# 55 gallon adventure



## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Okay so here begins my saga of my 55 gallon, I got the tank itself about a week ago, for free, from someone I knew who hadn't used it in a while... Had no idea what to expect, here's what I got...










And that pic was taken AFTER I emptied out over 100 lbs of sandstone and beach pebbles (and pens, and coins, and dust, and animal hair, and fish food dated 1993) from the tank... Just lots of hard water stains...

This is the tank after I had finally eradicated the hard water stains and filled it to make sure it held water (the date on the tag said "All Glass Aquarium - April 23rd 1983")










This is the stand after I sanded it down with a steel wool (it was COVERED in rust and animal hair) and re-painted it with "Rustolium Rust Stopper Flat Black"










The next day I flat black-ed the back of the tank (and got it back onto the porch no more than 5 minutes before a thunderstorm hit - whew!!)










And today, I did the big switch! Took out my 37 gallon and 20 long, took the stand out, put the 55 in it's place and put the 20 long back under, and re-set up both tanks!

Here are the end results... Just need a new 48" light

Day time...










Night Time










Tomorrow I'll be picking up a few cichlids to grow out in it and see which one will work best 

Would love to hear your thoughts


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## sjwrx (Apr 15, 2009)

Looks Great!!! Love the sand and driftwood


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

So have you decided on which cichlids? The tank looks good for being 28. Good job! :thumb:


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

sjwrx said:


> Looks Great!!! Love the sand and driftwood


Thanks!



> So have you decided on which cichlids? The tank looks good for being 28. Good job!


Thanks about the tank!! And yeah, I will be picking up a 3" true texas cichlid tomorrow (shooting for a male), though they have a really pretty 2" flowerhorn that I've been eyeing... I won't be getting the FH tho lol. Either way the 1" convict is going to be there for now, Aiming to have the Texas and maybe the convict depending on how things go.

Stock list...

1 (male) texas (cyano)
1 (unsexed) baby convict
1 spotted raphael
6 gold danios

Been looking at a 3" orange seam pleco at the LFS too... thoughts on that?


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

Cyano is what you chose, I was wondering if you were gonna pick that or the carpintis. Hope it grows a big kok for you. Can't wait to see those pics of that Texas. opcorn:


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> (the date on the tag said "All Glass Aquarium - April 23rd 1983")


Wooa! I'm only a few years older then that tank.lol! Nice work Chubbs! :thumb:


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

Nice job. Looks great!

...Bill


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## ebjdftw (Aug 24, 2010)

you did a nice job of cleaning that up, looks like a great set up. and as long as the silicone wasn't flaking or missing i think the tank should be fine. with all that stuff you had to take out of it, was there any scratches in the glass?


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## Adrian101 (Jan 24, 2011)

Elijah said:


> Chubbs the Jellybean said:
> 
> 
> > (the date on the tag said "All Glass Aquarium - April 23rd 1983")
> ...


That tanks 5 years older than me lol. Looks great thou.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

ebjdftw said:


> you did a nice job of cleaning that up, looks like a great set up. and as long as the silicone wasn't flaking or missing i think the tank should be fine. with all that stuff you had to take out of it, was there any scratches in the glass?


Nope the glass is still fine, i was pretty careful taking out all the rocks and gravel, I used a pot scrubber (not steel wool) to get the hard water stains out using CLR with a thorough rinse afterwards. And I checked the silicone before I filled and it was still all intact, no flakes 

And thanks Bill!


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

I'm hoping for a big nuchal hump, and I'll post pics later today of the fish. Btw how does my Stocklist look that I posted earlier?


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Just got the texas today, he(??) is about 3.5", pretty stressed from going warehouse to store to my tank... Will take pics when he's acclimated, but he's getting the lay of the land, and has some red teeth :lol:


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

By the way, how long should it be until he is "settled in" - a few days?


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

K here he is - he's still settling in but he came out to eat some NLS... Check out the creeper in the background haha










and then the unthinkable... the spotted raphael emerges!










Oh and my 48" fixture works now... here's the 48" light, do you like the 4ft light or the 30" light?

48"









30"


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

Nice looking fish. Looking good! :thumb:


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Thanks flipper!

Ps - should add a poll - 48" fixture or 30" fixture? Just curious...


