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I got this 5 fish tank as a birthday present a few years ago. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4056278&lmdn=Brand&f=PAD%2FpsNotAvailInUS%2FNo I had a betta there, and now I have two male guppies. I know I can't really have more than 1-2 fish in it unless they are very, very small, but I'd like to try and have a few live plants in it to make it prettier. I've never had live plants, though, so I'm not sure where to start or what plants to get. Any suggestions?
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Jun 17, 2013 03:31
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SynthOrange posted:After all that work on that OP, with its very own plant section, Chido how could you! I read it but I'm so bad at anything fish that I don't know how many anubia nanas I could cram in it, or the kind of soil/gravel/substrate. I only have the generic white gravel that I was given and for the few bags of substrate I saw online, they all seem to be 15lbs/7kg bags, and I kinda get the feeling that's too much substrate to put into the small tank. I just don't know about quantities  Edit: The plants I've seen in petsmart often have a metal thing as a weight. Is it ok for me to leave it? It won't kill my fish? also, stop being in Australia come to California, set up my mini tank and I'll let you play with the chickens 
Chido fucked around with this message at 03:51 on Jun 17, 2013 |
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Jun 17, 2013 03:43
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So I don't need substrate, regular aquarium gravel will do? also, for tank cleaning, once I the plants growing I shouldn't move them, right? Usually I clean my whole tank every 4-6 months and rinse everything, but save at least 50% of the water to add it back once everything is done.
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Jun 17, 2013 03:55
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durrneez posted:Are you in the LA area? I've got a ton of hornwort FOR FREE if you're interested. I had to google what plant it was, how fast does it grow in you experience? Also, my tank has a lid, would that affect the plant's growth as google says it's a surface plant. And I live in El Monte  .
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Jun 17, 2013 04:05
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SynthOrange posted:You could use regular gravel with rooting plants, just add root fertilizer tablets. Makes sense if you're only planting a few small areas of the bottom. I guess I thought it was gross not to rinse the gravel every now and then because I don't have plants that would absorb the poop from the fish. I don't have any algae problem or poop buildup, so I guess I should stop?
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Jun 17, 2013 04:38
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I see. I'm actually getting a bit excited about getting plants and try to make my tiny tank look decent. I kinda want to add a couple more fish but with such a small tank, I think I can only get maybe 2 more guppies. I also need to look for a better light bulb because the one it uses has a yellowish light that dulls the fish colors. I'll check the plants in aquariumplants.com and see how much the shipment costs. Thank you guys!
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Jun 17, 2013 05:12
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I met Durrneez and she gave me some of her plants, that was so nice of her  . I'll post pictures of my lame tank after I take the fake plant out and put the new one inside!.
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Jun 17, 2013 22:28
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I've got a question about lighting. My 5 gallon tank came with an incandescent bulb that makes the water look yellow and the colors in my guppies rather dull. I was checking Petsmart's website and found two fluorescent bulbs that would fit my cover well, but one is a daylight bulb and the other a 50/50 daylight/bluelight bulb. Does it make any difference if I choose the blue one? I was reading it is used more for coral tanks, but it looks rather pretty and I'd like to use it 
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Jun 19, 2013 00:55
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I bought both a 50/50 and a normal flourescent lights. I'm using the 50/50 one right now. I took the picture with my phone and for some reason the gravel looks very bright in it. I like how it looks, and the hornwort Durrneez gave me looks pretty . I also found a tiny plant in my tank. I had tried to have a plant in my tank months ago but it died after a week or so. I guess a tiny part of it managed to survive somehow. I don't even remember what it is and the leaves are tiny and rather pale right now, so I moved it to the front of the tank to see it better (and make it easier to take out if it dies).I'd like to add a couple more fish, but I don't want more guppies but I can't really add anything bigger than a guppy if I want to haave 4-5 fish in my puny tank.
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Jun 19, 2013 17:09
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Are those flowers? They look so pretty!
