Changing it UP

Now that the tank is finallly settled, I'm messing it up!
I'm planning to turn it into an Asian Biotope, basically most of the inhabitants (plants, fish invertabrets) will be from... you guessed it! Asia.
Since female Flame Gourami are so scarce around here (and expensive) I'll be trading my two males in for Paradise fish, also a kind of gourami that are from Asia. My Mollies had several babies yesterday and there is more to come, they'll be moved to a 10g.
Once they're no longer transparent babies anymore I'll trade some in for a small school of rasboras, whatever the LFS has available. I'm in the process of finding out what other fish will go good in this tank, it cannot borrow since there is a soil base and cannot be another type of gourami because of the Paradise fish those are my rules so far, and of course it has to be from Asia.

My plants are a whole other story, since I have to order them they're a little more difficult.
I have my Kleiner Bar Sword which is not native to Asia but due to it's size it has to stay for now.
Ludwigia Natans will stay until it roots
Micro Brownei will go to a 10g
I'll keep the dwarf sag. though it is not native to Asia that I know of (breaking rules here)
Hygrophelia Siamensis is native to Asia

I think that's all, I just need some other Asian plants like crypts, I really like the Green Wendtii so it's on my wish list.

Well I'll blog again when I make progress with this new project!

Peace in the Tank

When I picked up my mollies I also picked up what was supposed to be a Yoyo Loach, unfortunately they had Chinese Algae Eaters in there with them, I was in too much of a hurry to notice... I called and complained that they were listed as growing up to 6" but the suckers grow to a foot and told them I couldn't take the fish, they took it back and refunded me my money.

I was in shock at how well they treated the whole situation. I hardly ever go to walmart for fish, this time I was pleased, they're also taking good care of their fish recently though their length charts are still all wrong.
My Mollies and Gouramis can swim in peace now, unfortunately I ripped up my L. Natans while I was chasing the CAE around the rank, it was just starting to grow roots.

I think I've given up on L. Aruacta it theres nothing left of it but a piece I took off the main stem before it rotted with just few leaves, it still looks good though.

New Additions

Just to get some fish in the tank I've added three Dalmation Mollies two females and a male, I'm in search of a bottom feeder now. I know the mollies are going to be reproducing soon enough, I'll sell the offspring and restock with other fish and bulk up on food.

Plants...Beginner Mistakes

A blog of my first planted tank I'm going low tech with 30 watts of lighting and natural sunlight in the evening(best I could find locally) and a powerhead.
Mistakes and all are in the blog, here is a few of them so far...

1. Don't toss plants into the water, it puts them into shock and they melt
2. Do set soil and sand FIRST, then add water slowly (made that mistake with my 5g)
3. Don't buy plants (or fish) on impulse you normally end up regretting something

So now that that tidbit is over, here is my list of aquarium inhabitants short and sweet.
55g :
2 Ludwigia Aruacta
1 Ludwigia Natans
2 H. Corymbosa Siamensis
2 Micromeria Brownei
6 Dwarf Sag.
1 Kleiner Bar Sword

2 Dwarf Flame Gourami

The L. Aruacta- completely melted and I'm left with a few pieces of stem that survived, I'm floating them hoping that they'll grow.
L. Natans - These I floated and they quickly grew a few roots, I planted today and now I'm crossing my fingers.
Dwarf Sag. -This little plant is thriving, I already have some shoots popping up next to the mother plant, one has already grown into a whole other plant.
Kleiner Bar Sword -Arrived yellow but has already grown a new leaf and a stem is growing like a weed.
H. Corymbosa Siamensis- Arrived already rooting but I didn't have a large enough tank for it in the first week, so it went down hill quickly, I expect it to come back nicely though.
Micromeria Brownei -I have good hopes for it, neither in great condition nor bad it was also in a smaller tank-this is why you shouldn't buy plants on impulse.


I'm planning on pictures once I find my camera, I'd like to take my Gouramis back to my LFS as they're both males, my tank is plenty big, I just have no need for them.
Until next time!