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> Thanks flipper!
> 
> Ps - should add a poll - 48" fixture or 30" fixture? Just curious...


I personally would go with the 48". really depends on taste and what type of light. Are you going with t8,t5,LED,doubles???


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

I like the bulbs that are in the standard aqueon fixtures, but this one is a perfecto setup with a phillips T12 40 watt, should I be changing that bulb for something else?


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

Check this article out. It will let you know a little more on what you are looking for. http://www.homeownershub.com/maintenanc ... 35785-.htm


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Looks like I'd need to replace the whole fixture haha, well I'm gonna switch them back and forth to see which one shows off the colors on the texas the best over the next few days...


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## sjwrx (Apr 15, 2009)

i personally like the 30" fixture better.

I like my tanks to have some light but some spots where it is a bit darker. But that's just me.


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## ebjdftw (Aug 24, 2010)

I like the 30" as well, it'll just be a little harder to see him from far away when he is in the corners.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

How long should I expect this guy to be super skittish and afraid of light? He still hides under wood and in stones and shys away from anything... Should I have picked up more than one texas and then picked the best one after they grow a bit? Switched the light to the 30" fixture so it's less intense light too btw


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

Give em a week or two. He needs to adjust. Both of my Texas cichlids do hide but not always. They like to see what is going on , kinda like security . Just let em settle in.


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## sjwrx (Apr 15, 2009)

Agree with flipper, give him some time to adjust.

What else do you have with him ATM?


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Stocklist is in my signature, 1 texas (3.5"), 1 baby convict (about an inch), 1 spotted raphael (3"), and 6 gold danios (about 1.5" each)

The texas seems to be coming out more (lights are all off), he(?) seems more comfortable, so that's a good sign!!


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Just decided to grab the beast of a convict that my LFS had, he was going to probably be sold in the next week and was in with some red devils and was $1.50, so I HAD to save him... Going to be an absolute monster when he gets older...

He's about 3", about .5" smaller than the texas (who is less shy than yesterday but still a little shy)


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

So he was introduced about an hour ago, lots of chasing from the texas after they sized each other up (spins body against body), I rearranged the tank, but the texas still chases him around the tank the second he sees him. It's worse than just chasing him away, it's relentless. Should I put the texas in a breeding container for a day and let the convict settle in and then let the texas back out?


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> So he was introduced about an hour ago, lots of chasing from the texas after they sized each other up (spins body against body), I rearranged the tank, but the texas still chases him around the tank the second he sees him. It's worse than just chasing him away, it's relentless. Should I put the texas in a breeding container for a day and let the convict settle in and then let the texas back out?


What you can do is drain half the tank with the fish in. Then rearrange while half empty/full(alphabetical) and refill. This should help.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

I put the texas in the breeder box for now so the convict can get settled in, because the Texas is CLEARLY the more aggressive fish. So would leaving the Texas in the breeder box for 2 days be a good idea? I figure the convict will get settled in in a few days?


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

You might want to rearrange while the timeout is being taken. That way the Texas can be distracted and nothing is his when he is let loose.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

True, I was thinking about that... Would that work? I just worry that when he gets out he'll still be too aggressive


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

There is only one way to find out. Try to make as many sight breaks as possible and maybe a few more danios.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Going to do that now, 2nd tank change today haha


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Tank changed, texas is stressed out up against the top of the breeder box, breathing heavily 

Convict is getting settled I think. The texas won't die from being in the box right? He just seems really stressed.


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

it might be too tight for him. thats why i suggested doing the 50% drain and rearrange. That usually gets things in order.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Yeah so in the process, I sunk the box to stress him less, and the box is plastic, and when it shuts, it clicks. Well all of a sudden I heard CLICK and found him hovering above the box... this is what I saw lol










Pretty strong guy, might have to call him Harry


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

I had a con and Texas together in a 75, same size, and the inevitable solution I had to come to was rehome the con after it recovered in a qt tank. Texas are beautiful but they are hard to find tank mates for! Great job again with your restoration! :thumb:


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Thanks, yeah that's what I feared with the convict, but because it was such a big con and had such a big hump I couldn't help but give it a try... Currently the con is out swimming around and the texas is "sleeping" (I feel like he's stressing) in a cichlid stone in the corner. I just want to see more of the Texas as he is the reason I got the 55 set up in the 1st place.


