# Kid Creole's 65 Gallon Journal



## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

Here is a pic of one of the festivums:










I really like this fish. The picture isn't 100% true, but I'm still learning how to take pictures.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

Equipment Stats:
-65 gallon Marineland 65 Gallon Corner-flo
-Marineland Tidepool II wet/dry
-Eheim 2217
-T5HO lighting (78W currently)
-Pressurized CO2
-Flourite substrate

Flora (I'm learning the names. If you can help me be more specific, or correct, I appreciate it):
-Anubias nana
-Wisteria
-Jugle Val
-Corkscrew Val
-African Onion (in the back right)
-Amazon sword (maybe not, tbd)
-RAOK from ADhlc. I asked him what it was, he told me, it's awesome, and I forgot the name and deleted the PM. It's the twisty val like plant on the front right. If you know what it is, let me know.
-Ludwigia (I'm not sure which ones)

Fauna:
-3 SAE
-2 Festivum
-1 Flying Fox (oops, but so far has turned out better than I was lead to believe it would)
-5 head and taillight tetras. I think I need to up this group. There were more, and they were the first fish... but now there are 5


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## Adhlc (May 4, 2008)

It's about time you posted a journal! Your tank is looking excellent.


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## yikesjason (Jul 2, 2008)

That was some great improvement. How long did it take you to get rid of that much algae?


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

yikesjason said:


> That was some great improvement. How long did it take you to get rid of that much algae?


It was quick. 3 weeks maybe? I had way too much light. After that was fixed, the algae just died.


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## brion0 (Sep 28, 2008)

Looked like a severe algae problem, glad you got past it.


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## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

Incredible! I think I may have pulled it all out and begun again!


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## Pinto (Jan 23, 2009)

Nicely done. How did you get your tank so spotless from algae.
Your tank looks great.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

OK y'all, here is my March update. It's been about a month, and although you can't see too much change, I had a nice big pile of plants to show for it. 












Pinto- It was a simple matter of too much light. Cutting back on the light took care of a huge part. Then getting CO2 and some ferts in there finished it off.

BTW, the end goal is to bring the ludwigia down to about 2/3 of it's current height. I'll do that over time. I want the crypt on the left to get a better foothold first. I'm going to be trimming the jungle val better so as to get some more light on the crypts. I think I also may rearrange the wood. I would keep the formation as it is, but rotate it 45° clockwise so that the downside that points towards the back would come to the front corner.

As always, ideas are needed, appreciated, and usually implemented.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

What kind of crypts are in the front left of your tank? I love them.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

sewingalot said:


> What kind of crypts are in the front left of your tank? I love them.


It is a Red Wendtii. There is also one on the right. Even though it is much bigger, it is harder to see in the pics I posted.


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Looks good! Way to whip that algae! What are the dimensions of your tank?


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

fastfreddie said:


> Looks good! Way to whip that algae! What are the dimensions of your tank?


36" wide by 18" deep by umm, tall? Probably 24" tall or so. I really wished I could have fit a 48" tank in there, but the width of the alcove is 48", so with the overhange of the stand it would have come out into the trim of the wall on the wall on the left, which wasn't acceptable in the living room.

I'm going to keep bringing the ludwigia shorter and forward to create more depth. I also have some Wisteria hidden behind the driftwood that will come up eventually.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

Great looking tank you got there. Love the fish. And nice to see that you got rid of all the algae.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Updates?


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

Update? I'm extremely peeved with the festivums. When they were nipping at the swords, I didn't care so much. Now they have found out that new anubias leaves are delicious, and the same goes for the crypts. 

I took April pics, but I didn't post them. At least I thought I did. I can't find them, but with the wedding and all (May 2nd), I probably didn't. I'll take mid May pics soon, after my next tank cleaning. There has been a lot of growth.


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## demonbreedr16 (Jan 10, 2008)

ugh, fish. :icon_roll

My goldfish ate all the pond plants this year. Haha, they have to deal with the algae now!


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## zavikan (Jan 5, 2009)

I feel for you man. The problem with plants, is once they mess up the plant, the plant can take SO LONG to fully recover, and I personally stare are the messed up leaves and forget how beautiful the rest of the tank is.

Congratulations on beating the algae. that can be such a feat, you certainly had it far worse then I ever did.

You definately are learning how to take the pictures (as am I, I can see your learning curve).

Seeing the shot w/ the festivums in the tank is nice, I have something to eye them against. They certainly are a striking fish, to bad they have decided to become vegetarians....


James


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

zavikan said:


> You definately are learning how to take the pictures (as am I, I can see your learning curve).


I recently got a tripod. I'm looking forward to someday hopefully someone will accuse me of having an expensive camera!


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Wedding?!? See how a girl's ears can perk up?  Congrats! I will expect pictures after the honeymoon. :hihi:


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

We don't have the pictures back yet, but if you load up this page:

http://www.betsycolephoto.com/

That's us. I love that picture. Obviously she did too, if she put it on her website before the pics are done. roud:


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Very pretty! Nice picture! Now, where is that taken? Paradise. Sorry. Off topic.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

sewingalot said:


> Very pretty! Nice picture! Now, where is that taken? Paradise. Sorry. Off topic.


