Leaderboard

Here’s an unintentional plug for the coop but I bought 1 portion of anubias nanji maybe 5+ years ago. It slowly has taken over my 40 gallon and has grown maybe 2 feet worth of rhizome. Over the years I’ve had to prune many leaves and lately it’s progressed. Between the pothos and anubias I can’t quite find the sweet spot for fertilizer. Here soon I’m doing a tear down of the tank and removing the anubias was the first step. I cleaned up the roots and cut off all the gravel. Next I portioned it off a bit and put it in 2, 20 longs. As you can see it doesn’t fit. I live in Eatonville wa and will need to find it all a new home. What a crazy removal.

Walstad jar update. Flowers every single week. I don’t do anything to it except the occasional top off using some tank water. Oh, I did take out the floaters. Tops were yellowing and bottoms were soggy. Soggy Bottom Boys.. looool 🎶

I was at an aquascaping demonstration hosted at my LFS and someone was asking about hydrogen peroxide dips for plants, in their specific case for killing off blackbeard algae. The hydrogen peroxide was killing the BBA but also killing their plants. I mentioned reverse respiration, and had a lot of interest and follow up questions, including from the store's owner, who asked me to email the link to him. I'm out here spreading the good word!

Hmm, not a good time planning on my side. I have the breeder box with moss in for the next two weeks, but I saw today at one of the petco sorts of LFS the least rasbora (boraras urophthalmoides), for 0,4 euro per fish (other stores had quadruple the price) sooo I didnt resist and got 12. They all go to the cube to the pygmy corydoras, who are btw LARGER than the rasboras!!! Luckily I had my trusty thermobox in my car and did slow temp acclimation. They are a bit skinny but I assume it is feeding from the large store, there were no sick fish in the tank, no dead bodies and they havent been there more than a week. Lets hope no issues as I do not have a quarantine and they will appreciate this leaf filled tank more. I turned the light on for a short time to check on releasing them, the pygmy corydoras immediately went to check on them and swam alongside them Excited though

Bought some extension tubes to play around with macro photography. Tested them out on my fauna

UPDATE: I consulted with a few more experienced in cross river puffers and based on my limited undersanding of puffer behaviors, the collective cross river puffer knowledge of those individuals, and their discussions with field collectors, exporters, and their collegues I assessed I had 4 males. Turns out, as you can imagine, all males is not conducive to producing fry in the future. I have moved 3 on to better situations and retained this guy out of the 4 So now the hunt begins for a female cross river to buy or possibly trade for a male. The gist is if the cross river has less spotting it is likely to be a female.

That's the one. Also, i'm apparently stocking a catfish. It's not even cycled yet.

Ahh, okay. That makes complete sense! I'll get some bbs hatching asap Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely look into it! though I don't live in the US so getting ahold of some might be a bit tricky I have some java moss in there luckily. I've noticed it adding it definitely helps with fry development & survival too!

I don't know about multiple pairs with the exception of the Shellies. Possibly a harem with a Apistogramma specie. Had a pair Double Orange Flash Apistogramma that claimed a 20 long for territory.

I know tons that I want but most dwarf cichlids in that space that I would want are a pair only for that size. I use 20 longs for Apisto trios. Most Apisto are harem not pair. That makes it really fun. My dwarf cichlids are in my signature. I also keep Laetacara curviceps but I have not journaled them. My German blue rams may do ok with 2 pair in a 20 long. They eat the eggs so it would limit breeding aggression. I also just started with Bolivian rams but cannot yet say how they would do with multiple couples in a 20long.

Wow thank you so much 🤗 it’s good to hear it’s reaching far to help other aquarists. 😃

I have a 20H and struggled with stem plants, so it's finally become an "easy as you can get" low/mid light tank with 2 kinds of Crypts and a Tiger Lily that grows non-stop. My dwarf Pleco and Betta loves their Crypt Forest. Crypts grow fairly slowly but it can be almost like a carpet plant in that you can form a dense mass using root tabs and some time. I plan on adding something taller in the back corner.

Grindle worms, white worms, a little live bbs, moina and daphnia magna here and there but I’m LAZY so not often. Kens high protein tropical green granules (they just upgraded from .2 mm to .5 mm) Kens growth granules #00 The tank is seeded with ostracods and copepods which I feed a tiny bit of sera micron to 1x a week and they have a thriving neocaridina population to snack on shrimplettes.

