54 litre low light livebearer scape - New Pics 16/08/08

[Themuleous]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - Unnamed

I used to run 36w of T8 light over my 24x8x8 nano but it couldn't cope with 48w of T5 lighting, think it was to much.

Sam

 

[Steve Smith]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - Unnamed

Yeah, I guess I need to keep in mind I'm trying to keep this low light, with crypts and ferns etc. If I could bolster the lighting up a little more to say 20/24w I'd be happy. I think the main problem though is the hood and the light unit design. Its one of these water resistant all in one unit/balasts bolted inside the hood. It actually blocks light getting to the back wall of the tank, even with the reflector.

If I can replace this with an external balast and make my own luminaire there will be better light distribution. I believe Gill has a good technique using sections of guttering from the DIY store. I might give this a try if I can source some cheap light balasts. Maybe 18w T8? I think the tube would fit over the tank...

 

[Themuleous]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - Unnamed

18w over 54lt sounds about right for a low light.

Sam

 

[Steve Smith]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - Unnamed

Added some new fish today. I'll be doing a re-jigg to sort the numbers out when I have my other tank completed (nearly there!)

I got quite an impressive deal. I have added to this tank 6 young sparkling gouramis and 12 boraras maculatus (5 or 6 will move onto another tank soon). Also some apple snails and a few spixies too.

Take a guess how much the following cost:

6 sparkling gouramis
12 boraras maculatus
Approx 20 cherry shrimp (may be a few more, they're quite small)
5 Apple snails
3 Spixie snails

The Cherries have gone into the 27 litre livebearer tank along with a spixie and a couple of the apple snails

 

[beeky]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - Unnamed

£50??

I must admit to not knowing how much a cherry shrimp would sell for as I've never seen them for sale in a shop. Similarly for apple snails, although I did see nerites for sale once for £1.99 each. Seemed quite a lot for a snail at the time, but then I thought all snails bred faster than rabbits (I've since learnt a bit more!).

Any pics of the gouramies? I've never kept those but always fancied them.

 

[Steve Smith]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - Unnamed

I'll take some pics this week Guess is too high

The cheepest I've seen cherries is about £1.10 each, the snails I'm not sure really, they tend to be £1.50 maybe online?

I'll break down the prices -

Cherries were £10
Boraras maculatus were £8
Gouramies were £3 - These had been off sale since being bought in and they had forgotten to put them on sale, so my friend said we could have them.
All snails were free!

£21 in total

 

[beeky]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - Unnamed

Wow, what a bargain!

You'll have to repay your LFS for it's generosity by offloading your baby cherries!

 

[Steve Smith]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - Unnamed

Yeah Though, they aren't that local!

I'm looking for some amazon frogbit for this tank now. I have some Hydrocotyle verticillata that I got from Plants Alive last week floating in the top. The leaves seem far bigger than ones I've seen before so I assume it's in an immersed form. Looks quite nice though and the fish seem to like the cover it provides. I will plant some of the smaller stems to see what happens. Also got some Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides floating in amongst it too which is smaller and very nice.

As I say, I want some frogbit for the roots they have, as the cover will be great for any new born fry. Anyone have a few plantlets spare? :?:

 

[beeky]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - Unnamed

Don't have any I'm afraid, don't go much for floaters.

I'd be interested to see how you get on with the Hydroctyle. I always thought it was a carpeting type plant but tropica says it grows quite tall. Looks nice though, reminds me of little umbrellas!

 

[Steve Smith]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - Unnamed

Took loads of pics this morning. I was playing with the diffusing idea discussed in another thread, using some kitchen roll to diffuse the flash. Anyhow, *lots* of pics!

Some pictures of my new Sparkling Gouramies:

Some pictures of the Red Lace Snakeskin guppies:

Corydora Habrosus:

Hydrocotyle Verticillata floating, you can see the large leaves I was talking about:

Shot taken from the end of the tank ('scuse the diatoms!) and full shot:

 

[Arana]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - New Pics 13/05/08

Very nice Steve, great job that moss is growing fast

 

[LondonDragon]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - New Pics 13/05/08

Looking good you can also use just normal printer paper for the diffusor

 

[Steve Smith]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - New Pics 13/05/08

Looking good you can also use just normal printer paper for the diffusor

Good too know. I was experimenting with different thicknesses of tissue

 

[beeky]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - New Pics 13/05/08

Looks great and nice pictures. Lovely clear water.

 

[Steve Smith]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - New Pics 13/05/08

Thanks You can't really see but the water has a slight brown tinge from the wood. Its still leaching tannins a little. Still, I expect the gouramis will like that!

 

[LondonDragon]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - New Pics 13/05/08

Good too know. I was experimenting with different thicknesses of tissue

In my experience its the one that works best, I have an external flash with a proper diffusor but always lazy to hook that up so use the internal flash with some printer paper, works fine

 

[Steve Smith]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - New Pics 13/05/08

Thanks for the tip

Well, ideally I want some amazon frogbit to add some additional cover. I was suprised to find 2 platy fry hiding ontop of one of the hydrocotyle leaves when I got home this eve! (They were partly submersed.) I promptly scooped them out and put them in my 27 litre in the hope that they will survive in there with all the endler fry. Hopefully that's 3 platy fry now!

I'm currently fighting off diatoms in this tank. I think my water change ragime has been a little lacking so I'll reign that in and hopefully get rid of them

 

[Steve Smith]

Re: 54 litre low light livebearer scape - New Pics 13/05/08

Thought I'd post some updated pics which I took a few moments ago

Full tank shot:

From the side and top:

Coffee Bean rasbora (Borars Maculata), Snakeskin guppy male :

Finally, Red line barb (Can't remember correct name):

 

[Themuleous]

I love the dwarf rasbora, always been one of my favorites.

Sam

 

[Steve Smith]

I really like them too Looking forwards to getting all of this setup moved into a much larger tank.

One more shot of the side. You can see more of the right corner in this shot (crypts):