# Gentledental4u's 40 Gallon Breeder Journal (56K Warning!)



## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Hello all you cool peoples out there. I would like to share with you my journey from a brown thumb to a green one. So here goes:::

I've been having a hell of a time trying to survive dental school and during my deepest, darkest days of depression, decided to get myself a fish tank to cheer me up. Something about watching fish swim around and seeing how excited they are when they see fish flakes really brightens up my day. So I bought a 40 Gallon Breeder from Petsmart for 139.99. And here it is:::

In addition to this being a way for me to track the progress of my tank, it is my hope that newbs can look at my journal and learn from my experiences so that they won't have to learn things the hard way! 

BTW If anyone ever wants to chat on AIM, my sn is : gentledental4u




San Bernardino Tap Water Parameters::::

PH:::: 7.8

Phosphate ::: .5 ppm

Nitrate:::: 0 ppm

KH::: 10 degrees

GH::: <1 degrees (Desired Ca:Mg ratio 4:1 with 40:10 ppm minimum) "General Hardness

0 - 4 dH, 0 - 70 ppm : very soft
4 - 8 dH, 70 - 140 ppm : soft
8 - 12 dH, 140 - 210 ppm : medium hard 
12 - 18 dH, 210 - 320 ppm : fairly hard
18 - 30 dH, 320 - 530 ppm : hard
higher : liquid rock (Lake Malawi and Los Angeles, CA)
"


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Sounds very fun, but I see no picture.


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

I'm sold already, when do we get instalment two?


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*A New Hope*

Haha! You guys speak the truth! Here are some more pictures.


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## ianiwane (Sep 7, 2004)

Come'on dental school is hard but its not that bad.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*Reunited and it feels so gooooood...*

Hey Ian! Remember me? Ray and Boun's friend? Dude, I been trying to get back in touch with you, Ray, Boun, and Karlton...where you guys been? No more fish store trips???

Try going to Loma Linda, not UOP where I SHOULD have gone to~!!! I heard the instructors rub your toes while you are performing Endo. Lucky duck!

After a couple more hours of adding the flourite and driftwood, VOILA! 

I tied java moss and java fern onto the driftwood with some black string. Word to the wise: Take the driftwood out of the tank and tie the junk on. Don't attempt it underwater unless you want wet sleeves and your nipples to show through your wet shirt. Remember Deuce Bigalow?


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## colinthebassist (Nov 30, 2007)

I like your driftwood placement. Will look really nice with some moss on it. BTW 139 bucks for a 40G breeder is a rip off.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*Tyardarmi: Ancient Japanese Art of the Lazy Man*

*COMMON SYMPTOMS OF NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY IN AQUATIC PLANTS* 
*Element*
*Leaves
show deficiency *
*Symptom*​

Nitrogen 
Old 
Leaves turn yellowish
Older leaves die off quickly in extreme deficiencies. 


Iron 
New 
Leaves grow in pale or yellow
Greenish nerves enclosing yellow leaf tissue
First seen in fast growing plants 



Potassium 
Old 
Pinholes appear in older leaves, and slowly enlarge
Yellow areas, Withering of leaf edges and tips



Calcium 
New 
Distorted leaf growth
cupped leaves, twisted and bent leaves, twisted and short roots, Damage and die off of growing points
Yellowish leaf edges, extreme Calcium deficiency which resulted in a sword plant where new leaves were growing in almost completely white. 



Magnesium 
Old 
Yellow spots
Often appears similar to iron deficiency since mg deficiency prevents a plant from properly using iron.
Yellowing of old leaves starting from edges while major veins remain green 



Boron 
New 
Dead shoot tips, new side shoots also die
Brittle stems
Similar to calcium 



Sulfur 
New 
Similar to nitrogen deficiency 



Manganese 
New 
Dead yellowish tissue between leaf nerves 



Copper 
New 
Dead leaf tips and withered edges 



Zinc 
Old 
Yellowish areas between nerves, Starting at leaf tip and edges 



Molybdenum 
Old 
Yellow spots between leaf nerves, then brownish areas along edges. Inhibited flowering 



Phosphorus 
Old 
Stunted growth. Sometimes leaves become darker green​


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

gentledental4u said:


> Thank you, Colin. I'm implementing the Tyardarmi method of art of placement of wood. You basically move the wood until your arm gets tired.


lol...Tyardarmi...Good one

Looks like you're off to a good start.
I've been thinking of setting up a 40g breeder myself.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*Plant Nutrients...*

Thanks, Jinx. I appreciate your comments. With the Breeder's dimensions, you get a lot more depth, which I like a lot. I had a 55 Gallon before and didn't like how "flat" it felt.

Oh yea, by the way, are you a graphic designer? Cuz that artwork is A++. 

