# My 120 Amazon



## archer772

I forgot to start this thread so I need to make up for lost time. I started this about the first week of December so I will do my best on the time line.










Substrate in 










Some DW added










A couple plants added and 4 Julii Cories about a week later.



















Several Vals, Dwarf Sags and Pennywort plus a couple LF Albino Bristlenose Plecos plus a couple Double Red Cockatoos added the middle of the 3rd week


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## archer772

I added 24 Cardinals before the end of December.



















I added the last of my stock the first week of January 6 more LF Albino Bristlenose Plecos. and what was suppose to be 12 Blue Platinum Angels turned out to be 19.



















I have rescaped a couple times so far. I have lost 1 corie so far and thats it.














































My little school of Plats










I am running 4 T-5 HO's 1 Fluval 304, 1 SunSun 302 and 2 PH's rated at 170 GPH each


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## Dmaaaaax

Looks great so far, can't wait to see everything a bit more mature...especially the angels.


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## petlover516

Wow the angels are in more of a school than the tetras LOL.


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## choylifutsoccer

Looks great! I love the look of pennywort.


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## archer772

I know Tyler but once the angels put some size on them the Cards should start schooling better.
I really like the looks of the Pennywort too Ryan, I cant wait for it to fill in that corner.


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## Z400

I am IN LOVE with your Cockatoo 
Im going to try and see what i can find down here in Illinois for my planted 55g.

Thank you for the pictures


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## archer772

I should have some new pics this weekend and those Apistos spawned once already and I think she is gaurding again. I might try to get them out because she gets real nasty and I dont want them causeing problems for my Angels. This pic really shows off the blue in his fins


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

better then ...

very nice build, superb quality.


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## Z400

Where in Michigan are you located? 

I would love to find 3 of these adorable little guys for our collection.


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## Assassynation

Great set-up!


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## archer772

I thought I posted some pics but I forgot to so here they are from about 2 weeks ago. I changed things up some and I will today also because I am going to get the Apistos out of it I hope even if I have to tear everything out and replant.

This is the new piece of DW I got









































































I might even trade out the bulbs I am running for something a little more blue. I am not sure I like it with just the 2 GE 6.5k bulbs.


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## archer772

I managed to get a couple new shots so I thought I would post them up. I had to do some major trimming on some plants due to algea and some other issues but here you go.

My Amanos sharing an algea wafer with a pleco




























A couple of my angels and FTS


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## petlover516

C'mon archer lets see this bad boy in the contest! dmaaaaaax-u2!


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

Archer, very very nice, I think you just ticked me off enough to redo my tanks today, I am going to get another bag of gravel to build the back up a bit.

I to have a 2 dozen school of cardinals with my 8 angels the angels are bigger and they school really really tight but still hug the back glass. unsure what I am going to do about that but I am quite happy with your layout and am going to try and replicate it.

I got some of that same grass thats on your substrate, is it ok to cut the runners and plant the individual plants or better to plant with runners?


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## flyin-lowe

I have a 120g tank in my garage and you have the look I am going for. I have a large piece of driftwood and am using a native still river gravel. I am also going with live plants. I plan on a school of cory's, about 10-12 angels, and a school of cardinal's. If I can get mine to look half as nice as your's I will be satisfied. I have to 36 inch 96 watt cfl bulbs for mine so I will be going with low light live plants.


Edit
What method did you use to cycle the tank, or was your filter media already established. I was told that the angles and cardinals needed a tank that had been cycled and then established for a month or two. Just curious on how you did yours.
Thanks


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## archer772

Thanks I am going to try to get some better pics with the other lights on. I just wait till the plants have a good root system and then I cut them and replant.


