Leaderboard

Much to the horror of the "One True Way 'Scapers of YouTube", I've decided to subvert the dominant paradigm and let my planted tank kinda get out of hand. As a consequence, I haven't seen some creatures in weeks

It has four walls now I can call it a fishroom right? What started earlier this year as a single rack of tanks, my nerm-side got the best of me. My desire to expand and add more tanks came from two things. That 40B is now a thriving Guppy colony and I'd like to try line breeding some of the color strains. The second thing was wanting to heat the room not, relying completely on individual heaters. Being in northern PA and the tanks being in the basement it can easily dip into the low the 60's (F) down there. I started in late September with the Dollar Per Gallon sale getting the tanks I wanted. Six 10s, two 20Hs, and two 5.5s. I like painting the bottoms black for a cleaner look. I prefer having bare bottom tanks for easier maintenance. I have also noticed less algae growth on the bottoms of the tanks that are painted black. I use Gloss Black Rust-oleum Enamel Paint. Next step was to enclose the area where the tanks are. They sit in a corner of my basement so I only have to make two walls. I like building simply and effectively to reach my goals. To enclose the tanks I made a framework using 1x2 furring strips and 1/2" styrofoam panels as insulation. After that I needed to move the 40B and the shelf it was on. I did that by draining it to about 3 inches of water. Lifting the shelf enough to get furniture sliders under each leg and sliding it out of the way. I used a Nano USB pump and airstone to keep the water moving for the day while I prepared the new rack. I also added some insulating panels to the wall to keep the heat in the room. Once I had the 3/4" plywood cut and painted for the bottom shelf I leveled the rack. I was then able to move the 40B to its new location. To move it, I drained another inch or so water from it and had someone help slide if off the old shelf onto the new one. It wasn't as sketchy as I was fearing, not as heavy either with a bag of eco-complete and little water. I refilled it immediately and didn't lose any fish in the process. Next since the major construction was done I added heavy vinyl curtains to act as doors. Then I placed the new tanks on the rack and got the heater running to get in dialed in. I will still run the individual heaters in the tanks until I'm confident the room will stay warm enough. I added the warning label for any visitors. I added thermometers around the room to monitor the temperature. I picked up a full 4x8 foot sheet of 1/8" thick glass from a local shop to begin making lids. I have the shop cut the sheet in half to fit it in the back of my truck. Once home I set up a work table in the garage on sawhorses, carefully slid the glass out and begin making the cuts I need. I like making the lid opening 5" wide and clipping the corners for the airline heater cord to enter. Lighting next, for that I use all 36" Finnex Stingray lights. Had a small issue mounting them under the shelf as there is metal supports in the way. I made some quick spacers out of scrap wood and used Kreg jig to make pocket screw holes for mounting them. It worked great and I could finally see easier having the lights installed. All the lights on both racks are controlled by a single Kasa wifi timer. Really the last thing left to do is layout and install the air system, connecting it to my first rack. The air system on the first rack is run off a Linear Piston Pump the same one sold by ACO. I use 3/4" pvc and #10-32 tapped plastic airline valves. I like those because they can be used for both air and water. I mocked up the loop on the front of the rack to get the measurements required. I'm using 3/4" barbs and vinyl tubing to connect this loop to the original one. Once laid out, I took everything apart to drill and tap the holes. Dean's tip of using a piece of tape to make a straight line is excellent for lining up your marks along the pipe. I like to use an automatic center punch as well to mark the holes and prevent the drill bit from wandering when starting the hole. Nice and in line. Both air loops now tied together. With the air in I was able to trim and install the mattenfilters in the new tanks. I found its really nice to cut the foam using hot foam cutting pen. While rearranging everything I did lose a lot of storage space. I was however to clean out some old junk and boxes and fit all the my supplies into bins under each rack. I did fit a small plastic shelf in between the racks for some additional storage. This morning I finally filled all the tanks and got them running. I already have some new fish in the rack, some Red & Blue Colombian Tetras. They came into my LFS and I set up one tank this week to house them. Without the mattenfilter cycled yet I added cycled sponge filter into the tank. I realize this a quick breakdown of how I expanded into a fishroom so please feel free to ask any questions you may have. I look forward to adding to this thread all future breeding projects and builds.

I’m really enjoying reading this thread to my husband. 😁

2 - 10 gallon 5 - 40 gallon 2 - 53 gallon 2 - 75 gallon 1 - 500 gallon 6 - empties This varies quite a bit, on July 1 of this year the only tank I had was the biggest one. Hanging out on this forum caused an explosion of new aquariums.

This is the last one, cause I'm gonna go watch an old movie. Hmm, Maybe Reservoir Dogs!