I planted some ludwigia repens I got from Petsmart and some apons I got from walmart. My lilies didn't sprout.



*Macro-Nutrients of Plants:*
*Element Form of Concentration Some Functions*
*Absorption as a % of dry wt.*
*Nitrogen* NO3- (or NH4+) 1-3% Amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, chlorophyll, coenzymes
*Phosphorus* H2PO4 or 0.05-1.0% High energy molecules ATP, HPO42- ADP, nucleic acids, phosphorylation of sugars, essential coenzymes, phospholipids.
*Potassium* K+ 0.3-6% Enzymes, amino acids, protein synthesis, enzyme activator, stomata opening/closing
*Calcium* Ca+ 0.1-3.5% Cell wall formation, enzyme cofactor, cell permeability.
*Magnesium* Mg2+ 0.05-0.7% Part of chlorophyll, enzyme activator.
*Sulfur* SO42- 0.05-1.5% Some amino acids, coenzyme A. 
*Iron *Fe2+, Fe3+ 10-1500 Chlorophyll synthesis, ferredoxins, cytochromes
*Calcium, Magnesium & Sulfur* are generally not limited as major nutrients either; sufficient concentration derived from tap and food sources. In soft water, Ca and Mg may need supplementation; best achieved through the substrate. Calcium is necessary for plant growth, as is sulfur; magnesium is the central atom in every chlorophyll molecule. A lack of Ca shows in dwarfed, gnarled growth and blackened, stubby roots. *Missing Mg may result in yellow to white, transparent leaves.*
*Iron *crosses over the border as a macro/micro-nutrient. Ferrous matter is necessary in only small concentration, but is often a nutrient deficiency cause of 'yellowing'. Your tap water may well not contain enough iron material to meet your plants needs or be too alkaline, precipitating it out of solution.
*Carbon:* Should we mention this, the most abundant plant element in dry weight? Well, I guess so. Except in plant-crowded and otherwise boosted (lighting, chemical supplemented) systems, enough carbon as CO2 enters into aquarium systems through respiration processes and the atmosphere. Carbon can be 'forced' to become the rate limiting "minimum nutrient" factor, as can iron under intensive culture, or calcium or magnesium in soft water conditions.
Carbon dioxide infusion is useful in other ways; principally as a bicarbonate balancer in hard waters. The pH stabilization offered by carbon dioxide infusion goes a long way to promoting luxuriant plant growth.
*Hydrogen and Oxygen* are the remaining macro-nutrients of aquarium plants. They are obviously not in short supply.
*The Minor Mineral Nutrients of Plants*
*Absorption in parts per million*
*Chlorine *Cl- 100-10,000 Osmosis and ionic balance
*Copper* Cu2+ 2-75 Activator of some enzymes
*Manganese* Mn2+ 5-1500 Activator of some enzymes
*Zinc* Zn2+ 3-150 Activator of many enzymes
*Molybdenum* MoO42- 0.1--5.0 Nitrogen metabolism
*Boron* BO3- or B4O72- Calcium utilization, nucleic acid synthesis, membrane integrity.
*So What Does This All REALLY Mean?*
For folks with boosted lighting (thousands of lux at substrate level), possibly with carbon dioxide infusion, certainly one or more nutrients will move into this role. Carbon, if CO2 is not employed, iron, and in softer waters the alkaline earth elements calcium and magnesium.


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## Lee (Feb 13, 2007)

fantastic scape! I like your style.


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## Lee (Feb 13, 2007)

do you have co2? lighting?


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

gentledental4u said:


> Thanks, Jinx. I appreciate your comments. Oh yea, by the way, are you a graphic designer? Cuz that artwork is A++.


Thanks, and let's just say I dabble...I make a few dollars here and there but it's mainly a hobby...lol


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Lee said:


> do you have co2? lighting?


 
Hey thanks Lee, so the substrate is fluorite that I had leftover from my earlier attempts at planted tanks back when I was chillin' with Karlton Dawg and Boun Dawg and Ray Dawg in Freakmont, California. 

I had also bought the driftwood a long time ago too. 

So far, I have DIY CO2 but I'm in the process of switching over to pressurized. I got a 15 lb tank from Airgas for 135 bucks. I have no idea how long it's going to last. But I've got it running at 1 bubble per second for 8 hours a day.

The lighting is also leftover from my high school dayz. It is 2 x 65 watt in the back and 1 x 55 watt in the front. Can anyone tell me if that is enough to grow a nice glosso carpet?????

