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drat it, I managed to stupidly kill my 10 biggest rosy barb fry by forgetting the tank they grew up in has shell grit as substrate (wanted something coarse to catch more eggs) and assuming the water chemistry was similar between all my tanks because the water change water is consistent. I moved them to a fry saver in another tank to give them more room and although they seemed fine on the first day they were all dead by the second day. Hard water to soft water move was too hard on their poor little bodies I think. The other fish in that tank are all fine and the shell grit is the only obvious difference. Kind of glad I did this test run with rosy barbs before trying to breed the red sided barbs as it would have been a disaster. Feels lovely even though there are still 50+ more fry left, kind of a noob mistake and I should have known better.
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Mar 31, 2020 18:33
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Recommendations for freshwater test kits? I'd like to monitor parameters for plants, so nitrate, phosphate and potassium. Are there others I should track? Right now I just have one of the 5 in 1 kits that gives me gh, kh, pH, nitrate and nitrite. I'm using the quarantine as a chance to get completely on top of my reef tank's chemistry, I might as well do the planted tank too.
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Mar 31, 2020 21:16
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I am deciding to remove the bottom plate from my Fluval FX4 because even after thoroughly cleaning it 2 times, and installing a filter sock over the intake, the flow from it is not as much as it used to be and that is worrying me because I have filter feeders (bamboo shrimp) in the tank that need a good flow. Is this bad idea, good idea? Or should I just keep cleaning and get a powerhead? I also ordered a new light (fluval plant spectrum 3.0). Should I get rid of the old light, or should I run them both? Also I'm thinking about getting CO2, but some stories ITT make me afraid to do so. What recommendations and tips do people have for CO2 systems? Phi230 fucked around with this message at 21:56 on Mar 31, 2020 |
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Mar 31, 2020 21:38
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A couple months ago a friend of a friend could no longer care for their fantail goldfish so I agreed to take it off their hands. I have no experience with fish so I went to my local Big Al's and followed their instructions. Here's what I've done so far: - Set up an Aqueon 10 gallon tank starter kit w/ preset heater (generally is 76-77F using digital thermometer I have in tank) - Placed a 1-2" stone substrate on the bottom - stones are larger as I've read smaller stones can get stuck in the fish while they scavenge - Installed a couple large decorative rocks and a few decorative plants - I feed the fish once a day later in the evening, I switch between floating/sinking pellets I was given and flakes that came with starter kit - I try to only put in what the fish can eat in a couple minutes - one issue I've noticed is that sometimes they don't notice the pellets and they drop to the bottom uneaten, I figure it gives the fish something to scavenge for but am worried I might be overfeeding. I also sometimes but in bits of steamed lettuce or kale as veggies - For maintenance I siphon and replace 50% of the tank water every week putting in water conditioner and bio-support chemicals as directed, I also wash off the decorative rocks and plants - I remove the fish during this process as I figure it's disruptive and might stress them out, I ensure the water temps are within 1 degree before putting him back in - Tank is located away from direct sunlight but on a glass top that it shares with one of my PC speakers, I have never noticed the sound bothering it but maybe that's imperceptible? If it matters I usually turn the light on whenever I wake up and off when I go to bed so probably roughly an 16 on 8 off cycle Initially there were some issues so I used water test kits to determine that there were elevated nitrite and nitrate levels in the tank but as of the last test it seemed that I had addressed them. Unfortunately I have run out of test kits and will need to get more to be sure. I have read up a bunch but to be honest a lot of advice seems to conflict, I've seen temps of anywhere from 68-80 recommended. Just hoping someone can let me know if there's anything I'm doing wrong, could be doing better or should consider doing.
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Mar 31, 2020 22:01
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I wouldnt bother moving the fish during the siphoning, also do you have a filter of some kind? e: nothing is wrong, imo. How long have you had the fish? The filter may help keep the water a little cleaner by helping to break down nitrogens BONGHITZ fucked around with this message at 00:20 on Apr 1, 2020 |
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Apr 1, 2020 00:08
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BONGHITZ posted:I wouldnt bother moving the fish during the siphoning, also do you have a filter of some kind? I've found I can do a more thorough clean of the tank if the fish is out. To remove it I dip a large clear pitcher into the tank and let it swim in. It's usually out for no more than 20-30 minutes. It's also easier because I don't have to worry as much about the temp of the water I'm putting in. Does removing the fish affect it adversely such that it's best to leave them in? The starter kit came with a basic filter, it has a filter cartridge and specialty filter pad. Instructions say to replace cartridge every 4-6 weeks and pad every 2-3 weeks. I've been using pads that address ammonia due to the higher nitrite and nitrate levels I was noticing.