I used acrylic and it peeled after some months. I could have done something wrong, or there could have been a scrape and water got underneath it, idk. I ended up going back to poster board on that tank as it is so close the wall it was the easier solution. If I had to do it again, I'd use another type of paint.

On the outside you have several options. Flat/matte finishes are usually preferred. Oil/enamel paints are solvent based, take longer to dry, are harder to clean up, and hold up better. They will also stink until the solvent evaporates. Acrylic paints use water as a solvent, dry faster, and are easier to remove if you change your mind. Once dry, and cured, they are waterproof up to a point. You can brush, spray, or roll the paints on, but a foam roller makes it really easy if your aquarium is already set up and close to the wall Krylon Fusion seems to be the most commonly mentioned paint for the inside or outside. I've been told that Plasti Dip works really well, but I have no experience with it.

@Lonkley. I've used this spray on my 75 gallon aquarium and have been quite pleased with it so far.

We are still waiting. He is in love with every cave. Neither girl wants to be in any cave. 🙄 They are much bolder now and have no fear of me anymore. Even my constant walking in front of the tank no longer bothers them. I had the tank set so the scape blocked the lower sight from the front and sides. I decided to move it all inland a bit and spread the center barrier. Hopefully they will find a nook they like. They still cannot see under the barrier but there are more fish size alcoves. I have seen no aggression if the girls towards each other …yet. He is really growing into his looks. If the light hits him right I can see small touches of red starting.

You guys do realize that you didn't have to use air stones in the sponge filters to start? As far as I know, the only reason to would be to get smaller finer bubbles. I have only used an air stone in one or two sponge filters through the years, and usually after a bit of time, they get to the point where you need to put a new piece of airline on them to keep them from falling off when you're putting the top back on after cleaning the sponge.

No, definitely don’t wait that long. If he isn’t starting to improve and eat within a week I would start Maracyn-2 or kanamycin in the water. If he improves but isn’t quite there after, say, 3 weeks (2 deworming with Praziquantal and 3 with levamisole (of fenbendazole or flubendazole), then time to do antibiotics. I truly hope he’s eating well before 5 weeks. I should have been more clear. That’s what I get for posting late, late after a long shift.

Some photos and videos of Blueberry the red cheek crayfish from this week. He really likes being in cover, so I haven't been able to get some good full body shots yet.

Turns out the LFS near me sells springtails in their terrarium section but they are out.

There's a few really small nano fish that might do alright for you. Things like white clouds, emerald green rasbora (sundanio axelrodi), or chili rasbora might be small enough to work in that size of a tank. You'd be looking for fish with a max size of under 1", preferably something that is 0.5-0.75 in max size. The cool thing with minnows, rasboras, and other cypranidae fish is that they like room temperature. If the dorm is kept in the low 70's year around, you won't even need a heater in the tank. (68-75 is a good temp range) white cloud mountain minnow Sundanio Axelrodi (Emerald green rasbora): chili rasbora: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/5-gallon-fish From the list above, scarlet badis might be a really awesome choice. They would be the only fish in the tank, just one fish, but it's got a really fun personality. A pea puffer is really difficult, can be even for experienced fishkeepers, so I wouldn't recommend that one. I also love the idea of the green neon tetra or the emerald green rasbora. Welcome to the forums! Happy to have you here @KaydinPanda. Please feel free to ask a bunch of questions if you have any. Everyone here is really happy to help out!

Well depends on your LPS situation if you have any herp specializing shop they will definitely have it. Or if any pet store sells poison dart frogs near you, jungle springtails go hand in hand. You can order them online but it’s not worth shipping costs imo. Sometimes specialty plant shops will have them too, especially those who have expensive exotic plants that are rather fussy about their soil quality

The fun has begun. I have started with 4 wild caught cross puffers they landed late last night and were added to their tank tonight. My big puffer learning curve has begun Initial observation .... 1. need more plants and sight breaks 2.they are active hunters 3. Have bigger appetites than expected 4. they posture and display a bit more than any other species ive kept 5. This could be a short thread .....but hopefully it goes for a long time 🙂

My wall isn't black, so you could use any solid colored piece of cardboard, or black paper. you could also try a mirror on one side of the tank.

@Mr Gumby seems like you have a cool experiment on your hands.

Interesting, I wonder if my cpd's would come out more if they thought the school was bigger?

