New Additions: Black Widow Tetra

20 Black Widow Tetras, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi were added to the 360 litre community tank.

This is a fish that I have overlooked, and I guess that I am not alone. Maybe this is because they often seem quite pale in the local fish shops or maybe that they rarely are displayed in large numbers.

The fish have settled in very well and really look well together with the Cardinal Tetras. The Black Widows school separately at a high level in the tank while the Cardinals most often stay at lower levels and therefor the two species complement each other very well.

New Additions; Pelvicachromis taeniatus “Nigerian – Red”

As most of you know my main interested lies in the various catfish inhabiting the rivers of South America. I have however strayed away from these with my latest additions to the collection in the form of a young beautiful pair (hopefully) of the West – African dwarf cichlid; Pelvicachromis taeniatus “Nigerian Red”. This is one of many colour forms of Pelvicachromis taeniatus and a truly stunning fish.

The pair was acquired from my good friend Bart at Rainbow Aquatics in Dublin where they were bred in store and are as Rainbow Aquatics's other fish of superb quality.

For the moment they will be kept in a 125 litre community tank, pH 7, 24°C. The tank is shared with guppies and Corydoras and the plan is to do this tank up as a nice community setup, but who knows I might eventually go for a full West – African biotope and I would not mind having a go at breeding these in the future either.

There will be more posts about these as they grow but for now I leave you with some pictures. The photos however don't do the fish justice!

Melander

Mature community tank, 30+ years running

Update 20.12.2013

20.12.2013; black beard algae has taken over the tank

22.12.2012

22.12.2012; first photograph in this series

Just wanted to share a couple of pictures of this mature aquarium.

The tank holds about 360 litres, run by two internal filters; one Eheim and one unidentified. The tank is heated by a Jäger heater.

This aquarium was bought second hand in 1980, it was moved once in the early eighties and had a leak once also in the early eighties. Apart from those disturbances the tank has been running since.

I would probably have chosen a different background and substrate today but has it been there for that long it can be there for while more.

The inhabitants have changed; the main difference has been if there has been Discus or Angelfish inhabiting the tank.

The stocking today:
5 Angelfish
around 100 Cardinal tetras
around 20 Platys
3 Bristlenoses

I was saddened not to find the 10-15 year old Banjo catfish I spotted last year, I hope it’s still around in there though.

The interior has been the same, the small piece of bogwood in the middle once took up 1/3 of the tank and the Anubias originated from one plant.

I really, really regret not having taken one photo of it per year as it would have been very cool to have seen the evolution of the tank. This is something ill try to do with other tanks from now on and that could be an idea for fishkeepers in general.

Melander