[Bolivian or German Blue Ram?]

Which ram is your favorite? German Blue or Bolivian?

Personally, I'm voting for Bolivian.

[Ropefish (Room) and discussion]

On 9/20/2021 at 7:08 AM, Odd Duck said:

Tank looks great!  And the rope fish look so happy exploring and noodling around!  Great job!

I knew it would be a challenge to change up plans for a sand waterfall, but I just wanted to throw the idea out there as a way to keep something on the platform.  Cool that you already have one planned for another tank.

Sometimes Anubias rhizomes will just randomly rot, especially after shipping. It’s happened to some of mine before.  Usually there’s seems to be something wrong with the rhizome and the stress of shipping/water condition change just tips it over the edge and it rots.  Usually it’s only part of a group if it happens, but I’ve also had it happen to an entire group of Anubias once.  All of one species rotted but other species in that shipment were all fine even though they all went into the same tank.

Are your Anubias rhizomes under the substrate? If so, that is why.

Fror-Affix from Seachem is a good way to ensure plants stay attached to things if that's what you're looking for.

Hope this helps!

[Get to know everyone - 10 MORE questions]

1.  What is the largest tank you've ever cared for? 54 Gallon Bowfront (current)
2.  What is the most amount of tanks you've kept? Why? 1 community tank, because it's the easiest to manage.
3.  What is the next plant you wish to have in your tank? Madagascar Lace
4.  What is the biggest challenge you face with maintenance? Keeping the gravel bits in my sand off to the side.
5.  How often do you test your tank? Not very often, heavily planted with stable pH.
6.  Do you have aquarium salt on hand and what was the last time you used it? Yes, but I haven't used it since I had a baby clown loach in a 20 😞 R.I.P.
7.  Have you ever kept a tank with a planted substrate, what did you like or dislike? No, but it looks cool!
8.  What is your favorite thingamajig that you have for your tank? (something you use) Pre-filter sponges with the ends cut off for my spray bar.
9.  What is your favorite color and do you have any fish in that color? In fish, it's yellow, and no.
10.  Choose 2:  Seiryu stone, Ohko stone, Red Lava Rock, Mopani wood, Manzanita wood. Red Lava Rock and Manzanita.

[Anyone kept ropefish?]

Let me know if you've kept ropefish before!

Also let me know how much they were!

[Stocking for 5 Gallon]

A betta is also great.

Also consider a pair of shell-dweller cichlids if you have hard water.

On 2/12/2023 at 2:23 PM, SaveTheRainbowfish said:

A betta is also great.

Also consider a pair of shell-dweller cichlids if you have hard water.

(Shell dwellers need lots of shells, though, and weaker plants may be uprooted.)

[Super Bowl time!]

It'll be close, but I think Philly will win after what they did to the Niners.

[Do You Have A LFS?]

Yes, I have one, family owned since the 1930's.

I have 3, A general pet store with a huge fish selection (where I get rare fish 😏), a small betta and monster fish shop with hundreds of awesome bettas, and a small reef and basic freshwater species store.

They are all at least a 20 minute drive from my house, which is kind of a pain with gas prices and all, but worth it.

Also, I feel bad for anyone in the Midwest. The local supply is limited there, because it's farther from the ocean.

[Super Bowl time!]

My pick is on the Eagles. Sorry, Cowboys Fans!

[Stocking for 5 Gallon]

If you are looking for something interesting with personality, I'd go with a single pea puffer. They love bloodworms, and they develop a relationship with the owner. They can be found at around $5-$7 a piece.

Hope this helps!

[How the heck do I feed my SAE?]

When I had them, they ate whatever I fed the rest of the fish, which was Fluval color flakes. I've seen them eat every thing from prepared foods to duckweed, so maybe yours has an issue or disease.

Hope this helps!

[Breeding angels in a 75]

I like the idea of the pseudomugil gertrudae, because they have a great personality. Also, if you have some moss, they may lay eggs. The other two options are great ideas though! 🙂

Hope this helps.

[Should Chinese Algae eaters even be sold?]

I didn't mean to be a critic. I just wanted to hear some opinions.😀

[Is it safe to feed redworms for fishing?]

Thanks for all the tips!

[Cute derpy impulse buy]

On 1/11/2023 at 5:06 AM, Guppysnail said:

These are one of my someday dream fish. Timing and circumstance just never seem to line up for me to get them. I do hope you start a journal for them. I would be grateful for the opportunity to live vicariously through you 🤗 and learn more about them and their social interactions. 
CONGRATULATIONS 🎉 on your gorgeous new friends. 

That's strange. My LFS has them sometimes. Hope you can keep them someday. I tried Furcatas😀

[Is it safe to feed redworms for fishing?]

I plan on getting ropefish and I want to feed them redworms, but I want them to be from a safe and readily available source.

Are redworms sold as tackle safe for fish?

Let me know if you feed tackle worms to fish and how they do with them.

Thanks!

[Should Chinese Algae eaters even be sold?]

It's really interesting to see everyone's opinions!

Thank you all for giving some input!😀

[Should Chinese Algae eaters even be sold?]

The Chinese algae eater is a decent algae eater when young but very aggressive and competitive for food as an adult. Should they even still be in the trade? Let me know your opinions!

[I Need Advice on Ropefish.]

On 2/7/2023 at 2:41 PM, Expectorating_Aubergine said:

How rough are the lava bits? They somwtimes like to burrow, but not always. Honestly I have found them to be very easy keepers. Be sure not to have any openings they can fit through. They are jumpers and can crawl a considerable distance on dry land. They will hunt on land sometimes if they have the chance. Care is basically the same as a bichir. They are very social, and like to hide together. I hear tell of albinos, but have yet to see one in person. Give them something to hide in.

Thank you for responding. The bits of lava rock are pretty small, around 3-4mm if they had a diameter. I have a sturdy lid with no gaps larger than a centimeter. I also am concerned about one eating the bits by accident, though I will probably feed them with tweezers. I plan on getting two for a 54 gallon corner tank with angels, bleeding heart-type tetras, Siamese Algae Eaters, and possible smaller rainbow fish. What do you feed them? Thank you again for your help.

[What is the best cichlid?]

What is your favorite cichlid?

Mine is either the bolivian ram or the good old angelfish.

[Ropefish (Room) and discussion]

Do ropefish eat small pieces of gravel in the sand?

I have sand with lava rock bits scattered around in it.

Will they eat that by accident? and if they do will they get impacted? (pieces are 3-5mm in diameter.)

Thank You!

[I Need Advice on Ropefish.]

Thanks!

[The Great Tetra Debate]

This might be off-topic, but I'd say Congo tetras, ember tetras, and even Glowlight Danios.

Cardinals cost a bit too much for a tetra.

Neons are too mass produced causing them to be weaker.

[This is the cutest fish! If you disagree, what do you think is the cutest fish?]

Totally agree, love that strange catfish.

But I would say it's the pea puffer.

[black ram]

I have been lucky enough to see black rams (not midnight rams) in person and had two older juviniles gifted to me by a fellow breeder. Those look like black rams, but they don't have the greatest visual genetic makeup.

Hope this helps.

[I Need Advice on Ropefish.]

Thank you for responding. The bits of lava rock are pretty small, around 3-4mm if they had a diameter. I have a sturdy lid with no gaps larger than a centimeter. I also am concerned about one eating the bits by accident, though I will probably feed them with tweezers. I plan on getting two for a 54 gallon corner tank with angels, bleeding heart-type tetras, Siamese Algae Eaters, and possible smaller rainbow fish. What do you feed them? Thank you again for your help.