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Apr 1, 2020 03:06
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Corte posted:A couple months ago a friend of a friend could no longer care for their fantail goldfish so I agreed to take it off their hands. I have no experience with fish so I went to my local Big Al's and followed their instructions. Here's what I've done so far: Here's my opinion on all this: Goldfish are temperate fish not tropical, really don't need a heater for a tank that is kept in a comfortable room temperature place. They do need to be warmer than 50 because I believe their digestion slows down then. Digital thermometers are sometimes not very accurate. Warmer water speeds up metabolism and reduces available dissolved oxygen, so keeping a goldfish at 80 would not be good for it as it would want to eat more and produce more waste and it's lifespan might be shortened. Goldfish are heavy waste producers, that is not just their poops but the amount of ammonia they excrete so they need a decent amount of dilution and good filtration. I would say 10g is on the small side and 20g or 25g would be better for the long term (goldfish can live 20+ years so it is reasonable to plan for the long term). Goldfish, like many fish, are social and would probably do better with a few friends but this would definitely mean a bigger tank is required. Large gravel traps waste and isn't as easy to clean as peagravel or sand, goldfish are sand feeders and would pick at a sand substrate if you had one but for ease of cleaning a bare bottom tank would be easiest. The type of food you are feeding sounds fine and giving veg is good for goldfish. The tank decorations will help provide cover and a feeling of security for the fish so that's all good too. Taking a fish out of a tank for cleaning is absolutely more disruptive than leaving it in. Ideally you are removing water and wastes with a gravel vac via siphon, which means you can make sure not to accidentally suck up the fish. Goldfish are pretty robust and I think would be interested in what you are doing - my rosy barbs nibble my arm when I clean their tank for example. Washing tank decorations removes healthy biofilm which is needed to help process the wastes - probably best to give things a a quick rinse in old tank water than to scrub them clean, same with the filter. You want to develop a mature tank with a healthy population of greeblies to help process wastes and you can't do that by making things too clean. 50% water change is appropriate for a goldfish in such a small tank. I think you are going to continue to have fluctuating nitrogen wastes as I suspect the filter does not have enough biomedia to support a goldfish. Actually I'm not sure if you've mentioned a filter at all at this point! The fish will continue to grow over time and the bioload will increase so I think you will need a bigger tank and bigger filter at some point. Having the tank lights on for so long could cause algae problems but I'm assuming also it's not a very bright light so that is probably fine. It is pretty handy to have a timer for the lights. Algae is your friend to consume nitrogen wastes if you don't have plants in the tank. It can look a bit ugly on artificial plants or if it gets on the front glass of the tank but I tend to leave algae on the rocks and on the back and side walls of my tanks. I think you're doing pretty well, you've got most of the basics right (assuming you do have a filter) and will just need to keep an eye on the nitrogen cycle and your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels. Get the ammonia test strips as well as the ones that do nitrate or nitrite. Dry test strips aren't as accurate as wet tests but for values when you're looking for zero or not zero, I think a test strip is fine. You want zero ammonia, zero nitrite and to keep nitrate fairly low and a test strip is enough to give you a ballpark idea of how you're doing. The other common mistake you've made is to buy the smallest viable tank rather than buying the biggest tank you can afford/have room for/suitable for the adult size of the fish. Fish always grow, and bigger tanks are easier to look after and easier to keep stable. But 10g isn't quite a disaster, it's no 1 gallon unfiltered bowl!
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Apr 1, 2020 03:52
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Oh you replied already! It sounds like you're relying on chemical filtration right now, rather than biological filtration which is a more long term solution to handling the nitrogen cycle. If you get something like an external canister filter, you can fill it up with porous ceramic media which provides a ton of surface area for bacteria to colonise, and then you can let them eat the ammonia and nitrite without having to buy replacement cartridges all the time. A hang on back filter with a large media capacity could help here too and also increase oxygenation of your water. Even a sponge filter can help provide some biological filtration as long as you don't clean it too often. You want something that stays wet, has a big surface area and circulates water through it which maintains your bacteria population between water changes, this helps you get long term stability over cartridges that are consumed and replaced. It doesn't really matter which way you do it as there are lots of right ways to keep fish. Sand or fine gravel substrate can contain a lot of beneficial bacteria too once it's colonised. The bacteria that consumes waste is found on surfaces and isn't free swimming which is why you don't want to clean your surfaces too much. Having a canister or other external filter means you can clean the inside of the tank more if you think it looks better that way, and all the gross bacteria is out of sight and not taking up space in the tank.