Here are my full specs:::

Substrate::: Seachem Flourite

Lighting::: 2 x 65 watt 6700K Daylight + 1 x 55 watt 9325K GE Daylight

CO2::: Pressurized CO2 w/ 15 lb. CO2 tank introduced into the tank with a glass diffuser running @ 90 bubbles per minute

Nutrients::: Seachem Flourish [KNO3] [Plantex CSM+B] 

Flow::: 1 x Maxi-Jet 900 Powerhead w/ 230 GPH

Flora::: Java Moss, Java Fern, Marimo Balls, Ludwigia repens, Rotala indica, Rotala colorata, Taiwan Moss, Hemianthus Callitrichoides, Aponogeton sp., Vallisneria sp., Riccia, Lemna Minor 

Fauna::: 11 x Neon tetras, 4 x Panda Corys, 7 x Espei Rasboras, 3 x Siamese Algae Eaters, 1 x Otocinclus, 3 x Zebra Danios, 5 x Silver Hatchetfish


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## Lee (Feb 13, 2007)

thats 4.6 wpg. it should be enough. I would stagger the lighting for a morning midday evening effect.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

So I had to change the position of my driftwood because the previous one caused my neons to stay in the right corner and it was very boring. With this new position, they like to swim all over the front. Another tip about controlling the way your neon tetras school. If they start feeling safe and secure and just scatter all over the place, you can feed them sinking pellets. They get into the habit of schooling real nice and tight looking for food on the ground. It's real cool. 

Lee, thank you for the tip!!! 

I would like to stagger the lighting. How exactly would you do it if you were me?


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

I'm suffering from some kind of nutrient deficiencies now on my ludwigia repens. As you can see from the photos, the top leaves are all white or a really pale green. I dose with seachem flourish as directed on the bottle...but it's not enough.... I don't know what is going on but I ordered some test kits and they will be here any day now.

***Iron Deficiency due to extremely high phosphates******


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## Lee (Feb 13, 2007)

I would just use two lights each on for 7 hours overlapping for 5 hours. Are you dosing any phosphate? If the algae gets out of control reduce your lighting further.


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## pilau (Feb 23, 2008)

Nice start! Looks like it will look great.

San Bernardino huh? I was born in San Bernardino and lived in Lake Arrowhead. I moved to Hawaii when I was 10 and recently spent 5 months in Big Bear. I missed Hawaii so I came back. I can't believe how ghetto San berdu has become. I like Redlands though. Its still got that old school small town charm to it. There is a lot of good fish shops in inland at least. We only have one here. 

Keep us updated on the tank.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Lee, I'm not dosing phosphates...Are the ludwigias exhibiting a phosphate deficiency????

pilau, thank you for checking out my tank. I'm glad you got out of here while you could! 

The cloud of algae has slowly gone away and the tank is starting to look clearer. SAE's are so good at eating the brown beard algae. They just gobble it up!!!!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

I just received my order of test kits from Dr. Foster and Smith and here are my results:::

PH :::: 7.6

Nitrates ::::: 0 ppm

Phosphates ::::: > 10 ppm

KH ::::: 9

GH :::: <1

I bought the Drs. Foster and Smith Semi Automatic CO2 package with the Azoo Regulator and Aquamedic bubble counter. 

I've been having trouble with the bubble counter. It's leaking in all 3 areas when I checked with water. And when I turn the CO2 up, the top just pops off!! 

Also on the pressure readings. On the right, it's at 700 psi and on the left, it's at 55 psi. What does this mean???? 

Also, The glass diffuser doesn't seem to be the best at dissolving CO2 in the water. 

Any advice is appreciated!!!!!!


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## Lee (Feb 13, 2007)

Well your phosphates should be around 1-2, and you nitrates should be 10-20. I suggest using some Teflon tape to seal the fittings, if your referring to the large valve on the front of the regulator you could be unscrewing it too much. 700 psi is the tank, that’s normal, but the 55 psi is a little high I would go down to 30psi. Place the diffuser as low as you can, if all the bubbles don't dissolve that normal. If you look closely the bubbles should be reducing is size greatly before they reach the surface. The ludwigias are showing signals of low nitrate according to this link, http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nutrient.htm


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Thanks, Lee, you are a wealth of information. 

can I be your apprentice? Just don't say, "Yow Fiyawd" 

 Really, I appreciate your 411 A LOT!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

garuf said:


> I'm sold already, when do we get instalment two?


Garuf, I love your avatar. It's hilarious!


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## rwong2k (Dec 24, 2004)

good stuff, I just purchased a 40 gallon breeder also to replace my 15 gallon (seems like the same ratio, dimensionwise but much bigger)
Next task is to grab another 40 gallon breeder to replace my 20 gallon rimless =)


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

gentledental4u said:


> Garuf, I love your avatar. It's hilarious!


Thank you, I drew it myself.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

rwong2k said:


> good stuff, I just purchased a 40 gallon breeder also to replace my 15 gallon (seems like the same ratio, dimensionwise but much bigger)
> Next task is to grab another 40 gallon breeder to replace my 20 gallon rimless =)


 
Thanks, rwong2k.

