# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Redoing tank



## spankyplants (Dec 18, 2004)

Hi all!

I want to change my 46-gal community tank to an amazon river biotope. Here is what the tank currently looks like:










I have 2x55w lights for about 2.5wpg, I have CO2 injection, the tank is normally around 80 degrees, and I dose ferts for chelated iron and potassium. For a substrate I'm using eco-complete, fluorote, and pea gravel on the top. I really like the look of silver sand, but I can't find it anywhere, online or at the pet stores around here. I just want small fish, like rams. They're so pretty! I don't know how compatible they are with tetras, but I'd also like some tetras as schooling fish. If anyone can help me with good plants to get, info on rams, and possibly aquascaping suggestions, it would be very appreciated!

Thanks!


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## spankyplants (Dec 18, 2004)

Hi all!

I want to change my 46-gal community tank to an amazon river biotope. Here is what the tank currently looks like:










I have 2x55w lights for about 2.5wpg, I have CO2 injection, the tank is normally around 80 degrees, and I dose ferts for chelated iron and potassium. For a substrate I'm using eco-complete, fluorote, and pea gravel on the top. I really like the look of silver sand, but I can't find it anywhere, online or at the pet stores around here. I just want small fish, like rams. They're so pretty! I don't know how compatible they are with tetras, but I'd also like some tetras as schooling fish. If anyone can help me with good plants to get, info on rams, and possibly aquascaping suggestions, it would be very appreciated!

Thanks!


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

I would lower the temp to 77 or 78. Swords and grass plants if you want an accurate biotope. I cant think of what stem plants are native to the amazon off the top of my head.

Carlos recently said that an Amazon river would have white sand, but I picture the amazon with a muddy red bottom with leaf litter.


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## spankyplants (Dec 18, 2004)

I've really wanted sand in my aquarium for a while (I'm getting tired of brown gravel). I've been looking around for the perfect sand, and I've had pool filter sand reccomended a lot. Now to find some...


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## WolverineFan (Nov 28, 2004)

Rams would do very well with tetra's, at least the more peaceful varieties. Cardinals, neons, von rios, glo lites and rummy noses are good choices. Rams don't mind the higher temps but your plants will tend to do a little better at slightly lower temps. You definitely want to put a background on the tank as well. Something dark.


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## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

I always get my sand/gravel from local streams and rivers. Doesn't get any more natural looking than that, plus the particle size is never uniform, which I think gives a much more natural appearance.

One thing I would recommned doing is, instead of using a few giant pieces of driftwood, go out and collect some smaller branches and twigs in your area (try to stay away from pine and sappy trees). It might be good to tear the bark off to save from scrubbing any white molds and fungus off as it degrades in the water. Then place them in the water to simulate submerged limbs of bushes and vegetation, and allow the plants to grow up through the mangle of branches. I do this often with my setups, and it gives a very wild and established look--and the fish LOVE swimming around among all the natural cover.

One stem plant you might try is stargrass (H. zosterifola) as I believe it is found throughout the Parana basin and parts of Ecuador. For plants, it kind of depends on what area you want to mimic. Personally, I just stick with 2-3 species and let them take over as that looks much more natural to me, especially compared to what I observe in the wild and local waterways.


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