# 55 gal. Tanganyika biotope setup journal



## jcollette3

So Christmas this year brought me a new perfecto 55 gallon tank - thanks Santa! I have never done a display biotope before, and love the naturalistic style, so I thought what the ****, go for broke time. This tank will be an all-out biotope, nothing that is not endemic to the lake will be in there, including plants - so if you see something that does not belong, let me know! This will be a long process, and I will document the entire thing.

I started the project by building the tank stand. See this thread for a detailed project step-by-step http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=160446.

This is the nearly completed stand in the living room - it still needs the center door that will be oak and will close flush with the frame having no visible hardware.










and another view.










I am pleased with the stain color - it very closely matches the base on my Ekorness chair which was the goal.

So, today I went looking for sand. There is a local river (Green River) that runs through my town that I do a fair amount of snorkeling in during the summer. It has the most beautiful grey-tan-brown sand/gravel in its bed. This will be the material that I will be using for the sand. Unfortunately, although today was quite warm (~45f.) the river is pretty solidly frozen over, so no sand today. The river passes over and through the Shelburne Falls Arc for those of you interested in geology. The shelburne Falls Arc was probably a volcanic island arc chain similar to the Japanese islands that was acreted (smashed into) the eastern margin of Laurentia (ancient supercontinent) about 470 million years ago. The rocks are extraordinarily deformed, as you may expect from this collision of 2 hefty landmasses. The dominant rock types along the banks of the green river are gneiss, schist and phyllite - a beautiful metamorphic rock with an amazing wavy texture. The sands are composed of sediment-sized particles of the same rocks, and hence is fairly dark in color.

As an aside (I know, this is an aside from the geology aside...), but it is interesting I promise you. One of the most famous incidents in early colonial history occurred in nearby Deerfield Massachusetts back in 1704 when a French and indian raid partially destroyed that town and took a large group of captives with them on the return trec by foot, during a New England winter back to Canada. The most famous of these captives was the reverend John Williams, and his wife Eunice, who had just given birth and was quite weak. The photo below shows a covered bridge that spans the Green river in Greenfield, MA. Just out of frame to the left is a small bluff where Rev. John Williams witnessed the execution by tomahawk of his wife as she was unable to continue on. The indians thought this a merciful act, as she would have succumbed to the elements if left behind. A small commemorative plaque marks the location of this event.










You can see a bit of the green color of the river in the photo. It is more pronounced in the spring and summer, but the water is still amazingly clear.

So... all fishkeeping from this point forward, sorry for the multiple tangents. At this point, I have not been able to collect my sand and my backgrounds have not yet arrived, so I am at a temporary end. I will be using two terrascapes background panels in their 'Victoria' pattern (below).










I chose this pattern because it is not as gray as their 'Malawi' and not as red as their 'Tanganyika'. I purchased 2 of the large sized panels (23.6"x21.6") from http://savethereefs.com/. Shipping was $20 bringing my total to $109. Not bad. I was going to go with an Aquaterra background from this site http://www.aquascapeonline.com/default.asp, but they wanted $50 to ship the background to me from New Jersey. Yeah. So... next time I will have some sand, photos of the collecting expedition including the beautiful rocks that line the shores of the Green river, background install, and some plumbing photos. May not be for a week or so, weather willing.


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## Okinawan Brat

Very nice. The stand looks awesome. I'll be keeping watching your progress. Keep the pics coming.


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## JeffreyL

That stand is gorgeous!! You need to get that tank set up so we can see it!! Plus I am considering the same background for a 75. If I cannot free up the time to make one. lol

Seriously, we want updates.

Good Luck!!!!

Jeff


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## Laurel

Your stand is absolutely stunning, and it looks like your tank is going to be beautiful. I'm just curious about your background choice. I know natural looking backgrounds are hard to come by, but that is going to have a VERY different look than the rocks that your planning to put in the tank. I would expect to see flatter, more angular rocks with a background like that. Was this background chosen for a reason?


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## jcollette3

Thanks for the replies! I chose the background because it being winter here in the northeast, I could not make the replica cliff that I wanted as laid out in this thread http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=160640.

This background will work nicely for what I have in mind, although it does not have as much relief as I would like. I will make up for that a bit by placing the background in the tank on a slight angle, which will increase the shadows cast by the lighting and give it a more natural look. Plus with the coat of algae that will eventually cove the whole thing, I think it will look pretty good.


