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I was looking at getting Endler's livebearers since I think one of my two fish is one (no big tail, mostly shiny green dots on his body with a big dark dot on his sides, and smaller than my male guppy). I like how they look and how tiny they are, do you think getting 2-3 more fish would be ok for my 5 gallon? I've been reading so many different comments in different fish forums that go from ok to how a 5 gallon tank is a waste of money and that not even a betta should be kept in it.
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Jun 23, 2013 06:56
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Real hurthling! posted:I think snails are really cool. does anyone keep tanks full of out of control snail populations for fun? Is there an equally invasive aquarium plant species that the snails would like to hang out with? I leave the snails in my tank alone. I have a pond snail that's 1" long who I like to watch. I'll try to get a photo of him some time. I also have nerite snails and an orange rabbit snail.
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Jun 23, 2013 08:07
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So is more C02 going to help algae? I've been passing on CO2 for the last month or two because my algae problem is a bit severe, but Now I think that was a dumb mistake. 
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Jun 23, 2013 09:37
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Indirectly. The theory: CO2 and lighting are limits on non-algae plant growth in most aquariums. Increasing CO2 and lighting will boost plant growth so they'll use up the nutrients before algae can get to it. You can get the same effect by adding floaters or plants that root in water (like pothos), which arent limited by dissolved water co2 and get theirs straight from the air and get better lighting.
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Jun 23, 2013 09:55
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I've also seen suggested as well that some algae just refuses to grow with enough co2 in the tank. Diatoms is one I think which would explain why I have never had it in mine so far. However, that isn't any kind of scientific experiment, so what I don't get may happen to others. And that last line needs to be taken into account. While some things have been proven to work, others have varying levels of success because of the condition of the water, condition of the livestock, how much food they are receiving, the level of filtration, and even the temp of the water just to name a few. JuffoWup fucked around with this message at 10:35 on Jun 23, 2013 |
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Jun 23, 2013 10:33
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So has anyone ever had any success in finding Bumblebee Gobies for sale? I am having a bitch of a time finding the little guys. Same with java moss. And sorry for the delay on my brackish/Dragon Goby write up. I have been pretty busy in real life. I do want to say that my Dragon Goby has now taken to sheltering one of my pregnant mollies. This is in addition to "herding" the hermit crabs in the tank by picking them up by their shells in his mouth, and moving them to the other end of the tank before either gently placing them down, or tossing them onto the bubbles.
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Jun 23, 2013 12:23
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cheese posted:So I got all of my plants for my container pond, only to realize the black plastic packing crate (for the emergent pots to sit on) is too large to fit. I also bought a pair of iron "organizer racks" from Homegoods that are covered in a coating of "platinum finish". They feel plastic-ey but are iron - is that ok to put in there or will the iron in there leech into the water? I didnt want to get bricks because I wanted to not loss the water volume - should I just get bricks and not risk it?
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Jun 23, 2013 12:54
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Does anyone know if Hairgrass and HC can co-exist?  
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Jun 23, 2013 13:25
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Holy poo poo I love these Oto cats. They work on algae like little PCP infused Korean salary-men.
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Jun 23, 2013 14:06
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I know I mentioned I would post pics of the bowl in progress. Since set up pics are boring as hell I skipped those. These two taken this morning are more interesting. The soil is capped with black moon sand and soaked thoroughly. I have been gradually planting as I get decent cuttings and misting daily then covering with saran wrap to hold the moisture. My latest addition was the dwarf hair grass and the red/pink altenanthera in the center of the bowl. I have a few more cuttings that are soaking now in a tub that will go in the next couple of days. I am gradually flooding it using the misting technique where it will eventually get high enough that I will drip in the water slowly as to not make a hot mess. The bowl is next to a window sill as you can see by the pic and gets minimal light up until late afternoon where it will get partial sun from the left corner. It is supplemented with a 13W CFL bulb running 4 hours. I'll keep taking pics and updating with progress. I hope to have it filled completely in a couple of weeks with the shrimp added first then the Chili Rasboras later in a month's time when I am confident the parameters are suited for it. My 20L is right next to it stocked with hundreds of cherry shrimp so it will be a simple catch and release.  
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Jun 23, 2013 15:03
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After seeing Mr. Despair's video in the last thread, I decided to try my hand at a time lapse video. This is my 55gal frontosa tank. Audio kind of cuts off abruptly since the video wasn't quite long enough. Oh well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHjfOAiTiEA
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Jun 23, 2013 16:56
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Slugworth posted:Not sure if you've already found a solution, but you might consider making a frame out of PVC pipe to replace the organizer racks. It doesn't leech any chemical, doesn't affect ph, and if you fill the PVC with sand, won't float away. And you keep your water volume. I measured the pH this morning and its 7.2 Seems ok?
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Jun 23, 2013 18:14
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So I checked out what plants are available to me, and I'm starting to plan planting my tank. I have two questions: 1. I only have my betta. Should I get temporary housing for him while I set up the tank? The tank is already established but I was wondering if I should give it a few weeks or so with the plants before putting my betta in. 2. Where is a good place to find some rock for the aquarium? Not gravel, but larger rocks with a mountainous look to them (but not too large for a 5G). I'm thinking of doing something Amano-esque.
