Need help furnishing clown/mixed loach tank

[doglover_50]

So I was admiring Emma's new display tank and asking her questions on that thread, but I think I best ask here. My new 4' 75g mixed loach tank (mostly clowns, angelicus, and ghost catfish, 2 smaller plecos) is all set up. Pix of beginning stages to follow soon.

However, please help: here's what I have for equipment and furnishings please make suggestions. Especially furnishings.

Equipment: Filtration: 2 HOB 3-stage filters--emporer 350 AND aquaclear 70g model--sit at opposite ends of tank; Stealth heater to prevent big clumsy human hand from cracking glass; powerheads: one large seio (not sure of model) and a MJ1200. The powerheads basically both point in the same direction to create circular and laminar flow of water around tank, if that makes any sense.

Substrate is new 3M black colorquartz sand. I have 2 pieces of driftwood, one decently large (oversize frisbee)--the big piece sits on small one to create a little cave. For the moment, some pretty nice (but fake) silk plants. And one of those fak-o Petsmart kinda like a plastic granite cave with ~5 large holes that is about 16" tall, leans against the back wall. Looks like granite, basically. Again, fake, but they really like it. And a gerbil tube. niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Any major problems with equipment, but MORE importantly--thoughts to help me improve decor of the tank, hopefully more naturally?
Thanks.

[loachmom]

I'm a big fan of coconut shell caves. They look very nice in a tank, and your plecos will like scraping on them. Also, java fern and anubias are very easy plants to grow. They do not need special lighting or ferts. They can be attached to your driftwood and coconut caves with fishing line till they attach themselves.

Here is a thread with some info on how to prepare coconuts for caves:
Hiding Places

[Kamapa]

I'm a big fan of bogwood, if you have a lfs that stocks it go have a proper good rummage and you can find some really nice bits witht heir own little caves. I like natural decor so I have a gravel/sand mix with a few larger stones plonked in.

As for plants Anubias and Java fern I'd agree with (anubias especially handy if you have dark spots), Cryptocoryne is another easy plant but beware, some of these get big fast and can dominate where you plant them, though dwarf variants are available. I have Cryptocoryne amicorum which seems to be staying small.

[loachmom]

Thought I'd share a few photos of my driftwood and caves.

All these pieces of driftwood were found in a local creek and then boiled before adding them to my tank.


The large piece in this picture is purchased Malaysian driftwood. The coconut cave is growing a nice covering of of java fern.


The white stones were also found in the creek and boiled. I added them this past weekend.

[Total Package]

Sounds similar to my tank with the 3M substrate, circular flow, fake cave, and driftwood.

For natural decor, I found that dark river stones look good with the colorquartz. I've also had success with keeping crypts, java ferns, vals and amazon swords in the colorquartz. (Java ferns are attached to small pieces of driftwood and a stone) I use some root tabs around the tank. They don't grow overly fast, but are green and healthy looking.

[helen nightingale]

how do you stop the anubias from getting algae growth over it? i struggle with mine


and do you boil the coconut shells after you have finished eating the cocnut?

[loachmom]

how do you stop the anubias from getting algae growth over it? i struggle with mine


and do you boil the coconut shells after you have finished eating the cocnut?

I don't have a lot of algae on mine, but I have four SAEs and a small pleco in the tank. I also don't have very strong lighting.

I boil the coconut shells in many changes of water, just to make sure nothing nasty is on them. I've had no problems.


(I ordered some crypts after reading about them in the above posts. I hope I can keep them alive.)

[Kamapa]

As my anubias is in the darker section of the tank it doesn't get much agaei growth, That which it does get I think is kept under control by the snail population.

Coconut is very rich so make sure they're good and clean before going in the tank as the rich flesh rotting could sour your water quite quickly.

[Kamapa]

(I ordered some crypts after reading about them in the above posts. I hope I can keep them alive.)

I can't imagine you'll have any problems, mine has been uprooted and replanted 3 times in the last couple of months and it looks none the worse for wear.

[loachmom]

That's good news, Kamapa. I'm looking forward to when mine get here.


When I clean the meat from a coconut shell, I use a table knife and slide it between the shell and the meat. With a twist of the knife, I can pop out small sections of the meat that have a brown skin attached. I keep at it till the whole shell is clean. There is never any meat left on the shell by doing it this way. I've also heard of people microwaving their shell half for a while to dry the meat some, and it detaches more easily that way.

[doglover_50]

what great replies so far. also it's great to see a picture, as well. It's all very helpful.

[Botia Robert]

Hi, Regarding sourcing your own river rocks from local streams. If you boil the rocks you collect is that enough to make them safe for loaches or are some types of rocks not inert?

[loachmom]

Hi, Regarding sourcing your own river rocks from local streams. If you boil the rocks you collect is that enough to make them safe for loaches or are some types of rocks not inert?

Hi Robert,

I boiled the rocks that I found to destroy any algae or parasites that might be on them. They seem to be a type of quartz and some may be sandstone.

I've had a hard time finding safe rocks for my aquarium, and I've removed many that I've added in the past. I'm hoping that these will be OK.

When I've removed rocks in the past, it was because the sandstone started to develop what appeared to be rusty dots all over it. That may have been algae, but I wasn't taking a chance. Other times, my fish started flashing after the rocks had been in the tank a few days. I'm not sure why, but when I removed the rocks, the flashing stopped.

Here is a good article on rocks for the aquarium. It was written by LOL member The Kapenta Kid:

Suitability of Rocks in the Aquarium

[Tinman]

Many rocks will not be inert. The boiling cleans them to avoid infecting your tank Botia Robert. Add the rock you want to put in your tank to a bucket and do water tests for a long time. Some metals will not affect ph for a while until they start rusting so I would soak the rock for a month at least before adding it to my aquarium with airation on the bucket. No sandstone or other sedimentary rocks should be used as they will break down and cause hardness.

[Botia Robert]

Thanks Loachmom and Tinman. That sounds like good advise. I was a little dissapointed with my finds since I went out into the country and trecked up a fresh water stream into the mountains. Some of my finds looked a little like granite. Now I have more knowledge I will go again.