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## jcollette3

So, the background finally came this morning, and after writing a few grant proposals this afternoon, I've gotten around to starting to put it in. I ended up going with the Aquaterra 'Canyon Rock' after all. It comes in almost the exact right length for a 55 gallon tank if you get the 20"x48" size - I'm going to have to trim about a half inch off of one side. This is what the DHL man brought this morning-










I had to cut the BG into 3 pieces to get it to fit past the center bracing in my tank, and it was quite easy to cut. I was originally going to divide the space behind the back into to 'compartments' and run return water into one side and intake water into the other, but there is only a largeish space on one side. So the hole in the front will receive a small fascia-type plastic vent that has been painted black with krylon fusion plastic paint and sprinkled with fine sand. This will be behind a large rock and will not be visible.

Here are some close-ups of the BG so you can see the textural detail.



















Right now, I have the first 2 pieces siliconed together and into the tank. I have to wait for these to set up before I can fit the last piece in place and fit the grate into place. I will likely make a small hole for the returns, probably on the left side - haven't decided exactly where yet, though. Fortunately, once everything is cured, I won't have to cycle this tank as I will be using the same filters and substrate that is currently in the 50. The riverbank where I was planning on collecting sand from is frozen solid, so it will be a pool filter substrate - still quite natural looking. Then it will be off to hunt down a few more rocks. About 15 minutes ago - waiting for silicone to set up...


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## cugar

Good looking backround, nice job so far. Keep the pics coming :thumb:


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## jcollette3

Today was day number 6 after using GE silicone I (W&D clear) to 'glue' the background into the tank. No acetic acid smell remaining, so the transfer began at around 1pm this afternoon. I began by removing all of my rockwork from the old tank - I had one piece of water-eroded gneiss in there that must have weighed 60lbs, and rounding up the inhabitants. They went into a temporary corral - a rubbermaid container I keep for just such occasions, and I attached one of the filters (fluval 104) and the inline heater to keep them warm. I then removed the old lighting diffuser from the tank bottom, trimmed it, and pieced it together into the new tank. The PFS from the old tank was then put into 5 gallon buckets and rinsed just a bit (didn't want to disturb the bacteria too much) to get rid of some of the detritus, and finally placed into the new tank. The natural color pool filter sand really goes well with this background. I originally wanted something just a bit darker - and the sand from the green river is just that, but this will look quite nice. Here's the old tank - a 50 with darkish wood trim - *free to you if you come get it!!!* (see my ads).










Then it was fill-up time. I am sooo sick of the bucket-brigade for water changes and fillings, so today I went and got a 50' python. Made filling the new and emptying the old tank much quicker - how did I ever manage without one of these before. Almost full... and wow, what a mess!










closeup.










I did routine filter maint on the 2 fluvals I use on this tank (a 104 and a 404) - I am a strong believer in overfiltration. I loaded the 104 with quite a bit of carbon - just in case there are any remaining chems from the silicone still in the water. I have decided that most of my rocks are a bit too yellow - and too rounded - to work well with this BG, so a rock hunting I will go next week. Still haven't got the brackets from the welder yet for the fixture I fabricated, so temporarily using a 30" current USA 'satellite' from the old tank with a 50/50 bulb (hence the bluish hue). A quick shot of how it looked about an hour ago.










So... next time, rocks... rocks... and more rocks, possibly some plants (if I can find some vals around somewhere), plant pots, and just possibly a few new inhabitants 

Current stock:

9 _Paracyprichromis nigripinnis_ - 3 different tank-raised generations
3 _Neolamprologus leleupi_
2 _Julidochromis dickfeldi_
2 _Altolamprologus calvus_
1 _Callochromis pleurospilus_


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## F8LBITEva

looks great!!!


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## tahw

I wonder if it crossed your mind to use the 50g that you had as a sump. Not that I am criticizing your project, I very much like it. Just hear me out.

Since your stand is a custom built, you could have built it to house the 50g underneath the new 55g and used it as a sump. That way your show tank would be clear of all the equipment and you'd have another 50g of water which means you can house more fish.

Have you thought about that? If so what made you decide against it?


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## jcollette3

So I went looking for a similar rock type to what the BG is modeled after yesterday - I found some sandstone that is quite rugged looking and about the same color. However, the outcrops are mostly covered with about a foot of snow and embedded in frozed ground. I may want something a bit more rounded as well. In any case, I collected a few medium sized rocks to throw in there until things thaw out a bit here in New England.

