GL's multiple tank log and the story so far...

[Gingerlove05]

Where to begin, suppose the start really...
Started fish keeping around 2 years ago after me and my OH bought our first tank, an aquael 54l. After reading about fishless cycling, i followed the route using food. Anyway after several weeks of cycling (December 2014 to around feb/march 2015) testing using the test strips (oh yes newbie mistakes all round haha) and the parameters coming up "acceptable", we got our first fish from an lfs that i'm banned from (by my OH) on the basis i might get locked away haha
Anyway our first fish were some guppies and mossy/tiger barbs (good old lfs advice) which as we soon discovered turned out to be a complete disaster (as you can imagine but please dont )
After much faffing about with this lfs and our fish selection we eventually, got things sorted and ended up with our CPD and a couple of guppies and a female swordtail, but we decided to change lfs. This is the point where I discovered how useless the strips are as the new lfs wanted to test our water before we started with any fish, which revealed (can you guess?):
High nitrite reading, meaning tank hadn't fully cycled (nice one E!). The advice given by this lfs was liquid test kit (although they would test it for us for free), seachem prime, daily water changes and no fish until it was clear
The guppies never made it through the tail end of the cycle to my OH's dismay (she does love guppies lol) fortunately everyone else did and around the start of April once everything had cleared up, we went to do some fish shopping and got our first platys (the grandparents of some of the fish i have now ), we also had to swap our original swordtail as she had grown so big so fast and was starting to chase the CPD around the tank so this is also around when we got Monica (whoo!). We had platy babies by july/august (good old livebearers!) this was the point we picked up our small 15l tank which we raised the first batches of fry until we moved them on.
The September was when i got the 100l Fluval, this was partly (mostly) upgrade and partly down to growing the fry on. This eventually resulted in the old talk of "what are we doing with the tans after the babies grow etc" to which we decided my OH would keep a couple of the babies she liked and "her" tank would be the 54l and i'd have the 100l (and MTS begins...lol)
We both picked different fish for "our" tanks, and in true newbie fashion ended up with soft water fish in our lovely hard water (honey gourami, rams and dwarf gourami) to which afterwards i learnt how osmosis works and what the hardness of water means. I do believe this does have a bearing on particularly fish in the wrong water healing from injury/sickness. My hard water fish seem to recoup quicker than my soft water, it might just be me or it could be species variation speeds of healing.
Anyway back to the point (is there one?) after having a fairly "settled" few months we (OH and myself) got back onto the topic of a bigger tank again (april time)as she decided she wanted something bigger than the 54l. A few weeks later (so here we go again.. https://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk/index.php/topic,197506.0.html)
Then a few weeks later along comes our 180l vision (may). Swapped everything over that was going into the 180l. The resultant months after this can be followed in the link above (considering it was meant to be a fry log haha)
The only other major change for us was September last year we changed from plastic plants and fake decor to all real plants and wood in the 180l and 100l.
(https://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk/index.php/topic,208745.0.html)
Otherwise its just been a bit of a shuffle with tank mates to keep things happy.
Currently we do have all 4 tanks running and all are quite quiet after the weekend just gone where i have finally moved on all my fry. This is part of the reason for the log as we will now stock with some new species and i thought it might be a good (sort of) starting point and a few of you will already know a lot of the fun I've had along the way, so sorry for the repeat lol
Our current stocking is now:
54l aquael:
Marsellus (dwarf gourami)

100l fluval:
2 male platys
Arnie (hi fin plat-tail [swordtail platy cross])
2 CPD (1m, 1f)

180l Vision:
Monica (female swordtail)
6 platy (all female)
3 juvenile survivors (1 plat-tail 2 platy currently all female)
2 red honey gourami

Anyway if you've read all this (and it makes sense) i am impressed and thank you, hopefully it didn't take you as long to read it as what it did for me to remember and type up! On a plus the updates from here on will (should) be smaller


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[TropicalFishForums]

[Suelo]

Well, it has been a journey for you! Been following your platy fry thread with interest - looking forward to seeing what you do next.

[Gingerlove05]

Yeah just a little, loads of newbie mistakes (just to really show it happens to us all lol). I'm like a kid at christmas atm trying to work out what were going to go for next, and my head is swimming with the info i've been reading and trying to avoid doing something daft again lol


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[Gingerlove05]

Just a couple of starter pics:
The 54l and Marsellus:

And when he realised what i was upto haha

The 100l:

The 180l:



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[plankton]

I wish I'd been listening to "Carry On Wayward Son" reading the original post, it was bit like the start of Supernatural....... (It was Boston, Higher Power, so it wasn't the same really.....)

