Update

I added a few plants and fish to my 55 a couple weeks ago.   4 angels, 6 cardinals, and 5 panda cories.

I was gifted some ferts, and have started fertilizing the tank.   I also got a used pressurized CO2 setup that I found on craigslist. 
Here is the tank as of a week ago.

I also bought this...

It is a 40 gallon breeder.   I am in the process of mineralizing some top soil to use as substrate.

I do have some bad news.   My raphael catfish got ich, and I was trying to treat it with salt and heat, but it didn't work.  The last day I could tell he was suffering, so was going to pick up some meds.   That morning I woke up to a dead fishy.    We had Waldo over 10 years.  :(

I rearranged stuff, and added some new fishes.

I went to Terre Quatics yesterday and picked up a dozen rummy nose tetras, and one random tetra that she threw in because I took all her rummies.    I also got a pair of Kribensis.
I put them right into my tank (after acclimating them for an hour or so) and they all seemed at home right away, checking stuff out and eating.   I need to get a quarantine tank set up soon, instead of just throwing fish in my main tanks.   I do have to say that I trust Terra Quatics fish more than most other stores.

One of my goldfish from petsmart has some sort of fungus or worm.  I salted the tank pretty good, and will watch to see if it improves with that before putting in meds.   And one of the platties we got for the girls had ich, which I have been treating with high water temps (almost 90F) and salt and it is gone.   I will keep up the treatment for at least a few more days before I give it the all clear.   Anyway, I need to get a quaratine tank set up, as it would be so much easier to treat anything in that, especially compared to treating my 55 gallon tank, and risking all those fish. 

Anyway, here is the tank and some of it's new residents.  (Click it to see the full picture.)

quick update

I had another baby Oct of last year, so having 3 young children has kept me too busy to do more than basic maintenance on my tanks.  Now my baby is over a year, I do seem to have a bit more time to focus on them.

My 55 did really well for a while, but about 6 months ago it got some sort of bacteria or fungus outbreak, and I was a bit slow at catching it, and I lost most of my fish.   Also, the last few months the plants have started shrinking again, and the only things I can think of is old bulbs, and being so understocked, as I haven't been using ferts.

Current fish in my 55
1 SAE
1clown pleco
1 cardinal tetra

I added some DIY CO2 a few days ago.   Hoping that it helps.





My 20 still has my cat, and now is home to 2 goldfish.     Don't tell me it is overstocked, I know.
It is a pretty neglected tank.  I change the water often and feed them well, but I haven't really tried to make it pretty. I am hoping to get a 30-40 gallon to replace this in a year or so.   I will either keep it for these fish, or rehome the goldfish and get some cichlids.

Waldo

I recently replaced the 6 gallon for a 10 when the filter in the 6 died.   I got a stadard 10 gallon so I can just buy single pieces of equipment when they die, and not have to buy a whole new hood, or pay way too much for a part of it.  (I like the eclipses, but they can be spendy when it comes time to replace something.)

single 15 watt flouresant light (I might add to that soon.)

aquaclear hob filter

play sand substrate with unknown rocks from my parents farm

Java ferns

crypts

anibus

2 platties  

We are fighting ich right now.   I should know better than to buy fish from big pet stores.

This tank is in my daughters' room, so I let my oldest pick out one decoration, hence the pink treasure chest.  It actually doesn't look too bad in there.

Update, one year later.

I should have kept up with this better, as I fought a lot of algae for many months.

My plants did really well and grew really well for about 6-8 weeks, then they all stopped growing, and algae took over. Then the plants actually started shrinking, and some died. I thought maybe it was the ferts I was using, so I quit that. I tried buying more plants, nope, that didn't help either.

Finally I got it figured out after like 9 months. (I might have sooner, but I had my second baby in Feb, so didn't have much time to think about my tanks.)

I had gotten a hang on the back Aquaclear filter, and I often let the water level fall below the output level, and the results apparently it was letting CO2 outgas, because I unplugged it and withen 2 weeks my plants looked way better, and the algae was going away! I added a couple Siamese Algae eaters too, and that helped the acutal plants I think.

I was just turning that filter on after a water change, but now I am leaving it on and being more diligent about topping off the evaporated water.

