New 125 gallon Tank!

[finchly]

Hi guys!

So I had 13 fish tanks before we moved to Florida, I'd had tanks since a child ... but we moved here 7 years ago and I haven't had any. Recently I sold my dining table, since we never eat there, and made the dining room into a reading nook... and there's this big, blank wall so...


It's an old Oceanic tank which means 1/2 inch glass, HEAVY. I'm running it as freshwater.

Here are some of the fish:






They mostly hide, so I can't get pics. The tank was neglected and has lots of algae/ I'm working on it folks.
@Ali @taxidermynerd @Love My Zons

 

[Ali]

Fishieeeee

 

[finchly]

I'm going to paint a mural on that wall. I'm thinking about bringing the wall color and the mural across the (ugly) aquarium stand. Is that too kitschy? We are not formal, my house is very open with few walls and casual. What do you think? @saroj12 ? @Tinabell @Monaco .... other friends?

 

[finchly]

Fishieeeee

Did you see the loach pic I added? He's cute!

 

[Ali]

Did you see the loach pic I added? He's cute!

Yeah!

 

[clarousel]

Are you going to add more fishies? so exciting!

 

[finchly]

Are you going to add more fishies? so exciting!

Yes, I am! I was told by the local fish store that the cichlid should be the only resident, that he will eat tank mates. But he's got a bunch of guppies in there, among others, and shows no signs of aggression. (I've never had a cichlid, btw. )
So we're going to get some and try them. Since he was used to angelfish, I might try those. I wanted Rainbow fish but read that they can be dither fish (bait) for cichlids.
He's also thwarting my entire plan, usualy I do planted tanks, like little underwater gardens. But cichlids dig up plants.

Here's an old photo of a previous planted tank.

 

[Ali]

Yes, I am! I was told by the local fish store that the cichlid should be the only resident, that he will eat tank mates. But he's got a bunch of guppies in there, among others, and shows no signs of aggression. (I've never had a cichlid, btw. )
So we're going to get some and try them. Since he was used to angelfish, I might try those. I wanted Rainbow fish but read that they can be dither fish (bait) for cichlids.
He's also thwarting my entire plan, usualy I do planted tanks, like little underwater gardens. But cichlids dig up plants.

Here's an old photo of a previous planted tank.
View attachment 346492

Your old planted is amazing! Maybe you could rehome the cichlid?

 

[clarousel]

Yes, I am! I was told by the local fish store that the cichlid should be the only resident, that he will eat tank mates. But he's got a bunch of guppies in there, among others, and shows no signs of aggression. (I've never had a cichlid, btw. )
So we're going to get some and try them. Since he was used to angelfish, I might try those. I wanted Rainbow fish but read that they can be dither fish (bait) for cichlids.
He's also thwarting my entire plan, usualy I do planted tanks, like little underwater gardens. But cichlids dig up plants.

Here's an old photo of a previous planted tank.
View attachment 346492

Oh yes cichlids are super territorial. My dad had some in his pond and one lived in this hole. You'd only see him chasing out other fish or doing some spring cleaning and throwing out stones

Perhaps if you plant the tank well it'll help hide the other fishes?

 

[finchly]

Your old planted is amazing! Maybe you could rehome the cichlid?

Yes I thought about that. Now that I have him I kinda like him. But ... I like planting tanks too, that was the whole point of getting it.

Oh yes cichlids are super territorial. My dad had some in his pond and one lived in this hole. You'd only see him chasing out other fish or doing some spring cleaning and throwing out stones

Perhaps if you plant the tank well it'll help hide the other fishes?

Yes he hides too, so do all the others so when i take pics there's NO fish! The big log is hollow on one end and open on the rest, so they're all back there. Wish I could get a pic of the African catfish, that guy is amazing.
I haven't seen the cichlid chase anything.
The store guy said if I plant things he will just dig them up! We're going to try a couple plants we think the clown loaches won't eat, like an Amazon sword plant. Too funny. I was so excited over the tank I didn't realize it came with fish until we were dismantling it.

