Brandy

chia seeds get that gloopy sticky gel around them. I wonder if it is as yummy to fish as it is to us? lol I am picturing a Bob Ross chia pet...

actually, yes, that is common. it happens because the melting part was probably grown out of water, and it is going to have trouble adapting to being in the water. You can literally clip off the healthy parts and plant the ends in the substrate and they will reroot, and make a healthy plant from the ground up.

She can definitely be impregnated by multiple males at the same time, like a cat or a dog--or even a human in the case of multiple births, though that is extremely rare due to both biological and societal reasons. Unlike mammals, she can store semen a long time--months--making this much more common with guppies. I have not heard of individual eggs accepting sperm from more than one male at a time, however--at least not commonly. In genetics, such things can occasionally happen, but it usually leads to nonviable offspring that are lost prior to birth or other genetic defects. Generally the viable offspring will each be 1/2 the mother and 1/2 ONE OF the fathers.

I'm a lab manager and research scientist at the University of Washington. We study the crosstalk between the innate and adaptive immune systems using cool tools like lasers, confocal microscopes, fluorescently tagged antibodies, and so on. But on a daily basis I am doing such a wide range of tasks ranging from IT, chemistry, biology, genetics, equipment repair, statistical analysis, regulatory paperwork and logistics all the way to a level of mentorship that can feel like providing therapy, that it feels like my title could maybe just be jill of all trades. An appallingly messy bench from a few years ago (not mine): A fluorescently stained section of tumor (mine!):

I have the same issue. I also have a lot of snails. I am fairly convinced the snails eat the wood and cause a lot of it. I have found I just have to change the filter floss in my canister a LOT more often. I don't gravel vac, because nearly the entire substrate is covered in plants. I think it is an eyesore, but not a problem for the fish.

The "nonharmful ammonia" is ammonium. It is regular ammonia with a hydrogen stuck on it, which makes it less reactive. Most water conditioners like ammo lock do this, but it is temporary, which is why you have to keep adding the water conditioners every 24-48h. It will still show on the test and bacteria can still use it, but it won't hurt fish in that format. I would agree that the super high reading is really surprising, especially if it doesn't at least temporarily decrease after a large water change. Why not try this: test, change 50%, immediately test again. do this every other day for a few days. Your tap water tests at 0, so a 50% water change should lower that value significantly. If it climbs back up over the next few days it is something in the tank.

I am so allergic to blood worms that I can't even be in the room while they are fed. It was a little terrifying until I figured out what was causing it, after I first fed them my face and throat swelled to the point that I was worried I would have trouble breathing or swallowing, and it happened fast, in seconds. I do not think this is one to try to "tough it out" over. I actually worry a bit about shopping in ACO. I just try to not touch anything, and I am really careful not to touch my face.

so, you are getting accurate 0ppm ammonia tests with your tap water and the other tank... I don't think your test kit is likely wrong. What are all the additives you have been adding, and what amounts? I can check and see if anything is likely a problem, but mostly I wouldn't think it would be. Do you have a pic of the tank you can add?

The fertilizer should not cause problems, and dying brown plants will contribute to ammonia, while healthy plants should help. "Liquid carbon" I would not mess with at this point however. (called flourish EXCEL, it can be confused with regular fertilizer, ask me how I know...lol)

Ammo lock should not keep the ammonia from being consumed by the bacteria.

@akconklin thanks for the big vote of confidence, but troubleshooting is a team sport! I don't know what is wrong, but I just try to ask good questions. It just seems there is no way those fish can make that much waste in a tank that size...How much and what do you feed each day? I would cut back a little until the cycle is sorted. The reason I asked about tank sealant is that I know some silicone can have antimicrobial inhibitors, and that might interfere with the cycle. I would agree that if you have high ammonia and no nitrate you don't have a functioning cycle. I have used Seachem stability to attempt to boost a cycle but I am not sure that it works or not, it is not clear to me how the bacteria in bottled solutions would be shelf stable. I wonder if you could find a person with a healthy tank to give you some old filter media? I have schlocky filter floss that I am always able to jump start a tank with now. That would be an easy ask.

That definitely sounds like something is literally rotting in the tank. I wonder if something could have gotten into/under the gravel or under the driftwood? Rotten eggs can be sulfur/hydrogen sulfide, which is classic in an anerobic bacteria situation--which would mean you have bacteria in there, but something is still just overwhelming it. That is what happens in a swamp or bog. Unless it is just the abundance of ammo-lock or water conditioner making a funny smell... Have you moved all the driftwood and rocks and checked under them for anything weird? Admittedly I am just making some guesses, but I seem to remember a story of another user finding a dead snail under a piece of driftwood and reporting a horrible smell... Does the driftwood smell or feel really soft?

I am not a cichlid keeper mostly. I only have an angelfish and a couple of rams, but I would put a LOT more stuff in the tank to hide in if the aggression is bad. I might move the beat up fish to the other tank so I could treat them and give them some tlc until they were better, and then try again with a lot more sight line breaks. If you think about how a fish gets chased they zig and zag around behind things. If they can get out of sight that often ends the chase.

So let me see if I have this right. You have a 20 gallon with live plants, 5 tetras, and API ammo-lock to keep from killing the tetras, and after 3 months with weekly 25% water changes and no ammonia in your source water you can't get the ammonia to go below 4ppm? You have tried bottled bacteria, and still no luck. But you have another cycled tank also. So step one I would try taking dirty filter media from the cycled tank and putting it in the high ammonia tank to see if that works better than the bottles. Obviously I would not be scrubbing the walls of the tank or disturbing anything. My next question is what is your substrate and what else do you have in the tank--decor? Also what are the chances you have a dead thing in the tank--fish snail, something rotting? Any chance your daughter has dropped something weird in? (she may be past that age, just checking) Finally, EXACTLY what did you use to seal the tank when it was leaking? Because the fish mass die off when you put them back makes me think you might have introduced a toxic element somehow.

