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HelloIAmYourHeart posted:Speaking of Fluval Edges...I just got the 12 gallon and have been cycling it. There's just a piece of driftwood and some dirt and sand so far. It got one of those milky bacterial blooms and while I was waiting for it to clear up, the impeller in the filter broke (I think it sucked up some sand while I was moving the driftwood around). I ordered a replacement part but meanwhile it's been sitting around for 4-5 days with no filtration and a bacterial bloom. Pretty gross. What are you using to cycle it? Wood gets pretty nasty when it is new but with the right fish the will gobble that up or you can opt to boil the poo poo out of it which may get your wife mad if you use her nice pots. Not that I did that. I use FlorinBacter when I start a new tank on a daily regimen according to the bottle instructions and it has worked like a charm on five tanks without losses.
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Feb 26, 2014 16:39
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I was trying to start out with a fishless cycle because I didn't want to buy any new fish at the moment. I have some neon tetras and kuhli loaches in my other tank, a 10 gallon which is perfectly fine. The driftwood seemed fine at first but then the filter died and it got all jacked up really fast. I could take it out and boil it but I don't think it would fit in even my biggest pot. Ugh. When I get home I will test the water and see what it says.
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Feb 26, 2014 18:04
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Nichol posted:I love my edge, but 5 gallons is really small. if I were buying one I'd get the tall (10 gal?) one in a second. cleans great with a little mag sponge, filtering is good, and it looks beautiful. Everyone who sees it says nice things. my only worry is that it is so little I will eventually get bored and buy a bigger tank that won't be so pretty. There are tanks coming out of Asia that look like Fluval Edge. They have thick rear end glass laminated on thick rear end glass for that thick rear end glass anti-breaking feature. I picked this one up for about $1,000.  I've had it set up for about 4 months as a Cichlid Tank in my living room. 
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Feb 26, 2014 20:52
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big dig posted:There are tanks coming out of Asia that look like Fluval Edge. They have thick rear end glass laminated on thick rear end glass for that thick rear end glass anti-breaking feature. I picked this one up for about $1,000. Where did you buy this at?
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Feb 26, 2014 21:22
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big dig posted:There are tanks coming out of Asia that look like Fluval Edge. They have thick rear end glass laminated on thick rear end glass for that thick rear end glass anti-breaking feature. I picked this one up for about $1,000. The parent in me is wincing at the sharp glass corners at child head height. The nerd in me is thinking "sweet tank!".
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Feb 26, 2014 22:44
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 Got the new filter impeller installed, so at least there's that. The water measurements weren't as terrible as I expected: Hardness 120, carbonate hardness 120, pH 8.0, nitrite 0.5, nitrate 20. My other tank's measurements are harness 120, carbonate hardness 40, pH 7.5, nitrite 0, nitrate 40. Suggestions?
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Feb 27, 2014 01:58
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http://www.visualnews.com/2014/02/12/stunning-photography-of-siamese-fighting-fish/ Some great photos of bettas. Also a question! Anyone else have bettas with those little pits around their head like in the photo above? My opaque white betta had those too, I've no idea if it's normal or not.
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Feb 27, 2014 04:28
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Those are normal.. what you don't want is hole-in-the-head which is bad but curable. http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2008/02/hole-in-head.html I have seen it in bettas and other tropicals even though the list does not include them.
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Feb 27, 2014 15:26
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SynthOrange posted:http://www.visualnews.com/2014/02/12/stunning-photography-of-siamese-fighting-fish/ Those pits are part of the sensory lateral line system! 
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Feb 27, 2014 18:38
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Bait and Swatch posted:It could just be a freak thing. I did the same google search after your post yesterday, and there were a few people who said their fish was back to normal after a week or two in the hospital tank. I've had some Cichlids come back from some gruesome injuries, so don't give up hope yet. Update: after 3 days of him sitting on his side on the bottom of the tank I came home from work and he was upright but still resting on the bottom. For 3 days after that he maintained at that level. I tried to feed him a shelled pea a few times, I was able to grab him easily and just kind of push it in his mouth. He spit it out every time. Two days ago I tried to catch him to force feed and with a few tail swishes he easily avoided my hand. Last night he ate a few pellets. I wouldn't say he's out of the woods by any means, but I am hugely encouraged. I won't be putting him back in the oscar tank, but for right now I'm just going to leave him alone in the hospital tank.
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Feb 27, 2014 20:19
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Dantu posted:Update: after 3 days of him sitting on his side on the bottom of the tank I came home from work and he was upright but still resting on the bottom. For 3 days after that he maintained at that level. I tried to feed him a shelled pea a few times, I was able to grab him easily and just kind of push it in his mouth. He spit it out every time. That's great news. Hopefully he stays on track and keeps improving.
