[Opinions on Single Bolivian Ram with Single Angelfish]

On 8/5/2022 at 12:54 PM, pjust9 said:

That’s what I hear, but then I constantly hear people say a single Angel can live in a 29gal so I wasn’t positive. I might stick with a Pearl gourami just to be safe 

This is totally one of those situations where half the people you talk to about it are going to say no, and the other half are going to say yes. If someone says “hey can I put an Oscar in a 20 gallon” everyone would agree that’s an easy no. 1 angel in a 29 however is walking the line between the tank being fine and the tank being too small so you’ll hear differing opinions on that. I like when people learn for themselves by trying something out (obviously so long as it isn’t something ludacris like keeping an Oscar in a 20 😂) so you’d be fine for a while if you were set on Bolivians and one angel in that tank. Once the angel got large enough you can always upgrade to give it some more space! If space for a larger tank is a problem for you (I run into that in my apartment) you could upgrade to a standard 37 gallon down the line, as a 37 has the same exact footprint as the 29 except your getting added height. Usually you want longer length over taller height but with angels they appreciate taller tanks because of their tall body shape. Anyway I think your stocking idea could work just as long as you’re willing to potentially upgrade the tank down the line but if you purchased them all fairly young you’d be quite alright for a while

[Could A Sponge Filter Alone Be Enough For My Tank?]

On 8/5/2022 at 12:41 PM, lefty o said:

ive not been a long time sponge user, but i do prefer the coarse as im not a weekly tank cleaner, so they sometimes go a while without being cleaned.

Okay great good to know! 

[Opinions on Single Bolivian Ram with Single Angelfish]

I’ve kept Bolivians multiple times and I actually prefer them over their German ram cousins. Much hardier and can handle a wider range of parameters and after they settle they can become really pretty. I’ve found however that they do enjoy being in groups or at least a bonded pair. You could have a single one but chances are at least from my experience with them is that they will be bolder and hide a lot less with multiples. A male female pair would be great. Bolivians and angels get along fine usually but I will say this, Angels long term get pretty big for a 29. It would be fine for quite a bit but eventually as the angel reaches full size it could potentially be a bit cramped. Every now and then someone brings in fully mature angels to my local fish store and then I’m reminded just how large these fish get. Let’s see what some others think. 

[Filtration for 75 gallon]

On 8/5/2022 at 12:12 PM, Patrick_G said:

Totally agree. @Nate710, I have more or less the same filtration as you do in my 75g. It’s stocked heavier than your tank and I haven't had any trouble. The only advice I have is to add a sponge pre-filter to the intake on the HOB and watch your parameters after you set up the new tank. 

+1 on this, it’s a great tip! Adding a pre filter sponge to the HOB works wonders it’s a nice boost to your beneficial bacteria once the sponge is colonized and it keeps larger detritus and food and whatever from clogging up the media inside the filter so you can have more time in between servicing the HOB. Great advice 

[Could A Sponge Filter Alone Be Enough For My Tank?]

Awesome thanks so much for the replies everyone! I’ve been keeping fish for over 10 years but that whole time I’ve always been a bit nuts about filtration (multiple HOBs, big canisters, ect.) and it wasn’t until just recently I checked out a vid from Cory about how a lot of the time “less is more” depending on the circumstance. After diving into that I found a lot of people who have total success just running sponge filters. I’m going to take your advise and give this a shot. I have no issue with doing extra maintenance for a bit after removing the HOB and I’m excited to have the tank be a bit calmer and not have babies being blown around all over the place from all the crazy water flow!  

Believe it or not I’ve never used sponge filters until recently, I’ve always had HOBs and canisters. I love the functionality of the co op sponge filter but out of curiosity do you guys have good luck with coarse sponge filters or finer ones? The male convict loves to dig so I’m not sure if that would clog up a fine sponge a lot faster than a coarse one but I know technically the finer ones can house more bacteria. I’ve been very happy with the coarse co op one so far though. 

[Could A Sponge Filter Alone Be Enough For My Tank?]

Hey everyone,

Quick question just looking for some opinions! I’ve got a 29 gallon with a pair of sub adult convicts. Male is about 3 inches, female is right at the 2 inch mark. Right now I’ve got an Aquaclear 70 running as well as a Medium size Aquarium Co Op sponge filter. I’m curious what you all think about running this tanks filtration with just the sponge filter. This AC70 just seems huge for this tank bow. Plus, every time the convicts breed, the fry only stay at the side of the tank with the sponge filter. I imagine this is because even on its lowest setting, the Aquaclear is throwing too strong of a current for them to swim in. The Aquaclear70 also makes it frustratingly hard to keep floating plants without putting together plant barriers around the filter. 
 

Could this tank with this stock be handled by just the sponge filter? As it stands my water quality is always fine, I do my weekly changes each week and I have multiple pothos plants growing with their roots submerged so I never see nitrates creep above 10ppm by the time it’s water change day. Would taking off the Aquaclear totally overwhelm the bacteria in the tank? And could it be fine long term with just a sponge filter (or 2 sponges if need be)? Let me know what you think.
 

