manamanaak

Hi all. I purchased 2 Apistos yesterday from an LFS. I asked for a male and female. The employee didn't seemed phased and fished two fish out of the tank for me, no issues. I got them home and the more I look at them, the more concerned I might have gotten 2 males. My understanding is that the males are vibrant and the females are muddied/duller? But looking at them, they seem similar in appearance and I just want a consensus on this. In the picture, the one I believe to be a male is on the left. It's about 20% larger, and the fins "spike" where in the other Apisto, they do not (see right fish in picture). Otherwise, they seem almost identical (at least close enough) for me to be concerned. Can anybody confirm from these pictures if I have a male and a female, or two males? Also, assuming I have a m/f pair, would adding another 1-2 females cause any concerns? This is a 40 gallon breeder community tank with room for at least another dozen smaller fish. Thanks!

Hi all! I've got a little 12 gallon long tank (35" L x 8" W x 10" H) but it's getting crowded and is limiting my ability to decorate. I'm getting the itch to upgrade. I want something with a lot more bottom space but a 20 gallon long and 30 gallon long tank are limited to 35" in length. I realize the depth adds a lot of space but I want a longer tank, especially for where it will sit in my home. So I've decided to make my own tank from scratch. I've done the research, watched the videos, and am confident I can make the tank. I'm hoping someone who has experience building their own tank sees this and can verify I'm on the right path. So here's my goal: 40"W x 12"D x 12"H This gives me just under 25 gallons. Some of my biggest concerns I'm hoping someone can help me with are as follows: 1. I've run the calculations for glass width, and using a safety factor of 3.8, the calculator gives me the width of .1969". So I would use a 1/4" width glass? Should I spring the extra money and use a 3/8" glass just for the added strength/caution? 2. Do I put the side glass panes ON TOP of the bottom pane or TO THE SIDES (sandwiching the bottom) of the bottom pane? 3. What else might I be missing? I know to calculate measurements between glass panes and width. I know to get low-iron glass if I can find/afford it. I know to let the silicone cure for 2 days then test the tank for two days filled with water before using it with fish. Anything else anybody can provide would be appreciated. Thank you! manamanaak