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Apr 1, 2020 04:02
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You may also want a live plant of some kind, but its not required. Basically it helps with this:  .e: it says ammonium here, because ammonia (NH 3) and ammonium (NH 4+) are in equilibrium (is that the right word?) like this:  . Maybe ammonium is less dangerous than ammonia (not sure about this, could not find sources) so maybe keeping the pH lower is safer in high fish concentrations? (again not sure, i wouldn't bet lives on it)
BONGHITZ fucked around with this message at 05:27 on Apr 1, 2020 |
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Apr 1, 2020 05:17
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Stoca Zola posted:...something like an external canister filter, you can fill it up with porous ceramic media which provides a ton of surface area for bacteria to colonise... Thank you for the long and thorough replies. It seems I was misled initially as to what my fish would require, the friend suggested a simple bowl with an air stone would be sufficient, clearly I should should have done my homework beforehand. If it helps I'm told the previous owner had him in a 5g pail for some months since their tank broke so I'm at least an upgrade. Unfortunately I don't really have the spare funds to change the entire setup at this time as much as I understand a larger tank would be easier to maintain and better for the fish. I especially appreciate the above suggestion as I'm open to anything that will make care and upkeep more affordable. I currently have enough filters, pads and chemicals to last me a couple more months at least but am open to changing up the system to be more self-sufficient. BONGHITZ posted:You may also want a live plant of some kind... I thought about that, the clerk at Big Al's seemed to suggest it was pointless and the fish would eat anything I put in there. I also was wondering about taking up more space given how small the tank is but I assume more surface area is generally better?
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Apr 1, 2020 05:52
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https://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Clear-Fish-Filter-Gallons/dp/B00020SVDG?th=1 these are pretty good, you can take all the stuff it comes with out and put your own stuff in if you feel like it. Also a pre-filter sponge is nice because then you dont have to clean the whole thing if you dont want to. But these types are a lot cheaper: https://www.amazon.com/XY-380-Aquar...supplies&sr=1-5 but you'll need an air pump. You should buy it locally if you can, they might be cheaper. As far as plants: there are a number of goldfish safe plants, like java fern, that should do fine. You can always cut it back if it looks like its taking up too much space.
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Apr 1, 2020 06:04
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One of the cool things about the aquarium hobby is that there is a lot of stuff you can DIY. For example, you can build a "box" filter fairly simply, just using plastic takeaway containers and maybe needing some filter floss or 100% polyester filling, airline and an air pump (all fairly cheap). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VosZ4IT5m9Q You could do the same as this one but poke holes with scissors instead of a drill if you don't have tools. I'd use garden scoria (rinse well first) over standard gravel for more surface area but even a handful of gravel for weight and a big wad of filter floss will give you a good surface area for bacteria. Sponge filters are so cheap though that it almost isn't worth the effort! Another filtration method would be a trickle filter - any plastic tub full of media, scoria/volcanic rock or ceramic media if you can afford some, a powerhead in the tank pumping water up into the container, and then a spout at the bottom of the container to let water drain back into the tank. Something like this maybe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5-7XE7gXx0 There's a ton of DIY bucket canister filters out there but I feel like those are a little more prone to leaking or failure than either an in-tank filter or above the tank filter. If we weren't all in lockdown I'd suggest looking at second hand gear too, most of my stuff I bought used and it's a viable way to get your hands on equipment for much cheaper. quote:It seems I was misled initially as to what my fish would require. This is so very common! Don't feel bad, I think most of us started out the same way 
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Apr 1, 2020 08:45
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Corte posted:It seems I was misled initially as to what my fish would require Honestly this could probably be the thread title. This entire hobby is an exercise in learning that the general public- and most pet stores- perception of fish as low-maintenance, “put it in a fishbowl and forget it” pets is very wrong. Don’t feel bad about it, everybody goes through the same thing.
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Apr 1, 2020 15:13
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I removed the polishing plate from my FX4, and ultimately the filter sock on my FX4 intake was a failure. It got clogged with dirt, and baby shrimp found a way in anyway. I guess I'm ok with a colony of shrimp in my filter as long as fish can't get in, and the flow remains strong.
