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Matt_

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Everything posted by Matt_

  1. I lost the larger of my two Odessa Barb males last night in my community 65 gal. aquarium, and I would like to get an opinion of why this happened and if I should make changes to the current group of Odessa Barbs. Nothing is obviously wrong with the deceased fish other than some apparent blood at the gill area (very difficult for me to tell), photos attached at the bottom of this post. The fish was eating well, behaving normally, and healthy the last time I saw him. None of the other tankmates are behaving differently or showing symptoms of disease. My current theory that the male died from running into something in the tank, but there is also not much there to hit (one clay pot, a large piece of driftwood, some pleco/loach caves, heater, substrate, and tank lid). The male was part of a breeding community of 2 adult males and 4 adult females that I purchased from my LFS that came from someone giving up a mixed barb tank; the group breed in the QT tank and now I have 30-40 growouts. The Odessa Barbs all established their own territories in the tank and the male that I lost was the larger and more aggressive male toward the females when breeding. They did not really show any aggression towards their tank mates after they initially established their territories in the 65-gal tank. I have noticed that some of the females have lost scales from the males chasing the females during breeding but have remained in good health. Tank: 65-gal 2'Hx1.5'Wx3'L - running for 2.5 yrs Purchase Date for Odessa Barbs (as adults): 2 mo. Approx. Time in 65 Gal. Tank: 6.5 wk. Water Parameters (measured this morning after feeding - stable/biweekly water change - regular water change scheduled for this weekend): Temp. 79F pH: 6.8 Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: 40-50 GH: 9 deg. KH: 2 deg. Food - Tank gets a mix of: Northfin Community Flake Northfin Community Formula (0.5mm pellets) Northfin Bug Pro (2mm pellets) Xtreme Scrapers (14mm wafers) Tank Mates: Guppies Molly - Single Adult Male Paleatus Corys Clown Loaches Bristlenose Plecos L-066 Pleco Otocinclus Photo of Deceased Barb taken this morning (Warning - Deceased Fish😞
  2. It was the K500 Mixing Valve from Hass Manufacturing Co. (specialty product, extremely expensive): See 5:10 Urban Fish Farm Temperature Controller Video: The manifolds were the standard Orbit Heavy Duty Sprinkler Valves from the hardware store (Amazon.com : Orbit 57250 2-Valve Heavy Duty Preassembled Manifold : Automatic Lawn Sprinkler Heads : Patio, Lawn & Garden). 0:20 of the Video:
  3. For two ten-gallon tanks I would use oversized heaters (like 100W), a tight-fitting lid, and insulate the bottom (if they tanks are not located on the counter) and sides of the tanks. The insulation is the most effective if you can get all the air gaps sealed up with a product like trim tape (based on your use I recommend going for efficiency over looks).
  4. Never seen red blotch disease before but the photos on Google (may not be accurate) sure seem resemble the photo of the fish above.
  5. Dead space for water flow is not an issue; oxygenation is different. Please don't drill holes in your decorations. I have a 38-gallon heavily planted aquarium with 100 or more guppies and about 30 Paleatus Corys that only has two airstones for aeration and tons of dead spaces everywhere. I also have a 65-gallon tank with a huge hollow log with plecos, corys, and clown loaches living nook and before that the same fish lived in a castle decoration.
  6. Ok, responses are what I expected; looks like temp. water, food, etc. is normal and within range for those Corys. As a side note, I have gotten to the point where I just shake all the liquids when I use the API test kits so that I don't have to remember which ones require shaking 🙂. Low oxygenation may have been the issue even with a powerhead. Two powerheads is a lot of flow for a tank that size. A quick way to check is to see if the tetras and plecos are all at or near the water surface at night when they are typically less active (checking with a flashlight in a dark room). If there is an oxygen deficiency then the fish will be behaving differently (i.e.: swimming lethargically, breathing surface air). After that I am out of ideas and hope that transitioning the fish to the 55 gal fixed the issue.
