# 55G Project



## DutchAJ (Dec 24, 2016)

I am often wishing this forum had more members actually sharing their tank updates/pictures etc, so I’m going to try and do that for mine!

I started a 55G a month or so ago and just stocked it yesterday. Found a decent deal on a full 55G setup and decided to try my hand at a full dirted tank (already thinking of what I WONT do next time!)

I had never really gotten into planted tanks outside of throwing in a random sword here or there and ignoring it but setting up the 125G gave me the bug.

trying to keep this simple and got some crypts, swords, and val and going to just try and let them propagate.

I realize that the soil I purchased has vermiculite in it, not the best decision on that one…

stocking is:

(6) P. Nicholsi
(14) Congo tetras (ordered 12 and vendor gave 2 extra)
(1) red marble bristlenose

































Sorry for the low picture quality and streaky glass, it’s another tank at school and I never remember to bring glass cleaner


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

The tank looks great! 
But.......
Do you know have prone to digging in the substrate your P. nicholsi are? The New-World 'knuckleheads' I've kept in planted aquariums were just about NON-STOP diggers in that substrate! They would have flat out DESTROYED the plants set up in a substrate like that.
 Oh my.... 
_'AND YES, IT WAS ALL FUN AND GAMES IN THE HEAVILY PLANTED AQUARIUM.... UNTIL THE RELENTLESS CICHLID DIGGING BEGAN!'_


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## DutchAJ (Dec 24, 2016)

Thanks! I did quite a bit of research on trying to select a cichlid that would be alright with plants right in the substrate, I found a decent amount of accounts of P. nicholsi not digging as much as many others, so that’s why I chose that over my other option (C. saulosi ).

fingers crossed!


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

All part of the adventure, right?

Vermiculite and especially Pearlite are NOT your friends in a low-tech, potting soil substrate tank! Nope. Did you purchase and use - _the potting soil good stuff - _I recommended to you earlier (in the 125G) for the potted plants in this aquarium? How deep did you go with the potting soil? A two inch+ layer is what I've used in the past to good effect, with a 1 inch or so top layer of small diamter gravel on top to hold all of that plant-nutritious stuff down...
C'mon... background much, 'Teach'?!! Black, latex plant has always been my jam for this application. But, taped-on black (orange, blue or even white) heavy construction craft paper will work great in a pinch. Gotta hide that (behind the scenes?) hardware, yo'.
-
Otherwise, if your little Cichlid Beasts in there decide to get all diggy on you? Got temp/quarantine tank handy? You gots some new skillz now man, in protecting substrate-rooting plants from ornery, digging Cichlids! So, standby in ops to potentially pot up those aquatic plants in this new tank!


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## DutchAJ (Dec 24, 2016)

I did use that Fox Farm Ocean soil you recommended, I have about 2” covered with 1.5” of eco complete that I already had (really don’t care for the ecocomplete, wish I had just used PFS.

I think I’m going to be skimming perlite for about 18 months…


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

OMG!!!
Sorry about the Perlite in the Fox Farm potting soil. It's getting kind of hard to find horticultural soil without that diabolical stuff in it.....
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The insidious stuff works great unfortunately, in terrestrial applications.
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And yes.... I've come down a bit from my original *'NEIN!!!', *(hard-core recommendations) in NOT using PFS, for top soil applications in aquatic plantings. I definitely will still use, and still prefer, small grained (natural/uncoated) gravel for these applications. But, I have come over time, to better understand the problem.
The BEST stuff I've found in a potted plant top coat (because I am at heart, a cheap &$#*!), is this stuff for keeping poultry/chickens called 'Granite Grit'. It's a bit light in color... And, is actually kind of awesome. Sifted-out and sold in various, carefully controlled sizes, I've found that it may be THE STUFF in a potted plant top coat for aquatic applications.
Unfortunately, it IS pretty bright for a substrate... so, I'm not sure how aesthetically pleasing that stuff would be in an overall, substrate top coat application?
Hmmm..... Maybe mixed with PFS (or Black Diamond blasting grit) it would prove to be an eye-palatable mix for the aquarium?


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## DutchAJ (Dec 24, 2016)

congo tetras are starting to show some really nice color, a couple of the P. nicholsi are just starting to get some on their tails


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Whoa... nice color on those Congos and your _Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi_. That blue is really starting to pop on those fish!
And well... just WHAT type of Cichlid do these Congo Basin, mouth-brooding little guys remind you of?


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## DutchAJ (Dec 24, 2016)

Congos have colored up real nicely and put on some size. The P nicholosi look to be breeding, have one that looks to be holding and snapped a pic of some male shimmying going on. Think I have 4 male to 2 female though, so trying to monitor any aggression, although haven’t t been able to spot any of the signs yet.

haven’tt had time to paint the back of the tank, the water spots look terrible, but the plants all have been growing really well.


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## DutchAJ (Dec 24, 2016)

Scratch that, was able to observe for a bit and the dominant male was super aggressive, moved a couple colored up males to the South American tank, where they attempted starting up their “sweet talking” with anything swimming by.


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## DutchAJ (Dec 24, 2016)

“After summer update” on the tank:

- P nicholosi only have one remaining member, the dominant male must’ve been too much, I don’t think the m/f ratio had a chance (only started with 1 female)

-plants are looking really good, swords are growing and reproducing well, cryptocoryne doing pretty well but got nibbled a bit, vals didn’t do too well

-Congo tetras look really good, all healthy

- have some Malaysian trumpet snails I think

-thinking of rehiring the nicholosi possibly, trying to figure out what else to put in the tank

will get pics to add


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## DutchAJ (Dec 24, 2016)

Plants growing nicely, going to rehome the nicholosi and figure out something else to put in with the Congos, any plant safe suggestions welcome!


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## DutchAJ (Dec 24, 2016)

Thinking a leopard ctenopoma to go with the Congo School, anyone have any experience with them?


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