Hans' 550 ltr tank

[Hans]

My 550 ltr tank (1.60 x 0.60 x 0.60) needed some thorough rearranging, so last weekend I did a complete make-over. I wasn't satisfied with the soil anymore. I wanted to use finer sand (for the corydoras).

This is how the tank was before rearranging. There wasn't too much room for the fish.


I put the fish and plants with the some old aquariumwater in a bathtub.




The anubias nana had really grown in two years time.


The tank is almost empty and clean.


The boesemani jumped several times out of the tub, so I had to put something on it.


I put some new sand with French clay (for the plants) in it.




Then another layer of sand.


Some water in the tank to make planting more easy.


The first plant: Pogostemon helferi.


More plants and decoration


This boesemani couldn't resist the temptation.


And some more shots.

[Tobi]

Hello Hans,

thank you very much for sharing this interessting photostory with us! Your tank looks great! That are m.boesemani Lake Aytinjo, right?

What happend to that Neon? Were you able to get him out of the boesemani mouth, did he survived?

Even if I repeat myself, but I realy like your tank!

cheers,
Tobi

[alex]

Real nice Hans ... well done.
Alex.

[Gunther]

That's a great looking backdrop! Where did you get it? Was it expensive?

Please keep us informed how that clay mix works, ok? It's "FRK" I assume? I always wondered if it would actually work.

I'm thinking about a redo as well. To make it more "Aussie creek"-like. But it's soooo much work.

[david]

great tank Hans,love the plants really nice.
Thanks for the pictures.

David

[Hans]

That are m.boesemani Lake Aytinjo, right?
What happend to that Neon? Were you able to get him out of the boesemani mouth, did he survived?

Yes, that are boesemani Lake Aytinjo and no, the tetra didn't make it. It was totally eaten.

That's a great looking backdrop! Where did you get it? Was it expensive?
Please keep us informed how that clay mix works, ok? It's "FRK" I assume? I always wondered if it would actually work.

In fact, that backdrop is in the tank for four years now. It wasn't visible in the former lay-out due to heavy planting. It was quite expensive that time. It's a Back To Nature backdrop. Just google and get another mortgage on your house. But they are so beautiful.
The FRK I'm using for the first time. I heard some nice things about that. I will post on a regular basis some photo's here, so you can see how it's doing.

[B. werneri]

Very well done, Hans !!

That backdrop is really great. I like your tank very much but most I like the backdrop and the big bush of Anubias. Nice green contrast to the red plants.

Cheers, Bernd

[coralnerd]

Looks great Hans. Fantastic growth in the anubias! What's your secret? Mine grows painfully slowly. I've been trying to propagate it up to use in my 4ft tank, but its taking forever. At this rate it will take ten years to have enough.

[Hans]

Today I bought some new inhabitants for this tank: Tateurndina ocellicauda. I really love their colours. I bought three of them: one male, two female. They are still very shy, and avoiding the bigger boesemani's. Taking pictures was not easy, but I will make new photo's when they are settled.

Adjusting to the water and temperature:


Females:




Male:


Aren't they lovely?

[B. werneri]

They are beauties Hans. You make me thinking ....

I'm looking forward to seing more shots !

Cheers, Bernd

[joostb]

nice pics Hans

Joost

[Hans]

The new fish (is Peacock the right word for these Tateurndina?) feel more at ease in the tank, so I could take some more shots. The female fish have somewhat damaged tails. I saw that already in the shop, where they had a lot of fish in the tiny tank. But I reckon that the tails will grow nicely again.
The male is a very fine fish indeed!

[Gunther]

Such beautiful fish those Peacock Gudgeons. I should get them again.

[TheXman]

Those are some real beauties Hans!
I saw a couple of peacock gudgeons at a club auction tonight, but they didn't look nearly as nice and I think they were both males too, so I passed. Had they looked anything like yours, they'd be in my tank as we speak!

[B. werneri]

Hi Hans,

In can only repeat what I wrote earlier...they are BEAUTIES and you got me thinking even more now

Cheers, Bernd