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Jun 23, 2013 18:47
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So long as you are not tearing down the tank completely you should be fine planting and not having to rehome the betta. I would at least move him out while you are planting though. If you can avoid netting him, I use one of those hang on back breeder boxes and lure him to the top with food and scoop him before he realizes what is up. Cover the top so he does not jump out and you are all good. There are a few varieties of Japanese aquascaping stone available some more expensive than others. Don't just throw any stone in there because some are harmful for fish.
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Jun 23, 2013 19:56
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local petco started stocking the most coveted chili rasboras O___o bizarre to see some nanofish oddities in there, along with emerald rasboras. Bought a few new fish, so it is time for my very rare but very needed water change..I need a python! (or a sink that can hook on to that adapter ring thingy? because I already own a python)
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Jun 23, 2013 20:42
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demonR6 posted:So long as you are not tearing down the tank completely you should be fine planting and not having to rehome the betta. I would at least move him out while you are planting though. If you can avoid netting him, I use one of those hang on back breeder boxes and lure him to the top with food and scoop him before he realizes what is up. Cover the top so he does not jump out and you are all good. Yeah I was going to move him to a ~1 gallon small tank I can borrow from a neighbor while I work on the tank. He'll be easy to get without a net, as he's very quickly learned my hand = food.
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Jun 23, 2013 21:10
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cheese posted:I measured the pH this morning and its 7.2 Seems ok? Uhhhh gently caress. So I measured again before going to the store to get my platys and on the pH test kit its about a 7.8! I then tried out our tap water and that was at least a 7.6 (slightly less dark blue). Am I hosed? If the brick and cement is raising the pH, its not by much and our water is already apparently very alkaline to begin with. I want this pond to be low effort - what are my options here? Edit: I know from my old reef tank days that some vinegar will lower the pH, but am I going to have to keep doing this? What level should I shoot for? cheese fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Jun 23, 2013 |
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Jun 23, 2013 22:11
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You could use pH down chemicals but then that ends up being a regimen. I think the brick needs to go. Try making it out of cpvc as mentioned earlier.
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Jun 23, 2013 22:25
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demonR6 posted:You could use pH down chemicals but then that ends up being a regimen. I think the brick needs to go. Try making it out of cpvc as mentioned earlier. I just called an LFS and they said their water is 7.6ph and they run all their tanks at that, except for the very specific soft water ones (like south american dwarf cichlids)... gently caress, I have the pond looking how I want. I'm using 2x bricks, a cinder block and a cement 12" tile - do they all need to go?
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Jun 23, 2013 22:31
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SynthOrange posted:plants that root in water (like pothos) I had no idea what this was so I looked it up and I think it's growing all around my house:  Am I right? because if it is I may have to experiment a bit...
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Jun 23, 2013 22:50
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cheese posted:I just called an LFS and they said their water is 7.6ph and they run all their tanks at that, except for the very specific soft water ones (like south american dwarf cichlids)... You could probably seal them somehow if you really don't want to find some rocks that will do what you need them to. I'd give it a week or so and see what it does. If you're keeping platys in the pond then they'll be just fine at 7.8, they tend to do a bit better in more alkaline/harder water anyhow.
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Jun 23, 2013 23:20
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kaosAG posted:You could probably seal them somehow if you really don't want to find some rocks that will do what you need them to. I'd give it a week or so and see what it does. If you're keeping platys in the pond then they'll be just fine at 7.8, they tend to do a bit better in more alkaline/harder water anyhow.
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Jun 23, 2013 23:40
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I know there are some Chicago land folk in this thread, so I figured I'd mention it here - Jim's Pet World in Villa Park is doing a 50% off sale on driftwood, and they have a *ton* of pieces of all different sizes. And their original prices were good to start with by the look of it, so it's a great deal.
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Jun 23, 2013 23:47
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Shakenbaker posted:I had no idea what this was so I looked it up and I think it's growing all around my house: Yeah, that looks exactly like what I have. I just cut off a little bit, enough for 4 leaves, then immersed one end of it in a high flow area. Should see roots starting up fast. GIS pothos filter and you'll see a lot of people using it. Synthbuttrange fucked around with this message at 00:10 on Jun 24, 2013 |
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Jun 24, 2013 00:08
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Awesome, thanks. Definitely going to give it a shot. Thanks, whoever planted it and let it run wild around my house!
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Jun 24, 2013 01:15
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Yep, when I had my betta aquarium at work I had pothos growing along the top and some managed to work its way underwater and grew quite nicely.
