My 75g dirt tank, a year of transition

[myhouseisazoo]

here is the extended cut to a video i posted only on youtube a few months ago. this was shot 2 months before the pictures in the my last post and takes me out of chronological order but oh well. i originally posted a shorter to the point video showcasing the effectiveness of yoyo loaches in eradicating pond snails because i kept coming across posts asking how to get rid of them. this video starts right after i dropped the snail into the tank and ends with its swift demise. enjoy


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[cjack]

Great looking tank, I know the videos haven't shown any, but have you had any problems with the soil? algae? cloudiness, especially with the loaches digging?

 

[myhouseisazoo]

ive had small issues here and there but nothing that couldnt be fixed quick and easily. i did have an algea bloom when i had the discus's in the tank. i had 5 of them at one point and they shat a lot. but with the algea bloom came a huge plant growth boom that still hasn't slowed down to this day and the discus and algea are long gone. at one point the normal green algea turned into nasty green hair algea. at that point i shortend my light cycle to 10 hours on from 12 and it dissapeared on its own with the help of my albino bushy nose pleco and otto cats. i think my tetras and rasboras even had a hand in eating the algea as it died off. i still have more pictures and videos to add to this thread as im still not at the pics showing how it is now. my son gets first priority though. i have had a small issue with the soil coming up but not because of the loaches. my banjo catfish buries itself in the sand for a couple days at a time and when it comes up it brings a good chunk of soil each time. but it such a nice looking fish that its worth the hassle for me.

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[cjack]

Alright good to know. I've been playing with the idea of using a soil substrate on my next tank but was a little concerned about all of the nutrients being in the tank all of the time, as well as loaches digging and throwing soil around (i have a feeling my clowns might be closer to your banjo cat). Do you add any extra fertilizer to the tank (CO2, liquid)?

Once you get a chance newer pics would be great to see, but family always comes first