# Baby Otos in my 20 gal tank.



## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

With all the months of saving money and help from the very awesome members at BCA. My first planted tank is finally completed. I would like to thank the following members to make this possible, Mykiss, neoh, jobber, wsl, and marko. It saved me a lot of time and money when I'm in school with a pt job.

Pat, the mountain fan & amano I got from you survived through 4 days of 90F with 14 tbsps of salt in my 20 gal long. I got ich from not soaking plants i got from king eds in malachite green prior to planting (my own fault). Just something I wanted to say, they are jacked.

the 14 cherries are hiding, and the cardinals are eating a lot .

Tank Specs:
20 Gal long Framed from Aqueon
heater: Forgot the name and brand...but it is metal, lights up green when it reaches the optimal temp.
ADA amazonia I with powersand M (penac p,w, tourmaline, bacter 100, clear super)
Fluval 106
Vertex Illumulix Dolce Sole 24" 
Coral life lighting with 6700K bulb and Actinic 30" [the led alone was enough but I wanted the spectrum at 6700K for optimal growth with control of yellow hue with the illumilux, it also looks a lot nicer] getting HOT5 would be overkill.
Red Sea CO2 Paintball setup - Canister (20oz) (Do!Aqua bubble counter and music glass)
Drop Checker (Glass CO2 Indicator) from amazon.com I use the fluval chemical indicator and it works extremely well. (too much hassle to make a 4dkh or or whatever solution). Also, adding tank water to the stock chemical is stupid. So don't follow the instructions with glass co2 indicator solutions, you have to use the proper 4dkh distilled water.








Fauna: 
16 Cardinal Tetras
2 Oto Cats
4 amano Shrimps
1 Mountain Fan shrimp 
12 Cherry Shrimps...Two got sucked in the intake...One I saved when I saw it still lingering between the crevices of the intake, it lived when I freed it. After this incident, I did a mod.








drilled holes with a foam. Took away the stock ball check valve 









Flora:
Anubas Nana petite
Anubas (normal one)
Dwarf Hairgrass
Micranthemum unbrosum
Pogostemon stellata
Java Moss
The rest I just picked them up from king eds so I don't know their names :S.

Water Parameters:
DKH and GH are set perfectly for cardinals. (Soft) I don't know the exact numbers but the results of the kit indicates ideal soft water.
Ph. 6.5
Temperature: 78F
The others are very ideal for a cycled tank so I won't include them.

evolution

































some side shots

























My water is still a bit murky. Will take more pics when it clears . Hope my HG carpets soon 
(Jan 31 2012).


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Very nice! Lucky cardinals, these.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Right on Oscar for starting up a tank journal. Like the placement of the stones and plants.
You spend some good time thinking and planning the 'scape. Make sure to keep the updates and pictures coming as the tank evolves.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Nice setup. I really like how you increase the sense of depth by sloping the soil dramatically at the back. It's something a lot of aquascapers (including myself) don't think about, but makes a huge difference.

I like the Vertex. Where did you get it? J&L? I've been wanting one for a while....

2 things:
- I would add a forked piece of wood in the scape to break it up a bit and the Anubias can be tied to that. Either way, I would get the rhizome of the Anubias out of the substrate.
- if you need some replacement cherry shrimp, let me know...jobber can give you the lowdown on that.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Thank you guys for the comments and feedbacks . I got the illumilux at aquariumswest. It is pretty awesome in regards to its performance and effects. I need to hit up charle's place for some branchy wood, I was stumped to decide on adding a manzanita wood. Saw a really nice piece at rogers aquatics but wanted to see what charles got in his collection. I need more shrimps, heard I need to get atleast 20 if I wanted to see them. 

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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I believe Charles mainly has Mopani, whereas Rogers and April's carry Manzanita.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

I'm heading to Rogers tomorrow, hopefully that piece I wanted is still there. I might take out my existing bogwood or driftwood that is currently in there and switch over to all Manzanita. Not sure if you guys can tell that I have two pieces of driftwood in my tank already...


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Looks fantastic. I like the placement of the rocks and how they are buried in the substrate. Probably a stupid question, but did you just grab them from outside?


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Not at all a stupid question. I spent three days thinking on whether or not to grab rocks from a park or get nice ones from a LFS. I decided to head to central park to find the rocks. I didn't want rocks found near residential areas because of the chance to get "non-natural" rocks that may emit harmful pollutants/chemicals/ions you name it. Better to be safe than sorry.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

AdobeOtoCat said:


> I'm heading to Rogers tomorrow, hopefully that piece I wanted is still there. I might take out my existing bogwood or driftwood that is currently in there and switch over to all Manzanita. Not sure if you guys can tell that I have two pieces of driftwood in my tank already...


I looked again and saw the wood in the back. Going all manzy is something I've done, but not everyone likes it.


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## STANKYfish (Apr 21, 2011)

Very nicely done! i love these long tanks and the view from the wide sides. Your rock sure adds to the whole scape but are you sure there is no "natural" leeching of chemicals or minerals from them?