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

It's day two. I would let it play out , as long as no one is cornered and missing body parts. Eventually one will give or give up.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

True, I won't lie, I'm pretty impatient with this, and I think it's because I've seen what people's texas' look like as they grow, and I can't wait for mine to grow into that... Also I think I'm just nervous because the texas is still hiding while the convict is out and about... I just hope my texas doesn't turn into a super shy giant haha


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

So mini update, they tolerate each other! The texas is still super shy but is getting better. The convict just knows to stay on the left side of the tank now.


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

That's great too hear, I'm glad it's working out with the two of them! :thumb: you can speculate what will work on paper but it really just comes down to the individual fish. Be sure to keep us posted!


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Will do! Yeah the texas hides all day, kind of sad still though


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

A shot of him on day 2  His hump should grow back in once he's more settled in


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## Rell30 (Jun 14, 2011)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> K here he is - he's still settling in but he came out to eat some NLS... Check out the creeper in the background haha
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I like the 48"


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Thanks, if I get down to it this summer I'm going to bite the bullet and get a new 48" fixture... Just waiting on the texas to get comfortable...


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

I don't know, I think the shorter light looks better. Especially if you slide the filters so the intakes are in the darker areas and thus less visible.


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

just my opinion, but for some reason the 48" light makes the background look "washed out"...does that make sense? if the 30 was a tad brighter or it had a larger base for the 30" bulbs or the 48 only had one bulb?( i dont know..does it?)

it looks awesome to us as we are newbs  :thumb:


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## phishes (May 17, 2005)

I love your set ups and aquascaping. I would keep an eye on that texas as he will get more aggressive w/ age and will get 10-12'' full grown. I had a female texas and she almost killed a larger male con I had in a 55g (texas 3'' con 6''). I would maybe get a divider in case. A great option is to make one from egg crate which you can buy at any hardware store like Home Depot.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Already have the egg crate  used it for a divider once before. I agree the 48" is washed out, if the 30" bulb was the 36" fixture then it would be PERFECT. sadly the Tex is still hiding, hasn't left the cichlid stone today yet, not even to feed. Just trying to be patient


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

So the texas came out today with ick, so I moved him to a 10 hospital to treat for ick... Nobody in the 55 showed ANY signs of ick, all happy and fine, so I just did a round of water changes and am hoping for the best!


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

On a fun note, after a water change my AQ110 decided to not start up... looks like impeller trouble. Buying a new one on ebay, thank god the guy I got the tank from gave me an AQ70 for free... So once I get the 110 running I'll have an AQ110, 70, and 50 running on the tank, though I've been thinking about starting up my eheim 2026 since it's sitting around (gotta buy a clamp for it)....

Thinking about it now, I have every single AQ model... 110, 70, 50 on the 55, AQ 30 on the 20 long, and an AQ 20 on the 15 gallon haha. Can we say that I like aquaclear?


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## rmcder (Jul 9, 2005)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> On a fun note, after a water change my AQ110 decided to not start up... looks like impeller trouble. Buying a new one on ebay,


Probably just needs a little cleaning (the impeller). I have to do my Aquaclears once in a while. You most likely don't need a whole new unit...


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Yeah, I left it plugged in when I went to bed (wasn't running) all of a sudden at 2:30 in the morning I wake up to the 110 coming back to life... Guess it just needed some time hahaha


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> Yeah, I left it plugged in when I went to bed (wasn't running) all of a sudden at 2:30 in the morning I wake up to the 110 coming back to life... Guess it just needed some time hahaha


haha
Thats hilarious!!!...I will never throw away an HOB ever again just because of this post


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## phishes (May 17, 2005)

rmcder said:


> Chubbs the Jellybean said:
> 
> 
> > On a fun note, after a water change my AQ110 decided to not start up... looks like impeller trouble. Buying a new one on ebay,
> ...


Especially w/ sand and cichlids that like to dig or stir things up on the bottom.


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## Riceburner (Sep 3, 2008)

I always just clean the inside of the impeller area, and if that doesn't work plug it in and push start the prop with a twist tie, toothpick or similar.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Riceburner said:


> I always just clean the inside of the impeller area, and if that doesn't work plug it in and push start the prop with a twist tie, toothpick or similar.