I think so lol. It’s trained I think to grow so big that unfortunately I can’t keep it anymore lol. Excited to restart my 40b now though! Cool huh. I’m gonna list the whole lot on FB in the next day or two and hopefully I can find a home for it. Someone will need a tall tank to fully enjoy it.

I'm no expert, but after six weeks I'm not sure vinegar eels and paramecia are going to be enough to sustain them? Vinegar eels in particular are usually a bridge to get to bigger foods like BBS. Truthfully, I don't know about honey gourami fry in particular, so take this for what it's worth. How many did you start with and how many are there now? How many are left?

Look up Tidal Gardens on YouTube. He is saltwater guy, but in the last few years he has built an entire new coral farm, and the stands he has use casters very similar to this. They don't move the tanks around regularly, but with the size of the tanks he wanted a way to be able to move them when initially setting up the place and if they need to in an emergency.

That's insane.

Exactly. I have my female bettas one in a 33g tank another on 42g tank. People say bettas like small tanks. Just no. Only those long fin males or dumbo ears do better in shallower smaller setups because they seriously have a quality of life issue when it comes to swimming. My females and plakat males are everywhere in big tanks and easily can go bigger than what I keep them at

Overall I kinda like the layout. There is still a big empty spot on the right that I was leaving empty in hopes my dormant nymphaea minuta bulb would grow in, but it doesn't appear to be doing anything. The left side is definitely still a hodge-podge too. But at least the middle ain't bad

Custom Aquariums sells "caster carts" for their aquariums: https://www.customaquariums.com/product/majestic-aquarium-caster-carts/ (I think KGTropicals has a tank with these.)

Thanks. They can do OK up to 74°-F. Above that, they begin to breakdown. It’s not all at once…. but they stop spawning, get really skinny… etc. Maximum size is about 2.75 inches. They take 6-12 months to color up. There are a few varieties of color forms. These are from Alabama / Red Hills region. What’s crazy is how they look when they spawn. They turn hot pink with sky blue fins. It is unreal…

Good heavens @Mmiller2001 that tank looks amazing! If I were focussed on setting up just one 40 gallon breeder (instead of the 17x miscellaneous tanks I do random things with) I would get an Oase canister filter with a spraybar for good flow. I'd select a color of stone from ActivFlora (I've used Red, Black, White / Gray), and I'd beg around for LOADS of plants. If you like a community of tropical fish, consider aiming for three species-layers: -1- an active, hardy schooling species (shoaling will do); -2- a modest group of bottom-dweller species; and -3- a nice centerpiece pair. If you use a black background and dark substrate, and loads of bright greens . . . a school of Rummynose Tetras are always impressive in motion. The entire internet will break, but you can buy a young pair of colorful Discus to keep in a 40-breeder. Here's a few I still keep and snapped a shot of the other night... And for bottom dwellers . . . I'd love to add several moderately sized plecos of one species or another. Zebra Plecos are always tempting. But you could easily also turn a 40 breeder into a cool-water temperate tank with no heater. I'd probably go for a mix of Rainbow Shiners, Two trios of Fireyblack Shiners, and some species of Darters. Same filtration . . . but add more air. Here's my Rainbow Shiners and Fireyblack Shiners this week... My favorite Darter is the Banded Darter. This photo isn't mine, but it shows how absolutely amazing they _can look_ in a home aquarium...

I would love having a tutorial! I’d buy you a jug just to get access to a tutorial from you! I can gift via Amazon, you know! 😆

I have and there are only three

Worm cultures doing quite well. It has not even been one week since I got the grindals and they already ate the cat food they came with and another cat food. So I added a third yesterday, and today they are all over it again. The white worms are doing great too. Many are burrowed and active.

Hi @anewbie, WOW! THAT IS ONE B-I-G TANK!!! What is it about 950 gallons or so? Algae is almost always caused by too much light (intensity, duration, or both) + too much nutrients. You didn't indicate the water parameters, specifically nitrates (NO3) so I would start there. With big fish comes big poop so in addition to fertilizer the amount of food and nitrogenous waste can cause high nitrate levels. You would think that 800 GPH of filtration would be sufficient however for my tanks my filter GPH is about 10X the tank volume. Extra flow in that tank would likely help. I agree with @nabokovfan87 about a skimmer. If it were my tank I would use an external overflow box with built-in skimmer, add some filter floss to the box and hook up a pump that will draw water from the tank, through the external overflow, and return to the tank. You will likely have to change filter floss a few times a day until the surface clears. Don't let a build up of the algae in the overflow box start to die, it will starve the tank of oxygen as it decomposes. Also do not turn off the lights, the dying algae does the same thing. Hope this helps! -Roy

