Pyrefly Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 So I've been a bit quiet around here lately. Heres why In the past few weeks have gone from this.. To this.. To THIS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 Woah! Very nice. So neat and tidy! Good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 Very nice!!! I'm impressed :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrefly Posted July 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 I've still got heaps to do and lots to plant.. It won't stay this tidy for long ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbournebetta Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 Nice job!! I can see why you've had your hands full- looks VERY smart. I've seen enough in the last week to inspire an overhaul of my fishy systems too! While we love staring into tanks, there's something nice about an overall smart looking room. -jealousNess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yanagi Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 Very nice! (I liked your purple bucket with random tools thrown in it.. I just have a box. I want a purple bucket too) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenGirl13 Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 Verrryyy Noice want to come and fix my mess? :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 Looks great Sarah. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrefly Posted July 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Thanks guys! Pretty happy with how this is turning out. Still have - New lighting to decide on (When the budget allows) A bucket of plants to plant.. Another bucket of moss to string up somewhere.. A hunky little man to talk into bubblenesting for me.. I spent two hours up to the armpit in unheated water today planting.. NOT my best idea. And now looking at the Tenellus intended carpet with the mossy tank.. I'm thinking it needs to go somewhere else! The weeping moss is going to get tangled in the grassyness Pretty happy with the wood arrangement, the little piece used to FILL my shrimp tank. The two big pieces were salvaged from floods-damaged (read: flattened) forest when I went camping. Planning to use the back wall to grow more moss, and the only other plants to left and right are Red Lotus' that will hopefully grow up and through the branches. The only intended fauna here is Cherry Shrimp - This will be my only 'ornamental' tank.. the others are all function-first. Also need to cover that blunt end with moss now its exposed. Yan - The purple bucket thing is from IKEA! Even has drainage holes To all those who think this is tidy.. You should see the other shelf unit off camera, still laden with stuff. I still have no idea what to do with my mini-barracks or the eventual jars I'm going to need heaps of.. <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocRus01 Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Awesome Work......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbournebetta Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Lovely scape - do you know what the timber is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrefly Posted August 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 (edited) Update time! Sorry, I actually have no idea what kind of wood it is, it was 'salvaged' from a campground in Jimna State Forest after half of the place had been flattened by flood. Tax time gave me enough of a bonus to splash out on some lighting. The 4ft Shubbie tank, now a Walstad style naturally planted tank. Semi NPT really, the substrate through all these tanks is a soup of potting soil, progagating sand and some used aquasoil I had. Planting is unfortunately limited to Crypts and Anubias, the only things to survive the Shubbie plague! The shrimp/moss tank. Moss has gone nuts since the lighting upgrade and a pretty hefty trim. Lots of exciting new growth and some willow/unidentified moss coming back from the dead towards the front. The red lotus hasnt grown much bigger, but has heaps of new leaves. Lots of different java fern varieties in here too and plantlets growing out. Caved, and turned one of the others into a completely impractical planted tank too. Half the volume is taken up by some awesome rocks, and gonna trial some homebrewed C02 in here to help the pogo helferi & blyxa settle in. If it fills in enough I might use it for the sorority, it not.. well I can always start over Edited August 20, 2011 by Pyrefly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 Wow! You have been busy Sarah! All the tanks look great. I meant to ask you today but got sidetracked, what kind of soil have you used in your NPTs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 Well what can I say but OMG they are awsome you have done an amazzing Job the Sarah they all look very well balanced and each direrent from the next your an insperation Cheers Les Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrefly Posted August 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 Busy watching plants grow, for the most part I just use Bunnings organic potting mix, sieving out the big chunks. Costs about 8 dollars for a 25 litre bag, but I find theres more 'soil' versus 'twig' than in the