AllFishNoBrakes
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Posts posted by AllFishNoBrakes
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In the most recent ACO video of Cory in the fish room he was talking about the specimen container and how they opted for “ultra clear plastic” for both excellent visibility and to make it indestructible. However, like with anything else, scratches and things like that can eventually take over if not cared for properly to not allow it to happen.
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I have 1 dirted tank that’s about a year old. Here’s what I did.
I used organic miracle grow, and filtered out all the large particles, sticks, etc using a mesh screen over a bucket. Once I had enough to cover the bottom of the tank, I laid the dirt down, maybe a 1/2” thick at most. Then, 2” of gravel of that. I then filled and emptied the tank probably 5 times. Any particles that floated out got netted out, then I drained the water, filled back up, netted out particles, drained, filled, etc.
Once I was happy with the amount of particles that were gone I put the tank in its home, filled again, planted, and I was off and running.
Like @Zenzo said, planting can kick up more debris. I basically have a Pearl Weed jungle that covers 3/4 of the tank as it has grown in and put out runners over the year. I opted for fast growing plants and gave it time to grow out vs. try to plant new plants and kicking up more dirt/particles. Hope this helps!
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Fish-in cycles are totally possible. Takes a lot of testing and water changing, but it’s totally possible. I did it with my first tank, not really knowing what I was doing, and didn’t lose a single fish.
Considering you have the Fritz zyme 7 you should be fine. I would personally put that in your tank now, as stated by others above, to get the bacteria going. Test everyday, and change water as necessary. Prime can also be your friend to bind up any ammonia for 24 hours.
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Second day free swimming and first time eating baby brine shrimp. So many little orange bellies
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My ADF eats frozen bloodworms and whatever else it snatches up. He’s in a tank with Pygmy Cory’s and a ton of Ramshorn snails. I think he’s the reason the shrimp in the tank no longer exist, but it’s all good as they were culls. He leaves the Cory’s alone
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Got her moved over to a 10 gallon quarantine/hospital tank with 2 tablespoons of aquarium salt and 3 Cattapa Leaves. Injury/cyst looked maybe even a little better than yesterday, which makes me hopeful this tiny amount of salt and benefits of the CL will help clear this up. We’ll see how it goes!
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@Patrick_G Nice! My best advice would be to start with a group that you obviously like, but go above the “assorted” group. I get at least double, if not more, for my Panda’s than I do my “assorted Marbled”.
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On 12/17/2022 at 3:45 PM, Patrick_G said:
Here’s the 75, you can see why it might hard to find the eggs! 😄
For sure! You’d notice the missing Angels and then once you found them you’d find the eggs!
Angels have been super fun for me and they’re super easy to move. Dean has said, “you can pay for your whole fish room with a couple/few pairs of Angels” and I tend to agree. They don’t take a ton of work, grow quickly, and sell quickly. Win win win.
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On 12/17/2022 at 2:08 PM, Patrick_G said:
Now I’m thinking that I might like to try breeding some Angels. I have a 75 gallon, but it’s almost completely overgrown, I’d probably never find the eggs in the jungle.
I do have an empty 20 gallon tall. Would using that as a breeder be an option?Right now I have 2 pairs. The Marbled pair is in a 55 gallon community tank. They like to spawn on the Amazon Sword leaves, but I let them pick a side of the tank, and then try to tempt them with the slate. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Best case scenario they use the slate and I just pull that out. Worst case they use the Amazon Sword and the plant loses a single leaf.
My Panda pair is in 1/3 of a 55 gallon tank that I separated using dense aquarium foam. The only option I give them is a slate and they used it first time no problem.
Me personally, I would get a group of Angels for the 75, raise them up, let them pair off naturally, and then you could move the breeding pair if you’d like. The breeding behavior is cool to see in a community as the parents heavily guard their territory, their eggs, and then their fry. If you’ve never seen it it’s pretty dope! I’ve seen it probably 10 times at this point and it’s always fun, although a tad aggressive.
Also, if I can’t see the eggs right away I always know they’re there as the male chases off any fish that comes even remotely close, and the female stays with the spawn and continuously fans the eggs with her pectoral fins. Once you know what it is that they’re doing it’s easy to find the eggs, even when my 55 was completely overgrown with swords
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On 12/17/2022 at 1:48 PM, Gannon said:
so the DIY stuff only lasts 4-6 weeks and tanks would be longer?
Each batch of c02 I make (200 grams citric acid, 200 grams baking soda, 300 ml water) lasts 4-6 weeks. Probably closer to 6 at 1 bubble per second.
5 lb tanks last longer (as they’re much bigger) cost me $12-15 to exchange, but it’s more cost up front. I had to buy the tank itself (~$100-120), then I had to buy the regulator, and the diffusers, and the c02 line, etc. Much more additional cost up front for sure. The other really annoying part to me was I bought a shiny new 5 lb tank, but my local welding supply doesn’t fill on site. I could either A) wait 7-10 days for them to send it to be filled and then come back or B) exchange on the spot for a tank that was already filled and sitting there. I chose to exchange and handed them my shiny brand new tank as I didn’t want to wait 7-10 days every time I needed a fill.
If I was you, I’d get the Amazon kit (2 liter kit is $80 and lasts me 4-6 weeks per batch made) that has everything you need minus the citric acid and baking soda and try it out. If you love it, you could do a bigger system (5 lb tank) for your 125. Makes the most sense to me at least.
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On 12/17/2022 at 12:27 PM, Gannon said:
I'm guessing it would be easier to get a pressurized tank.
The baking soda and citric acid mix metal canisters are a good intermediate place to start. It’s not the yeast and sugar method with empty soda bottles and no solenoid (so it’s always on), and it’s not a full 5 lb tank. I started with a system off Amazon for ~$120 if I remember correctly, and then had to buy the citric acid and baking soda.
I run this exact system on my 20 high:I shared the link to the bigger 4 liter system, but I run the 2 liter system. A fresh batch of c02 lasts me 4-6 weeks at 1 bubble per second and the system on 10 hours per day. With this kit you’ll just need to buy the citric acid and baking soda and you’re off and running.
This ad will also have tons of other options to look at. When looking/comparing make sure whatever you get comes with the solenoid and power cord!
On 12/17/2022 at 12:27 PM, Gannon said:And is there a more immediate way to check co2 levels so i don't put too much in and suffocate my tank or get the ph swinging too low?
A digital pH meter or simply testing pH with liquid or strip tests will tell you. I basically saw no pH swing in either 29 gallon tank at 1 bubble per second with a drop checker.
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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
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@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.
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@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!
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@Colu Greatly appreciate your response! Didn’t mean to blow you up while you weren’t feeling well and hope you’re doing better!!
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@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.
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@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.
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@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
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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!
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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!
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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
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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!
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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
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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?
Does a Quarantine Tank Need to Be Cycled?
in General Discussion
Posted
I think it’s definitely in your best interest to cycle your quarantine tank and then keep it cycled. I have (3) 10 gallon quarantine/hospital/grow out tanks and keep them cycled at all times.
I’m not sure how a filter intake sponge would replace a filter? I run small sponge filters in all 3 of the tanks mentioned above