[elTwitcho]

Hey all, here's the second set of shots I took this weekend (first is the red belly shots) of my rhom and the first full tank shot I've posted since finalizing the decorations. I'd like to add more plants but he still needs room to swim around so any new plants will have to wait until he moves to the 50 gallon. Mind that the plants are a little brown, some are still recovering from the lfs and this is my first planted tank so I'm still mastering the art of keeping them healthy. I added another light a little while ago which has helped tremendously as well so they should start looking up a bit. Anyhow, please click the thumbnail for the upsized version which is only slightly larger but much clearer.

Hope you guys enjoy the shots, they'll likely be my last shots of him in his current tank and I hope to have him moved mid-february to early march, I just need to find a bigger tank for the red bellies. Comments on the tank are appreciated, I'm torn as to if I want to keep using black gravel or go to something more natural with the next set up.

 

[elTwitcho]

Oh right, almost forgot to point out. The right side of the tank is bare because that's his corner, I added plants around him but he's made it pretty clear that he wants that space open for him to hang out in. The val I did try and place in the back along the wall he tore into tiny little pieces so I've left it open for him and he's left the rest of the plants alone since.

 

[rbp 4 135]

dang those are some quality pics. As for the tank i also use black sand, i am quite happy in the way it looks. Although stuff, like crap, really stads out so matince is the key to keeping it looking good. also your aquascaping is much better than mine.

this upcoming potom should be intresting, seeing as we are competing

a little friendly competition

 

[elTwitcho]

We'll see how it goes, good luck

As for the aquascaping, I find it's pretty easy with live plants, just put the big ones in back and it looks pretty decent IMO

 

[compton ass steve]

what are those larger plants that are kind of twirly in there? there very cool and may be just what ive been looking for

 

[FootClanSkates]

look like corkscrew val to me.

 

[Davo]

Like the look. What size is that rhom?

 

[Gordeez]

Good shots Twitch.
That second pic has some shallow DOF, Thats my fav pic.

Also, hows his attitude? Looks Mean!

 

[janus]

Nice Rhom.

 

[elTwitcho]

what are those larger plants that are kind of twirly in there? there very cool and may be just what ive been looking for

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Corkscrew Vals, they grow pretty quickly and are pretty cheap, the only downside is that if part of a leaf dies the rest of the leaf dies very slowly over the course of a few weeks. It's been a bitch nursing that plant back to health from the lfs but the new leaves are very healthy and usually from the time a new leaf sprouts it's all the way to the surface within a week.

Like the look. What size is that rhom?

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He's still a little guy, maybe five inches or so.

Good shots Twitch.
That second pic has some shallow DOF, Thats my fav pic.

Also, hows his attitude? Looks Mean!

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Yeah that was my favorite of the bunch as well, good ole 1.8 lense

His attitude is great, he spends most of his time in his open corner but not in a reclusive sense, he'll always watch me if I come in the room and he'll tend to swim up to the glass so he can peer down at me in my bed every so often just to check on where I am. Definately the most interactive fish I have, and very much on the aggressive side. I can't put my hands in the tank so food is taken out with a net and if I ever have to do any major work with the plants I put him in a bucket as he's shown he'll go for my hands if I put them in the tank.

 

[jan]

Wow...this was love at first sight for me

Just kidding, but your rhom looks awesome and so does your tank

 

[sasquach]

thats a nice rhom i likes its eyes there nice n bright

 

[elTwitcho]

Wow...this was love at first sight for me

Just kidding, but your rhom looks awesome and so does your tank

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You're telling me dude, I had no intention whatsoever to buy a rhom at any point in time before seeing this guy in the pet store. I barely would have even noticed him if I hadn't heard the thump of him smacking his head into the glass next to me. The fact that a piranha was acting like this in a pet store made me positive that the fish had so much personality I couldn't pass him by.

So you guys think I should stick with black gravel in the new setup? Still gonna go with the same plants and a tiny bit of driftwood, just didn't know if the black was working well or not

 

[WorldBelow07]

nice ass rhom :O

 

[rchan11]

Nice touch ET

 

[rbp 4 135]

i added some larger rounded river stones to my setup, i am happy with the way it turned out.

 

[Red Eyes]

Sweet set-up

That black gravel really brings out the red of your rhoms eyes

 

[elTwitcho]

Thanks guys. These two shots do a better job of showing his colors, the others are a little sketchy because I had to remove the blue hue cast by the shitty lights I have in there. This is a more accurate representation of his colors, but even these are slightly bluer than they should be.

 

[compton ass steve]

as usual beautiful pictures, and keep the black gravel. where did you pick up those plants if you dont mind me asking?

 

[elTwitcho]

They're all local fish store plants. The corkscrew vals are pretty common, as are the java fern and hygrophilia. The coffee leaf anubia is the first I'd seen of one, theres also a mystery plant growing in the middle and some mystery grass that is adapting quite well. Basically everything at the lfs is low light because it's easier to keep for them, and therefore almost any plant I find there will work in my tank, which is a real bonus