the water, is quite weird. Some of the fish will happily try to nibble on your finger too.

Considering next: More Dwarf Male Gourami, Guppys, 1 Male fighting Fish, Another 10 Neons, More clown loach

[Ordog]

I had 2 clown loach and when cleaning the tank one jumped out and fell down the back of it. Being a 5ft tank and cabinet i couldnt move it to rescue him This is the only fish ive ever had that jumped out of the water in over 6 years of owning fish, even some tanks had no hoods.

I did get him a few years later when i moved home and he was all dry and crispy. RIP, but it did serve him right.

I also used to have a cray fish, that used to try and nip my massive plec. Needless to say he got steam trained to the other side of the tank every time. Fish never learn

[Grandma]

I've read that the hatchets and panchax are fond of jumping - but I've a tight-fitting lid all round, so shouldn't be a problem.

[DJRenegade]

Filmed with an iPhone4 lol

Jess wants a tank, i have done it before and wouldnt mind it, its just getting the money together so i can get a setup bigger than my last.

[Epoxy]

its a good setup jewel is a good reliable brand rainbow tailed shark fish are nice and there ok as community fish and if you get guppies (thousand fish) ur defo gonna need the second tank as their fry make a tasty snack for bigger fish

don't put gravel in the tank if u whana bread them tho and you can get like an aditive for the water for the fry

[Erwa]

Intersting to read about yor fishtank. I have been fishing since I was 8 years old, so I guess I should det a little bit of bad consciences by looking at them. Have fun with your Tank! Erwa

[slush]

This is a very enjoyable thread.

I have a 5ft tank which I've had set up for about a year now. I started off with a smallish tank and then moved up to a big on in the lounge. Its a Lake Malawi Cichlid tank with about 20-25 mbuna and two pairs of Aulonacara. The Aulonacara are awesome as they have such wonderful colours. Got some catfish and Plecs in there too.

Here is a picture of the current setup.