Ya I gotta agree I would black out the side's too with the same color as the back or use black I would also add two or more power heads the love rapid moving water since they are from the Amazon
Pair of Congo tiger fish in a 185 gallon 60 1/2 long X 30 1/2 wide X 25 tall. 1 died!
- Thread starter Yonkers Preditors
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seriously, with the bare tank… they're way too young to know what to do with that. It's nice to think you can get the whole project done to your specifications in one weekend, but it's not gonna happen. How did you cycle the tank? These things take time. I would absolutely but real/fake vegetation in each corner to start - they have no cover at all and they're known to be skiddish… which begs the question why keep a bare tank at all? You really think that looks better or it's easier to clean or something? By creating "habitat" instead of a glass tank with water circulating in it I've gotten much better results. If it's done right you shouldn't have to clean a thing. I start at the bottom of the food chain and work my way up so that if there's an issue in the tank I know it before I kill an expensive fish. I killed a lot more fish in my younger days when I was for some reason intimidated by plants. Nowadays I'd never throw a showpiece fish in any tank first. Plants will definitely solve your problem. If cleanliness is a concern for you they make beautiful submersible glass pots (any pot will do tho) to contain aquatic plants and will keep they're growing media contained. you can even use dirt and then top it with sand/gravel to keep it from drifting out. It'll still have the look of a bare tank with the added benefit of live plants reducing nitrate levels etc.
I should be picking up a small group of forskali at some point this summer for my planted 180. I'll be sure to update
I should be picking up a small group of forskali at some point this summer for my planted 180. I'll be sure to update
seriously, with the bare tank… they're way too young to know what to do with that. It's nice to think you can get the whole project done to your specifications in one weekend, but it's not gonna happen. How did you cycle the tank? These things take time. I would absolutely but real/fake vegetation in each corner to start - they have no cover at all and they're known to be skiddish… which begs the question why keep a bare tank at all? You really think that looks better or it's easier to clean or something? By creating "habitat" instead of a glass tank with water circulating in it I've gotten much better results. If it's done right you shouldn't have to clean a thing. I start at the bottom of the food chain and work my way up so that if there's an issue in the tank I know it before I kill an expensive fish. I killed a lot more fish in my younger days when I was for some reason intimidated by plants. Nowadays I'd never throw a showpiece fish in any tank first. Plants will definitely solve your problem. If cleanliness is a concern for you they make beautiful submersible glass pots (any pot will do tho) to contain aquatic plants and will keep they're growing media contained. you can even use dirt and then top it with sand/gravel to keep it from drifting out. It'll still have the look of a bare tank with the added benefit of live plants reducing nitrate levels etc.
I should be picking up a small group of forskali at some point this summer for my planted 180. I'll be sure to update.
If your not confident about your procedures bare tanks are sketchy, when in doubt let it cycle for a month just to be safe
I should be picking up a small group of forskali at some point this summer for my planted 180. I'll be sure to update.
If your not confident about your procedures bare tanks are sketchy, when in doubt let it cycle for a month just to be safe
My 280g tank was blacked at side/back/bottom. With Oxygen stones at each side. Even with these methods, my VATF and smallest GATF are still trying to dash through front glass sometimes when it got spooked though.
Also, you may consider using wavemaker or power head to create flow in the tank. Make sure the current isn't too strong though cuz it might stress the fish instead.
Also, you may consider using wavemaker or power head to create flow in the tank. Make sure the current isn't too strong though cuz it might stress the fish instead.
Just curious, why do you think plants will help atf when they are open water swimmers in the wild?
I was able to grow my trio of vits out by blacking out all 3 sides and min lighting. Worked great and no glass bashing at all.
Two ATF of any species kept together with nothing else in the tank is a recipe for disaster.
You need to provide cover for these fish. Most young riparian fish, to include ATF, like to hang out in what fishermen call "riffles"- areas with significant surface disturbance from moderate to heavy flow over a rock or something that breaks up the surface agitation. Combine this with some fake plants and you have a young riparian fish who would feel very safe (this is why I advocate flow in the guide more than the treadmill effect; I need to rewrite that).
Lights aren't particularly important during the day, but I've found that moon lights cut down on nighttime spazzings.
As for cohabbing fish with ATF, I don't recommend it. In the wild, the only species that we have legitimate scientific data to suggest they shoal in the wild are vatf and fatf, and even their shoals break up at sexual maturity with mature fish being quite intolerant of each other. Even in I'm mature fish, they only tolerate like sized fish, a larger fish in the wild will always persecute a smaller one. These guys are ruthless.
You need to provide cover for these fish. Most young riparian fish, to include ATF, like to hang out in what fishermen call "riffles"- areas with significant surface disturbance from moderate to heavy flow over a rock or something that breaks up the surface agitation. Combine this with some fake plants and you have a young riparian fish who would feel very safe (this is why I advocate flow in the guide more than the treadmill effect; I need to rewrite that).
Lights aren't particularly important during the day, but I've found that moon lights cut down on nighttime spazzings.
As for cohabbing fish with ATF, I don't recommend it. In the wild, the only species that we have legitimate scientific data to suggest they shoal in the wild are vatf and fatf, and even their shoals break up at sexual maturity with mature fish being quite intolerant of each other. Even in I'm mature fish, they only tolerate like sized fish, a larger fish in the wild will always persecute a smaller one. These guys are ruthless.
