Hello from Santa Cruz

[Emma]

Hello! My name is Emma and I've been keeping fish since I was a toddler. I've only ever had one tank at a time, but I find a lot of joy in the hobby. Currently at home I have a heavily planted 29 gallon aquarium, with lots of pothos and a small as tree growing out the back. I just swapped out about half the plants in there, so we're going through an ugly phase while I re-balance everything 🙃. I've got harlequin rasboras, lamp-eye tetras, paleatus cories, otos, a clown pleco, a plakat betta, amano and cherry shrimp, one nerite snail, and a huge army of madagascar trumpet snails all living in harmony in there.

 

I have also recently taken over care of the 50 gallon tank at my daughter's preschool. Currently it has one pictus catfish and one 10" sailfin pleco. I'll be seeking permission from the preschool to rehome the pleco for sure, and maybe the pictus as well. The rest of the inhabitants didn't survive covid (as no-one was allowed into the building to care for the fish 😔). I've thrown in a few windelov java ferns I had spare, but if anyone has suggestions for hardy, low maintenance "set and forget" fish for a tropical community tank that would be wonderful. I'm hoping to future-proof the tank as much as I can!

 

 

-Emma

[Colu]

Welcome to the forum nice tanks

[Patrick_G]

Welcome!  Ugly phase? Your tank looks beautiful! I’d love to see a before pic!

[Griznatch]

Welcome to the forum. your tank looks great!

There are some really colorful female guppy varieties out there now. If you get them young, there would be less chance of a guppy population explosion 🙂 .   Gouramis are pretty tough, and like guppies are omnivorous. So they could survive on plant matter and algae for a while, if there ends up being a lapse in on-site fish keeping at the school.  Gourami are also a labyrinth fish, so can usually last a bit longer in less than optimal water conditions, again in case there's a lapse in maintenance at the school.

[HH Morant]

In addition to guppies, mollies, swordtails and platies are good for kids because they multiply and the kids like the babies. And if some of them die others are born to take their place.

And maybe a little guppy grass for fry survivability.

Oh, and welcome!

[Patrick_G]

I agree, guppies are colorful and the kids will love the babies. 

[Jungle Fan]

Welcome to the forum Emma! Nice tanks, look forward to seeing more of them.

[lefty o]

welcome to the forum. nice tanks.

[Scott P.]

Greetings Emma.

[Emma]

On 8/11/2021 at 10:39 AM, Patrick_G said:

Welcome!  Ugly phase? Your tank looks beautiful! I’d love to see a before pic!

It's just the algae! It'll go away once everything's acclimated. I have a photo from several months ago (also during an ugly phase...). I added a pleco, knowing it would eat up my amazon swords, and I figured it wouldn't bother me. Turns out it did, so I pulled those out and added water wisteria instead, along with a couple of crypts. I pulled out the water sprite, too.

 

[Emma]

Thanks for recommendations! I had been shying away from livebearers exactly because they multiply. I have no idea whatsoever what I would do with any extra. Maybe with something bigger for population control.

[Patrick_G]

On 8/11/2021 at 4:29 PM, Emma said:

Thanks for recommendations! I had been shying away from livebearers exactly because they multiply. I have no idea whatsoever what I would do with any extra. Maybe with something bigger for population control.

That’s what I was thinking. A Powder Blue Gourami might be a good centerpiece and would provide livebearer control. 
A mixed community with Angels, Cardinal Tetras and a school of Corydoras would also be a good option. 
 

[mommygourami]

You are growing a TREE?  Wow.  Your tank is beautiful.  I am quite amazed how much you can do in a 29 gallon myself.  Mine is not as green as yours but it is one of my favorite tanks in my living room and I really enjoy watching the plants grow.