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Jun 20, 2013 03:34
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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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Small update on my 5 gallon tank; I haven't killed the hornwort Durrneez gave me  . Now I'm having a bit of a problem with algae I didn't have before. It's starting to grow on the lower part of the tank and on the gravel, so I'm not sure how to deal with it as my tank is so small. I've been leaving the light on longer lately for the hornwort, so that's probably what's encouraging the algae to spread. the thing is, I still would like to add two more guppies or Endler's livebearers. If I get those two fish for a total of 4, I don't think I can get an algae eater small enough to do ok in the tank, and I'd rather not get snails. If ottos didn't need to be in groups, I'd get on in a heart beat. They are so cute
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Jul 6, 2013 02:46
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Shakenbaker posted:Could try an amano shrimp or two. Is there a specific reason you'd rather keep away from snails though? Because a single nerite would probably take care of all your algae woes. I don't have air conditioner in my room, so when we get heatwaves here in SoCal, my room can get pretty warm. So far the fish have been ok with it, but I don't know how a snail would handle high temperatures. Also I don't want to deal with a possible snail infestation since my tank is small.
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Jul 6, 2013 04:04
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I'll take a picture to show you where my tank is once I have my room cleaned. It's far from a window and I've been leaving the light on about 2-3 hours in the morning, and probably 5-6 hours in the evening. Do regular aquariums carry amano shrimp? the only place where i've ever bought anything for my tank is petsmart, and I don't think I've ever seen that shrimp in stock.
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Jul 6, 2013 04:25
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SynthOrange posted:Thats a fair bit of light. I run a low-light plant tank and its only got a total of 6 hours a day, 2 in morning, then 4 in the evening. That keeps most low light plants pretty happy. Hornwort should be fine with less time. Thanks . I'll see if I can go to that aquarium in Temple City Durrneez mentioned earlier in the thread sometime next week and ask if they carry amano shrimp and endler's livebearers. Hopefully I can get a decent looking tank with a healthy community in it.
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Jul 6, 2013 04:45
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I went to A+ Aquarium today, and got an anubia and 4 Endler's livebearers today  . that store seems ok. they have some really pretty tanks in the front, and i didn't really see sick or dead fish in most display tanks. I'm not sure, but it seems they put the sick and/or dead fish on tanks on the floor, though. I'm not sure if it's for quarantine, but my brother (he took me there), saw about half a dozen dead fish in one of the floor tanks.Edit: Here's a video of my tank. Sorry for the quality, I had to use my phone. It doesn't look great, but it's better than before. I think I won't be able to add amano or cherry shrimp since I probably maxed out how many fish I can have in this tank. I wanna change the center piece for real driftwood, but the pieces they had at A+ were just too big. I also saw this tiny plant, dwarf baby tears, in one planted tank and it looks gorgeous. Now I want to get some! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xktkiK3aefc This is getting a bit addictive. Chido fucked around with this message at 23:15 on Jul 11, 2013 |
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Jul 11, 2013 21:51
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I'm getting a small airpump and airstone for my tank. I've been reading the Op for days now and I feel bad at how little I've done for my fish so far. I'm also buying a small piece of driftwood and I'll buy a testing kit with my next paycheck. I'm also considering getting a Aqueon 26 gallon tank that I saw at petsmart, but I'll probably do that at the end of the year, depending on how I'm doing with money and if there are good sales during the holidays.
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Jul 20, 2013 00:00
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I have snails in my tank, and I don't know what kind they are . They are very tiny and so far I've seen 4 of them. I'm guessing they were in the anubia I bought almost 2 weeks ago, unless they grow very slow, then they might've hitched a ride in the hornwort I was given. I'm starting to have a bit of an algae issue and was thinking of buying a nerite snail, but I wonder if I should wait until these snails grow, or dispose of them to avoid a snail infestation. what do you guys suggest?
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Jul 23, 2013 06:21
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durrneez posted:Do they look like this? They are really tiny right now and the shell is transluscent. They are barely bigger than a pencil tip. I'll try to take a picture with my crappy camera and if it comes out ok, I'll post it. Edit: I found another one that was bigger and the shell looks like that snail in the link. I also saw a smaller one devour an algae spot in the acrylic front panel of the tank. It was so to see its tiny mouth move. Are these pond snails good algae eaters, or will they eventually just roam in the gravel?
