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Thread: evolving 180g

  1. #1
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    Default evolving 180g

    cant seem to find a set up that im happy with in the 180g. i keep adding and removing and playing with it, but i am starting to think that being perpetually dissatisfied with a tank is normal...

    added this wood not long ago and its OK, but its soft and sheds pieces everywhere. its also a crud magnet and 10mins after i vacuum the bottom the debris is back. tried vacuuming the wood itself but its hollow and i can never get all the junk off/out. plus it takes up a lot of swimming space and some discus that lay eggs behind the wood every week only come out for food, so i don't get to see them. soft wood isnt ideal, but we dont have nice hard wood around here. what would u do? ditch the wood? what about the plants? just throw a bunch of cones in? strip it completely bare? leave it alone and try not to perseverate?

    Last edited by Kyla; 03-28-2016 at 03:34 PM.

  2. #2
    Registered Member CrazyAngels's Avatar
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    First of all I love your tank. I'd like to know what kind of wood is it? did you verify it to be safe for fish before adding it? I only ask cause there are so many woods that are not safe for use.
    Jorge Q

  3. #3
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    no idea what kind of wood it is... i bought it years and years ago from a pet store that used it in their in-store pond. i've often wondered what kind of wood it was.

    its been in my 210gal and i've lost 2 fish in that tank over the last 7 or 8 (?) years so i just figured it was prob safe for the discus. with soft wood another issue that concerned me was rot deep within the thicker areas. maybe that risk alone is enough of a reason to ditch it?

  4. #4
    Registered Member jmf3460's Avatar
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    looks safe. if you've had it in there 8 years and it hasn't decomposed then its probably a hard wood and is safe.
    ~JACKLYN~

  5. #5
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    Quote Originally Posted by jmf3460 View Post
    looks safe. if you've had it in there 8 years and it hasn't decomposed then its probably a hard wood and is safe.
    maybe it is hard wood then? i assumed it was soft wood because it was always shedding little pieces and if i tried, i bet i could crack the spikes off with my bare hands. the other types of wood i have had were hard as a rock. i assumed those were the "hard" woods everyone was talking about

  6. #6
    Registered Member Phillydubs's Avatar
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    I have to say the tank looks great as it... Maybe too much would might be my only critique. Have you tried one piece more in the middle w the plants on the side?

    Has to be annoying w the shedding though, the wood I have are with substrate so it blends and isn't as much of a visual nuisance. Have you tried manzinita and something a bit more branchy?

    One thing I will say and suggest is to figure out what you like, what is best to clean and the look you want and be happy and leave it that way... In the past, like you, I used to constantly fiddle with my tanks or I would get them one way and love it then it was time to clean had to move stuff and I could never get it back to the look I wanted. I would take pics before hand and try and re-do and something was always off... It is sooooo frustrating and really takes away from the joy of the tank! Especially after you busted your hump to clean it and then you sit there like no I am not happy...

    With my current tanks, I played w placement to start, yet once I got to where I like it, it has stayed that way. For instance my 55 has 3 pieces of drift wood that I kinda connect in a way to look like one and create hiding spots for my pleccos. It is super easy to pull out vac, clean, wipe down the tank add water and out it right back in exactly... Now that I am used to it and happy with it, it is just my tank and how it is and I love it and the stress of the constant change is gone! Now when I want change, I end up with a new tank haha...

    Just sharing what has worked for me, might not for you but can't hurt to try it. In the end you need to be happy and enjoy, but the constant unsettling feeling gets frustrating and taints the hobby if you ask me, since I scaled back with that I am much more relaxed with it all and enjoying it ten fold.

  7. #7
    Registered Member farebox's Avatar
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    I'm kinda like you guys, allows changing around my tank. Well the other day other during cleaning, just removed anything that was always being moved during the cleaning process. Ended up with an "keep it simple" look I like and now for all WC/cleaning there will be nothing in the way, but still has the look I like. Just hope it can stay this way for awhile, really digging my BB 125G tank.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    Quote Originally Posted by Phillydubs View Post
    I have to say the tank looks great as it... Maybe too much would might be my only critique. Have you tried one piece more in the middle w the plants on the side?

