Hey everyone,
I've recently overhauled my 55 gallon tank and here are some photos for those who are interested.
I have 5 young Chromobotia macracanthus which I naively purchased without realizing their maximum growth size and tank requirements. Luckily I found these forums and I'll have a 120 or 150 gallon tank setup early next year.
In the meantime, I've decided to redo my 55 gallon and make it as loach-friendly as possible so the fish are as least stressed as they can be before they are moved to a new tank.
First, here's a photo of the old setup, (Additionally the tank houses 5 Yoyo's and a Pleco) the loaches are *always* hiding in the plastic root thingy on the right:
There are some real plants in there but they grew rather feebly due to the lack of nutrients in the gravel.
So - first things first, some driftwood for the new tank (soaked for a week):
After removing all the old material from my last setup, one Yoyo loach finds safety from the net by hiding under a Pleco:
55 gallon rubbermaid temporary home for the fish:
New plants -
A barren tank:
Loaches hanging out in the rubbermaid:
Eco-Complete (about 2 inches):
Adding gravel:
A bit of a mess...
Final product:
Close up right:
Close up left:
PVC caves blended in:
PVC #2 (of 3 total)
The fish appear to feel much more confident in this new tank setup with 3 PVC caves and numerous hiding places among the driftwood. It remains to be seen whether the plants will grow unharmed or if the greenery is merely a delicious dish for the loaches. I have a bit of confidence seeing how the old plants grew without too much abuse.
Thanks for looking!
Show more of the fish. 
