AllFishNoBrakes

I run c02 in 4 of my 13 tanks. -20 gallon high. Baking soda and citric acid mix in a metal cylinder. 1 bubble per second. -29 gallon. Baking soda and citric acid mix in a metal cylinder. Also 1 bubble per second. -I then have a 5 lb tank with 2 outputs. 1 goes to a 29 at 1 bubble per second. The other output goes to a 55 gallon at 3 bubbles per second. I used drop checkers when I first set them up. My goal was to be nowhere near 30ppm c02, but wanted a tool to be sure. I don’t even use the drop checkers anymore since I now know that the c02 I’m injecting simply helps ensure the plants don’t run out. I believe a drop checker is good in the beginning simply so you have a visual reference of what’s happening in your tank. Remember that a drop checker takes like 2 hours to register anything, so the color (pH) is a look back in time roughly 2 hours ago. All tanks were established when I added c02. I saw no detrimental effects and only saw better plant growth. Again, I’m not trying to maximize, simply want to ensure the plants don’t run out. With better (but not maximum) plant growth I’ve noticed way less algae growth. Always a plus! c02 kicks on an hour before lights, and turns off an hour before lights off. All tanks run Aquaneat lights. Nothing fancy, but gets the job done to my liking on a budget with 13 tanks. I think the 29 would be a good place to get your feet wet and play around. If you like it, feel confident, and want to do it again you could always add on or get another set up for the 125. Just my 2 cents from my personal experience! Holler if you have any questions! I’m no expert, but always happy to help if I can

@Zenzo Thanks for chiming in! Much appreciated. One day I’ll be able to dedicate hour(s) per day to my tanks, just not today, lol.

@nabokovfan87 If I upgraded my 55 Angel tank to a 75, then the 55 would just become another grow out tank for fry, and another tank to maintenance, and more equipment to buy, lol. I totally get where you’re coming from and understand what you’re saying, but I know myself too well. An autodoser could be interesting. I’m tempted to try a canister filter, simply because I never have, but all of my tanks have lids and the possibilities of leaks with canisters scare me with carpet in areas of my house. I also wanna try some Chili Rasboras for my Walstad cube. I guess we’ll see what I’m feeling like when I drop this next round of fish off! Appreciate all your input!

@Colu Greatly appreciate your response! Didn’t mean to blow you up while you weren’t feeling well and hope you’re doing better!!

@nabokovfan87The idea of upgrading or changing is intriguing, but more in the sense that shiny new things are, well, shiny and new, and that the planning and executing is one of my favorite parts of the hobby. At this point I’m considering a move in six months, and the thought of moving all of this is paralyzing. I understanding that bigger/less tanks would technically be easier to move, but I really feel like it’s all the same and moving everything I have is going to be a giant project in and of itself. 13 tanks seems like a lot, but honestly it’s about 4-5 hours worth of maintenance each week (if you don’t include feeding). I’ve built lots of DIY tools and really have a dialed system at this point. Every Wednesday I’m off work and it’s the same. I’m definitely a “creature of habit” myself snd I also thoroughly enjoy the maintenance so it doesn’t feel like a giant chore. Like I said, my work life is insane, so the feeding/water changes/maintenance/collecting eggs/raising fry helps keep me balanced mentally and gives me something fun to do when I get home each day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows… Sometimes things pile up and it feels like a lot, but that’s 1 maintenance sesh out of every 8 or 12 and the others in between are spent jamming my favorite music for a few hours each week. The work I put in and the things I get out of it far outweigh the cons. I love having a few hours each week to zone out and take care of my ecosystems. I love seeing what’s breeding and the challenge of hatching/raising the fry. I love getting lost in my tanks checking out what’s going on and what’s new. I love the “fruits of my labor” paying off over the few years I’ve had everything set up. The mental clarity/breaks/and joy this hobby brings me is tenfold the time I put into it. I’ve seen @Zenzo say that he spends ~8 hours in his fish room each week and I feel the exact same. I spend way more time enjoying my tanks and seeing what’s going on than maintaining the ecosystems I’ve spent years setting up.

