What changes could be made to make my 125 the best it can be?

[Gannon]

This tank currently houses 5 clouded archerfish, 6 denison barbs (with 4 more in quarantine coming), 4 boesmani rainbowfish, and 1 shy green phantom pleco. The tank is run by an fx6 canister filter and 2 fluval LED heaters.

I was wondering what you all think of the scape, stock, and plants as well as what changes and additions you would make?

I'm planning on donating the rainbows to my local fish store to make more room in the stock and im interested in adding more plants to the scape at least. 

 

 

[KBOzzie59]

Looks good right now.  How about a dozen Cory Cats?

[Gannon]

On 4/13/2022 at 11:12 AM, KBOzzie59 said:

Looks good right now.  How about a dozen Cory Cats?

Thinking about doing about 10 emerald brochis actually. I love cories but already have a number so I've thought about doing something even more different like dwarf petricola or zebra loaches. 

The tank also runs at 78-79 degrees so im unsure of what cory species would even work in that beyond sterbais, which i have in another tank. 

[HenryC]

I would move the pogostemon plants you got on the right, all the way to the left. Seems to me the giant vals will stunt their growth because it is shading them down below. If I remember correctly Pogostemon needs medium to high light? They would grow much better to the left where the vals isn't blocking the light. The cryptos are fine there since they're super low light.

Other than that I wouldn;t change anything, it's a great looking tank. Perhaps a pop of orange would make everything more vibrant. I would personally get more boesemanies, or perhaps one single big king kong parrot.

Edited April 13, 2022 by HenryC

[Gannon]

On 4/13/2022 at 12:12 PM, HenryC said:

I would move the pogostemon plants you got on the right, all the way to the left. Seems to me the giant vals will stunt their growth because it is shading them down below. If I remember correctly Pogostemon needs medium to high light? They would grow much better to the left where the vals isn't blocking the light. The cryptos are fine there since they're super low light.

The pogo does alright there and im often trimming it down and such. I do want something on the far left but the circulation pump prevents that and I like to have circulation on that side of the tank and still have the surface still enough for my archers to be happy. 

[lefty o]

i think it looks nice. in the end, make it so you enjoy it. thats all there is to it.

[TMartins]

I think it looks great and you shouldn’t change anything.  

[Hannah Parker]

On 4/13/2022 at 12:15 PM, Gannon said:

Thinking about doing about 10 emerald brochis actually. I love cories but already have a number so I've thought about doing something even more different like dwarf petricola or zebra loaches. 

The tank also runs at 78-79 degrees so im unsure of what cory species would even work in that beyond sterbais, which i have in another tank. 

I actually own both of those species! I have 3 synodontis petricola and a pair of golden zebra loaches. The synodontis petricola are absolutely stunning, but they're fairly nocturnal in my tanks. They have really cool swimming patterns and gorgeous markings, and can exhibit cool breeding behavior. My golden zebra loaches are visible more than them, and are extremely fast and active. I think they also get bigger than regular zebra loaches, but you could easily have a group in a 125. They also have amazing social behavior, and are so entertaining to watch. Either would be awesome for your tank.

This is not my picture (they are hard to capture)

This is my picture!

[Fish Folk]

My vote? NOTHING. It's Perfect. I love this tank. Keep up the great work!

[AndEEss]

On 4/13/2022 at 12:12 PM, hannah662parker said:

Snip:: golden zebra loaches ::

 

 

Pretty sure that's a yoyo loach. All four of mine look exactly like that.

I'd build some 1" acrylic lily pipes and run an in-line heater. 

[Hannah Parker]

On 4/13/2022 at 2:29 PM, AndEEss said:

 

Pretty sure that's a yoyo loach. All four of mine look exactly like that.

That's what another member on a separate thread said too! They looked like standard golden zebras when they were juveniles, with 5 big black bands, but then when they matured their pattern evolved into that! I'm not sure which they are but they're cuties for sure 🥰 I love em either way. Here's the other one if it helps to identify them more??

Edited April 13, 2022 by hannah662parker

[AndEEss]

Every picture of a golden zebra loach I can find has two distinct spots on the tail. Yoyo loaches have banded tails. Yours appear to be the latter, particularly the second one.

[Hannah Parker]

On 4/13/2022 at 2:38 PM, AndEEss said:

Every picture of a golden zebra loach I can find has two distinct spots on the tail. Yoyo loaches have banded tails. Yours appear to be the latter, particularly the second one.