He actually came from a local river. I guess you can't put them back once you took them out.

 

[Ali]

Yes I thought about that. Now that I have him I kinda like him. But ... I like planting tanks too, that was the whole point of getting it.


Yes he hides too, so do all the others so when i take pics there's NO fish! The big log is hollow on one end and open on the rest, so they're all back there. Wish I could get a pic of the African catfish, that guy is amazing.
I haven't seen the cichlid chase anything.
The store guy said if I plant things he will just dig them up! We're going to try a couple plants we think the clown loaches won't eat, like an Amazon sword plant. Too funny.

He actually came from a local river. I guess you can't put them back once you took them out.

Sadly, you cannot put them back due to introduction of disease etc. to the wild population

 

[clarousel]

Yes I thought about that. Now that I have him I kinda like him. But ... I like planting tanks too, that was the whole point of getting it.


Yes he hides too, so do all the others so when i take pics there's NO fish! The big log is hollow on one end and open on the rest, so they're all back there. Wish I could get a pic of the African catfish, that guy is amazing.
I haven't seen the cichlid chase anything.
The store guy said if I plant things he will just dig them up! We're going to try a couple plants we think the clown loaches won't eat, like an Amazon sword plant. Too funny. I was so excited over the tank I didn't realize it came with fish until we were dismantling it.

He actually came from a local river. I guess you can't put them back once you took them out.

From the pic it does look like an empty tank! I would say try weighing/tying down the plants but the cichlid could just do a home reno by himself

But you might as well try! The big centre log is such a nice centre piece. You have options to tie down lots of plants!

 

[finchly]

From the pic it does look like an empty tank! I would say try weighing/tying down the plants but the cichlid could just do a home reno by himself

But you might as well try! The big centre log is such a nice centre piece. You have options to tie down lots of plants!

I like the log too! It's local. I have other bits of driftwood but for now I'm liking the big swimming space.

Yes I'll definitely try some plants. Once I tied plants to a log, and the roots grabbed hold so then I removed the string. I might try something like that again to get them started. The big plant or 3 I will weight down with those sinker things, or maybe some rocks.

 

[finchly]

Sadly, you cannot put them back due to introduction of disease etc. to the wild population

Got it. And even if I rehome him, there's the AFrican cat, which seems to be Synodontis granulosa. He too is aggressive and eats small fish, and digs. So -- what to do!

 

[clarousel]

I like the log too! It's local. I have other bits of driftwood but for now I'm liking the big swimming space.

Yes I'll definitely try some plants. Once I tied plants to a log, and the roots grabbed hold so then I removed the string. I might try something like that again to get them started. The big plant or 3 I will weight down with those sinker things, or maybe some rocks.

Yeah! I can picture some giant anubias growing in your tank

Here's my tiny planted tank from last year. The anubias has now grown a bit further up the driftwood and the bacopas are taking over!

Looking forward to see how your tank develops

 

[finchly]

Yeah! I can picture some giant anubias growing in your tank

Here's my tiny planted tank from last year. The anubias has now grown a bit further up the driftwood and the bacopas are taking over!

Looking forward to see how your tank develops

Oh my goodness that's awesome!

 

[taxidermynerd]

Oooh! How exciting! Will you be getting a pleco?

 

[Lady Jane]

I know next to nothing about keeping fish. The tank looks beautiful and I am sure a mural will be too. Like you have nothing else to do!!

 

[finchly]

Oooh! How exciting! Will you be getting a pleco?

Of course! I have an albino pleco. There was also one called a kite? pleco, he didn't make it. He was about 6" long.

I already scoped out the LFS and found bristlenose, but they're so tiny I'm afraid Mr. Big would eat them.

 

[rockoko]

Oh wow what a great tank! Love that cute loach!