|
It's the time of year for Malaysian Trumpet Snail sales! Here is the thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3638253
|
#
?
May 28, 2014 16:06
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 12, 2024 06:13 |
|
|
They really are persistent little guys arent they? I've got a few bowls for just plants. Unheated, untreated tapwater. So why are there little trumpet snails crawling around inside? If only my fish and shrimp were as undemanding. 
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2014 04:32
|
|
|
Yesterday I was given a 215 liter bow front tank along with the 4 cichlids and 2 spotted catfish that lived in it. It was loving filthy, the person who gave it to me had been given it by a friend of hers and had no idea how to look after it, she didn't even dechlorinate the water until I told her she needed to.  .After getting it home, scrubbing the worst of the algae off the glass and vaccing the sand a bit I refilled it, it still has a fairly high level of nitrates but i'm going to be doing daily water changes and I stuck a load of elodea in to try and absorb a bit. It's got a pretty nice external filter which i haven't touched apart from rinsing the worst of the gunk out with dechlorinated water so hopefully ammonia won't be a problem. Anyway, I need some help IDing the fish.  I'm pretty sure this guy is an electric yellow, he had some friends but they died before I got the tank.   This guy is the biggest one in the tank, maybe three and a half inches? He's eating well and seems active but he has a rather hollow belly which I'm a bit worried about.  I think this is his girlfriend? I've seen him shaking his head at her.  This is definitely the smallest and least popular fish, the slightly larger spotty female chases it away whenever it goes near her. Couldn't get photos of the catfish as they're skittish as hell but they seemed healthy when I netted them out. They're also around 3 inches. I'm pretty sure they're synodontis. So yeah, any cichlid advice would be welcome. I'm not adding any more fish to this tank till the cichlids pass away and then I think I might make it a more peaceful planted community tank.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2014 12:39
|
|
|
First one is definitely a yellow lab, the other 3 all look like they could be OB Peacocks, but it's hard to tell for sure.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2014 14:17
|
|
|
Goldmund posted:First one is definitely a yellow lab, the other 3 all look like they could be OB Peacocks, but it's hard to tell for sure. Yeah, I need to find my camera and get some decent photos. You may well be right about them being peacocks, GIS gives me some results that look pretty similar to mine.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2014 14:26
|
|
|
Agreeing with Goldmund. One yellow labidochromis and three peacocks. Yay cichlids!
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2014 01:05
|
|
|
So I've recently moved cross country, which has given me a nice opportunity to redo my setup. I got a 29gal tank on my 16th birthday, and as noobies do, I got a silver tip shark he lived the longest, about 6 years, but alas, the small tank size got to him and he died about two months ago. Now I have a bit more experience I can get a solid setup going. I also have time so I can cycle correctly and not murder innocent fish. Anyway, what could i look for as for a number of fish I could flexibly work with? I'm thinking I want a crayfish, so I'd need some individuals that wouldn't hang out near the bottom. Im also looking to do live plants, and I don't particularly want them to get devoured. As for what I want, I'm thinking a small pleco or snails, and some neon tetras. Any thoughts?
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2014 04:15
|
|
|
Spooky Bear Ghost posted:So I've recently moved cross country, which has given me a nice opportunity to redo my setup. I got a 29gal tank on my 16th birthday, and as noobies do, I got a silver tip shark If you're thinking crayfish plants are pretty much out of the question since they do their own aquascaping, as it were. Also wouldn't put fish in with them because they're pretty murderous. If you've still got that arthropod bug ( ) and want fish with them, I'd go the shrimp route. They're pretty entertaining, can work out in a community setting, and are content to not raze your hard-worked planting job to the ground. If you go fish, a solid school of neons look pretty great in a planted tank. 10-15 of the little guys gives you a nice school so they're more happy and healthy. I probably wouldn't recommend a pleco outside of maybe a bristlenose. Could go with otocinclus if you want sucker cats, they're tiny and need friends but they also tend to be a bit fragile. I'd probably go the snail route for any algae clean-up because nerites rule.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2014 06:25
|
|
|
Shakenbaker posted:If you go fish, a solid school of neons look pretty great in a planted tank. 10-15 of the little guys gives you a nice school so they're more happy and healthy. I probably wouldn't recommend a pleco outside of maybe a bristlenose. Could go with otocinclus if you want sucker cats, they're tiny and need friends but they also tend to be a bit fragile. I'd probably go the snail route for any algae clean-up because nerites rule. Seconded. I have 15 blue neons in my planted tank and they look fantastic when they school. It's ace to watch them make their way across the tank in a long line. If you can find Black Neons they're also great to watch, but they're harder to get hold of. For bottom feeders, you can't go wrong with Cories. They're cute and are pretty tough. I'm considering getting another 15 neons for an uber school, but my tank is pretty much full at the moment. And that's an excuse for some photos: My Tank currently:  And the Tetras:    
Sonic H fucked around with this message at 11:45 on May 30, 2014 |
|
#
?
