Six weeks ago, I did the (I assume) typical noob setup. Got an Eclipse 5 gal hex, loaded it up with plants, a nice piece of mopani and almost a dozen small fish. And over the next several days, I watched as I murdered all but four of the poor little guys.
I promptly sought some schooling and fortunately found MFK. But I clearly still have lots to learn. Fast foward to today's situation and questions:
The tank is now properly cycled (or at least the amonia (0), nitrite (0) and nitrate (8) indicate so). I tore open the eclipse cartridge and rebuilt it with a combo of Seachem Matrix, Eheim Substrat Pro and some activated carbon to fill in the gaps (what can I say - MFK information overload). I covered it all up with a layer of 100 micron filter pad and then the coarser, blue pad on top of that. It all fits perfectly in the filter compartment and water flow appears fine.
The tank is now populated with (let the flaming begin):
1 male, 2 female and approx 6 fry guppies (born about a week ago)
2 Bubble Eye Tetras (name on the tank at the LFS)
2 Neon Tetras
1 Threadfin rainbow
1 Otto
4 Cherry Shrimp (2 male 2 female)
These guys have been in the tank for about two weeks now and everyone seems happy, healthy and active. The only death was one male guppy and who knows how many fry. The levels are stable and the water is clear. Here's my questions:
I promptly sought some schooling and fortunately found MFK. But I clearly still have lots to learn. Fast foward to today's situation and questions:
The tank is now properly cycled (or at least the amonia (0), nitrite (0) and nitrate (8) indicate so). I tore open the eclipse cartridge and rebuilt it with a combo of Seachem Matrix, Eheim Substrat Pro and some activated carbon to fill in the gaps (what can I say - MFK information overload). I covered it all up with a layer of 100 micron filter pad and then the coarser, blue pad on top of that. It all fits perfectly in the filter compartment and water flow appears fine.
The tank is now populated with (let the flaming begin):
1 male, 2 female and approx 6 fry guppies (born about a week ago)
2 Bubble Eye Tetras (name on the tank at the LFS)
2 Neon Tetras
1 Threadfin rainbow
1 Otto
4 Cherry Shrimp (2 male 2 female)
These guys have been in the tank for about two weeks now and everyone seems happy, healthy and active. The only death was one male guppy and who knows how many fry. The levels are stable and the water is clear. Here's my questions:
- With the amount of good bacteria I think I'll be supporting with the cartridge, biowheel and all the plants (pic provided), will the heavy fish population be supported - or even necessary to support all the bacteria?
- What do I need to do to ensure that the plants stay healthy? The sword up front is on it's way out. (not visible in the pic is lots of java moss around and behind the wood). I have an air stone running a gentle flow of bubbles. Is this extra oxygen harmful to the plants?
- Assuming I keep up with regular water changes, what problems should I expect with this heavy fish population? They don't look crowded in there to me. Dare I add another fish or two?