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Feb 27, 2014 23:42
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durrneez posted:Those pits are part of the sensory lateral line system! Neat. I've just never noticed it on my other bettas. The white really does make them stand out.
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Feb 28, 2014 00:07
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Yeah, we have a yellow betta and it was really pronounced and at first I thought he had HITH until someone on the betta forum sent me a pic of what it really looked like.
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Feb 28, 2014 00:26
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I need some assistance, if you kind people wouldn't mind. Started up a new planted tank with some spider driftwood, and after a week the wood now looks like this.  I have no idea what the film is, or how to rid myself of it. Fejsze fucked around with this message at 01:10 on Feb 28, 2014 |
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Feb 28, 2014 01:08
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Fejsze posted:I need some assistance, if you kind people wouldn't mind. Started up a new planted tank with some spider driftwood, and after a week the wood now looks like this. Perfectly normal for wood.. it eventually goes away, some fish eat that goo. Removing it and cleaning it only makes it return only more pissed off.
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Feb 28, 2014 01:11
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demonR6 posted:Perfectly normal for wood.. it eventually goes away, some fish eat that goo. Removing it and cleaning it only makes it return only more pissed off. Awesome, thanks. I've only used Malaysian driftwood previously, and never had this problem, so I was worried. cheers!
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Feb 28, 2014 01:13
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Shrimp and plecos will scour that stuff if you're really bothered, but yeah, it'll eventually stop after a week or two.
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Feb 28, 2014 01:18
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Yep, shrimp would be a good choice if you plan on stocking with fauna that won't necessarily see the shrimp as a tasty meal. I would not throw a pleco at the problem unless you intend on having it around.. and growing. I am not sure if a rubber lip pleco may alleviate the issue but it should not grow excessively large.
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Feb 28, 2014 02:52
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I want shrimp in my tank, it would help a lot with my tank. But what factors besides copper can kill them pretty readily? I just got another small batch of cpds in just to fill out an order for two more amano shrimp. The shrimp lasted all of about an hour in the tank after acclimation before dieing. One literally looked like he just died mid-step. I'm not treating with copper based products so that is off. However, that doesn't rule out it being in the tap (where would I get a kit to test for it?). The other option would be the gourami, but in a previous attempt, the lifespan was the same and I don't believe he was in there then. Speaking of the gourami, he finally left us. And since then, the CPDs have been out in the middle of the tank playing instead of darting out once in a while when he was there. So obviously was a stressor in the tank. Also, for those that are having problems with your water going tea colored from the driftwood's tannin, try some purigen in your filter. Not joking, that stuff works. Within 12 hours, mine was cleared up (normally it only was clear right after the water change I do weekly). I did overkill though in that I have two 100ml packets (one is rated for 100gal or so) because I have two filter areas in my tank.
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Feb 28, 2014 03:21
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You really need to have your water tested. Also are you acclimating the shrimp using a drip method?
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Feb 28, 2014 03:30
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demonR6 posted:Also are you acclimating the shrimp using a drip method? Yup. It is the kit I linked earlier. I use it on everything that enters the aquarium besides the plants. And they seem fine there too. Only dieing after entering the main tank. Wierd stuff. I'll have to see if I can find a copper test kit to see what results I get I guess.
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Feb 28, 2014 03:37
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Anyone have any luck with cycling supplements? I've never used them before, but was thinking about using Nutrafin Cycle Biological Filter supplement.
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Feb 28, 2014 07:51
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I think I mentioned it a few posts up.. I use Brightwell Aquatics FlorinBacter according to the instructions on their bottle. http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/florinbactert.php My 55, 37, 20 and two nano aquariums were all setup using this product with zero losses. The 55 and 37 being the most important as the 20 is a shrimp habitat and was heavily planted from almost the get-go and the two nano's are on an aggressive water change schedule so to be fair it was not as critical. JuffoWup posted:Yup. It is the kit I linked earlier. I use it on everything that enters the aquarium besides the plants. And they seem fine there too. Only dieing after entering the main tank. Wierd stuff. I'll have to see if I can find a copper test kit to see what results I get I guess. So all your parameters other than checking for copper are fine then. You have a heater so we can rule out temperature being out of whack for the species you are adding? demonR6 fucked around with this message at 14:43 on Feb 28, 2014 |
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Feb 28, 2014 14:37
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demonR6 posted:So all your parameters other than checking for copper are fine then. You have a heater so we can rule out temperature being out of whack for the species you are adding? Correct. That is why I was wondering what else besides copper can do them in. I don't see scuds or other micros in the tank either, so we can count them out. I did find a copper test kit which will be here tomorrow so I can test that. And if that is the problem, seachem apparently makes a bead stuff similar to purigen that claims to trap copper and other hard metals. I just have a hard time believing it could be copper unless it is from the house's plumbing (house is 2 years old, new construction). We have a water softener system installed which does some filtering along with a charcoal filter before it goes to the house. JuffoWup fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Feb 28, 2014 |
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Feb 28, 2014 15:24
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JuffoWup posted:Correct. That is why I was wondering what else besides copper can do them in. I don't see scuds or other micros in the tank either, so we can count them out. I did find a copper test kit which will be here tomorrow so I can test that. And if that is the problem, seachem apparently makes a bead stuff similar to purigen that claims to trap copper and other hard metals. Doesn't new copper piping leach copper into the water till it eventually gets a layer of tarnish on it?