May 30, 2014 11:29
|
|
|
Thanks for all the help! Looks like snails neons and shrimp will be my route. I'll be getting set up in the next few days so I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions. E: another question! I'm coming from New England to Idaho, and I'm wondering if I need to completely get all the algae off the walls of my tank. (Don't want to spread an invasive species) I tried getting the most I could off when I was in NE with water and paper towels, but there was some stubborn spots. If I do have to worry about it, how would I get it off? Spooky Bear Ghost fucked around with this message at 17:08 on May 30, 2014 |
|
#
?
May 30, 2014 16:45
|
|
|
Spooky Bear Ghost posted:Thanks for all the help! Looks like snails neons and shrimp will be my route. I'll be getting set up in the next few days so I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions. Assuming it's a glass tank, razor blades work wonderfully. Obviously not for use on acrylic tanks! It's probably not strictly necessary, but I like to clean my tanks out with a mild (10% or so) bleach solution. Rinse thoroughly afterwards, let it sun dry, and then fill with water and a 2-3x dose of dechlor and let it sit a few days. Gets things nice and clean, and no worries that something will be hanging around to infect your new setup. Enos Cabell fucked around with this message at 18:02 on May 30, 2014 |
|
#
?
May 30, 2014 17:59
|
|
|
Anyone happen to have an idea when the next $1/g tank sale at Petco will be? I want to pick up a few tanks, but figured I'd hold out for that.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2014 18:57
|
|
|
For the first time in years I saw Keyhole Cichlids in a store for sale! Downside; they are at a Petco and in a tank with Jewel Cichlids so they are beat up and stressed.
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2014 13:24
|
|
|
During a water change yesterday evening I found a dozen free swimming fry in my "all-male" mbuna tank. Turns out that John Waters, my yellow lab, has been living a lie for the past 3 years. I have no clue who the father is, and I don't have any two of the same species in the tank, so will be interesting to see what they grow into.
|
|
#
?
Jun 3, 2014 15:07
|
|
|
Goldmund posted:During a water change yesterday evening I found a dozen free swimming fry in my "all-male" mbuna tank. Turns out that John Waters, my yellow lab, has been living a lie for the past 3 years. I have no clue who the father is, and I don't have any two of the same species in the tank, so will be interesting to see what they grow into. Isn't nature beautiful?
|
|
#
?
Jun 3, 2014 20:13
|
|
|
SocketWrench posted:Isn't nature beautiful?  The upside to this is that my wife is going nuts over baby fishies, and I got the go-ahead to build a stand and buy a couple of 40g breeder tanks!
|
|
#
?
Jun 3, 2014 22:10
|
|
|
So I guess the Ray fixture on my 75 has poo poo the bed because I'm getting a whole lot more penetration from a corkscrew bulb and a brooder lamp than I am from the fixture that's there. Like...a billion times more. Anyone else have this problem crop up before? I've had this fixture for maybe a year now but that seems a pretty short lifespan for an LED fixture.
|
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2014 02:54
|
|
|
Goldmund posted:
Yeah, I've been giving mine out at work. Part of me wants to keep'em because "Aww, baby fishies", but the sane part of me says "get rid of them or you'll have an unstoppable, unsupportable mess"
|
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2014 09:14
|
|
|
Children work the same way
|
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2014 09:19
|
|
|
Goldmund posted:During a water change yesterday evening I found a dozen free swimming fry in my "all-male" mbuna tank. Turns out that John Waters, my yellow lab, has been living a lie for the past 3 years. I have no clue who the father is, and I don't have any two of the same species in the tank, so will be interesting to see what they grow into. John Waters is the perfect name for a gender bending fish. 
|
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2014 09:43
|
|
|
So I added 3 black tetras to my shy fire mouth tank. He still won't come out of his pipe, but he moves around inside it so he can watch them intently.
