ForestJenn

I know! When I first moved her 20+ years ago from ND, I thought that Seattlites were crazy for building houses around mosquito factories. But that's not the case at all.

We've been buying these for years. My son considers it to be a rescue mission. We bring them home and put them in a 10 gallon.. They seem to last about 2 or 3 years. In our experience at around the 2 year mark they slow way down and just quietly pass away. So hopefully we're losing them to old age. We have two in the house right now and after a few months in our aquariums they are looking gorgeous!

Oooh, I had to look those up since I didn't recognize it. They look lovely!

I hope you understood that I wasn't implying that you were falling down on the job. Of course you don't want to see fish die and I didn't mean to imply that you're complacent about it. I'm just super appreciative that you're in a position to quarantine and treat before they reach the end consumer! We've purchased almost 50 fish from Aquarium Co-op in the last month and haven't had a single loss. I don't mean to gush. I just can't convey how much of a life saver the hobby has been this summer. 🙂

I'm torn. A huge school of fish can be lovely and mesmerizing. If I had the opportunity to sit and watch that for hours I would. (I like really large flocks of birds too.) But that's not really something I can replicate in my mid size tanks. So I'm going to have to say that the thing I find most delightful is the opportunity to observe individual behaviors in the fish. I recently added a pair of dwarf cichlids to my main tank and watching them explore has been a blast. I have a lot of spider wood, plants, leaves and some rocks in the tank. I love watching them swoop through spots that I didn't expect them to explore. The little female will swim all over the tank, but she loves the rock caves and will peek around them. I'm probably anthropomorphizing, but both of the cichlids appear to investigate by swimming around something and viewing it from different angles. They're fascinating, and I'm so glad that I decided to add them after all.

Hmm, @Daniel, I do think we need to define our terms here. When I think big I think 75 gallons and up. I'm glad you're able to admit that your angel tank is ginormous. 😉

All of the reasons listed above are why I landed in the middle. My favorite size tank is a 40 gallon. I currently have the taller version, but I can see the appeal of the 40 gallon breeder. My son ended up with a 29 gallon tank because I happened to have an oak stand for a 29 gallon tank. Really tiny tanks like the 3 and 5 can be interesting and have their place. I'm working on a 5 gallon setup for my betta and it's been interesting. I've seen a few really interesting 3 gallon setups recently. But in general, it's not for me, I think. I like having the ability to plan for and keep multiple compatible species. The 40 gallon isn't huge, but by sticking with smaller fish I can still keep decent sized groups and everyone is still happy. The 40 currently houses 12 black neon tetras, 12 panda corydoras, 1 young bristlenose and a pair of dwarf cichlids (Nannacara anomola). That gives me 4 distinct behavioral types in different areas of the tank (it is a little bottom heavy though.) The costs remain affordable and water changes wouldn't be bad even if I had to forgo the Python. My son also has a 10 gallon and I really struggled to maintain a community in that tank while he was younger. It was a betta only tank for years after that and we only recently added a handful of cardinal tetras and two baby (about 1.5 inches) bristlenose that are destined for his new 29 gallon tank. As of this last weekend's water change, nitrates on that tank were above 40 even with plants in the tank and he's learning that he's going to have to step up the water changes. I'm betting that the maintenance on the 29 will actually be easier. All this to say that I would pick a mid size tank over a small tank every time. And I probably would pick up mid size tank over a really large tank at this point of my life as well. (But don't tempt me, I'm weak.)

There's a thread in the Photo & Journals section that might be helpful. It's regarding a Blue Gularis breeding project. Home > General > Photos, Videos & Journals > Randy's Fish Room

I will say (plug for Aquarium Co-op here), we've purchased 22 black neon tetras and 5 cardinals over the last month and not a single loss. I believe this is because of their quarantine process. I'm sure they see losses in quarantine, but what they are doing with the fish before they get to the consumer works. It also probably helps that our water is very similar.

My own reply to this topic made me nostalgic. Since I planned the 40 gallon to house at least a small pair of SA dwarf cichlids anyway, I bit the bullet and headed to Aquarium Co-op to see what was in stock. I came home with a pair of Nannacara anomola and am pleased as punch!

Years ago, my husband gave me a 29 gallon setup for my birthday along with a list of links where he'd been doing research. It was a fun project. We did a lot of research together and ended up owning a tank that we loved for years. I sort of gave up the hobby after my son was born. In fairness to myself I was working full time, my husband was gone a lot, we didn't have family nearby (still don't) and babies are harder than aquariums. Something had to give. Now that the kiddo is 11 and is even more passionate about the life sciences than I was at his age, it's the perfect time to get back into keeping fish. He's been keeping a betta in a 10 gallon tank for years and is more than willing to help with water changes. Planning out new tanks is giving him something to feel excited about right now when we're trying to survive summer that is super boring and more than a little scary.

