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Afterburned's 60l Planted Tank

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:42 am
by Afterburned
Seeing as I just passed a major milestone yesterday I'll start putting some updates here!
Livestock finally in my tank!!
Here is the tank all cycled and ready:
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And the first inhabitants - 4 little Cherry Shrimp!
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Light has not come on yet since adding them - hopefully get some more (better) pics tonight.

I know it's not much but after a month of watching the plants grow & wave in the flow it's so nice to have a moving creature in! Also algae was getting a bit out of hand, so good to get them munching.
They were quite active last night (added about 3pm), which I was surprised at, I thought they would be hiding for a while.
Well, they have the run of the tank for now, a couple of weeks before I get any fish.

Re: Afterburned's 60l Planted Tank

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 13:09 pm
by Lee_k
Very nice start! - When's further stocking coming

Re: Afterburned's 60l Planted Tank

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 14:03 pm
by Afterburned
Lee_k wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 13:09 pm Very nice start! - When's further stocking coming
It's my birthday in a couple of weeks and I have the feeling one of the kids wants to buy me some Guppys so 2 weeks min!

Re: Afterburned's 60l Planted Tank

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:06 am
by Afterburned
Some shrimp pics (been playing with the camera settings!) - Used the info here: https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-e ... arium.html
Nikon D3300 with the stock 18-55 lens fully zoomed with manual focus and moved myself to get focus! Manual mode 1/125, F5.6, iso 6400, no flash.

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Have not spotted all 4 at the same time yet, one seems very bold and active (the one on the Valllis), one has found a nice hidey hole in the bogwood, one hangs around under / behind the wood, and no idea where the 4th is!

Re: Afterburned's 60l Planted Tank

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:05 pm
by Feather_Borb
The tank looks lovely. Hopefully you have a mix of sexes in the cherry shrimp and they will multiply 😁

Re: Afterburned's 60l Planted Tank

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:06 pm
by plankton
The "missing" one is probably off moulting somewhere with the change of water. ;)

Re: Afterburned's 60l Planted Tank

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:01 am
by Afterburned
:dodgy2: Damn - wrote a nice long log yesterday & it didn't submit & I didn't notice. :mad:

Still no sign of that 4th shrimp, although the universe has a way of sorting these things out...

Was my birthday at the weekend & fish related I got an air pump, pipe & flexible bubble tube (all specified by me of course :D ). That's now under and to the left of the lava rock, bubbles come up from under it nice & slowly just as I wanted. Will get a video tonight if I remember.

Also got some MA vouchers, so actually left the house & got my first 3 fish for the tank!
Say 'Hello' to Sparky, Ochre and Rose (kids got naming them :$ )

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Sparky is the triangle tail yellow lace male, Rose is the pinky female and Ochre is the leopard tail yellow female.

Also whilst in the shop wanted another few shrimp - however they didn't have any cherries, just a solitary fire red (a few £ more than I would usually pay for a shrimp). Same species so took it to keep it from getting lonely in the shop! Only when they took the hiding plant out there was another one as well - so took both. Got them home and acclimatising in the bag in the tank, when I saw a 3rd, much smaller shrimp in there too!
3 for the price of 2, still expensive but makes up for losing one!

A couple of shrimp pics, you can tell the difference between fire and cherry!

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Just searching for some catfish and my tank will be complete (not going to buy any more guppies, at least for a while, going to see how many I get naturally).

Re: Afterburned's 60l Planted Tank

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:19 am
by fr499y
Afterburned wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:01 amnot going to buy any more guppies, at least for a while, going to see how many I get naturally.
About a million in a few months. Guppies don’t know when to stop breeding. I bet a couple of weeks and she will drop fry. Rose certainly looks close to dropping a few.

Re: Afterburned's 60l Planted Tank

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:00 am
by Afterburned
Not sure if it's just the angle but didn't think Rose was pregnant before I got her... Who knows with those breeding machines! Really want Ochre's patterning with Sparky's coloration & fins, Rose is there to keep the tank happy! Will just have to see what comes out I guess - other Guppys in the shop (different tank) had lovely red & blue markings.

Have ordered a couple of 'dwarf' Banjo cats, will pick them up next week, hopefully will keep some fry in check! :tongue:

In the mean time took a quick vid of the tank to show the bubbles: https://youtu.be/4iYwrYQ6DV4

Re: Afterburned's 60l Planted Tank

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 14:52 pm
by Afterburned
Little 'sqeeee' of joy & excitement - got a pair of 'dwarf' Banjo cats on hold for me with Tunnel Aquatics (York)! :] Am waiting a week or so as only just put these Guppys in.