Fish Folk

I’m going to link this video to two threads (live foods, and Aquaponics). I am very happy that this 10-gal is so well purposed right now…

It’s “Plants Night” here at Fish Folk HQ. Started out snapping a photo here and there… and ended up with a bunch. For perspective: (1) I am _not_ an aquascaper. (2) I am a passionate amateur hobbyist fish breeder. (3) I do breeding _more like_ L. R. Bretz —without his skill— than other approaches. As an East Coast guy, I’ll admit that West Coast folks are generally WAY better with plants that we are. These plants are partly functional (context for fry, ammonia and nitrate absorption) and partly ornamental. Here are some shots with notes… (1) Riccia — fascinating top-water plant, excellent for top-water fish fry. It tends to grow best when attached to a matten wall, etc. with some gentle but constant water-flow or airflow. Buy a little, forget about it, and check on it after several months. (2) Java Moss. This stuff is essential fir breeding certain fish. It can multiply down low, or attached mid water column to structure. It is a moody plant that tends to explode when it begins in a large bunch. There are very different kinds. (3) Najas (Guppy Grass). This is helpful for live-bearer colonies, allowing fry to easily hide. I am not sure how to get it to stop growing! (4) Hornwort (Coon-tail). A bit prickly, this plant is considered “cantankerous” because if it is unhappy, it will drop it needles suddenly. Keys for me seem to be: keeping water stable, feeding some liquid fertilizer, and avoiding overly warm water. Female Bluefin Killifish sayin’ “heeeey!” (5) Valisneria americana. This is one of my more versatile plants. I like it in tall tanks a lot. It can grow hot or cold. I just like the way it looks. (6) Aponogeton (bolivanus?). This one is just big and fun. Left side of photo. It’s similar to a Sword — seen in background. (7) Amazon Sword. This one has done well in a cold water tank for years now. Occasionally I add a root tab. It’s actually a favorite of small fish, who love hiding between leaves. (8) Anubias. This one is rocking three flowers right now! Much more ornamental than functional, it may be the most beautiful plant in an aquarium when, after many years, it covers everything. (9) Bronze Crypt. This colorful plant is really pleasing to the eye. It grows long, long roots through the substrate, and will pass on from one aquarist to another fairly well. Get lots, and it won’t disappoint. (10) Java Fern. This had a few dead leaves, but it is a huge “mother-plant” that has given birth to J-ferns all over my fishroom. We got this one years ago at a fish club auction. (11) Water Lettuce (and duckweed). I had the WORST time finding Water lettuce for my tubs last spring. Never again! I’m going full-throttle, keeping my own alive here all winter long. These are excellent nitrate absorbers, and their long roots provide ample hiding places for fish fry. The duckweed is a bit annoying, but plays a part in the eco system. (12) Aquaponics herbs & Bamboo. I’m growing Basil, Oregano, and Rosemary to eat in this Aquaponics setup. Bamboo is more ornamental — for fun. This setup zeros out my nitrates completely. I feed plant food regularly. (13) Hygrophila polysperma (Indian swampweed). This is my favorite fast-growing stem plant. It has bright, light green leaves. It is easy, easy, easy! (14) Tiger Lotus. Entirely ornamental, this plant will either thrive or crash for you. I’m not terribly sure what conditions it needs, but it is stunning in some tanks… a failure in others. Of the “red plants” this is perhaps the easiest. (15) Pothos. My sister got us started with tiny cuttings… we have kept going for years and years. I use them to filter water in HOB filters, aquaponics baskets, or — here — in fry jugs. (16) Unknown … (sword species?) This plant looked nice with these Rainbow Shiners. Beautiful plants + beautiful fish = happy NERM.

You could do Elassoma gilberti in a tiny planted tank like that… Followup on @Schuyler, I really like breeding Nothobranchius rachovii in little tanks… You might consider a pair of Betta imbellis…

I separated out Swordtails from my Elassoma gilberti this evening. Pygmy Sunfish appearing everywhere!