I also moved some fish around. I put the catfish back into the 20 (yes I know it is too small, but he lived there for 8 years, and has a nice hidey hole in the 20 gallon tank.)

Last week two of my Keyhole cichlids paired up and laid some eggs for the first time! Of course they ate them after 2 days, but I had wanted a pair and got them. I took the other two Keyholes out and put them in the 20 gallon with my cat.

Oh, and all the livebearers I had in the 20 died, so it was sitting empty before I put Waldo the cat in there.

I bought 2 angel fish about 6 months or so ago, and the 2 SAEs.

So in my 55 gallon

Fish:

2 angels

2 keyhole cichlids

1 golden gourami

2 SAEs

1 clown pleco

I am planning on adding some tetras of some sort and some cories.

Plants:

Vals

crypts

Java ferns

tiny bit of java moss

I just ordered a new canister filter for this, as the two filters I have are just not cutting it.

I am getting a Eheim 2217.

20 gallon

fish:

Raphael cat

2 keyhole cichlids (I think they might be a male and female too, so maybe I will get a second pair!)

6 gallon

3 female bettas (the same ones)

Here is my 55 a few days ago. I changed things around a bit last night. Need to get pictures. :)

progress

Last week when I picked up the Keyhole Cichlids and plants, I also got some Laterite to add to the gravel for plants. I also got some more gravel. I got some tiny gravel, and just mixed it with the pea size gravel I had. Not perfect, but will help the plants a bit, and cheaper than switching it all. I needed the extra depth anyway. I also added 3 rocks that I got from my parent's place (after checking with vinegar if they would mess with my water.)

A few days ago I got my 2x55 watt kit from AHsupply, and built a fixture for it, and yesterday my sweet hubby put the kit together for me. We could have just installed it in the hood, but a seperate fixture seemed like it would protect it better, and be more versitle. I didn't get any pictures, but I will try to remember to get one.

Anyway, I am very happy with the kit and the amount of light, but VERY unhappy with the bulbs that I got. I went with the 6700K, and my tank is YELLOWGREEN. Yuck! :P

Here is a picture of it with the lights on during the day. This pic looks pretty nice, it looks more yellow than this.


And this is taken at night. It isn't THIS bad IRL, but you can see what the color is. :P

I also changed my 20 gallon a bit. It still is quite bare, and needs some decorating, but it looks better with the rocks than with that big orange thing in there. lol

Oh, and my catfish has quit uprooting my plants, so I guess the lucky guy gets to stay in the 55. ;)

55 gallon

Current Residents: 1 gold gourami, 1 tiny sunset gourami, 4 Keyhole Cichlids, 1 clown pleco and 1 Raphael catfish (who is probably going to be moved soon.)

Plants: 2 Amazon Swords, moneywort, 1 crypt, several vals, java moss and a couple unknowns.

Lighting : almost nothing ~ I have a 2-55watt kit on it's way from AHsupply.com. It should be here tomorrow or the next day.

I just got this tank last week, used for $150. That included the stand and hood, the filter (Hot Magnum) some gravel and some stuff I won't use, like decorations, air pumps, the lights and a couple extra filters that probably wont' be used on this tank.

Here is a picture of it before I added plants yesterday.

Here is the lights on at night. You can see how dark it is.

Hopefully I will have my new lights set up by this weekend, and I can get some decent shots.

6 gallon

Current residents: 3 female Bettas, 4 ghost shrimp, pond snails

plants: java fern, java moss, and some anubias

lighting: 1.33 watts per gallon

I got my 6 gallon about 6 years ago or so. It is an Eclipse6. Usually I keep a male betta in it, but a couple months ago I bought 3 females to put in with my male. (It is planted pretty good, and thought I would give it a shot.) Well, even though the old guy didn't show much interest in the ladies, it must have been too much stress on him, because he died just a couple weeks after getting them. :( He was old though, at least 2 years.

I am really enjoying the females though! :) They seem to have even more personality than he did (although the first Betta my husband and I had, had a LOT of personality.)

So anyway, here is my tank. I need to get some better lighting over it to get a good shot.

Here it is about a year ago, a bit better picture. I had a better colored light in there at the time. I need to change the bulb to something brighter I think.