  7. That is a hard question that really depends on the child's interests. The first thing that comes to my mind is shrimp or snails for aquarium options or carnivorous plants or an ecosystem (similar to an ecosystem in a jar) for nonaquarium options using a tightfitting lid on the tank. I have two boys about this age, but they only want an axolotl 🙂. The nano fish that would fit in a 2.5 gal tank and have enough swimming room will probably not be interesting to the child and keeping a 2.5 gal aquarium is very unforgiving for whoever does the maintenance.
  8. You should be able to stray current if you have a multimeter, but I doubt it is the issue since the fish are not behaving erratically. Just trying to think through why only the Corys are not doing well in only the 36 gal tank vs. the 55 gal. @nabokovfan87 oxygenation comment also is worth considering. One way to check is to see if the tetras and plecos are all at or near the water surface at night (with no stray light).
  9. Agree with tightfitting lid and back/side insulation to cut down on heat loss using a heater in the tank. I also recommend insulating the bottom of the tank too (I used XPS with thin plywood on top for a standard Aqueon tank with a plastic bottom frame). You loose quite a bit of heat through the bottom of an uninsulated tank (cold bridge). You did not say what size these tanks or the room are, so it is hard to say whether heating the tank or the room makes more sense, but this is what I did when I had my tank in a basement with a similar winter temperature. I also recommend you confirm the basement temperature in advance if these tanks are over 75 gals. because it gets expensive to run high wattage heaters continuously.
  10. Sorry for your loss. Those are nice looking tanks. I have a question and a couple of things to check from personal experience. I have kept Corys with sharp rocks and substrate in a 2' deep tank for years so I tend to doubt either is contributing to the issue. Were the API test results in the initial question identical for both aquariums? It is strange that there is no measurable ammonia in the 36 gal. at this point with those losses - I usually get minor indication from the API liquid Ammonia test kits no matter what I do. Recommend ensuring that the testing liquid is well shaken prior to testing if you are using the API liquid test kit and retest the 38 gal for Ammonia and Nitrite. If the Corys are doing well in the 55 gal. using the same well water, then the issue should not be an undetectable parameter with the well water (like salt, heavy metals, or industrial pollutants). Other quick checks: recommend independently checking the tank temp. again to rule out a faulty heater/thermometer if you are using an electronic thermometer. Confirm all foods, especially the sinking pellets/wafers, are unspoiled and less than a year old (preferably younger than that, but it is a start). The water temperature of the well water could be a factor at a 40% water change if it is significantly warmer or colder than the tank water assuming you checked this by feal at the water changes. If the water tests for Ammonia and Nitrite are still reading at 0 in the 38 gal. and GH/KH is not elevated one idea would be to check for stray current from the powerhead/heater.
  11. Also check your water before you put any chemicals in it. If you start with ammonia from your the tap the ammonia may actually be higher in the aquarium from water changes. I think of this every time since my tap water has 0.25 ppm to 1 ppm ammonia in it before I do anything to it and the planted aquarium cleans up the water after I add it 🙂
  12. I recommend trying this with a couple of basic Lego bricks first to understand the time involved before going all in on an underwater build. You are going to have to use a pipette or a syringe to remove the air from every hole in every brick since it is really hard to get all of the air out of each brick. It still might be really cool to see something like the LEGO City Ocean Exploration Ship - 60266 floating in a tank though. This actually gives me an idea for the old 38 gal tank that is sitting in the basement.
  13. The standard 2x4 stand design is fully scalable to support the 75 gal tank on the top and smaller tanks on the bottom. You just need to decide how you want all of the tanks oriented. There are more minimal designs but this basic design is my favorite since you can build this with the basic tools and skills. The design can also be wrapped and have trim added if desired. I recommend looking up: "HOW TO: Build an Aquarium Stand/Canopy" on YouTube to see some of the build guides. There are also some good threads on this Forum.
  14. The best part about the Northern Puffer is that it is a local fish (to VA). My kids caught a live juvenile in a bucket on the last trip to the beach. (Before anyone gets concerned I made sure that the fish was never out of the water and promptly released as soon as everyone was done admiring it.)