I’d just but a prefeb rack, saw off to desired height, move cap down, and replace any sus particle board with hardwood panel… OR… I’d custom build a rack using cinderblocks and hardwood boards. Personally, I luke to custom-build my own stuff; but it’s not cheap…

I bet it’s freezing out in them there local mountain waters! Nothing happening with Greenheads… hence the attempt to get my F-blacks spawning. I have extra females if you decide you want to try spawning them.

Helper… watching Big Blue finish eating an earthworm 🪱 Definitely worked through his system…

Cribbin’ …

Got a new batch of Mountain Redbelly Dace fry free-swimming…

F0… Cool water beauty…

I think that they get Federal grants

Have you visited Conservation Fisheries in Knoxville, TN? We went last March. Amazing place!

I had to look up RAS to begin getting a grip. It would be neat to learn more! I have been working with emersed plant growth in various aquaponics set ups to filter nitrate and cut down minerals. If you’re up for explaining what you’re learning, others would appreciate it !

@JillianGarcia05 I want to share an honest point that some aquarists will be very upset with me for saying. We all need to exercise a proper degree of care for our fish. Many fish keepers have only a few fish, one or two tanks, and feel deeply attached to their wet pets, naming every one. In this scenario, it is possible to spend 500%+ of the cost of the fish on medications and treatments. Perhaps this is you. Maybe you bought your Betta for $20, and are absolutely fine spending $100 or more on medications. No one will judge you. But here is another perspective. Please try to hear this as another approach to respectful care in the hobby (again, this will irritate some people to no end). I have kept over a thousand fish in the last 5-6 years. I’ve had to make limits on how much I am willing to spend on keeping sick fish alive. I have euthanized a few, and flushed plenty of dead fish. If this ends sadly for you, please know you’re not alone. Betta splendens are sickness-prone, injury-prone, tragically inbred, kept in appalling conditions before sale… in truth, this forum alone has maybe seen more “Sick Betta! Help!” posts than anything. Hopefully you can turn things around for your little blue. But if not, don’t give up on the hobby if she passes. Sickness can be brought in with a new fish. For this reason, quarantine is always advisable. Many folks religiously dose Maracyn + Ich-X + API General Cure together with all new arrivals. Many fish stores do not, and tend to lose livestock. Outside the US, some medications are restricted or difficult to come by. Aquarium salt mixtures can be a benefit in those scenarios. But often, the issues with fish stem from environmental factors we can improve as we study and adapt in this hobby. Overfeeding is most problematic. Poor maintenance is a fast second to that. Water quality is vital to master. These are areas all of us are still working to improve. As a fish breeder, let me add this final thought: the healthiest fish I have ever kept were those I bred and raised in my own water. The majority of fish I’ve bought arrived with minor health issues… a few with major issues. So don’t give up. We are rooting for you and your fish. If things go poorly, we have been there too. Keep going!

In my foray into keeping North American Native fish in home aquaria, I came upon the stunning Fireyblack Shiner (Cyprinella pyrrhomelas). In the wild, they look like this… Obviously, they handle high flow very well! I made a visit to Knoxville, met the guy who posted this footage, and he gave me juveniles (F1) he had raised in captivity. As the year has gone on, and they have matured, I found that I have two males and a half dozen females. I cannot stop photographing them… Here, you can see how full this female is with roe. So today, I decided it was high time to try breeding them. For me, there are only two species of freshwater fish I am Ok with keeping but NOT breeding: (1) Goldfish (2) Discus. Both are ornamentally satisfying enough for my taste to keep without breeding. Everything else must breed to keep me happy 😅 Here are a series of short describing the process of setting up a love nest for my Fireyblack Shiners. I began with plans to modify / divide the 55 gal. tank space… 1. Set up plan… 2. Initial Set up… 3. Observations… 4. Adaptation… After this was filmed, I moved the bio-wheel back into the corner and turned down the intensity of the air-stone.