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## archer772

flyin-lowe said:


> I have a 120g tank in my garage and you have the look I am going for. I have a large piece of driftwood and am using a native still river gravel. I am also going with live plants. I plan on a school of cory's, about 10-12 angels, and a school of cardinal's. If I can get mine to look half as nice as your's I will be satisfied. I have to 36 inch 96 watt cfl bulbs for mine so I will be going with low light live plants.
> 
> 
> Edit
> What method did you use to cycle the tank, or was your filter media already established. I was told that the angles and cardinals needed a tank that had been cycled and then established for a month or two. Just curious on how you did yours.
> Thanks


I have been keeping Angels for close to 35 years and yes it should be well cycled IMO but I had all my fish added in 1 month (about 60 fish) and then I started to thin them out but I dont recomend that. I started it by adding a media bag of gravel from a friends tank and added about 60 plants then added the cories, apistos, plecos, cardinals, angels and then the otos. I think you might run into problems if you plan to keep more than about 6-8 angels long term because they tend to get aggressive. I had to remove the apistos and thin the angels down to 8 for now and plan on trying to get a breeding pair out them. My angels are bigger than 1/2 dollar size and they are only about 4-5 months old so they have alot of growing to do yet so I am hoping I can keep 6 when full grown.


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## flyin-lowe

My tank is the 120g long (72 inch) do you think 8 angels would be too many when full grown or does it depend on aggressions issues. I don't really want to buy too many and then have to re home them later. So I might just start of with 8 once I get them. 
I have two bags of the ceramic bio rings for AC 110's that have been sitting in a 75 gallon tank (it is established) for a couple weeks. My plan is to get my gravel and decor ready let my AC 110's run for a couple days and then move the seeded rings over from the 75 gal into this tank. I know that likely won't be enough to instant cycle the tank but I am hoping it gets it going pretty good. I plan on dosing with ammonia once I add the seeded material and see how quickly it processes. Once it's cycled I plan on adding the corys, the cardinals, and the angels last.


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## archer772

I would pull some gravel out of the 75 and put it into the 120 unless you are going to use a different gravel because it will hold alot of beneficial bacteria. I would skip the ammonia and start adding a few fish each week but thats JMO. I would add plants first thing because that will help reduce any cycle you might have that is if you are going to use live plants.


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## flyin-lowe

The gravel in the 75 is some standard bright blue aquarium gravel. I am going to use river rock and pea gravel in this tank. I might get a few long fin black skirt tetras and add them. I have about 10 small java ferns to put it from the 75 g tank. I used black skirt tetras to cycle the 75 from new and they did OK so I might try some with this setup.


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## petlover516

O c'mon don't cycle with fish! They might live threw it, but its really unsanitary for them!


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## flyin-lowe

Ive got seeded filter media so I don't think it will be a true full cycle. It might be an instant cycle, depending on how much bacteria has gathered on the media. If I was starting from fresh I would not use fish this time.


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## archer772

Well I snapped a couple pics and thought I would post them up 

My school of cards are still going strong










They do like to stay in a group










This is the best shot I have been able to get of a single angel










The angels are up to $ size and going strong and the blue is starting to show up nicely I think


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## archer772

I thought I should add a FTS


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## Dmaaaaax

Did you loose some angels? The close up of the blue platinum is gorgeous. I see you got a little bit of algae on the rocks...how is everthing else with the plants? 

It looks like overall everything is growing and healthy! Keep it up!


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## archer772

I sold off a total of 11 angels so now I am down to 8 and once I get a pair I will be down to 6 in the 120. I think things are going OK, I still have some algea but its not getting any worse in fact its going down in some areas. I hate to say this but I am back to running 4 T-5 HO's and it looks OK at least for now.


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## Assassynation

They are getting big.


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## phil_pl

I just found this thread so I guess I need to catch up too.
I'll start by saying this tank is beautiful archer congrats, I bet it's hard to leave for work everyday knowing u have to leave this.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

Very nice, listen you got till I get my 150g in the fall to clean your act up, im coming atcha with discus,heavily planted, maybe 60-75 cardinals possibly 100, 24 or so albino corydoras, two SAE's and assassin snails.

That give you roughly 6 months to work on your tank, Ill even block off 25g and only compete with 75% of the tank.