We got married on the beach here in NC. It's not off topic, if it's my freshwater planted tank journal, IMO.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

That is an awesome beach scene. You make me want to go there. By the way, is that algae for sale in the S&S? :hihi:


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

sewingalot said:


> That is an awesome beach scene. You make me want to go there. By the way, is that algae for sale in the S&S? :hihi:


Yeah, RAOK. :lol:


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

kid creole said:


> Yeah, RAOK. :lol:


That sure was nice of you to RAOK it out. :thumbsup:


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

I just wanted to put a post for posterity in here. I start EI last weekend. 

I plan on getting pictures posted soon, but it's been one thing after another
-wedding
-traveling
-what seemed like a zillion thank yous
-buying a new house, already have two
-work

I'm tired just writing that out.

Pics coming soon. I promise.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

OK. I got off my lazy butt and took some pictures.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

nice, thanks for the update.

and congratulations for everything else. have you had a chance to catch your breath yet?


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

Married? congrats Cool tank, it seems pretty tall but the long grassy plants look good in there, what are they?


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

hydrophyte said:


> nice, thanks for the update.
> 
> and congratulations for everything else. have you had a chance to catch your breath yet?


lol, No, not really. Today was my b-day, so I didn't do jack squat, except for a home inspection. :icon_roll


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

vtkid said:


> Married? congrats Cool tank, it seems pretty tall but the long grassy plants look good in there, what are they?


Thanks, they are the garden variety jungle val. They grow longer than the 6 or 7 feet that I cut them off at. You can see them curled around at the top of the tank.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Happy belated birthday! About time you grew up and took another picture! :hihi: I love this tank. You should update daily just for me.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

So may was my wedding, June was my birthday, July was a new house... what's next? Hopefully some R&R. Either way, I moved the tank today, and pictures should come soon. The flourite clouded it up a little, but it looks like it should be clear tomorrow. I planted half of the plants today, and I'll plant the other half tomorrow. 

I also traded in every fish except for the head and tail light tetras. I'm taking suggestions right now on stocking. I'm thinking about a big school of h&tl tetras, maybe 20 or so. Then maybe a gourami? 2? Yo Yo loaches? GBRs? Is a 65 too small for Rainbows?

If you have any thoughts, throw it at me. I'd appreciate it. I'll post some more specific questions when I get closer to decision.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

September is my birthday you could make a trip to clean my tank or something if you need something to do. Congrats on getting married and happy belated. 

Craig


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Emperor Tetras? I love this fish. I only have two and I want more. The GBRs would be sweet.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

The new update is here, and a new inhabitant. Inhabitant, heck the King. The king tiger pleco. This is beautiful pleco who is staying in the Hotel Kid Creole for the time being.
FTS:









The King:









The tank is at a crossroads. For the first time, I can look back at pictures and say that I liked the way it was better before. My favorite plants seem to be the crypts and the swords, but I've been adding more stems, upping the light, following EI religiously, working hard on my CO2--and as a reward, I'm not growing anything particularly well, but I'm seeing a lot of that red/brown algae on stuff. I don't seem to get enough light to the bottom without baking the top. Indica rotundifolia does great floating, but planted it's just withering. I've thinned out most of the jungle val that was covering the top of the tank, but now I just miss it. I traded my festivums and I miss them too.

I think I am going to continue this experiment, and some time next year, when budget allows, I'm going to set up a smaller tank, maybe a 20L, and just play with plants. At that time, I'll return this tank to what it should be: A fish tank that happens to have some plants.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

Come one now, show me some love, give me some ideas.


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

i would ask for suggestions from people who have really tall tanks like yours. maybe try some rotalia? mine seems to grow quickly, easily and would look great in one of those back corners as a big bush.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

JennaH said:


> i would ask for suggestions from people who have really tall tanks like yours. maybe try some rotalia? mine seems to grow quickly, easily and would look great in one of those back corners as a big bush.


Thanks Jenna. I think that is a great suggestion. I have some rotala rotundifolia around the middle and floating, but it just seems to be withering at the substrate level. Rotala indica might be a better plant in for the appearance you are talking about. I have upped the light, and I'm hoping to see it grow better. The back right corner will be tough, because I have a lot of water, and it all goes to the top right and tumbles forward.


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

i think the rotala i have is indica (pinkish at the top?) i have also read a couple times about people with taller tanks incorporating a "noon burst" where they run higher light for a short period of time during the day. here's one : http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/91800-new-tank-evolution-photos.html i would be careful to keep an eye out for algae though :/


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## JamieH (Sep 20, 2006)

WOW!


I have to get some festives for my tank.

awesome journal and tank.

well done mate.


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## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

Congrats on the wedding! Still no pxs. here.... 

I think you had a great idea in the beginning with your hardscape. Since your tank is so tall.. if you can use hardscape - rocks, logs ect. to raise the level of your plants then they will get more light. If you use rocks you could put some substrate up on them and plant. Or if not, many plants will grow without planting as long as you do water column dosing of ferts. You could make banks with rocks holding the substrate back - in effect raising the substrate level in that area. Lots of ideas. It would be a little different and interesting too! 

BTW - great pleco. I have one too!


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## Albtraum (Dec 27, 2009)

Wish the LFS had festivums here


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