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

thank you . I picked them up from.central park in the running streams. i think they are ok. so far so good. There is no way i'm going to buy rocks that looks like the ones I can find myself. Plus, more selection in nature . regardless, i'm still hoping nothing bad will happen :s

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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Those rocks, being river/creek stones, will generally be fine. I can see one piece of granite, one piece of basalt and a piece of maybe shale from what I see in the pics. I would be more worried about chemicals in urban environments. But I think you'll be fine.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

I'm always paranoid about taking rocks from public places after someone told me it's actually illegal to remove anything from a city park. Those rocks you scored definitely make the scape though. 

I love the look of twisted manzanita. Hope you find the right piece. I've gotten quite a few from AW.


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## waynet (Apr 22, 2010)

Nice Tank. Perfect for my Ram Gold Rams.


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## STANKYfish (Apr 21, 2011)

You can check your rocks with the "vinegar" test. Drop a few drops on and if it fizzes when contact occours then it should not be used.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

I was thinking about getting rams in here but I dont have enough plants in there to break line of sights. Don't want to risk it haha. I decided to not use manzanita branches in this tank. Main reason is that I feel the way I shaped the terrain is more of a mountain slope for a more *mountain side* effect. having chosen hairgrass as my carpet and having branches across my scape would hinder their growth and the planned outlook that i orginally had for my tank. I would wish to use the branches in another tank. I will however, change the orienation of my existing driftwoods to make it more *coming at you* effect. Please wait stay tuned . I also took them out again to use the vin test and they all passed .

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## Flygirl (Jul 23, 2011)

One way to check local rocks or gravel is to take it and place it in a small glass container and cover with distilled water. The less water you use, the quicker the results. Make sure the rocks/gravel is cleaned and well rinsed prior to this. Write down the parameters of the water when you first put the rocks in, then again in 3 hours and once more when 24 hours has gone by. With a small concentration of water, the results can be achieved quickly and are quite accurate. If the results from distilled water are to your liking, you will want to repeat this with your tank water, especially if the ph is below 7. 

If you have a set up requiring soft water conditions, obviously you want rocks that are relatively inert and do not alter the water parameters much from start to finish. If however you have a harder water set up, you can be a lot more flexible with what type of rocks you use.

The only other thing to keep an eye on when selecting rocks from the "wild" is to check that they don't have metal in them, especially more common in conglomerate type rocks. Stay away from any rocks that look like they have sparkly bits (or invest in a much more advanced test kit). 

Those are the basics, but worked for me over many years and many rock hunting expeditions.

Good luck and happy hunting.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Thank you so much for the tips. I'll take out my rocks again 

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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

I'm finally able to post pictures of my tank. It was infected with bba and staghorn algea. I finally adjusted the time of my lighting to 6 hours and got my hands on some dry ferts. Also got some bba eaters that took care of the remaining bba. 
The changes I made are:
-	I took away all the rocks, I really like the all green aspect
-	I added some Manzanita branches
-	New livestock: crossocheilus reticulatus, giant oto
-	Added a pine canopy
Future plans: 
-	More plants
-	A glass top
The first picture is my tank in Feburary, before the bba and staghorn came.








And this is my tank right now








The giant Oto








My harlies









The crosso








Scars from BBA 









The conditions of my plants are now terrible, they melted when I took away the coral life fixture. I placed it back, and started dry ferts. Hopefully It will look really good again.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

My plants have stopped melting with the reintroduction of CO2 and sufficient lighting. The hairgrass on the left side of the tank is still not grown in yet, and I want to add rocks to that side. Not sure yet. I also took out some plants so it looks neater.

Tank now (6/24/2012)









Bald spot








or more plants, undecided :S


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## trout (Mar 21, 2012)

Beautiful! Nice hairgrass carpet, looks very lush and healthy!


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

love that hairgrass carpet!


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Thanks everyone. Finally for a little update


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

It looked good than and it looks even better now. I like how you made it more simple with the plants. I also like the look of the path inbetween. Nice tank!


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## AcidFear (Aug 19, 2012)

wow I really like the newest aquascape looks amazing! what plant is that in the back left corner?


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## Alkatraz (Jul 20, 2012)

Very nice!


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## Algae Beater (Apr 21, 2010)

looking good! I love tanks that use a well-executed 'street'


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

the plant is pogostemon stellata. thank you guys for the inputs 

i hope to add more red plants later on. maybe take out the driftwoods and make it alll manzanita. is it kind of weird with mixture of manz and driftwood like what i have here?


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Looks great!

All the research I read pogostemon stelleta should turn red with some tweaks to ferts. I'm working on it now, but I have yet to see it change much.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

are you dosing iron? please let me know how it goes


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Dec 6. 2012
Last look before i take it down. I want bigger fish haha
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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Oh man gonna miss your carpet


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Reckon said:


> Oh man gonna miss your carpet


I will keep the carpet and move it to the big tank 

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## Algae Beater (Apr 21, 2010)

I'm shocked that you stated in your for sale thread that the Illumilux was too bright for your tank. Reckon can attest to me running up to three of these per tank! 

shame the tank had to come down.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Thats because the top of my driftwood comes in contact with it a lot  and lots of algae there... I remember you had two on your angel tank! Your tank was deep though. Haha. Itll be bigger and better. Going to reuse the ada soil. Still got 4 years till it turns into mud haha. 

