Remodeled 55 Gallon - Amazon Biotope

yeah. when I buy fish that are for schools I buy them from different stores. Like 2 here and 2 there and so on. I never buy the whole school from the same tank/store at the same time.

I try to prevent it as much as possible

 

So, I was thinking about how adding dead leaves to the substrate to recreate a natural river scene would look.

You can't really notice them from far away so I took close ups. Let me know what you think! I was a guinea pig trying this out haha.

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I know it's only 3 leaves to start, but I just wanted to see what it looked like and what you guys thought!

 

Yeah, but it does a little bit and once they start molding I will just replace them with new dead ones.

 

Google using leaves in aquariums, the pros out weigh the cons by far

 

Leaves are good for soft water fish and contain natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal organic compounds. They can also help lower PH. And they can help induce breeding in hard-to-breed fish.

 

Almond leaves and oak leaves are close to the same. You can't go out and just grab a dogwood or maple leaf and drop it in haha.

Almond and Oak can be used in aquariums.

 

I just learned how goo they were too haha, must've been an ancient chinese secret!

 

Just a few updates on this tank.

I moved last week to a new apartment (4th floor so that was fun moving fish tanks) and I got a few new additions I wanted to tell you guys about.

This tank originally was to become an amazon biotope. And although, in my opinion it looks like what the amazon looks like as far as decorations, I do have a few non-amazon fish just to add to the spice of the tank.

I add 3 Harlequin Rasbora the other day. They fit in quite well. Although they are from Asia, I still think they blend well with the amazon feel.

Yesterday I added a Black Skirt Tetra to my amazon tank and the woman said it would be fine with my other tank mates yet it kept chasing my discus around! After about 15 minutes of non stop chasing, I scooped him and returned him for a female yellow lab for my male yellow lab in another tank.

I am getting another 55 gallon that has a canopy and from the looks of the picture, t5 lighting. It is a gift from a cousin of mine who's wife bought it and never set it up. I've never even met him (my cousin) and he is giving me a brand new tank, stand, canopy, lights, everything . So, I am selling the central american 55 gallon since it's an older style tank and doesn't have a hood and moving my central americans into there.

I also have a 10 gallon and a 29 gallon bowfront as holding tanks for me central americans and yellow lab pair. I'll be setting them up with permanent stock soon and I'll let you guys know what goes in.

 

Ryan, have you had any luck with Richmond Aquarium?

I went in there yesterday and they seem to have a pretty decent collection of salt related and an alright amount of freshwater related.

Thats where I got my yellow lab. And they have banjo catfish and african leaf fish and butterfly fish! A lot of rare ones. They also have a huge 2000 g saltwater tank, it's crazy! Anyway, I live about 4 minutes from them so I'll be visiting there often. They do have 2 blue discus but they're in quarantine bc they were brought in from a previous owner sick. They're at $80/each once they get better.

 

Update picture since the move.

Everything is doing really well in here and the plants are thriving.
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