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Apr 1, 2020 17:18
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Thanks again for the support, advice and links. As I mentioned I can't afford to address everything presently but I figure it would be good to have a list of things to address. Here's my understanding of the advice given so far please let me know if there is anything specific I should prioritize or missed: - Replace stock starter kit filter with something more powerful, ideally with a pre-filter sponge and/or an external canister that can hold a large amount of porous ceramic bio-media? There are DIY options if I want to save $$$ - Replace tank with 20-25g or greater if I can support additional fish to improve social life - does shape or frame matter? - Install living plant(s) that fish won't eat to have address ammonia/nitrite/nitrate fluctuation further, java fern is an ideal option - will I need to change lighting? - Put lighting on a timer to set a more appropriate cycle - 12/12? - Replace large stone gravel substrate with sand, pea gravel or bare (was told bare isn't good because the reflection stresses out the fish) - will sand need to be replaced occasionally? would there be issues with making this change to an existing tank? - Get dry or wet test strips for ammonia/nitrate/nitrite and test regularly - how often is ideal? My partner says they purchased something from Amazon that floats in the tank and continually checks ammonia levels but they haven't sent me a link or anymore info on it yet, it's possible I misunderstood them - Remove preset heater, room temp is fine - is there a minimum temp to maintain? My building recently was without heat and was dropping below 68 which is when I started using the heater. Generally the fish seems to be doing well, no physical issues I can see. They move around the whole tank and don't seem to have any troubles with buoyancy. It gets especially active when I'm nearby or after being fed. Here's a picture for reference: 
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Apr 1, 2020 23:18
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So this list says these fish are "shrimp safe" https://aquaticarts.com/collections/shrimp-safe-fish-all-shrimp?page=1 How reliable is this list? I'm sure CPD and Rasboras would go well in my tank but I love Gobies and very much hope I could get some. And it seems like the rasboras, blue-eye rainbows, and CPDs barely effect my stocking now that I have the FX4. I'm at around 55% before adding. Though the gobies on the above list do not show up on the stocking calculator. Also like the rainbowfish. Phi230 fucked around with this message at 01:19 on Apr 2, 2020 |
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Apr 2, 2020 00:53
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I’m running low on ghost shrimp while in quarantine and I thought the only one in my betta/guppy tank had died and it was just his molted shell and that’s the first time I think I’ve seen a ghost shrimp successfully molt and I’m so happy. Keep getting bigger little guy! Corte posted:Questions. Java ferns should be fine with that lighting. They don’t require a whole lot of light. Water testing kits are more accurate, but I just use the dry strips. Buy them off Amazon and they’ll be a lot cheaper than local pet stores. I also got one of these that I use for spot checks: https://www.seachem.com/ammonia-alert.php I don’t know how accurate it is, but my natural ammonia level is zero so anything beyond that would be cause for alarm. Plants make life a lot easier and they’re a relatively cheap addition to your tank. Just make sure you get ones that don’t require a lot of light. You’ll need a timer with plants and this one is working really well for me: https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-Aquar...85787081&sr=8-3 I keep my light on about 14 hours a day. That’s probably too much and yes I have had algae problems in the past.
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Apr 2, 2020 01:30
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Corte posted:- Remove preset heater, room temp is fine - is there a minimum temp to maintain? My building recently was without heat and was dropping below 68 which is when I started using the heater. Goldfish and other similar carp are cold water fish, in some parts of the US keepers of really large, valuable goldfish run chillers to keep their tanks below 70 degrees. I don’t know what the causality is between water temp, animal stress, and lifespan but “water temps too high on average” is one of the reasons that gets commonly cited for why goldfish die on people. Water temps commonly used for basic tropical fish are generally considered to be stressfully warm for goldfish. If your fish is kept indoors and your apartment doesn’t get condemned you probably won’t ever reach a lower bound minimum temp. Keep in mind that in the summer you may actually see temps get too high, and more easily than you think, esp if you get multiple back-to-back days of 90+ degree heat. Aside from chillers, some people keep frozen water bottles on hand to submerge as coolers. You may be forced to run A/C in the room where the tank is kept on some days. But you probably won’t ever make a fish tank too cold for a goldfish unless you bring it outside in winter (and even then, most pond stock overwinter outside)
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Apr 2, 2020 03:08
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Shape/frame of the tank dont really matter, but id stick to whatever rectangle is cheapest. The stand has to be sturdy though, since this will be heavy. Substrate shouldnt need to be replaced, imo. You can, but it'll disturb the cycle a bit maybe. Also when you move to a new tank move some of the old substrate and filter material and let it run for a bit so the bacteria can build up, may want to look up more info about setting up a new tank. And I dont think a bare bottom tank will stress out the fish too much, unless its a betta or somethingCorte posted:- Replace tank with 20-25g or greater if I can support additional fish to improve social life - does shape or frame matter?
