Japes' 2010 Eartheater Work/Photolog

[abarilot]

Are you going to keep the S. leucosticta or get another type of earth eater? I remember you were thinking about replacing them. Btw the tank is looking awesome!

 

[FSM]

Now I'm scared I'll find the same thing under my 75 gallon. How long was the 120 set up?

The new tank looks great

 

[Andrewtfw]

Your Geos always look stunning. I hope to one day do a similar set up with S. Daemon.

 

[japes]

Well my new 3x18x18 is up and running, with some inhabitants.

Photos tomorrow.

 

[honda237]

Looks good japes, i haven't looked at your thread in a while, big changes.

I am doing a similare setup but with different geos,(basically my 90 setup plus a couple severums and some more geos, red ceibals), my tank is going to be a 230G acrylic 96"x18"Wx31"T, not the perfect demensions but the price for the full setup, i couldn't beat it, i actually get the tank tomorrow.

i was looking at doing a natural sand base, and i like the looks of play sand, what is your option on it? i have heard its super messy, i really like the way your sand looks, and i am hoping it turns out to work out well. I will be running a sump, so sucking it up really isn't a problem. Play sand is $3 for 50lbs compared to $10 for 50lbs of pool filter sand. any help with the sand would be great.

 

[andro23]

Beautiful tanks, definatly an inspiration

 

[MBay]

Hi there,
I'm not an active MFK user, but I'm happy I've found this topic. Absolutely inspirating (instead of filtration, as I'm nat good at DIY)but setups and sooo healthy eartheaters is big pleasure to watch. And the last setup, with my top-favourite non Apisto dwarfs... Just can't wait to see it!

I'm going to setup an 450Ltr. (180x50x50cm) tank soon, but still not decided what to put in it (CA, or SA). So just a little question - what about your tap water? I have a RO filter, and I've no idea in which proportions i should mix water from it with a tap - to make eartheaters healthy. I had for only a week 4 specimens of S. leucosticta in 100% Ro and they did quite well (now doing good in 50:50 Ro/tap of my friend's tank). Hope my question isn't a "hijack" to your fantastic thread. Keep it updated.

 

[xRedbeardx]

All of the tanks are flawless. I wish there was a way to see them in person.

 

[japes]

Looks good japes, i haven't looked at your thread in a while, big changes.

I am doing a similare setup but with different geos,(basically my 90 setup plus a couple severums and some more geos, red ceibals), my tank is going to be a 230G acrylic 96"x18"Wx31"T, not the perfect demensions but the price for the full setup, i couldn't beat it, i actually get the tank tomorrow.

i was looking at doing a natural sand base, and i like the looks of play sand, what is your option on it? i have heard its super messy, i really like the way your sand looks, and i am hoping it turns out to work out well. I will be running a sump, so sucking it up really isn't a problem. Play sand is $3 for 50lbs compared to $10 for 50lbs of pool filter sand. any help with the sand would be great.

Play sand is slightly more time consuming to initially wash. My 6x2x2 is almost entirely play sand, but my other two tanks are mixes with it included. The finest grain Play Sand is hands down the best sand you can use in any setup that contains fish which enjoy sand as a substrate - Apistogramma, Eartheaters, most Dwarves, Rays, etc. It's soft and extremely easy for them to move around.

Just as a matter of preparation and precaution.

- Wash it, a lot. If you think you've done it enough, fill the bucket up and empty it a few more times.
- Cut intake tubings and raise them to about a foot off the substrate.
- Get something you can use to rake the sand, both when you first introduce it with it covered in water to remove air bubbles, and for when you're water changing to remove any air pockets that may have built up.

Hi there,
I'm not an active MFK user, but I'm happy I've found this topic. Absolutely inspirating (instead of filtration, as I'm nat good at DIY)but setups and sooo healthy eartheaters is big pleasure to watch. And the last setup, with my top-favourite non Apisto dwarfs... Just can't wait to see it!

I'm going to setup an 450Ltr. (180x50x50cm) tank soon, but still not decided what to put in it (CA, or SA). So just a little question - what about your tap water? I have a RO filter, and I've no idea in which proportions i should mix water from it with a tap - to make eartheaters healthy. I had for only a week 4 specimens of S. leucosticta in 100% Ro and they did quite well (now doing good in 50:50 Ro/tap of my friend's tank). Hope my question isn't a "hijack" to your fantastic thread. Keep it updated.

Thanks for the comments MBay. You'll be happy to know I've just introduced the T. candidi and the male was absolutely stunning in-store. The D. maculatus have been in since last night and are enjoying themselves.

Regarding your water parameters question, General and Carbonate hardness are probably the paramters you're most interested in. They'll do quite well in neutral pH water provided it's soft. For example, I'm lucky to have tap water with the following parameters. pH 7, 3dgH, 4dkH. Although the pH is perhaps higher than most sources would recommend, the hardness levels are fantastic for South Americans - but this has also led me to be quite lazy in research. I have rainwater tanks available to me but choose not to use them.

Here's a response a local forum member wrote up regarding pH, gH, kH, and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids): http://www.qldaf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=23214

In my opinion....there is only one way to soften water

Add water that has no Hardness.....that is Ro or rainwater
this is what nature does!!!

Resins don't work.....they will replace calcium ions with sodium ions....so water appears softer but it still has the same amount of total dissolved solids
I have used peat pellets(not eheim but similar)..... They will make water more acidic.....if they soften water(and I don't believe it does) it will be marginal and would require constant refreshing

Agassizii aren't as sensitive as some apisto's but I'd still aim for 50/50 rainwater/treated tap water for "wild" caught.....I'd also recommend using ketapang leaves
You can get them from Fishchick.....I assume that's where you got the aggies from
They will send water brown and acid and apisto's Love it!

I have a pair of A agasssizii (tefe) I have had for 2 years in a heavily planted 2 ft tank
weekly water changes 80%tap water/20% rainwater

There is effort/cost to provide these fish soft water.....they may breed without it....but in my experience
soft water fish are very prone to internal bacterial infections if kept in Brisbane Tap water.....lowering ph is not enough
You have to lower TDS (total dissolved solids).....don't use 100% RO/rainwater....you need some hardness

Nice fish...Good Luck!!!

I'd personally try container mixes of 90/10, 80/20, 70/30 and so on, until you reach a mix that is around 3-4dgH, 3-4kgH, and whatever the pH decides to sit at (Probably around 6.5) - Basically you're brute force testing every mix to find what fits.

 

[japes]

Full shot of the tank last night.

.. and Today. Still need to pickup the H. heliacus for it. No fish visible in that shot.

Dicrossus maculatus yesterday, they're not impressed with me at the moment as I was forced to rescape the tank a little (knocked some driftwood around)

D. maculatus female.

Full front-on cube shot.

.. and some S. leucosticta

I'll post up tank details etc. shortly.