@nabokovfan87 Totally understand where you’re coming from. I currently have 13 tanks (15 if you could the (2) 2.5 gallon tanks on the kitchen counter raising fry) and I would consider 9 of the 13 “display tanks”. Most of them have the capability of breeding, but in a community setting. Most of them have multiple opportunities to breed ie 20h with the Julii Cory’s and the Furcata Rainbows. 55 Gallon tank with the marbled Angels and Albino Cory’s. 29 gallon with Praecox Rainbows, Peacock Gudgeons, and my original group of Albino Cory’s that spawned the Albino’s in the 55. I breed as it happens instead of trying to force it. Everything is planted, too. Most of them heavily planted which helps me feed and do water changes once per week to help with breeding. The other tanks are: 55 grow out tank for whatever fry are raising up, and then (3) 10 gallon quarantine/hospital/grow out for whatever I have going or as needed. In our 2 bedroom apartment, I’m literally maxed out in space and the time I have to dedicate to my tanks. I have tanks in the kitchen, (on the kitchen counter too right now with fry), 7 in the living room on a rack, in our bedroom, and the 55 grow out in our spare bedroom. I work crazy hours at my job, then the tanks, my girl, the dog, and our cat. Honestly, the tanks have taken over other hobbies like gaming but that isn’t a complaint. At ABSOLUTE MOST I could have 1 or 2 more 10 gallons on the rack in the living room, but I’ve never run into the situation where I need another quarantine/hospital/grow out. I take things as they come, and make educated decisions based on what I want to breed/try next, what is currently breeding, what new fish I want to quarantine and add to a display and maybe try to breed, and general life placement. Someday (when the feds stop raising the interest rate…) I’ll buy a house and do whatever I want. The dream is multiple big (125) gallon display tanks around the house with a legit fish room/breeding/grow out room in the basement on auto water change and all that. Until then, I’m maxed out on space and time to dedicate and do the absolute most with what I currently have.

@nabokovfan87 For sure. I’d go hard on the food if my LFS stocked Xtreme Foods. They have a nice selection of hard scape so I typically rummage through that and see if anything sticks out. After that, it’s any fish that I want to try. One day I’ll buy a house and will set up a legit fish room/breeding room in the basement and will have plenty of things to buy. Until then, it’s whatever tickles my fancy that’s available at the LFS. I’m getting into this weird world where I have everything I need, so the credit just starts to stack

Today the wound/issue seems a little better. In pictures it probably doesn’t look much different, but in person it looks more like it did a few days ago. All things considered, I’m either A) going to wait a bit longer to see if it continues to improve or B) move her/them to a 10 gallon hospital tank and try Maracyn. Disease isn’t something I’m well versed in, but it looking better in person has me somewhat relieved that it will all work out. @Colu You seem to be the master on here and have excellent recommendations of what your fellow Nerms should try in terms of meds. Would really appreciate you input. Thank you in advance!

We have free swimming fry! Still a little confused on why the previous 2 spawns on here didn’t work out. Like, at all. However, I really think it was the universe telling me that I’d have this coming up As you can see in the photo, this was mid water change to get the rest of the Methylene Blue out of the water. Dropped in another chunk of Java Moss, added the seeded/well cycled sponge filter, filled ‘er back up, and we’re off and running. These guys will grow out in here for a couple/few weeks, then I’ll move them to a 10 gallon tank, before moving them to the 55 grow out tank. The Angels ahead of these guys are ready to go off to the LFS. 55 this time (most I’ve asked them to take) as I’m going to keep 2 “Smokey” variants to replace the pair of Pandas I took out and paired from the community. From here on out I’m focusing on the Pandas and won’t pull any further marbled spawns. If you had ~$200 in store credit, what would you get from your LFS? And, as a side note, I really appreciate you guys rocking and rolling with me through my fish adventures. Even the people I know that keep fish aren’t on the Nerm level that I am, and I appreciate every comment, reaction, and general community sense that this forum brings. Cheers, Nerms!

I’ve bleached and heavily dechlorinated tanks that I bought used. Dechlorinated several times after bleaching, completely air dried, and then set up and haven’t had issues. It’s a little scary, but if done properly you shouldn’t have issues. I’ve also heard @Cory mention in recent livestreams that “dechlorinator makes bleach in the process of taking out the chlorine” but he’s kind of skipped quickly past that. Maybe he’ll go more in-depth for us soon as I’m definitely no chemist, but have to dechlorinate my water

The article I just read said that all fish perished, and tanks in the lower levels of the hotel were without oxygen without power. Berlin Zoo said it would take any surviving fish from those tanks. Crazy! https://apple.news/AbYzNFp4zTw-eIcuMcXLQKw

Me personally, I would either A) use hydrogen peroxide, rinse super well, completely air dry. Or B) soak in bleach, and then soak in water with extra dechlorinator as the dechlorinator will break down the bleach. I would personally do a couple heavy dechlorinator soaks, followed by lots of fresh running water, and then completely air dry

Hey everyone, I’ve been pretty fortunate as I haven’t dealt with much disease in my couple years in the hobby. I quarantine all my fish, keep healthy systems, and overall have just had some good luck. I’ve beaten ich a time or two so I’m familiar with that, but I noticed a spot on my Bristlenose that I’m unfamiliar with. Has anybody seen this or dealt with it before? I first noticed the spot a couple of days ago, but seems to be bigger at this point. Not sure if it’s just an injury, or something that I should consider meds for. On hand I have the Trio and aquarium salt. Also have a hospital tank I can move them to. @Colu do you know what this is?