  15. Matt_

    Lighting

    This is what I look for in an LED light for keeping plants: Type of Reflector - Flood light vs. strip light etc. (what do I need this light to do) Build Quality Intensity/Par Color Power Efficiency Water resistance I stick with used Fluval lights on my display tanks because the build quality is excellent. They are not likely to require replacement after 6 mo. to 1 yr and they do not have a cheap DC converter that will break and require replacement. Maybe I will be able to afford a new light one day 🙂. I also use a cheap clamp light with a 75 watt LED floodlight on my 10 gal QT tank. Both types of lights are growing plants. Other Resources: The Blog does a great job describing what to look for in a light: How to Pick the Best Light for Freshwater Planted Aquariums – Aquarium Co-Op (aquariumcoop.com) I find that the lighting guide is also extremely well put together for common tank sizes even if you do not end up using the specified lights: LED Aquarium Lighting – Aquarium Co-Op (aquariumcoop.com)
  16. I am glad that I ignored the advice I have read in books to keep your aquariums away from windows. I do think that it works best in a planted tank ecosystem. All four of my tanks receive natural light from north facing windows and can definitely handle the colder winter months. I love watching the summer sunrise through the tanks!
  17. The biggest secret is that you do not need carbon for standard filtration as everyone above has pointed out, and that you can filter a normally stocked tank with only air and a sponge filter or two. I used carbon in my canister filter for years in the 90s and did not realize that I never needed it until I got back into the hobby a couple of years ago. I was so upset when I found out because I could have put that money to much better use (like getting real lighting that could grow plants). I recommend that you get a coarse prefilter sponge, get rid of the carbon, keep the bio balls if they are working for you or go with lava rock if you want a change, and go with a 100% polyester water polisher. I also recommend making filter maintenance as quick and easy as possible since it will just turn into a nitrate factory if you do not clean the mechanical filtration. For example, I run a Fluval 406 on my overstocked, heavily planted 65 gal tank with the original sponges and media plus the following additional media: Pre-filter: Large Aquarium Coop Sponge Filter Water Polisher: 100% polyester quilt batting (Poly-Fil Fiber Fill) replaced every time I service the pump Remineralization: Half Bags of crushed coral Additional Media: Full Basket of Lava Rock in mesh bags
  18. I agree with previous posters that Val. and dwarf sag. are both basically indestructible for me even under the densest growths of Watersprite. You will probably need some form of additional lighting in the winter even if ambient light works for your location right now. The direction and distance to the window also make a big difference in the amount of light the tank will receive. I find that the books on Houseplants do the best visualizing this. I recommend getting a cheap clamp light with a standard LED bulb if you do not want to reuse your existing light. You should be able to find a LED bulb that fits your specific light at your local hardware store though. For example, I use a 75W 5000K LED flood light with an 5.5" HDX clamp light on a Kasa Wifi timer for my 10 Gal QT Tank in a North facing window. I do use a glass cover to control evaporation.
  19. I was really worried when I brought Bladder snails in on live plants, but I find that my bladder snail population is self limiting and so I don't mind them as much any more. They are extremely fast and will make a trails in the water change bucket. But for every one you see there are going to be 100 eggs that you don't. You can tell the eggs because they feel like Jello to the touch.
  20. That is a good description and it sounds like a beautiful tank! I could see the minnows loving the extra current. Thanks for checking the tap water, because it helps rule that out. I have experienced a lot of stress myself trying to get the last 0.25ppm of ammonia out of the tank after water changes only to find out that it was coming from the tap and my tank is actually filtering it 😀. The ammonia lock may just be delaying the cycle that needs to occur as the ammonia is released back into the water 24 hrs later and my understanding is that the beneficial bacteria cannot use it while it is locked up. Live bacteria, piece of cycled sponge, or cup of cycled substrate would be really helpful in speeding the process along if you know a local hobbyist or have an local fish store that can help. The tank is definitely going through a re-cycle so the ammonia should be reduced and a nitrite spike will happen next as the beneficial bacteria convert the ammonia to nitrite. It may be really hard to stabilize a new 2.8 gal aquarium since 2 snails and 4 fish plus food is a huge bioload for that size tank. You will want to take it really slow with a tank this size and monitor the water closely over the next couple of weeks.