Haha I use a plastic straw


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

So I've been treating for ick since Thursday with little results :-/ raised temp to 86 and have been using super ick cure on the QT tank... I have a feeling this fish may be doomed, but I'm not giving up yet!

Ps could that orange seam pleco be okay in the 55 with that stock or is that asking for trouble? Lots of driftwood for him to chew on.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

correction - QuICK Cure - and I bought the orange seam lol, my guy gave me about 7 dollars off so I couldn't resist... will post pics later


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

Salt and heat works a lot better then the ick cure stuff, also if you are using the meds turn your heat back down. You don't want to medicated and raise the heat. You only use the heat with salt.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Hmmm always wondered about the heat thing... I just treated for today so I'll stop treating tomorrow and just add the salt.


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

If you keep the temp and salt in the tank it should take ten days to rid it. I was weary about this method untill I actually went through the process. I will never use meds on ick again. I haven't had fish with ick in a good while but my qt procedure is the reason. I know this is a new set up with new fish so stuff happens. The fish seemed to be not as loopy during recovery. Good luck.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Thanks! Ps does it have to be aquarium salt? What kind do u use?


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

I use aquarium salt myself. Any sodium chloride or NaCl should ne fine.
Read this article ,this is what made me try the salt method. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ich.php


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

K - hoping for the best - doing my part!


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

+1 for using aquarium salt and heat for ick.


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Heat and salt get my vote, as well. A simple little 10 gallon quarantine tank is probably one of the best investments you can make, if you're in the process of stocking new fish.
Texas cichlids are extremely tough, and it looks like you're on top of treating his Ick condition. If you've got established filtration running on your QT, (NO Cycling!) he should pull through okay for you.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Oh ya, using an established sponge filter and an established HOB without carbon


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

When I first got my con, he developed a mild case of ick. I just boosted the temp up to about 86 and added aquarium salt. It totally dissipated in a few days. I just made sure to lower my tank water level to provide more surface agitation.


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

Elijah said:


> I just made sure to lower my tank water level to provide more surface agitation.


Excellent point Elijah!!...I never really thought of that.


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## Bamboo (Jan 12, 2011)

Is that pool filter sand ? I have my 125 Gallon exactly how you set your tank up ... black trim tank with black background looks really sharp .


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Bamboo said:


> Is that pool filter sand ? I have my 125 Gallon exactly how you set your tank up ... black trim tank with black background looks really sharp .


Yup PFS all the way, love it! Ps the QT tank is bare bottom.


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

Bamboo said:


> Is that pool filter sand ? I have my 125 Gallon exactly how you set your tank up ... black trim tank with black background looks really sharp .


Me too but I don't have pfs in my 125.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

So I don't see any signs of ick on the texas now, but he's still really shy... Going to do a re-scape of the 55 and then introduce him again and see how things go today. Sadly I have a bad feeling but we'll see how it goes. *fingers crossed*


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

You might want to keep him in qt for ANother week. Make sure the ick is gone. Clean the qt tank really clean ,this way you don't have to qt again and clean the 55 out in the process. I found that the extra time saves you work and time. Once you rid the ick you can continue this qt process with any additions to your tanks. Including dithers and smaller fish. 
The definition for quarantine.....
A state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease. 
Just my .02


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Good thing I didn't move him yet


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

Remember the life cycle of ick is somewhere in 20 something days so read up on that link about ick I provided in a previous post.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Read through it a few times, the texas is out and about in the 10 a little more and ate without sprinting back to his hole today :thumb:


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Oh and he ate a few pellets and bloodworms (today is bloodworm day this week), so it's a step in the right direction!


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Look who I caught eating for the first time tonight...










Loves his veggies already.


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## sjwrx (Apr 15, 2009)

Creeper! :lol:

So did you end up using the 48" lgiht or the 36"? too lazy to flip bakc a couple pages if you mentioned that previously lol.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

I'm sticking with the 30" light from my 37 gallon, the lighting actually came out really nice!


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Okay so a small photo update... with video uploading to youtube now! Forgive me for the quality of the photos, it was nearly impossible to get them.

Let's start with our male convict - he is SUPER friendly and is very comfy in the 55 (taken with iPhone)









The "baby" con (about 1") flaring up (taken with iPhone)









Next the Texas in QT (getting better and better by the day)









Our spotted orange seam pleco - he's almost impossible to get a shot of









And lastly the male HRP Rio Danli in the 20 long on my dresser now (iPhone)


















Video


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## sjwrx (Apr 15, 2009)

i liek the 30" light better as well. It isnt as washed out as the 48".

