Breaking the discus rule..

[greyhoundfan]

I've started collecting other fish. My fish rack in the garage now holds a 75 and 115 G tank.

I abandoned my idea of having a driftwood center piece draped with anubias and java ferns. I don't have the aquatic green thumb. I couldn't keep the water clean and I spent more time syphoning out pieces of driftwood dust/dirt. Since I manged to kill most of the plants, I just yanked all the wood out and put them in my 115 G on the bottom rack. The few pieces that did survive I reattached them to driftwood and arranged them in the 115.

At this point I wasn't going for beauty. I just wanted some cover for my datnoids to retreat to.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/fishnut/newhome.jpg

Shy datnoid:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/fishnut/dat.jpg

Free royal pleco friend gave me.. this guy is huge.. it's head is as big as my fist.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/fishnut/royal.jpg

Also hidden in this tank but not visible are 5 4" Clown loaches and 14" bichir.

I'll be sterilizing the 75 G again and put my Blue Knights in there. At this point I think its more important to give my BK's pristine water instead of a decorated tank. I know you can do both but I just couldn't pull it off.:(

[Ed13]

Umm, if you hated syphoning out pieces of driftwood dust/dirt from the planted tank you are absolutely going to love the little presents that beauty Royal is going to deliver daily!;):D I love these guys!!

HMM, Don't datnoids grow enormously big:( and are really agressive, hope you are ready!

Good call on sterilizing the 75g, no sense risking those beautiful BK if they are not even going in with the plants!

Good luck with everything keep us updated.

[greyhoundfan]

LOL Ed.. yes.. the royal leaves a lot of nice long wrapped presents every night. The NGTs will get 12" or so. I figure I'll manage to stunt them a bit and maybe they'll reach 9"..Of course I say that in jes.. They are slow growers and will take 7-8 years to attain that probably even longer. The dats tend to be agressive towards their won species but peaceful to others so long they can't fit in their mouths. Just like discuses it is good to get a group of them. That is why I picked up 4 of them. This should be interesting.

[Kindredspirit]

Well, babe, do not feel bad! I do not have a green thumb either:) I tried a planted tank and .....that'd be a Hell No! lol!

The driftwood, I never really tried but heard problems with that; ie...tea stainted water, pieces floating every where!

So I am still faking it, Reid!....but I like it!


You have lots of creatures!

[Ed13]

LOL Ed.. yes.. the royal leaves a lot of nice long wrapped presents every night. The NGTs will get 12" or so. I figure I'll manage to stunt them a bit and maybe they'll reach 9".. I'll admit that I don't know much about them, but one thing is for sure, 14" or more is common in aquaria and they can attain much more than that, even 18" or more is achievable. Tales even suggest the 24" mark can be broken. So I don't know about 9" lol:)