Chris turtlerouge

Hi there! Thank you for you advive about the Bows! Im just getting my tank ready for plants. Um tichibg to get fish in it but im having too much fimun deciding just comes in. I love the colors of the Empire Gudgeon. But, i also love the colors of tge Bows as you call them. They are my #2 pick. Followed by the Dwarf Honey Gourami, #3 Ive a 40 breeder that im also planning on keeping several neons, and danios. I bought the 2" terracotta flower pots for the fry and/or smaller fish. But, i was thinking of putting in 6 Bows & 6 Honey Dwarfs. Im probably am in left field and my choices. Perhaps iam but i havent had a 40 breeder with fish before. Turtles YES but fish, no. Ive an OTP filter for 40-50 gal & im planning on putting in a foam submersible also With several plants, that should help cut down the toxin build up to some help. If not, what would your suggesions be?

Thank you for responding! If yoy had fish such as tge gounrami's or Boseman's, would you get tge Empire Sundge and put it in with them?

Hi, Ive a 40 breeder tank and im slowly getting it ready to put plants in it, then cycle for 1 month, then put fish in it. I want colorful fish weither they be cold or warm water fish. I love the colors of cold coldwater fish. However, i do not know not about which coldwater fish if i can put in with my freshwater fish. Man on google says no due to filtration and more reasons. But is it wise for me to get a few of the Empire Sudgeon fish or the Clown Killifish, or pradise, Enders Shiners and put them in with my tropical fish? Thank you for reading this and for your advice! Chris Rougeux

Thank you Tank fpr your suggestions! What i was thinking of doing after reading what you said, i just a plastic tote to hopfully boil the 2 pcs of driftwood bonsai trees in. Wouldnt added salt kill just the same if i put it in the boiling water in tote? Or, after a boilng time to soak, i could spray it down with the peroxide as you suggested.

Thank you for your suggestions Fish Folk. Although ive a full hooded light for my fish, the bulbs do come out. There is a full glass top also that has a lot of calcium build up on it. I bought the tank last year. After cycling it, i put fish and plastic plants in it. After a few months, my fish started dying in the plastic plants. i thought they got stuck in the plastic leaves but a friend suggested they were sick and their bodies got caught in between the plastic leaves. Some of them died that way but the remaining fish died due to my heater had a lot of condensation. I couldnt see the numbers, i thought i turned it down, but instead, i turned it up and when i got home from work, all my fish were floating on top.The temp was 92F. I cannot move the tank myself, too heavy and awakward. I can spray down the inside of tank with vinegar and spray it off with another bottle filled with water, at same time do tge same with gravel and tank decorations. I thibk thats about all. Thank you again! Chris

Hi, Ive a 40 gal tank. It needs cleaned out but do i clean it with vinegar to clean AND disinfect the tank before i start it back up? Also, i purchased a driftwood bonsai tree. Im suppose to boil it for 30 mins but tge problem is, ive nothing wide enough to put the "tree" in to kill the leechens. So, wjat is anorhet way to to kill the bad bacteria that may be left on the driftwood? Ive approx 4 lbs of aquarium gravel that i have not yet cleaned and sanitized that i took out of this tank. They are dry stones but wouldnt they have the good bacteria left on them as well as inside of the tank before i clean it? Lastly, i ordered Eco Complete soil. I was thibking of adding alittle bit of sand in a different area that isnt covered by the EC soil could i mix the sand with the aquarium gravel to help filter water and roots better? Lastly, my tank is 36" x 18" wide. Ive a full hood light. Should i get the full plant light spectrum colors or day and dusk florescent light or what should i get for light? To make sure the front row of furture plants will get tge light tgey need plus, the other plants, should i put a hugger light up closer to the dront of tank and put my full hood closer to the back for the back row of plants? Im planning on putting my lights on a timer, when are the best times to set my light timer? When do i have to start daily water changes? When should i add beneficial bacteria liquid into the water? Thats all for now! Thanks! Chris

Just a thought: Wouldn't that be like using leggo blocks? MD on one of his videos used larger lava rocks to build up, he kept his foundation around 2-3" but used larger rocks to build up and he hid some of that behind plants.

