155G Journal

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cichlid-gal

New Member
This is going to be my 155G journal.  I purchased this tank from JimA on the fishbox so a big thanks goes out to him for helping us get this tank.  The purchase was made last year but it took us until late spring to hook up and actually get the tank.  We had trouble transporting such a large tank and Jim stepped up and lent us a helping hand.  Another big thanks.

The tank has sat in storage since our pickup of it.  We finally moved it to the garage a couple of weeks ago.  It took lots of shuffling of existing tanks and moving tanks into the house to make room for this bad boy.  Holding a whopping 155G and having a beautiful bowfront it need a little extra space.

As always, I've been accumulating stuff for the tank for months and months.  Rocks came from the local landscape yard and have been in and out of other tanks.  The stunning wood pieces I just picked up from Aquarium Co-op....2 beautiful manzanita pieces and two big malaysian driftwood pieces.  I soaked em in hot water yesterday and now into the tank.  I know I'll have lots of leaching over the next few weeks/months so wanted to get a tank shot now to show how it can look without tannins.  

Tank has initially been setup with just a couple of filters (an AC110 and Eheim 2217, both from the 55G that the fish moved from so well seeded.  I also have a Rena XP4 that I will be hooking up today and putting on the tank.

I moved my guys from the 55G to this tank ... so right now it has my Psammochromis riponianus group and my Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Tanzania" group.  I would like to have different stocking in this tank eventually but will have to figure out what will work in the end.  I have been looking at Central American cichlids and have fallen in love with some of those.  This tank will probably never be a full biotope tank but that's OK with me so long as the fish I have are happy in it and I am happy with them.

OK...1st pic.  Setup last night.  Running with an extra heater right   now as I was worried about the older one I was putting in and whether it was working.  So extra black heater in the middle of the tank will come out shortly.  Will be adding some plants (although I'm not sure about those phenos and if they will eat them).

P1150722_zps3fbe3fde.jpg
 
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Anthraxx

New Member
i really like the background color myself. awesome job on the scape. excited to see how plants slowly work theyre way in (lots of your other tanks seem pretty planted :p)
 
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cichlid-gal

New Member
Thanks everyone....plants will make it over time.  Thinking some nice big Bolbitis heudelotii (I got one from Cory but then put it into another tank...ack...and some java and anubias...I seem to like those combinations and pretty easy with the fishes).

And yes, background is currently painted in Leather Brown.  I have that on  my big 125 Community/Western tank and really like the brown.  The fish show nicer against it I think as sometime they color down so dark against the black and just lose their colors but with the brown I get great color on all my guys.  Those Psamms are looking awesome today~~~

cichlid-gal said:
so right now it has my Psammochromis riponianus group and my Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Tanzania" group.  
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OH...and my Psamms came from JAY on the fishbox forum and the P. phenos came from Wetspot.  My current lighting is a beautiful Finnex that I got from Aquarium Co-op.  So special thanks go out to all those peeps and businesses also.
 
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LuminousAphid

New Member
Yay, Finnex! I love mine, is yours a Monster Ray or Ray 2? I got the Ray 2, but the Monster Ray makes fish and plants look absolutely out of this world.

I like the way you set this up, especially the Anubias in the shadows there. Did you just get those, or were they from another tank? What kind of sand are you using?

It looks like it's sort of shallow front-back, but is that just the bow front making it look that way?\

Either way, looking awesome, I'm sure once you get it planted up it will look even better.
 
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cichlid-gal

New Member
I think I have the Ray 2...not sure though Luminous. I've had the anubias, they were in the 55G with the fish I moved. I use pool filter sand (PFS). And the tank is 18" at the sides and 24" in the center. It seems plenty big to me. I have to take a shot of it from the sides as right across from it is one of my 125G tanks so no room to take a straight on photo.
 
Betty

Betty

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Oh so envious!!!  :spoton: 

I bet the fish will love their new space.
 
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LuminousAphid

New Member
Yeah I didn't mean to say it was short on space, hahaha.... I shouldn't talk, I don't have that much space in all of my tanks. I look forward to seeing how this evolves
 
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cichlid-gal

New Member
Well plants are in and settled.  Tank has had to have a change up of plans as my 72G tank sprung a leak so my fish from that tank (Neochromis rufocaudalis) had to be rehomed to the 155G tank.  Looks like this tank is going to end up being a large 2 species Victorian and Hap breeding group tank.

No worries of cross breeding with the two species of Vics that are housed in the tank.  They are very different in appearance...both males and females.  And the P. sp. "Phenochilus Tanzania" will fit nicely with both groups.

Inline heater is ordered and I'll be raising the spray bar to just below the tank rim/water level shortly. I probably need to paint the AC110 intakes in brown. I'll get to it.

Some day maybe I'll get to convert it to my dream CA tank but not anytime soon.  Oh, and had to remove the manzanita as the N. rufocaudalis are wicked fish and already cause lots of eye problems with one another so I didn't want the wood contributing any further.

Tank update 9/24/13
P1150958_zps0d3b2183.jpg
 
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cichlid-gal

New Member
Thanks Morgan. I'm a little concerned about my placement of the anubias nana. They have been doing great in my 72G tank but it had a lot less light. I'm not sure how much light is reaching the bottom of this tank. I hate to see them get yucky looking. I'll just have to keep an eye on them.
 
MorganEA

MorganEA

Member
Is it under the larger log on the right? They do pretty well in low light but I'm not sure it will get enough light there. I just moved mine from low light to a medium light area and it is doing WAY better.
 
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cichlid-gal

New Member
MorganEA said:
Is it under the larger log on the right? They do pretty well in low light but I'm not sure it will get enough light there. I just moved mine from low light to a medium light area and it is doing WAY better.
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That's an anubia barteri var. barteri I think... the light green plants to the middle front low ... on the two wood pieces...those are anubia barteri var. nana. The light is much brighter in the center of the tank than on the ends so not sure how things will work for the nana's. And I'll watch that barteri on the right too. I have plenty of places I could move it to.
 
MorganEA

MorganEA

Member
oops!! I missed the variety lol! the placement of the Anubia nana looks fine, I find if you put them in really high light they tend to grow algae on their leaves.
 
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