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Apr 2, 2020 04:10
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For reference, goldfish can overwinter under a layer of ice in an outdoor pond. It's difficult for them to get too cold, it's just that you either feed them differently or not at all depending on how cold it is, as the of the lack of activity of good gut bacteria can make them sick from food sitting in their stomachs while it's that cold. That goldfish is a lot bigger than I was expecting! I think that gravel isn't as bad as I thought it was, it's not huge and you probably can gravel vac it reasonably well. I thought you had like egg sized river pebbles, as I have seen that done before. I think it's up to you if you want to change it or not. You're the best judge of how easy it is to clean and it looks pretty clean to me! If you do want to switch, pool filter sand is a good cheap option for sand - and you don't need it to be too deep. For heavier rocks it's not a bad idea to put some kind of protection between the bottom glass of the tank and the rock, to make sure the weight is evenly spread. "Egg crate" light diffuser is often used but you could probably substitute a well rinsed plastic takeaway container lid (you don't want any soap ever ending up in your tank, it's also a good idea to wash and rinse your hands well before putting them in the tank in case of residues). Because sand can be moved by the fish, any rocks sitting on top of the sand can be tipped over if the sand underneath them is moved, so instead you sit the rock on something and bury it a bit. If you're going to swap, you'll need to rinse the substrate pretty well to avoid clouding up the water as sand and gravel tends to trap a lot of fine dust. I've seen some good how to videos on YouTube for adding sand to an existing tank without making too much mess so that might help give you ideas. Anubias is another low light plant suitable for goldfish, it has tough leaves and grows slowly. There are a few different varieties of java fern, the regular sort can get kind of huge but windelov has smaller frilly leaves, narrowleaf has long strappy leaves, and any of them have low light requirements. They all grow from a thick rhizome that grows sideways instead of a stem that grows upright and don't need their roots to be covered, the roots are used to grip on to rocks rather than to absorb nutrients. Aquatic plants are generally able to absorb nutrients through their leaves. Goldfish eat plants and algae naturally but not every goldfish destroys every plant. I'd guess anything with fine soft leaves is fair game to be munched, so Rotala, cabomba, hygrophila and elodea are probably out. I think bacopa caroliniana is a bit fleshier and might be okay and certainly seems to be an easy care plant too. You could try some stem plants in either a glass or a pot to help prevent the fish from uprooting it. Water sprite or Indian water fern as a floating plant (same plant different name) might work too as it grows fairly fast so it might not matter if the fish eats some of it. On the filtration front, you don't necessarily want stronger flow, as fancy fin goldfish can get blown about a bit if the flow is too strong. But bigger media volume is the goal. There's no reason not to keep running both the old filter and the new filter, as it will take time for a new filter to become established. As for priorities I think firstly take the heater out and secondly try and get extra filtration, as these have the most immediate short term effect on the health of the fish. Better testing, at least until the tank matures, is probably a high priority too. The wet test kit takes the form of test tubes and liquids that you add to a measured amount of tank water, and then a card to compare the colour to find out the values. In a master test kit you'll get ammonia, nitrite and nitrate tests and probably a pH test too. The API one doesn't come with hardness tests but if your pH is dropping or low, chances are your carbonate hardness isn't very high. I think it's worth having a carbonate hardness additive to put in your water change water to make sure there is enough hardness available, and gold fish tend to do better in hard water over soft water. Your water supply might already have plenty of hardness but you don't know until you test! It's a really pretty goldfish anyway, and you will be able to manage with what you have in the short term, as long as you keep on top of water changes as necessary. The extra filtration will make sure ammonia is being consumed, and then water changes will remove excess nitrates. Phi230 that list is pretty interesting, I think even though I haven't kept many of those fish a lot of the notorious shrimp hunters (tetras and gouramis) are missing. I think some of those fish are shrimp safe-ish through being top dwelling fish. It sounds like you might be leaning towards a hillstream style tank, or at least higher flow than normal, if you're interested in gobies. It could be fun to try and work out which fish like those kind of conditions and build a biotope for them.