Thanks! 

[Dither/Target Fish for Pair of Cons]

On 7/15/2022 at 1:35 PM, Zenzo said:

@Christhefishman Some synodontis stay smallish (like petricola). You could also try some pictus cats. They might work. 

Awesome! Appreciate it Zenzo 😎

[Dither/Target Fish for Pair of Cons]

On 7/11/2022 at 1:50 PM, Zenzo said:

As you said, 30 gallons may be a bit tight, but you could consider tiger barbs or larger danios as potential dither fish that are fast enough and large enough to hold their own agains the convicts. Another option would be to go with a catfish that would help curb the population by hunting at night. 

Right, the tank size is restricting I have no delusions about that unfortunetly that’s as big as I can go in my current apartment 😪. I was toying with the idea of some kind of catfish but I wasn’t sure if the cons would just seek it out and peck at it all day since they pretty much rule the whole bottom of the tank. There are plenty of hides though so maybe it could work out. I thought of giant danios or Buenos Aires tetras but I figure they would be happier with at least 48” tank for active swimming space but I could be wrong🤷‍♂️ Any thoughts on a potential Catfish species? Something that doesn’t get too big or would have a huge bio load but although enough size to take care of itself with the cons. I know that no matter what I try at the end of the day it may not work out but I’m willing to give it a couple shots!

[Dither/Target Fish for Pair of Cons]

Hey guys, 

So I’m looking for some opinions on what if anything I could try to keep with my pair of convicts. Tank is 30 gallons and has lots of driftwood and spider wood and cover but I’m well aware that 30 is pretty tight when it comes to how insane a breeding pair of cons are. I’ve left them by themselves so far but I’m curious if there is anything that could potentially stand a chance of being okay and possible control fry population a bit (I feel like I’m always removing babies lol). Thinking something that’s very quick and hangs out in the top portion of that tank? If it’s not worth it then it’s not worth it, as I don’t want to just add fish that would be killed, but I figured I’d see if anyone had any ideas or experience trying something like this! I thought of giant danios but I’m not sure I like the idea of putting such an active swimmer in anything less than a 48” tank. Let me know what you guys think. 

[Why the heck is there Nitrite in my tap water?]

On 7/10/2022 at 2:37 PM, DarthMollusk said:

Where is the crushed coral? If you put some where there's water flow, that'll help it dissolve faster. I've got some of mine on the substrate as a more slow-acting buffer, and some more in a filter media bag in the HOB to kick start it. 

Ah ha! Mine is just mixed in the substrate but That’s a great idea I’m going to pick up some more and throw it in a mesh bag and stick it in the AC70 HOB I’m running on the tank 👌🏻 Great tip!! 

[Why the heck is there Nitrite in my tap water?]

On 7/10/2022 at 2:27 PM, DarthMollusk said:

Happy to help! Wish I'd been on this forum when I was first dealing with it. Would've spared my back lugging those gallon jugs around 😆

Oh I bet 😂 well thanks a bunch I’m definitely not so freaked out by it now! The beneficial bacteria are working hard 💪🏻. Now I would still would like to get my Ph out of the 6’s and into the 7’s and bump up Kh a bit but maybe the crushed coral needs more time (although it’s been in there for about a month) 🤷‍♂️

[Why the heck is there Nitrite in my tap water?]

On 7/10/2022 at 2:17 PM, DarthMollusk said:

Yupppp. I have nitrites in my tap water, too. It comes from a well, and with neighbors fertilizing grass and a horse farm nearby, it happens. 

It took my tank longer to cycle than it normally might, but eventually my bacteria was able to keep up with it after adding a second filter and some media inside the tank itself. First thing I did was freak out and buy 20 gallons of spring water, but now I just use tap for changes and it's fine.

If your aquarium water is nitrite free then you're good, I think!

Okay phew! Yeah my beneficial bacteria seem to be able to handle it fine since my tank reading for nitrite is 0. I was just shocked to see a readable nitrite reading from the tap as I’ve never come across that before but looks like I’m not the only one! Luckily it isn’t a super high reading but I panicked because I know how dangerous nitrites are to fish. I add prime to the tap water during water changes too. Now I know why this tank cycle took longer than any of the tanks I had where I used to live. 

[Why the heck is there Nitrite in my tap water?]

Hey guys,

so originally I was going to post about how I should go about increasing my tank water PH to be right around 7-7.5 as I feel like it’s currently fairly low. The PH out of the tap is low and I’ve added about 1 pound of crushed coral to the tank. That seemed to increase my GH but the PH and KH are still low. 

