# 125 gallon aquascape for rainbow fish



## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Looks like a great start! Nice job on the diy cabinet. 

Keep posting updates, will enjoy seeing what you do with it.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Thanks I'm pumped about it. Just ordered the glass for the 40 long sump baffles. I have about 70lbs of seiryu stones and some fluorite dark on hand, trying to hash out a design on a large board before I start in the tank. Hope to have some updates coming by next week. 


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## megatrev62 (Sep 26, 2014)

Nice setup. Is that a hagen tank?


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## thejoe (May 23, 2013)

I like it! Are you going to seal your sump too hold the C02?


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

So the tank is just a Marineland 125 with dual corner overflows. They had a sale a few weeks ago, 20 % off all tanks. I do plan on covering the sump to keep the noise but my plan is to tee the co2 reactor into the return line for the sump pump, have a check valve on the reactor. Never gone this hi-tech on a tank before though. 


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Progress is slow going at the moment. Doors look a bit sloppy to me and I still haven't painted the back of them, likely remake them at some point. I did finally finish the sump baffles and am currently waiting for them to fully cure. Hope to get all the herbie plumbing done with this weekend!


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Almost done building the wall mount for the radion xr15 freshwater lights. M5 metric socket bolts fit perfectly in the mounts on the lights, four 40mm m5 bolts will let the light hang from these three boards. Behind the whole mount there's 3/4" space and a low voltage box to run the wires below the tank without being seen. 


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## CrazyCory (Apr 29, 2009)

Looks great! But you have to really water proof the wood mount.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Thanks! Yeah just testing fit at the moment. The stand and light mount will have kilz primer base and exterior grade paint on them. 


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Looking good. Are those Kregs pocket holes I see there? I built my whole stand with pocket holes and glue. 

Are you going to have a top on this tank? Just wondering, as Rainbows are jumpers.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Indeed they are! I built my stand the same way, then I got extra fancy and filled them in with wood putty and sanded them down before paint. I was thinking of a screen or cutting acrylic sheets for the top, mostly to keep the kids toys from going in the tank, they're always launching something around here. Good to know about rainbows being jumpers, never heard that before. 


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Well progress is slow with my monkey children hanging on my back. Waiting for a new gate valve in the mail today so I decided to work on the lights and get some rock in the tank. Still don't have a clear vision for my scape yet but having fun with it. Love these radion lights! Thunderstorms and cloud cover are fun to play with, and I've already programmed a few day and night schedules, anxious to watch them play out. I hope they are strong enough for plants. 

Cheers
Mike


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

great way to mount the lights. love that clean look!


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## HunterX (May 19, 2012)

This is going to be a nice project. I can't want to see how it turns out. Subscribed.


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

do you have the power cords in the wall?


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

ichy said:


> do you have the power cords in the wall?




Yes. I cut a square hole behind the light mount and put a low voltage old work box in it. Then cut a hole in the back of the stand into the wall directly below it. Then I tied some butchers twine to a heavy washer and dropped it down the hole and pulled it through the bottom. Tied the 6' of cords (3 of them total) to the string and pulled it through. I'll take a picture of the set up after I get the co2 all set up.


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## r45t4m4n (Feb 12, 2014)

that stove :drool::drool::drool::drool:


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## Willcooper (May 31, 2015)

nice job on the stand and lights! I may have missed it but what plants are you planning? Rainbows are going to be beautiful in there. Mixing males and females or just males?


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Willcooper said:


> nice job on the stand and lights! I may have missed it but what plants are you planning? Rainbows are going to be beautiful in there. Mixing males and females or just males?



Thanks! It's a labor of love. 
I just ordered a few things to play around with. Only have had low tech tanks before with an anubias nana and Java ferns. I'm going to transfer those to this tank and try a few more plants like flame moss, monte carlo, micro sword and bacopa. Probably too much for me to start but it is a huge tank. Hopefully I don't kill them all while I learn to use the regulator and pH controller. Haha. As far as males and females I'm not sure yet. My Cory cats and platy fish breed like crazy now, my wife refers to our 20 gallon as the "aquatic orgy". I suppose it would be better to breed my own rainbows if possible since they're so dang expensive here!


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

yesss rainbows can be pricey! 

what type of rainbows are you going to get?


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

monkeyruler90 said:


> yesss rainbows can be pricey!
> 
> 
> 
> what type of rainbows are you going to get?




I really like all the rainbows but I'll likely go for the blue eyed forktails, boesmans, threadfins and blehers. Assuming they're all compatible, have to do a bit of research first. Also will likely get some more Cory cats as I like how playful they are. Maybe some CPDs if I can get my hands on any.