Chido fucked around with this message at 07:41 on Jul 23, 2013 |
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Jul 23, 2013 07:13
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 I got a couple more plants and a piece of malaysian driftwood. I also bought a tiny airpump that I turn on in the evenings. I still need to get something to hold the airstone in place that won't look so ugly, but I think my tank is looking more decent now. I just hope the plants don't die. I had soaked the wood for a few days in hot water according to its instructions to get as much tannin(?) out of it. It's been in my tank for a few days now and the water is slowly changing colors. Should I be concerned or will a change of filter help fix that?
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Aug 1, 2013 18:03
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Thanks . The hornwort Durrneez gave me is dying for some reason  , but the anubia is growing a new leaf. I added the java ferns on Sunday, and so far they haven't had any withering leaves yet so I hope they'll be ok. I know a 5 gallon tank doesn't really have much room, but with only 2 guppies and 3 endler's livebearers, do you guys think I could get away with adding a couple more fish? They don't sell snails in the petsmart I went to, but they had ottos and I was wondering if any of oyu guys have experience with ottos in small tanks, and if it's advisable.
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Aug 3, 2013 00:57
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I have some snails that might've come with the hornwort, maybe the anubia. They seem to be pond snails and there's one I can't quite figure out what it is. They're still very small, but I'd rather avoid having a snail infestation if I can. I want to get a nerite snail, but I was hoping i could maybe have some ottos instead since they are cute, but I don't think my tank is big enough for them . Edit: what is MTS? Mystery tank snail? Also, I wonder if i can feed my chickens the snails in case they start overruning the tank, hmmm. Chido fucked around with this message at 19:13 on Aug 3, 2013 |
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Aug 3, 2013 01:56
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Shakenbaker posted:Maybe. I was told by someone else that Namor might be a good option, but I have to think about it. Name him Sharknado  .
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Aug 5, 2013 15:43
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Thsi is the tank I'm using right now, it's a 5 gallon starter kit from aquaon. I originally had a betta in it and it did pretty well. the tank is not that big, but roomy enough to add more decorations. Currently I have it with 4 endler's livebearers and 2 guppies, all male, and 3 real plants. It's probably overcrowded, but so fat the fish seem to be doing fine and I like how it looks. the sell the filter pads in petsmart and they often have this tank on sale . http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-17775-...ni+bow+5+gallon
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Aug 7, 2013 19:56
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I finally got a nerite snail. It's been doing a great job cleaning my tank and it's so cute to see its little mouth moving while eating . My anubia has sprouted another leaf, so yay! I haven't seen any new leaves on my two java ferns, but at least they are still green and haven't lost any leaves yet. I'm so excited, my fish have survived and my tank is looking pretty decent now if the driftwood would just stop making the water look like iced tea...
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Aug 14, 2013 01:06
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My pond snail invasion is turning into infestation . I feel so tempted to take all the gravel out and boil it to kill them, but I don't know if that's a good idea. It's a 5 gallon tank, so there isn't much gravel to deal with, but I can't add any more fish, already maxed the capacity at 6 guppies/endler's livebearers and one nerite snail. Any suggestions on how to get rid of them without killing my plants and fish?
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Oct 26, 2013 19:26
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Whale Cancer posted:Get an assassin snail. I googled it seems it might eat my nerite snail too .
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Oct 26, 2013 19:50
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Well, I'm planning on dumping the gravel into a bucket of hot water to kill the snails in it, and I'll see if I can safely remove my anubia from the driftwood I have, so I can boil the wood too. I did a google search about how to kill snails in plants, and a couple of sites mentioned using aquarium salt or alum, and basically dip the plants in the water with either of them. I really don't wanna get rid of my plants, this anubia and a java fern are the only two plants I've managed to keep alive and that have actually grown. Still, I see so much waste in the gravel that I'm getting worried using a gravel vacuum every week might stress my fish. Also, I have 6 tiny fish and I know I'm overfeeding them. How much flake food should I actually feed them, and how often?
