# Rack Building & A Step Into Wilds



## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Hey everyone. I'm going to give journaling one last try. This journal is going to be documenting the building of my tank rack, and possibly a step into wilds. I would like a pair of B. Hendra, but my pH is far too high, so I'll have to get a RO system.

Back to the rack. Hopefully it will be 120" x 16" x 60" (LxWxH). I'll post a grid sketch of what I'd like it to look like (please excuse my blueprint drawing skills, I am not a licensed architect!). It will be made out of 4" x 4" x 120" (or 10') wood planks and 8" x 8" x 16" cinderblocks. I may have to redesign because the control panel for the sprinkler system is on the wall that I want to build on, and if so I'll make it like 8' with a corner and an extra "arm" that is 5'. Hopefully you can understand what I'm trying to say, lol.

I'll have 6 20G longs, 2 15Gs with de-rimmed tops, 2 10Gs, and 2 5.5s. I'll go over what specifically I will put in each of those tanks later. For now, get excited! I'll try to update as much as possible but no promises, lol.

ETA: each square is 4" long and tall. Everything drawn to scale.


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

I'll introduce my bettas in this post, from name meaning to color and gender.

First off is my oldest male, Nimbus. He's around 10 months old. Measuring in at 1.79", he's also my biggest boy. Nimbus was named for his massive EE pectorals (which he sadly bites). He is a blue multicolor OHMPK from PetCo. Pictures to come!

Next is my pastel EESeD, Gizmo. This pastel blue marble boy shares a 10G with Nimbus. Measuring in at around 1.3", he's pretty big for his age. I got him from a LFS around three months ago. My best guess at his age is around 8 months. I don't have any nice pictures of him because he gets stressed under high lighting.

Above them in a 5.5G is my Platinum Marble HMPK, Levi. He's technically not Platinum anymore, because he marbled turquoise and red. Still beautiful though! I think I have a picture or two on my phone.

In the tank next to him is my tiny little Cellphane VT girl, Yurei. I believe her name means Ghost in Japanese. She is my newest addition. Measuring in at just under .75", I think she is around 3 mo the old. She lives with the juvie Blue Zebra Danios in a 20G Long. There is also a baby guppy in there somewhere. I'll upload a couple of pics from the day she came home.

Beside her, in the 10G, is my fiery Orange Cambodian CT girl. Named Ika, her name means Urchin in Japanese. She lives with 10 Harlequin Rasboras, 8 Baby Danios, and 8 Pygmy Cories. The tank is a bit over stocked but the parameters stay low and I do weekly water changes. Measuring in at around 1.5", she's my biggest and oldest girl.

My final female is a Chocolate Orange VT girl named Tora. She's named after her food-aggressive personailty; in Japanese, her name means Tiger. Older than Yasei but younger than Ika, I believe she is around 4 months old. I think I have a picture or two of her.

Next to Tora, in the rimless 15G, is my Gold Dragon HM boy. His name is Kicho, which means Precious in Japanese. He is a fin biter, but that doesn't stop him from making bubblenests directly in the current and chasing his tankmates around. I believe he is closer to 6 months.

I bought this next fish on the same day I did Kicho. I struggled between Tora (who I bought two weeks later) and Kicho, then I found this gorgeous Red Copper Butterfly tucked in a corner. Originally named Kuru, his permanent name is Yasei means Wild in Japanese. Yasei has a very flighty nature and will dart away pretty dang fast considering he is an OHM. He doesn't flare much, but he will give you the hairy eyeball whilst swimming backwards and to the side before sprinting away. Such a character.

The final fish I'll talk about is my half-blind baby betta, Kai. His name is short for Kaiyo which means Ocean in Japanese. He is temporarily in a 1G hospital tank, and I don't have any good pictures of him. I haven't figured out his color yet either, but his body is dark brown with blue iris, and his fins are yellow with black wash.


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Sorry I couldn't update yesterday, I was driving back from a MN Gophers game in the cities.

It was so cold! When we were walking from our motel to the stadium, it was sprinkling lightly. Ipod read the temp as 46* at 6:45, game starts at 7. Brrrr... When we got seated, an announcement came over the stadium saying "There has been lightning spotted withing 15 miles of the field... please seek shelter..." So we did, and it started POURING. Like white-out can't see pouring. It pounded for like 5 minutes then let up, and the game started. I managed to make it it halftime then bailed and went back to the motel, because my legs were numb.

Waste of a weekend, oh well.

Right now we haven't started building the racks, but I'm starting to collect heaters and filters for the tanks. I'm worried about Nimbus and Gizmo because their heater stopped working over the weekend and the tank temp dropped to nearly 50*, even though the garage is heated to 75*. They're floating in the 20G Long which has a working heater. I hadn't realized how big they've gotten since I last took them out of the tank (they stay in for water changes). I'm thinking of dividing the 20G that was supposed to be for the B. Hendra into two 10's, and then putting the Hendra in a regular 10. LittleBettaFish said that a 20G long is overkill for a pair since they only get to like 1.5".

Here's the plan so far, in terms of stocking...

20G Long #1 (Bottom Shelf, left section)

- x1 B. Splendens (Levi)
- x10 Black Neon Tetras
- x 10 Albino Corydoras

20G Long #2 (Bottom Shelf, right section) Note: Possibly extending this part of the shelf out to 20" and putting a 40G Breeder there.

- x1 Goldfish (Suisei)

Or, if 40G

- x2 Goldfish (Suisei + Calico Ryukin)

20G Long #3 (Top shelf, farthest right) Divided

- x2 B. Splendens (Nimbus + Gizmo)
- x20 Pygmy Corydoras (x10 per side)
- x2 Ivory Mystery Snails (x1 per side)

20G Long #4 (Top shelf, middle right)

- x7 Female B. Splendens (Ika, Tora, Yurei + 4 new girls)
- x12 Panda Corydoras
- x2 Golden Mystery Snails

20G Long #5 (Top Shelf, middle left)

- x1 B. Splendens (New Koi VT/Delta from @themamaj?)
- x10 Harlequin Rasboras
- x6 Khuli Loaches
- x2 Blue Mystery Snails

20G Long #6 (Top Shelf, far left)

- x1 B. Splendens (Chile The Science Experiment Betta)
- x10 Chili Rasboras
- x4 Male Guppies

15G Rimless #1 (middle left)

- x1 B. Splendens (Kicho)
- x8 Longfin Blue Danios
- x6 Khuli Loaches

15G Rimless #2 (middle right)

- x1 B. Splendens (Yasei)
- x10 Rummynose Tetra
- x8 Albino Corydoras
- x5 Amano Shrimp

10G #1 (middle left)

- x2 B. Hendra

10G #2 (middle right)

- x30 RCS

5.5G #1 (bottom left)

- x1 Pea Puffer

5.5G #2 (bottom right) Note: Bare bottomed w/ lots of cover since Kai is half blind.

- x1 B. Splendens (Kai)


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