Nice Texas and HRP( can never find these in my area)!


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

sjwrx said:


> i liek the 30" light better as well. It isnt as washed out as the 48".
> 
> Nice Texas and HRP( can never find these in my area)!


The HRP I got shipped to me from cavamart - bought him with 4 of his siblings on aquabid


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## sjwrx (Apr 15, 2009)

Yea lots of nice fish on aquabid but they rarely ship to canada lol


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Never hurts to ask!

Just got 4 more gold giant danios to round out the school at 10 (the 4 are in QT) and a nice new piece of driftwood that is already sunk and in the tank now... Updated pics to follow tomorrow!


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Nom nom nom


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Okay holy ****... apparently my texas saw that last post and decided tonight that he was going to one-up my convict....

The giant danios in QT with him are bigger than his mouth can handle... or so I thought...

I turned around tonight to hear splashing in the 10 gallon, and then this... from the shy little texas I've had...



















EDIT - He just spat it out... Guess he's going to be ready for the 55 soon


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

HAHAHAH...wow  did lil danio make it?...lol. Yeah..hes ready for the 55....our rescue convict glass dances with me, and tries to attack my finger through the glass...I dont think he would want to be tankmates with our rescue buttikoferi though..lol


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

No sadly he didn't make it, the Texas tried to swallow him for about 20 minutes before he spat him out.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

okay so crazy update... put the texas in the 55 two days ago, and initially he became the dominant fish within 5 minutes (much to my dismay he chased the convict a lot). This morning I woke up to the convict swimming around happy as a clam. The texas then swam out of the corner, beaten to a pulp! I was shocked, seeing that he displayed dominance the first 2 days of being in the tank, and last night things totally changed. So he's back in the QT tank and honestly im not sure if he's gonna make it. Guess I found this one out the hard way


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

Sorry to hear that  .


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Yeah, no ick on the texas thankfully, but he's scratched and beat up pretty bad. I don't think it's helping that he's refused to eat for about 2 weeks (other than trying to eat that danio and a few bloodworms about 5 days ago.


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

WOW!..that sucks! Our one male convict rescue is in a tank by himself, we tried to put him in with a juvie jd, and thats where we learned how smart they really are...the convict started following the jd around and flaring, and I tapped the glass...then a little while later he tried again, slowly coming up behind the jd, and I raised my finger, he turned his eye to look at me, and stopped, and backed up   no hes in a 29 and tries to bite our finger through the glass, so needless to say, he is a jerk, and in a single tank. not sure where we could put him.lol.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Yeah... this male convict is a beast, I guess he was biding his time until the texas felt comfortable... because last night I saw them before I went to bed and the texas was still the dominant fish... I mean this convict is no slouch either, if you flip back a couple pages there are some pics of him... looks like a mini-midas to me


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

yeah our convict looks the same, but the black bars yours has, ours are a tiny bit broken, and there are greenish stripes as well.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

That's probably just a coloration, I'm still excited to see this guy as he gets bigger.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

You should post a pic of that con in the 29


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> You should post a pic of that con in the 29


will do later tonight...still have to read on how to post the pics since we dont use flicker or photobucket, etc. I need to start up a thread or three :wink:


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

Apologies in advance...we are still trying to figure out how to just have the image show up, not a link?
here is "Elvis"...lol


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

jturkey69 said:


> Apologies in advance...we are still trying to figure out how to just have the image show up, not a link?
> here is "Elvis"...lol


I have never used shutterfly but Photobucket gives you all the different links you need weather it be direct link or an image link. It might be a bit more user friendly.


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

Flippercon said:


> jturkey69 said:
> 
> 
> > Apologies in advance...we are still trying to figure out how to just have the image show up, not a link?
> ...


We will have to set an account up then tomorrow...wife used shutterfly, and all the car forums Im on, have tabs to add pics from your computer, so ironically, this is the first time I have used an outside source to post a pic...lol...sorry all..we will get it figured out :thumb: 
Thanks Flippercon for the advice!


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

That's what we are here for. Anyways I want to see that Buttikoferi of yours.


