Puffers and Cichlids and Plecos.. Oh My!

Aquarium, take two. Three if you count the goldfish bowl disaster. RIP poor Mike the goldfish...

After my freshwater tank went belly up (pardon the pun), I had a long talk with my LFS guy. Ed graciously filled up a bag with marine salt and pH buffer, and another bag with bacteria culture and sent me home to start my tank cycling. A few trips back and forth so he could test my water and I could do a 75% water change, and we were in business.

I ended up with the following fish, who I *think* I have properly identified, but am still researching.

Cobalt blue Zebra

Melanochromis Auratus

Maylandia Emmiltos (Red Top Zebra)

Green Spotted Puffer

This little bugger bit my finger just as I snapped the picture...

Common Pleco ("Hoover")

The Pleco is the only one with a name, and I hope he doesn't mind that I have turned his home into a brackish water tank... he is my only survivor from Project Aquarium, take 1. Emily likes to call the blue one "Nemo", so that might stick, and she calls the black/yellow one "Black".. but it is a female, so I'll be changing it.

The tank is already cloudy, so i did a 20% water change and am going to swing by and have Ed check my water levels tomorrow. The cloudiness is expected from the cycling of the tank, but I want to be sure things are ok. Plus, I need new food for my little buggers.. turns out they don't enjoy flakes so much.

I may invest in some snails so that I can feed the Puffer a better diet and keep his teeth filed down.

I'm excited, and hope things are going to go well this time.