After replying to another post, I wanted to share one way I get clear(er) pictures of moving fishies with my camera phone. It's simple really. 1) take a video of the fish 2) scroll through video for a clear frame 3) screenshot it and crop My rosy barb picture, captured using the method above...he's a long-fin, right? At least I think he is, the fins seem longer than other rosy barbs I've seen.

A little trick I learned with my old metaframe tank is for minor leaks, the easiest way to reset the seal is to warm the tank up a bit so you don't thermal shock the glass, then fill it completely full of nearly boiling water, It softens the sealant and the water pressure pushes the glass/slate into place. Though I have only ever done this with a ten gallon.

seems we have our own little meeting of tank hoarders anonymous here. LOL

Wow a lot has happened since I updated this last. I had all the celestial pearl danios in the 20 for a while, but moved them back to the 10 a week and a half ago after noticing fry. I’m now raising upwards of 20 CPD fry in the 20 long with my blue stiphodon goby Emilia. I’m waiting on an order from the CoOp to separate them into a breeder box and move the parents back since I’m gonna be gone for a few weeks for Christmas. I’ve also fully planted the 10 gallon and am using it a bit as an experiment tank comparing the seachem line of fertilizers to the CoOp easy line (which is my 20 long). Here are current pictures. The 20 is looking a little cloudy because I have the HOB off since the flow is too powerful for the fry. Drogo the betta and the 10 gallon look good tho.

There are so many good tips in this thread, foam cutting pen, tape to line up the air outlets, cutting glass for lids, diy mounts for lights, etc. There is always a clamor for how to design a fishroom and this thread is an excellent resource for that. Thank you @MickS77!

Think I've figured it out. Mom and dad?

Who knew they were nerms!

@StephenP2003 Water changes didn't work for obvious reasons, so then I switched to buying distilled water when I should have been buying drinking water. Lol wrong turns! I hated the amount of plastics I was using (I wasn't able to get refilled Water). So then I tried some resin in a bag and plants - lots of plants and a mesh like filter that was supposed to reduce nitrates. They are simply too high to be effective. I have 6 tanks (which were an outgrowth before I understood what was happening and that if wasn't something I was doing wrong). They range in size between 3 and 55. I have sworn off buying any more fish until I can provide them with proper water. The three houses two neon tetras and some snails and is a grow out quarantine plant tank. Unheated. I have a 10 that contains two fathead minnows, some pond plants, a few snails and a damselfly larvae. (They live in rainwater and drinking water. They were surprises I found remaining in my summer stock tank pond thing!) Plants brought it from the pond. Unheated A 20 L with a few White Cloud Mountain Minnows, a female fathead, and rainbow glow shark. Snails. Well water. Planted. 78° A 40 Long with a South American Puffer, upside down cat, a zamora cat 6 black neon tetras, two dwarf rainbows, and 2 dwarf cories. Well water, planted, snails. 80° A 55 gallon with a 9.5" female Chinese Alge Eater. This fish is adopted for a friend. I actually drive 20 miles one way to get water from their house to do water changes because I promised I wouldn't put any more new fish in my water until it was corrected. 78° But I felt bad for her being alone so i got some small, quick, upper tier fish to go with her but they are currently in quarantine and then they'll go in the 55. 78° I've lost dwarf gouramies, mollies, and tetras. I suspect due to the long term high nitrates. But I had an Otocinculos for years. Supposed to be sensitive to nitrates. And blue rams but those weren't totally my fault. I bought at an LFS and I feel like I had "SUCKER" written across my face (because I was trusting) . I asked specifically about this fish and my water parameters. Guy said no problem. GRams are fine in high nitrate. Yeah. Later research showed exactly the opposite. I was excited, able to go to a big shop been around for 50 years. I feel like I got sold. But I should have tempered my eagerness. My fish never breed. Exception - the dwarf gouramies did, but it was a small hatch. One fry survived. Got to 25 cent piece size and died . Java fern does not like my water. I'm hoping that will change. In general plants are slow to grow. Once established they seem to grow nicely. I grow algae like a boss. My fish I think live a shorter life span. I'm really looking forward to giving them good water and more plants. All of my tanks have sponge filters, various decent LED lights, a current generator, and snails. No CO2. Plants. And in the temp range These are just my opinions through observation and without science to support them.

Apartment living has me down to one 55 gallon tank. At one time I had 4 going. How about you? Fish keeping is addictive!

Similar to vals, my dwarf sag sat pretty dormant for months before it really took off. I have so much of it that the offshoots are literally on top of each other, super dense like a suburban lawn. I have never bothered to clip the runners from the dwarf sag.