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

Flippercon said:


> That's what we are here for. Anyways I want to see that Buttikoferi of yours.


LOL..I will take some pics tomorrow....I think I have to make a section of our tanks for all the pics.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Hey, is the picture in your icon your "butti" jturkey? Looks a little like a frontosa to me...


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> Hey, is the picture in your icon your "butti" jturkey? Looks a little like a frontosa to me...


lol..wifes new addition...her Frontosa she calls Frankenstein..lol...were gonna have to stop all this saving of fish. :roll: he is very cool though, and I had my hand in the water petting him


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

So at this point the texas is still refusing to eat anything. At this point I'm trying to get him better so he can go back to the LFS healthy... I recently decided to get an F2 4.5" carpintis "vontehillo" male from Cavamart, due to the incompatibility of the cyano.

Pic of the Carpinte


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

You know I just had a 2 convicts that paired up in my 125 and they just beat the %&#* out of my cyano. The oUr doesn't pick on any other fish in the tank and the pair is the smallest cichlids in the tank. All is good. I have an open 55 that will be going to use once the stand is made and the cyano is better. Good luck with the cyano and can't air to see the carpintis.


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

bummer about your texas...hope it all works out though!...our Buttikoferi is hoping to find a home soon!


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

jturkey69 said:


> Apologies in advance...we are still trying to figure out how to just have the image show up, not a link?
> here is "Elvis"...lol


Elvis is one big *** con jturkey! Big cons are not that common, I guess because many are used as feeders since they breed so readily.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Yeah hoping he makes it, and the carpinte is going to be AWESOME - there's a pic of the father on aquabid - here's the link to the auction with the father's pic...

http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/ ... 1310344812


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## jturkey69 (Jun 6, 2011)

Elijah said:


> jturkey69 said:
> 
> 
> > Apologies in advance...we are still trying to figure out how to just have the image show up, not a link?
> ...


Really? Although we are very new yet to the world of cichlids, I would guesstimate his size at 4.5" to 5"? (conservatively) He watches all of us when we walk in the room..lol. He was our first "rescue" so to speak as we were looking for larger tanks, and this person sent me a pic of the tank that was absolutely disgusting that you couldnt even see the back glass!!...there were only two small areas on the front glass where you could see into the tank...I honestly didnt even know there was a fish in there when I went to look at it..lol.

Chubbs...have you bought from aquabid before? That carpinte looks very cool....it looks similar to another fish that I saw when looking through alot of other species.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Yea I've bought from aqua bid before, a lot like ebay, pretty easy actually


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Getting the carpinte tomorrow!! Really excited for how this will turn out!


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Okay so since the last post the fish came in DOA, but got a second one in today and he's roaming around the tank! The con is in the 10 QT for now for 2 weeks so the texas can get comfortable... He already ate bloodworms and seems pretty outgoing having only been in the tank for 3 hours.

Here's a shot I got of him, a little pale still, but I hope he'll color up!


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## jegrego1 (Jan 24, 2011)

When you introduced him and he was the dominant fish for two days, did you by chance turn the lights off at night? A newly introduced fish, within a week, takes a bit to learn the tank. The older fish can "navigate it with it's eyes closed" by going of smell. So if the lights went out your Texas had a huge advantage.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

So he's being pretty picky, he has refused to eat basically anything... Won't eat pellets (on top or sinking) from hikari or from NLS, flakes, shrimp... I figure he was introduced on Wednesday, so should I expect him to be a bit more accepting in a week?


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Mini-update!

So the stock list has changed SLIGHTLY...

The male vontehillo texas is FINALLY eating - he is accepting flakes and pellets (though he spits them out still), the pleco is pooping everywhere (every morning I find piles of it in the same spot), and I bought a 4" (approx) tire track eel! I'm well aware the TT will outgrow the 55 and have a 125 for him to go into (a friend of mine).

The TT is already accepting bottom feeder food (I've seen him eat it on multiple occasions) and also likes earthworms (small ones).

Also I have bought 8 tiger barbs to go in the 55 (they're in QT in the 10 gallon and are ALL healthy, no parasites or diseases).

I figure the stocking for the 55 will be (for now)

1 Vontehillo Texas
1 Orange Seam Pleco
1 Spotted Raphael
1 TT Eel (Temporary)
8 Gold Giant Danios
8 Tiger Barbs


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