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

You had me subscribe with "Rainbow fish tank"



Cornishrooster said:


> Thanks! It's a labor of love.
> I just ordered a few things to play around with. Only have had low tech tanks before with an anubias nana and Java ferns. I'm going to transfer those to this tank and try a few more plants like flame moss, monte carlo, micro sword and bacopa. Probably too much for me to start but it is a huge tank. Hopefully I don't kill them all while I learn to use the regulator and pH controller. Haha. As far as males and females I'm not sure yet. My Cory cats and platy fish breed like crazy now, my wife refers to our 20 gallon as the "aquatic orgy". I suppose it would be better to breed my own rainbows if possible since they're so dang expensive here!


I personally would go with an even mix at 1:1 male / female. you get an incredible show with lights on that is just not there in an all male tank. The eggs in a tank with adults rarely survive too, but if you want more of one specie they are easy to breed with a 10g tank and a spawn mop. 



Cornishrooster said:


> I really like all the rainbows but I'll likely go for the blue eyed forktails, boesmans, threadfins and blehers. Assuming they're all compatible, have to do a bit of research first. Also will likely get some more Cory cats as I like how playful they are. Maybe some CPDs if I can get my hands on any.





Willcooper said:


> nice job on the stand and lights! I may have missed it but what plants are you planning? Rainbows are going to be beautiful in there. Mixing males and females or just males?





monkeyruler90 said:


> yesss rainbows can be pricey!
> 
> what type of rainbows are you going to get?


it was recommended to me with my last bow tank by A long time rainbow keeper to not put Pseudomugil furcatus (blue eye fork tail) with the larger bows. not because the larger bows would pick on the tiny little things, but the opposite. he told me that they are tiny little jerks and get pretty aggressive during feeding time and bully the larger bows. 

I have also found threadfins to be a pretty delicate bow, that does not compete well with more boisterous bows. They are very pretty fish though. 

Take a look at Adrian Tappin's rainbow book. He is considered one of the top expert in Rainbowfish. His book has great information on them. 

The pictures in the book while great, are not the BEST photos of the fish. Its really hard to get great photos of bows. If you find a specie you like I suggest doing a youtube search for it and see if there is a video. There are quite a few good places to get good quality bows as well.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Noahma said:


> You had me subscribe with "Rainbow fish tank"
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Thanks for the info! I've heard that of forktails but was hoping my tank was sizeable enough to avoid that, my Aquarium and Pond Fish Encyclopedia book (David Alderton) claims they are peaceful though. There's a quarantine section in my sump, might try one or two later on move them to a different tank if it doesn't work. My LFS stocks a few species of rainbows at $16 a pop, mostly boesmans, reds and behers though so I'll likely start with a few of those. The larger adult bows have some amazing color profiles, one of them is half blue and half yellow, very vibrant colors. 

I'll check out the book thanks for the recommendation. 

Cheers
Mike


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

https://vimeo.com/165514904

Well I finally have a few plants in place. Haven't even bothered to turn on the co2 yet, I know I should but I want to give the fish a chance to relax from the move today. Need way more plants than I had anticipated. Trying to take it slow though. After I'm comfortable with the co2 I'll start phasing out the platys and buying more Corydoras and rainbows. 


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Finally have rainbows! Bought five boesmani and two turquoise from the LFS. Eventually I'll donate all the platies and get more rainbows. At the shop he had two rainbows that were $80 for the pair!!! Semiantesis rainbows I think. Plants seem to be taking off, even the Cuba. Not sure if I'm giving enough co2 though. My staurogyne opened up nicely but then now is starting to brown a bit. I'm a little afraid to turn the co2 up any higher, especially when I can't be home to monitor it. Anyhow I'm rambling now. Better pics to come later. 


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

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## Kwidjaya (Mar 24, 2016)

Do you think Radion XR15 enough for that tank ? If I were you, I would go with XR30 for the middle one. The left and right side is fine with XR15. What do you think ?


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Kwidjaya said:


> Do you think Radion XR15 enough for that tank ? If I were you, I would go with XR30 for the middle one. The left and right side is fine with XR15. What do you think ?


Honestly this is my first experience with them so I don't really know. I've never gone this high tech on a tank before so it's all trial by fire. I'm sure the lights will be the least of my problems. :grin2: Still have to get down the dosing of ferts and co2 injection.


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## Kwidjaya (Mar 24, 2016)

I love the setup


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

I would keep the CO2 steady for now. The S. repens could still be transitioning. And I would look to nutrients rather than CO2 if it looks not well. Tank is looking very good though. 
Do you have a drop checker by the way?


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Opare said:


> I would keep the CO2 steady for now. The S. repens could still be transitioning. And I would look to nutrients rather than CO2 if it looks not well. Tank is looking very good though.
> Do you have a drop checker by the way?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




Thanks! Yeah drop checker is green so I think I'm good there. Have more of the ground cover plants in the mail though so I'll have to tweak again I'm sure. I'm dosing flourish, trace and excel as recommended. What do you think?


