| 65 Gallon Pleco / Predator Tank | 25 Gallon Ocelot Pleco Tank |
| 65 Gallon Pleco / Predator Tank Details | |
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| Theme: | My largest aquarium is set up as an Amazonian tank, heavily planted with Giant Vallisneria and Anubias, and decorated with numberous large pieces of (drift) wood and tree roots to provide hiding places and shaded area's to serve as shelters. In the near future I plan to replace the gravel substrat with fine sand. Two mature Hujeta Gars, four bottomdwelling Belly Crawler Pike Cichlids, and four carnivorous Loricarids are the main inhabitants of this tank. |
| Tank brand: | Aquarium by Mini Reef, stand and canope by Jarathana. |
| Tank dimensions: | 130x40x50cm. (52x16x20"). |
| Tank content (bruto): | 260 liter (± 65 gallons). |
| Main filter: | 1 Tetratec EX1200 canister filter (1200 l/h; 320 gph). |
| Filter media: | EhfiSubstrat (sintered glass) and bioballs for biological filtration. Ceramic rings, coarse and fine filter pads for mechanical filtration. |
| Additional filters and pumps: |
1 Hagen Fluval 4 internal filter (1000 l/h; 250 gph). 1 Ferplast Blumodular 02 internal filter (900 l/h; 225 gph - with diffusor for oxygenation). |
| Heater: | 1x 300 Watt Hagen Tronic. |
| Lights: | 1x 36 Watt Dennerle Tropical-de Luxe Special Plant (amber). |
| Substrate: | A 1,0-2,0" layer of fine natural-colored sand/gravel mix (1-3mm.) |
| Decor: | Mopami wood, tree roots, drift wood, lava rock. |
| Plants: |
Anubias barteri - Barter's Anubias Echinodorus africanus - Long-leafed Sword Plant Vallisneria gigantea - Jungle Vallisneria |
| Inhabitants - Fish |
Catfish:
Pseudacanthicus leopardus - Leopard Cactus Pleco, "L600" (x1) Pseudacanthicus sp. L320 - Black Cactus Pleco (x1) Pseudacanthicus sp. L114 - Demini Leopard Cactus Pleco (x2) Other: Crenicichla sp. "Belly Crawler" - Bellly Crawler Pike Cichlid (x4) - info coming soon Ctenolucius hujeta - Hujeta Gar (x2) Gymnocorymbus bondi - Silver Tetra (x1) Xenomystus nigri - African Knife Fish (x1) (all species except the African Knife Fish are indigenous to tropical South America) |
| Inhabitants - Other: | Small snails. |
| Food: | Cichlids/Characins: artemia, blood worms, mosquito larvae, tubifex, krill, chopped fresh shrimp, flakes, granules, algae wafers, spirulina tablets. Pleco's: carnivore tablets, algae wafers, spirulina tablets, vegetables (cucumber, zucchini, egg plant, carrot, capsicum, tomato, green beans, lemon rind), artemia, blood worms, krill, mosquito larvae, tubifex, krill, chopped fresh shrimp. |
| Maintenance: | Water changes (on average approx. 10-20% per change: approx. 40-50% per week in total), trimming of (dead) plants when necessary. Cleaning of internal filters and powerhead once every 2 months, or earlier if necessary. Cleaning of canister filter every four or six months. Daily observation! |
| Aquarium products: | HS Products FerroCell liquid iron fertilizer for aquarium plants. |
| Water temperature: | 26°C (79°F) |
| pH: | 7,5 |
| DH: | 12 °d |
| KH: | 6 °d |
| Ammonia: | 0 mg/l |
| Nitrites: | 0 mg/l |
| Nitrates: | < 10 mg/l |
| Phosphates: | < 0,5 mg/l |
| 25 gallon Ocelot Pleco Tank Details | |
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| More pictures... | |
| Theme: | My smallest aquarium is set up as a South American freshwater-biotope. This means a high water temperature, a fair amount of currents, heavy oxygenation, and a substrat consisting of fine sand and smoothened river pebbles. I'm currently toying with the idea to match the water chemistry with the natural conditions (lowering the pH/softness, tea-colored water), but have not made a final decision about that yet.
The aquarium is rather densely planted, especially with Sword Plants, Lizard's Tail, Anubias and Giant Vallisneria, en decorated with a good number of (drift) wood pieces, tree roots and two pleco breeding caves to provide plenty of hiding places and nesting sites for the catfish. The main inhabitants are three Dwarf Pike Cichlids, which are accompanied by four L174 Ocelot Pleco's and four relatively uncommon "Otocinclus" sp. "Paraguay". Additionally, due to the dense vegetation and peaceful and tranquil inhabitants, this tank is also used as a sanctuary for weakened or injured fish from the other tanks, so they can heal and regain strength in a peaceful environment. The long-term goal is to attempt to breed the Ocelot Pleco's, the Otocinclus, and/or the Pike Cichlids (I hope to one day find a few more specimen of the first two species). |
| Tank brand: | Juwel Rekord 110. |
| Tank dimensions: | 81x31x46cm. (32x12x18"). |
| Tank content (bruto): | 100 liter (± 25 gallons) |
| Main filter: | 1 Tetratec EX 700 canister filter (700 l/h; 175 gph). |
| Filter media: | Bioballs for biological filtration. Ceramic rings, coarse and fine filter pads for mechanical filtration. |
| Additional filters and pumps: | 1 Ferplast Blumodular 01 internal filter (900 l/h; 225 gph). |
| Heater: | 1x 150 Watt Hagen Tronic. |
| Lights: | 1x 18 Watt Dennerle Tropical-de Luxe Special Plant (amber). |
| Substrate: | A 1,5-2" layer of fine natural-colored sand/gravel mix (1-3mm.) |
| Decor: | Drift wood, tree roots, river pebbles, two pleco breeding caves made of clay. |
| Plants: |
Anubias barteri - Barter's Anubias Anubias hastifolia - Narrow-leafed Anubias Cryptocoryne nevillii - Dwarf Cryptocoryne Echinodorus bolivianus - Bolivian Sword Plant Saururus cernuus - Lizard's Tail Vallisneria gigantea - Jungle Vallisneria |
| Inhabitants - Fish: |
Catfish:
Hypancistrus sp. L174 - Ocelot Pleco (x4) Hypoptopomatinae sp. LG2 - "Otocinclus" sp. "Paraguay" (x4) Other: Crenicichla compressiceps - Dwarf Pike Cichlid (x3) (all these species are indigenous to tropical South America) |
| Inhabitants - Other: | Small snails |
| Food: | Cichlid/Hatchetfish/Corydoras: artemia, blood worms, krill, mosquito larvae, tubifex, flakes, granules, carnivore tablets, algae wafers, spirulina tablets. Pleco's/Otocinclus: carnivore tablets, algae wafers, spirulina tablets, vegetables (cucumber, zucchini, egg plant, carrot, capsicum, tomato, green beans, lemon rind), artemia, mosquito larvae, tubifex. |
| Maintenance: | Water changes (on average approx. 10-20% per change: approx. 40-50% per week in total), trimming of (dead) plants when necessary. Cleaning of internal filter once every 2 months, or earlier if necessary. Cleaning of canister filter twice per year. Daily observation! |
| Aquarium products: | HS Products FerroCell liquid iron fertilizer for aquarium plants. |
| Water temperature: | 28°C (82°F) |
| pH: | 7,0 |
| DH: | 8 °d |
| KH: | 6 °d |
| Ammonia: | 0 mg/l |
| Nitrites: | 0 mg/l |
| Nitrates: | < 10 mg/l |
| Phosphates: | < 0,5 mg/l |