That's awesome, thank you! That's honestly reassuring because my tank is better suited for yoyos than golden zebras (I was misinformed when I bought them 🙃)

[Gannon]

On 4/13/2022 at 1:12 PM, hannah662parker said:

I actually own both of those species! I have 3 synodontis petricola and a pair of golden zebra loaches. The synodontis petricola are absolutely stunning, but they're fairly nocturnal in my tanks. They have really cool swimming patterns and gorgeous markings, and can exhibit cool breeding behavior. My golden zebra loaches are visible more than them, and are extremely fast and active. I think they also get bigger than regular zebra loaches, but you could easily have a group in a 125. They also have amazing social behavior, and are so entertaining to watch. Either would be awesome for your tank.

This is not my picture (they are hard to capture)

This is my picture!

ugh this decision is SO HARD. 

Emerald brochis are the safe choice. Cheap, active, hardy, etc.

Dwarf petricola would be fascinating and super different from anything ive seen before. I love how they swim and move around, but there is a little less water parameter compatibility and nocturnjal-ness. 

Zebra loaches are nice, but are almost entirely wild caught if I'm correct which is not something I usually go for unless collection is very limited like for my archerfish. On top of this they will probably kill all my snails and i was told sometimes they have aggression issues with other fish near the bottom. 

[Gannon]

On 4/13/2022 at 1:25 PM, Fish Folk said:

My vote? NOTHING. It's Perfect. I love this tank. Keep up the great work!

Thanks! just looking for more stuff to do with my tanks since I can't get any more. Don't want to crowd the basement, plus I'm a college student and I barely have enough time to do RODI water changes as is. Curse my awful 9.6 ph tap water!!!!

Edited April 13, 2022 by Gannon

[AndEEss]

From what I understand of Zebra loaches, they are very much like Yoyos in appetite and temperament. 

If that's true, they'll leave everything but pond/bladder snails alone. I have Japanese trapdoor snails, to include the second and third gen babies, which are 1cm or so in size, and my Yoyos don't bother them at all. Sure, they'll knock them off rocks and plants as they go whizzing by, but that's it. Now, if you're fond of Botias and pond/bladder snails, you're going to have to pick one, because I've got a bleached shell graveyard at one end of my tank. Literally, dozens of pond and bladder snail shells that have been swept there by the current, and they didn't die of old age...

Re; temperament, I have 20+ cory cats, to include a recent addition of four young, ~3/4" panda cory. All four seem to be thriving, despite the fish-missiles lurking in the shadows that share the same food sources.

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by AndEEss

[Jawjagrrl]

On 4/13/2022 at 12:15 PM, Gannon said:

Thinking about doing about 10 emerald brochis actually. I love cories but already have a number so I've thought about doing something even more different like dwarf petricola or zebra loaches. 

The tank also runs at 78-79 degrees so im unsure of what cory species would even work in that beyond sterbais, which i have in another tank. 

I think the zebra loaches would be equally unique and interesting in contrast to the archers. I don't know that I'd change anything plantwise - it's gorgeous as is!

[Corbidorbidoodle]

Alright, I'm still a novice, but...

A really nice (expensive?) piece of spider-wood or something with a bunch of nice lines coming out from that big piece of wood to the right, with the branchyness reaching into the middle would be nice.

Maybe some smallish to medium size pebbles scattered around the river rocks to break up the hard line at the edge of the sand.

And I'd try some Dwarf Sag around the plants on the left side would look sharp.

Only other thing would be to pull off the little baby java ferns and glue 'em up the piece of wood on the left.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Stocking is always hard. The top third is taken. The Dennison barbs will be everywhere maybe a few more to form a really nice school. I think you want to see your fish and loaches and corys are the best for that. Wild caught is not a worry with good quarantine procedures. For the most part most wild collection is very sustainable and keeps people from going into mining, cattle ranching and other more destructive practices to the environment.

I think another option for the left would be 1-2 Crinum or Aponogeton crispus especially the red variety could give you some different texture and colors. In terms of the design what I like is the way the Val kind of forms a half moon with the rest of the scape and plants. Really great flow.

Another thing that could be considered would be something like a group of crypts in front of the large sword towards the middle left. @Corbidorbidoodlebrought up dwarf sag it’s a great plant but it will go where it wants to go not where you want it to go whereas crypts are easier to contain as they are so slow growing. If you want something to spread slowly and be controlled crypt parva is a nice choice. A tiger lotus or dwarf aquarium Lilly is also a good choice. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/13/2022 at 2:34 PM, Corbidorbidoodle said:

Alright, I'm still a novice, but...

