Monday 29 September 2008

My Tropical Fish Aquarium - Part V

It's a bit fuzzy, not least because my zebras haven't been keeping up with the algae, but here's my latest effort at planting. I don't know how the cryptocoryne is going to get on - it's really a low-light plant, and all the others get on better with >2WPG, but still...

That's Tom, front and centre.

8 comments:

susan said...

I love your fishes Matt.


What a nice way to calm down from the way the world is going to heck in a handbasket righr now.

Fish rock, and your pictures are beautiful.

Keep em coming my friend.

Radagast said...

I keep getting the urge to tinker with my set-up, when there's not really anything else I can do, but maintain it. Unless something dies (and that seems to be pretty stable, now), then that's it. Mind you *keeping* something looking good is harder than setting it up, in the first place.

Anyway, given my almost complete ignorance, when it came to tropical fish, the experience has been anything but calming! I think I've got a handle on the key stuff, now, though.

Matt

susan said...

I am sorry it's not been calming for you. Maybe there is some kind of breaking in point, and from then on it's smooth sailing.

Did you put a bottom feeder in it, like a catfish or something like that?

off topic- when I was a little girl I had two goldfish- Paul and John. (after the Beatles, of course). John died pretty quickly, Paul lived to a ripe old age of 9. That is pretty old for a goldfish! I still have dreams about him. sometimes. Weird.

Radagast said...

Oh, well, in the evenings, when I put the lights on, in the tank, and watch them bumbling about their fishy business; that's very rewarding. It's a steep learning curve - there's plenty of really basic stuff that you need to do; it's all easy enough, but it's knowing that it needs to be done, and then doing it! But while you're finding out what it is that you ought to be doing, and one's fish are dying, that's less pleasant!

Matt

Radagast said...

Oh, and "yes," the cories are "coryadoras catfish". One julii and two bronze - my panda died the day after I bought it; stress, I think, because it never ate that I saw.

Matt

Radagast said...

Funny how John died before Paul, too. Prophetic, perhaps!

Matt

Anonymous said...

Looks incredible, I have yet to stir up the motivation to get mine all set up I still have a unplanted tank. I'm so jealous I really got to get mine set up.

Radagast said...

fish: I did it by trial and error (as usual); I just bought things I liked the look of, which means that I've ended up with a mixture of high-light and low-light-loving plants (not to mention nutrient-hungry and not-terribly-bothered plants). I seem to have got away with it. I don't even know what the output is on my lighting!

After that, it was just a question of arranging things in a vaguely pleasing (to me), way. Obviously, a couple of rules need to be followed: tall things at the back; something in the mid-ground; something short at the front; I left a "clearing" at the front, for the Cory pellets, and put the Creeping Jenny in the front right corner, to "frame" the tank. Sixteen quid, all told.

Matt