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Apr 2, 2020 04:20
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I know it's a stupidly small thing to be upset about, but I bought a new test kit and have been tracking my reef tank's parameters daily for a week, and over the past two days the numbers on the titration syringes have come almost completely off. Don't buy Red Sea test kits. DeadlyMuffin fucked around with this message at 05:41 on Apr 2, 2020 |
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Apr 2, 2020 05:34
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DeadlyMuffin posted:I know it's a stupidly small thing to be upset about, but I bought a new test kit and have been tracking my reef tank's parameters daily for a week, and over the past two days the numbers on the titration syringes have come almost completely off.
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Apr 2, 2020 14:20
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I wonder if it's because they're supposed to be single use disposable hygienic or whatever and we aquarists use them until failure? I've had rubber stoppers fall off and jam horribly as well as numbers rubbing off. Maybe we'd be better off with glass chemistry pipettes, although I'm pretty sure I'd smash mine within a week. I have some flimsy plastic ones but they split at the seams after a while, and my cat thinks they are the best chew toys ever so I've gone through 30+ since I started using them from him stealing and puncturing them.
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Apr 2, 2020 15:33
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Stoca Zola posted:I wonder if it's because they're supposed to be single use disposable hygienic or whatever and we aquarists use them until failure? Yeah, that's it. It even said "do not reuse" on the side. But if you're going to advertise a kit for 75 tests and I get 7 before it's unusable that's not ok DeadlyMuffin fucked around with this message at 15:53 on Apr 2, 2020 |
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Apr 2, 2020 15:48
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Stoca Zola posted:... Regarding larger rock decorations, is it okay for them to simply sit on top of the substrate or should I get something underneath to distribute weight further? I use a basic siphon to clean the tank, I try to shift around the substrate to kick up any food or waste that's stuck between or underneath it, I definitely don't get everything floating about before 50% has been drained. Thanks for all the living plant info. Are there plants or setups to make edible vegetation that's self-sustaining? Basically something that grows faster than the fish can eat it. With respect to the power/flow of the filtration units is there a measure I should be using and number to stay under? How would I mount an additional filter for the tank? Would it standalone apart from tank or should I remove lighting canopy and hang off a side?
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Apr 2, 2020 23:34
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Corte posted:I unplugged the heater and the tank is down to 74 degrees, left the heater in as I figured it couldn't hurt to have a little more surface area for bacteria. Don’t do that. I’ve broken every aquarium immersion heater I’ve ever owned. It’s glass and electronics and just asking to end up in pieces. If you want surface area for beneficial bacteria get some actual tank decor. And not even tons because fancy tailed goldfish can tear their fins. Wrt plants it’s gonna be very hard to cultivate a plant that your fish would appreciably eat a lot of that also would grow faster than the fish would be able to consume it. You’d need a lot of existing stock and a much bigger tank to hold it all. At a certain fish to plant ratio it’s like trying to grow a couple of large potted plants with the intent of sustaining an adult sheep. Goldfish are big eaters. People use them to give pedicures and poo poo.
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Apr 2, 2020 23:57
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Slugworth posted:Honestly, that just happens with every syringe brand I've ever used. That's what Bulk Reef Supply just told me, and sent me a link to where they sell replacements. Gross. Also: seconding getting the heater out of the tank if it isn't needed. DeadlyMuffin fucked around with this message at 00:32 on Apr 3, 2020 |
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Apr 3, 2020 00:26
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Corte posted:Thanks for all the living plant info. Are there plants or setups to make edible vegetation that's self-sustaining? Basically something that grows faster than the fish can eat it. If you don't have many goldfish (which in your case, you don't) then elodea isn't so bad, but I'd also keep a close eye out on them. We've had elodea grow extremely long before, meanwhile in another tank our goldfish have ripped them to shreds enough that we've just constantly got small bits of new elodea growing in all sorts of weird places. It can get messy. Otherwise, they can and often will try to eat the java and anubias, but they're sturdy enough to usually survive the fish. Those are two solid recommendations you were given, but otherwise, you'll be hard pressed to keep plants that can grow faster than they're eaten. I once tried a few bags of duckweed and those still disappeared completely from the tank in two weeks. Also, I wouldn't stress it too much if your tank gets warm during the Summer. It's normal for goldfish and actually part of their breeding process, but ideally around 20 degrees Celsius or lower seems to be a reliable area for them? It's been mentioned, but keep in mind too that the warmer it is, the more voracious their appetite. We had one grow from 4 or 5 inches to about 7 and a half over a holiday period, and that quickly made the tank we had them in increasingly more unsustainable. It's been recommended you get a tank buddy for your fish too and I can't stress enough how much of an improvement that is to their quality of life, but obviously that also requires a larger tank. Definitely something worth doing as soon as you possibly can though.
