MaxM
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Everything posted by MaxM
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Hi All, I was recently wondering what causes people to be in the hobby. I personally fell into the hobby (long story). Once in, however, I've noticed that I find the hobby extremely relaxing and sometimes I just sit in front of my fish and just watch them for quite some time. I'm not sure what it is that causes such a calming affect, but I can say that this is the first hobby I've ever REALLY been into. How about you?
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- aquarium hobby
- origin stories
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I started off with buying a small plastic container (about 2 gallons) when my 8 year old son came home with 6 mosquitofish that his friend "generously" gave him for free. 😞 From there, I moved on to buying a bigger 10 gallon container and adding some fish that had color. As time went on my son convinced me to upgrade to a 15 gallon plastic tote and the fish remained there until about a month ago when I finally was able to get a 25 gallon tank that someone was going to throw out. So I still have the other plastic containers, but I am using them for Fry. BTW - be careful when buying a plastic totes. I did not consider when I bought my largest tote that the larger amount of water would cause it to bulge. I was always worried that the plastic would eventually give and I'd lose all the fish. If you get a large container make sure the thickness of the plastic is thick enough to sustain the heavy weight of water.
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1) Where do you draw the line between what is a big tank and what is small? 2) Where I live aquariums are very expensive. A 55 gallon tank will run me around $300. That is why I need to be careful not to overstock. I don't have easy options and was fortunate enough to get a 25 gallon tank for free.
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@Terry Ellacott Side issue - I've gone through two internal filters now and have the same problem with both. The suctions tend to break loose often and I find myself constantly having to reposition them. Any advice?
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@Terry Ellacott Got it. Thanks for all the advice. I'll have to put everybody's input to thought and figure out what my best option is. Thank you.
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Wow! That's the first time I've ever heard someone say that! That's a real interesting approach. Never thought of that, but I can hear the logic behind it. Did you learn that from someone or came up with that on your own?
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@Terry Ellacott - WOW! Thanks for taking the time to share your pics with me! I have two questions for you. 1) What are you referring to when you say "Spray Bar"? 2) I see you've tried several methods. Have you tried using a stocking? Also, which method works best for you?
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Actually, I was thinking of putting pantyhose over the intake, but was worried that the fine knit of it might hamper the intake flow and cause it to malfunction. The output flow possibly being too strong is a good point. I will need to check into that. I know if was fine when I had fish in there, but these are fry. It might be to overwhelming a flow for them. Thank you for your input. 🙂
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It's a very old model and I don't feel that it filters very well.
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I have a breeder tank which I have in it both fry danios and fry corydoras. The danios are a couple of months old and are about half an inch ( 1.5 cm). The corys are only a couple of weeks old and are a little smaller; probably a little bigger than 1/4 in (5mm). Right now I have a sponge filter that is of low quality in my opinion and getting a good quality one where I live is like finding gold in California. I have an internal filter that I used when I was using that tank as my main tank. My question is does anyone know how big my fry need to be in order not to worry about them getting sucked into the internal filter?
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Can we see? 🤣
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Kudos to "A Gamer's Wife". You going to put out a video as well, perhaps?
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Your comment reminded me of a point we often don't take into consideration. Yes, water quality is of extreme importance. However, has anyone researched whether fish get stressed from overcrowding? I always find it amazing when I go to fish stores and sometimes see tanks so filled with a certain stock that I wonder if the fish are being stressed out because of it. Imagine, hypothetically, placing 100 goldfish in a 30 gal tank that has constant auto water changes where the water parameters remain perfect. As far as water quality is concerned it wouldn't be considered overstocking. However, space wise that would seem way overstocked! I can always increase my water maintenance (assuming I'm not lazy). However, how do I determine if my fish feel crowded?
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Your last point is significant. That is a good way of making sure not to overstock by adding slowly and seeing how it affects the water parameters. Thanks. 🙂
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- stocking advice
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If I would do that I would have one lone Angelfish trying to figure out where everybody went. 🙂 I understand what you mean though. Interesting food for thought. Thanks.
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I am no expert and you should definitely wait to hear what the experts here say, but it seems to me from a little research I did that it may be a case of Angelfish Hexamita. Take a look at this webpage for details: Angelfish Diseases, Parasites & Remedies SMARTAQUARIUMGUIDE.COM An important part of knowing how to care for your angelfish is being aware of the signs and symptoms of the various angelfish diseases that can affect... Check this site out also and make sure to scroll down at one point to the bottom of the page. I hope this helps. https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/help-angelfish-gill-deteriorating.352809/
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Questions: 1) Are Discus a schooling fish? If so, why do you suggest 4 and not 6? If not, what do you base your recommendation on? 2) From my research I see that there is a strong disagreement on tank size, ranging from 55, 75, all the way to 120 gal min. One person gave a ratio of 1 discus per 20 gal. What has your experience taught you? Based on your 4 fish minimum, what min tank size do you recommend? 3) 50% water change twice a week on a large tank sounds like an awful lot of work! Did you do this as a need or rather as a desire to keep it at premium condition? Didn't that much work wear you down? Did you ever ask yourself if it worth that much work?
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This is probably a difficult question to answer. I've been into the hobby for about half a year now and I've watch A LOT of videos on the hobby to familiarize myself with the basics. One issue I still find hard is figuring out what is the breaking point between a nice stocked tank and an overstocked tank. As we all know, there is constant craving for MORE. We all have to deal with the thoughts of, "What else can I add to my aquarium?", "What's missing?" Obviously, better to understock than to overstock. However, there are situations that warrant considerations. For instance, I have three swordtails ( 1 male and 2 females). Now I know you're all thinking the same thing... 1 to 3 or 4 ratio! I realize that too, but have been hesitant to add another because of my concern of overstocking. I could give specifics on my tank size and what I have stocked, but that deflects the purpose of this topic. I want this topic to be helpful guidelines for anybody new to the hobby. I'm interested in hearing what YOU use as a rule of thumb of how much to add to your aquarium.
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Not to get far off the topic, but I have two questions to add here. First of all, let me preface that in my opinion the Discus is probably the most beautiful freshwater fish available for the home aquarium. I hope to someday own some. Questions: 1) What's the minimum amount of Discus that one should buy? 2) How difficult are they to care for? Are there any considerations that one should be aware of before buying them?
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Good point! Any recommendations?
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I posed your question to Candi a while back because I have several fry. She stated that even the coarse ones should be safe.
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This statement surprised me being that everyone warns about not washing the filter in tap water and not to clean the filter and vacuum the substrate on the same day. Question: On average, how long does it take for a tank to be considered well established?
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I have to agree with your first statement. In order to keep the fine sponge filter I have at the bottom of the tank I needed to pour gravel on it. Also, I have read on Amazon reviews people commenting that they did not like that the fine sponge filter they bottom wouldn't sink to the bottom easily. I think we can safely say that for most people Cory is right. We are better off using a coarse sponge due to the maintenance issues then focusing on the slight bacterial advantage of a fine sponge.
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Interesting that you say that. I also thought that way, but Jason from Prime Time Aquatics claims the opposite. He claims that the Fine sponge holds more bacteria for biological filtering. Listen to him at around the 2:50 min in this video. I'm confused now. 😞
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I was also wondering that. Sort of getting the best of both worlds.