Seriously though it is very very nice, I am loving the platinum blues. Very Very nice work and discipline when building that beaut.


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## flyin-lowe

Do you have much problem keeping the cardinals alive? Also are you using tap/well water or RO water? The reason I ask is that yesterday I was in a lfs (one of the few I tend to trust) and one of the salesmen (one Ive never met before) told me that in general the water in Indiana is too hard to keep cardinals. He said without RO water that they won't make it more then a couple weeks. I thought this was a pretty bold statement since he doesn't know how hard my water is (I don't even know). He said the neons would be a little better. I told him I was after cardinals because I planned to stock some angels and they would get bigger. He said eventually the angels will eat the cardinals or the neons so I might as well get the neons since they stand a better chance of surviving the hard water. Do you do anything special for your's?
PS I finally got my 120g going and there are photos in the gallery. I used seeded media and ammonia and it cycled in about 10 days. Yesterday I added 9 corries and I have 4 small albino BN pleco's coming at the end of this week to help with some of the algae that started to grow already.


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## flyin-lowe

I went ahead a grabbed photo from the gallery. Its not the best but you get the idea, I can't wait for the plants to fill in. Besides what you see there are about 10-12 small java ferns close to the front as well.


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## archer772

The place I got my Cards said they wont get neons because they have about 60-70 percent loss and they only have about 20 percent with the cards and they quarentine all there fish for 2-3 weeks to make sure they are eating and healthy and thats why I went with the cards. I am useing 70% RO/DI and 30% well water because our water is so hard I am afraid of it breaking our glasses when we get a glass of water LOL but the shop just uses Lansing city water in there tanks. I know your tank will look great once it matures a little flyin-lowe as it already is looking nice and bring it on WhiteDevil * fred krueger I will be waiting LOL cant wait to see it.


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## archer772

I forgot to say that I havent lost a card and they get rite in the middle of the angels when it comes time to eat and they are very fat and sassy


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

Archer, its a phone call away, I might have just got a complete BRAND NEW EVERYTHING included 225g acrylic for 800 bucks, if thats the case....oh man


Check this out its a 125.










I am working with the breeder, if I can help him get rid of his fishroom he is giving me a proven pair of discus from that tank for half the price of 1 discus unproven. yeah buddy!

It will be brought on, however at the moment, it cant be broughten, you see I got to tend to me new fish, my female ram I just got has an abrasion and being treated and the discus are a wee bit shocked still from the whole 10min car ride but the agony of tank to bag to bucket to tank.

I will take new pics as soon as I can, I am busy right now but my weak little junk 52g tank turned into an amazon heaven over the past week, got 4 new angels for free this morning with the purchase of 6 discus and 2 rams so now I am a little overcrowded but with the 150 coming if not this 225 they discus tank and angel tank will end up combined for a massive amazon tank. 

I am trying to find specific plants but only finding look a likes. Guess I need to go on mongobay.com for a few days and read up.


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## Dmaaaaax

Loving that picture...thats the breeder your getting the discus from?

What is his lighting on that tank and was he running CO2? I need to get me a red Marbolo or similar discus!


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## petlover516

flyin-lowe said:


> Do you have much problem keeping the cardinals alive? Also are you using tap/well water or RO water? The reason I ask is that yesterday I was in a lfs (one of the few I tend to trust) and one of the salesmen (one Ive never met before) told me that in general the water in Indiana is too hard to keep cardinals. He said without RO water that they won't make it more then a couple weeks. I thought this was a pretty bold statement since he doesn't know how hard my water is (I don't even know). He said the neons would be a little better. I told him I was after cardinals because I planned to stock some angels and they would get bigger. He said eventually the angels will eat the cardinals or the neons so I might as well get the neons since they stand a better chance of surviving the hard water. Do you do anything special for your's?
> PS I finally got my 120g going and there are photos in the gallery. I used seeded media and ammonia and it cycled in about 10 days. Yesterday I added 9 corries and I have 4 small albino BN pleco's coming at the end of this week to help with some of the algae that started to grow already.