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Apr 3, 2020 01:23
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Duckweed is a good food for goldfish but you'll need to grow it elsewhere, as mentioned they'll devour it in no time. I've got a patio pond growing some and a 5 foot tank that fills up, and I give my duckweed to my mum for her pond and her goldfish get through 6+ square feet of duckweed in a couple of days. I think with the gravel you have the decorative rocks aren't going to shift too much unless you're doing it and it's unlikely that it will sink to the bottom and create a pressure point like it would in a sand bottom tank. Sand in water can become somewhat fluidised (think quicksand) so I would definitely use a support under heavy hardscape in a sandy tank. If you have a fully enclosed hood it can make it harder to add filtration, you're pretty much stuck with internal filtration like sponges or box filters unless the hood has cutaways you can use to add inlets and outlets. It'll depend on your tank as to what you can do, I have a few hooded tanks and they are all different. My aquaone ecostyle hood hinges at the very back and has no easy way to add a hang on or canister and instead I've attached a sponge filter to the in-tank filters inlet - the built in trickle filter was big enough to add a ton of ceramic media though. I've got a couple of blue planet tanks which have hoods that hinge 2/3 of the way back, they both have cutaways for power cords that are also barely big enough to get canister inlets and outlets in. My two juwel tanks don't have hinges in their hoods at all, but have cutaways on both back corners which are good for getting a canisters inlets and outlets in. I do have an aqua one tank that had a maintenance door at the rear for allowing access to the internal trickle filter, I got that tank second hand and it came with no filter so I took the door off completely and it allowed plenty of room for a hang on filter. Canisters generally do sit apart from (and lower than) the tank and are just attached by a pair of hoses, while hang on filters perch on the very edge, hanging off the side and have a waterfall style water return to the tank. Both do still have fittings that need to be inside the tank to draw water into the filter and to return the water. I went back to look at your picture and it looks like your existing filter is a hang on filter so depending on how much room you have you might be able to swap that one for a bigger one, or slide a canisters inlet and outlet fittings either side of the existing one. Generally you want to move water through your filter at least 4 times per hour so you are looking for a filter rated at least 40gallons per hour. The ratings are a bit hard to judge though as manufacturers will quote an idealised unrestricted flow and practical flow rates are usually lower. Most filters are adjustable so if you get one that is too big you can just turn the flow down to give the fish an easier time.
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Apr 3, 2020 04:35
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So I got a 10 gallon tank for doing some work for friends and I have many questions: Can I use my spare aqua clear 110 on it? Is that too insane of a filter? What can I actually do with this small tank? I've always wanted to do saltwater reef, is that possible with a 10G? Or should I just do a cichlid/crayfish tank? I dont have a cover for it though so maybe a dwarf crayfish and some Apisogramma ?
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Apr 4, 2020 01:55
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Phi230 posted:So I got a 10 gallon tank for doing some work for friends and I have many questions: My saltwater reef is 10 gallons. You can totally do it. I have a sump now so total volume is probably ~15 but I ran without one for years. You can't go very fish heavy, but you can pack it with corals imo 
DeadlyMuffin fucked around with this message at 02:57 on Apr 4, 2020 |
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Apr 4, 2020 02:51
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Here is a picture of the hood/canopy for my tank:  There's two small slots for cables but I doubt they would be suitable for mounting a filter. I checked out the filter stats and it claims to be 100 GPH: https://www.bigalspets.com/aqueon-quietflow-led-pro-aquarium-power-filters.html. Assuming it works at peak my understanding is it would be circulating ten times an hour, is that too much? Watched a YouTube video suggesting you can lower the flow by sticking something sponge-like in the filter tube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC1-24LCRk8 Removed preset heater entirely per recommendations.
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Apr 4, 2020 11:21
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uuuuuuuuuuuuuh the stuff on his desk that isnt the aquarium...