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

I find Excel is sort of not needed with injected CO2 but it's fine, I prefer to spot treat algae with it.
Flourish (Comprehensive I think your talking about) and Trace are both providing your micro nutrients so I would just dose one of them (I prefer comprehensive). So, you are missing your macro nutrients which are your NPK. Without them and having Micros you will run into problems down the line.
I think some good fertilising regimes are the PPS Pro or EI methods I would look at those, and you can use dry fertilisers to dose woth these regimes. You can stick with the Seachem stuff for your Micro's since you have it, it'll work just as well. Switching to dry fertilisers will just save money for your Macros, cus using the liquid ones like Seachem Nitrogen can get pretty $$$, especially in a big tank. I saw on your profile you live in the US, so you can get dry fertilisers from places like GLA.
If you have any questions regarding this stuff feel free to ask, it can be a bit confusing.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Opare said:


> I find Excel is sort of not needed with injected CO2 but it's fine, I prefer to spot treat algae with it.
> Flourish (Comprehensive I think your talking about) and Trace are both providing your micro nutrients so I would just dose one of them (I prefer comprehensive). So, you are missing your macro nutrients which are your NPK. Without them and having Micros you will run into problems down the line.
> I think some good fertilising regimes are the PPS Pro or EI methods I would look at those, and you can use dry fertilisers to dose woth these regimes. You can stick with the Seachem stuff for your Micro's since you have it, it'll work just as well. Switching to dry fertilisers will just save money for your Macros, cus using the liquid ones like Seachem Nitrogen can get pretty $$$, especially in a big tank. I saw on your profile you live in the US, so you can get dry fertilisers from places like GLA.
> If you have any questions regarding this stuff feel free to ask, it can be a bit confusing.
> ...


Awesome info thanks! I'll definitely take you up on that offer.
Cheers
Mike


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## jacob.morgan78 (Nov 30, 2011)

You have to have some reef tank background! Is that an MP40 I see in there? Real nice setup, I like how clean it looks. What kind of rocks are they that you're using? 

I'm currently in the planning phase of a 125 planted tank myself so I'll be following this pretty close. Thanks for sharing!

jake


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

jacob.morgan78 said:


> You have to have some reef tank background! Is that an MP40 I see in there? Real nice setup, I like how clean it looks. What kind of rocks are they that you're using?
> 
> I'm currently in the planning phase of a 125 planted tank myself so I'll be following this pretty close. Thanks for sharing!
> 
> jake


Thanks you're too kind. No reefing experience, but I did grow up in a family of carpenters, plumbers and a master electrician so I know how to do all that and then some, loads of ambition helps too. :grin2: I've kept tanks off and on for years but only recently (last year or two) became aware of aquascaping, then I knew for sure I wanted to try it.

The tank has two mp10s now, tried one but had a large dead spot so i recently bought another. It was hard to justify but I already had the reeflink and the lights so I talked myself into it. Being able to play with programming from the pc or download other people's schedules is a huge bonus. 

The rock is 100lbs of "seiryu" stone from an ebay seller, he'll work with you to do greyhound bus shipping for larger orders and it's a bit cheaper. I put seiryu in quotations because I'm fairly certain these aren't the real seiryu stones from Japan, I think they outlawed removal of the rock after it became too popular of an export, could be wrong but I remember reading that somewhere. I love hiking and took my son all over the Shenandoah and surrounding areas looking for rock that would look nice but it's all just river rock or carbonate. 

Still messing with my sump here and there but if you have any questions I'm happy to answer what I know!


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Tank is looking great. It will take on a whole new look once the plants fill in and really take off.

I look forward to seeing the progress, keep the updates coming.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Greggz said:


> Tank is looking great. It will take on a whole new look once the plants fill in and really take off.
> 
> I look forward to seeing the progress, keep the updates coming.


Hey greggz I know you've had rainbows for awhile so I'm looking to you for advice here. I have one male who is clearly aggressive but only towards other rainbows, guessing he's establishing the fact that he's the alpha. He's rubbing tails with a another female but chasing anyone else away in the vicinity. Mating already?! Only had them for a day if that.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Cornishrooster said:


> Hey greggz I know you've had rainbows for awhile so I'm looking to you for advice here. I have one male who is clearly aggressive but only towards other rainbows, guessing he's establishing the fact that he's the alpha. He's rubbing tails with a another female but chasing anyone else away in the vicinity. Mating already?! Only had them for a day if that.


Yes, normal behavior. In my experience, Rainbows spar and flash generally to their own species. They set up a pecking order, and there will be a dominant male for each type. This behavior will take place daily, so get used to it.

The good news is it's mostly show, and normally no real damage is done. You will find them most active in the morning, but could have a few lingering battles throughout the day. The can be especially active right after a water change. I personally enjoy watching it, as the flashing stripe and the vivid display of colors is something to see. 

