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Maggie

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Everything posted by Maggie

  1. Maggie
    I was using regular non-iodized table salt, which worked fine, but picked up a 5 pound box of aquarium salt for about the same price per pound, and also use a pinch of baking soda to raise the pH.
  2. Maggie
    I don't give the packing tape a single thought except to cut it and get to the good stuff inside the box!
  3. Maggie
    Irene (Girl Talks Fish) did a YouTube video on the best way to get rid of unwanted snails and eggs on plants, and that is to use alum (available in the grocery store spice aisle). I'm not sure of the amount (would have to replay the video), but she did a test comparing bleach, alum and, I think, hydrogen peroxide. The alum gave the best results as far as killing snails and eggs while not harming plants.
  4. Maggie
    @GestaltgalI wish I had the skills, artistry and tools to build my own! I had plenty of opportunity to learn (was married to a very skilled woodworker for 13 years), but I just do not have the ability - my skills are in legal analysis and writing, not beauty and artistry.
  5. Maggie
    Today I went to three different stores to find a "non-standard" 10-15 gallon tank and stand for my betta project. One chain store has a huge selection of tanks, but hardly any stands. This store had a stand for an Aqueon 16 bow front, but they didn't have the aquarium! I bet it's a pretty display tank. Darn. Off to the LFS, I saw the Fluval Flex 9 and 16 gallon, but no stand for either one. The guy suggested a regular 10 gallon stand with a piece of plywood, but I don't want to do that. I have to call back this afternoon to see if they are able to get a hold of the Fluval rep for a stand. I looked at the pretty Aqueon 15 column tank and stand, but it's so tall i know I'd have trouble. It would be higher than my 45 gallon tank on its stand! Aqueon also makes a lovely 16 cube, but again, there's no stand for it, and a 10 gallon beautiful rimless, but that is real spendy ($99!) and I'd rather just get the standard tank thats still on sale for $10 than spend 10 times more for rimless of the same shape. The third store (chain) had a dismal selection of tanks and stands, but a real nice selection of natural-looking decor, and they had pretty fishy face masks for sale!! So all in all I am super bummed out that I didn't come home with an aquarium today. I did get a betta log, Indian almond leaves, a sleeping leaf perch, and a set of aquascaping rocks. At least I can stare at my "betta tank supply box" and dream while I figure out what to do...the LFS had some gorgeous bettas, too.
  6. Maggie
    Following this topic has inspired me to set up a betta tank too! I'm planning on a shopping trip for a tank tomorrow! I'd love an alternative to a regular old 10 gallon and am excited to see what they have.
  7. Maggie
    Today I got all my supplies reorganized again, and got my quarantine tank mostly set up for an upcoming trip to the LFS for something...a few somethings!! I think maybe cory cats or honey gourami for the 20L, or pearl gourami for the 45. Also decided I now simply MUST have a betta fish, and soon, so I decided to get another 10 gallon aquarium and looked at a few betta-specific items to get. Watched a few of Irene's betta videos to see about plants to look for. I want a betta with a not-so-grand tail, so if there's a real beauty it could be the female of one of those types that do have a grand tail. I did a water change in the 20L and found out I have 8 fry, not 7 as I thought, in my danio net breeder, and they're looking great!
  8. Maggie
    Snail and danio fry in net breeder, and fry found in tank.
  9. Maggie
    Watching my little fry come out for ground-up freeze-dried brine shrimp. 💗
  10. Maggie
    @SocquaI have never done it! I saw his first video showing basically the same process and wondered how anyone with a deep tank would do it. When I saw the notification for the new video, I thought maybe he'd show how its done on one. However I also have a HOB filter and a light fish load (25 small fish in a 45 gallon) and am not overly concerned about it right now, but eventually will have to deal with it. I regret this 45 gallon purchase, and wish I'd gone with a 40 breeder or a 55 gallon, as 24" is just too deep.
  11. Maggie
    Hi Annie, I also have a 20 long and noticed that gravel vacuuming is different in there versus a deeper aquarium. My suggestion is to use a teeny little siphon - mine is about 6" long x 3/4" tube diameter and a long hose that curls a bit around the bottom of the bucket, with an inside diameter of about 1/2". I also have a longer-tubed siphon (about 8 or 10") but with otherwise the same dimensions and that doesn't work nearly as well in the 20 long, but it works superbly in my 45 gallon tank which is a lot deeper. When you start the siphon, let the tube empty about half way, but keep the opening real close to the water line so you can quickly submerge it to keep the siphon going. It might take a few tries but you'll get the hang of it! Hope you don't give up.