  21. Welcome! Sorry to hear you are having an issue, but I can definitely relate to doing all the research and things still not going to plan. It sounds like you are having an ammonia spike from the additional bio load of the fish and the food. How large is you tank and what filtration are you using? If I understand your summary the tank has been set up for 4 weeks total but you just added the fish and started feeding it. The tank seems to be cycling for the first time or is re-cycling and there is not enough beneficial bacteria to support the new fish and addition of food with the food being the ammonia source. I also recommend watching if you have not seen it 3:14 - What to do when you have an ammonia spike A couple of ideas come to mind initially: Hold off on food for about 4 days and proceed with a reduced feeding schedule after that, also make sure to remove any uneaten food. 50% water change is great. You will want to keep monitoring and keep changing water as needed Don't add any more fish until the cycle completes Dechlorinator will only bind the ammonia for 24 hrs - assume this is what Ammonia Lock is doing Adding a live beneficial Bacteria like Fritz Zyme 7 will help the tank re-cycle if available. Adding about a Tablespoon per 5-10 gal of salt will make the ammonia less toxic to the fish if water changes are not working, but you will want to research and possibly remove the live plants first since many are sensitive to salt. Also worth checking: Confirm that you are following the ammonia test strip instructions and not contaminating the ammonia test strip pads with water from the other strips (assume you did this but just making sure). Check the water source for the tank for ammonia as well.
  22. I am going to share my tub here even though it was destroyed by an animal (probably a raccoon trying to eat the fish) last Friday just as all the plants were peaking. The tub is a Tuff Stuff 40 gal stock tank that I started in early May with a heater as my first tub. I have always wanted a pond but live in a townhouse so this tub is perfect. The tub’s function is to bring the water element to the backyard featuring the plants and fish. The plants are the only filtration and there is no air to allow for a much cooler temperature at the bottom of the tub under the cover of the plants. The plants get full sun in the morning with afternoon shade. The fish are a breeding colony of guppies at a relatively low stocking level.
  23. Great tank, will look good in black! I agree with the other posters. Move the fish, plants, decorations, and equipment (keep the filter running and don't clean it) to a combination of a spare tank, tote, or bucket with at least half the tank water (preferably 2/3) to make it easy on yourself. Then remove the remaining water and use a Solo cup to remove all the existing substrate. You may want to hold onto and return a single Solo cup of substrate to the tank and remove it when the new substrate is seeded. I use Solo cups to move substrate because this will definitely scratch or break most containers I have, they go in my fish water change bucket, and they are recyclable. Rinse the new substrate (if required) and refill the tank. I just did this moving the same tank three times in a week replacing my 38 gal. aquarium, having the new aquarium leak all over the house (even though it passed leak testing for multiple days) and setting up the old aquarium in the basement in an emergency, and then moving everything back to the 2nd new aquarium at the original location.
  24. Here is my 38 gal. tank that started as a colder water growout tank and has evolved into a permanent home for primarily for breeding guppies but also paleatus corys, and mystery snails. The guppy colony started with 10 adults with some fry and now includes hundreds of fish spread out over 3 tanks and an outdoor tub. The paleatus corys started with 7 corys and fry and are now up to over 30 corys in 2 tanks. They are not currently spawning but have spawned in this tank. I don't know how many snails are in the tank, but I started with 3 and the population is self-sustaining. The main feature of this tank is the thick floating carpet of Waterspite that takes up the upper third of the tank and provides a microhabitat for the guppy fry as well as a place for the females to hide after giving birth. The tank has been setup for about 9 months not counting the recent replacement of the 38 gal tank (I have posted on this tank several times previously). The tank is filtered with the Watersprite, a med. sponge filter and an Eheim 2213 canister filter with a small pre-filter sponge. Lighting is natural light from a north facing window and a Fluval 2.0 running 10 hrs/day, temp. is 70-72 deg. The only other fish in the aquarium are a few albino Bristlenose pleco growouts. Additional plants are Jungle Val,, dwarf sag, and Marimo Moss Balls. I have tried other stem plants but the Watersprite just out competes them all so I just went with the Watersprite. Substrate is 2.5"-3" of inert sand. There are guppy fry everywhere you look in this tank including the canister filter. This is what the Watersprite looked like before I replaced the tank and established an outdoor tub and a 10 QT tank with it.
  25. I love my betta! I have had him since April and I am still waiting for the kids to name him.
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