@Oriole Lyric sounds to me like youre doing it right... sometimes the fish knows what it wants and if it wants a small space well theres nothing wrong with that. Also salt in my opinion works wonders and is the only "medication" I have.

Oh definitely both! 😀

Haha - you may have a new normal 😁😁

2 55 gallon 1 20 long 1 10 gallon Plans for two more 75 gallon tanks. Then I'm done, I swear lol

I had to take a cue from @Daniel and get a book on fishes for my state.

1 each: 75, 65, 29, 10, 3.5 ...and a 55 gallon slate bottomed curb find that may never see water again. I had room in the car for one tank. The modern 55 with the cracked end panel or the antique. I didn't think anyone would take the cracked tank. I got stupid.

I am finding that Multi-Tank Syndrome (MTS) is setting in hard with all of the COVID restrictions 🙂. I am still trying to figure out what level expansion I can sustainably maintain when things go back to normal.

In my experience the substrate doesn't make a difference for cories. If you want sand though I would just slowly change it out doing like 1/4 of it at a time.

In the case of the twenty gallon tank, you should be fine. Bacteria live all through your tank, not just in the gravel. The two sponges should house more than enough bacteria for six Corys. (Just a note, Corys and crawfish don't always do well together.) The fifteen gallon is a little trickier. For light stocking I would think you'd be okay. I'd keep an eye on the level though. If you see ammonia starting to spike, then moving your sponge filter to the fifteen gallon tank for a bit should help with that. I wouldn't throw a lot of fish in the fifteen right away, but with light stocking you should be okay.

The babies are all taking advantage of the slate cave this morning and that made counting a tad easier. The photos below show the horde as shot and then the next one with the black dots indicate each individual fish as I counted them for a total of 108 baby Super Red Bristlenose Plecos. That's more than I'd thought. They're starting to eat real food now so the feeding will have to keep pace with their appetites.

I have crypts growing in gravel with an undergravel filter. I half of the undergravel is connected to a canister filter the other side is run by air.

I was just coming here to post this article 😂 How nutty. Turns out we’re not the only animals who employ shrimp.

@braids I've had similar struggles with nitrates due to runoff from a golf course/country club behind me. I'm not at quite as high a level as you, but I'm just under the EPA safe drinking limit. When I cross that line, I'll have my well-service guy l do a whole-house install for me. In the meantime, as a stop-gap measure, I've installed a smaller filter (DIY, larger than under the sink, smaller than whole house) for my aquarium change water (this is plumbed in-line with an auto water change system). I have it fronted by a sediment filter, and have a flow restrictor valve installed to keep the flow rate optimal for resin exposure. The nitrate resin cartridges run me about $150 each and last about 3 months. They are meant to be disposable, but I've figured out how to manually recharge them and so far I've not had to buy any replacements (I do keep a backup on hand, just in case). In my experience, the nitrate resin I use will also strip the KH out of the water (does not touch my GH). These resins are 'nitrate-selective', meaning they 'favor' nitrates, butt hey will also attach to other ions. Your specific resin could be different in terms of its behavior, but I'd get to know your water params pre-filter and post-filter, just so you know what you're working with for your aquariums. For me, I just use it raw for soft-water tanks, and everything else gets some crushed coral. Also, for household reasons, make sure you understand how all this affects your Ph (or if it does at all -- it might not). Highly acidic water can be rough on copper plumbing and lead to other issues. I don't think I'd worry about UV unless a comprehensive water test from a professional told me I had a problem that only it would remediate. A UV sterilizer in your aquarium has benefits, but I'm not sure your aquarium fish will benefit if its treating water outside the aquarium. Like I said, unless a professional instructed me to have one installed . . . sounds like a solution in search of a problem. Pics of my setup below. This setup would not keep up with the 'whole house' demands of humans. But it's been great for aquarium purposes.