A day late on the normal weekly post but the company employee appreciation party will do that to you. Water change on all the tanks but the shrimp/snail/crayfish tank and even got the 2 egg hatching tanks on the counter. Tested the one that’s been growing out the Julii Cory fry and got 0/0/5 so I’m confident the sponge filter in there is doing it’s job and makes me more confident in doing the same for the Panda Angel fry. Those guys are still wiggling away, waiting for them to become free swimming. Once they are, I’ll siphon out any of the infertile/fungused eggs, drop the sponge filter in, do a water change, and start raising them up. Brine shrimp eggs are in the hatchery and everything is all good and moving along. The Angels in the community tank spawned again today, but I just pulled the slate and washed the eggs down the drain. With the Julii’s and the Panda’s already going I literally don’t have the space or time. Still got some cool pics though

My Bolivian Rams are in a tank that’s 76° and they’ve been just fine.

13. 15 if you count the (2) 2.5 gallon egg hatching tanks that go up and come down as needed.

Aquahuna.com is partnered with Aquarium Co-op

You guys ever try to help someone on here that says things like “I’m brand new to the freshwater world” so you give some advice based on your personal experiences but then argues literally every thing you say to try to help them? Irks me so bad, lol. Whatever, it is what it is and I wish them the best of luck. Onto the fun stuff! ACO order came in today! Got everything I ordered (per usual and wouldn’t expect anything less) and one thing I wasn’t expecting until my next order! Angels actually looking like little fish instead of eggs with tails. Maybe tomorrow when I get home from work they’ll be free swimming. As soon as they’re swimming around I’ll do a 50% water change to begin taking out the Methylene Blue, drop a seeded sponge filter in, and start raising them up. Here’s to the 99.9% of Community Aquarists that Respect Each other and best of luck to the other .1%!

It’s all in what you make of it and what fish you want to keep, how rooted your plants are, what the substrate is, etc. I personally don’t like a ton of flow as it’s harder for plants to root, and the only BBA I’ve ever experienced/still battle with is in higher flow areas around HOB’s. Some Rainbows love high flow. Same with Hillstream Loaches. Other long-finned fish/clumsy swimmers… not so much. Again, I would look into the things you want to keep and research where they come from and what they like. Best of luck with your dive into the freshwater world ✌️

I am by no means an expert, don’t have a par meter, and honestly don’t really care. 11 of my 13 tanks run AquaNeat lights from Amazon and grow everything I want them to. My first tank ever uses the stock lame-o white LED’s and a submersible bar and it grows Java Moss better than anything else I’ve tried. My Walstad cube has a Fluval Nano Plant light and crushes. Some of my tanks run C02. Some tanks have multiple filters. 1 tank has absolutely no filter or air stone. Whatever you want is achievable with enough understanding and patience to get it where you want it. My best advice is to research the plant(s) you intend on keeping and understand their needs. Are they water column feeders or root feeders? Are they red plants that will pop more under a more red spectrum light and do they need additional iron? How do you balance a tank? Do you intend to use gravel, aquasoil, dirt? How deep is the water as par is diluted with every inch light passes through the water? Are you wanting maximum growth, or just good growth? Do you even need C02? What causes types of algae and how do you combat it? Etc. Again, I am no expert, but understanding what your plants need and how to give it to them, how to balance your tank, how much (if any C02) you need, what temps plants prefer, what fish you want to stock and do they eat plants, root feeder/column feeder/epiphytes/ etc. is more important than what light you get in my opinion.

As many as your wallet can afford/as many as you want to be a slave to water changes to. I’ve heard @Cory say plenty of times “the difference between 100-120 might be noticeable. 120-150, maybe not so much. 150-200 looks the same. Your wallet gives out before most people get there”.

Dechlorinator for sure

We have wigglers! Super nice to see the spawn that actually mattered happen in real time presented for the the internet. The only difference between this spawn and the previous failed attempts was the air stone under the eggs to fan them. Never had to do that before, but will continue to do that moving forward. You can see some eyes and little tails. The air stone blew some of these guys and gals off the slate so the air stone was moved out of the way. I REALLY wish the forum would let you upload short clips (without YouTube and without gifs). Tried to make a couple gifs for you guys but once the videos were gif’d and saved they were super dark. Pics will have to suffice. Male Bristlenose was looking epic the other night. You can see what I believe is a female in the background. I bought them as juveniles a while back and believe I might have actually had some luck for once and got both a male and a female. ACO order has been placed and in the mail! Pleco cave is on that order as IF I got lucky and this is a m/f pair I want to try to breed them. Also flagged my account as I just passed the 1 year member mark and I want that coin! All is well and I’m excited about continuing to raise the Cory’s, this group of Panda Angels, and the possibility of breeding these Pleco’s once they’re mature. Cheers, Nerms.

Not a ton going on over here. The work is done and now we slowly progress. Cory babies still chillin (mostly by the sponge filter) and they got their first taste of frozen BBS for dinner. Flashed my phone light in the tank and saw some orange bellies so they’re obviously eating it. The nightly baby brine shrimp feast is on! Panda Angel eggs looking immaculate, and a crayfish molt that I couldn’t resist taking a picture of.

It made the cover, too! That’s sick!