Yes.
I had them made to fit specifically in that shelf.
Because they are shallow, I was able to get away with 5mm glass and a single centre brace. Cut costs a lot.
Roach's Fishroom Nest
- Thread starter cockroach
- Start date
I had them made to fit specifically in that shelf.
Because they are shallow, I was able to get away with 5mm glass and a single centre brace. Cut costs a lot.
Worked on the 75 gal a little this weekend. It's not a monster tank but still not easy to move alone.
I had to use a lounge ottoman to be the extra hand. Won't spoil the surprise of the tank plan just yet. Over the next few days (2-3 weeks) I will work on the rest.
Moving the tank:
I decided to remove the back plastic film. I did this for 2 reasons, a. I wanted to see the tank without a background ( silly ideas of creating my own background - also can slip in a black plasctic board if need be, b. more pertinently, the front glass is scratched to buggery. The back has much less damage after being in service for over 15 years.
I also pushed the tank back a touch. I like having a little ledge in front of the tank as I do for the paludarium. However, I could not go back as far as I wanted due to the small clearance between tank top and shelf above. I used a beer can to make sure I had a spot wide enough for the essential tools.
Planning on some heavy rocks so added eggcrate.
Rocks and wood in.
But.....I had to pull the tank out this far to get them in. So there is no turning back unless I disassemble the tank again in the future.
Want to add some root feeding plants so made my own "aquasoil".
Put a bottom layer down, the added the soil to a laundry bag. Placed it in a raised growing bed.
I had to use a lounge ottoman to be the extra hand. Won't spoil the surprise of the tank plan just yet. Over the next few days (2-3 weeks) I will work on the rest.
Moving the tank:
I decided to remove the back plastic film. I did this for 2 reasons, a. I wanted to see the tank without a background ( silly ideas of creating my own background - also can slip in a black plasctic board if need be, b. more pertinently, the front glass is scratched to buggery. The back has much less damage after being in service for over 15 years.
I also pushed the tank back a touch. I like having a little ledge in front of the tank as I do for the paludarium. However, I could not go back as far as I wanted due to the small clearance between tank top and shelf above. I used a beer can to make sure I had a spot wide enough for the essential tools.
Planning on some heavy rocks so added eggcrate.
Rocks and wood in.
But.....I had to pull the tank out this far to get them in. So there is no turning back unless I disassemble the tank again in the future.
Want to add some root feeding plants so made my own "aquasoil".
Put a bottom layer down, the added the soil to a laundry bag. Placed it in a raised growing bed.
After a week long Independent Study Tour I had some time this weekend to work on the tank.
The anubius I put aside of the 75gal was not done with the intention of waiting this long. It floated around randomly and settled where ever. This means the leaves grew in all directions.
A few days in their new position and leaves will be looking normal again.
I went through a few iterations before deciding on a layout.
Nearly went with one of these two.
Ultimately went with this layout as I wanted a thicket of vegetation as well as an open area.
The anubius I put aside of the 75gal was not done with the intention of waiting this long. It floated around randomly and settled where ever. This means the leaves grew in all directions.
A few days in their new position and leaves will be looking normal again.
I went through a few iterations before deciding on a layout.
Nearly went with one of these two.
Ultimately went with this layout as I wanted a thicket of vegetation as well as an open area.
After the hardscape layout was decided the fun began.
I am not going wild on variety of plants but do want a lot. I also wanted a thicket of val grass. I have 2 kinds in my fishroom bit didn't like the corkscrew val for this setup so went with the longer thicker leaved one. I have random pots and tanks with single a 2-3 small plants that I will collect and plant throughout the week when I decide where exactly I want them.
I added a small piece of drift wood to the end of the foreground bottom branch so it did not end so unnaturally abruptly.
Water tested the super-glued hardscape. It held well. Filled the tank slowly then after a few days filled it to the top.
I went with a fine grade sand. This was the least white color I could find after searching for weeks online. There were many other color options but most of those had additives or actual soil in them. This came in for a bargain at about US$13/20kg bag. I got 2 bags. It was enough for this tank, and the bottom tank in the 3 tier rack.
To help them and and the other plants grow well, I added the aqua-soil and some fertilizer tabs and nutrient root tabs to the aqua-soil. I laid it around the base of the rock work as that is where I want to concentrate plant growth.
Once the soil was in and I had looked at it for a few days and was happy with it. I went to town gluing the plants. for the plants I have gone with:
Anubius lanceolata
Anubius barteri
Anubius barteri 'nana' and 1 or 2 other varieties
Anubius glabra
Bolbitis
Valis
I had so many small anubius left, probaby 15-20 pieces. I was toying with the idea and just gluing them to the glass on the right and making an anubius wall.
Will leave it this week and see how it goes. The filter is not up and running yet and only a wavemaker in it to circulate the water nicely. The filter needs to be be cleaned well, the fluid and bed filter needs to be rinsed and refilled with sand. Then I need to get new hosing and put it all back together again. I am still not sure where the pump will go. Like an idiot I did not plan this or the pipes. I am leaning towards DC pump fitted outside the tank.