[kas]

A great introduction to your new log.

[Gingerlove05]

Thats in my head for day now Ian! (Kansas not Boston although im partial to both )
Sounds as if it was a good start though and i now have a theme song lol


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[Gingerlove05]

On a tiny update for today, it looks as though we will be putting another order in with AG, as my OH wants to get rid of all the fake plants. So i'll be planting Marsellus's pad out soon. Theres already a couple of little shoots in there that i added just to see if i can grow them, plus Newbie's water lettuce.
I'll be on the look out for some wood for him when we go fish shopping next week :D


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[Drunken horse]

On a tiny update for today, it looks as though we will be putting another order in with AG, as my OH wants to get rid of all the fake plants. So i'll be planting Marsellus's pad out soon. Theres already a couple of little shoots in there that i added just to see if i can grow them, plus Newbie's water lettuce.
I'll be on the look out for some wood for him when we go fish shopping next week :D


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If you have a range near you check it out.  12.99 for pieces of Mopani which must weigh 2kg.  No idea who posted about it but it was a great shout

[Gingerlove05]

Thanks DH, I think it was Newbie (not totally sure), i do quite often check out what they have when im in there so might have to take a trip and have a look


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[Newbie fishkeeper]

Hi Iain good to see you finally got a log up.
Yeah I did mention tye Range wood. I can't remember who but it was mentioned by someone else that they do smaller bits for £1.99. That's when I went to check it out and discovered that they do large bits for £12.99. I originally guessed it was 10kg but I have just weighed mine and its 5kg. A bit out with the guess but still a cracking bit of wood. Definitely worth having a look.
It is nice to get a run down of your experience. We have probably all made mistakes when starting out, especially with the "wrong" fish.
You are a lucky man to have a OH that allows MTS to take hold. I feel so guilty about the empty 95l on my patio. 
I think you should definitely get some more guppies even if only as a thank you to the OH.

I am looking forward to seeing the next chapter of your journey unfold.  Good luck.

[Gingerlove05]

Thanks Newbie
I have thought about getting her some guppies, even if its all males i did see some really striking ones the other week at our lfs, looked like a pinnatus batfish colour pattern, but i think she would like to pick them (and then probably name them as well lol).
I figured with the run down it at least gives everyone an idea on where i've come from with fish-keeping, and how i know some of the things i know, which is also how i came to join this forum and gained huge amounts of information, which i have followed and has proven to help and improve our experience as fishkeepers (a massive thanks to all the TFF heroes for that )
I haven't included everything that happened as some things came and went (ich, swim bladder issues etc) but that comes when i need it, just have to search the mind cave. Plus i'd be here for about 2 years remembering it all lmao
I think the MTS with my OH comes from my love for the hobby and her love for animals, she might not have as much interest as me but she would soon be onto me if i started letting things slide
With regards to the wood its only got to fit the 54l and allow Marsellus some room (hes angry enough without being able to move lol) but i shall definitely be having a look.


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[Calmwaters]

Pleased to see you've started your log. I will be following it with interest 

[Gingerlove05]

Not a lot has been happening lately. I've been thinking of having a rearrange of the plants in the left corner of the 100l, as the valis has seemed to have gone to nothing yet its thriving in the 180l, so im thinking of moving it into there to see if it comes back. Valis by the filter is holding up pretty well though. I'm thinking i might move the java fern at the front of the arch wood to the corner to fill out the space. I have also "attached" (wedged) a few of the baby java ferns onto some of the wood and they seem to be holding for now and growing, although one did decide to take a tour of the tank for a few days even though i kept reattaching it :/
On a sad note i did lose my platy with the tumour earlier today, i had tried everything for him but nothing availed the tumour just got bigger, im also not sure if it split and this caused his death :/ so i've even questioned if i did do right by him by not putting him out of his misery sooner. Either way its done now and i cant change it. Means i can shut down the QT, it wont be any help for the new fish were looking at, as its too small to really keep a vast number or size of fish. So its going to be a fun time keeping close eyes on the tanks when we do decide and go for what we're aiming for
Cant decide how to feel today happy, excited, sad, and confused cover a few lol


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[kas]

Sorry to hear about the platy, bit a least you have a bit of tank tinkering to look forward too.