Are you going to keep the S. leucosticta or get another type of earth eater? I remember you were thinking about replacing them. Btw the tank is looking awesome!
Japes' 2010 Eartheater Work/Photolog
- Thread starter japes
- Start date
Looks good japes, i haven't looked at your thread in a while, big changes.
I am doing a similare setup but with different geos,(basically my 90 setup plus a couple severums and some more geos, red ceibals), my tank is going to be a 230G acrylic 96"x18"Wx31"T, not the perfect demensions but the price for the full setup, i couldn't beat it, i actually get the tank tomorrow.
i was looking at doing a natural sand base, and i like the looks of play sand, what is your option on it? i have heard its super messy, i really like the way your sand looks, and i am hoping it turns out to work out well. I will be running a sump, so sucking it up really isn't a problem. Play sand is $3 for 50lbs compared to $10 for 50lbs of pool filter sand. any help with the sand would be great.
I am doing a similare setup but with different geos,(basically my 90 setup plus a couple severums and some more geos, red ceibals), my tank is going to be a 230G acrylic 96"x18"Wx31"T, not the perfect demensions but the price for the full setup, i couldn't beat it, i actually get the tank tomorrow.
i was looking at doing a natural sand base, and i like the looks of play sand, what is your option on it? i have heard its super messy, i really like the way your sand looks, and i am hoping it turns out to work out well. I will be running a sump, so sucking it up really isn't a problem. Play sand is $3 for 50lbs compared to $10 for 50lbs of pool filter sand. any help with the sand would be great.
Hi there,
I'm not an active MFK user, but I'm happy I've found this topic. Absolutely inspirating (instead of filtration, as I'm nat good at DIY)but setups and sooo healthy eartheaters is big pleasure to watch. And the last setup, with my top-favourite non Apisto dwarfs... Just can't wait to see it!
I'm going to setup an 450Ltr. (180x50x50cm) tank soon, but still not decided what to put in it (CA, or SA). So just a little question - what about your tap water? I have a RO filter, and I've no idea in which proportions i should mix water from it with a tap - to make eartheaters healthy. I had for only a week 4 specimens of S. leucosticta in 100% Ro and they did quite well (now doing good in 50:50 Ro/tap of my friend's tank). Hope my question isn't a "hijack" to your fantastic thread. Keep it updated.
I'm not an active MFK user, but I'm happy I've found this topic. Absolutely inspirating (instead of filtration, as I'm nat good at DIY)but setups and sooo healthy eartheaters is big pleasure to watch. And the last setup, with my top-favourite non Apisto dwarfs... Just can't wait to see it!
I'm going to setup an 450Ltr. (180x50x50cm) tank soon, but still not decided what to put in it (CA, or SA). So just a little question - what about your tap water? I have a RO filter, and I've no idea in which proportions i should mix water from it with a tap - to make eartheaters healthy. I had for only a week 4 specimens of S. leucosticta in 100% Ro and they did quite well (now doing good in 50:50 Ro/tap of my friend's tank). Hope my question isn't a "hijack" to your fantastic thread. Keep it updated.
honda237;3941009; said:
Play sand is slightly more time consuming to initially wash. My 6x2x2 is almost entirely play sand, but my other two tanks are mixes with it included. The finest grain Play Sand is hands down the best sand you can use in any setup that contains fish which enjoy sand as a substrate - Apistogramma, Eartheaters, most Dwarves, Rays, etc. It's soft and extremely easy for them to move around.
Just as a matter of preparation and precaution.
- Wash it, a lot. If you think you've done it enough, fill the bucket up and empty it a few more times.
- Cut intake tubings and raise them to about a foot off the substrate.
- Get something you can use to rake the sand, both when you first introduce it with it covered in water to remove air bubbles, and for when you're water changing to remove any air pockets that may have built up.
MBay;3942536; said:
Thanks for the comments MBay. You'll be happy to know I've just introduced the T. candidi and the male was absolutely stunning in-store. The D. maculatus have been in since last night and are enjoying themselves.
Regarding your water parameters question, General and Carbonate hardness are probably the paramters you're most interested in. They'll do quite well in neutral pH water provided it's soft. For example, I'm lucky to have tap water with the following parameters. pH 7, 3dgH, 4dkH. Although the pH is perhaps higher than most sources would recommend, the hardness levels are fantastic for South Americans - but this has also led me to be quite lazy in research. I have rainwater tanks available to me but choose not to use them.
Here's a response a local forum member wrote up regarding pH, gH, kH, and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids): http://www.qldaf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=23214
Rod said:
I'd personally try container mixes of 90/10, 80/20, 70/30 and so on, until you reach a mix that is around 3-4dgH, 3-4kgH, and whatever the pH decides to sit at (Probably around 6.5) - Basically you're brute force testing every mix to find what fits.
Full shot of the tank last night.
.. and Today. Still need to pickup the H. heliacus for it. No fish visible in that shot.
Dicrossus maculatus yesterday, they're not impressed with me at the moment as I was forced to rescape the tank a little (knocked some driftwood around)
D. maculatus female.
Full front-on cube shot.
.. and some S. leucosticta
I'll post up tank details etc. shortly.