The more fish you have, the more it is spread out. And it sounds like they must be happy in your tank if they are displaying normal behavior. That's a good thing.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Greggz said:


> Yes, normal behavior. In my experience, Rainbows spar and flash generally to their own species. They set up a pecking order, and there will be a dominant male for each type. This behavior will take place daily, so get used to it.
> 
> The good news is it's mostly show, and normally no real damage is done. You will find them most active in the morning, but could have a few lingering battles throughout the day. The can be especially active right after a water change. I personally enjoy watching it, as the flashing stripe and the vivid display of colors is something to see.
> 
> The more fish you have, the more it is spread out. And it sounds like they must be happy in your tank if they are displaying normal behavior. That's a good thing.


Glad to hear it, thanks. Seemed pretty harmless but felt the need to make sure there wasn't a problem fish. I've had to remove aggressors before and it's amazing how the tank comes to life after that one bully is gone. The "spar and flash" is certainly entertaining to watch, eager to get rid of the other species in here and start filling the tank with rainbows.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Cornishrooster said:


> Glad to hear it, thanks. Seemed pretty harmless but felt the need to make sure there wasn't a problem fish. I've had to remove aggressors before and it's amazing how the tank comes to life after that one bully is gone. The "spar and flash" is certainly entertaining to watch, eager to get rid of the other species in here and start filling the tank with rainbows.


Wait until they get fully grown and have fully mature colors. It can be quite a display.


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## jacob.morgan78 (Nov 30, 2011)

Well... I guess I've decided what fish to go with in my 125... Who is a good supplier? Online or LFS? Where is a good source (besides google) to research the species?

Thanks for getting me excited about these guys!


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

jacob.morgan78 said:


> Well... I guess I've decided what fish to go with in my 125... Who is a good supplier? Online or LFS? Where is a good source (besides google) to research the species?
> 
> Thanks for getting me excited about these guys!


You may find good stock at your LFS, but usually that is only if they are getting them from a reputable breeder. Be careful of over bred Rainbows from fish farms, as adult colors may be washed out, and health can be suspect.

To learn more about Rainbow species, I recommend the following free booklet. It helps getting things sorted out if you are just starting.

Rainbowfish Book

You can see pictures of my stock in my thread (linked on my salutation). 

There are some good sellers on Aquabid. Some notable ones are Johnnyb, Rfman, alloddballaquatics, roseline17, mark_N, and Rainbowfish. I've also heard Wetspot has good stock, but have never purchased from them.

If you would like to contact some breeders directly, PM me and I will send you some email addresses.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

jacob.morgan78 said:


> Well... I guess I've decided what fish to go with in my 125... Who is a good supplier? Online or LFS? Where is a good source (besides google) to research the species?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for getting me excited about these guys!




Quantum reefs in Springfield has quality stock but maybe too far for you. Also he charges about twice what you'd pay anywhere else. His personal stock in the store are fully matured and beautifully colored. Petsmart in Springfield also carries a few varieties, including boesmani and turquoise, if you're on a budget. For me personally I would hate to spend all this money on a nice a set up and put over-bred fish in there to save a few bucks. If you're going to go the aquabid route sign up now if you haven't all ready, takes a least 24 hours for them to approve your account. 
Let me know what you decide!


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## MaroMan (Jan 6, 2010)

I have had good luck ordering off Aquabid as I will never trust Petco for any of my stock. I have heard of too many people purchasing fish from there and their entire tank being infected with some ich or other disease which wiped out the whole tank. Look for stock that is derived from Gary Lange, he takes trips to collect specimens from their habitat and then breeds them for the hobby and let me tell you they are amazing! Look him up on Youtube. Also Bluegrassaquatics.com has great stock as well. Good Luck in your search for the best Bows!


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

MaroMan said:


> I have had good luck ordering off Aquabid as I will never trust Petco for any of my stock. I have heard of too many people purchasing fish from there and their entire tank being infected with some ich or other disease which wiped out the whole tank. Look for stock that is derived from Gary Lange, he takes trips to collect specimens from their habitat and then breeds them for the hobby and let me tell you they are amazing! Look him up on Youtube. Also Bluegrassaquatics.com has great stock as well. Good Luck in your search for the best Bows!


Just order 6 coomalie craters from aquabid, I'm pumped! According to the seller it's the first time they've been offered in the US thanks to Gary Lange.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Cornishrooster said:


> Just order 6 coomalie craters from aquabid, I'm pumped! According to the seller it's the first time they've been offered in the US thanks to Gary Lange.


You must have got those from Marcel AKA Roseline17. I just got some from him a few days ago. Even at a young age, some very nice markings. Really looking forward to seeing them mature. You are really going to like them.