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Jun 24, 2013 01:15
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I put mine in a few weeks ago and it's got about 6 inches of roots now.  Grows in light or shade, in lovely conditions, no wonder it's an invasive species in most places it's brought to.Also found this: 
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Jun 24, 2013 01:22
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i managed to kill pothos once  Clipped off the rest of the live bits and its growing happily now in my hob but. it was dicey goings there for a while :X
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Jun 24, 2013 01:34
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It definitely looks like it could take over my house if it wasn't fighting the goddamned air potatoes. Grows 8 inches a day and the vines just looove to snap off from the tuber when you try to pull them up. gently caress those things and whoever brought them here forever, ugh. The pothos outside seems to do pretty well, but I do wonder if it'll be shooting off leaves the size of my head inside as well, of if it'll behave. It looks nigh-unkillable outside at least, I know I've hit it with the mower and it just keeps on truckin'.
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Jun 24, 2013 03:10
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I've gotten rather friendly with one of the people at my LFS, and the topic of cherry shrimp came up. He's quite keen to take some of my booming shrimp population off my hands in return for store credit. The only problem I have with this is that I have absolutely no idea what I should be asking for them. If anyone else has a similar arrangement, how much do you normally receive per shrimp? Also, the cherry shrimp have gotten me rather hooked on shrimp in general, so I want to branch out a bit. Can anyone reccommend some other interesting shrimp species which aren't too difficult to breed? Soylent Yellow fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Jun 24, 2013 |
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Jun 24, 2013 22:31
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Soylent Yellow posted:I've gotten rather friendly with one of the people at my LFS, and the topic of cherry shrimp came up. He's quite keen to take some of my booming shrimp population off my hands in return for store credit. The only problem I have with this is that I have absolutely no idea what I should be asking for them. If anyone else has a similar arrangement, how much do you normally receive per shrimp? My LFS paid me $1 per adult cherry, in store credit. Another LFS pays me 50 cents cash, but they get my culls, and they know it. Both stores mark up the price to about $5 per shrimp after. How soft is your water? Tigers and crystals are always in demand, but don't keep them in the same tank: same as cherries, snowballs, and yellows should never be mixed.
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Jun 24, 2013 23:12
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I bought an aquaclear 70 today which has a 300 GPH output. In addition to my Ecco 2234, I now have a total of 435 GPH, which is 11x filter turnover an hour. I really needed that HOB filter in addition to my canister because the detritus was so bad it looked like snow. Goldfish are such a mess. Why do I have to like goldfish so much?  I got a cool LED bubble strip because why not?  
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Jun 25, 2013 00:44
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You've only got yourself to blame for that poopy mess. And the fish too I guess.
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Jun 25, 2013 02:20
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I gotta do something about my snail farm. Zebra loaches look like they'd make the most sense for my 75. A group of 6 or so should get me at least one with a taste for snail flesh, right?
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Jun 25, 2013 02:43
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Non-khuli loaches pretty much devour snail meat. I'd to help out and give my chain loaches a little taste first by cracking a bunch of snails open for them, but once they figured out they were edible, they did the job really well. Unfortunately they're probably also keeping my shrimp numbers below what I'd like, but it's better than being overrun I guess.
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Jun 25, 2013 03:02
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Thanks. I knew that they'd eat snails but I kept seeing "not an obligate snail eater" so I wasn't sure if some were just difficult or what. Chain loaches were actually the other kind I was thinking of, so maybe them. Kinda wanting to stay away from yoyos since they get a group of them would eat up a whole lot of bio-mass in that tank when they're grown.
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Jun 25, 2013 03:19
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My clown loach has been methodically picking apart the snail population and doing a great job at it. Sure he icked on me the week I got him but since then he is a super star leaving a trail of empty shells in his path.
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Jun 25, 2013 03:21
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those otos going to town in that gifs killing me oh my god hahaha i love them. Ive got an ac110 on a 20g for goldfish and what the hell poop man. I dont even FEED THEM regularly >: ( i do want fancy goldfish eventually though. one or two. ...or three. or a lot of chubbykins.
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Jun 25, 2013 03:46
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Shakenbaker posted:Thanks. I knew that they'd eat snails but I kept seeing "not an obligate snail eater" so I wasn't sure if some were just difficult or what. Chain loaches were actually the other kind I was thinking of, so maybe them. Kinda wanting to stay away from yoyos since they get a group of them would eat up a whole lot of bio-mass in that tank when they're grown. Well, it just means that they dont require snails to eat. If there's plentiful and easier sources of food around, the snails might get ignored.
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Jun 25, 2013 03:58
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demonR6 posted:My clown loach has been methodically picking apart the snail population and doing a great job at it. Sure he icked on me the week I got him but since then he is a super star leaving a trail of empty shells in his path. Clowns just get too big for my taste, even if it does take forever. They're awesome fish to watch play around, but I'll wait until I can do something stupid like a 300 and a shoal of 'em. Just them and like...rice fish or something. SynthOrange posted:Well, it just means that they dont require snails to eat. If there's plentiful and easier sources of food around, the snails might get ignored. Ah, okay then. I took at as a "some do, some don't" thing, but that helps. They'll have snails for days in that tank, though I do wonder if I'm going to be left with piles of shells everywhere, like a skull throne 
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Jun 25, 2013 04:08
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