Planning a 5 footer for my albino blue diamonds

[davidw]

Hi all

Great site and well done guys! I am not new to fishkeeping but only lately got hooked to this wonderful flat fish...... currently I am housing my newly acquired 10 albino blue diamonds in a 36x18x18, this gonna be temporary as I set up my new 5'x2'x2'.

[davidw]

My new tank will be bare bottom but to be decorated with some driftwood and hanging branches, I am hoping to get at least some kinda Amazon biotope look but without any substrate. There will not be any background cuz i prefer a see through environment, this i thought would give more depth to the tank as it will be located in my covered yard/ garden.

[davidw]

This is my new tank...

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/davidwphotobucket/Altums%20and%20Discus/IMG_2292r.jpg

below are my current 3' footer temporary housing for my "babies"....
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/davidwphotobucket/Altums%20and%20Discus/IMG_2159_zps865f1009.jpg
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/davidwphotobucket/Altums%20and%20Discus/IMG_2187r.jpg
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/davidwphotobucket/Altums%20and%20Discus/IMG_2137_zps99c79ccf.jpg

[plecocicho]

You can always have a very thin layer of sand on the bottom. Thin layer of sand is very easy to clean and since this are albinmos it prevents teh glare from below, which is positive because albinos dont have a protecting pigment in their eyes.

[Mrguppy]

Black sand would look awsome with these guys. Nice piece of drift wood. Did you buy it, or find it?

[davidw]

You can always have a very thin layer of sand on the bottom. Thin layer of sand is very easy to clean and since this are albinmos it prevents teh glare from below, which is positive because albinos dont have a protecting pigment in their eyes.
Thanks, make sense really but am really worry bout cleaning having mostly dealt with bare bottom except my other planted tank...


Black sand would look awsome with these guys. Nice piece of drift wood. Did you buy it, or find it?
Thanks, I bought that wood, but for my new branches I found them from around my area, already peel of the skin n boiled now dipping in my pond to be used in my 5' ter. I do hv lots of black river sand/tiny pebbles actually but still thinking to substrate or not......

[pastry]

with those! simple is better is what I'd think... AWESOME GROUP... big fan of only one or two strains in a tank... i've been working on that... but you've got something going goooooood

[davidw]

with those! simple is better is what I'd think... AWESOME GROUP... big fan of only one or two strains in a tank... i've been working on that... but you've got something going goooooood

Yes yes.... I'm only thinking of those platinums with my wc Altum Angels.. thanks for concurring :-)

[davidw]

My new 5 footer setup.... I hv decided on bare bottom for now, and my platinums hv all moved in ;-)

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/davidwphotobucket/Altums%20and%20Discus/IMG_2353r.jpg
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/davidwphotobucket/Altums%20and%20Discus/IMG_2350r.jpg

[davidw]

Close up....

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/davidwphotobucket/Altums%20and%20Discus/IMG_2319r.jpg

[davidw]

A short video I took.....


http://youtu.be/4xvEdrVb2fo

[CrazyAngels]

You can always have a very thin layer of sand on the bottom. Thin layer of sand is very easy to clean and since this are albinmos it prevents teh glare from below, which is positive because albinos dont have a protecting pigment in their eyes.

If you do not want to have substrate in the tank, you can at least paint the bottom any color you wish and it would still prevent the glare to the sensitive albino. Otherwise I think you have a wonderful simple set up and it seems your patio is a real neat place also.. If I may ask, where you are as this must be a place where temperature must not be an issue.

[Dogvet06]

i painted the underneath of my tank with a stone spray paint. looks like sand. your tank is beautiful! and the fish too!

[davidw]

If you do not want to have substrate in the tank, you can at least paint the bottom any color you wish and it would still prevent the glare to the sensitive albino. Otherwise I think you have a wonderful simple set up and it seems your patio is a real neat place also.. If I may ask, where you are as this must be a place where temperature must not be an issue.

Thanks, looks like I let slip the albino issue (first time keeping albinos) and its quite hard now to paint the bottom, its really a good comment first mentioned by plecochico. Am glad I found this forum. I hope I could mitigate this by not using lighting at all during the day (cuz I have sufficient indirect light) and juz a 3w warm white LED nite light (as in the pictures posted). Btw I live in a tropical country.


i painted the underneath of my tank with a stone spray paint. looks like sand. your tank is beautiful! and the fish too!

Thanks..... stone look for the bottom... thats really cool and a great idea. Again I shud hv waited longer before I set up the tank.

[davidw]

By the way, the albinos doesn't seem perturbed by the bare bottom reflection but I thought I notice initially (on the first day) they are a tat not so accurate when picking food from the bottom perhaps their vision slightly affected by the reflection or I could be wrong as the food at the bottom does move with slight currents so that could have affected the accuracy. But I need to say its hardly or not happening now. But the more important thing am concern is if there is glare, what will be the long term effect on the albinos? Blindness?

[davidw]

My Altums Angels have also moved in! They adapted immediately as I ensure that the water condition & PH almost identical before the transfer... I really think they look great in the comm together :-)

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/davidwphotobucket/Altums%20and%20Discus/IMG_2372r.jpg

pic last nite
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/davidwphotobucket/Altums%20and%20Discus/IMG_2378r.jpg

[davidw]

Here's a short video immediately after the transfer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6ZfxFJvxns&feature=share&list=ULj6ZfxFJvxns

[davidw]

nite video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY_yAVUbA4Q&feature=share&list=ULfY_yAVUbA4Q

[Dogvet06]

Gorgeous!

[davidw]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBBstkZmuXM&feature=share&list=ULcBBstkZmuXM

[davidw]

Here's a short feeding video from last nite, I will try to post a better one soon....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmtNiXfZFVo&feature=share&list=ULrmtNiXfZFVo

[davidw]

My discus becomes less shy after adding in the Altums.... they will eat whatever I feed to the Altums like mysis shrimps and brine shrimps.....


http://youtu.be/pBONhtRPmCo