  12. Maggie
    I just watched @Cory 's video on cleaning sponge filters. One of my aquariums is 24" deep and I can barely reach the sponge with one hand while standing on a stepstool and balancing against the wall - no way can I reach down there with both. Does anyone have any tips or tricks to this process in a deep tank? Otherwise I go with the route of making a mess every time.
  13. Maggie
    Frank, I hear ya on the elusive otocats! I'm happy any time I can watch my lovely rasboras go about their day, and if an otocat makes an appearance, it makes me smile to see the razzies' reactions. Also, watching my teeny baby danios grow. I have brand new baby yellow shrimp in there somewhere, and hoping to see a bunch in the coming weeks.
  14. Maggie
    I have used that product. My fish loved it, but it goes bad pretty quickly (kept in fridge, lasts about a week). After I threw out more than half (because of not enough fish to feed at the time), I was leery of purchasing it again, so when I got the next batch of fish, I got a BBS hatcher instead. There are simpler setups than the Ziss if you don't have enough fish or space to make it work. But, if you can use up the instant within a week, at least it probably won't go bad. Personally, after learning more about BBS, I'd feed frozen or freeze dried brine shrimp in lieu of the instant, but fresh-hatched is the best.
  15. Maggie
    If you leave the tank set up, maybe turn up the heat to 82 for a week or so to speed up the ich cycle and ensure no stubborn "unhatched" cysts remain.
  16. Maggie
    Update day 13. Today I counted seven growing fry. They're really hard to photograph or film because they're not hanging out right at the surface or on the bottom like before. So I have trouble getting them in focus. But SEVEN - I can't believe it! They are still so tiny! I've found fry in the tank here and there and put them in the breeder.
  17. Maggie
    I have the same problem with my dwarf danios! I have 6M, 3F. I'm currently trying to raise some fry and have 7 survivors so far - really hoping at least 5 of them are girls, or I am going to ask the LFS to take some males off my hands.
  18. Maggie
    One of the many problems with that formula is the bulk of the fish isn't measured, only the length. So one inch of my tiny dwarf danios is less fish than one inch of my harlequin rasboras. Both of these fish are small, yet the rasboras are probably 3 times the weight of the danios per inch, if not more. Now look at the weight of one inch of a discus or angelfish in comparison and you see where it kind of all falls apart.
  19. Maggie
    Floating or any column feeding plants! I have 19 rasboras and 6 otocats in a planted 45, I do 10% water change twice a week and never have more than 5ppm nitrate, even skipping a water change for over a week sometimes. Some people put things like sweet potatoes or bamboo in their HOB filter and let it grow out the top. I have salvinia minima and at every water change I have to scoop some out because it grows so fast. They're amazing!
  20. Maggie
    To my harlequin rasboras and dwarf emerald danios, every day is full moon day!
  21. Maggie
    A bankruptcy attorney once told me this. Most small businesses don't fail because because of lack of passion or expertise of the owner in providing the service or product. Most fail because of lack of passion or expertise in the "business-side" of the business. There are so many things you have to know about that may have nothing at all to do with your fishkeeping expertise - how to manage, train, and deal with employees (difficult employees can sometimes ruin a business), learn all kinds of local, state and federal laws, insurance requirements, how to budget and plan, building/zoning, etc. Good luck!
  22. Maggie
    Take a look at this brand new molt! Its previous owner went off to hide for a while, I guess.
  23. Maggie
    Update - day 10. Only saw two of what appear to be the original fry found. But I've found additional fry in the tank and was able to move a few into the breeder, as I saw the adults doing some serious fry-hunting the other day. None of them are big enough for BBS yet, and I have no culture of anything so have been making do with First Bites and spirulina powder. I got film of the oldest fry eating - some pieces are too bit but he bites off chunks. I also filmed what appeared to be a hydra attacking one, poor thing!!
  24. Maggie
    Driftwood in the danio tank. The bigger, curved piece was soaked repeatedly but still wouldn't stay down, so I put the rock there. Some day I want to glue some plants to it. The smaller piece was supposed to be placed differently too, but now the danios use the little cave area as a hiding spot and pass-through. I have some fake plants in here for hiding spots until the real ones grow out more. I really should move the Java fern but don't want to kill it.
  25. Maggie
    Poor Mama! I hope she's okay now - it looked like she wanted to rip that plant apart! It's so cute to see fish guarding eggs/fry.
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