KaitieG
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Posts posted by KaitieG
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For me, I'd always wanted an aquarium. Started out as an adult getting a betta in a bad setup for my son then started to learn about all the mistakes I'd made and just grew from there doing better.
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You can also call your post office and let them know you have the package arriving and are concerned. Mine offered to call me as soon as it came in so that I could come in and pick it up (even in off-hours while they were not open for customers but were sorting mail). It's up to your post office of course.
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On 8/21/2021 at 10:39 AM, Patrick_G said:
@Colu or others have you spawned them in a community tank?
I've had them spawn in my community tank, but then they went back and ate all their eggs. Just my experience.
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There are a couple people in my local fish club that breed them (Wisconsin). Maybe you want to check out fish clubs around you and post to see if there's a local breeder?
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I wonder if you'd have good success with growing plants (think anubias or java moss) on rocks or wood and then selling for a premium, too.
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On 8/21/2021 at 6:04 AM, Atitagain said:
ive recently had 3 of my grandchildren placed in my home and it seems like it will be long term. Their ages are 3,2,and 1 🤪crazy I know. Luckily we are in a financial situation I could retire to care for them. But we have to cut cost across the board, including the fish room of course because it is just a hobby. But if I can reduce cost and maybe make a little money
What are some ways you cut cost? Don’t wanna use cheap food really believe quality food is key to healthy fish.
to be clear I’m not looking for any financial help I’m not in desperation mode and would give the hobby up before it ever came to that. And minimizing is always on the table.
First, I just wanted to say that I'm super thankful for grandparents like you who are willing to step in and care for young children. As a mom and a teacher--thank you!
As for the fishroom hobby with young kids and a limited budget...
-Heaters: The space heater I have in our bedroom is 1500 watts with both a 600 and 900 watt setting that can also be selected. That's not many tank heaters, so my thought is that it would probably be more efficient, so long as the room itself isn't super cold/large/poorly insulated. If it were me, I'd probably select an electric space heater over something like gas/oil for safety with CO and burns, but you probably want to keep the 1 and 2 year old away from it regardless. "HOT" seems to be something my kids learned pretty efficiently (faster than they learned to listen to "no!" 😉)
-Food: Maybe choose 2-3 types that you like the best/are most veratile and buy the larger containers if that's an option. Or look for high quality foods that sell bulk containers (like Xtreme).
-Club auctions are a great place to get plants cheap, and like you said, plants could save on water changes. I've had good luck with water lettuce going nuts in my tanks to the point that I can spread it to other ones after just starting with a few not-so-great looking plants from ebay. It's also lots easier to clear out than duckweed/salvinia, etc. when it overgrows.
-For selling fish, it's tough to find the time to drive around with kids. I'd probably start by looking for a local club. Lots of them have forum or selling places or use PM on Facebook to work out sales/trades. You could also try contacting any LFS or big box store via phone/email to see if they're interested in what you're breeding. I know of several around here that buy from local breeders--it's just that sometimes they already have a source. With all the issues shipping in fish right now, you might be in a good position to be offering stock even to the larger stores.
-Another thought on selling fish...maybe you could do a talk at your local library for both adults and kids and then give your email as a resource and let them know you also sell fish and could help people get started. It'd be educational plus probably get you some come-to-you business.
-Do you already run airline tubing/sponge filters from a single pump? In a fishroom, that seems like by far the most energy efficient setup. I saw a super basic one made with PVC and airline tubing this week that didn't look like it would cost much to build.
-Kid friendly fish room (from your other post)...with a 1 and 2 year old in the mix, I'd maybe consider a way to block off the whole lower row of tanks...doors, a gate, etc. and then lift them up if they want to feed taller tanks. That could also help with the banging and tapping. if you did something with a gate, they could probably still LOOK at the fish, which would be cool, without being able to touch the tanks.
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On 8/20/2021 at 9:38 PM, TankofFish said:
I really like that last pic.
I'm going to order some angles in a few weeks but mine are going in a blackwater tank
On 8/20/2021 at 9:44 PM, Tankseeker said:@KaitieGjust curious what plants do you use?
I have plants from lots of places...Aquarium Coop, local clubs, Etsy, facebook...It's such a big tank that I pretty much just looked for deals.
