Forums

Along with cycling, and a good local fish shop being a member of a forum is one of the most useful things for people starting out and even experienced fish keepers will find it useful to join a forum. These can help with questions on hardware, plants, fertilizer, Co2, lighting, filtration, fish, inverts, stocking algae problems and local shops. I personally have joined "The Planted Tank" because it one of the largest and most experienced forums on the net and it also has profiles on fish and plants as well as info for setting up new tanks. Forums have helped me decide on whether I could put shrimp in my tank and how fully stocked my tank is. Also I have found loss of information on fertilizer, lighting, fish and plants. I would highly recommend joining a forum to anybody thinking of starting or already having a fish tank. 

Plans for a New Tank

So after several months of work on the 29 gallon and with it getting close to fully stocked and having no more room for plants I am trying to decide what to do next. I think I may go and try a smaller tank. Probably less then 10 Gallons. I am either thinking about a Betta tank or an invert tank. Shrimp and crabs can be hard to find though so I am still deciding. 

What to do Next

So after a many improvements in hardware, planting, getting new fish and a lot of research (though I still have a lot to learn) I have come to a halt. I no longer feel the urge to plant and fiddle with the plants as they are right where I want them. Neons, Mollies, and Platy's swim around the tank and I have started a slow but steady test of mixes for Co2 production (which has gone poorly so far as I need to keep up production even while i am testing) and I have decided what I am going to do. I have a total 74 cm of fish in my tank. I have used up 40 cm and now have 34 cm to use. This is a good size for me as I can keep up to eight more 4 cm fish which is the size of most schooling fish. I will also be able to fit in probably two new shrimp. The new Platy's I have I can not keep so if anybody would like them reply in the comments. 

Platy Fry

On the weekend I spotted three small Platy's swimming around the bottom of the tank. Currently less then a cm long. Being live bearers I suppose that this should not come as a surprise. I have no food to feed them but they must be living off of something. Anybody who wants them can have them. Respond with email address in comments section.