Below are the aquaria of splendid2000. Showing all aquaria currently in use. You can also view all users with My Aquaria lists. You can expand this list to include aquaria no longer in use.

1. Catfish Community
No species assigned to this aquarium.	Dimensions 91.4 x 38.1 x 38.1cm (36 x 15 x 15") Volume 132.7 litres, 29.2 UK gallons or 35.1 US gallons pH 6.5 to 7.5 Temperature 23.0-28.0°C or 73.4-82.4°F (Show species within this range) Furniture In 2000 I set this tank up with plants and bog wood and 'seeded' it with invertebrates to 'mature' the tank for a few months before adding fish. I then used it as a species tank for paradise fish (starting with 2 male and 2 female gouramis). They breed regularly. I leave the fry to take their chances in the tank and the tank currently contains 5 adult fish of various ages from 1 to 5 years old. To stop them breeding and give the females a rest, I turn up the power filter for a few months and as they cannot build bubble nests they stop breeding. Over the years I have added other fish and made this more of a community tank. Currently it contains 1 blue gourami (4 years old - a rehoused female, her elderly mate died 2008); 1 cherry barb (8+ years old); 6 zebra danios (average age 3 years - they spawn but the eggs get eaten); a trio of home bred bronze corys (average age 6 years: they breed monthly - I put the tank temperature up every few months to stop this and give the female a rest - some of the fry have been raised but usually the eggs get eaten as soon as they are laid); 6 otocinclus (average age 7 years; various species - they have never bred, I am not sure I have a pair of any one species); 2 upside-down cats (unknown species - added to the tank this month). The largest fish in the tank is the blue gourami at about 12 cm length. Most of the other fish average about 6 cm length. Water changes, about 5-10% tank volume, are made every 10-14 days using matured tap water at room temperature, sometimes with a pinch of salt added. The only problem I have is managing the plants - they tend to get 'leggy' and have to be cut back and the tops replanted to keep the plants in the tank bushy (I hope that makes sense!) I think the mix of species works well and there is a pleasant level of activity in the tank all day. Even when breeding the gouramis are fairly tolerant of the other fish which in any case are either big enough, small enough, or fast enough to keep clear of trouble. The only casualties are amongst the eggs and fry. Sadly, I usually have no room to grow them on. Some have managed to survive 'naturally' by their own skill or luck and I treasure these survivors since they are so rare. I feed various processed fish flake, catfish pellets and algae wafers once a day, every other day; frozen foods once a quarter; bought-in live foods such as daphnia once in a blue moon; the tank has its own resident population of invertebrates, algae and other veggie foods which the fish find for themselves - plus those eggs and fry. Feeding 1. Daphnia (frozen) occasionally Created 2010-01-16 Running for 23 years, 11 months, 12 days Updated 2010-01-16
2. Loach Community
No species assigned to this aquarium.	Dimensions 91.4 x 38.1 x 38.1cm (36 x 15 x 15") Volume 132.7 litres, 29.2 UK gallons or 35.1 US gallons pH 6.5 to 7.5 Temperature 26.0-30.0°C or 78.8-86°F (Show species within this range) Furniture Same set up process/maintenance/feeding routine as for my catfish tank. As you can see I do not have 'hoods' on my tanks - when I started keeping fish I was a poor student and could only afford minimum kit. Lights were a luxury. I used IKEA desk lamps instead, fixed to the back of the tank for safety (cost about 2.99 - 5.99 pounds each). The plants and fish grow well with such light so it works - but the lamps have to be replaced every 12 - 18 months as they burn out from being on all day. Not sure if this is cost-effective (or environmentally friendly). This community currently holds four fish. Two kissing gouramis, aged about 9+ years, probably both male, both about 8 inches long. Two clown loaches, aged about 9+ years, sex unknown, both about 9 inches long. There was also a breeding pair of angel fish in this tank but the male died 2006 and the female in 2008. The loaches used to eat the eggs so no babies were reared (which I now regret as I would have liked to replace my pair with a home-bred pair). The loaches love foraging for worms in the substrate; the gouramis like to graze on the algae growing on the aquarium walls, bogwood, and plants. I feed processed foods every other day (flake and pellet), occasionally they get frozen foods, and even more rarily bought-in live foods as a supplement to the natural diet. This tank is more sparsely planted than my other tank - leaving about 6 inches of clear water at the top of the tank for swimming in a strong power filter current. The fish are large and need room for exercise and play - they are all quite active although the clown loaches are the most lively. All four fish are also very curious about what is happening in the room and watch me through the glass, coming to the surface for feeding when I approach - they are real 'personalities' and real 'pets'. The gouramis are fully grown but the loaches have the potential to be over 12 inches long. I am concerned that maybe they are 'stunted' by being in a tank which is too small although they have room to swim and seem in very good health. I plan on getting a larger tank and maybe buying some more clown loaches to join my fish as they like to be in a shoal and 2 is the absolute minimum number to keep. I have been told that my two upside-down catfish (currently in the catfish community tank) have the potential to grow 8+ inches in length. I expect that as they grow they may be moved into this tank, maybe with other African species, and the present occupants moved to a new, larger tank where I can perhaps keep a small shoal of up to 6 loaches. Since 2000 I have kept up to five tanks at any one time (12 if one counts the breeding tanks). Having only two tanks is a bit strange but I have so many other commitments that this is as much as I have time for at present. To be honest, I was planning to stop keeping fish as I have come to think the trade in ornamental fish is immoral - I was just going to look after my existing fish until they died of old age. But that was about five years ago and most of them show no sign of popping off yet(!) So, I have allowed myself to get sucked back into the hobby again despite my misgivings. If I can figure out how to post photographs to this site, I will post some more detailed pictures of my various fish or a link to flickr. Watch this space. Feeding No foods recorded Created 2010-01-16 Running for 23 years, 11 months, 12 days Updated 2010-01-16