HelplessNewbie

@Pepere do you have input on this?

If I caught the correct pair, yes, they were hanging out like that in the qt.

Here is one of them together: I will try for better ones tomorrow. Since I just put them in this tank, I will give them overnight to hopefully calm down. If they are stressed, they won't care if they are side by side, correct?

Thanks, @knee. I will upload more photos later.

Oh. man! Both boys? I thought I caught the right ones to place in a holding tank for observation and sexing, but they all scattered in a panic, so I lost track of the partner. Which of the two looks in best health? I will return the other, and hopefully find its mate...

I hope these aren't two males.Will someone help me sex them?

Mods, please move this to Experiments.

Before adding a water pump/powerhead to the 3rd of my under gravel filter (UGF) uplift pipes, I noticed that surface water was being sucked into it. I am guessing the two other uplifts with airstones were already creating enough suction. I was wondering if it make sense to leave the third uplift empty, and use it like a surface skimmer if I put a ring around it to prevent small inhabitants from getting sucked in? Will I be undermining the mechanism that makes a UGF work?

Those are some gorgeous Bolivian rams! Great photos.

Still waiting for Bolivian rams to complete qt!

I would also like to know. Chances are I may encounter the same thing. I hope someone can answer your question. I hope he is fine.

We just started my 65g (see signature). This is our first large tank, with a UGF covering 2/3 of the bottom, and 3 uplifts using a mini powerhead on one and airstones in the other 2. I am still in midst of stocking but I am liking it so far. The water is rather clear, compared to my small tanks that only have hob and sponges. I only expect to run an occasional polisher maybe once a month. Good luck!

Thank you, I am looking forward to the video!

Thank you!

Does anyone have video of Bolivian ram courtship behavior? One of the ones pictured above seems to rock its head from side to side, almost like a twitch or a tick, whenever the other one moves. I am hoping it is not shimmying. Bear in mind, all 9 are still hiding or frozen-perched on the bottom. Though I know at least some are eating because the food disappears, and I did observe 3 eating after I waited 20 minutes sitting still beside the tub. I added yesterday 10 kubotai rasbora and today, floated a bunch of hornwort. I imagine it will be a week for the rasbora to become comfortable themselves, and then I am hoping the rams will feel safer.

We use the Vivosun 800gph to refill my 65g. Too strong a suction to take out the dirty water (so much that it blew the hose off the outlet), and no easy way to cover the intake to prevent sucking in little fish (we tried with a nylon pot scrubber tied on with elastic bands, but I worried a lot about slipping). So, we only use it to fill the tank from kitchen faucet with a 20 ft hose. Fills really quickly. For emptying the 65gin a hurry, we use Marineland Maxi-Jet 400, Multi-Use Water Pump And Power Head, Fully Convertible, 110/500 GPH. That one, we feel more confident about covering the intake, because one can easily stuff a prefilter in the intake cover. We can use it for refilling, but the Vivosun was rated faster. If not in a rush emptying, we just start a siphon with a manual ball primer pump. For my smaller tanks, we just use the ACO powerhead (because I already had it) for draining the dirty water or refilling the tank. It is not rated to push the water as far as my water source 15 feet away, so we have to ensure the hose is completely empty of water before attempting to use it. Otherwise, nothing happens. But, it does the job!

Sorry for the bad photos, but these two hang out in or near this jar. I am hoping this might be my first pair. I would hate having to catch them , so I can sex them. They and their other Bolivian are stressed enough as it is. Next time, I will use regular tanks, instead of tubs for quarantine. As @Irene mentioned in one of her entertaining and informative videos, plastic tubs do not provide much in terms of visibility from the sides.

The vallisneria spiralis melted back, which I sort of expected. I popped in some hornwort to help stabilize the tank, while the other plants are still growing in. I also added Ludwigia Cuba in the center rear. Added 6 more amano shrimp to the 2 already there Added 10 new kubotai rasbora to join the 9 Bolivian rams in quarantine. The other 6 are in another tub. So far, so good with this AquaHuna order. Hope I am not jinxing anything.

I recall @Colu suggesting salt and jungle fungus clear fizz tabs when my fish had some weird fuzzies on them. Check out my signature for a link to common treatments, most of which Colu contributed.

Thank you! So far, no one seems injured, though the pygmy cory rarely come out now.

I second this. I have a love-hate with it. I struggled a lot with anchoring it until I just gave up and let it float. I use it often in my quarantine tubs.

Oh, I didn't know we needed to wait a week or so for curing. My hubby filled our resealed 65g tank with water (for leak testing) after only 2 or 3 days. Am I going to be in trouble? No leaks, as far as we know.

I only have automation (Hubitat) for my lights and for mitigating leaks, like turning off my filters AND whole house water valve (I haven't yet stepped away while filling my tank, but you never know). I think it is cool your setup will be checking for the tech not running or temps going wrong. I would love to hear more about your progress on this. I do have multisensor outside the tank, to at least warn if the room temps are outside of acceptable ranges for the tanks. I also use the motion detection in the sane multiaensor, so that lights are only momentarily switched on during the scheduled downtimes, and only if room ambient light is too low to see into the tank. ***of course, I forgot I already found this thread before... showing my cognitive issues again***

Cool! I have the white medaka ricefish. I find them to be very peaceful and hardy. I might try raising the same kind you have. The blue coloration is really neat.

I have had 6 adult platinum white medaka ricefish in my community 20g long (see my signature) for 3 months, starting in December. One of them has begun chasing the other fish, including fellow ricefish. There are ~14 endlers (mostly juvenile and fry), 10 pygmy cory and 2 amano shrimp. There never was behavior like this. I wonder if this might be mating behavior, since it is now Spring?