Yanagi Posted October 6, 2010 Report Share Posted October 6, 2010 Hehe, I'm so happy with this tank I had to make a thread just to show it off. All I want to add to it now is a couple more Crypts along the front and various Anubias, but the person I bought an Anubias plant pack from on ebay last time doesn't seem to have any so that will have to wait. It's for 5 B. Rutilans that I'm getting on thursday. So here it is! WIP... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 6, 2010 Report Share Posted October 6, 2010 Oh WOW!!! Amazing Yan!!! :drool: :drool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishish Posted October 6, 2010 Report Share Posted October 6, 2010 ooow looks so lovely and natural and bushy your fish will be very happy in there I'm sure! I have to say my ears pricked up at 'anubius pack on ebay' lol care to share the secret? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted October 6, 2010 Report Share Posted October 6, 2010 There's a lot to be said for low light plants - the tank looks really good... nice colour gravel too.... There's just been an ad put on the classifieds for A. nana - looks good healthy plants.... some fresh water seaweed would look good in small clumps too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yanagi Posted October 6, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2010 Thanks Guys. 'anubius pack on ebay' lol care to share the secret? http://shop.ebay.com...=&_trksid=p3686 This is the guy I bought it from, he seems to only sell individual ones now. I really liked the lot I got from him, I believe it was 1 Nana, 1 Barteri, 1 Afzelli, 1 Hybrid. Unsure on the price but I remember it being a good deal. Substrate is Red Sea's Flora Base in case anyone was wondering. I'm not really a fan of subwassertang, or maybe I just haven't seen it used in a way that I can appreciate. I just sent off a PM to the person selling the Anubias. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettasbest Posted October 7, 2010 Report Share Posted October 7, 2010 Yan that looks great! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neffy Posted October 7, 2010 Report Share Posted October 7, 2010 oh its lovely the gravel is really pretty is it a special type or generic find?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yanagi Posted October 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2010 Got a call from the LFS, of the 5 Rutilans I ordered, Bayfish only sent 1 pair. I'm going to assume this is the last of the batch and prepare myself for disappointment. Le sigh. Oh well, I can get some more plants while I'm there, at least the tank will look good LOL Gravel is Red Sea's Flora Base, it's for planted tanks. I believe it's made from a volcanic ash based soil and is supposed to buffer the pH to somewhere between 6.5-7. I think it keeps it at around 6.8 in most of my tanks, but that could also be from driftwood, IAL, etc. My water is about 7.4 out of the tap. It's ridiculously cloudy at first unless you're adding water at a glacial rate, but I love it. Looking at it again today, I am thinking I need a stem plant along the back. Something like bacopa or pennywort. I do have a few green hygro cuttings in there and it looks ok, but the leaf is a bit big for what I was hoping to achieve. I'm not sure if I want to pull them up and stick to things like swords, crypts, ferns and mosses or give the pennywort a go. I do feel like it needs something but with the driftwood there is not a lot of light near the bottom. I really didn't give myself enough time to play with the tank before ordering the fish, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishish Posted October 8, 2010 Report Share Posted October 8, 2010 (edited) Hey Yan where do you get your substrate? My Amazon swords are dieing, fast! They cost way too much to lose them so need to get some good subrate ASAP!!! The young leaves are yellow (immobile element obviously) and vein bits are red/brown can't figure out what kind of deficiency. Anyway had a look online and that same substrate you got there is $33 but then they charge about $20 for shipping on top ugh. That substrate looks pretty and sounds like its good quality. Hope you don't mind me posting this in your thread? Edited October 8, 2010 by fishish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yanagi Posted October 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2010 I got it from my LFS, since I doubt you want to make the trip from Melbourne, you're best off calling up your local aquariums to see what they have. Cost me I think $40-60. Plant substrate is not cheap stuff no matter where you buy it. Plants in general are not cheap stuff. You most likely have iron and potassium deficiencies. They're always the most common. They probably need more light, too. I don't think swords can really heal their leaves once they're damaged. I've always just cut them off at the base and wait for it to grow new leaves. Yours might be too far gone. I don't mind. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishish Posted October 8, 2010 Report Share Posted October 8, 2010 (edited) EEEEK! *runs around banging into walls* lol hmmm me thinks i better make the call. i guess the total cost incl shipping is cheapish then but will take days and days to reach me. not alll leaves are dieing, just one youngist one on each sword, they have about 6 leaves each, too far gone? if i get substrate in next few days but not a better light immediately, is that gunna be a waste of time? Thanks Yan :) Edited October 8, 2010 by fishish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yanagi Posted October 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2010 If you're going to pursue plants it's not a waste of time in the long run, you will need these things. But don't cheap out on the fundamentals like good lighting, good substrate, fertilizers, etc. You'll only be causing yourself more stress in the long term. BTW Don't even bother with co2 (not even DIY) until you get these things in place, it's useless unless the fundamentals are there. Dunno about too far gone, would probably have to see it. If it's just the new leaves being effected I'd probably snip them off once you got proper substrate and fertilizers. The new leaves dying off does sound like iron to me. My substrate is supposed to be pretty high in iron but I still have to dose Seachem Iron or my red plants and the more difficult plants look crappy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishish Posted October 9, 2010 Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 Have you used laterite before? I called around, no one seems to stock red sea flora base. My most local fs does but its $80 per bag and id need more than one, forget it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yanagi Posted October 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 Nope, haven't used it, but I've heard it's alright. Hmm, well it's not like you NEED the Red Sea brand, other guys make similar stuff too.. there's Seachem Flourite, ADA Aqua Soil, Eco-Complete, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhong89 Posted October 9, 2010 Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 Hey Yan where do you get your substrate? My Amazon swords are dieing, fast! They cost way too much to lose them so need to get some good subrate ASAP!!! The young leaves are yellow (immobile element obviously) and vein bits are red/brown can't figure out what kind of deficiency. Anyway had a look online and that same substrate you got there is $33 but then they charge about $20 for shipping on top ugh. That substrate looks pretty and sounds like its good quality. Hope you don't mind me posting this in your thread? Have you being down to st kilda aquarium? There have so many types of substrate it's not funny. I remember seeing this red sand kind of substrate that I was told for planted tanks. It provides iron and some other kind of metal (could be potassium) I wasn't paying too much of attention since planted tanks isn't my thing at the moment. They might have what you're looking for there, it will save you the postage for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted October 9, 2010 Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 Looks Good! Water will desirably be very soft and acid.....not keen on gravel that buffers to 6.5.....as it may add to hardness These fish can be suseptable to velvet if water is not soft and acid enough I don't have rutilans but I do have several other cocaine types Coccina,uberis,burdigala A pair is all you will need They come from black water swamps.....so I add ketapang leaves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yanagi Posted October 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 Thanks Rod. I have softened the water and lowered the pH to about 5.5, will need to find a test kit that can test lower than what I've got. I don't think the gravel actually does much at all in the way of buffering. I've got 3 leaves in there and need to actually order more. Oops. I barely ever catch a glimpse of these fish, very frustrating. Perhaps I gave them TOO many hiding spots, lol. They look healthy from what I can see. What are their diets like? Mine won't take pellet, flake, I've tried blackworm and that was a no-go. I saw the male munch down on an adult brine shrimp and haven't seen the female eat at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted October 10, 2010 Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 (edited) They need live food I feed mossie larva, microworms and daphnia when available Although I have weaned new fry on to NLS for small fish Edited October 10, 2010 by Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yanagi Posted October 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 Darn it, most of my cultures went off thanks to my neglect. Will have to order more and feed them on (live) adult brine shrimp for now. At least I stocked up on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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