|
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2014 13:52
|
|
|
What can I do with a 10 gallon tank to have a feel of what it's like to take care of fish and plants? I have always wanted a bigger tank and now we finally got a house to put it in so before looking into that I was thinking I could first use this 10g I have from ages ago. I want to read stuff and be prepared but I don't know where to start. 
|
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2014 15:10
|
|
|
internet inc posted:What can I do with a 10 gallon tank to have a feel of what it's like to take care of fish and plants? I have always wanted a bigger tank and now we finally got a house to put it in so before looking into that I was thinking I could first use this 10g I have from ages ago. Keep in mind that maintaining quality water conditions in a 10g tank is actually harder than in a larger tank. Small changes have a much larger impact in a tank that size. For a small setup like that you can get by without a lot of equipment. I'd suggest a small sponge filter and air pump for filtration, a 50w heater, and rinsed play sand for substrate. For plants look at stuff that doesn't have insane light requirements, like java fern, java moss and anubias. Fish wise, I'd go with something like a single dwarf gourami and 6-8 neon tetras, maybe some ghost shrimps to help with cleanup.
|
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2014 16:30
|
|
|
Yeah, I was worried about that. I was even thinking about ditching this 10g and buying a 20 or 25 gallon as my stepping stone for an even larger aquarium but now I'm seeing it as a challenge of some sort. I'll make sure everything is properly set before putting fish in, of course. Thanks for the information. I'll definitely take your advice and go from there. 
|
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2014 17:38
|
|
|
So as a stop-gap for my dying Ray fixture I just used some brooder lamps and 26W corkscrew fluorescent bulbs. I've got seven of them on the tank (it's a 75) and I'll be damned if it isn't lit up brighter than it's ever been. Like...I think I'm gonna make a stand for them and say screw the LED fixture. It's crazy how much light you can get from those things.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 00:13
|
|
|
internet inc posted:What can I do with a 10 gallon tank to have a feel of what it's like to take care of fish and plants? I have always wanted a bigger tank and now we finally got a house to put it in so before looking into that I was thinking I could first use this 10g I have from ages ago. The OP. Please.... someone please read the OP. 
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 01:18
|
|
|
SynthOrange posted:The OP. Please.... someone please read the OP. I did read it and it's great! I wanted advice on what to put in a 10 gallon tank as a beginner, though. That's a little too specific for the OP to cover, isn't it? I'll be sure to go back to it as I go along. 
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 02:36
|
|
|
Anyone in the Bay Area, want a pair of mated angels and some neon tetras and pepper cats? Looks like I'll be going off to boot camp in a few months and I don't want to leave the responsibility of my little guys to my wife while I'm gone for 6 months. Would be willing to sell the tanks and equipment extremely cheap too. PM for more info.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 02:52
|
|
|
For a first 10 gallon, I would recommend a school of white clouds. They're quite pretty, and also super hardy. Plus, you could skip the heater for them.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 05:05
|
|
|
Niel posted:For a first 10 gallon, I would recommend a school of white clouds. They're quite pretty, and also super hardy. Plus, you could skip the heater for them. I'd second this, plus they're really pretty and active, I've got a mix of golden and normal minnows and they look really nice. I have my smaller tank set up with high water flow and they love playing in the current along with the SAE.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 07:20
|
|
|
Could I replace the neon tetras in Goldmund's post by the white clouds you suggested, keeping the dwarf gourami and possible ghost shrimps in there? Just throwing ideas out there. I'm heading out to the fish store to get the equipment. Still got plenty of time to think about what fish I want to put in. I'll get a heater anyway, I'll have it around even if I don't end up using it.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 16:41
|
|
|
LingcodKilla posted:Anyone in the Bay Area, want a pair of mated angels and some neon tetras and pepper cats? Looks like I'll be going off to boot camp in a few months and I don't want to leave the responsibility of my little guys to my wife while I'm gone for 6 months. Would be willing to sell the tanks and equipment extremely cheap too. Good luck in Basic, it's not as bad as people make it sound. It's pretty easy once you get used to how the military does things.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 16:51
|
|
|
Bait and Swatch posted:Good luck in Basic, it's not as bad as people make it sound. It's pretty easy once you get used to how the military does things. Thanks but I'm fairly sure my life will be hell but not for the same reasons. I'm 37 year old reservist with police eduction going in with "adults" young enough to be my children. I can't believe I'm doing this.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 17:13
