my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

[myjohnson]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

Wow, nice new additions with the angels.  You have done a great job on this tank.  I would have picked different plants but that's just a personal thing....overall great tank!    

I just order some new lights and hope to get my nano up and running soon.    

[finfan]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

thanks myjohnson, i am really enjoying this tank

so here's an update:

1) I got the calaqua intake/outflow installed - looks awesome (actually don't see it unless you look for it)

2) Got Harlequin Rasboras - a school of 25 - they are just amazing schoolers and the sight of them schooling together is so awesome

here's pix:

full shot of the tank - notice the calaqua pipes on the left



another shot - any intake/outflow or pipes barely visible



panaroma from left



panaroma from right



harlequins - these pictures do NOT do justice to how awesome they look when schooling, also, i could not take a good picture of all of them schooling, they seem to scatter more when i try to take pix!

















here's a close up, the copper/pink/blues are amazing in these fish - my pix do not really capture it



heres the BIG surprise, after a day of the harlequins being in their new home i did a water change after feeding and walla, a spawning frenzy, i have never seen this type of behavior in person or in video and i wish i had a good video to capture, but i tried my best to capture in pix, i loved watching this, it went on for at least an hour, the lone fat danio, and my checkerboard cichlids made a yummy roe dinner out of all the eggs, here's a series of pix w/o any order























enough about the harlequin rage, my 5 new ottos have been awesome, they have cleaned up all the nasty hair algae and most other algae and so far algae growth has been in good check with flourish excel dosing

here's my ottos at work



here's a few plants that were nasty with algae - if you scroll back a few postings you will see the before pix







here's my amazing checkerboard cichlids, i have 2males and 2females, the colors on the two males are amazing, this pic does no justice to say the least



my hillstream loaches have been moved from the 30g to here



here's a series of calaqua pix

[Zulaab]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

Wow -- you are making me more and more jealous..  I am so going to have to save up some money and attempt to make a planted tank setup one of these days :)

[finfan]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

u guys are not going to believe this, my checkerboard cichlids just spawned, i cannot believe my eyes, first the dominent male/female both lost the checkerboard pattern and had one solid line down the middle, the male showed amazing dark maroon colors along with irridescent, now they are done laying, he has fertilized, now the female does not allow the male to come close, she is one third his size, but is vigorously fighting with him, and not allowing him near the eggs, he wants ont be on the eggs too!  i cannot believe this, i am sure all the eggs will be snack for all the harlequin and others, but this is freaking exciting, the male which is one 5th of the angels, is not allowing them in the vicinity and the female too!!!!  i got a couple of pix, not as good, will post soon

[Delock]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

Finfan...very nice setup!

[HoustonFishFanatic]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

Congrats dude!

[finfan]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

thanks guys, here's the checkerboard spawning pix as promised  

mom laying eggs, notice dad in the top left corner



mom on guard





mom fanning



eggs close up

[Zulaab]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

Absolutely cool :)
Super congrats on that :)

[FIREFISH]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

Looking good! The pics are awesome. Keep'em coming.

[Mzungu]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

WOW! Everyone's spawning in there! Great pictures of the harlequins, by the way! I didn't know they spawned on the undersides of leaves. Neat!

Great job so far. Keep updating us!

[sproett]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

Wow, just noticed this thread and had to mention how beautiful I think your tank is. I love checkerboards, I had a pair awhile back and they were so neat. I also love cories. I can't believe all the spawning going on in your tank. Are the dwarf puffers still picking on your angels?

[edmlfc]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

Wow. Looks like a success to me. Great job, the tank is looking really good. I like the lilly pipe. Hope you see some fry soon.

[finfan]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

thanks guys, its been fun, i really don't know what made all the fish get in the mood  8)

it is very interesting to see the harlequin spawn, i had no idea that they did the whole under the leaf upside down egg laying thing (i just assumed they scatter), its funny to see one female being chased by several males in several breeding groups led by one female, it almost seems like everyday at least one or two females spawn with her herem of males (turning the table)

with the checkerboard, it was interesting to see the checkerboard pattern go away on the fish and the one single line form, also, the female for her size has become very feisty, with 25 harlequins, 4 big angels, cories, loaches, she has managed to keep the eggs (they are there this morning)

the puffers were bothering the angels, so i actually took them back to the store and returned them, i don't have time for a separate tank for them and their dietary needs, but they are awesome little puffs, when things settle down a little, we are planning on getting a planted nano tank for the puffers

[jack]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

tank looks great. are you gonna add any shrimp?

[naps]

Re: my first ADA 120P planted tank journal

congrats, it's really looking great! 8)