Aquarium
of
John & Mary Fitch
| This 50-gallon aquarium sits on a "pass-through" between the dining area and the kitchen of our condo. The view above is from the dining area. We replaced a 30 gallon tank, started November 5, 2000, with the new tank on January 16, 2005 and have been adding (and subtracting) plants and fish ever since. |
| This is a view of the whole tank from the dining area. Because we also wanted to be able to enjoy the tank from the kitchen, we have had to treat the two ends of the tank the way others might treat the "back." The views are quite different on the two sides. |
| On the left, as seen from the dining area, is a piece of petrified wood. In front of it is a clump of Microsorum pteropus (Java Fern). Behind it is some Hydrocotyle leucocephala (Brazilian pennywort). The light green plant at the right is Micranthemum micranthemoides (Baby tears). The tall moss-covered driftwood is one end of a much larger piece. The bronze-colored plant with the narrow leaves in front of the driftwood is Didiplis diandra. Along the front of the tank in this area is Glossostigma elatinoides. The fish are all Neon tetras. |
| Over on the right, as seen from the dining area, and working from left to right, there are two quite different varieties of Anubias. The tall leaves are one type. The smaller leaves are Anubias nana. This variety is called Marble, because of what look like white paint spatters on some of the leaves. The dominant feature are the stalks of Telanthera rosefolia (Temple plant) with their magenta leaves. And at the far right are tall spikes of Rotala rotundifolia (indica) . |
| Here in the center, you get a better view of the bronze-colored Didiplis and the foreground carpet of Glossostigma. elatinoides. |
| Here's the full view from the kitchen. Now you can see more of the piece of driftwood, which dominates the left half of the tank. I found it while walking along the Merry Meeting River, near our daughter's home in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. It's probably swamp maple, which grows along the bank there. |
| A closer view of the left end, from the kitchen. The tall stalks on the left are Bacopa monnieri. Just above the driftwood are branches of Bolbitis heudilotii, projecting up from the moss. On the lower level of the driftwood is a layer of Anubias nana. Along the bottom is Echinodorus tenellus (Pygmy chain sword). Also caught in this picture are a few Cherry red shrimp and some Ramshorn snails |
| This is the right end of the tank as seen from the kitchen. On the left is the Micranthemum micranthemoides (Baby tears). Right in the middle are a few brown leaves of a species of Cryptocoryne And on the right is the Brazilian pennywort. |
| Here in this center view, you get a better picture of the Pygmy chain sword, which turns bronze as it matures. The fish on the left, and two others, are Cardinal tetras, which differ from the Neons by virtue of the red streak, which runs the length of the fish, instead of just half-way. |
Some Of The Fauna
|
|
| About 15 Cardinal and Neon Tetras. | 1 Clown Pleco. |
|
|
| 2 Otocinclus affinis. | About 8 Caridina japonica (Amano shrimp). |
|
|
| Many Neocaridina denticulata sinensis (Cherry shrimp). | Some juvenile Cherry Shrimp feeding on shrimp pellets. |
Not shown are many Ramshorn snails.
Equipment
| Almost all of the equipment for the aquarium is located under the kitchen sink, which makes maintenance very convenient. In this picture, the drinking water filter and garbage disposal are in the center background and, of course, have nothing to do with the aquarium. Water from the tank comes down to an Eheim 2126 cannister filter (left), which also contains a heater. From the filter, the water passes into an M3 CO 2 mixing jar (center foreground). The carbon dioxide supply is the 10 lb. tank on the right. The compressed CO 2 passes through a regulator, a solenoid valve (which is opened and closed by a pH probe and controller), a needle valve, and a check valve in the tubing before entering the mixing jar. And from there, the water goes back up to the aquarium. The only other equipment, not shown, are the pH probe and controller, and the lighting, supplied by a 96-watt compact fluorescent (CF), a 55-watt CF, and a 15-watt CF "night light" in a hood above the cover glass. The main lights are on a timer, set for 10 hours a day; the night light stays on for another hour. |
Some Technical Details
| pH | KH | CO 2 | NO 3 | K | GH | Ca | Mg | Fe | PO4 | |
| Tap water * | 7.2 | 2.4 | ~0 | 3.5 | 15 | 90 | 25 | 5 | 0.08 | 0 |
| Target ** | 6.7 | 5 | 30 | 20 | 30 | 140 | 32 | 14.4 | 0.1 | 1.5-2.0 |
| * Tap water is from the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The only significant difference between measurements reported in their analysis of 2/6/03 and those we have made occasionally in our tap water, is the amount of NO 3 . Their reported level of 0.46 is much lower than our measured value of 3.5 ppm. |
|
|
| ** Target levels are measurements made after a weekly 50% water change and the addition of chemicals. These additions include 1 tsp. NaHCO 3 , 2 tsp. KHCO 3 , 2 tsp MgSO 4 , 1.5 tsp CaCl 2 , 10 ppm NO 3 from KNO 3 , 1.5 ppm PO 4 from KH 2 PO 4 , and 2 ml Kent Iodine. Between water changes, there are additions every day. Four times a week, these consist of 5 ppm NO 3 , and 1.5 ppm PO 4 . On the other three days, the dose is 8ml of Seachem Flourish and 2ml Seachem Iron. The CO 2 infusion is controlled by a Milwaukee pH probe/controller to maintain the maximum pH at 6.7 during the photoperiod. When the lights are off, the pH would tend to fall but water circulation keeps the value unchanged. At a KH of 5, this provides a CO 2 concentration of 30 ppm. |
Coda
| We have suffered through most of the growing pains of keeping a tank with plants and tropical fish -- algae, bacterial bloom, ich, fungus -- you name it. (Sometimes we think raising our children took less time!) But things seem to have settled down, and we've actually been able to enjoy our late life hobby. |
| Our youngest grandson seems to enjoy the pretty fish, too. |
| Here are links to some other pages I've put together in connection with this hobby: |
Glass Scratches
Lighting in the Aquaria of Takashi Amano
Isa's Incredible Edible Aquarium
I would be pleased to have your comments addressed to: John T. Fitch . Thanks.
Most of the photos were taken in December, 2005, using a Nikon Coolpix 995 digital camera.
