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Sorry just stumbled on this thread that I'd missed somehow. First I'd like to say it's a beautiful tank and I'll enjoy catching up with it but I did want to just ask how sure you are that you have serpae tetra? It could be my eyes but they look like the more peaceful cousin red phantom tetras and if so, it wouldn't be ideal if you were to add anymore serpae. I'd also be surprised if true serpae didn't have a nibble at your beautiful pearl gourami.
 
Sorry just stumbled on this thread that I'd missed somehow. First I'd like to say it's a beautiful tank and I'll enjoy catching up with it but I did want to just ask how sure you are that you have serpae tetra? It could be my eyes but they look like the more peaceful cousin red phantom tetras and if so, it wouldn't be ideal if you were to add anymore serpae. I'd also be surprised if true serpae didn't have a nibble at your beautiful pearl gourami.
Hi, they are phantoms yes :) in last weeks update or the one before I mentioned that they were sold to me as serpea years ago and always assumed they were, but while looking into getting more I found out they are in fact as you say red phantoms :)
 
The stressed serpea has made a recovery and is swimming again. He isnt all there yet but we'll see how it goes. View attachment 176230

View attachment 176229
Very natural look to the tank🙂
The sick ember has been moved to a dedicated nano for the time being. Used some soil and water from his previous tank together with some plants and shrimp. Its not great but better then the now unheated and dirty old tank.
 
On a side note, the fish I bought as serpea tetras (and have been calling them such ever since) have turned out to be red phantom tetras. Now that I was looking to get some more this has become apparent :p I feel stupid now.

Just catching up still but saw this post. Don't feel stupid, it really is an easy mistake to make as they look so similar, especially when young. I've had wholesalers send me the wrong ones. I'd be happy with the phantoms as they have all the colour but none of the aggressiveness of the serpae.
 
Half the elodea was removed as the heavy carbo dosing has become fatal for it, it was falling apart and decaying. I replaced some of it with some ludwigia tops. If I dont like that look I might go with nymphoides. Did another heavy carb dosing of hardscape. Bba is only affecting the hardscape it seems.
 
I intended to treat the shrimp and otos with a spinach stick. Guess pygmies are also largely vegetarian in diet. They love it, and I keep seeing them eat from the roots of my floaters too. It's hard to keep track of weather they get enough to eat but I think so.
Edit: they were still at it with lights on so better shot.

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Just put ours up too
Maybe we should make a Christmas tree with tank thread 😜

2kg of co2 used in about 6 weeks with sump + tank being about 400l. I will start looking into a reactor me thinks. Small simple pump like they use for small fountains, placed in the return compartiment which pumps water into the reactor and the out from the reactor right next to the return pump inlet, would that work?
 
Aqua medic 1000 reactor and sicce syncra silent 1.5 ordered, lets see how efficient I can get this :) Shitty timing as the BBA was almost gone at last, I expect it will rear its ugly head again while dialing in co2 again after installing reactor, but ah well, cant be helped.
 
Sure is, opal borellis :) still young, 1 male and 1 female. I'll add another female at some stage since they only had one.
Do they need to be kept in harem? I don't know how they behave towards conspecifics but they are among the most peaceful apistos after all.
 
Fed some tubifex with filter off so the worms could get into the sand. Lovely cory behaviour trying to get at them. View attachment 178565
New inhabitants:

View attachment 178566
Better pics will follow once settled.
Really love your mix of stones, sand and gravel with the little tufts of grass, it looks wonderful with the cories. Can wait to see how beautiful these apistos become as they grow too! 😍
 
Do they need to be kept in harem? I don't know how they behave towards conspecifics but they are among the most peaceful apistos after all.
I dont know to be honest, I just habitually try to get one male 2 female with every non-livebearing non-groupfish I get. Seems to work best in most cases, never had females seriously damage eachother.
 
Really love your mix of stones, sand and gravel with the little tufts of grass, it looks wonderful with the cories. Can wait to see how beautiful these apistos become as they grow too! 😍
Thanks! I cant wait either :) the male is already out and about regularly and slowly colouring up, but it will take a few months before he is adult I think.
Cousins:
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Ever since they were moved into this tank the pygmies have really come into their own. They are all over the place, clearly comfortable. Much better than in my 55l, where I just didnt see them at all. Not sure what caused this change in behaviour, wether its more other fish or more open tank, presence of panda corys or something else...
 
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