Old and new

Soundline

Well-Known Member
Whelp.....

Kinda started my fish keeping backwords. Had a saltwater sps tank. victorian cichlids, community tank, now I'm doing a planted community tank with my son now that he is older. Just kinda winging it.

I have 4 filters with ammonia removers in all but one. So 2 hob fluvel 30's with added ammonia remover filters , a aqua something 10, again with added ammonia filter, and then another small in the tank filter couldn't tell ya what it is but rated for a 10 Gallon. So it's got about 80 gallons worth of filtration on a 20 gallon tank cause......
It has a lot of fish in it.
5 long fin zebra Danios
2 red plattys
2 mollies
3 feeder gold fish
3 baby angel fish
1 large pleco
1 powder blue gourami
5 various snail
5 ghost shrimp

Plant wise well I had a list of names on them but go figure my phone didn't save it.

It's got some cheap leds on the hood for lighting two players to have been doing well in it for months, but am looking to upgrade now.

I dose with seachem florish and florish excel.

Pictures are of the plants if some one what's to Id them! Lol

FB_IMG_1499569805214.jpg FB_IMG_1499569797526.jpg FB_IMG_1499569788625.jpg FB_IMG_1499569778066.jpg FB_IMG_1499569750329.jpg
 

Betty

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Welcome to the forum. I'm not a plant person, so can't help you with any IDs. :oops:

I'm curious what the ammonia removers are? Is the tank newly set up and not cycled yet?
 

Soundline

Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum. I'm not a plant person, so can't help you with any IDs. :oops:

I'm curious what the ammonia removers are? Is the tank newly set up and not cycled yet?
The ammonia removers are add ons to the filter media. Tank has been set up for 3 years I purchased it and the pleco, it had one plant in it, and just a 10 Gallon filter. I've added everything else, some stuff I had from my past tanks some I added from the store some from fish people. I decided to add the ammonia removers cause there are so many fish in the tank.
 

Betty

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I'm not familiar with ammonia removers, but don't know why there would be an ammonia problem if the tank has been up and running for 3 years. I understand that you are overstocked -- are the ammonia removers temporary because you added new stock recently? Are there plans for a bigger tank as the fish grow larger? Sorry for so many questions -- I'm not trying to be a pest, ;) but I think with that many fish in that size tank (some of which will be quite large at adult size), you might have problems with water quality and maybe aggression later, as they grow.

I'm also curious what kind of Victorian cichlids you had. African cichlids are my favorite!
It's nice that you're introducing your son to fishkeeping. :thumbsup
 

Soundline

Well-Known Member
I'm not familiar with ammonia removers, but don't know why there would be an ammonia problem if the tank has been up and running for 3 years. I understand that you are overstocked -- are the ammonia removers temporary because you added new stock recently? Are there plans for a bigger tank as the fish grow larger? Sorry for so many questions -- I'm not trying to be a pest, ;) but I think with that many fish in that size tank (some of which will be quite large at adult size), you might have problems with water quality and maybe aggression later, as they grow.

I'm also curious what kind of Victorian cichlids you had. African cichlids are my favorite!
It's nice that you're introducing your son to fishkeeping. :thumbsup


Yes I plan on a 55 gallon and the smaller tank will be my plant tank. I did the ammonia remover cause I had the option of ammonia or carbon. Here is a pic.

I really couldn't tell you the Victorian I had. Had about 10, and then some peacocks with them.

Screenshot_20170709-191445.png
 

VickiK

Member with a lot to say
@Soundline - that's interesting. I have never seen that product. Seems to work ok?

Usually, I wait until @Mike16T or @Loren tell me I need something and then I blindly stumble over to Amazon to get it.
 

L190

Well-Known Member
@Soundline the tank does sound overstock so I can see the use for the ammonia remover. In my experience, the ammonia removers don't work so well and you'll need to replace them or recharge them. When you move the extra fish out i suggest you replace them with a course sponge.

As for the plants, 1st picture is some kind of sword plant, 2nd is an anubias species (anubias lanceolata?), 3rd micro sword, 4th dwarf chain sword? With the anubias , you should not bury the rhizome otherwise it will rot. you can attach the rhizome to a piece of wood or rock or just bury the roots in the gravel and keep the rhizome above the substrate.
 

discus_2013

Well-Known Member
I don't think overstocked is the correct term here, improperly stocked is what I would call it, the comet gold fish and pleco will grow to be way way to big for the tank also the angel fish will likely create some issues down the road, but my suggestion would be to replace the pleco with a hillstream loach or something to that nature, replace the gold fish with other mild mannered live bearers and really consider how much you like your angels lol they are great when they are small but kiss your shrimp good bye soon, and if they ever pair up the majority of your other stock will disappear as well, I hate that plecos are sold at big box stores, they should have a 14+ inch example of what they will become next to that cute little 2" fish they are selling.
 

julzhull

Well-Known Member
Our 12"+ common pleco actually doesn't seem to touch our plants but we keep him pretty well fed. I've found that our pest snails are harder on plants than that common and all my bristlenose plecos.
 

julzhull

Well-Known Member
In my experience it's more of their movements constantly up rooting them.
Oh, I can see that. When our plants were first establishing in the big tank we got some that would come up occasionally. Since the plants have been more established they seem to be able to handle the pleco a bit more and we rarely see any that come up.
 

VickiK

Member with a lot to say
Our 12"+ common pleco actually doesn't seem to touch our plants but we keep him pretty well fed. I've found that our pest snails are harder on plants than that common and all my bristlenose plecos.

My big bristlenose 6-7" grew up with the plants so he doesn't seem to bother them in the least. At least not yet. lol
 
Top