As for types there's Val, hornwort, guppy grass, 3 kinds of crypts, several kinds of anubias, Java fern, java moss, dwarf sag, Amazon swords, red flame swords (my faves), water lettuce, duckweed (unintentionally), pogostemon stelatus octopus (sp), and hygrophilia (another favorite for the super bright green).
There are also a couple very dead tiger lotus and aquarium lily bulbs that never grew well and were mostly eaten by snails. I've finally given up on those...just can't get them to take off even after 3 tries. I REALLY wanted a tiger lotus. That said, I'm very happy with how things have filled in. It's been planted for about 6 months.
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On 8/20/2021 at 9:38 PM, TankofFish said:
I really like that last pic.
I'm going to order some angles in a few weeks but mine are going in a blackwater tank
He looks really good in the picture and is the kids' favorite so far. The blue doesn't show up quite as well in person unfortunately.
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On 8/20/2021 at 9:29 PM, skipper said:
Gorgeous fish!! But I must admit, I zoomed in for the plants 😍😍👍
Just don't look too close at the Java ferns. They've never liked my water. 😉
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Well today was exciting! I got to add angelfish to my 95 gallon community tank. Found a breeder semi locally who breeds all of his in rock hard water. Seeing as how I want to keep them in my own liquid rock water, I'm super excited to have found them! The original plan was for 1, but he convinced me to take 3. At $5 each I couldn't resist. If they don't get along I'll just have to take a couple back.
The guppy population got a little bigger than planned while I tried to connect with a breeder because breeder #1 had an equipment malfunction just as the ones I'd been waiting...and waiting...and waiting for got to selling size. Breeder#2 had a bigger selection anyway. Hopefully these will help to readjust the livebearer horde. I just had to show them off after the long wait!
Now to come up with names...
To make it an even better day, I also got an aqua huna order with kuhlis, ember tetras, and panda corys for my 20 gallon.
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On 7/2/2021 at 2:35 PM, Fish Folk said:
I’ve used lots of glass scrapers, but in the end, nothing works better on the inside than an old VISA gift card.
And on the outside, honestly, basic hand sanitizer (as long as there’s not too much added moisturizer) on a rag works fine.
I love the card idea for the inside and am going to try it tomorrow!
For the outside, I really like to use glass cloths like these--I use a washcloth or microfiber cloth to wash with just plain water and then dry with one of the window cloths. It's how I do all my tanks and windows, and I love that I don't have to worry at all about chemicals or soaps or additives--it's all done with the same tap water I use to fill the tanks! https://www.amazon.com/Microfiber-Glass-Cleaning-Cloths-Chemicals/dp/B00KAJ42GO/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=window+cloths&qid=1625280535&sr=8-8
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On 7/2/2021 at 8:35 AM, ARMYVET said:
I was just given the green light from upper management that IF I can clear out the garage I can build a fish room. I ordered a dumpster to be delivered...it will be cleared out very very fast...😂😈😂
Nothing like motivation 😁
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I agree with the advice you've received so far. I'd probably do 2 50% water changes today plus adding Seachem Prime, since it will bind up the Nitrites and make them non-toxic to fish for 25 hours. Then I'd do another 50% change tomorrow and again add Prime. My goal would be to test and change water anytime the Nitrite levels reach close to 1. And keep adding Prime daily based on the tank size to help manage the toxicity while your tank cycles.
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I also just cover the end of my siphon with a piece of chiffon (I sew so this was in my scrap stash). Any fine mesh would work.
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Same--8.2 PH, GH over 300 Kh around 200, guppies and other livebearers do great. Neocardina shrimp from a local source have done well. The ones I ordered in didn't.
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I have a similar experience to @laritheloud. My PH is 8.2, and I have extremely hard water. I've kept both Habrosus and Aeneus Corys very successfully. The Aeneus corys have even bred and raised fry. It can help to get 4-6+ of a single variety, since they like to school with their own kind.
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On 6/18/2021 at 9:28 AM, danburgess said:
Hello, I have similar questions here. I am using both tabs and liquid. I am also a total newb at this. And I apologize for jumping into your forum if this is out of place. My question though is will root tabs and liquid fertilizer cause high nitrates in the tank. I am having somewhat of a nitrate spike and I'm actively doing water changes and vacuumed the gravel. my tests show 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 40 -60ppm nitrate. I do have noticeable plant growth and everyone seems happy. But I'm a little concerned. I have 7 glo-tetras and 3 small snails in a 20 gallon tank. I am hoping the plants will use the nitrate, Should I let it go or continue with water changes? Iv'e been doing 25% water changes every other day and nitrates are not really coming down. ??? I feed sparingly once a day so I'm also trying to minimize fish waist.
