Been a while since I've posted any tank updates here on MonsterFishKeepers. Over the last few months I've been reworking my 5' living room display and have sunk plenty of time and dollars into stocking it. My 4' Eartheater display has been upscaled, downscaled, and upscaled again, and now it's on the way back down for good.
This threads essentially a quick rundown on those out there who are interested in what I've been doing in the hobby for the last few months. Won't appeal to most of you - will hugely appeal to the few of you that are interested (I hope).
If the details are too much for you I apologise, just skip to the photos. I'm a thorough nerd when it comes to my tanks and describing them.
140G 4x2x28" Eartheater Display
- 20G Wet/Dry Sump, 10L Matrix, 300gm Seachen Purigen, 200+ BioBalls, Pentair QuietOne3000, Airstone setup within sump to pass air past media.
- 4x54W 10000K T5HO, only really run 2 tubes.
- 300W Jager (Warranty claim underway, it exploded on me, cheapy 300W at the moment)
What's changed?
Have just sold my colony of 4 Acarichthys heckelii to QueenslandeR, including the fish that won February POTM here. Have my Geophagus altifrons "Tocantins" male for sale searching for a pre-existing colony for him to join and hopefully breed within. Important word of advice for those keeping Acarichthys heckelii in multiple numbers. Have a tank larger than 4x2 footprint - if one male decides he doesn't like the others, which is certainly possible and has happened to me multiple times now, they have nowhere to go. This was my reason for selling. I'll get back into them when I have room for an 8x3' or possibly a 6x3' footprint, but until then they'll still be one of my most loved fish - in memory.
Sold my two male Heros efasciatus and my Hypselecara temporalis about a month ago
Current stocking and future plans are as follows:
1x Geophagus altifrons "Tocantins" (Rehome)
9x Satanoperca leucosticta (Growing out to form a colony, plan to keep 5-8)
8x Corydoras panda
2x Panaque maccus "L104"
Obligatory full tank shot.
Dominant Male Satanoperca leucosticta. Pretty big size difference between him and the next largest..
All 9 of them.
Back to growout stages after having grown out a handful of fish over the period of about 18 months.
75G 5x15x20" Eastern Amazonas Biotope
Biotopes have always been a plan of mine, but I just can't help straying a little off track. Most of the species in this tank originate from the Rio Araguaia and Rio Tapajos in Northern Brasil, but there's a few slightly strayed species that have snuck their way in - it's still very themed and I'm very happy with the display, as it's very public in my well used living room and everyones a fan of it.
- Eheim Classic 2215 and 2217 with EHFI Mech and Substrat Pro, as well as JBL Micromec, 200gm Seachem Purigen.
- 2x54W T5HO, 10000K and 8500K (Sylvania Grolux)
- 250W Jager
Whats changed?
Well, The only fish in this tank that was also present at the start of the year is a large male Common Bristlenose (Ancistrus sp.) and a few of his fry.
Sold off a large shoal of Rummynose, G. balzanii, Bolivian Rams, Angels, SAE's - basically this tank was an oddball community that the family stocked. I paid for it, I do the maintenance, I stock it, so everything slowly went.
The intention of the tank was to always base it around Geophagus, but keep it a community tank so there is always plenty of movement in all viewing levels. The species I chose was the now quite popular Orange Head, Geophagus sp. "Araguaia Orange Head", which meant for a biotope setup I was working with species from Northern Brazil/Eastern Amazonas, though preferably from the Rio Araguaia/Tocantins/Tapajos, which are Amazon tributaries and river systems in this area.
I'm still a huge newbie/beginner with this sort of thing, so unfortunately I got slightly side tracked, but after walloping out over a few hundred bucks on fish I'm quite happy with the results.
Current stocking and future plans are as follows:
7x Geophagus sp. "Araguaia Orange Head" (Final colony of 5)
4x F0 (Wild Caught) Laetacara dorsigera (Hoping to keep a pair)
4x Apistogramma agassizii
8x Corydoras julii "Julii/Leopard Corydoras"
4x Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus
2x Sturisoma panamense "Royal Whiptails"
3x Otocinclus hoppei
8x Nannostomus beckfordi "Golden Pencilfish"
14x Thayeria boehlkei "Blackline Penguin Tetra"
21x Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis "Lemon Tetra"
[YT]8uu6YRgmM24[/YT]
Please watch in High Quality.
Full tank photograph from today.
Full tank and room photographs from March 20, 2009.
Laetacara dorsigera and her favourite rock, trying to court males - at least it appears that way.
One of my smaller Orange Heads with nice colouration already.
More Geophagus sp. "Araguaia Orange Head".
While they're still quite small they are the most personable and active fish I have ever kept, if they see anyone they are at the front glass near the surface begging for food, and nibble your fingers constantly when cleaning the tank. I've even caught them in the cup I used to presink and thaw out frozen and dry foods, because they swim right into it.
In a few months they are going to look fantastic and the tank will be much more filled out - which will probably be about the time I look at moving to a 5x2x18" or 5x2x2.
Anyway, this thread has probably stretched on long enough so I'll leave it at that. Will probably have some professional level DSLR shots up within the next fortnight or so, so stay tuned.