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Feb 28, 2014 15:37
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JuffoWup posted:Correct. That is why I was wondering what else besides copper can do them in. I don't see scuds or other micros in the tank either, so we can count them out. I did find a copper test kit which will be here tomorrow so I can test that. And if that is the problem, seachem apparently makes a bead stuff similar to purigen that claims to trap copper and other hard metals. Does your softener use potassium? If so, that's probably your issue. E: Potassium Chloride is used in various softeners. It causes osmotic shock in shrimp and lowers their body water content. Bait and Swatch fucked around with this message at 15:51 on Feb 28, 2014 |
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Feb 28, 2014 15:45
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New construction should be using PVC and CPVC so copper pipes should be out of the equation I think... at least here in Florida. Ditto with what Bait and Switch said... your type of salt may be affecting the fish but that is only if your softener uses salt. Our first unit was a Kinetico which did not use salt but our newer system is a Culligan and it does use salt. I use the Morton salt in the yellow bag they sell at Lowe's in our system but we have a bypass where I can get water that passes through the filter and is not treated for our aquarium water. When we installed the system a few years ago I had them do this because of the frequency of water changes and the volume of water I change at one shot. I was going to install an R/O system with its own holding tank this year when I get my taxes back though to improve the water quality but TLDR check your salt.
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Feb 28, 2014 16:16
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Do shrimp take well to caves and tunnels? I have a 55gal planted community tank with enough hardscape elements to block light to a few parts of the substrate, and I notice that most of the shrimp spend their time in these unlit sections, clinging to the bottom of the hardscape. To accommodate their light-hating ways, I've been thinking up and drawing plans for an underground cave/tunnel system for them. I want to cast around five domes made of this stuff, about five to ten inches tall, connected by PVC tubes with that same material painted on the inside, to place under the substrate--the tops of the domes will break the surface to appear as rocks as well as providing entry. A filter will run down through the substrate and into one of the tunnels to create a current going into the cave system and keep the water down there from stagnating. As cool as the whole project sounds in my head, and as solid as it seems on paper, is it practical? Is there anything I may not be taking into account? I have through April to settle on a way forward, so I'm in no rush to start.
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Feb 28, 2014 17:16
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I have some CPVC tunnels that I threaded some moss onto and have become almost covered now. Also this other wood that the name escapes me but looks like a honeycomb structure.. they love it immensely. One word of caution for tunnels like what I use, be sure it is fish friendly else bad things can happen. Plant cover though should help and once things grow in, if you are using live plants, the shrimp will be more comfortable with their surroundings and be out and about more.
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Feb 28, 2014 17:43
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demonR6 posted:I have some CPVC tunnels that I threaded some moss onto and have become almost covered now. Also this other wood that the name escapes me but looks like a honeycomb structure.. they love it immensely. One word of caution for tunnels like what I use, be sure it is fish friendly else bad things can happen. Plant cover though should help and once things grow in, if you are using live plants, the shrimp will be more comfortable with their surroundings and be out and about more. My amanos loved my holy wood. But my angels loved eating them more and now I don't have any shrimp. Sigh.
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Mar 1, 2014 06:25
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Going with Forktailed rainbows (P. Furcatus probably) and I have a couple questions if you have any experience with them. 1. Good ratio of males to females? Going 8 probably in a 90 liter tank. Thinking 2-6 or 3-5. 2. I know these guys are jumpers. How much clearance you expect them to get? 10cm? 15? 20? Gonna build up some clear laminate walls. 3. What do you think about food? Peas, pellet and brine?