I just tested my tank again

PH::: 7.2

KH:::: 10

GH::::: <1 <----is my GH too low? Perhaps I might have to worry about Calcium and Magnesium deficiency???

So my CO2 ppm according to the chart is 18.9 ppm. Not bad, right?

Nitrates::: I had dosed it to 20 ppm and in only one day, the nitrates are now down to less than 5 ppm!!!!!! Plants are eating nitrates like there's no tomorrow!!!!

Phosphates haven't changed at all. I'm guessing plants don't need much of phosphates because they are not flowering.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

I just did a 50% water change and my phosphates are still greater than 10 ppm!!! GEEEEEZZZZZ


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## Lee (Feb 13, 2007)

gentledental4u said:


> Thanks, Lee, you are a wealth of information.
> 
> can I be your apprentice? Just don't say, "Yow Fiyawd"
> 
> Really, I appreciate your 411 A LOT!


haha very funny,

It sounds like you have phosphates in your tap.
Keep your co2 in the 25-35 range, no less!! It's very important for keeping algea away.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Sounds like I just have to live with high phosphates in my water. Okay, I will keep my co2 in the 25-35 range and just continue to be dosing nitrates. 

I bought Jobes Food Spikes for the Aponegetons. I couldn't find the ones for lush ferns so the closest thing I could get N-P-K 13-4-5

I just lost an otocinclus. Not sure why. Anyone know how to do fish autopsies?


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Just to give everyone an update...

The CO2 has really helped stabilize the tank. The algae is slowly starting to disappear. First, the brown hair algae disappeared with the help of the SAEs..and now the brown algae on the walls of the tank are starting to go down. 

The plants are pearling decently, I wouldn't say like a champagne glass, but not bad too. Also, the limiting nutrient was in fact Nitrates. Remember when I tested the tank water, I found that I had 0 nitrates. Now that I've dosed to 20 ppm, the plants are starting to green up. They are greening up very slowly, though, but each day I am noticing a difference. 

As for the lighting, I'm very happy with the GE 9325K that everyone raves about. It's fantastic!!! The plants are growing great!!! They really like using the reddish light for photosynthesis. 

The apons are getting out of control..they are HUGE!!! and their root systems are even more huger!!! Everybody seems happy.

I'm going to get some hatchetfish. I've never had them before. So if anyone wants to share their thoughts, I can throw a penny your way!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Hatchets are awesome. Big schools look *really* amazing, if you can handle the bioload. Going with dwarf hatchets might help in that respect? I personally prefer the silver, but marbled may make a nice contrast in some tanks.

Make sure that you have a canopy- these fish* literally* fly. I had a glass canopy over my 46gal and still 1/2 my last school managed to turn themselves into cat food by jumping out of the back 2" that was open for all the equipment  

Also make sure to QT; these fish are still most usually wild-caught in South America.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*Plants like nitrates!!!!*

Thank you Lauraleellbp!!! They seem great!! I'm going to pick 3 of them right now.

Also, yesterday my nitrates were at 40 ppm and today they tested 10 ppm. Wow!!! My tank uses up 30 ppm of nitrates a day!!! Is that insane or what??? 

Tank water parameters::::

pH :::7.2

KH:::: 10 

GH:::: <1

Nitrates:::: 10 ppm

Phosphates::: >10 ppm








lauraleellbp said:


> Hatchets are awesome. Big schools look *really* amazing, if you can handle the bioload. Going with dwarf hatchets might help in that respect? I personally prefer the silver, but marbled may make a nice contrast in some tanks.
> 
> Make sure that you have a canopy- these fish* literally* fly. I had a glass canopy over my 46gal and still 1/2 my last school managed to turn themselves into cat food by jumping out of the back 2" that was open for all the equipment
> 
> Also make sure to QT; these fish are still most usually wild-caught in South America.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*My Dosing Schedule*

I'm working on getting a dosing schedule going:::

Here's what I have so far:::::

I put 1 tablespoon of each fert in a 500 mL bottle

2 mL of KNO3 every other day::: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday

2 mL Seachem Flourish every other day:::: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

50% Water change every Sunday


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

Hey, Joey. Glad to see you back into the hobby. Looks like the tank is off to a good start.

If your water is high in Phosphate, you may want to dose some additional Potassium (using potassium sulfate, K2SO4) along with the KNO3. I usually dose equal ppm of K as I do NO3.

Also, don't let the Ludwigia get too full or else the lower stems will start dropping leaves from lack of light.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Bill, I'm glad we reconnected! Thanks for the tips!!! I always appreciate advice!!!