I know Easy Green Liquid has Nitrates in it and will increase the nitrates in your tank. The root tabs seem to mainly keep the nutrients in the substrate for me, though I do generally see nitrates climb a little higher a little faster after I re-dose root tabs. It sounds like your nitrates are not too crazy high, so I think your plans of not dosing fertilizer for a while and waiting to see what the nitrates do sounds like a good idea. I'd just stop the fertilizer and the water changes and see where things even out and then you can decide if/how often/how much you need to fertilize.
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Sounds like the best reason for foam ever!
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I figure that most of my snails came in on plants when I wasn't looking to get them, so no, I don't bother to QT the ones I add on purpose either. From what I've read, the consensus seems to be that they're unlikely to introduce fish pathogens into the tank.
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All I can give is my personal experience--no absolutes or hard research here--I had issues with cloudy water, no matter how much I changed lighting, feeding, filter floss, etc.. I ready Cory's guide on cloudy water causes, tried a UV sterilizer (since I'd already tried everything else) and the water was crystal clear in 3 days. I've run it once for a 12 hour period since.
I put mesh over the intake to keep fry from getting in, and I'm very happy with how it's worked for me for algae. I didn't have disease issues that I was trying to fix, and I wasn't trying to sterilize my whole aquarium setup--I just wanted clear water! And it worked for that with no observable change in parameters, fish behavior, health, etc.. I know it's increased my enjoyment of looking at my tank by about 1000X, so that's been worth it to me!
This is the one I bought--price seems to go up and down. I paid about $37. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DFR6CRQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Not sure what kind of resources you have connections to, but a local community center, school, or religious group might have some young people looking for a "service" project who could lend their muscles. I know I worked on cleaning up yards and moving for people with our youth group and with NHS when I was in High School. Wouldn't hurt to call around--you could get it done for free, or if you're super cool, you could throw a couple frozen pizzas in the oven for a thank you 🙂
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Yep--I agree, you're totally on the right track and looks like your cycle's started to progress! Yay! As others have said, don't worry about your PH--let it stabilize and work with what you have. I also have 8.2 PH like @laritheloud and have been able to keep any fish I've wanted so far, including corys, tetras, and other "soft-water" fish. I think your Prime and Water Change schedule sounds awesome for now until that Ammonia totally disappears!
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Welcome! Nice pleco and way to be a creative namer--I like it!
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This is a great question--I have a small number that have reproduced from when I was feeding them to an ADF (he got a new home because he was a pain in the patoot to feed). The corys in my tank are semi-interested, but the black worms duck down whenever they swim over. The population doesn't seem to be growing for me, but I'll be interested in what other people have experienced! Sorry no good answer from me, but interesting question!
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To make it an even better day, I also got an aqua huna order with kuhlis, ember tetras, and panda corys for my 20 gallon.
Is my water too hard for plants to grow?
in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers
Posted
I have water that's a lot harder than yours (GH over 300, KH about 200) and I've had good success with a lot of plants, but I've also had some that just won't grow. The duds for me have been bulb plants and java fern. I also killed java moss a few times before finding a local source. Anubias do fine (they even blossom) though they grow very, very, (very) slowly. Hygrophilia Augustifolia has done extremely well, along with val, red flame swords (the regular green ones survive but don't grow nearly as well/fast for me), crypts, and water lettuce. Most other floating plants haven't done great. Guppy grass does well. Pogostemmon Stelatus Octopus does fine, though it's not my favorite looking plant...pretty tall and spindly, at least for me. Hornwort is a moderate grower for me.
I have fairly high nitrates (it's in my well water), so I don't use easy green, but I do use root tabs. The swords get the most (3 each every month to month and a half). One thing with the root tabs--I have had horrible luck placing them with the super long tweezers I bought to help me reach the bottom of my 95 gallon tank. If I burry them with my fingers, they usually stay put, but I really have to dig them in. Otherwise they pop up (even when I poke holes in them) and I get water column fertilizer instead.