@nabokovfan87 is correct… white dots are an added concern. If it’s Ich… try Maracyn + Ich-X together.

It seems to me to be bacterial. API has several products to consider. I think the best is probably ... E. M. ERYTHROMYCIN [E-mycin is broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment] There are other companies who sell this product under another name. Fritz Aquatics sells it as "MARACYN."

Thank you for the PSA. Sorry for your fish loss. I've used M-fix in the past without a problem, and my water is very soft from the tap -- below 50 ppm. I eventually stopped using it for other reasons. Fish can typically heal fine on their own if their environment is kept clean, chemically stable and stress-free.

They can be tricky to sex when young. Best advice: buy 6-7 of them young on the cheap, raise them, and let them pair off. Here is a video showing one male (electric blue) with two females on each side of this 55 gal. The females get a washed-out, blotchy look (platinum + blue-gray) rather than consistent bright electric blue. Male dorsal and anal fins also _tend_ to grow longer, nearer to the end of the caudal fin. Females tend to grow a bit less. Over a few years, males will grow substantially larger than females. But at the age / size you've shared here, it is hard o say. My initial _guess_ is male. But I've been wrong before! For perspective, we raised many hundreds of EBAs a few years ago. We almost never sold them as pairs unless a pair actually spawned together. Here's a look at the madness that was the most overstocked EBA tank on the planet... Here are three photos of a pair. Notice that the female, slightly smaller, has a lighter-colored top of her head -- with what almost looks like a line between her eyes, dividing an upper head (lighter gray) and lower face (darker gray). Also notice that the scales along her back / sides nearing the caudal fin (tail) show gray rather than solid electric blue. Those are several clues to sexing them... (1) Male lower left / Female upper right (2) Male left / Female right (3) Male left / Female right -- notice the black scales on her lower cheek / jaw

Today, I am taking off work. I got 5x orange neocaridinas to add to my Daphnia tank… My little helper loves this aquaponics tank, jammed in a fishroom bathroom closet… Shellfish all appreciate the oyster-shell substrate… Daphnia still kickin’ fine… I think the shrimp have moved into heaven with this grimy tank 😂 Already buddies…

So I’m sharing a few photos. My unbelievably electric blue Ram… A nice Teal-Diamond Discus… A Betta I’m waiting to breed come warmer weather… Rainbow Shiners, getting fat in cool water over winter… Fireyblack Shiner with Greenhead Shiners… Ok. Back to work now … 🤪

Thanks! That Betta looks great. He reminds me of one my little boy used to keep (here’s a video).

If your BBA is on wood or hardscape, remove it from the water, and spray the area with 3% H202 (over-the counter). Wait 5 minutes. Then put it back. The BBA will turn red / pink and die off. No idea about snails. Unless they're ornamental pets -- e.g. Mystery Snails -- I wouldn't worry too much about them. I assume that the chemical reaction with H202 balances out in tank water reasonably quickly once re-immersed. The tragic problem is . . . once you get some going . . . BBA is very, very hard to eliminate. I've bought a group of Siamese Algae Eaters before. They do wonders. I have a Clown Pleco that seems to eat some BBA if it's on wood. Some people buy Female Florida Flagfish to nibble on algae.

(Just one more Killi recommendation to consider) Fundulopanchax amieti… There’s a secret place here on the forum where some of us dump resources. I remember leaving a Killifish guide there… let me find it… hang on… Ok, here you go: My friend made this introductory video about Killis. It’s not professional video editing, but he’s a great aquarist and scientist…

Whether you know it or not, I believe you are looking for a small, non-annual species of Killifish. Perfect for 10-gal tanks. They’re not fish you’re likely to find in a fish store. I breed Fundulopanchax scheeli… But I also highly recommend Aphyosemion striatum… Or the Aphyosemion australe (orange)… I mean… there are many hundreds of species to consider… just do a single species-only tank. Killis are the orchids of the aquarium hobby.