I draw/paint, and sail--when covid doesn't stop all the races--and I loved to travel...when we could. I can do most of the crafting type hobbies, and I used to garden, which translates into a thriving indoor jungle now that I am in the city. I am also a flitting butterfly like @RovingGinger, I hold on to a hobby until I have achieved a level of competence and then when it stops being challenging I generally lose interest. I have been getting into backpacking and that has been a stand in for the sailing and traveling, but I just lost my backpacking/hiking buddy, so learning to go it solo is both scary and awesome. I worry less about slowing anyone down now, and I am pretty good at not getting lost. I mostly just worry about getting injured somewhere alone. @Daniel's lab is almost better tricked out than my bench at work! Bacterial genetics are super fascinating, and molecular biology (synthetic biology) was my original career path until I shifted to a slightly different direction.

So, I heard @Cory mention this concept in a video talk he gave about guppies to the Youngstown Aquarium Club. I was intrigued but could find almost no information about it. In the meantime I had guppies breeding in a 10 gallon with a matten filter in one end, and I would dip net out the fry as they showed up as fast as I could and transport them to a new tank. One day when I left the power off, 2 fry swam the wrong way down the tube and I found them happily living and growing behind the foam. then I found some photos on Instagram of a similar tank making use of this concept, and while mine is less beautiful, hopefully it will be more practically helpful. The concept is a divided tank, with adult guppies breeding in one end, with an airlift crossing a divider, and delivering fry to a separate compartment. This is a great way to use a matten filter. Here is the adult side, containing guppy parents, epiphyte plants, and adult red neocaridina shrimp (hiding in the rocks, you have to trust me): Here is the fry side, with more shrimp, and a bunch of newly planted stem plants: Here is the whole thing: Mechanics: Moms tend to hide in the plants to give birth, and newly born baby guppies naturally make a run for the rocks and plant cover, which is built around this air lift tube, available on amazon from aquaneat: Note the small holes on the intake, which admit fry but not adults. Air supplied by an airline creates lift, and draws the guppy fry up and out, where they are delivered to a predation free zone. I used the matten sponge from the 10g in this new 20g high, and made a frame out of pvc. Two things I learned as soon as I filled the tank the first time was that the matten filter and frame, while well fitted, want to float, and when a 20 high is full the glass bows just slightly, loosening the fit. I used black silicone to attach the frame to the glass. I need to clean up the edges a bit, but over all I am happy... And it works!

anubias would be fabulous, for basically not growing fast and still looking consistently great. Also crypts. Java Fern sometimes does really well for me, sometimes it throws off so many babies that it sort of gets crazy for me. I recently found, at petco of all places, an Asian bolbitus fern that I like the look of, but I am not sure how it will progress over time. I also have a madagascar lace bulb in a 5g portrait tank that I kinda LOVE very much. I put just it in there with some dwarf hair grass, so far it is not overwhelming the space, but it might eventually.

Your link is not working. Sorry!

I have not ever done that. I think the only reason I would would be if some particular species was showing sensitivity to the meds, or if I wanted to treat something else with an incompatible medicine. I just let the trio fade with normal water changes.

I have a pair of rams in a heavily planted 29g community tank. They have spawned repeatedly but unsuccessfully. I think the snails are the real culprit, but there are also tetras, otocinclus, and khuli loaches and an angel fish. They are not overly aggressive, but will protect their area. Mostly they ignore everything else and get into stand offs with the angel fish. I am not convinced that he knows the eggs are there, he just wants to be the head boss, and suddenly they are standing their ground rather than getting out of the way. There are no clear sight lines in my tank--it is packed with driftwood and plants. That cuts down on aggression dramatically. I would get everything else established before adding the rams. As for stocking, if your goal is a community tank I am a fan of a largish school of both corys and rasboras more is more! But if you want successful breeding stocking more lightly is probably better.

Can you give us more details about how you used the trio? One dose of each thing? Do you still have ich? how long have you been treating? It sounds like the fish are not healthy yet. I would try a more targeted treatment, and also check water conditions. Maybe a longer description will give us a better idea of what the next steps should be.

Late to the party! I have a 5g portrait that I layered with 1.5in dirt and maybe 1-1.5in extra-fine white caribsea super naturals sand. It looks gorgeous, and has done well with madagascar lace, dwarf hair grass, and Ozelot sword. To hide the contrasting layers, I built a wet sand frame on the glass walls, put the dirt in wet in the middle, and capped it with more sand. I liked it so much that I just set up a divided 20g high with half of it based with 0.5-1in dirt capped with BDBS, planted with stem plants--rotala, hydrocotyle, scarlet temple mini and saggitaria--and a tiger lotus bulb. I made the other half a thin layer of the white sand and epiphytes on rocks, with a matten filter dividing. Build thread to come--this is my new guppy fry auto-sorter, fingers crossed that it works! Just waiting for the next drop!

I don't have them. I do have a couple of tanks that are mostly just shrimp that I was looking at stocking with fish. So yeah, that is very much a possibility. 🙂

also, happy to hatch bbs, I have them on board for fry anyway.

I have a pretty mixed line, sold as skaura, some fire grade, but I have been letting them just multiply out of control for a couple of generations to stock the multiple tanks. Now I have about 5 tanks with stable colonies, and some selective culling is probably a good idea.