Updating this thread again, in case someone trying to treat velvet finds it. I've saved the remaining 11 of the 18 rasboras using the following treatment: Dosing Coppersafe to the dose recommended on the bottle (1tsp per 4 gallons), adding aquarium salt at the dose of 1 tablespoon per gallon, raising temp temperature to 80 F, and blacking out the tank with two layers of towells. I also fed the aquarium coop fry food (they have tiny mouths) as well as live baby brine once a day. I tried twice a day, but they were not very receptive to an evening feeding since I hadn't previously been feeding twice a day. When I initially added the rasboras to the quarantine tank, I dosed the copper to 1.5ppm by measuring using the API test kit, rather than the instructions on the Coppersafe bottle. After researching the bottle contents, I found online that the recommended dosing would bring the tank to 1.5-2.0 ppm, while what I had dosed the tank with to get what I thought was 1.5 ppm according to the API test would have been about a third of that strength. This would explain why I was still losing fish at that dosage. (Moving them to the quarantine tank was after slightly over a week of daily treaments of IchX and having the planted tank at 80F, with continued detioration and eventually death of two fish, as noted in my original post) It's been several days since I last saw any of the parasite visible on the rasboras in quarantine, but will continue to keep them in the salt and copper solution with the tank blacked out for 15 days since the last day of visible parasites. I feed them once daily, and they are now active and voracious eaters. If anything goes wrong for this plan or the parasite reappears after this treatment, then I'll update this thread. Oddly enough, the community tank the rasboras were in when they developed the disease, no other fish developed the disease or symptoms, so I am still unsure of my diagnosis of velvet. (Sterbai and Gold laser corydoras, and ember tetras, some as young as a few weeks). In any case, it seems to have been some sort of external parasite, so I am continuing to keep equipment from this tank and the quarantine tank separated from my other tanks, and will do so for several weeks. It was sad to lose more rasboras again, but at least I learned something from this experience - hopefully this can help someone else in the future as well.

My five gallon prop bucket is now an accidental aquarium.

At my LFS tonight they had these huge female Swordtails. It's hard to tell the size from the pictures but they are at least five inches. The owner said an older gentleman was heading to Florida for the winter and dropped them off.

Yes, when the baby plants are connected to the mother plant, they are still leaching nutrients from it. So the mother plant gets stressed and of course won't send out new runners, and at worst has to sacrifice its own leaves to regain nutrients. If the runner plants have leaves that are at least a couple inches tall, set those babies free and give them their own root tabs. With the exception of my red gigantea val, which took off immediately, my other vals had a fairly long adjustment period in my tank before multiplying like crazy. Now I have a surplus that my LFS is not interested in buying.

Ever go to your LFS and see a fish that just makes you go, "WOW!" I'm not "an angelfish person" but these angels were absolutely stunning! STUNNING! I guess it is called diamond scale? Well, the name is apt, because I've never seen such a shiny, sparkling fish. I would have snapped them up but I am already overstocked on all of my tanks; another one on the list for my future fish room. I'm so anxious that I won't find them again! Anyone familiar with angels able to tell me if this morph is common? Sorry for the glare on the pics, it was the best I could do. 😅

You have the best toys.

You plant looks to be coming back healthy. The black you are seeing is likely algae of some sort, but does not look like BBA. I would not be concerned. Mine swords did something similar with the dark algae. The algae cleared up on its own. I would recommend cutting the old larger leaves/stems off so the plant and focus on providing nutrients to the new growth. Swords eat a lot of fertilizer. Make sure to fertilize heavily (root tabs) and just be patient, it takes a while for the plant to adapt from being grown out of the water. Once it takes hold, it will take off.

Yes I can try. The computer I am usually doing the list on the format gets all wacky when I tried before. But from top to bottom for pictures Celestial Pearl Danios Plakat Super Orange Plakat Super Yellow Plakat Red Snow Three Lined Pencilfish Red Melon Discus Marble Hoplo Catfish Assorted Endlers Mud Fish Long Fin Serpae Copper Nose Barb (Super hard to get a good pic of, MOVE A LOT)

I like tannin stained water in my tank it looks more natural and is better for the fish

Looking at the pics in the original post, recommend trimming back the old leaves. The are consuming nutrients that could support the new leaves.

@Randy I’d like to hear an interview with Master Breeder Dean’s boss... his wife, Mrs Kelly! Episode Title: “Living with a legend! Enduring smells, wet floors, and lonely nights.” OR An interview with @Dorkula Episode Title: “Fishy Business: The strength behind the Co-Op!”

The pearlscale/diamondscale angels are not hard to find where I am (not in the US). They are stunning, no doubt about it.

The only thing I've bought in recent months that really stands out is a pole saw (especially since @Corymentioned gardening) I bought early this year. I needed one to trim some trees near my house and didn't want to spend the money for a gas powered one, so my wife and I went to Lowe's to look for an electric one. While I was there I got to talking to another customer who said his son had bought a battery powered one and really liked it. I took his advice and bought a battery powered one from Craftsman. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked, and I don't know how long the battery will last on a single charge but I know it lasts longer than I do. I'm especially glad I didn't buy an electric one because I've also used it to trim low-hanging limbs on some trees in the pasture, which allows me to get under them better with my tractor when I'm mowing.

Oh these species profiles are gold, I want to see more! Also the Princess Bride ones hold a special place of 'aww!' For me.

I'm thankful for this thread @Ruud. It made me get down and check on my Blue Coral Variatus and I noticed fry for the first time!

I would like to see a test strip to accurately diagnose the top 5, most common, aquarium fish diseases.