    Has to be annoying w the shedding though, the wood I have are with substrate so it blends and isn't as much of a visual nuisance. Have you tried manzinita and something a bit more branchy?

    One thing I will say and suggest is to figure out what you like, what is best to clean and the look you want and be happy and leave it that way... In the past, like you, I used to constantly fiddle with my tanks or I would get them one way and love it then it was time to clean had to move stuff and I could never get it back to the look I wanted. I would take pics before hand and try and re-do and something was always off... It is sooooo frustrating and really takes away from the joy of the tank! Especially after you busted your hump to clean it and then you sit there like no I am not happy...

    With my current tanks, I played w placement to start, yet once I got to where I like it, it has stayed that way. For instance my 55 has 3 pieces of drift wood that I kinda connect in a way to look like one and create hiding spots for my pleccos. It is super easy to pull out vac, clean, wipe down the tank add water and out it right back in exactly... Now that I am used to it and happy with it, it is just my tank and how it is and I love it and the stress of the constant change is gone! Now when I want change, I end up with a new tank haha...

    Just sharing what has worked for me, might not for you but can't hurt to try it. In the end you need to be happy and enjoy, but the constant unsettling feeling gets frustrating and taints the hobby if you ask me, since I scaled back with that I am much more relaxed with it all and enjoying it ten fold.
    yah that's what im looking for, a set up that is simple and that i can just be happy with. i think its too much wood too. i like it, but it kinda takes over the tank. the discus arent the main attraction. i think i will try pulling out half of it and see where that goes

  9. #9
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    Quote Originally Posted by farebox View Post
    I'm kinda like you guys, allows changing around my tank. Well the other day other during cleaning, just removed anything that was always being moved during the cleaning process. Ended up with an "keep it simple" look I like and now for all WC/cleaning there will be nothing in the way, but still has the look I like. Just hope it can stay this way for awhile, really digging my BB 125G tank.
    yah simple is the goal i think. ive come a long way... selling off and giving away plants has been a very slow process. it is so hard to part with them!!!

    but every time i work up the courage to remove one or two plants i do find i am pleased with the result. take a look at this original mess!



    just when i had removed most of the plants to simplify the tank i panicked and added the wood... maybe it was a subconscious effort to complicate the tank again lol

  10. #10
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    def less complicated


  11. #11
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    Do you have a look you are after?

    I think it would be hard to have a foot in the bb camp and the planted camp.

  12. #12
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    Kyla, I like all of those tanks so I'm no help.

  13. #13
    Registered Member ktm4us6's Avatar
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    I think your tank looks great.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    thanks! i am happier with it for sure. it's easier to clean the floor of the tank with less wood and the fish seem to like the additional swimming area. i see a lot more "schooling" type swimming with the wide open spaces.

    another change is that i removed an api xp4 canister and added an fx5 filter to the tank. the water clarity is INSANE. i was worried that the discus wouldnt like the current but they dont seem phased one bit. i wish i would have added the larger canister a long time ago.

    although i like canister filters for their silent operation, i sure dont look forward to cleaning them out. and the fx5 are a pain to clean. i will have to make sure this doesnt lead to slacking on filter maintenance.

    but a bonus is that by hooking up a drain hose to the fx5 output and turning it on i can drain the tank for a water change in no time.

  15. #15
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    Default Re: evolving 180g

    another change: im moving the angelfish out today. i dismantled another tank and tried to place him with the discus for a bit, but he is too dominant. i have never really had success mixing angels with other cichlids. he will like the cooler water temps of his new home anyway. i will miss him, he was a happy little dude.

    Last edited by Kyla; 04-05-2016 at 07:31 AM.

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