September '05 - Steve Lavington's 200 L Amazon Aquarium. (England)

Owner:	Steve Lavington, 37, from Godalming (England), 12 years of fishkeeping.
Setup:	2002.
Dimensions:	90x45x50 cm.
Volume:	200 liters (nominal).
Filtration:	External canister filter Prime 20 Plus.
Lighting:	2x90 cm fluorescent tubes: 1 original tropical and 1 Triton.
Heating:	Prime external in line heater 300 W.
Substrate:	Silica sand about 5-8 cm deep, as it varies around the tank.
Decoration:	Mainly bog wood with a few pebbles.
Others:	Basic home made CO2 injection with a bubble counter, this provides just enough to keep the plants looking healthy.
Water:	Temp 28°C, pH 6.8.
Maintenance:	Water changes weekly of about 15%, filter checked and cleaned monthly.
Fauna:	Bleeding heart tetras, various pencil fish, Neon tetras, Rams, humbug catfish among others.
Flora:	Various hardy plants as I have never had huge success with the more delicate varieties, mainly as the fish seem to think they are a snack.
Comments:	This setup was reconstructed after moving house 3 years ago. I like to keep things as simple as possible. I have in the past found that overcomplicating décor or the basic setup can cause more problems than the extra gadgets solve. I prefer to rely on water changes and efficient filtration to keep the tank at its best. I am thinking about investing in a more professional CO2 setup and exploring new plant species.

If you'd like to submit an aquarium for Tank of the Month, just contact me.

Photos taken by Steve Lavington and displayed here with his permission.

Tank 1

Tank 2

Tank 3

Tank 4