Okay, gang. I've pondered long enough and my choice for December is Chimp Empire, which is playing now on Netflix. I'm very interested in watching it myself because I'm interested in all kinds of creatures, but also because one of the directors was involved in the production of My Octopus Teacher, which was one of my favorite documentaries of the past several years. I know chimps are not going to be as peaceful as octopi, but hopefully Chimp Empire will be just as immersive and thought-provoking. Enjoy!

I agree with the comments on energy level of small fish. Though they fit physically in a 5 gallon their energy level does not. Here is a video I made some time ago. It shows the tiny 1 inch Celestial Pearl danio in a 40 gallon breeder. There are roughly 10 -12 I think. They make short work of all 40 gallons.

Yeah the tuna blue works. I can’t remember if that one allows you to configure the ratio of RGB intensity, but if it does I would adjust the blues down, plants mainly use the white/red. Kessils also have great resale value so if you don’t need the tuna blue in the future you could also quick sell it and buy the sun variant with no extra cost. I will show off my even more bare bones style sump. I set it up as you would a refugium and I got the acrylic dividers from a guy on ebay! My 1st package was stolen, and the seller was very gracious and quick to give me a 2nd set even before ebays insurance kicked back. I don’t use an overflow instead opting for the tank itself to be overflow. In case of pump failure it drains down and if the drain tankside clogs, the pump would run dry before it flooded the main tank. Also I have a more drab rhinogoby species, but I still love them:

Size is definitely an issue. Think in terms of the ziss bubble bio. A "fludized media" filter would be like.... putting a 110 on low on a 40G or something and that's probably not big enough. you really need a LOT of space and a ton of air for those.

My guess is that the bottom frame wasn't fully pushed down when they put it on...with the foam underneath, it should be fine 🙂 your kitty is beautiful!!!!!

Aquarium co-op did a 5 gallon stocking video. Corey recommended chili rasbora, CPD's, kuhli loach,neon tetra, amano shrimp, honey gourami, pygmy cories, endlers, dwarf frogs, or clown killis. I can't post a link because I'm on my phone, but it's called Top 10 Fish For a 5 Gallon Aquarium (Besides Bettas!)

Yeah nothing to major they do get fired up for food mostly. Then they feast and find a nice a nice spot to grow.... and repeat tomorrow

They do not seem to mess with clams much for me (the shell is untouched in the clip below), they prefer snails: mysterys, trapdoors, ramshorns. I have also fed whole frozen krill to them. That helped disperse the food and limit the need for defending it. Id assume shrimp would work the same as krill. They are primarily are eating frozen thawed raw crayfish. I put one of around this size in 6 locations around the tank. They generally have locations they eat in and if i can break up the sight lines they just focus on the food and not defending it. I figured out the super slow mo setting on the samsung. There is a frozen raw crayfish behind the one planter and another to the left of the boxfilter. This is impossible to see at normal speeds but is a the general idea of how they defend food against eachother. There have been less marks on their bodies than when they initially arrived so it may be more of a display like this was than using their mouths to sort it out. They do quite a bit of posturing and tail fanning. My intention is to get a pair or trio still but all four seem to be going well.

8 october 23 : Today we tried the first frozen thawed raw "bait" crayfish today. We are still learning how to eat this food item but they are fans it seems. The hope is to have this food be in regular rotation as they grow. A still of the first taste of crayfish here. These four cross rivers are very food defensive. My current strategy, to limit their need to defend food against each other, is to position even more coop planters and plants so that each member has a sheltered location to eat frozen meals which is blocked from the view of the other four "feeding stations" across the 270 gallon.

Day 12 Still need more plants but have added 18 coop plants plus something like 20 from other tanks to this "pond" All four cross rivers have posed tonight a bit. They ate pretty well yesterday. Their demeanor is more like fsirly interactive bull sharks in my set up. They rexognize me but when not full they are a little "sassy" and when hungry and food arrives they will chase and defend their meal. So far the plants work well and we have figured out our spots in the colony dynamic. I even caught two sleeping next to eaxh other this early am (no photo unfortunately)