Any guesses what the intended inhabitants are going to be?
I am not going wild on variety of plants but do want a lot. I also wanted a thicket of val grass. I have 2 kinds in my fishroom bit didn't like the corkscrew val for this setup so went with the longer thicker leaved one. I have random pots and tanks with single a 2-3 small plants that I will collect and plant throughout the week when I decide where exactly I want them.
I added a small piece of drift wood to the end of the foreground bottom branch so it did not end so unnaturally abruptly.
Water tested the super-glued hardscape. It held well. Filled the tank slowly then after a few days filled it to the top.
I went with a fine grade sand. This was the least white color I could find after searching for weeks online. There were many other color options but most of those had additives or actual soil in them. This came in for a bargain at about US$13/20kg bag. I got 2 bags. It was enough for this tank, and the bottom tank in the 3 tier rack.
To help them and and the other plants grow well, I added the aqua-soil and some fertilizer tabs and nutrient root tabs to the aqua-soil. I laid it around the base of the rock work as that is where I want to concentrate plant growth.
Once the soil was in and I had looked at it for a few days and was happy with it. I went to town gluing the plants. for the plants I have gone with:
Anubius lanceolata
Anubius barteri
Anubius barteri 'nana' and 1 or 2 other varieties
Anubius glabra
Bolbitis
Valis
I had so many small anubius left, probaby 15-20 pieces. I was toying with the idea and just gluing them to the glass on the right and making an anubius wall.
Will leave it this week and see how it goes. The filter is not up and running yet and only a wavemaker in it to circulate the water nicely. The filter needs to be be cleaned well, the fluid and bed filter needs to be rinsed and refilled with sand. Then I need to get new hosing and put it all back together again. I am still not sure where the pump will go. Like an idiot I did not plan this or the pipes. I am leaning towards DC pump fitted outside the tank.
Any guesses what the intended inhabitants are going to be?
May have shared these already. Not sure. Any way.
My view of the main area of the fish room from my sofa looking straight at rack.
Looking to the right corner
And full view
My view of the main area of the fish room from my sofa looking straight at rack.
Looking to the right corner
And full view
Some shots. The plants and leaves settled a little more. Now I can see which can be kept and which may need a trimming.
From right to left.
This whole branch is a single anubius plant.
The A. lanceolata. Very nice plant. I just ordered a second. Arriving Thursday.
Looking down the length into the thicket.
A sneak peek at one group of the stock. Some of the others should arrive by Thursday.
From right to left.
This whole branch is a single anubius plant.
The A. lanceolata. Very nice plant. I just ordered a second. Arriving Thursday.
Looking down the length into the thicket.
A sneak peek at one group of the stock. Some of the others should arrive by Thursday.
Still a bit washed out. Don't think they have ever been in this much water before. They stormy the first hour riding the side glass.
Nice Plants! Some of the plant pics look like a terrarium, the water is so clear, wow!
Thanks, that is only because there are a mere 9 small fish in a 75gal. Hope it stays somewhat as clean as this. I plan on about 50 fish when fully stocked. All under 2-2.5". But the large filters should handle it.
My order was delayed until this week as the Chili Rasbora I ordered were not ready for shipping and needing some feeding and TLC first. I assume they are B. brigettae as the common names in Taiwan especially in Mandarin, can be confusing at the best of times as the names are very poetic or descriptive. The rasboras are not for the 75gal. They are going with the golden barbs in the cube.
I loved the anubius covered rock to hide the temp sponge filter and later the pump.
I am so irate at this seller. And irritated with myself for not researching them more before buying.
I have them on a message platform used in Taiwan similar to what's app but better suited for here.
Raced home yesterday and collected the package. Ran inside and opened it. All looked good. 3 species and a plant. There were 4 bags.
I placed them in some tanks and started counting stock.
I originally ordered:
* 24 Norman's Blue Eyed Killifish/Normans Lampeye (Poropanchax normani) - these were to go in the 75 gal biotope with the Angola barbs which I plan to up to 12 from 9.
* 10 Chilli rasboras (B. brigettae) - these are to be added to the golden dwarf barbs (Pethia geilus) and remaining 2 chilli rasbora a sa nano tank.
* 6 C. duplicareus - warmer water cories for one of the rack lepronis tanks.
*1 anubius lanceolata
I noticed some misisng fish and checked the invoice.
12 lampeyes
15 rasboras
the rest ok.
The numbers on the invoice were manually changed and rewritten in pencil.
I get hold of them on the messenger app saying some thing like, soory the fish i ordered and the fish that came are different.
They reply is it just the fish that are different, or the invoice amount.
I let them know the fish numbers but amount is same.
They reply saying well then its ok because the amount is the same.