I also picked up some vals at the LFS today. Not sure of the species, and the guy at the LFS had no idea either. They look like either V. gigantea (aka 'jungle' val), or V. spiralis (aka 'Italian' val). I have to count leaf veins to find out. Quite healthy looking and sending out runners every which direction. I'm going to try them directly in the substrate for now - I'll see if I can get away without pots and without ferts. Although I hear they like a nutrient rich substrate, so we'll see. So this is what it looks like right now. I may change the plants around a bit - possibly consolidate them into larger groupings.










So - I guess this is where I'll leave it for now - until it gets a bit warmer 'round here and I can get out and do some more rock hunting. I think I may add a small driftwood branch on one side as well. Just a small twisted twiggy thing if I can find something around the local streams this spring - if not, no biggie.

Comments and suggestions (especially) welcome.


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## cichlover_mel

i love that background


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## ArcticCatRider

well, i'm gonna have 2 say i am really starting to like the looks of this tank.

looks GREAT! :thumb:

 now i'll tell you what, if it wasn't for actually seeing the tank in the pics, i'd probably say it was atually the lake from the looks.

i think, even if you bought a nice piece of driftwood from ebay store "rockartsource" (they have beautiful pieces) and boiled it, it would look just perfect b/c they have alot of branchy "twiggly" like pieces. sometimes costly.

8) but keep it up. looks great.


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## FLGirl1977

I absolutely LOVE your tank.... one of the nicest, most natural looking tanks I've seen! Great job!

So, now what kind of fish are you housing in that tank? Can you get some more close-ups of the tank and it's inhabitants? I'm dying to see more!


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## jcollette3

Thanks for the comments!

Current stock:

9 Paracyprichromis nigripinnis - 3 different tank-raised generations
3 Neolamprologus leleupi
2 Julidochromis dickfeldi
2 Altolamprologus calvus
1 Callochromis pleurospilus

I have 2 pair young adults of Opthalmotilapia ventralis kipili 'white cap' flying in on friday from Rocky Mountain Cichlids - Kurt is a great guy and the experience has been a pleasure. So with the incoming featherfins, the stock list might be adjusted, but we'll see how it goes. I'll get some more pics this weekend and post them here.

Sorry tahw - didn't see your question before. No, I never really considered a sump, as this is only a 55. If I had gone with a 75 I probably would have thought about it more. As for equipment, not really a concern - its all hidden from view as it is, but good point on the extra water volume. I overfilter for the same reason.


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## jcollette3

Here are a few pics of the inhabitants...









Callochromis pleurospillus









Dominant Paracyprichromis nigripinnis









Close-up









Altolamprologus calvus


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## ArcticCatRider

i'll tell ya what, that is one, dang good looking calvus.
..just seeing what all i've been seeing, i'm thiking about trying a tank for them.

jcollette, do you know, are the calvus hard to keep?
simple fish, or alot of specials just for them?


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## F8LBITEva

I keep looking at this thread, your tank is fantastic. Im thinking of doing a 90 or 75 gallon like that.


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## jcollette3

ArcticCatRider: Not at all - very unassuming fish. Very easy to keep, no weird requirements at all. They grow quite slowly, and I have not bred them, so I can't tell you what conditions they like for spawning. Thanks for the compliments. I'll post some pics when the ventralis come in on Friday - CAN'T WAIT!


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## alicem

Nice fish! You have a wonderful tank. :thumb:

If you want your tank to be a little more _*African*_, there are a few other plants you might consider:

Aponogeton Boivianus 
Aponogeton Ulvaceus
Bolbitis Heudelotii (ph of about 7, but you never know?)
Crinum Calamistratum 
Crinum Natans 
Nymphaea Lotus Zenkeri

Also, I don't know how bright your lights are, just thought I'd offer you some plants to research 

You had asked about the water onion in another post and I misspelled Crinum, sorry. Hope I didn't massacre the spelling on these plants 

Alicem


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## jcollette3

Crinum are endemic to Tanganyika? Now that I did not know. Both species?


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## alicem

Tropica says Crinum calamistratum and Crinum natans' country of origin is West Africa. 
If not Lake Tanganyika, it is the right continent...  I just thought I'd throw that idea out there. 
You be the judge.
These two are sort of expensive. They do have gorgeous rippling leaves, however.
Alicem


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## jcollette3

Thanks - I'll have to do some digging on Tropica's website. So the new guys flew in today - supposed to be 2m 2f, but it looks like I may have 3m 1 f. About 2.5 to 3". They are still a bit pale, hope to see some more color tomorrow. But in the meantime, here are a couple of quick snaps. Opthalmotilapia ventralis kipili 'white cap'.