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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

ive gone mad and removed all the soil from my tank. 

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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Ok, that post warrants a WTF. So now, explain


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Black top paving would have been cheaper than ADA.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

hahaha. 
I attended an ada workshop. I had a history of fiddling with my scape and creating dead spots and mud. So I noticed some bba coming back...So! I took advantage of the lovely weather today .
Ada soil is so expensive. lol
check it. aquascaping still at 8:25pm.

any suggestions will be great.

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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 LTE


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

Looks good! Keep it coming.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

thanks! well the bacteria was going to die...so I just went ahead and planted everything.










so tired. long day. accomplished lots.

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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

MAY FTS



Last of my Cardinals


Otos chilling


New addition Blue Tetra


enjoy~

I'm hoping in another 4 weeks. My HC's will have covered the entire tank


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

WOW, Has it filled in NICELY. That tank is beautiful! Amazing work :bigsmile:


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Ya it grew like wildfire. Tank parameters are a must! 

I want new midground plants. Any suggestions?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

AdobeOtoCat said:


> I want new midground plants. Any suggestions?


Downoi or Staurogyne repens. S. repens fills in fast, but the Downoi is slow and requires a less work as far as pruning goes.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Ooo I really like the downoi. I trim my plants bi weekly. They grow pretty fast. Thank you for the suggestion.

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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

No problem. I think you'll really like them and they'll go well in that tank.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

I have yet to grab any mid ground plants. But heres a june fts









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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Looks awesome. I'm jealous of your carpet.

By the way, what are your tank parameters?

I say get rotala rotundifolia as a midground plant for some color pop. The only catch is a little extra trimming to keep them in shape.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Thanks! I have some cyano on them...lol i swear its my tap water.
Just tested them: ph 6.5
gh: 60 ppm (soft still, a bit high due to calcium 30ppm and mg at 9ppm)
Nitrates: 15 ppm (bumped it to 20 just now by adding 0.6g of kno3 or 1.8tsp)
Phosphates: 1.5 ppm
Ammonia: undetectable
Co2: drop indicator at green (forgot the ppm)

Ooo, I had rotala rotundifolia before. They grow really fast, but i'm looking for more of a umm....\l/ shaped plants that has no stems. Do you know any?


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

I want new fish. I might stop by fantasy aquatics later....


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

AdobeOtoCat said:


> Thanks! I have some cyano on them...lol i swear its my tap water.
> Just tested them: ph 6.5
> gh: 60 ppm (soft still, a bit high due to calcium 30ppm and mg at 9ppm)
> Nitrates: 15 ppm (bumped it to 20 just now by adding 0.6g of kno3 or 1.8tsp)
> ...


Haha, I've been looking for the same thing and have had to settle with rotala. The only one I can think of is A. Reineckii Mini or Varigated that will stay small, be a little bushy, and give color... No one has those in BC yet that I know of though... Maybe a redder crypt? Or how about Hygro sunset, but you need to trim/train it to stay low.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

If you want no stems for a midground, Erios will be nice, or Blyxa japonica.


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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

+1 on 2wheels2x, Blyxa will be good on mid.

Gorgeous tank!


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## smash (Apr 28, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> If you want no stems for a midground, Erios will be nice, or Blyxa japonica.


Now where would one find some Erios? Practically no Erios exist in Vancouver.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Reckon said:


> Haha, I've been looking for the same thing and have had to settle with rotala. The only one I can think of is A. Reineckii Mini or Varigated that will stay small, be a little bushy, and give color... No one has those in BC yet that I know of though... Maybe a redder crypt? Or how about Hygro sunset, but you need to trim/train it to stay low.


I was thinking about getting a redder plant. Hygro sunset looks amazing. I might get it if I find one. The pattern is amazing.


2wheelsx2 said:


> If you want no stems for a midground, Erios will be nice, or Blyxa japonica.


Thats sweet. The Blyxa japonica is very nice. I gotta check out all the stores. Or just take some from joseph's display tank at aquariumswest haha!.



crimper said:


> +1 on 2wheels2x, Blyxa will be good on mid.
> 
> Gorgeous tank!


Thanks! I really hope it will be filled by july haha.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

One last look at my planted tank before quitting. Was extremely fun, thanks for everyone who partook in this journey. Would definitely come back to planted tank when I become financially independent, but for now I'll tend to one tank from the darkside!


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Found some baby otocats today after selling the main group away. I was really surprised. Who knew they would look so cute.


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## arash53 (Aug 13, 2011)

WOW congratulation  it is very cute


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

Beautiful tanks, grats on the oto's, that's fantastic.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

They all went mia 

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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

awe, sorry to hear that.


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