Looking for suggestions and ideas please

[Mr. Mom]

Well my son is ready to move on from his guppies and swordtails. So we've a need to make some changes in a few tanks which we plan to do this weekend.
First of all these are only small tanks ... and species only tanks have never really appealed to me so far. The tanks are 2 29G tall and 1 30G plus another 29G empty (should I fully convince my wife on the need of another tank).

The 1 29G is gonna become my first species only tank with macrobrachium shrimp in it. Just need to rehome some older tetras and 3 corydoras first. (This is where the empty 29G might come into play).

The other 29G (my sons) is where we start looking for advice. This is where he kept his guppies with our cherry shrimp (some we're eaten but we still have a few) and 2 ABN pleco's (1 male and 1 female). The guppies were removed last night. He still wants to keep whats remaining in there, so I know our choices are limited. We were thinking of maybe adding 2 zebra pleco's .... but knowing little about them, we're hoping for feedback or better suggestions.

The 30G currently has 6 banjo's, 4 Swordtails and 2 Mexican Orange Dwarf Lobsters. I'll have to remove everything to get the swordtails out ... but that's life.

It'll be neat to re-scape it again with my son ... anyhow. As I'd said ... not really keen on the species only tank and we'd like to possibly add something to the top of the tank when its done. The African Butterfly Fish caught our attention .. but other than the fact that they jump (the tank is covered) I know squat about them. So once again looking for advice and suggestions ...
Thanks in advance

 

[harleyboy]

I like German blue rams if you have a unplanted tank Shellies would be great there's a lot of dwarf cichlids to choose from I'm just buying some agassizi


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Mr. Mom]

I like German blue rams if you have a unplanted tank Shellies would be great there's a lot of dwarf cichlids to choose from I'm just buying some agassizi Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

I take it you're referring to the 30G ... as for plants we plan on re-planting this tank, and shifting things over a bit to allow more room for the Madagascar Lace (The thing is getting huge).

 

[Chicxulub]

I think a blackwater biotope would be amazing and would allow you and your boy to put your considerable aquascaping skills to good use.

I'd do a white sand substrate covered with Indian Almond Leaves and sticks. I'd also do a big chunk or chunks of Mopani wood. All of those things are aquarium safe and would make the water black. If you do decide to go blackwater, be prepared to add aragonite in a nylon to one of your filters to buffer the water to prevent a ph crash.



The combination of fish you could run are practically limitless. Almost all Amazon basin fish would work. If you wish to do oddballs, you have things like the African butterfly fish:



Which is actually a pseudo-arowana (Osteoglossiformes)

South American leaf fish:



Your little banjo cats would work fabulously in this setup as well. You also have the option of running a few more conventional things like angelfish or cardinals in this setup.



I am personally quite partial to blackwater setups myself. I fully intend to run a blackwater setup in my next tank. I'm going to have the white sand base buffered with aragonite and I'm going to stain the water with mopani and my driftwood.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

 

[Mr. Mom]

I think a blackwater biotope would be amazing and would allow you and your boy to put your considerable aquascaping skills to good use.

I'd do a white sand substrate covered with Indian Almond Leaves and sticks. I'd also do a big chunk or chunks of Mopani wood. All of those things are aquarium safe and would make the water black. If you do decide to go blackwater, be prepared to add aragonite in a nylon to one of your filters to buffer the water to prevent a ph crash.

The combination of fish you could run are practically limitless. Almost all Amazon basin fish would work. If you wish to do oddballs, you have things like the African butterfly fish:
Which is actually a pseudo-arowana (Osteoglossiformes)

South American leaf fish:

Your little banjo cats would work fabulously in this setup as well. You also have the option of running a few more conventional things like angelfish or cardinals in this setup.

I am personally quite partial to blackwater setups myself. I fully intend to run a blackwater setup in my next tank. I'm going to have the white sand base buffered with aragonite and I'm going to stain the water with mopani and my driftwood.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Saw this reply earlier in the day and have been thinking long and hard on it all day. Just had a good LOL when I realized it was you Chicxulub ... I swear you've got a gateway into my head ... I've even contemplated the leaf fish many times, but knew I didn't have anything set up for it. But was more interested in the African Butterfly Fish (had no idea about them being a pseudo-arowana .. thanks for that tidbit).

As for the blackwater biotope, It's got both me and my son humming and wondering.
But we're also are unsure if we're quite ready yet .... although I've a feeling should the banjo's ever do breed, this would be the ideal set-up.

My concern is the ph thing. Our water is normally between 7.1 and 7.3 so I've really never messed with it much .. and I'm sacred of messing it up to be honest. I'd hate to kill my Banjo's now that they've grown.
We'd have to replace the light as from what I've read today (please correct where I'm wrong ... just starting to learn about this blackwater thing) our LED would be too bright for the tank, and it's not so much plants in the scape but the wood, bogwood and detritus with tannis-leached water. So the Madagascar Lace from what I understand would have to go (which we were hoping to still keep). I'd read that some swords and such could still be utilized but to pick carefully.
The plants are my sons concern, as he's been the bigger advocate than me on them.
Lastly I believe my filter would be all wrong for a blackwater biotope, ... Or would it be fine? It's an AC70.
But found a couple more sites with info on blackwater I plan to read later. (I really do like this idea ... just very apprehensive)

By the way would you say we're safe with adding a pair of zebra pleco's into the 29G ... stocking would then become 2 zebra pleco, 2 albino bristlenose pleco and cherry shrimp (my son wants to build a colony now ... hence the guppies are gone).

And once again thanks for the idea ...