Cheers,
japes.
This threads essentially a quick rundown on those out there who are interested in what I've been doing in the hobby for the last few months. Won't appeal to most of you - will hugely appeal to the few of you that are interested (I hope).
If the details are too much for you I apologise, just skip to the photos. I'm a thorough nerd when it comes to my tanks and describing them.
140G 4x2x28" Eartheater Display
- 20G Wet/Dry Sump, 10L Matrix, 300gm Seachen Purigen, 200+ BioBalls, Pentair QuietOne3000, Airstone setup within sump to pass air past media.
- 4x54W 10000K T5HO, only really run 2 tubes.
- 300W Jager (Warranty claim underway, it exploded on me, cheapy 300W at the moment)
What's changed?
Have just sold my colony of 4 Acarichthys heckelii to QueenslandeR, including the fish that won February POTM here. Have my Geophagus altifrons "Tocantins" male for sale searching for a pre-existing colony for him to join and hopefully breed within. Important word of advice for those keeping Acarichthys heckelii in multiple numbers. Have a tank larger than 4x2 footprint - if one male decides he doesn't like the others, which is certainly possible and has happened to me multiple times now, they have nowhere to go. This was my reason for selling. I'll get back into them when I have room for an 8x3' or possibly a 6x3' footprint, but until then they'll still be one of my most loved fish - in memory.
Sold my two male Heros efasciatus and my Hypselecara temporalis about a month ago
Current stocking and future plans are as follows:
1x Geophagus altifrons "Tocantins" (Rehome)
9x Satanoperca leucosticta (Growing out to form a colony, plan to keep 5-8)
8x Corydoras panda
2x Panaque maccus "L104"
Obligatory full tank shot.
Dominant Male Satanoperca leucosticta. Pretty big size difference between him and the next largest..
All 9 of them.
Back to growout stages after having grown out a handful of fish over the period of about 18 months.
75G 5x15x20" Eastern Amazonas Biotope
Biotopes have always been a plan of mine, but I just can't help straying a little off track. Most of the species in this tank originate from the Rio Araguaia and Rio Tapajos in Northern Brasil, but there's a few slightly strayed species that have snuck their way in - it's still very themed and I'm very happy with the display, as it's very public in my well used living room and everyones a fan of it.
- Eheim Classic 2215 and 2217 with EHFI Mech and Substrat Pro, as well as JBL Micromec, 200gm Seachem Purigen.
- 2x54W T5HO, 10000K and 8500K (Sylvania Grolux)
- 250W Jager
Whats changed?
Well, The only fish in this tank that was also present at the start of the year is a large male Common Bristlenose (Ancistrus sp.) and a few of his fry.
Sold off a large shoal of Rummynose, G. balzanii, Bolivian Rams, Angels, SAE's - basically this tank was an oddball community that the family stocked. I paid for it, I do the maintenance, I stock it, so everything slowly went.
The intention of the tank was to always base it around Geophagus, but keep it a community tank so there is always plenty of movement in all viewing levels. The species I chose was the now quite popular Orange Head, Geophagus sp. "Araguaia Orange Head", which meant for a biotope setup I was working with species from Northern Brazil/Eastern Amazonas, though preferably from the Rio Araguaia/Tocantins/Tapajos, which are Amazon tributaries and river systems in this area.
I'm still a huge newbie/beginner with this sort of thing, so unfortunately I got slightly side tracked, but after walloping out over a few hundred bucks on fish I'm quite happy with the results.
Current stocking and future plans are as follows:
7x Geophagus sp. "Araguaia Orange Head" (Final colony of 5)
4x F0 (Wild Caught) Laetacara dorsigera (Hoping to keep a pair)
4x Apistogramma agassizii
8x Corydoras julii "Julii/Leopard Corydoras"
4x Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus
2x Sturisoma panamense "Royal Whiptails"
3x Otocinclus hoppei
8x Nannostomus beckfordi "Golden Pencilfish"
14x Thayeria boehlkei "Blackline Penguin Tetra"
21x Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis "Lemon Tetra"
[YT]8uu6YRgmM24[/YT]
Please watch in High Quality.
Full tank photograph from today.
Full tank and room photographs from March 20, 2009.
Laetacara dorsigera and her favourite rock, trying to court males - at least it appears that way.
One of my smaller Orange Heads with nice colouration already.
More Geophagus sp. "Araguaia Orange Head".
While they're still quite small they are the most personable and active fish I have ever kept, if they see anyone they are at the front glass near the surface begging for food, and nibble your fingers constantly when cleaning the tank. I've even caught them in the cup I used to presink and thaw out frozen and dry foods, because they swim right into it.
In a few months they are going to look fantastic and the tank will be much more filled out - which will probably be about the time I look at moving to a 5x2x18" or 5x2x2.
Anyway, this thread has probably stretched on long enough so I'll leave it at that. Will probably have some professional level DSLR shots up within the next fortnight or so, so stay tuned.
Cheers,
japes.
i love the 75g. that wood in there looks sweet! keep up the good work and keep us updated
