hehe ... since this tank is basically my last remaining [nice looking] tank now that the 5gHex & 20gL are in storage, the 2.5gal is a QT-type & the 5gFBH is overgrown, I figured it's about time to show it off. xD
Now, since I have trimmed it and done some major cleanup work, it's a bit ... meh ... but when it grows back out, I think it's gonna be absolutely amazing again.
Butters looking at it:
The stocking is probably gonna be a bit controversial, but to date, I haven't had any problems. Razr, my pearl gourami, is the only "problem" in this tank[he's my little pest! xD ].
I plan on upgrading this tank[if I can ever find one] to a 72gal bowfront & of course sooner then that, I'm gonna work on the stocking a bit. IDT I'm gonna take anything out, but I'm gonna even out my schools. They've severely diminished over the last couple of years.
My friend helped me restore this tank when I was going through some massive crap last year and ended up in the mental hospital ... heh ... fun ... So it's been running & stable for about a year.
You mentioned your stocking, so I won't say much ... but you have several schooling and shoaling fish listed there that really need to be in larger groups.
Tank looks good ... the wood almost looks like it has bark on it.
Well, through all the years I've been keeping fish, there's only one time I see fish truly school ... that's when there's something new in their tank. Contrary to popular belief, it's not just one group. For ex. in summer, I had better schools[5-10 each] ... when I added two angels, EVERYTHING schooled together. With that said, I'm not intending on replacing some fish. Once they're gone, they're gone. They're definitely happy[atleast healthy] in here so I wouldn't dare take them back to a LFS for the *CHANCE* they'd have a bigger school which isn't even required when they're not stressed. I like doing it simply for asthetics and generally, when they group up/play/spawn ... it just looks better having more.
I think it looks good, and you have mentioned stocking but the only things are that the goldfish is probably not appropriate for this tank and the schooling fish. I have one neon tetra in my 30 (the rest died.) and he's pretty happy.
What temp is your tank running? Just curious because of the combo of fancy goldfish to everything else. I am strictly a betta/goldfish person, so I know nuttin' about nuttin'. I have been thinking of starting a new tank, but yet to decide on inhabitants.
Looks great! I cannot grown a thing that doesn't belong in my yard. I am very jealous!
Matt & Solomon: First, thanks for the compliments!
As per the goldfish, at first, I had her in a 20gH with a fantail friend[it was only temporary because they were INCREDIBLY tiny & some times, for certain fish, bigger isn't always better just so long as you keep up with water changes and what not] ... I was random & impulse bought a black moor when the fantail was looking terrible[wasting away despite having plenty to eat & everything being good] just so Predator wouldn't be alone. Long story short, both my fantail & my moor died. To this day, I'm not sure why ... but I decided it was time for something to change. Rather then probably dooming another goldie & wasting time on that smaller tank[I didn't have a bigger tank right away and I figured if I could cut ONE tank out of my running tanks, we'd be set] so I put her in the 55gal and watched her like a HAWK.
She's grown since then and her health is AMAZING & she even loves to play/interact with the other fish. I wouldn't really dream of moving her now. Just ... making the tank more goldfish friendly. I've realized, that's always been my overall dream is to have a goldie tank. One where other fish can coexist[even if this is just for now] is epic.
The temperature in this heater-less tank ranges from 72[in the winter]-78[in the summer.] I only chose to get rid of heaters from my tanks seeing that overall, the temp doesn't fluctuate that bad and I don't live in an especially cold climate & one FRYING my reef.
Last edited by ZombieKeepr; 03-06-2013 at 05:20 PM.
I have a baby oranda that is causing me to pull my hair out as well. He actually manages to disappear from sight in a rather bare tank. I am watching him waste I fear. I just now cut the filter off and removed water to see if that aided his appetite. Nope, he still pecks pecks pecks at the bottom (avoiding the sinking food even) . He just won't eat. I am trying one more food type this weekend. If he doesnt do well, I am just going to have to wait and see.
I know Orandas are foragers, but his instinct is starving him. He pops food in and out, in and out.... it is rare to see him actually EAT. Larger shrimp pellets are all he will fool with.
So, I understand the goldfish frustration. Like you, I feel if he seems happy...let him be.
Since you mentioned the pearl gourami being a problem - in my experience they are group oriented fish. From what I've seen, most of the time when people have trouble with them, they are either with incompatible fish, in too small of a tank, or kept by themselves.
Wow, Solomon! Sounds like you're really having some issues with that one. I REALLY hope he does ok and gets used to eating ... and then gets bigger and will stop vanishing! xD
Jaysee, would you consider my stocking to be inappropriate for Razr? I'm not gonna be offended if you say yes, it's just ... I bought him with the intent of rescuing him from his ... [if I can be blunt/honest] crappy housing situation and he was the only pearl I've seen since 2009. He doesn't really seem lonely or even really aggressive[he just used to be REALLY aggressive to the Eastern rainbows so until I have a bigger group, they stay in another tank]
Definitely not implying I don't believe you[just that I know every fish can be different], but I think if I had more pearls, they'd be killed by him. He's pretty intent on having NOTHING around that looks like him.
No, every fish of a species is not different - most are more or less exactly the same :) Some fish do not fit the mold though. I think there are 2 possibilities - either it's just a rogue fish, or it's environmental. I'm leaning towards the latter. I think 18 species in a 55 gallon is about 10-12 too many. I'm not saying that that is the problem, since there aren't all that many fish in the tank, but I can't see it helping the situation.
If you have the space and you come across some females, I would certainly give it a shot. Heterospecific aggression is not an indicator for conspecific aggression.
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