I haven't even been dosing potassium cuz I have a problem overdosing that (using KCl), which resulted in super tiny growth and cupped leaves. But I should dose it. I'm going to dose very carefully this time around. 

I saw on your website that you are growing HC emersed in your backyard....that looks gorgeous...how cool would that be to have a HC lawn! That gave me an idea to try and grow ludwigia emersed next to the window sill. 




bharada said:


> Hey, Joey. Glad to see you back into the hobby. Looks like the tank is off to a good start.
> 
> If your water is high in Phosphate, you may want to dose some additional Potassium (using potassium sulfate, K2SO4) along with the KNO3. I usually dose equal ppm of K as I do NO3.
> 
> Also, don't let the Ludwigia get too full or else the lower stems will start dropping leaves from lack of light.


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

Joey,
The HC managed to survive the harsh Fremont winter (  ) but it's not in the best of shape at the moment. I'll need to thin it out a bit now that spring is here. Over the winter the already dense growth got even denser with the leaves reduced to the size of pinheads.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

How interesting!! I've always been intrigued with emersed growth because it allows us to see our plants flower...

Yes, harsh harsh weather in Fremont...BrrrRRrrrR :eek5: 

I hope to move back up after the summer...Then, I can help out with SFBAAPS and spreading our love of all things planted :thumbsup: 

pH 7.2

KH::::10

GH:::: 3 (raised with calcium and magnesium at a 4:1 ratio)

Nitrates:::: 5 ppm

Phosphates::: > 10 (even after 60% water change yesterday)




bharada said:


> Joey,
> The HC managed to survive the harsh Fremont winter (  ) but it's not in the best of shape at the moment. I'll need to thin it out a bit now that spring is here. Over the winter the already dense growth got even denser with the leaves reduced to the size of pinheads.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*Got wood?*

I never thought I'd ever say this, but I just had too much wood. :icon_redf 

So I took out the one on the left side and added a smaller piece. I'd say, "The wood is good in the hood."

Since my last pics, I clipped the ludwigia repens tops and put them in the right back corner. Hopefully they will grow out and be a good background plant. The apons all got allocated to the right side, which makes it look denser. When comparing the old pics, I noticed that the rotala has really started to twist around and curl its stems. When I first got them, they were straight up. I read somewhere it's because there's enough light, so they are not having to "stretch" up to the surface. 

I'm making room on the left for the plants from the gentleman bharada, aka Takashi Amano of the West. Bill, your generosity will not be forgotten like cotton!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

:icon_cool


lauraleellbp said:


> Hatchets are awesome. Big schools look *really* amazing, if you can handle the bioload. Going with dwarf hatchets might help in that respect? I personally prefer the silver, but marbled may make a nice contrast in some tanks.
> 
> Make sure that you have a canopy- these fish* literally* fly. I had a glass canopy over my 46gal and still 1/2 my last school managed to turn themselves into cat food by jumping out of the back 2" that was open for all the equipment
> 
> Also make sure to QT; these fish are still most usually wild-caught in South America.


laura, i wanted to thank you for your advice on these guys. They are a wonderful addition to a community planted tank! I watched them all last night for hours and hours..and then I had a dream that a huge massive hatchetfish the size of the monster from "Cloverfield" jumped out of the water and swallowed Oceanic Flight 815. And I was in the plane when it happened! Good times. :icon_cool


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

ROFLMBO @ the dream- I think you need to watch the hatchets a LITTLE less... my hubby is totally addicted to Lost- I haven't watched all the episodes, though so I GOT a little lost...

Aren't hatchets lovely, though? The perfect topwater fish, school beautifully... people too often neglect that part of the water column, IMO...


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> ROFLMBO @ the dream- I think you need to watch the hatchets a LITTLE less... my hubby is totally addicted to Lost- I haven't watched all the episodes, though so I GOT a little lost...
> 
> Aren't hatchets lovely, though? The perfect topwater fish, school beautifully... people too often neglect that part of the water column, IMO...


Very awesome. If you ever start a Hatchetfish Lover's Club, sign me up! 

So I just did a 80% water change because I was having trouble with nutrient deficiencies and brown algae all over. I finally was able to get the phosphates down to 3 ppm. Yay!!!!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Well, I've finally won the initial battle with algae. My conclusion is that the algae was sucking up all the nutrients and eating my flourish and nitrates dosing before the plants could get to it, thereby causing my plant babies to be starved. But after I removed most of the algae and did the water change, and continued my regular dosing schedule, the plants are coloring up. The rotala is back to normal and the ludwigia is picking up. Thank you all for your help.

Nitrates::: 20 ppm

Phosphates::: 5 ppm

KH::: 10

GH::: 3


pH :::7.0

My plant mentor's great advice for the day::::

"""If your water is coming up with almost no GH then you can dose it to 4-5 degrees or about 90 ppm of combined Ca and Mg. It's usually recommended that a 3:1 ratio of Ca to Mg be kept so about 67 ppm of Ca and 23 ppm of Mg. I would dose this after your weekly water change.

