Jun 14, 2017
I'm obsessed. What was 6 is now 18.
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I'm obsessed. What was 6 is now 18.
They cute.
Tank Update: May 1, 2017
I’ve had this 75 gallon set up for about 10 or 11 months now and I’m so excited about the progress! I’m just really proud of this.
75 gallon planted - Parameters: 0/0/5 - Lighting: Finnex Planted+ on the 24/7 cycle - 78°F
Flora: - Anubias sp. - Aponogeton ulvaceus - Cabomba caroliniana - Cryptocoryne parva - Echinodorus sp. (Amazon sword) - Echinodorus sp. (micro sword) - Java fern - Nymphaea sp. - Althernanthera reineckii - Vallisneria spiralis
I had some die off when my vals started to take over; I think the garden soil under the sand has been great for their growth. They unfortunately choked out my giant crypts, which started some crypt rot that has spread to my other crypts. Hopefully they recover! I finally yanked the giant crypts in the background last weekend and swapped in some amazon swords. Hopefully they can keep up and compete for nutrients before the vals strike again. I also added some Althernanthera reineckii to the sides to fill in some gaps. I tend not to have much look with bunch plants in this deep/tall tank, but they were too pretty to pass up. Finally, micro swords are doing great in the left corner. After some trial and error I think I've found a good mix of plants that grow at similar rates. As with the vals, root feeders seem to grow like weeds in here. I'll probably want to sell some (or swap) soon because they are taking over. For now I love the lush look.
Fauna: - 8 Neon Dwarf Rainbows (M. Praecox) - 5 Celebes rainbowfish (M ladigesi) - 3 Pearl gourami (T. leeri) - 1 Queen Arabesque Pleco (L260) - 1 very happy assassin snails
The L260 is stunning, but pretty shy. She's a newer addition, and the first carnivorous pleco I've kept. I saw one on an old fish forum years ago, and have wanted one ever since. A beautiful fish, and perhaps one I'd consider breeding if I came across more individuals. I'm on the hunt for a fan of some sort for her to create at least one more spot in the tank with heavier flow.
Quarantine: Glass catfish! I’ve seriously had a fish crush on these guys for more than a decade, and this is the first time I’ve ever had a set up that can support them. Old Town Aquarium in Chicago generally has healthy freshwater stock, so I swiped up the remaining six cats they had when I was there “just to buy some food” last weekend. I’ll probably up their school to a total of 12 individuals next time I see some healthy fish/when I go to the pet store near my office this week “just to look”.
They are so shy and skittish, but if I sit by their tank for a few minutes they start to peak out from behind the driftwood and sponge filter. I can’t wait to watch them play in the planted tank after I know they are disease free and eating well. They will probably be the last fish I add to this stock list.
I have spent most of this weekend thinning out vals from my 75 and 28. Anyone around Chicago want some?
Why are Cardinal tetras such little brats
Oooookay... I've had a seemingly endless struggle with them and it's driving me mad. Bought a school of 17 a few months ago. I lost all but 6 to ich. No tank mates became sick, and I waited months before introducing new fish after the outbreak cleared up (treated with paraguard). About two weeks ago I added a dozen new tetras. Everything was going great! Healthy eaters, no chasing or nipping, and no visible squabbles with other species in the tank. Water parameters check out as normal, and tank mates (pearl gouramis and rainbows) are doing great. BUT THOSE TETRAS seemingly overnight are covered in ich spots and have had massive fin rot. What do I do?! I started treating the tank with paraguard and bumped the temp up to about 86°F to combat the ich life cycle. Is that still a best practice?
Tank update: 9/1/2016 Some more fun progress. About 2 weeks ago I added some more plants (Cabomba, Anubias, C. lucens) and did some major pruning and scaping. After a few months of cycling and water changes, the tannins from the peat moss I used in the soil have started to level out. There's a nice color to the water, but not such a heavy stain that the plants are getting choked out. For the most part, I'm very happy with the overall plant growth. The Didiplis didn't take well, and I had to remove it. The new species have done the best. The cabomba is growing a little slow, but is dense with very healthy crowns at the top. The crypt lucens rooted quickly, and there are already about a dozen new plantlets poking up from the sand. The anubias are also growing new leaves. The biggest turn around is definitely the aponos. They were struggling to adjust after I moved them from another tank. After a heavy pruning, they have really bounced back, and I've had to move them to nearer the back panel so they didn't block too much light from the center of the tank. The Giant Crypt in the back right was growing a lot of hair algae so I trimmed the older leaves back, which had also begun to experience crypt rot. There are several deep green new leaves sprouting from the three original plants, and the two plantlets are also looking healthier. Finally, I rearranged the rock pile and driftwood to try and balance the tank out more. The Java fern mat is looking a little lethargic. I hope being rooted in a permanent place will help it. I'm considering adding a power head for a bit more current, but for now I think the plants and fish are all happy and healthy. I unfortunately lost a male Celebes rainbow. The tank parameters were 0/0/0. He had normal appetite and behavior, but when I checked on the tank the next morning he was dead. It maybe seemed like an ulcer after inspecting his body. After a week of monitoring, I added some cardinal tetras. I lost several to an ich infection, but the rest are healthy and in the tank with the rainbows. Eventually, I'm going to build the school up to 20-30 fish and add a group for Bolivian ram cichlids. Water parameters: 0/0/0 Flora - Giant Crypt - Java fern - Valisneria sp. - Aponogeton crispus - Anubias coffeefolia - Cabomba sp. - Cryptocorne lucens Fauna - 5 Celebes rainbow fish (Telmatherina ladigesi) - 9 Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) - 1 assassin snail - 2 trillion pond snails that are winning the war
I went to an LFS near my office on Friday. I was getting an oil change and had time to kill, so I stumbled in. The owner is very old school, which isn’t my favorite. By old school I mean he thinks of inter species compatibility as something as simple as “aggressive” fish and “community” fish.
He’s also a major proponent of fish-in cycling - the kind where he recommends you buy a dozen feeder goldfish and wait for them all to die (from ammonia poisoning). Once that happens, your tank is magically “cycled”.
Anyways, the equipment, medication, and food are all top quality and reasonably priced. I do believe the shop tries to educate and is just a bit stuck in the past in terms of husbandry.
The plants were pretty cheap, so I grabbed some Sagittaria sp. they are huge and I can tell already they need to be moved out of the foreground and to the mid ground.
On my way out I saw a tank with a massive school of glass cats - probably 30+ fish. I’m thinking of going back next week to purchase a group of 10. They were small, but looked healthy and active. They were also several dollars cheaper than my 2 normal LFS, which adds up when buying a big school.
Idk what this post is about anymore. Byeee
Tank update: 7/20/2016
Everyone is happy and healthy at the end of day 5. All 6 Celebes rainbowfish are eating well and schooling nicely.
The assassin snail has also been really active and the pond snail population is already way down.
Parameters: 0/0/0