BUT, what the heck is going on with my tap water? I attached a pic of co-op test strips (one from my tank and one from the tap to show comparison) and it’s showing that there’s roughly .5ppm of nitrite and a small amount of nitrate in the tap water. I’ve seen nitrates in tap water before but never nitrite..

the fish seem fine but this tank (30 gal) houses a pair of convicts which are tough as nails to begin with but I want to be sure they’re thriving as much as possible. I do 30% WC & gravel vac every Friday but my PH and KH always have been low, and seeing nitrite readings from the tap is freaking me out! Thoughts? Should I just leave my ph and Kh alone? What should I do about the nitrite reading from the tap? My nitrite and nitrate readings from the tank are always fine (I have a ton of pothos growing out of the tank that suck up nitrates like crazy) but I feel weird now adding “clean water” from the tap that apparently has nitrite in it.. 

[Hoplo Catfish Possible Internal Parasite?]

On 6/26/2022 at 4:15 PM, Colu said:

It's difficult to tell weather it parasites off your pictures and the fact your getting no odd behaviour if it were I prolapse you would want do Epsom salt baths 1 table spoon for 3 gallons for no more than 15 minutes for a couple of days as catfish are more sensitive to salt I would maybe start at a low dose 1 table spoon for 5 gallons and see how well he tolerates it if you notice any signs of de-stress remove him from the bath straight away 

Great thank Colu! And waterlife as well I appreciate the assistance thank you both. I’m going to try the Epsom salt baths first to see how that goes since the meds won’t be here till mid week anyway. I’ll keep ya posted, thanks again wish me luck!

[Hoplo Catfish Possible Internal Parasite?]

On 6/26/2022 at 12:54 PM, Waterlife said:

I don’t think it hurts.  But good question, all I ever hear is that it’s safe for fish and plants etc, but if concerned, ring your sponge fitter out, save the bacteria until meds are clear and then pour it back into the tank to restock bacteria.  Sounds like a bit much so I you could use fritz zydeco from A-Coop

 

Okay excellent, I’ll pick up some fritz Zyme as well. Also I found something interesting while googling around for people who’s had hoplo problems and found on another forum someone posted a few pictures with the EXACT same thing (same color same size) hanging out of its vent area for months. A few people said it looked like a prolapse? I screenshot the pics. Looks identical to my hoplo situation

[Hoplo Catfish Possible Internal Parasite?]

On 6/26/2022 at 12:40 PM, Waterlife said:

Maybe the whole tank but sometimes it’s an isolated event.  Hard to say, just watch the others or simply do the whole tank.  

Gotcha, how is this product on beneficial bacteria? I’ve used PraziPro in the past and it didn’t cause any issues but I know ParaCleanse also has metro in it as well and I’ve heard mixed things on how that effects the BB in the tank 

[Hoplo Catfish Possible Internal Parasite?]

On 6/26/2022 at 12:21 PM, Waterlife said:

So sorry to see this, I love mine too.  Have you tried paracleanse from Aquarium coop?  Kill the parasite and he will flush them out naturally over time.  

They’re such amazing fish! He’s my favorite catfish I’ve personally kept so I reallyyyy want to help him out. I have ParaCleanse and expel p coming in the mail should be arriving this week. My understanding is expel p (levamisole) is geared towards things like camallanus which thank god I haven’t spotted or had to deal with in years but I went into panic mode and bought both just to have but I’m planning on using the ParaCleanse. So this deff sounds like he got worms?? Ugh He’s been in the main tank for a few months so guess it would be smart to treat the whole tank 

[Hoplo Catfish Possible Internal Parasite?]

I just netted him and took a pair of tweezers to gently see if I could pull it out but it wouldn’t budge and I didn’t want to hurt him so I only tugged a little but if this was poo wouldn’t it have come out? 

[Hoplo Catfish Possible Internal Parasite?]

On 6/26/2022 at 10:17 AM, Colu said:

What have you been feed him as his poop will be the same colour as his food and have you noticed any rapid breathing hanging near the surface flashing any bloating 

He eats all kinds of things but mainly frozen brine, mysis, xtreme pellets, bloodworms, ect. Not a picky eater in the slightest and I haven’t noticed any odd behavior from him but it’s now day 4 that white thing has been hanging out. I’m worried because I haven’t seen him pass any normal poo in days now. I soaked food in Epsom salt multiple times for the laxative effect but It hasn’t seemed to do much. He otherwise looks healthy all except for that white thing hanging out. Here’s a full photo of him he looks healthy to me I just don’t know what the deal is with the worm looking thing 

[Hoplo Catfish Possible Internal Parasite?]

Hey guys! New member here but long time viewer and supporter of Aquarium co op. I come to you guys with something I’m kind of freaking out about the past few days. I noticed my albino hoplo catfish had something white and worm looking hanging out of its anus about 3/4 of an inch long. I noticed it 3 days ago and it’s still there looking exactly the same. Photos are a bit blurry since it was so close up but it’s there. Can anyone tell me exactly what I’m dealing with here? Tapeworm partially hanging out? Something else? He’s acting normal and eating fine but yet that’s been sticking out for days.. any help would be GREATLY appreciated!