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Brandy

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Everything posted by Brandy

  1. Brandy
    Why don't you start by giving us the long version. Give us a pic of the fish, of the set up, list of possible symptoms, your test results (exact parameters for temp, pH, ammonia, nitrite, GH/KH, etc) Some people just post a pic of the test strip or whatever. Most of the time, if we don't slow down, we run the risk of making things worse, because fish symptoms can look alike and they can't talk. It takes a little detective work and often what seems like an emergency is not as big of a deal as it might seem.
  2. Brandy
    Clearly I answered the old question, sorry. 76 is not that extreme. Your fish should recover from the temperature shift, but the rapid shift in temp coupled with dramatic swings in pH might be too much. I am sorry you have been having a hard time, but I think the first thing with fish is to slow down a little. What you think is killing them and what is actually killing them may not be the same thing. It is a learning process. If you decide to continue we will be happy to help you get set up in a more stable way.
  3. Brandy
    Can't help with the tech support, but I can help with the fish emergency. Step one, check every item in the tank for possible KH source--be especially suspicious of rocks, coral or shells, hardscape/decor that is not wood, plastic, or live plants, etc. Remove suspicious items. You can test them using an acid solution. Step two, use distilled water, unless your tap water is already very soft/low pH. Replace 50%/day until you get a gradual reduction in pH. Once the pH starts to move, shift to 25% every other day--These numbers are completely arbitrary. You want to aim for a slow shift not a sudden shock. Hopefully it will take about a week. If you want to test before the first exchange, take half a cup of tank water, half a cup of distilled, mix together and test that. You want to get to 8, then 7.8, then 7.6, etc.
  4. Brandy
    Guys, I now need to buy a few sponge filters...to get my free Murphy ornaments! I think a little glitter might be just the thing...
  5. Brandy
    I think I have seen this dark version at the store, but you should email them. Contact Us | Aquarium Co-Op | Freshwater Aquarium Store WWW.AQUARIUMCOOP.COM Aquarium Co-Op has a retail fish store in Washington and an online store for live plants & aquarium supplies. Find out the best way to contact us for help.
  6. Brandy
    hmm. I wonder... if you put it in a white container what color is it? I think mine has done this, when the free floating algae is dying. A water change usually solved the issue. I always assumed it was dead algae particles just refracting the light and background color. In a cup the water looked clear.
  7. Brandy
    I would also increase light to go with your higher nitrate levels. I have had good luck spot treating with flourish excel, but have found that my fish do NOT like it. My method has been to do out of water treatments by draining the tank to the required level, and treating the plant (paint directly on or squirt with syringe), then refilling and doing a second rapid water change. The algae will fizz but look otherwise fine. In a few days you will find it is gone, and the plant remains. This will take persistence across weeks to get in front of, and simply trimming the affected leaves off fast growing plants is much better. But it has saved a bucephelandra and some christmas moss in my tank.
  8. Brandy
    I think it is on some white PVC in my tank. Working fine so far.
  9. Brandy
    This could almost work in my apartment...I may just need to figure this out.
  10. Brandy
    I have the adapter. I also have a "fancy, modern" completely impractical apartment with "stylish" fixtures.
  11. Brandy
    Try MD fish tanks on youtube. He does step by step builds. I ignore almost all the product recommendations, as he is in the UK, but his eye for placement is incredible, and you can learn a lot by watching it come together. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3uQXzXSPspf2LoGdtYGiHw For me, I wish for a better water change system--I've tried the python and hated it so far. Need to at least get the j hook. It only fits on my small bathroom sink faucet, so that is complicating matters. For now buckets and bailing seem simpler.
  12. Brandy
    I have dedicated fish towels. They are red. The white towels are for people. I keep one hooked by my water change bucket at all times, but it doesn't keep me from abandoning it somewhere and running thru the apartment looking for a new or additional one.
  13. Brandy
    Heh. I will try this with Lake Union. Speaking of "fairly polluted"... How long in the jar/bucket before you have daphnia generally? In other words how long do I keep a bucket of muck in my living room to test this theory? 🙄
  14. Brandy
    If I ever win the lottery and retire, this and traveling are my game plan...I will putter along to my hearts content, I cannot envision being bored. I am too curious.😁
  15. Brandy
    I do. And they ain't cheap. Once again Daniel's home lab impresses the hell out of me. you can, and I have one for 25ml--I use it to feed brine shrimp. Mine is considerably lower tech and cheaper. Here is the pump part: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00191HNKY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 And you will also need tips, I steal them from work, but they can also be found on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/EarthOx-Serological-Pipettes-Standard-Individually/dp/B073PJ5LG4/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/146-3418987-6958502?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B073PJ5LG4&pd_rd_r=9b1e390c-072e-4e70-bf97-5e9af3453f5d&pd_rd_w=ssFAP&pd_rd_wg=1oGU9&pf_rd_p=f325d01c-4658-4593-be83-3e12ca663f0e&pf_rd_r=98GXYH444Y87G4T9RDAQ&psc=1&refRID=98GXYH444Y87G4T9RDAQ Those come in 1, 2, 5, 10, and 25ml. There are also large barrel syringes, available at feed stores sometimes, that would be a reasonable substitute.
  16. Brandy
    try craigslist. I found some there--not sure if they are still selling though.
  17. Brandy
    Shhh....it ain't over until it's over. Don't tempt fate like that! If I have learned anything this year it is that you should never say "it could be worse..." because then the universe is like "Bro, here, hold my beer..."
  18. Brandy
    My 17 year old can differentiate all 6 khuli loaches, the 3 otos, and about half of the rummy nose tetras.
  19. Brandy
    I found all of this because I was gifted a mature tank and was trying to figure out the issues with water parameters of Seattle water...first google offering was a video from Cory, discussing water, pH, and substrate in the Seattle area.
  20. Brandy
    If by cherries you mean shrimp, yes. If you mean barbs, then no. They are little, but beautiful. My spotted blue eyes spawned often, but no fry because I never worked hard enough to get rid of the snails.
  21. Brandy
    I have had mixed results with the liquid carbon. It worked beautifully at first dosed into the whole tank, but the second I stopped dosing it came back with a vengeance. My fish behave badly when I increase the dose, so last night I tried directly treating areas out of the water. I will keep you posted.
  22. Brandy
  23. Brandy
    maybe a couple of different colored balloon mollies? Preferably all male or female. alternatively a couple of male guppies/endlers. The danio and the rams want different temperatures, and the rams hang in the bottom of my tank mostly, but they do have big personalities, and are beautiful.
  24. Brandy
    My otos will school with rummy nose, for a minute. It looks like they are hitching a ride with the crowd.
  25. Brandy
    I have 3 in a 12 gallon. They have snails and red cherry shrimp in with them, both intended as a food source, but hunting is clearly entertaining them also. They are super happy, with two fatter (likely females) and one smaller grumpier loner (likely male). The probable females occasionally hang out together, but sporadically face off from opposite corners of the tank. The male has mostly claimed the prime hunting ground of the centerpiece bonsai. He is hard to see among the leaves and I spend a significant amount of time playing find the puffer. The tank seems balanced, but my greedy little heart wishes I had MORE! 🙂
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