He also has some Glossolepis dorityi available right now that you might want to consider as well.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Greggz said:


> You must have got those from Marcel AKA Roseline17. I just got some from him a few days ago. Even at a young age, some very nice markings. Really looking forward to seeing them mature. You are going to really like them.




Yes indeed I did! He mentioned selling you some stuff recently. Wanted to get a lot more but that's a big pill to swallow, wish he were closer. Better for my tank to adjust six fish at a time anyhow. He gave me his top ten list of rainbows so I'll work down the line eventually. How many types do you have now?


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Cornishrooster said:


> Yes indeed I did! He mentioned selling you some stuff recently. Wanted to get a lot more but that's a big pill to swallow, wish he were closer. Better for my tank to adjust six fish at a time anyhow. He gave me his top ten list of rainbows so I'll work down the line eventually. How many types do you have now?


Funny you should ask. I've recently added some some new babies to grow out. So right now I have 13 varieties. I'm going to update my journal shortly with some pictures if I can get some. The little ones are hard to photograph. 

So I'm curious, what were Marcel's top ten?


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Greggz said:


> Funny you should ask. I've recently added some some new babies to grow out. So right now I have 13 varieties. I'm going to update my journal shortly with some pictures if I can get some. The little ones are hard to photograph.
> 
> So I'm curious, what were Marcel's top ten?


So I misspoke when I said he gave me a top ten list, he said these are among his top ten, slightly differnt. Anyway here they are;
M. parva, M. tris Goyder River, M. boesemani (Lake Aytinjo), G. multisquamata Pagai, G. dorityi and C. alleni. 

These things need some nicknames though, never going to remember all these.


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

Cornishrooster said:


> So I misspoke when I said he gave me a top ten list, he said these are among his top ten, slightly differnt. Anyway here they are;
> M. parva, M. tris Goyder River, M. boesemani (Lake Aytinjo), G. multisquamata Pagai, G. dorityi and C. alleni.
> 
> These things need some nicknames though, never going to remember all these.


That's a good list lol. I have only kept the boesmani lake aytinjo so far. the multisquamata pagai are on my list of keeps as well as the c. alleni. I know there are a few people here in Colorado now that have the multisquamata pagai.... I really really hope a bag of them pop up at the fall auction. I am stashing my pennies for them.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Cornishrooster said:


> So I misspoke when I said he gave me a top ten list, he said these are among his top ten, slightly differnt. Anyway here they are;
> M. parva, M. tris Goyder River, M. boesemani (Lake Aytinjo), G. multisquamata Pagai, G. dorityi and C. alleni.
> 
> These things need some nicknames though, never going to remember all these.


Of that list, I keep the Lake Aytinjo, Goyder River, C. Alleni, and just got some Dorityi. I've kept Parva, but while they are striking when displaying full color, they can also go for long periods of the day looking pretty drab. Really hit or miss as far as colors go. Never had a Rainbow that could change so much in the course of a day. 

I'd add the Lacustris. They are pretty common and not exotic by any means, but adult males are easily one of my favorites. For a large tri, I really love my running creeks. Their yellow color is always "on".

The Multisquamata looks really interesting. Fairly new to the hobby. Babies don't look like much. Takes years to get the full flowing long finned look. I will have them at some point.

And by the way, you will get used to the naming. Just takes time. When you can recite the scientific names of all the species you keep, then you will be a real Bowhead!!


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## jacob.morgan78 (Nov 30, 2011)

Greggz said:


> You may find good stock at your LFS, but usually that is only if they are getting them from a reputable breeder. Be careful of over bred Rainbows from fish farms, as adult colors may be washed out, and health can be suspect.
> 
> To learn more about Rainbow species, I recommend the following free booklet. It helps getting things sorted out if you are just starting.
> 
> ...





Cornishrooster said:


> Quantum reefs in Springfield has quality stock but maybe too far for you. Also he charges about twice what you'd pay anywhere else. His personal stock in the store are fully matured and beautifully colored. Petsmart in Springfield also carries a few varieties, including boesmani and turquoise, if you're on a budget. For me personally I would hate to spend all this money on a nice a set up and put over-bred fish in there to save a few bucks. If you're going to go the aquabid route sign up now if you haven't all ready, takes a least 24 hours for them to approve your account.
> Let me know what you decide!



Thanks! That's a great start and I really appreciate the info. Seeing how I haven't even built my stand yet, it's going to be quite a while before I make a purchase! I'll keep my journal updated as I go. There's a link in my signature.

Thanks again!


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

All my coomalie craters made their cross-country trip without perishing, pleasantly surprised to see a bonus fish in the bag. Can't wait to see these beauties mature. My plants are growing nicely despite the fact that my co2 hasn't worked for four days straight how. I've been dosing excel and I started using micro and macro ferts from GLA, seems to be working out for now. My anubias nana has exploded and I've been finding new leave sprouts every day or two, sadly I don't think think it or the Java fern really has a place in this scape. I thought about nixing the cardimine lyrata but the fish love it, it grows an inch a day no joke. Might try some tape grass in the back, open to suggestions. 