A lot of folks use Seachem Equillibrium for this.""""


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Don't mind me. I'm just posting for my tank records. I'm very test-happy.

Here's my tests:::

pH 7.0

GH 5 (added some calcium gluconate)

KH 10

Phosphates 4 ~5 ppm

Nitrates 10 ppm~ 15 ppm


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*New pic*

Here's my tank after planting the plants I received from Budi and from Bill. Thanks, you guys!


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## Lee (Feb 13, 2007)

Its looks great Joey. Really coming along, the plants are very bright and the driftwood looks good.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Things are coming along nicely.

Any plans for the back wall?


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Lee, Thanks for stopping by and taking a look. 

lauraleellbp, Thanks! No plans for the back wall so far. Do you have any ideas? I'm open to suggestions.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*We only got 4 minutes to save the tank ---Justin Timberlake, Madonna.*

Argh!!! Battling green water now!!!!!
Help!!


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## Lee (Feb 13, 2007)

Reduce your lighting intensity 25% and do a 50% water change.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Did a 50% water change,...the haze was gone for a day, but it became pea soup again !!!


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

keep up with the water changes, good luck, i have never had "green water" knock on wood, and hopefully it stays that way


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## Digital (Apr 4, 2008)

Looks great!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Bought a Green Killing Machine, 24 W UV Sterilizer from Petsmart, 60 bucks...Just plugged it in. I'll update on how long it took to clear the tank!


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

gentledental4u -

Your tank is shaping up nicely. Before long its going to be looking pretty good when things start to fill in a bit.

24 W for a 40 gallon, huh? Your water should be clear in about 30 minutes or so LOL. I would imagine that you'll see a huge difference in the morning. I ran a 9W turbo twist on my last GW breakout, and I was able to see a noticeable difference within 12 - 16 hours.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Thank you! If you are ever in town, I'll treat you to a nice biscuit.

**and the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon...little boy blue and the man in the moon...when you comin' home, son, i don't know when, but we'll get together then...i know we'll have a good time then!!!****


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

gentledental4u said:


> Thank you! If you are ever in town, I'll treat you to a nice biscuit.
> 
> **and the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon...little boy blue and the man in the moon...when you comin' home, son, i don't know when, but we'll get together then...i know we'll have a good time then!!!****


I really appreciate the offer, but discounted dental work would really make my day. I'll take whatever you have to offer.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Discounted dental work??? I can do you one better. How bout 99 cent cleanings and crowns? 

Just did a 50% water change

Nitrates::: 0 ppm

Phosphates:::: 1 ppm

pH:: 7.2


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

That is almost worth me getting on a plane and using my vacation time to come out to CA. How about root canals? LOL 

On another note, your nitrates are a bit low for a planted tank. Are you sure your test kit is accurate/calibrated?


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Just finished dosing nitrates to 10 ppm

Root canals are freeeee!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

The green water cleared up thanks to the killing machine. I also added an Eheim Ecco 2232.. 

The HC is not doing so well...a lot of it ends up not staying down well and so floats up to the top... cladophora algae has grown in between it.... dunno what to do about that...


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Heres my tank after I left it alone for 4 months while I was preparing for WREBs.

Vals from Budi, Crypts from Bill, and Swords from Walmart :hihi:

Hayward Water

KH::: 6

GH::: 3

pH:: 7.6

Nitrate dosed to 10 ppm

Phosphate 1 ppm

K+ oh I don't know.

Still use Seachem Flourish but running out and wanting to switch to Plantex CSM


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

WREBs suck. I've heard worse about the California Boards though.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Epic, it wasn't too bad, though...the worst part was finding the right patients... everything after that was piece of cake...I got a 93 and several perfect scores....


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

gentledental4u said:


> the worst part was finding the right patients...


Where did you take it? 

All my patients were family members. 

I was the guinea pig for the Treatment Planning section. Horrible quality radiographs and clinical photographs coupled with a loose interpretation of "the best treatment" left a lot to be desired for that portion. The scores varied so much that there was a generous curve at the end. Or well, everyone passed that portion.

Sorry for the hijack...back to our regularly scheduled program.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

I took it at Loma Linda. Good ole Loma Linda... Where did you take it? UOP? What year did you take it?


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## bigpow (May 24, 2004)

gentledental4u said:


> Epic, it wasn't too bad, though...the worst part was finding the right patients... everything after that was piece of cake...I got a 93 and several perfect scores....


Aww.. too bad... I'd be willing to be your patient 
I've got this one bottom molar that has been giving me problems over the years.
Even now after it's removed, i still get the annual swollen gum with pus (sp?)