Umm, ok. Thanks for the advice

Ok, thank you

I thought about that, but what would you suggest i put in my tank? Chris

Im just curious, cant the campfire rocks thats been in that fire be used also?

Hi Nolan, Thanls for the video. I was originally going to put as a foundation crushed lava rock in netted bags to hold the next layer from spreading out. But, thats where i stopped. I dont know what that layer should be. I was going to add Eco Complete and put it on top of the crushed lava rocks, then add some sand for the eye to follow if i wanted to go that route. Since im new at planted tanks, i thought of adding a few swords, valesneria, anarubis, java fern, java moss to put on my driftwood and larger pieces of lava rocks. I would "carpeting " to mimic a forest feel. Tall plants in the back wall, then medium size plants in middle and small plants in front. That way, all tge plants should get the equal amount of light. I bought 3 small cholla wood pieces for fry or small fish to hide in. Im considering buyibg an LED plant light and putting the light inside my full hood and setting the full hood on top of my full glass top. But ive to get special gloves to clean off the calcuim build up. The last time i tried to clean that off with my bare hands, the glass sliced my hand. Ouch!! What kind of plant light should i buy that will fit a 40? I looked at the blue Acara fish, i think i will pass on him but iam considering gettng a blue dwarf grouami and putting community fish in with it. As far as filters, ive an over the top filter for 40 gal. But apparently, im going to have get an submersible filter. Again, im not sure which kind to buy. Heaters. My last heater had so much consendation in it that i accidentally turned it up and cooked all my fish. So, i deffiently do need a new heater. If i had lots of mobey to spend i would get the tiger pleco in a few months from now after my tank has had a few months to recycle. I want tge Boseman Rainbows. They are very pretty. But theres also another fish thats amazing, but i forget whats they are called. The males are blue while the females are yellow. You asked me iif im from Lousiana. No im not. Im still using my ex's last name. His family originally came from Rougeux, France. Ive been born here in PA. My maiden name is Carol. My emails, i go by turtlerouge. I love turtles and at one time i was raising 5 of them. So i chose my handle to be turtlerouge. Where are you from? Your name is Nolan, right?? Thanks, chris

Hi Nolan, I will answer all your questions shortly, again. But ADAaqua soil has another one out called Ada lite. It has lava rock and sand mixed together, should i get that bag? Or, what about putting sand on top of soil but mix sand in with my used, dried aquarium gravel

Hi! My name is Chris Rougeux, aka turtlerouge. My question today is, should i use the ATA Aqua soil foundation in my tank? I will be putting different size lava rocks in my tank also along with 2 bonsaia driftwood trees. I want to put at least one show piece fish in tank. I really like community fish and plecos. I wanted to pur a discus in the 40 gal tank but i cant. I like the Boseman Rainbow fish but im not sure what other show fush i can put in tge 40 gal that wont eat the other fish. Since im new to the planted tanks, i thought of putting plants in ut for newbies. Like, Anaubis, swords, java ferns, java nanos, val, and a few others. Would i need low lighting for all these plants? Are all these plants stem plants? Will that ATA soil be enough along with the Lava Rocks, or should i add more to it? Im going to be using tap city water. Im suppose to boil the driftwwod tree for 30 mins, but i dont have anything large enough to boil the driftwood bonsai tree in. I will have 2 bonsai trees in same tank. I have a full hood for the 40, plus the glass top. That glass top has a lot of calcium build up on it. I tried cleaning it off but i sliced my hand on the glass edge. Could i set my hood light, put in it an LED plant light and set that on top on the glass top ovrr the tank? Is there anythung that i. Forgetting to add to my soon to be planted fish tank?? Thanks, Chris R