I'd guess calcium deficiency too. But that's just because I have a niggling memory of curling leaves as a sign of mineral deficiency from some class I took decades ago. But I thought I'd chime in. 😉

I'm tempted to say Zebra Danios. They were my first fish and I was completely smitten with them. But I'm actually going to go with Cleithracara maronii (Keyhole Cichlids). I had a pair in my very first tank, a 29 gallon, with danios and a handful of corydoras. They kept trying to breed but I think I think we kept spooking them. We were in a small apartment at the time so we were constantly walking by the tank. I'd love to have a big enough tank to keep a group of them. I think that's why I keep mulling over adding some Laetacara curviceps (Dwarf flag cichlid) to the 40 gallon once the tank has matured. They're in the same tribe but stay a little smaller. I'm not sure if they would be happy just as a pair in a 40 gallon or if I could keep a group or if I would have to stick to just a single specimen. Then again, I'm happy watching my the tank with just the black neon tetras and the panda corydoras so maybe I should just leave well enough alone. Wait! How could I have an aquarium without corydoras? But then you HAVE to have something in the upper levels, right? How do you just pick one?

So I work for an environmental database software company. A couple of our modules allows users to customize collection templates and load data to a database via a mobile device. This is letting get some real world experiencing using modules that I didn't use in my consulting days and making my inner data geek happy. 🙂

I really like seeing your lighting schedule. I don't have the Fluval plant 3.0 (Going on the Christmas list) on my 40 but the Hygger I have let's me do some scheduling. I like your schedule and might try to copy it. I think your tank is beautiful.

Ahh! Good to know. He's planning on keeping something in his 29 with his bristlenose. Since we're still in the process of setting that tank up he has plenty of time to decide.

Hmmm, you don't say. I would like to know more. My 11 year old wants some for his 29 gallon. I'm ambivalent. Do you remember about when that popped up in a video? Does anyone else have an opinion on this fish?

What about a berry bowl or stoneware colander? If it's deep enough, the roots could pass through the holes in the bottom. You could put a hook on the outside of the pond, wrap a wire around the bowl (if it's got a rim, that would be easiest) and attach it to the hook. Lots of beginner (and advanced) potters like to make these, so I bet you could pick one up at any local craft market (if they're open near you). Etsy might be another good source but they might be a bit pricier than buying from a local hobby potter. I throw pots when I can get to my community studio but I don't currently have anything with a rim that I could give you. It's a sanity maintenance thing for me so I'm always giving pots away. And now I'm excited by this idea! These ponds are inspiring me and I may just steal my own suggest to do this very thing. 😛

Sort of true. I live about 12 miles north of Seattle and my pH is pretty low. But the more the merrier! (But shhhhhh. Don't tell any other Seattlites I said that. We want everyone to think that it's HORRIBLE here. Too many people! It rains all the time. The winters make you suicidal. You'll never be warm again!)

I wonder how you would test this? Maybe: Do a water change and measure nitrates. Wait 1 - 2 weeks and do another water change and measure nitrates. Note the difference. Lower the temperature and repeat. The problem is getting enough granularity out of whatever nitrate test you're using. My understanding of water chemistry is pretty basic, so perhaps someone could suggest another parameter to measure?

I recently read that the NOB have a slower reproductive rate than the AOB residing in an aquarium, but I'm having a hard time finding that documentation now. So take that with a grain of salt please. If this is true though, it could explain what you're seeing. That by itself would create an imbalance between the AOB and NOB populations. I'm seeing a similar situation in a very new tank that I kick started with bacteria from other sources. After adding to the fish population of the tank I noticed an increase in nitrites but didn't see ammonia. My assumption was that the NOB population needed time to increase and have been doing frequent water changes. In my case, I have a low pH, so that's not helping either since it appears that NOB are inhibited at lower pH levels. I consistently see pH test results of 6.8. That doesn't seem to be your problem. I enjoyed reading this discussion. Very informative! And I can tell you that a google search on this topic turns up a lot of very interesting articles about waste water treatment.

Thank you for the water chemistry video. Perfect timing! It was super informative and easy to understand.

I used to think that I didn't like artificial decor but the universe is working hard to prove me wrong. I love your themed tanks. They're brilliant! It helps that I'm a Trek and Star Wars fan. I recognized the LOTR statues as well. Couldn't figure out why you called it Atlantis at first. 😉 My son is a big fan of castles in aquariums and insisted that I include one in my betta tank. I have to confess that it's grown on me and will follow Rowan to his upgraded tank this weekend. It's just a store bought ornament, nothing amazing. But it's the first non-natural thing than I can remember having in one of my aquariums. As a bonus, when I wiggled my finger in front of the tank to coax him out, Rowan popped out of the little hole near the bottom edge of the castle. I had no idea that he liked to hang out inside it. That was a fun discovery! You're definitely inspiring. And while I'll probably keep my little slice of nature in my main tank we might have some fun with any tanks I add in the future.

Now that you mention it, me too! It sounds fascinating. Seattle has an antiquarian book sale ever year (well, probably not this year) and you can find rare newer books as well. I'll have to ask a couple of my fellow bibliophile friends that also haunt book stores to keep their eyes open. It looks like it's not super available online. I wonder if my local library system has it?

Have fun! I don't know if you are seeing Danios or Rainbows, but Danios scatter their eggs. They surprised me in my first 29 gallon tank years ago. They were hiding in the gravel (I use UG filters) and I found them during a water change. I guess someone could add that to either column of the Pro / Con list for undergravel filters. Based on a cursory google, it looks like the Rainbows are mop spawners, so it makes sense that they'd ride in on your hornwort. Pictures when they're big enough!