PS: Tank looks great even after left alone for months. Kind of looks like my val/shrimp jungle in a way


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## Marc (Oct 13, 2004)

bigpow said:


> Aww.. too bad... I'd be willing to be your patient
> I've got this one bottom molar that has been giving me problems over the years.
> Even now after it's removed, i still get the annual swollen gum with pus (sp?)
> 
> ...


Sounds like you got an infection dude.....should get that checked out.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Yay, and I was just about to bump this thread too when I saw that you were back


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Yea, I love those infections...especially when I get to pop em like a pimple....Only thing is...gotta wear a face shield cuz those things squirt like crazy..

Thanks, watkins!!! It's good to be back!!!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Note to self:: When changing water for panda cory fry (or any fry for that matter), Please PLEASE PLEASE dechlorinate the water first...then add SLOWLY to the tank!!!!!!!! Lost at least 2 cories by adding 3 gallons of room temperature water wAY too FAST!! ugh!!!! I feel so bad!


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

gentledental4u said:


> Note to self:: When changing water for panda cory fry (or any fry for that matter), Please PLEASE PLEASE dechlorinate the water first...then add SLOWLY to the tank!!!!!!!! Lost at least 2 cories by adding 3 gallons of room temperature water wAY too FAST!! ugh!!!! I feel so bad!


doh :facepalm:


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

My hemianthus micranthemoides has been showing signs of nutrient deficiency. New growth is gnarled and stunted looking and leaves turned darker. Some crypts are coming in completely white. The rest of the plants look great though...I'm dosing seachem flourish per instructions on bottle. is there a specific element i should dose separately? I think they are losing out to the other plants...any ideas/suggestions?


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

My hunch is that I have low phosphates based on The old leaves of the HM turning really dark green and there is stunted growth. I tested it and it's .5 ppm. Maybe tha'ts too low...I do have a Ozelot sword that I love so much, i think that it sucks up a lot of nutrients because it's getting really huge. 

I will feed the fish more until i find some phosphate source. I never thought I'd ever have to dose phosphates...


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## bigpow (May 24, 2004)

I get phosphate from city water, free 
Reminds me, I need to do WC tomorrow


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Changed the water last night 25% aprox. 10 gallons

Seachem Neutral Regulator (contains phosphates) to dechlorinate

Tested water.

nitrates 10 ppm
phosphates 2 ppm

Stunted growth has stopped and HM's new growth is starting to look more normal. all other plants look fine. The e tenellus is throwing side shoots like crazy..and glosso is starting to pick up...crypts have been rotting here and there but i think that's because of the increase in lighting and co2...they should be fine..my ozelot sword is getting massive.. and a nice reddish color..i love it!!! the ludwigia brevipes also looks fantastic...i'm thinking of having that plant be my main plant spread throughout the tank...

Budi, how do you post all the pictures that you have?? my image space is limited..


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Update!


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Hey, it looks great! 40B's sure have nice dimensions


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

wow, nice progression on the tank, it looks nice though. whats the foreground you're growing? and whats that nice bush in the middle back? some form of rotala?


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*Thanks*

Thanks for the support, fellas.

The pic doesn't really do it justice. It looks so awesome and just glowing in person. 

cl, yea, i love the 40B. Also love the 75 gallon 4 foot tank, I'm thinking of getting one!

monkey, The foreground is glosso. It still has a month or two before it will grow completely in. I didn't want to put my tank on steroids, so it's slowly growing in. The glosso looks good and healthy though. Some leaves have green spot, but other than that it's ok. Where middle back? I 'll list the plants, ludwigia brevipes, rotala sp green, hemianthus micranthemoides, rotala rotundifolia, echinodorus ozelot, rotala verticularis, blyxa japonica, e. tenellus, eleocharis acicularis, eleocharis blenum, limnophila aromatica, crypt wendtii brown, crypt wendtii green, crypt moehlmani, sagitaria subulata, vallisneria nana, jungle vals, green lotus, najas grass, duckweed, frogbit, riccia, willow moss, christmas moss, glossostigma elatinoides, hope that helps!


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

tanks lookin' good whats new with it?


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*Update...plants growing like crazy!*



vtkid said:


> tanks lookin' good whats new with it?



Enjoy!!! I know I am!!

Currently fighting this thread green algae... no one is eating it..no amano no sae, no mollies, 

i'm going to lower the lighting from 8 to 6 hours.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Here's an update!

11 harlequin rasboras
8 von rio tetras
4 oto
~20 panda cories babies that were spawned in the tank
5 marble hatchetfish
3 mickey mouse platies
tons of cherry shrimps


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Shay hallo to mah little fren!