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Apr 4, 2020 11:26
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Corte posted:I checked out the filter stats and it claims to be 100 GPH ... Assuming it works at peak my understanding is it would be circulating ten times an hour, is that too much? No no, you're doing this wrong. Assume it works way under peak - peak is if you were running it empty with no cartridges, no build up in the pipes or on the impeller, and so on. And you're looking at numbers instead of looking at the fish in your tank. If your fish is happy, it's not too much. If your fish hides in the corner and avoids the flow, if your fish has torn fins, then yes, it's too much. If your fish is gasping at the surface then likely it's not enough. Don't look at the numbers on the box, look at the tank and the fish in front of you and work backwards from there. In this instance you are getting enough water movement to help ensure all the water is oxygenated - and even if it really screws up and only runs at half speed, you're still getting 50gph which is more than 4x your tank volume so should be fine. Rule of thumb, if you go under 4x turn over the water might not be oxygenated enough for the fish to breathe. You could definitely fit an airline to a sponge filter through those cable gaps, those tubes are about the same as a power cord and it doesn't hurt them to be a little squashed if necessary. I don't think you'd fit a canister with your current filter as is, you'd be able to take it out and use the slot for putting a canisters inlet and outlet in but then you'd have to wait for the new filter to cycle so that is less than optimal. An airpowered box or sponge filter (or both) is definitely doable though. Also do you have this tank on a glass top coffee table? That might not be the safest tank stand  (how heavy is your tank, the water in it, the decorations?)Stoca Zola fucked around with this message at 12:12 on Apr 4, 2020 |
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Apr 4, 2020 12:06
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Synthbuttrange posted:uuuuuuuuuuuuuh Semen Stoca Zola posted:... The tank is on top of a glass top unit I inherited when I moved into my apartment. There isn't much else on it that is heavy and the top doesn't appear to bend to any noticeable degree but I appreciate the concern and agree it's not ideal:   Someone mentioned tanks getting too hot for fantail goldfish. Checked my thermometer and it's currently at 79F without the heater. If I recall they were saying it becomes a serious issue when it's regularly at 90+. Looking into sponge and box filter options now, does the type or power of air stone or pump I get for either important? My understanding is a more long term solution would be to get a power HOB filter with a large media space that allows me to install my own media.
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Apr 4, 2020 20:57
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Corte posted:Semen What kind of lamp do you have? Is it LED? cfl? It was me that asked about temps. I meant 90+ ambient air temp (like in early August in MA). If your tank is 90+ degrees pretty much everything and anything that you put in there is dying. 79F seems hot to me. Last I heard goldfish wanted temps in the low 70s-60s. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 21:08 on Apr 4, 2020 |
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Apr 4, 2020 21:05
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Ok Comboomer posted:What kind of lamp do you have? Is it LED? cfl? Could the heat from my PC and other electronics be enough to affect it? Thank is not near any radiators or in direct sunlight. I'm having a difficult time get any details on the hood, it's the one that comes with the Aqueon Rectangle LED 10 gallon starter kit, here is a picture:  Manufacturer description: "...the energy saving low-profile LED hood features cool white modules for total illumination" Edit: Temp could be result of new boiler and heating system recently installed, thermostat reads 80. I have put some ice cubes in the tank and turned off the LEDs to see if that helps, also have windows opened and a fan circulating air. Property manager says they'll look at adjusting tomorrow. Levin fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Apr 4, 2020 |
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Apr 4, 2020 22:33
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Water change day, and discus got moved into the planted 125 today. Need to thin the limnophila hippuridoides and red myrio out a bit more, just wish the baby tears were doing as good.  
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Apr 4, 2020 23:17
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Ok let me rephrase. How necessary is "warm white" light to plant growth (especially red plant growth) because right now, with warm white set high on my new Fluval 3.0, it kind of washes out the color of the tank with a yellow tint. If I reduce the warm white light, I like the look better, but I'm not sure how it will effect my plants. Well, my old light was only 100% pure white and blue, nothing else so what I'm asking is, will it benefit my plants enough to warrant washing out the rest of the tank's colors? Phi230 fucked around with this message at 22:03 on Apr 5, 2020 |
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Apr 5, 2020 21:05
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I think after initially being all over the idea that plants photosynthesise better in response to certain frequencies of light, the consensus I keep seeing these days is that plants just want light intensity over light colour. If it's bright enough they'll do fine so set it to what looks good to you and if the plants grow looking a bit leggy just add another light. This didn't need an extra post:  My redsided barbs bred for me already! These fry are almost as big as my biggest 3 week old rosy barb fry, and they haven't been getting fed twice a day like my rosy barbs have. I suspect the barbs must have started breeding as soon as I put the susswassertang in the tank. Stoca Zola fucked around with this message at 13:49 on Apr 6, 2020 |
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Apr 6, 2020 05:54
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