28/02/13
TotM MARCH 2013
This month's Tank of the Month belongs to Jake Hartmann.
Inhabitants:- * 3 Corydoras sterbai
- * 1 Royal Whiptail
- * 4 Otocinclus
- * 4 Kuhli Loach
- * 1 Spiney Eel
- * 6 Glass Catfish
- * 7 Discus (Virgin Red, Red Snakeskin, Turquoise, Eruption)
How big is your tank?
My tank is 120 x 45 x 45cm (230 litres in tank)
What equipment are you using (filtration, lighting, heater, CO2 gear etc)?
AquaOne Aquis 1200, double T5 light, AquaOne 200w heater, Seachem Flourish, Flourish Excel, Flourish Iron, Prime, Discus Trace, temporary DIY CO2.
What aquascaping have you done (gravel, plants, corals, etc)?
I have used white 16/30 gravel with Seachem Flourite gravel where planted plants are. Aquascaping consists of gold vine wood, driftwood, premium rock (unsure of proper name), planted driftwood (Anubias, Bolbitus)
Plant list: Crypt. Wendtii Tropica, Crypt. Balansae Amazon Swords, Hair grass, Echinodorus Ocelot, Echinodorus Vesuvius, Needle Leaf Java Fern, planted driftwood (Anubias, Bolbitus)
How much time do you spend maintaining your tank per week?
Usually spend an hour a week, sometimes less/more depending on plants.
What is your maintenance routine (water changes, chemical additions etc)?
I do weekly water changes of around 2-3 buckets (9 litres each), to which I add Seachem Prime, Discus Trace, then all plant fertilisers. If cleaning the canister filter or doing a larger water change I will also add Stability.
What do you feed your fish?
I feed my fish New Era Discus/TetraColour/Spectrum pellets, frozen bloodworm, discus dinner and live/dried black worm.
Tell us some interesting/unique about your tank?
I started off with a small 60litre tank with the corydoras and glass catfish then went to Coburg Aquarium one day, saw the snakeskin and virgin red discus and said to myself I
have to get them, as I have always wanted a Discus planted aquarium but have never been able to set one up. I enquired about them, went home filled an abandoned tank, set it up and purchased them weeks later. This is my first planted tank, so I've put a lot of effort into the layout to make it as best suited for my fish as possible. Hopefully you like it as much as I do.