Udon, Soba, and the Noodles

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It's always in the back of my mind to have a geographically accurate biotope but then yeah I go back and forth too. An LFS around me has fire eels, I was really tempted to buy one they're so cool. Didn't want to impulse buy though.
 
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Outside of bichirs and Polleni, my highest "wanted" fish are fire eel and puffer.

Puffers are hard though - teeth maintenance and low tolerance to tankmates makes it challenging. Having a large one as a solo wet pet isn't as appealing - if I get a huge tank I want it to have multiple fish in it. We'll see what happens with that. That would be a ways away, which means I have lots of time to research.
 
What's that, you guys want to see some more medium quality phone photos? OK! :D


Find the Udon in the rope pile. (At one point she was surrounded by all 3.)
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One of the ropes randomly spazzed out and kicked up a bunch of crap but I like seeing 4 species of poly in this shot.
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Udon is getting girthier, but in a balanced way. I love this about the WC ones - nice heads, balanced bodies that don't look like they have beer guts. LOL Maybe the patterning isn't as perfect or unique as some of the CB though, so you get a trade off.
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Some post WC, plant removal, better light shots of Soba, who is just so pretty IMO with the green and the dark chocolate brown. The back of the pec fins are a crazy deep dark green. Gotta work on SLR shots maybe this weekend.
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What kinda grass looking plant is that, can it thrive in a playsand or ill need a special substrate? Do it need CO2?
 
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What kinda grass looking plant is that, can it thrive in a playsand or ill need a special substrate? Do it need CO2?


That's Vallisneria. I find it very easy to grow - in fact you will need to keep pruning back runners once it gets established so it doesn't take over (this is easy to do.)

I don't use CO2, so no. I think it would be fine in playsand - don't plant it too deep, be sure the bottom part of the leaves are not submerged. Just give it enough light and for good measure, some Flourish or other comprehensive fertilizer at each weekly water change. I also use root tabs every 3-4 moths but that is mostly for the swords. I'm not sure the Vals need that even.
 
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I have corkscrew vallis, Hopefully it spreads more when I get it into sand. very tough plant apparently
 
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That's Vallisneria. I find it very easy to grow - in fact you will need to keep pruning back runners once it gets established so it doesn't take over (this is easy to do.)

I don't use CO2, so no. I think it would be fine in playsand - don't plant it too deep, be sure the bottom part of the leaves are not submerged. Just give it enough light and for good measure, some Flourish or other comprehensive fertilizer at each weekly water change. I also use root tabs every 3-4 moths but that is mostly for the swords. I'm not sure the Vals need that even.
Sorry for all the question, i never did a planted tank and i wanna put some plants in my sons tank since its going to be a UJ tank.

Whats a prunning back runner?
Flourish? Is that the liquid in a bottle that look like prime?
And what other fertilizer you use?
 
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Sorry for all the question, i never did a planted tank and i wanna put some plants in my sons tank since its going to be a UJ tank.

Whats a prunning back runner?
Flourish? Is that the liquid in a bottle that look like prime?
And what other fertilizer you use?
A runner is a stem the plant sends out that 'starts' a new plant. you have to cut them back to stop it from overrunning the tank :)
prd_2237417__seachemflourish.jpg

this ^^
 
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I don't mind questions on plants!

Pruning back a runner - the main plant will throw off little side shoots that will make new whole separate plants (but connected by this side shoot, which is called the runner). Like a strawberry plant. When you first get them this is great because it fills in space. But eventually you will want to cut those and pull out the babies so you have a good balance of floor space and plants.

Flourish is made by Seachem, a liquid comprehensive fertilizer so yeah like Prime.

The only other fertilizer I use are root tabs - Seachem and API make them. You push them in the substrate for rooted plants. It's just an extra boost of food. Again, not sure Vals need them. The swords like them though.
 
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