cheap bag. Thanks for the kind words Les! I'm just winging this, I'm such a noob No idea what I'm doing with this one. Only a pair of Swords, a couple of small Chain swords and a tiny red.. some kind of Echidorous in here so far, and the clump of Ambulia which is already getting nibbled. I thought the one-eyed Chubbies (ranchu) would be less voracious, but they're almost as devastating to my plants as the Shubbies are. There are Kuhli loaches and my few remaining Bristlenosein here as well. Any ideas? The last of the new four, the Sorority/Spawn tank. Filled it up a bit and added the foreground today, aiming for a jungle really once the Val takes off. Hairgrass and Tenellus 'Mini Chain Sword' at the front. The SIX new girlies Jarrod very generously gave me today are in here now, along with four of my six old females. They're still jostling for position and hiding a bit, will aim for some actual fish pictures tomorrow Don't like the blue bulbs that came with the bottom light fitting <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrefly Posted August 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 Last one before I go to bed teehee, I couldnt resist. THIS is what a rabid Shubbie does to a poor innocent lettuce leaf.. .. and then claims to be hungry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 They all look fantastic Sarah. Well done. We might have to come down one day for a squiz. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 Great job on the fish room upgrade! Now you've caught the bug there's no stopping! When do the next lot of tanks arrive :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrefly Posted August 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Welcome whenever you're in the area Busman Paul! Second generation of Cherries has just berried up, so will have some for you when you're ready for -Your- next tank Wayne - I have room (And permission, nay, ENCOURAGEMENT) for another rank of tanks beside this one. Thinking another 4ft for growout or perhaps a custom-made barracks.. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Well with encouragement like that you'll just have to take up the challenge!!! MTS strikes again!!! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Hope the Jewel Box family reunion goes well. I find the dragons to be a little feistier, so keep an eye on that one Is that corkscrew val in the sorority? I love the look of it and think it might be one of the main BG plants I'll be using once I change to NPT. Hopefully by next meeting, I will have the tank up and running and have plenty of photos to share (I love my new iPhone camera ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrefly Posted August 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 (edited) Jarrod - Corkscrew Val, yep! Amazing plant, give it a little light and it will go nuts in any kind of substrate. I've seen it send runners straight up vertical surfaces when it runs out of room. Reunion has been a wee bit volatile.. Was a bit worried at first, theres a couple of torn fins and some very grouchy faces looking out at me.. but they seem a bit more settled tonight. I officially -suck- at taking fish photos.. But here are a few that are vaguely in focus. Super-shiny tiny girl is Squeak, Super-huge purple/red lady is Latifah, to show the size difference between biggest/smallest ladies. Squeak was a LFS pressie, she and Latifah are somehow the dominant ladies it seems, one rules the top, one rules the bottom. Another LFS VT girl (The charity case - 'Newgirl'). She healed up beautifully, then somehow managed to do that to her tail while alone in the barracks 'Hotlips', one of the new girlies from Jarrods original jewel box spawn. She's a gorgeous colour. And.. part of the weekend 'Fishy Enrichment Activities'. Half a polystyrene cup. Two one-eyed chubbies, eight baby Kuhli loaches.. and a big ball of tubifex. The plan of course is that wormies escape into the substrate and colonise to provide substrate turnover and occassional snacks. Cup to protect them from nommings while they dig. Did not go entirely to plan, as you see.. but I now know how to catch Kuhlis easily Edited August 22, 2011 by Pyrefly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 I see it didn't take long for hot lips to settle into her favorite spot - searching the bottom of the tank for food:). I swear these girls would rather eat than spawn *lol* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 .... one-eyed chubbies.... Is it wrong that I giggle every time you write this????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Nut Posted August 23, 2011 Report Share Posted August 23, 2011 Really nice looking fish room. I wish I could have everything so organised. Now I'm on the Ikea website plotting out my next fish room renos. But I have one question... How on earth do I get my Shubunkins to do that to a lettuce leaf? I bought a bunch of elodea for them to munch on and all it does is sit there, insidiously taking over my tank. They have no interest in anything that isn't shaped like a pellet. They wouldn't even eat my homemade gel food that I spent an hour slaving away on <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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