My 48" Pleco Tank

FuglyDragon · Post by **FuglyDragon** » 08 Aug 2004, 05:50

Hi all, Im a pleco fancier from way down in New Zealand, all I get to do is drool over all the cool pleco's you guys have access to, the prices down here are real high for anything but the commons. Anyways I have made a small tribute site for my beloved Plecos, call in and take a look and leave me a message in the guest book.

Cheers.

Http://mikesfishing.com/pleco

gboy · Post by **gboy** » 15 Aug 2004, 04:52

hi mike enjoyed the pictures. great little site. lovely tank. you certainly love your plecos. takecare. kind regards. geoff. (gboy)

MackIntheBox · Post by **MackIntheBox** » 17 Aug 2004, 18:09

I love the site Mike

Good detail and info. My only question is what type of lighting are you using and how well do all the plants grow?

FuglyDragon · Post by **FuglyDragon** » 18 Aug 2004, 04:29

plants grow like weeds.

I have 3x36w (4') fluro tubes on 10 hours a day + 1 moonlight tube for dawn / dusk simulation (90 mins before and after main lighting).

I cant tell you what the bulbs are I dont remember, but I bought them from the LFS specifically for plant growth.

I also use laterite under the substrate (highly recommend this seems to work great) and an Eheim luquidoser loaded with leaf zone watered down 50% dosing the tank daily.

no Co2 injection though, I have never really needed it.

The val takes about 15 days to grow the 4' length of the tank after I cut it back, and the crypt (type unknown) has pretty much finished growing out across the gravel and now sends larger leaves up into midwater which I also trim back regularly. I have to pull runners regularly to leave some clear spots so the plecs can find the algae discs easilly.

I got rid of all the java fern because it kept taking over the driftwood and rocks, and ditto with the indian fern, kept covering the surface and blocking out the light to the crypts.

MackIntheBox · Post by **MackIntheBox** » 18 Aug 2004, 16:10

Thanks for the info, will definitely help me with setting up some plants

once again, very nice tank

Jeff B. · Post by **Jeff B.** » 18 Aug 2004, 16:31

nice tank!

...i know this is out of topic but... if you want planted tank, think about putting some flower dirt on the bottom, and then some substrate(3-7mm) - works super!!!

BTW, no CO2 needed, and this is cheapest substrate ever...

MackIntheBox · Post by **MackIntheBox** » 19 Aug 2004, 17:37

one more question, what are the sword plants you have in the background? any idea what species it is?

thanks

Durlänger · Post by **Durlänger** » 03 Apr 2005, 11:55

Dear FuglyDragon

Nice Tank

, but don`t you think your catfish need`s a bigger one

Dear yashmack

The plants in the back could be a Sagittaria subulata var. subulata or a kind of Vallisneria.
The plants in the front ar Cryptocoryne wendtii or walkeri

taksan · Post by **taksan** » 03 Apr 2005, 13:23

Nice tank ...nice fish ..nice site

FuglyDragon · Post by **FuglyDragon** » 19 Jul 2005, 11:42

Yes, Id love to be able to provide them a bigger tank, but with a wife and 2 young kids draining all my money it isnt going to be happening any time soon.

The plants were Val and a Crypt (Wendeti I think) there were not any sword plants in that tank.

I have since broken it down and reset up with a darker much finer substrate, undergravel heater and added filtration / water current.

Lots of Val again, Cyrpt. at front left? and right?, Anubus Nana? and Barteri? on drift wood in center. A single recently planted Rose Sword plant to the left of the anubus. Sorry im not to good on the plant names. The net at top left has a few 4 day old Albino Cory fry in it.

In this shot you are looking into the hollow drift wood at right of tank. Top right of picture is an Aquaball 2212 with the venturi on full to move the water surface about. The grey vertical tubes you can see at back right are PVC pipes redirecting the outflow from a second 2212 and an aquaball powerhead with simple sponge filter so that the flow runs through the hollow log (at substrate level), the plecs and corys love playing in the strong flow this creates.

I realise the tank is overstocked, but with 3 Aquaballs and a 2324 external the filtration seems to be up to the task, the Albino Corys, and Common Ancistrus spawn freely and the nitite and Nh4 allways come in at 0 with Nitrates controlled by water changes (weekly) and the plant growth.

2 common ancistrus fry and an Albino cats nose investigateing some Hikari wafers, as you can see water clarity is good, and substrate is clean.

kev · Post by **kev** » 20 Jul 2005, 11:55

nice tank's and a good site

Kev

My 48" Pleco Tank

My 48" Pleco Tank

like the set up