I told them i order specific numbers of fish for specific biotope style aquariums of projects. The money was not an issue. I mentioned the invoice being changed and my not being informed. It does not sit right to go adjusting stock in orders at your will without prior consent or comms. I said it feels more like they are filling orders than fulfilling customer order requests.
Then I noticed something that picked my arse with a rusty teaspoon. Half of the 12 (now 10 remaining as 2 DOA's) were not Norman's Lampeye's but were in fact lampeye rice fish. I mentioned this and asked if the staff were not trained or if it was a deceitful move to fill orders. Obviously, way more carefully worded than that.
No apologies nothing. The seller proceeds to say if I "feel" or "think" (these are quotes) the sale was inappropriate, I can go ahead, catch the fish, bag them, and have them sent back. I will get a refund.
I asked if he was seriously suggesting i disrupt, and potentially pull apart a well planted 75gal tank, catch fish and send them back at my inconvenience?? I mentioned that this was the second I am having an issue.
I decided I was done. I wrote a carefully worded, but clear as day message saying i was disappointed as I do not expect this in taiwan. His company has lost face and to delete any and all info they have of mine as i will never purchase there again.
And for the second time in 20 years, I went online to Google Reviews and gave a 1 star review with an honest review that was not emotional, just carried the facts across clearly.
Appears I wasn't the only with this issue.
So yes. Now I sit, 5 extra chilli rasbora who occupy spots I had in mind for other fish.
5 of the 24 Norman's lampeyes I thought I was getting.
5 lampeye rice fish I didn't really want.
The cories were also stated as 2-3cm. Which in taiwan usually means 2.5-3cm a piece as they play it safe. Better business bureau here gets a lot of field work a month. The 6 I got had oone 3cm and the rest almost on, or just under, 2cm. A tad too small to add to the intended tank.
And I don't often let my emotions get the better of me.
So I guess I am going fish shopping soon again.
I have them on a message platform used in Taiwan similar to what's app but better suited for here.
Raced home yesterday and collected the package. Ran inside and opened it. All looked good. 3 species and a plant. There were 4 bags.
I placed them in some tanks and started counting stock.
I originally ordered:
* 24 Norman's Blue Eyed Killifish/Normans Lampeye (Poropanchax normani) - these were to go in the 75 gal biotope with the Angola barbs which I plan to up to 12 from 9.
* 10 Chilli rasboras (B. brigettae) - these are to be added to the golden dwarf barbs (Pethia geilus) and remaining 2 chilli rasbora a sa nano tank.
* 6 C. duplicareus - warmer water cories for one of the rack lepronis tanks.
*1 anubius lanceolata
I noticed some misisng fish and checked the invoice.
12 lampeyes
15 rasboras
the rest ok.
The numbers on the invoice were manually changed and rewritten in pencil.
I get hold of them on the messenger app saying some thing like, soory the fish i ordered and the fish that came are different.
They reply is it just the fish that are different, or the invoice amount.
I let them know the fish numbers but amount is same.
They reply saying well then its ok because the amount is the same.
I told them i order specific numbers of fish for specific biotope style aquariums of projects. The money was not an issue. I mentioned the invoice being changed and my not being informed. It does not sit right to go adjusting stock in orders at your will without prior consent or comms. I said it feels more like they are filling orders than fulfilling customer order requests.
Then I noticed something that picked my arse with a rusty teaspoon. Half of the 12 (now 10 remaining as 2 DOA's) were not Norman's Lampeye's but were in fact lampeye rice fish. I mentioned this and asked if the staff were not trained or if it was a deceitful move to fill orders. Obviously, way more carefully worded than that.
No apologies nothing. The seller proceeds to say if I "feel" or "think" (these are quotes) the sale was inappropriate, I can go ahead, catch the fish, bag them, and have them sent back. I will get a refund.
I asked if he was seriously suggesting i disrupt, and potentially pull apart a well planted 75gal tank, catch fish and send them back at my inconvenience?? I mentioned that this was the second I am having an issue.
I decided I was done. I wrote a carefully worded, but clear as day message saying i was disappointed as I do not expect this in taiwan. His company has lost face and to delete any and all info they have of mine as i will never purchase there again.
And for the second time in 20 years, I went online to Google Reviews and gave a 1 star review with an honest review that was not emotional, just carried the facts across clearly.
Appears I wasn't the only with this issue.
So yes. Now I sit, 5 extra chilli rasbora who occupy spots I had in mind for other fish.
5 of the 24 Norman's lampeyes I thought I was getting.
5 lampeye rice fish I didn't really want.
The cories were also stated as 2-3cm. Which in taiwan usually means 2.5-3cm a piece as they play it safe. Better business bureau here gets a lot of field work a month. The 6 I got had oone 3cm and the rest almost on, or just under, 2cm. A tad too small to add to the intended tank.
And I don't often let my emotions get the better of me.So I guess I am going fish shopping soon again.
