[archer772]

I forgot to start this thread so I need to make up for lost time. I started this about the first week of December so I will do my best on the time line.

Substrate in

Some DW added

A couple plants added and 4 Julii Cories about a week later.

Several Vals, Dwarf Sags and Pennywort plus a couple LF Albino Bristlenose Plecos plus a couple Double Red Cockatoos added the middle of the 3rd week

 

[archer772]

I added 24 Cardinals before the end of December.

I added the last of my stock the first week of January 6 more LF Albino Bristlenose Plecos. and what was suppose to be 12 Blue Platinum Angels turned out to be 19.

I have rescaped a couple times so far. I have lost 1 corie so far and thats it.

My little school of Plats

I am running 4 T-5 HO's 1 Fluval 304, 1 SunSun 302 and 2 PH's rated at 170 GPH each

 

[Dmaaaaax]

Looks great so far, can't wait to see everything a bit more mature...especially the angels.

 

[petlover516]

Wow the angels are in more of a school than the tetras LOL.

 

[choylifutsoccer]

Looks great! I love the look of pennywort.

 

[archer772]

I know Tyler but once the angels put some size on them the Cards should start schooling better.
I really like the looks of the Pennywort too Ryan, I cant wait for it to fill in that corner.

 

[Z400]

I am IN LOVE with your Cockatoo
Im going to try and see what i can find down here in Illinois for my planted 55g.

Thank you for the pictures

 

[archer772]

I should have some new pics this weekend and those Apistos spawned once already and I think she is gaurding again. I might try to get them out because she gets real nasty and I dont want them causeing problems for my Angels. This pic really shows off the blue in his fins

 

[WhiteGloveAquatics]

better then ...

very nice build, superb quality.

 

[Z400]

Where in Michigan are you located?

I would love to find 3 of these adorable little guys for our collection.

 

[Assassynation]

Great set-up!

 

[archer772]

I thought I posted some pics but I forgot to so here they are from about 2 weeks ago. I changed things up some and I will today also because I am going to get the Apistos out of it I hope even if I have to tear everything out and replant.

This is the new piece of DW I got

I might even trade out the bulbs I am running for something a little more blue. I am not sure I like it with just the 2 GE 6.5k bulbs.

 

[archer772]

I managed to get a couple new shots so I thought I would post them up. I had to do some major trimming on some plants due to algea and some other issues but here you go.

My Amanos sharing an algea wafer with a pleco

A couple of my angels and FTS

 

[petlover516]

C'mon archer lets see this bad boy in the contest! dmaaaaaax-u2!

 

[WhiteGloveAquatics]

Archer, very very nice, I think you just ticked me off enough to redo my tanks today, I am going to get another bag of gravel to build the back up a bit.

I to have a 2 dozen school of cardinals with my 8 angels the angels are bigger and they school really really tight but still hug the back glass. unsure what I am going to do about that but I am quite happy with your layout and am going to try and replicate it.

I got some of that same grass thats on your substrate, is it ok to cut the runners and plant the individual plants or better to plant with runners?

 

[flyin-lowe]

I have a 120g tank in my garage and you have the look I am going for. I have a large piece of driftwood and am using a native still river gravel. I am also going with live plants. I plan on a school of cory's, about 10-12 angels, and a school of cardinal's. If I can get mine to look half as nice as your's I will be satisfied. I have to 36 inch 96 watt cfl bulbs for mine so I will be going with low light live plants.


Edit
What method did you use to cycle the tank, or was your filter media already established. I was told that the angles and cardinals needed a tank that had been cycled and then established for a month or two. Just curious on how you did yours.
Thanks

 

[archer772]

Thanks I am going to try to get some better pics with the other lights on. I just wait till the plants have a good root system and then I cut them and replant.

 

[archer772]

I have a 120g tank in my garage and you have the look I am going for. I have a large piece of driftwood and am using a native still river gravel. I am also going with live plants. I plan on a school of cory's, about 10-12 angels, and a school of cardinal's. If I can get mine to look half as nice as your's I will be satisfied. I have to 36 inch 96 watt cfl bulbs for mine so I will be going with low light live plants.


Edit
What method did you use to cycle the tank, or was your filter media already established. I was told that the angles and cardinals needed a tank that had been cycled and then established for a month or two. Just curious on how you did yours.
Thanks

I have been keeping Angels for close to 35 years and yes it should be well cycled IMO but I had all my fish added in 1 month (about 60 fish) and then I started to thin them out but I dont recomend that. I started it by adding a media bag of gravel from a friends tank and added about 60 plants then added the cories, apistos, plecos, cardinals, angels and then the otos. I think you might run into problems if you plan to keep more than about 6-8 angels long term because they tend to get aggressive. I had to remove the apistos and thin the angels down to 8 for now and plan on trying to get a breeding pair out them. My angels are bigger than 1/2 dollar size and they are only about 4-5 months old so they have alot of growing to do yet so I am hoping I can keep 6 when full grown.

 

[flyin-lowe]

My tank is the 120g long (72 inch) do you think 8 angels would be too many when full grown or does it depend on aggressions issues. I don't really want to buy too many and then have to re home them later. So I might just start of with 8 once I get them.
I have two bags of the ceramic bio rings for AC 110's that have been sitting in a 75 gallon tank (it is established) for a couple weeks. My plan is to get my gravel and decor ready let my AC 110's run for a couple days and then move the seeded rings over from the 75 gal into this tank. I know that likely won't be enough to instant cycle the tank but I am hoping it gets it going pretty good. I plan on dosing with ammonia once I add the seeded material and see how quickly it processes. Once it's cycled I plan on adding the corys, the cardinals, and the angels last.

 

[archer772]

I would pull some gravel out of the 75 and put it into the 120 unless you are going to use a different gravel because it will hold alot of beneficial bacteria. I would skip the ammonia and start adding a few fish each week but thats JMO. I would add plants first thing because that will help reduce any cycle you might have that is if you are going to use live plants.