10G - Apistogramma cf. alacrina (Rotpunkt)

[bizfromqc]

Those following my other build thread (here) know I've been trying to get my pair of apisto to breed. With this in mind, I decided to setup my 10G as a grow out tank in case I need to separate the male and/or female with the fry in the even that they breed again and have a successful spawn.

I took a piece of driftwood out of the breeding tank and put it in this one here. I was going for the same overall look of the breeding tank. Same substrate, same background, same rocks but slightly different plants. I also added a clay pot for a hiding spot.

The hardware:

1) Tank: 10 gallon Hagen (20in x 10in x 12in)
2) Lights: 2 x 13W CFL @ 6500K
3) Filtration: Aqua Clear 30/150 with Foam, Carbon and BioMax inserts
4) Heater: 50W set @ 26 degrees

The plants:

1) Java Moss (attached to rock)
2) Java Fern (attached to driftwood as well as to the rock with the moss)
3) Limnophila Aromatica (it's also curved like in the 20G, see other build thread for details)
4) Blyxa Japonica

Next steps will be:

1) Add timer for lights
2) Add fish to start cycle (probably taking the danios from the other tank)
3) Add a bit more fast-growing stem plants to keep balance in tank and reduce chances for algae
4) Add foam pre-filter to cover filter intake if/when fry will be moved to the tank.

That's it for now, FTS attached to post.

[bizfromqc]

Update.

Tank now has some fish in it! I removed the pesky little (not so little anymore) danios from my 20G apisto tank and put them in here. Serves two purposes.

1) Kick start the 10G tank cycle
2) Leave my apistos alone so that they can do "their thing" 

On the plants side, the limnophilia aromatica are starting to straighten out and losing their "bent" shape (after a couple of days in a pickle jar).

Pictures to come soon.

[bizfromqc]

Tank update.

Temp: 27c
pH: 6.5-7.0
NH3: 0ppm
NO2: 0.1ppm
NO3: 5ppm

Tank seems to be cycling nicely. Must be because Its using the "old" filter that was on the other tank so it had a head start.

Feed the danios for the first time in this tank, we'll see how that affect the tank parameters. I haven't fed them in two days since they pigged out on the apisto pellets and some of the brine shrimp in the other tank before being pulled out. PIGS!

Also started Seachem Excel and Excel Comprehensive, 2ml of each to start and I'll adjust from there

(I have some reading to do on dosing, possibly EI, in non-CO2 tanks... thanks Errol)

That's it for now, more to come over the weekend.

[brotherluv]

Looks great! 

[bizfromqc]

Looks great! 

Thank you kind sir.

BTW, is there a cure for wanting more tanks all the time? This dreaded MTS ("Multi-Tank Syndrome") everyone is speaking of... I blame the people around here for this LOL

[brotherluv]

Yes there is a cure...its called you buy so many, you can't keep up with them all and you end up selling them to nice people on ovas.  That was my cure anyway. Lol.

[bizfromqc]

Yes there is a cure...its called you buy so many, you can't keep up with them all and you end up selling them to nice people on ovas.  That was my cure anyway. Lol.

That's just spreading the disease man ! lol

[jshchrtn]

I agree with your mts syndrome lol, I have 100$ in gift carts from big ALS and I've just being staying away lol I want a sw dymax haha

[touchofsky]

I haved 11 tanks, so don't look to me for a cure 

[brotherluv]

The LFS's love addicts like us! 

[bizfromqc]

Little tank update

1) Move the Blyxxa Japonica away from the HOB filter outtake (thanks peekay)
2) Added new Pogostemon helferi at the base of the driftwood where the blyxxa japonica used to be (thanks charlie)
3) Added black fluval edge pre-filter to HOB filter intake (thanks pm)

Tank is still pretty empty and has plenty of gaps still. Mainly it really lacks any sort of background plants and we can see the heater and filter intake. I'd also like to add some more moss of the many rocks in the tank. I also need some more fast growing stem plants to keep everything in check. I also want to add a couple of otos to keep things nice an clean in there although I pretty much don't have any algae for them to munch on yet.

It's coming along but still a lot of things I want to do.

Some pictures.

[daworldisblack]

Looking good! Esp the L. Aromatica!

[pm]

A 10 gal is not much space to work with, but you have done a very nice job.  My plant and shrimp grow-out tank (also 10 gal) is not scaped at all, it is literally just plants and shrimp thrown together.  You are giving me ideas to play with it a bit for a nicer effect.

Cheers!

[bizfromqc]

A 10 gal is not much space to work with, but you have done a very nice job.  My plant and shrimp grow-out tank (also 10 gal) is not scaped at all, it is literally just plants and shrimp thrown together.  You are giving me ideas to play with it a bit for a nicer effect.

Cheers!

Hey, thanks for the comments, really appreciated!

This tank was meant to by a grow out tank for (hopefully) apisto fry but I may pull a swiitcheroo and use the 20G as a grow out and the 10G as a breeding one.

I've got another 25G almost ready to go next week that I'll start cycling, planting and scaping. I may try an amazon biotope (or close to it anyways). An apisto breeder from Montreal is keeping me a pair of apistogramma panduro and he'll bring'em here for me at the giant auction in March.

[Peekay]

Looking good! Esp the L. Aromatica!

If that means the rosy plant with the serrated edges, I agree!  Very nice.   
I would maybe move it an inch or three away from the side glass... give it a bit of room to spread.  You have the space to come in,  and I actually think it will make the tank look bigger by not having the glass infringing on the plant. 

You've got it bad, Eric... 3rd tank in 6 weeks?  Wowie!

[touchofsky]

Looking really good, Eric.  Yes, you have a bad case of tankitis

[bizfromqc]

If that means the rosy plant with the serrated edges, I agree!  Very nice.   
I would maybe move it an inch or three away from the side glass... give it a bit of room to spread.  You have the space to come in,  and I actually think it will make the tank look bigger by not having the glass infringing on the plant. 

You've got it bad, Eric... 3rd tank in 6 weeks?  Wowie!

Good tip on moving the L. Aromatica, I'll have to get my hands wet again lol

I have a feeling the whole thing will get rescaped. I want a piece of wood in the middle and I'll have to move things around.

[bizfromqc]

Looking really good, Eric.  Yes, you have a bad case of tankitis

ssshhhh...  don't tell anyone 

[bizfromqc]

Tank update.

So I now have free swimmers in my 20G tank and decided to play it safe and pull the male from it and put him in here with the Danios while mommy apisto tends to her young (without having to chase him away or get stressed out). There was no sign of aggression yet but better safe than sorry. Didn't want either the male, female or any of the fry to get hurt.

Long story short, male is now in the 10G with the Zebra Danios. I guess this is no longer a grow-out tank, the 20G now is by default. He was pretty stressed out about the move but seemed to be acclimating nicely. Watch out danios, there's a new man of the house. He should keep'em busy in there and hopefully won't miss his female apisto too much.

An FTS picture.

[bettabreeder]

You got your apisto from big als? Still amazed by how vivid his colouring is. Was thinking of setting up a dwarf cichlid tank and these would be first on the priority list. I kno they spawned in the 20g (just for convenience sake as I'm already responding here ) do you test hardness or was it just the Barry white?

Cheers,

Brendan