Cheers
Mike


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Not very good at capturing this behemoth on camera yet. This tank has transformed into more of a river scape than a mountain one. The rainbows seem to love it and the new group of Vanheurni and craters are doing well. The Cory cats have been dropping egg clutches everywhere, but about 40 in that breeder net to see if I can raise them. 


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

very pretty!


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

The tank is really looking great. You've created a beautiful tranquil scape that has a very natural look to it. One of the nicest Rainbow tanks around.

Curious, did you ever rig something up to stop the jumpers?


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## philipraposo1982 (Mar 6, 2014)

Nice tank.

I wanted to ask about how you quarantine your fish or if you even bother to do so. I would hate to see you lose some incredible stock due to not quarantining

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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Greggz said:


> The tank is really looking great. You've created a beautiful tranquil scape that has a very natural look to it. One of the nicest Rainbow tanks around.
> 
> Curious, did you ever rig something up to stop the jumpers?


Thanks Greggz! I ended up buying the kit off of BRS that was recommended by another member here. Tops were very easy to put together and they seem to let 99% of the light through as advertised. For my marineland reef tank I made each top 16 5/8 x 22 5/8 and they fit just right, still easy to get them out. Definitely would recommend it to anyone. 








philipraposo1982 said:


> Nice tank.
> 
> I wanted to ask about how you quarantine your fish or if you even bother to do so. I would hate to see you lose some incredible stock due to not quarantining
> 
> Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk


I found out the hard way early on when I dumped some rams from petsmart in there. Lost a couple boesemani a day or so after. After I medicated the main tank I setup a 20 gallon tank in my storage area down in the basement to keep new fish in for a couple weeks. I just keep my media in the sump of the main tank till I'm ready to put new fish in the hospital tank. I also stopped keeping so many different types of fish, relocated all the tetras, rams, danios, amano shrimp etc to a friend's house, just keep rainbows and corys in there now.


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## PEdwards (Oct 31, 2016)

Great looking tank and enjoyable journal, thanks for sharing. You might enjoy catching up with GWAPA, they're one of the best plant clubs in the country and are right in your backyard. Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association


Cheers,
Phil


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

My anubias nana is flowering! Didn't even know they did that! 


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## K1963158 (Aug 15, 2016)

They do that only when happy. 

Following your journal with interest. Great looking tank. I kept a school of 5 or 6 bosemani in a 40 inch long 50 gallon'ish tank and loved them.....they grew into beautiful colours and it was fun to watch them spar....no real fighting or damage...just interesting mating and territory display.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

K1963158 said:


> They do that only when happy.
> 
> 
> 
> Following your journal with interest. Great looking tank. I kept a school of 5 or 6 bosemani in a 40 inch long 50 gallon'ish tank and loved them.....they grew into beautiful colours and it was fun to watch them spar....no real fighting or damage...just interesting mating and territory display.




Thanks! It seems that out of the four different species of rainbows I have the boesmani are the only ones that initiate the sparring, they are the oldest in the tank so maybe they're the alphas? Sure greggz can chime in on that. Excited to see what happens when the m. Vanheurni and coomalie craters mature. 

In the process of taking better photos of the tank with tripod and polarizer etc. Post some pics soon!


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## K1963158 (Aug 15, 2016)

Taking pics (really good ones) of fish in a tank is super challenging and there is a lot to read about it on the web. Best results are if you have a DSLR and a flash that you take off camera...that said you don't need that set up to get good shots.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

My brother in law is a pro wedding photographer so he has about everything I could ever need. Minimizing the glare by taking pics at night is my best bet I'm thinking. We'll see how it turns out. It'll be a fun and informative side project either way I'm thinking. 


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Cornishrooster said:


> Thanks! It seems that out of the four different species of rainbows I have the boesmani are the only ones that initiate the sparring, they are the oldest in the tank so maybe they're the alphas? Sure greggz can chime in on that. Excited to see what happens when the m. Vanheurni and coomalie craters mature.
> 
> In the process of taking better photos of the tank with tripod and polarizer etc. Post some pics soon!
> 
> ...


Very cool seeing the flowering. As to the sparring, the interesting thing is that in general Rainbows mostly spar with the same species. I've found it to be true even among the various types of Melanotaenia trifasciata. The Goyder River's, Wonga Creeks, and Running Creeks usually keep the sparring among their particular variety. 

And some species are just more active than others. I've got some Upper Tor River Rainbows (Chilatherina sp.) that are only 2 inches long, but they spar all day long. It looks exhausting.

The good thing is they don't injure each other, and the super colorful display is a pleasure to watch. 

Looking forward to seeing if you can capture some good pictures. I've never kept the Vanheurni, but would like to see how they are maturing in your tank.