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## FLGirl1977

Amazing! Wish I had YOUR tank in MY house! :lol: Don't get me wrong...mine isn't shabby, but wow....yours is just breath-taking! Can't wait to see more...how about a closer shot of your tank so that we see the inhabitants swimming around..or maybe a video?


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## jcollette3

Thanks FLGirl1977 - I envy you as well - you can do some awesome snorkling even in the winter. How far are you from the sinkholes, rainbow springs, and the keys. Do you have a marine tank as well? If I lived where you live, You'd have to pull me kicking and screaming from the water (both fresh and marine), in the dark at the end of the day, every day!

Here are a couple more pics - still can't get a decent pic of the ventralis - I'll try again tonight or tomorrow.









Tank center









The Boss. My 4" ~4 year old leleupi.









C. pleurospillus aka 'Sally' She named some of them... :roll: :lol:


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## FLGirl1977

lol...we're quite a ways from the sinkholes (which are in northern FL), we live in SW FL near the everglades. Unfortunately on our side of the coast we have 20 miles of continental shelf, so not really much under water except for lots of sand. Interesting though, we do have lots of interesting fish here...triggers, sharks, grouper, grunts, snapper, but not much of the 'pretty' colored small fish. The good side is that we live 3 hours (by boat) from Key West...there's ALOT to see there..in the water AND out! :lol: Actually my husband and I go down there quite often.

We will have a saltwater one day...maybe the next move we make into a larger home. I would like to be more experienced with my general FW husbandry before that move though.

For now, I have a 46 g. tang tank in progress and a 75 g. malawi. I love your tank though! I bought a nice pangea background for my 75 malawi and it's still cycling now. I hope to be making a post like yours one day...until then, I look forward to checking out this post more everyday! Very nice balance of plants & rock..keep up the good work!


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## jcollette3

Which Pangea BG did you get? Do you have a picture of the tank - would love to see one.


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## FLGirl1977

I picked out the Rocky IV, very deep crevices and 3-d....here's a pic when I first set it up...without fish:



















It's in about week 4 of cycling, so I should have more fish in there in a couple of weeks...right now I have 3 fish in there...but no current pics.


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## jcollette3

Nice Background! Looking forward to some pics of the finished tank!


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## mudvayne3652

I recenlty order the canyon rock 3d background. I was wondering if you have any pictures from the side of the tank. I wanted to see how far out the background sticks out from the back of the tank.


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## mudvayne3652

I recenlty order the canyon rock 3d background. I was wondering if you have any pictures from the side of the tank. I wanted to see how far out the background sticks out from the back of the tank.


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## ArcticCatRider

dude, your tank just keeps getting better and better.

keep up the great work. love it.

more pics! :lol:

:thumb:


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## jcollette3

I'll post some more pics this evening, including some side photos. The BG does take up quite a bit of real estate in one or 2 places, particularly toward the left-middle - sticks out almost 6 inches or so. But because of the relief it looks much more realistic IMO.


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## jcollette3

Here is a quick picture of the BG taken from the side. The edge closest to the viewer in this shot is about 3" from the back glass. The bump out visible in the middle ground is about 6" from the glass. Just on the other side of the bump it goes back to about 3" from back glass again.


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## alicem

jcollette3 said:


> But because of the relief it looks much more realistic IMO.


Yes, definately. 
I really like the coloration of it. 
Also, if you get mossy algae growing on the background, it will add to the realism.
Nice job :thumb:
Alicem


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## mmd

This tank looks great...very nice job, I would not add or change a thing, looks like tank of the month


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## ArcticCatRider

well, the tank looks great from all angles man

and the background, it just looks amazing..but the tank is 100%.
Keep up your good work.

when we gonna get some updates? 

:thumb:


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## partsrep

Very impressive. You should be proud of your work. :thumb:


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## Philg

Great looking BG


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## jcollette3

So, it's been about a month and a half, and (with a little prodding) here's an update.

My dominant male P. nigrippinis died about 2 weeks ago, but another male has stepped into that role. He's not quite as big, but he's nicely shaped and colored - hopefully the female will accept him.

