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500l discus tank

Thanks Nelson.

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Very beautiful fish! Really like it. Never seen them in our LFS, I suspect it's due their water chemistry requirements (we have medium hard water here). What's your parameters, Lindy? Do you plan to breed them?
 
Tds is in the 90's ph 5.5. If I'm lucky enough for them to breed and I have a fish room up and running I will separate any brooding fish to raise the fry separately. These chocos are tiny and have a lot of growing to do. I'll just be happy if I can keep them healthy.

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They look amazing - kudos to Colin for getting in such healthy stock!

It's really such a fantastic tank for them ... funny how the adults were keen on saying "stay away"

The latest group I got were mixed, some half adult size, the rest maybe 1/6 adult size, no real obvious aggression but after initial quarantine I separated by size & the littles are much more out & about now
 
funny how the adults were keen on saying "stay away"
I didn't think the adults would bother with these tiddlers. Initially the adult seemed freaked as the tiddlers seemed to want to follow her and then she started lunging at them. she is so big compared to them I was worried she might actually do some damage. I'm not sure if it is because my 2 have been on their own for so long? The boss of the 2 really pushes the other one around and I'd separated them before the tiddlers arrived, hoping to put eveyone together once they were settled in so the little ones only had one adult to contend with. I'll let them grow a good bit bigger and then try again.
Colin always gets great fish in and these were no exception. He liked them so much he has kept some for one of his house tanks. The only problem about going to Colins Is you see so many nice fish you can never have enough tanks. Then there are the frogs, toads, newts, ferrets and carnivorous plants. Heaven!
 
I am running low level pressurised co2 and getting less of the fizzy effect since I dropped the bubble count a bit and added a small powerhead to blow the mist across the bottom of the tank. I have also dropped the lights to around 30% as I was getting a considerable amount of green algae on the substrate and bba on the rocks. The tank does get some natural daylight so that doesn't help. Fortunately my husband thinks it all looks more natural and settled in since the rock got a little algae on it :lol:
 
Coming along great.
If you look at the journal ESCAPE on here there is a great way of stopping the co2 fizz reaching the tank from the inline diffuser using a APS filter booster.Costs around £20.
 
If you look at the journal ESCAPE on here there is a great way of stopping the co2 fizz reaching the tank from the inline diffuser using a APS filter booster.Costs around £20.
Thanks for that. I don't like inline diffusers as they tend to get blocked rather quickly. I did set up an eheim ecco pro with the bazooka on the intake but it burped alot. I had considered using the aps boosters and I have 2, one one each inlet pipe going to the external. I thought if I reversed the inlet and outlet on the booster it would keep the co2 in until dissolved. I may do this yet. Toying with the idea of changing the eheim to 2 smaller filters as I have to take it apart inside the cabinet as it is too big and can't just roll out due to the way the stand is designed. This is why I have the boosters on the inlets, means the eheim rarely needs opened!
 
Colin always gets great fish in and these were no exception. He liked them so much he has kept some for one of his house tanks. The only problem about going to Colins Is you see so many nice fish you can never have enough tanks.
There's just something about chocolate gouramis

Did Colin manage to bring in any of the S vaillanti & acrostoma? all 3 species have been on the lists for the first time in ages (shop has an order in so hoping some arrive)

I didn't think the adults would bother with these tiddlers
I wonder if it was more a reaction to the keenness of the tiddlers & the adults were just
I don't know who you are or what you want, but just stay AWAY

Initially the adult seemed freaked as the tiddlers seemed to want to follow her and then she started lunging at them. she is so big compared to them I was worried she might actually do some damage. I'm not sure if it is because my 2 have been on their own for so long?
I've also had a single remaining female that's been alone for some time, I was concerned she might not be instantly keen so had moved her to another tank. When I added the bigger 10 or so, she dimmed to that grey brown (but not mottled) coloration they can do, every fin erect & very still.
The first couple I added went straight to her & stayed - she didn't seem to react at all just staying in that frozen pose
The next several went to opposite end of the tank & gathered there.
Over the next couple hours she seemed to pretty much ignore them, the first few that had chosen her "side" remained with her, not joining their previous group.
The next day they all seemed to just wander freely through the tank ... she's easily identified by her relative "thickness" but some of the others are near her size otherwise.

In contrast there's one (male?) in the littles group that is a lunger/bravo - he "claimed" the floating plant raft, chasing off everyone but a select couple of friends
I noticed this activity in the first few days after separating the group, he seems to have settled now ... or perhaps the territory has just been "won" - I looked in the dim tank now & there's a trio near the plant raft & the remaining group chilling elsewhere :lol:


The tank does get some natural daylight so that doesn't help
I've one tank that gets considerable sunlight through the day - I run low level CO2 24/7, then increase CO2 for the photoperiod etc - this seems to work.

I'm also a fan of the wood, I think it suits choco's :D
 
Finally I got the mdf cut and wrapped for the stand, Yey! Unfortunately added on 12cm instead of 12mm to the 2 front panels at each end so had a shame faced trip back to b&q to have the extra removed, boo!
I would have liked to get white or off white gloss wrap but was worried about buying a big roll online just to find I was crap at wrapping so just got the least offensive wrap b&q had and then I could return the rolls I didn't use if I was crap. I ended up with white, gloss, wood effect. I did the side panels first so if they were untidy they wouldn't be right in your face. As it turned out was straight forward and through trial and error found best method for corners.
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I didn't buy the squeegee thing, just used a 30cm ruler
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The panels are attached by magnetic clips as hinges and hanging doors are beyond me. Still to attach the side panels but have some pipework to move first. I know it would look better as one flawless panel but reality is that a 5ft panel is going to be a pain to take off for maintenance. I unfortunately live in the real world...

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For trimming the top of the tank to hide the braces I have some 'T-REX' tape which is similar to duck tape but a darker grey and better looking. It is also seriously sticky!
 
Looks really professional & you'd barely notice it wasn't made from a single panel - this is definitely on of my favourite journals as I remember reading it when I first joined ukaps and your daughter made it look huge :) It's progressed really well!
 
Did Colin manage to bring in any of the S vaillanti & acrostoma?
He ordered 20 of both but only got 4 vaillants...

this is definitely on of my favourite journals as I remember reading it when I first joined ukaps and your daughter made it look huge :) It's progressed really well!
What a lovely thing to say and thank you very much!

Unfortunately I'm having to treat the chocos for velvet :(. They had a 3 day blackout and treated with Esha Exit and Hexamita(at 1/2 dose) but after treatment I put carbon in to remove the meds and by that evening I had fish struggling at the surface :bawling:. Removed carbon and immediately started treatment with protozin at half dose due to soft water and loaches. This morn there are no fish at the surface and no bodies so the gamble has hopefully paid off. Normally I would not do 2 treatments so close together. Raised temp to 28 and have 5 more days of treatment. Hopefully my plants will survive but they are more easily replaced than these lovely fish.
 
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