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Oct 29, 2013 17:00
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That betta is so cool. Crafty little fish. So, since I want to get rid of my snail infestation, I was thinking of changing the gravel of my tank for something else, and since my anubia is growing so well (my java fern has lost a few leaves and the ones left have some brown spots in them, yet there's one tiny new fern growing off the tip of one leaf  ), I was wondering what other plant i can add to my tank. I've seen pictures of beautiful planted nano tanks, but I don't wanna deal with CO2 and anything that complicated in my 5 gallon tank, so any idea of what kind of small plant I could add that won't grow fast, but will cover part of the bottom? I thought about java moss, but I've seen different comments online about how it grows really fast. Would baby tears be another easy option?
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Nov 3, 2013 08:08
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SynthOrange posted:Java Fern grows fast... for a moss. It'll be fine. It's not really ground cover though. Untrimmed, it just forms bushy looking clumps.  that plant is so pretty! I hope I can find it in a store.
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Nov 3, 2013 20:20
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I thought my java ferns had died, but after I removed all the dead leaves i realized the bottom parts (whatever you call them), had tiny leaves coming out, and also the whole mass was mostly thread. I removed the nasty thread and got 3-4 green pieces, two of them with leaves. i just left them on top of the gravel, hopefully they'll all sprout more leaves.
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Dec 15, 2013 07:05
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Somebody posted this in Facebook. gotta love the 4 goldfish crammed in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoSKKCzhEtM
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Jan 6, 2014 21:21
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SynthOrange posted:Hahahah, one of the complaints on Amazon about it are, besides shoddy construction and misleading information about size/inhabitants, are that if you overfill it and squeeze the accordian back down, all the extra water shoots out the top. And the accordian sides pop eventually. Wait, are you trying to say I can't collapse it and pull it back up 20 times a day without spilling water/killing my fish? gently caress this poo poo!
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Jan 7, 2014 08:43
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This heat wave we're having in SoCal killed one of my enders . The water is so warm I had to add ice tonight to coll it down a bit. I'll have to add more ice tomorrow morning and cross my fingers no more fish die until I get home in the evening . I also hope the sudden changes in temperature don't kill them either.
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Sep 16, 2014 03:53
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My snail got out of the tank sometime last night and can't find it 
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Sep 16, 2014 14:50
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Aaaand the snail is back in the tank. It just showed up in it this morning. I'm pretty sure it got out because it's a 5 gallon tank and I took the only driftwood piece I have out to look for it, it was nowhere to be found 
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Sep 18, 2014 04:54
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I think it's a nerite snail. it's very round, about half an inch big, and the shell is dark brown with very dark stripes. I checked the wood, but i never thought about it burying itself in the gravel :O It looks like these ones. http://cdn1.bigcommerce.com/server3200/zjvg3/products/234/images/401/IMG_38382__80228.1408641281.1280.1280.jpg?c=2
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Sep 18, 2014 05:04
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Aww my endlers are dying off. I lost one last summer due to the heat wave in CA, and I found another one dead today. I only have two left and on of them doesn't look too hot. I've had them for about a year now and I haven't had any issues with illnesses in my tank. I guess they are just getting old .
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Feb 1, 2015 18:30
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Since I only have two Endlers left in my 5 gallon tank, I might get a betta after these fish die. I'd like to add more plants to the tank, as I only have one anubia nana that has been growing well in the driftwood I have in my tank. I have that beginner gravel I was recommended to buy at petsmart when I got the tank years ago, and I bought Api's first layer pure laterite at one point but I haven't used yet. Would it be ok to mix this one with regular gravel? Also, should I wait until the first die before I do this? Edit: I've also been looking to what other small plants I can add, and most I've seen are anubias in aquariumplants.com. The moss seems to grow faster than I want, and I don't want to add more rocks or driftwood to my small tank. Could you guys give me other suggestions for small plants that can be buried?
Chido fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Mar 10, 2015 |
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Mar 10, 2015 05:06
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Then I'll wait until the fish die (I've had them for over a year now, and these are the only two that survived last year's heatwave). I want a small pretty tank full of plants and my nerite snail roaming around, and maybe a betta.
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Mar 10, 2015 06:13
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