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## chonhzilla (Apr 22, 2008)

very nice indeed!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Thank you Mr. Zilla. That means a lot coming from you. I'm looking at job ops in Fresno...what's your take? thumbs up? down?


5 Marble Hatchetfish, 
7 Serpae Tetras
Countless Panda Cories.
4 Otocinclus Cats, that I spot spawning, 2 males and 2 females tadpole shaped


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

That looks great!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Thank you, cl, thanks for stopping by and visiting 

The tank is incredibly stable and mature now. I haven't had a single loss of fish in a long, long time. I've had Otos, Von Rios, Harlequins, Celestial Pearl Danios, Pandas, all breeding in the bushes. Of course, I've only been able to save Panda eggs and raise them.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

I like the progression of your tank. Presently it looks very nice. Nice job!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Thank you, speedie!

The funnest part for me was looking at the one constant throughout all the pictures, and that's the Green Ozelet Sword that's located to the right of the center of the tank. 
When I first got it, it was emersed growth....and now it's just a huge monster of a plant albeit a beautiful monster!


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## rwong2k (Dec 24, 2004)

very nice journal
love the progression can't wait for the next update


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

'Tis good to hear from you again, Mr. Wong. Thanks for the support!:bounce::thumbsup:

I've been doing 50% water changes each week, and dosing a pinch of KNO3, K2SO4, and Seachem Neutral Regulator afterwards. So I guess you could say I'm doing a loose Tom Barr's Estimative Index.

I also dose Seachem Flourish and Kent's Micronutrients throughout the week whenever I feel like it. I've got a good feel of the tank now and can tell when to feed the plants. 

Also, I should note that I feed the inhabitants heavily on California Blackworms, crushed egg white, red cichlid pellets, and high quality flake food. I even have worms living in the substrate!


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## SJInverts (Apr 6, 2009)

Any updates?


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

SJInverts..Thank you for your interest. The tank is still going strong with a large Blyxa Japonica component. and Hairgrass as foreground, very easy foreground to maintain... No need to trim a s much as the glosso. 

Fish are::

Rasbora Espei
Pygmy Cories,
Celestial Pearl Danios (homebred)
Panda Cories (homebred)
Otocinclus (homebred)
ton of Cherry shrimp

I have crypt spiralis in the back, rotala colorata here and there,... and crypt wendtii here and there. 

I'm busy at work righ tnow so i can't post something now...but if i don't remember to post a pic soon, please feel free to post something on this thread to get me going...

Thanks!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

*Bring it on!!!*

Asketh and ye shall receiveth.


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## !shadow! (Jan 25, 2010)

looks good so far!


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Thank you. I'm going for longevity...Hope to keep this tank running for many decades to come.


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## !shadow! (Jan 25, 2010)

That's something new lol usually the tanks i've read get torn down, l hold you to it


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## VincentK (Dec 16, 2009)

HAHA Gentle Dental, that's the name of where I go


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

shadow dude, you can hold me to whatever you want  

Sir Vincent , I have too many patients already  

btw, this tank is 4 days from its 2 year birthday and has travelled from Socal to Norcal somewhere in between. It is my hope that as many people as possible come on here and support the tank by posting a quick "happy bday" on 3/12/2010  much love and peace up to all!!!!!


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## SJInverts (Apr 6, 2009)

Happy 2 year birthday. The tank looks good.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Thanks man .. Let me know if ever need anything. I'll be happy to help


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## hubbahubbahehe (Sep 13, 2003)

Here is an update..e. tenellus took over


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## hubbahubbahehe (Sep 13, 2003)

yo here it is


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Going to get 20-30 silver hatchets or marble hatchets, still debating between the two!
Happy 3 years 

Updates:

2 x Aquaclear 301 Powerheads for water movement (No Filter)

Temperature 72-74 degrees Fahrenheit running cooler for my Super Red Cherry Shrimps

2 x 39 W T5 HO SLR Nova Extreme. Very happy with these lights. 

I have 5 x panda corys, that are descendants of my original panda cories that i bought 3 years ago.

5 x sterbais

5 x pygmy cories

5 x otos that are also descendants of the original otos i bought...(yes i had oto's breeding!!!)


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## SJInverts (Apr 6, 2009)

Any updates on the tank? New pictures?


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Thanks for the interest. 

I added 5 pygmy cories and a breeding pair of German Blue Rams. First time keeping rams. Any advice on keeping them would help out greatly!!!!


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

Is that L. 'pantanal' in the back right corner? Looks nice.


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


AzFishKid said:


> Is that L. 'pantanal' in the back right corner? Looks nice.


Why, yes, yes it is. Good eye!! I do believe you can be a pilot, Eagle Eyes!

I owe that plant to a good plant buddy, Richard Sintchak, who has one of the cleanest Discus tanks I've ever seen..


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

Update


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