I take pictures with my Note 5 cell phone. I'm far from any expert, but I can recommend taking the pictures at night, no ambient light, full tank lights, clean glass.........and take loads of pictures. Once in awhile you get lucky, but it takes patience and the willingness to sort through and delete lots of pictures to get one good one. Good luck and I always enjoy your updates.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

This new school of coomalie crater bows have so much more color at a younger age than the last set. The oldest one (and only one left) from the first school doesn't even have color this deep and he's a good year older. 


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Hey all - it's been a long time since I've logged in. Lost interest in the hobby for a bit after I lost a bunch of bows overnight, not sure what happened, but it was heart breaking and frustrating. I'm guessing it was co2 related but my regulator is still fine, heaters weren't overheating, water was circulating as usual, 50% water changes every week and super deep clean every month. Still remains a mystery. I do have a 4 year old and an 8 year old and they have friends over quite a bit so maybe one of my kids or one of their friends put something in the tank? 

There are now only 9 rainbows left out of 21, some of those were from Gary Lange himself. Before the rainbow-gate incident one of my Bosemani bows was constantly attacking the other one to the point where it never came out of hiding, even when it was feeding time. I hate to admit it but the attacker was (and still is) the most colorful fish in my tank so I kind of turned a blind-eye to it, he doesn't assault anyone else so I chalked it up to the other one just being weak, by the time I had made the decision to do something about it I was too late. Out of fear I unhooked my co2 rig and auto fert dosing pump and just left it off. Most of my plants have suffered, even the beautiful flowering nubias were reduced to nothing after a period of neglect. I've decided to reconfigure my tank to a low light/low tech build and just find plants that are suited for that set-up. I'll put in root tabs if need be but I think I'm done messing with co2. We'll see!

I'm in the process now of rescaping my tank so I'll post some pics when I get it to where it's picture worthy. If I can pull of the vision it'll be better than before. 

Cheers
Mike


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Hey Cornishrooster good to see an update.

Hopefully the new direction goes well for you. 

Looking forward to seeing pics when you get it going.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Man... that's a tough one. I went through something similar with Apisto's, but not too the same extent. Getting back into it slowly is a good idea. I personally couldn't go back to low tech, but perhaps you will have better luck. It is less chance of catastrophe for sure though. Do you plan to restock with Rainbows or something else?


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

The Dude1 said:


> Man... that's a tough one. I went through something similar with Apisto's, but not too the same extent. Getting back into it slowly is a good idea. I personally couldn't go back to low tech, but perhaps you will have better luck. It is less chance of catastrophe for sure though. Do you plan to restock with Rainbows or something else?


I hear you. I have a grand easy in the lights alone so it seems like a waste to go low tech. I have all the gear I could ever need to keep a hitech set-up, maybe after some more research I'll find a way that has less maintenance. The other thing is I have so many interests and hobbies pulling me in every direction, I rebuild Honda CT70 trails for fun, take my kids camping and fishing a lot, make cool pieces of furniture here and there.. I dunno... I love the tank and the fish and it gets loads of compliments and questions but sometimes it feels like a huge chore to keep the perfect balance. If I restock I'll most likely go with more bows, maybe threadfins(?) or pseudomugil rainbows(?). I've heard the latter are hard to raise and are finicky eaters so that goes against just about everything I just said. Lately I've been wanting to spice things up and throw a blue crayfish in there but seems like a terrible idea, like putting a known terrorist in the tank and saying, "have fun sleeping with your eyes open guys!"

As a side note where does everyone host photos for free now that photobucket has pulled the ol' Martin Shkreli and raised the price a thousand fold?


Edit: just looked up Apistos and man are they pretty. They look like blue rams to me. I kept those for a bit but they all died as well. Had four in tank and they seemed to get along okay but one by one they all bit it. I tore that tank down but in it's prime the rams were amazing to watch, moving sand with their mouths in what looked like making a nest perhaps? I have a vid of it I can post to see if I'm right.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Cornishrooster said:


> I hear you. I have a grand easy in the lights alone so it seems like a waste to go low tech. I have all the gear I could ever need to keep a hitech set-up, maybe after some more research I'll find a way that has less maintenance. The other thing is I have so many interests and hobbies pulling me in every direction, I rebuild Honda CT70 trails for fun, take my kids camping and fishing a lot, make cool pieces of furniture here and there.. I dunno... I love the tank and the fish and it gets loads of compliments and questions but sometimes it feels like a huge chore to keep the perfect balance. If I restock I'll most likely go with more bows, maybe threadfins(?) or pseudomugil rainbows(?). I've heard the latter are hard to raise and are finicky eaters so that goes against just about everything I just said. Lately I've been wanting to spice things up and throw a blue crayfish in there but seems like a terrible idea, like putting a known terrorist in the tank and saying, "have fun sleeping with your eyes open guys!"
> 
> As a side note where does everyone host photos for free now that photobucket has pulled the ol' Martin Shkreli and raised the price a thousand fold?
> 
> ...


