# African American set up



## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

lol, i didnt know what to name it...this is the re-make of my failed 20L west african biotope. The set up is still very simple the way i originlly intended:

20L with base layer of peatmoss and top layer 2 bags of black florite sand. 
fluval 305 filtration without any carbon, just the ceramic rings. 
spiral compact flourescent bulb (energy efficient bulb) on about 8-9 hours a day.
Random rocks collected from the potomac, a few pieces of unidentified wood purchased from local fellow.
Plants: Anubia nana "petite", anubia sp. "Gasser", Anubia congensis, anubia nana "narrow", nymphaea sp., nymphaea micrantra, bolbitis (the small one). I also have one of those home plants that you buy at the homedepot, is taking off really well on the top, kind of like it and hides the filter output 
plants im looking around to get to add here are crinum natans and eleocharis parvula, already contacted a seller and should have it in about 15 days (catfish convention).

livestock is kind of fun! because is so darn hard to get smaller/rarer west african fish i wanted i just tossed in my 2 pairs of Nanacara Anomala and there is still a female krib in there as well 
i tried really hard to take a pic of the male, but he just hides everytime!!! color is awesome, is so rare you don't see tehse guys more often... here is a few pics:


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

more pics
so yeah, all the plants are west african and the fish i believe them to be south american, what do you think?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Nicely mixed bio-tope. It won't be too long before this scape is dominated by the lilies. Are you planning on keeping them trimmed down low, or will you let them send up floating leaves?


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## Angie (Dec 4, 2005)

Nice start when you going to add more plants?


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

Dave, they used to stay low-er and are getting quite big in this tank, if they try to get to the top i will have to trim. 
Angie, i been looking for the darn grass for so long!!! i cant find it, online retailer wants $31 bucks for three pots, thats just craziii!!! i don't know, i hope i can get some at the catfish convention here in va...lol Thanks guys


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## Angie (Dec 4, 2005)

You could also add more of some of the other stuff you already have in there. You can never have to many plants.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

Angie said:


> You could also add more of some of the other stuff you already have in there. You can never have to many plants.


i know right!!!:supz:


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

What kind of grass/foreground are you trying to get?


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

davemonkey said:


> What kind of grass/foreground are you trying to get?


Eleocharis parvula, nobody seems to carry it so thats why i want to try it. also, it is found in several regions of the world including west africa so it still goes with the tank theme.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

i feed frozen bloodwoms last night and managed to take a pic at the male! bad pic, but even then you can see the awesome coloration! 
what would be a nice addition for this guys that comes from similar area geographically? something not as common and that swimps in the upper/middle areas would very much be prefered. 
and do you know of any hardy shrimp that can be kept with them too??again, keeping it from the same area


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

what about this= Carnegiella strigata- hatchetfish! i would like to know your opinion with these: were they good, active? some websites mention they can jump and are not good unless covered, true? other websites mention they need super tiny food... i seen them here and there and they seem like a nice find


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

davemonkey said:


> Nicely mixed bio-tope. It won't be too long before this scape is dominated by the lilies. Are you planning on keeping them trimmed down low, or will you let them send up floating leaves?


up until now and for the past three months i had no issues whatsoever with my lotus...i feel like i have been jinxed! lol, two leaves made it to the surface today...:icon_hang has anyone ever flowered them? would be nice to try to do so


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

finally! i sprayed painted the back of the tank, while doing so i discovered how much i suck at doing so!!! lol, several layers later the back was black... it looks really good as this is the first tank i do a black background to. i also managed to take some pics of the nannacaras while feeding them bloodworms, will post them tomorrow afternoon


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

here are the pics. they really do not do justice as my photo-taking skills just quite frankly suck! lol i also have a brownish layer of something on the glass of the tank, any ideas?