The plants are doing ok - alot of new growth, but the leaves quickly get coated with algae when they grow up to the top of the tank. They are throwing runners out like crazy - I must have 10 baby plants in there now. They are potted in small 2" green plastic pots from Agway. The potting medium is ~1/3 unfertilized potting soil, ~1/3 fluorite, and ~1/3 aragonite. I am giving this mix a shot as I have heard that Vals can pull carbon right out of their substrate. So far, it's looking good. I'm currently fighting diatoms weekly - I get quite a brown buildup on the back wall, even with weekly 50% WC's. I wonder if it has something to do with the silica-based pool filter sand. Quartz goes into solution very slowly, though. Pretty sure the lighting is adequate, as the plants are growing pretty well, right now the wattage total is ~110 watts, all in the 5500k range. I have recently been told that Wally-world stocks 6500k in a few different wattages, so I may be adding 20 - 30 watts of light to see if that will discourage the brown 'algae' and encourage more of the green.

I still need to find a few more rocks for the right middle, but there is STILL snow on the ground in places here (although I have had the bike out 3 times now), so a few more weeks on that. Here are a couple of pics that I took today after the WC (hence the bubbles).









Full tank.









Left side.

More in a few weeks.


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## ArcticCatRider

oh god man.That tank is Amazing.I don't know how you do it, 
but that looks, like perfect to me.I love it.I'd let you replicate the exact
same thing in my house if I could.
Good luck fighting the diatoms.
Can't wait for some updates in the following days or weeks!
Keep up the awesome work.
:thumb:


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## partsrep

The brown build up you're getting is probably diatoms from silicates in the water. It's very common to new aquarium set-ups and disappears after a few months. I'm going through that righ now as well and all I can do is keep cleaning. The good news is if you can handle the ugly brown stuff for a while it will actually turn into a nice low green algae which looks quite nice. You have the right lights for that to happen easily, so keep them on at least 8-10 hours a day.


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## Philg

Where are your filter intake and outputs located? How do you ensure good water circulation between front and behind that great BG- do you have holes with mesh strainers in th BG to allow water to flow freely?
Thanks


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## F8LBITEva

wow!! excellent setup, looks really amazing.


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## jcollette3

PhilG: There is a large (3" diam.) pcv vent behind the large rock. Behind the BG, there are 2 intakes, 1 for each of my 2 Fluvals, so flow behind the BG is not an issue.

Sorry it's been such a long time between updates, but summer is my active research field season, and this summer has been particularly busy. I have discovered that this setup is fairly low maintenance. I say fairly because 3 of my 4 'white tops' have had perpetual eye infections since soon after receiving them. I've gone through so many courses of antibiotics, and the 2 females still have pop-eye and still have a small white patch in each eye. I am going to have to double dose I think.










Let's see, some notable news.

- The Valisneria is too slow-growing to be able to handle the algae load, so probably going to go with something else. I am experimenting with some tiger lotus right now - I don't think it is a native species, but I do think it may be an introduced species in the lake - unsure of this though - anyone know??? Early indications are that it grows quickly enough to handle the algae, and it is breathtakingly beautiful. It also has both submergent and floating leaves. An added up side is that the large leaves sort of break the tank up from side to side so that the 2 male ventralis do not see one another as much.

- My poor Callochromis is no more 

- Aggression is not all that bad, even with 2 male Opthalmotilapia ventralis trying like **** to attract the females. The girls still want nothing to do with them though. These fish are spectacularly beautiful, though it is very hard to get a decent photograph of them. I will try this weekend, though.

- The Calvus are finally beginning a 'growth spurt'. The larger of the 2 has to be about 3 inches now. They are both also darkening up nicely - one used to be so pale that I thought it was a white calvus.

- Not as much algae growth as I would like on the BG. There is still more brown than green, but the balance appears to be shifting.

- The last brood of Paracyprichromis are doing well - have not lost a single fish yet - there were 10 in all, and they are all over an inch long now.

I will try and take some decent photos this weekend. Here is a side shot through the lotus.


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## iceblue

Welcome back Jcollette3.

Love the background. Here's to it greening up. :thumb:


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## Hubbynz

beautiful background


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## BurgerKing

I just started following your journey today, and i must say that tank is absolutely stellar!!! I want!!! lol. Good job and sorry about your losses along the way


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## ArcticCatRider

Awesome man! Looking great, and that side shot is sweetas heck! :thumb: 
This weekend my tanks being changed to PFS, then I'll have some pics up, but my tank is nothing like that sexy tank! :lol:


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## jcollette3

These guys are SOOOO hard to get good photos of. Here is a shot of the (currently) dominant male O. ventralis 'white cap'...