Its really quite the opposite-neons are more delicate, aggressive, and will get eaten by the angels, but iwth cardinals if you play your cards right u can get the angels to think they're friends.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

Dmaaaaax said:


> Loving that picture...thats the breeder your getting the discus from?
> 
> What is his lighting on that tank and was he running CO2? I need to get me a red Marbolo or similar discus!


lighting was 8' long and 6500K, yes there is Co2 on the tank but it hasnt been hooked up in over two months he said. thats fish sustained.


Yeah I went there tonight and he was wiped out of everything even half of what was in that tank. He was unable to replace a EB ram that died from dropsy so he refunded my money @ 50% for the pair so 25 bucks, went and bought a GB ram female for 11.50 at the LFS +10% off per fish club and thats that, I got him a new female to hopefully mate with.

He was saving his silver blue angels and EB ram juves for me later this spring though, said the Eb rams were all mine when I wanted em. Now that a 210 will be here tomorrow night I got a 45g tall to fill. hmmm whatever should I do....

I cant wait for this, this build is gonna be sweet.


Are kribs and discus ok mates and if so how many per eachother per gallon? I am thinking a pair or two pair of kribs and a dozen discus and a dozen angels. maybe 100 cardinals or so.


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## archer772

Well I ended up with a pair of Angels so had to move them to there own tank and it looks like I might end up with another pair. I ended up getting some different plants just hope they make it. So on with some pics.

I started with 24 cards and still have 24 cards 









Couple pics of the shrimp that are still going strong


















Some of the angels


















The FTS


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## nike22

I would add plants first thing because that will help reduce any cycle you might have that is if you are going to use live plants.


Thank you for your information


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
nike shox
cheap ghd


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## flyin-lowe

Looking good. I need to get some updated pics from my tank up. I went through a bad algae bloom and it was looking nasty. I was running straight water from my well that had been through a softener. About a month ago I got an RO unit and have transitioned to RO water. I was changing 15 gallons a day straight RO water to get it converted over. Now I am changing 20 gallons a week (15 RO and 5 gallons from the well, outside and not through the softener). Since doing this my plants look a lot better. My general hardness is around 3 (it was zero with the soft water) and my TDS are around 100. My pH still floats around 8.2 but it has always been stable. I have 4 albino BN plecos and about 12 assorted cory cats. I just ordered 30 cardinals that will be here on Thursday. I am hoping that 20 or more survive. After they have a few weeks to settle in I plan on getting a couple rams and then about 6-8 small angels. I'm hoping to get them small enough that my cardinals have time to grow out while the angels are still small.
In the beginning I lost a few cory's but with the RO/well water everything looks good. The water is still a little dark from the tannins which I don't know if I like or not, but I think the angels will like it.


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## flyin-lowe

Not sure if the pic will come up or not, having trouble getting it from the gallery. Anyway I ordered 8 angel fish from a breeder that should be here in the next couple days. I have 30 cardinals in the tank, 4 BN plecos, and about ten various corry cats. I plan on adding some rams soon.


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## archer772

I was just checking out my tank after a did a WC and the last piece of DW I looked at I just had to get a pic of it. I thought I was down to 3-4 but I guess I was wrong.


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## supernaut06

Ha ha nice find


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## Bulleyhead

Awesome Looking Tank, The Shrimp Look Great, And They Seem To Be Striving


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## archer772

well I have been having some algea problems but I think I am starting to get it under controll with raising my CO2 and getting my fert dosing up to par, I think.


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## Dmaaaaax

Yeah it looks like you had some green water which is a pain unless you add UV or micron filter. Glad to see everything looks pristine again....whoops that's not your tank...it's Flyin-Lowe's. Hopefully he's got it under control. LOL

BTW watch out if those are "onions plants". Not sure the technical name for the one on the front right. They have a bulb and then roots that will extend the whole length of the tank. Was a pain to remove once they were fully grown.


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## archer772

The plants on the right are jungle val and I believe val nana.


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