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

ok, so i finally got me an almost complete testing set: ph, nitrite, nitrate, gh, and kh; i forgot ammonia...it took me a long time to test all, very first time for me. im alldone now and these are the results:

ph-7.6

nitrite-0

nitrate-0+ (turning sliiightly to the orange)

GH- 13 to 14, confused count sorry

KH-8

im shocked that my gh and kh are so high up!! :shock: my only suspect is a rock that doesn't look all that solid to me...other than that i don't know. help please!! :der:


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## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

ddavila06 said:


> Eleocharis parvula, nobody seems to carry it so thats why i want to try it. also, it is found in several regions of the world including west africa so it still goes with the tank theme.


In case you have to make a substitution, here is a good place. Eleocharis_Acicularis

Also, I've found hatchetfish to be extrememly sensitive, like ottos. Easy to lose them before you notice an issue with the water.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

Amazon_Replica said:


> In case you have to make a substitution, here is a good place. Eleocharis_Acicularis
> 
> Also, I've found hatchetfish to be extrememly sensitive, like ottos. Easy to lose them before you notice an issue with the water.


Thanks for letting me know, i searched online and noone mentioned anything about sensitivity:der: as far as eleocharis goes, i guess i will have to pass for now... i was also thinknig about a few of the stripped ottos, cant remember the especific name but those are a little less common  thanks


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## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/sale-trade/74244-fs-eleocharis-parvula.html


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Like this tank now you need some african butterfly fish lol


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

i thought about african butterfly!! but they jump, really good!! i lost 4 of them slowly because they jumped during a period of 4-6 months one at the time  and from my 125!!!=O Thanks


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

On the Eleocharis parvula, you might be able to find that close to home without spending a dime. Not that it's that easy to find if you don't already have an idea of what you're looking for, but it occurs more often than some folks think. Then again, I am not familiar with your area, so maybe it doesn't grow there.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

ddavila06 said:


> here are the pics. they really do not do justice as my photo-taking skills just quite frankly suck! lol i also have a brownish layer of something on the glass of the tank, any ideas?


The brown stuff may just be diatoms or maybe just a thin slimey algae; otocinclus love it. It generally goes away as the tank matures IME.

Re the lotus; I know several folks who have let it flower; it is really a nice bloom.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

mudboots said:


> The brown stuff may just be diatoms or maybe just a thin slimey algae; otocinclus love it. It generally goes away as the tank matures IME.
> 
> Re the lotus; I know several folks who have let it flower; it is really a nice bloom.


it has never flowered for me before, i let one leaf open at the top and it looks really pretty!! wish me luck on that one 

i was looking forward to getting some of the zebra ottos, in the meanwhile i saw a couple of hichackers (pond snails) crawling around and leaving "tracks" where they go. so they will live for now

i won a 36 bow front today!!! so little by little i will gather things up to upgrade :hungry: (that if i do switch, i kind of like what i have done with the 20L...)

on the grass stuff, i probably would not recognize it anyways :icon_hang but is ok, i will pass until the next setup is up and running!!


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

Sounds exciting! 36 bowfronts offer nice dimensions; humbletex used to have one set up really nicely NPT style.

BTW - noticed some E. parvula on the for sale or trade forum, so if you ever decide to get some you may want to post there and see if you can get a little more for your money in the future.

I agree on the lotus being nice when it shoots up to the top. The next time I set up a tank with that plant I plan to pot it and use it in the back ground and just let it do its thing.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

quick update: i have added a small group of pigmy cats and two ottos from a little tank i am taking down-a lot more space for these fellows! i also put there a female goodeid that was so freagging pregnant and somehow i managed to catch her from my 125- she had five rather-big babies!  i have added a picture of the tank while doing a water change, look at all the colors!!


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Very nice


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

thanks! so, i wonder if/how can i get the nymphaea to flower...i seen online pics and they have an awesome flower!! Guys/Gals, i very much don't like my tanks name, what is a good name to keep on it...? lol


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

First you can't just make it flower it just does when its ready to.also for a name....since you have south american fish now joined....continental clash :hihi:


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

i think i can make it flower by simulating natural "peak" conditions, don't you think? i mean, we do it with fish all the time... still not sure thats a catchi name...


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Maybe try some root tabs


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