...and the wannabe (currently) subordinate male... although he is growing much faster than the big guy right now. Not quite as colorful though - not that you can see any color in these terrible photos...










I have to go find some light...


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## infektyd

nice work... i love it!


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## alicem

I found this info on tropica.com 


> Family Nymphaeaceae
> Continent Africa
> Region West Africa
> Country of origin West Africa
> Height 20-80 cm
> Width 25-60 cm
> Light requirements medium-very high
> Temperature 22-30 Â°C
> Hardness tolerance very soft-hard
> pH tolerance 5-8
> Growth medium
> Demands are medium
> 
> A beautiful and very varied species with leaves of green to red-brown and varying numbers of purple spots. Before forming floating leaves Nymphaea lotus (zenkeri) forms many underwater leaves. If you donÃ†t want floating leaves, prune the roots and leaves. The beautiful, aromatic flowers can be fully appreciated in open aquariums. A nutritious bottom encourages growth. Often available in a red and a green variety. Recommended as a solitary plant for large aquariums.


this on plantedtank.net


> Information
> Common Name: Tiger Lotus
> Proper Name: Nymphaea lotus 'Zenkeri'
> Category: Water Lilies
> Temperature: 22 - 30 C
> PH: 5 - 8
> Lighting: Medium
> Growth Rate: Slow
> Difficulty: Medium
> Origin: East Africa, Southeast Asia
> Position in Aquascape: Foreground


and this on plantgeek.net


> Tiger lotus
> Nymphaea lotus
> 
> Family: Nymphaeaceae
> Region: Africa
> 
> Care
> Tiger lotus are very heavy root feeing plants. They have two growth forms, one with submerged leaves, and the other with floating leaves. The plant will always try to put out floaters from time to time. To prevent this the leaves that are going for the surface need to be removed. Flowering can be induced by allowing the leaves to assume their floating form. After a time a large flower stalk will emerge and grow well above the water surface where the flower will open at night.


East Africa, West Africa, Southeast Asia... :-? 
Whichever, you be the judge. 
Yours is quite beautiful. I'm glad that you tried it.
Alicem


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## jcollette3

Thanks for the info, Alicem, it is much appreciated. Many thanks for the comments everyone. I just took a few more photos, I think I finally have a pic of the ventralis that shows its coloration a bit better.










Here is a photo of my smallest leleupi. She's still small enough to duck into that snail shell when the big guy is around.










And... everyone loves a calvus...


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## Neb

stunning tank. 
So you feed your two outputting tubes in the pvc pipe correct? How much space did you leave that ends of the bg to the side of the tank?


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## balachel

your tank looks great i think im going to get one of these backgrounds for my tank


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## Sin in Style2

Was wonder what the background is made of exactly? You seem to have some knowledge of moldings ect so thought i would ask. First i thought it was some type of clear resin but you said it was easily cut.

I also live in new england and have been admiring lots of rock work and have been tempted to give it a whirl. Been working with some foam and cement the usual stuff but just doesnt end up looking like what im after. Any info would be great.


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## mveale

hey.. is that bridge the one from the opening scene in beetlejuice?
...off topic i know.. lovely tank!


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## jcollette3

Sin in Style2 said:


> Was wonder what the background is made of exactly? You seem to have some knowledge of moldings ect so thought i would ask. First i thought it was some type of clear resin but you said it was easily cut.
> 
> I also live in new england and have been admiring lots of rock work and have been tempted to give it a whirl. Been working with some foam and cement the usual stuff but just doesnt end up looking like what im after. Any info would be great.


Sorry I haven't been here in awhile, been busy writing up a couple of papers and applying to Ph.D. programs. The BG is made from some kind of a high density rigid foam - much more rigid than, say, Greatstuff. It still cuts pretty easily though.



> hey.. is that bridge the one from the opening scene in beetlejuice?
> ...off topic i know.. lovely tank!


Not that I know of... and thanks!

Well, some of you may have noticed my ad here on the forum... As I've said, the next round of grad school is looming close, and this tank is pretty big(ish). And I will probably end up at Riverside (CA), and this is one more big heavy thing to move... It is with regret that I have come to the realization that this tank's days are numbered. As I don't know what our living situation will be like yet - whether we'll be renting a house, living in an apt - so bringing this thing with us could be a gamble in any case. I may just end up putting it in storage, don't know... it's just such a pretty tank. Thanks to all who have commented, and for your kind compliments as well.


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