Imgur for pics now. Super easy and you can post private so you can just use the link and not post to the "community". I learned Rams are all about where you get them from. Yunite or CoralBandit. Apisto's seem a little more hardy, but after months of doing well my Apisto Caucatoides have started to decline. They don't eat and are looking sickly. Perhaps too much competition? I've now got a breeding pair of Nigerian Red Kribensis and they are gorgeous and very hardy. They are raising their first spawn now. 4 to 6 of the young (hopefully pairs) will go into my 150. I was afraid to transfer the parents given their cost and rarity. 
I tried my hand at Gertrudes for a time. Specifically breeding them. I had some success, but even with the tank almost entirely covered 7 of them managed to jump out. I had numerous fry, but none ever made it to adulthood before being eaten. I should have transferred them, but by that point I was angry about the suicidal jumpers. They are gorgeous and very active in groups... but they have to be in groups of at least 8 or you won't see them. My tank is rimless so traditional tops weren't an option. If you have glass tops with those plastic extensions you should be good.
I passed on threadfins due to their short life spans.

I hear you on the hobbies. Race cars, bodybuilding, guns... it gets costly. I have 2 2017 Z06 Corvettes. One is a daily driver... 650hp gets it done around town and a 1000 rwhp track car.


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

The Dude1 said:


> Imgur for pics now. Super easy and you can post private so you can just use the link and not post to the "community". I learned Rams are all about where you get them from. Yunite or CoralBandit. Apisto's seem a little more hardy, but after months of doing well my Apisto Caucatoides have started to decline. They don't eat and are looking sickly. Perhaps too much competition? I've now got a breeding pair of Nigerian Red Kribensis and they are gorgeous and very hardy. They are raising their first spawn now. 4 to 6 of the young (hopefully pairs) will go into my 150. I was afraid to transfer the parents given their cost and rarity.
> I tried my hand at Gertrude for a time. Specifically breeding them. I had some success, but even with the tank almost entirely covered 7 of them managed to jump out. I had numerous fry, but none ever made it to adulthood before being eaten. I should have transferred them, but by that point I was angry about the suicidal jumpers. They are gorgeous and very active in groups... but they have to be in groups of at least 8 or you won't see them. My tank is rimless so traditional tops weren't an option. If you have glass tops with those plastic extensions you should be good.
> I passed on threadfins due to their short life spans.
> 
> I hear you on the hobbies. Race cars, bodybuilding, guns... it gets costly. I have 2 2017 Z06 Corvettes. One is a daily driver... 650hp gets it done around town and a 1000 rwhp track car.


Sweet. Signed up to Imgur but unless I'm doing it wrong it doesn't embed the picture in the site it just leaves a link. 
Gertrudes are beautiful fish I would love to have those. Jumping isn't an issue for me anymore after I built the custom tops, if you flip back through this journal you'll see them, got them as a kit from an online site. As far as breeding goes the only fish I've ever bred, albeit unintentionally, were platy fish, those things are worse than rabbits. I was taking about 50-60 platy fish to the pet store for adoption every other month. My cory cats also laid eggs a lot but they would get eaten right away. Once I scraped off the eggs and put them in a breeder net and they hatched little peppered corys but during a cleaning the net fell down and I'm sure the other fish made a meal out of them. Definitely a strangely proud moment for me though that I had the right water parameters for some cory cats to mate, might be the easiest fish to mate but I still felt good about it. :grin2: 

My daily driver pulls about 250hp I'd guess, yep 2016 Highlander is a real beast. :laugh2: I will say that it hauls my DIY camping trailer like a champ, can't even tell I'm dragging the thing.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Cornishrooster said:


> Sweet. Signed up to Imgur but unless I'm doing it wrong it doesn't embed the picture in the site it just leaves a link.


If you are just posting a few pics here and there, you can upload them here. 

Go to Resources, then Upload Images.

Once you upload the file, copy the Image URL. Use Insert Image icon then paste it there.

Much easier if you resize pictures first. I use Image Resizer for Windows. Once you install it, you can just right click on a picture select Resize Image and bring the size way down (I use Large 1920x1080). Pages load faster that way.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Cilck "share direct link" from the pic on Imgur. Then on this site in the response box there is a button on top that looks like a painting. Click that and erase the http: thing that it automatically puts in there. Paste the link you copied from Imgur into the now clear field box and it put the direct link in there. It will show as a link until you hit "submit response".


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Got the new glass baffle in the sump and the fish lived to tell about it. Water parameters are looking good. Redesign of the scape is alright for now, we'll see how the plants come in. 


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Here's the old scape by comparison. Not too much different. 


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