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Mar 3, 2014 03:55
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Been interested in setting up a second smaller tank with some smaller simple fish and some snails (that would hopefully reproduce) to feed my Figure 8s with. Anyone have a quick suggestion for a 10-15Gallon setup and stock that would make me some puffer food while still looking okay?
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Mar 4, 2014 01:46
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Gibbo posted:Been interested in setting up a second smaller tank with some smaller simple fish and some snails (that would hopefully reproduce) to feed my Figure 8s with. Anyone have a quick suggestion for a 10-15Gallon setup and stock that would make me some puffer food while still looking okay? I have a fairly small heavily planted tank with white mountain minnows and a booming population of ramshorns and MTS. Gonna have to bait some snails out and throw them in the pond I think...
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Mar 4, 2014 01:50
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Extra Smooth Balls posted:I have a fairly small heavily planted tank with white mountain minnows and a booming population of ramshorns and MTS. Please don't release aquarium stock into any body of water. Even if the species is endemic to your area, you can still spread potentially harmful bacteria. You could try selling some, people with Assassin snails will buy them. You don't need to remove many to cut down on the population and then you just have to watch your feeding. And I can't imagine they'd be difficult to euthanize quickly and painlessly. Either way, try to remove the biggest you can find.
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Mar 4, 2014 02:10
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Extra Smooth Balls posted:I have a fairly small heavily planted tank with white mountain minnows and a booming population of ramshorns and MTS. What is fairly small? Buy a few assassin snails and it should help, that or take my approach and get a clown loach. The bottom of my tank looks like a snail graveyard now.
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Mar 4, 2014 02:17
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demonR6 posted:What is fairly small? Buy a few assassin snails and it should help, that or take my approach and get a clown loach. The bottom of my tank looks like a snail graveyard now. Somehow, despite mentioning Assassin Snails, I didn't think to suggest getting some. That is the best solution.
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Mar 4, 2014 02:21
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Gibbo posted:Been interested in setting up a second smaller tank with some smaller simple fish and some snails (that would hopefully reproduce) to feed my Figure 8s with. Anyone have a quick suggestion for a 10-15Gallon setup and stock that would make me some puffer food while still looking okay? If you just want them as food, go with simple pond snails. They are easy to breed and feed. While they are considered a pest, my wife's puffers love them since they move around the tank and on the glass. MTS could be an option, but don't seem to make that great of a snack for puffers, as they are usually out at night. Even when I've dropped some in my wife's tank her puffers lose interest quickly once the snails just lay there. Assassin snails are too pricey to buy as food, and breed fairly slowly. Great for trading to your LFS though. I don't knoe about Ramshorn, as I've never had any. Edit: In other news, my male Agasizzii Cichlid is trying really hard to convince my male Cockatoo Cichlid to hook up. I'm hoping that it's just a bit of confusion since the Cockatoo is a juvie and that my plan to find him a girlfriend will help him solve his sexual frustrations. He seems to get more aggravated each time his advances are "rejected." Bait and Swatch fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Mar 4, 2014 |
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Mar 4, 2014 03:37
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Bait and Swatch posted:If you just want them as food, go with simple pond snails. They are easy to breed and feed. While they are considered a pest, my wife's puffers love them since they move around the tank and on the glass. MTS have thick shells and do not make good puffer food. Pond, Ramshorn, and young Apple snails are the three good options. All breed easily, just not as easily as MTS. It's probably for the best that both Cichlids are male. Pretty sure they could crossbreed and Apisto keepers are pretty rabid about hybrids. Those two fish would probably make some pretty offspring though.
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Mar 4, 2014 06:22
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Desert Bus posted:It's probably for the best that both Cichlids are male. Pretty sure they could crossbreed and Apisto keepers are pretty rabid about hybrids. Those two fish would probably make some pretty offspring though. No plans for hybrids here either, they're just stuck together in the community 120 until I have a reason to seperate them. Edit: On the topic of dwarfs, I've been running rainwater through a .1 micron Sawyer filter I bought off Amazon for $50 ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005EHPVQW). I grabbed a few 100 gallon rain barrels that attach to gutters and use the filter to eliminate any crap that gets into the water from the roof. It's worked great so far, and is cheaper than RO. If anyone is thinking of trying Apistos or other soft water fish, this makes the task of water improvement much easier. Bait and Swatch fucked around with this message at 07:29 on Mar 4, 2014 |
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Mar 4, 2014 07:16
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Bait and Swatch posted:No plans for hybrids here either, they're just stuck together in the community 120 until I have a reason to seperate them. In a 120 with enough other fish to keep fry in check, you'd never end up with enough hybrid Apisto's to have any leak out into the aquarium trade. What's the rest of your stock?
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Mar 4, 2014 07:47
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