A really nice (expensive?) piece of spider-wood or something with a bunch of nice lines coming out from that big piece of wood to the right, with the branchyness reaching into the middle would be nice.

right there with you. This tank is screaming for some wood.

[Gannon]

On 4/13/2022 at 4:48 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Stocking is always hard. The top third is taken. The Dennison barbs will be everywhere maybe a few more to form a really nice school. I think you want to see your fish and loaches and corys are the best for that. Wild caught is not a worry with good quarantine procedures. For the most part most wild collection is very sustainable and keeps people from going into mining, cattle ranching and other more destructive practices to the environment.

I think another option for the left would be 1-2 Crinum or Aponogeton crispus especially the red variety could give you some different texture and colors. In terms of the design what I like is the way the Val kind of forms a half moon with the rest of the scape and plants. Really great flow.

Another thing that could be considered would be something like a group of crypts in front of the large sword towards the middle left. @Corbidorbidoodlebrought up dwarf sag it’s a great plant but it will go where it wants to go not where you want it to go whereas crypts are easier to contain as they are so slow growing. If you want something to spread slowly and be controlled crypt parva is a nice choice. A tiger lotus or dwarf aquarium Lilly is also a good choice. 

This is exactly the kind of feedback i was looking for, than you

On 4/13/2022 at 5:04 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

right there with you. This tank is screaming for some wood.

I don't see an addition of more spiderwood myself. All the wood here it fairly thick and large. Traditional spiderword wouldnt mesh. Also not sure where it would go. The right side especially is very full front to back and right in the middle doesnt make much sense to me either. Ill think on it though

 

On 4/13/2022 at 4:34 PM, Corbidorbidoodle said:

Alright, I'm still a novice, but...

A really nice (expensive?) piece of spider-wood or something with a bunch of nice lines coming out from that big piece of wood to the right, with the branchyness reaching into the middle would be nice.

Maybe some smallish to medium size pebbles scattered around the river rocks to break up the hard line at the edge of the sand.

And I'd try some Dwarf Sag around the plants on the left side would look sharp.

Only other thing would be to pull off the little baby java ferns and glue 'em up the piece of wood on the left.

 

On 4/13/2022 at 4:10 PM, Jawjagrrl said:

I think the zebra loaches would be equally unique and interesting in contrast to the archers. I don't know that I'd change anything plantwise - it's gorgeous as is!

i guess its between emerald brochis and zebra loaches. I suppose then the decision will come down to cost and convenience.

[Gannon]

On 4/13/2022 at 3:51 PM, AndEEss said:

From what I understand of Zebra loaches, they are very much like Yoyos in appetite and temperament. 

If that's true, they'll leave everything but pond/bladder snails alone. I have Japanese trapdoor snails, to include the second and third gen babies, which are 1cm or so in size, and my Yoyos don't bother them at all. Sure, they'll knock them off rocks and plants as they go whizzing by, but that's it. Now, if you're fond of Botias and pond/bladder snails, you're going to have to pick one, because I've got a bleached shell graveyard at one end of my tank. Literally, dozens of pond and bladder snail shells that have been swept there by the current, and they didn't die of old age...

Re; temperament, I have 20+ cory cats, to include a recent addition of four young, ~3/4" panda cory. All four seem to be thriving, despite the fish-missiles lurking in the shadows that share the same food sources.

 

I only have bladder snails, but admittedly not many in this 125 for whatever reason. I saw a few get really big but i rarely see more than a few individuals, so maybe its not a big sacrifice. 

[Brian]

Looks great.  I would let the tank mature and grow into it’s self.  Add what you like.  

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/13/2022 at 4:07 PM, Gannon said:

I don't see an addition of more spiderwood myself. All the wood here it fairly thick and large. Traditional spiderword wouldnt mesh. Also not sure where it would go. The right side especially is very full front to back and right in the middle doesnt make much sense to me either. Ill think on it though

I imagine some of the larger pieces of manzanita would add a lot of texture and life to the scape. Something like....Houston manzanita sells "ghostwood" that is about what I was envisioning.

[Gannon]

On 4/13/2022 at 6:25 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I imagine some of the larger pieces of manzanita would add a lot of texture and life to the scape. Something like....Houston manzanita sells "ghostwood" that is about what I was envisioning.

I would totally be for some larger pieces of manzanita if I could find one that flows with the sense of direction in either side of the tank. I'll look into this