|
|
|
Hopefully, it was just mine, but be careful with dwarf gouramis. They have temperaments similar to bettas. I caught mine nipping at leaves and fish fins alike. Likewise, his nipping was most likely the cause for death of my two otos (their stomachs were caved in as if not eating even though there was algae all over for them to eat along with tabs when I started to notice). Schooling fish might be fine as cpds are not a tight schooling species akin to tetracycline. They lime company, but also each choose their own area individually to hang out in.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 17:22
|
|
|
LingcodKilla posted:Thanks but I'm fairly sure my life will be hell but not for the same reasons. I'm 37 year old reservist with police eduction going in with "adults" young enough to be my children. I can't believe I'm doing this. When I went through we had a 36 year old former police officer with us. He received a lot of respect from the Drill Sergeants, was our Platoon guide for all nine weeks and really kept everyone in line. I've heard some horror stories about the lack of discipline in basic right now, but hopefully it goes well, best of luck. For content: Anyone have tips on encouraging a male cockatoo cichlid to breed with a very willing and very yellow female? I've been feeding a high protein diet and doing regular water changes, but he doesn't seem interested.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 17:31
|
|
|
internet inc posted:Could I replace the neon tetras in Goldmund's post by the white clouds you suggested, keeping the dwarf gourami and possible ghost shrimps in there? Just throwing ideas out there. Dunno about the gourami but I have my WCMs in with a few amano shrimp and they get on fine.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 17:34
|
|
|
Bait and Swatch posted:For content: Anyone have tips on encouraging a male cockatoo cichlid to breed with a very willing and very yellow female? I've been feeding a high protein diet and doing regular water changes, but he doesn't seem interested. No tips, but good luck! I've got a pair of double reds in my 55g community tank while I get their permanent 40g breeder tank set up. Hoping they will breed for me eventually. Speaking of baby fishies, my yellow lab spit the rest of her fry yesterday. Hard to get an exact count, but there are at least 35 of the buggers swimming around now. Tuesday I built a new double-stand to hold a 40g and 20g long tank, and yesterday I got the 20g setup and the fry moved in. Too bad they couldn't have waited for the Petco $1/g tank sale, but oh well. Will post some pics later.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 17:52
|
|
|
Was at someone's house today and they have a maybe 50-60 gallon tank with a crazy mix of fish. Guppies, bettas, WMM, CAE, Flying fox, Corys, cherry barb, some kind of big pleco and an unidentified six inch fish that was probably a rainbow shark. Really pretty tank but wow, what a mix.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2014 21:28
|
|
|
internet inc posted:Could I replace the neon tetras in Goldmund's post by the white clouds you suggested, keeping the dwarf gourami and possible ghost shrimps in there? Just throwing ideas out there. I'm not particularly knowledgeable with labyrinth fish (not really much of a fan of them), but according to some online resources I skimmed through, dwarf gouramis seem like they would be fine with them. If you're cycling your tank for the first time, I would grab the minnows first and get the gourami after the tank is established. I prefer cherry shrimp over ghosts, if you can find them. With enough plants and other cover, the cherries can breed unlike ghosts, and they're also prettier. I've also heard a few horror stories of juvenile species of larger shrimp getting mixed in with ghosts and eventually getting to the size where they start eating the fish, though I suppose that's probably unlikely. Likewise with the gourami, if you're cycling your tank, I would say get the shrimp after it's established. As an aside, one thing I would recommend is trying to see if there's any local fishkeeping associations in your area. It's a good way to get access to some fish that are probably less stressed than the ones in pet stores, and you could probably ask someone there for some used filter media to get a jumpstart on the cycle.
|
|
#
?
Jun 6, 2014 00:39
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 12, 2024 06:13 |
|
|
internet inc posted:Could I replace the neon tetras in Goldmund's post by the white clouds you suggested, keeping the dwarf gourami and possible ghost shrimps in there? Just throwing ideas out there. The thing with neon tetra versus white clouds is that they inhabit very different areas. Neon tetra are from South America and like warm water. White clouds are from a mountainous region of China and like cooler water. The dwarf gourami would much rather have the warmer water than the cooler because it, too, comes from a warmer part of the world. Basically, the neons and the gourami would pretty much require a heater. The white clouds would do much better off without one unless you're like in an igloo or something.
|
|
#
?
Jun 6, 2014 03:00
|
|