Keeg

A lot of aquarium people would say 4x- 5x the volume of water, so a 55g would need a filter that can filter 220 - 275 g/hr. I have a 40g breeder that runs on a canister filter that does 220 g/hr because I wanted to for extra wiggle room. I also added an airstone (used to be a sponge filter for bacteria, took it out for different tank temporarily). If you go to practically any store, I would shop for the filter 1 standard tank size above yours. So that means if its rated for 55g, look for the same filter but rated for 75g (I needed one for 40g, I got the one rated for 55g). The numbers should line up with both of these methods.

I had a mosquito in there as food, and ive seen some bizarre last ditch efforts of giving birth/ leading eggs. The mosquito did not have wings so I considered the possibility of it being mangled enough that it could not produce the raft. But I feel like it was cranefly because the eggs were black and slightly shiny like oil.

College tanks update: I ultimately decided to move the baby bichir and gouami back home where their environment can be better monitored and controlled. With fluctuating parameters and temperature here in the dorms, the gourami started to decline in health and behavior. While I love those fish and love watching them at my desk, it would be unfair to them to keep adding chemicals and equipment to their tank just to keep them relatively healthy (bichir was doing fine, gourami started to turn black in her 'feeler' and anal fin 😕) She's doing wayyy better now though. So while its good to keep fish healthy, its another thing to allow them to thrive. Back home they'll be in a room where the temperature stays stable and chemicals of any kind won't need to be added for safety. On the other tank. the golden dumbo plakat betta is doing great! He was never on well water and is thriving like I had hoped. I heavily planted his 'tank' with no hardscape (have to protect those beautiful fins). He's loving it. Im trying to get him onto presoaked pellets but he only goes for blood worms right now. Also I decided to name is Aurum, latin for gold.

Resolution to the black pod update: I without a doubt believe these are "crane fly" eggs. I was able to hatch a couple eggs and they appear to be very similar to the beginning larval stages of the bug. I was not able to access a microscope, but I did get a new phone and kit has a macro lens and I also got a magnifying glass. I am certain these are crane fly eggs because of how the lower abdomen of the bug (it was food) was still pulsing but nothing came out. I dont think these were mosquito eggs/ seeds because moss did not have the attaching sprout like most mosses, the anubias hasn't flowered recently, and the eggs has a shiny oil look to them. Thank you all for following this adventure and sorry for the photo quality, I got shaky hands. After a day of fasting the fish, the majority of eggs were gone 🥳.

Sorry for the late response, I havent checked this journal in a while. I ended up dosing 3x the conditioner because there was also heavy metals. Seattle water sucks compared to home 😂. Im majoring in environmental science and I want to work in conservation. I will be posting about the black pods in a that thread.

Not all lfs do it, very little do. From those stores, they rarely give a fair price. And most places will keep bettas in small containers regardless of how ethical they are to most fish. Even co-op sells them in small vases in the front. Though it's considerably better because of the constant exchange of water. And they occasionally have bettas in some of the main tanks. So still better than chain stores but not perfect.

Im not 100% sure, I always used fish to mean multiple fish and species but I could have been using it wrong my whole life lol. This book was written with the help of professors so it's probable that it is referring to fishes being a more accurate and scientific term.

So as im walking back to campus, I walked by a tiny book store filled with antique and thrifted books. I popped in to see if they had any vintage aquarium books or general fish books available. While they did not have any vintage fish books, they did have a book about conserving fish and how the aquarium hobby is both a positive and negative output on it. Im not going to get into specifics because who likes spoilers, but ive read a couple chapters and I can say it is pretty good. I am not an avid reader and this is probably the first time in a very very long time where I enjoyed a book that I picked out. So I'm wondering, does anybody have any book recommendations on fish that relate to their habitat, care, breeding, aquariums, whatever? I have a couple encyclopedias, this one, and the Walstad one is on the list. 9.5/10, only issue is the plural of 'fish' is spelt 'fishes' and I know either is correct but I'm not used to 'fishes' so I stutter when reading this simple word. Also, some parts seem to be written overly complexed. So while it makes perfect sense, it doesn't flow well off the tongue at the cost of looking sophisticated. Also it was a steal, 8$ when regular is 32$. Its practically brand new! Plus one more thing not wasted in a dump.

Whenever I feed my betta fry bbs, it ends up at the bottom of the tank anyways with some swimmers. I dont know it its the density of the salt water or if they're just not great swimmers or if they just like the bottom.

I kinda like it, its really easy to tie down and manage. But the extra care it needs isnt always worth it. Yes its a great bushy ground covering plant, but it needs the extra attention that I can't provide perfectly yet. So im in-between, great coverage for small fish, extra steps in tank maintenance. But art is subjective so take my opinion with a grain of salt 😅

Some pictures would be helpful! Melanistic animals isnt unheard of but pretty rare. I know the gene is dominant or recessive depending on the species. But if it is dominant, then I would hope yours is melanistic, if its recessive, I dont think theres any chance of it being melanistic. Im guessing you got some pretty dark plecos but I'm not 100% sure, I am hopeful that they are indeed true melanistic.

HA! I always thought they were the same things! I guess @Atitagain you got bladder snails. If you're worried, try adding some wonder shells to the tank. Life saver for me at home!

Yep those are pond/ bladder snails! I raise snails by setting up a 10g with a sponge filter and heater. Then feed algae wafers and occasionally some left over veggies. Whenever I have some clippings I dont need or a leave is floating in a different tank, I throw it with the snails. My water is softer than 'normal' so I add wonder shell when I do a water change (4 ish times a year bc they're snails lol). They produce a lot of fecal matter and the plants help with that, but I found that keeping the 10g a bare bottom, it is very easy to just suck it up without having to gravel vac. I should note, bladder snails like a bit cooler water. Whatever you're doing seems perfect. the above post was mainly about rams horn snails. Practically the same care except warmer water for rams.

If I had to choose one from your stocking options besides the VG and Panda Corys, I would pick the Yunnanilus cruciatus. They others a little bland form me. Out of all the scape options, I personally like Wabikusa Bouquet the most. But this is all subjective. While I enjoy the Wabikusa a lot, I also like anubias only scape with large leaves. Personally I would go for some Vals if you choose the riverside scape and a way to provide a medium current, like by adding a pump head to the sponge filter. That way you can get the look of a river flowing in the tank. If you go with the Wabikusa scape, I personally like pogostemon stellatus 'octopus' and a nice assortment of moss & anubias on top of a lava rock scape. I dont like the "epiphyte" scape all that much. When you let your plants grow to a giant ball, it takes away from the beauty of the wood. You can see how it slowly gets covered and forgotten with time. Not my liking, but some love it. For a stocking idea to consider, celestial pearl danios. Really pretty fish that would add to the VG's color.

If you want to go all out and like the look, go right ahead. I dont know why'd you use a canister filter for a 10g. But to each their own. I personally like fluvial heaters and co-op course sponge but then again I am not a huge fan of zoo med. Its really all personal preference.🙂

How are you going to cull them? Turtles would love a good snack every once and awhile.

I would be worried about the gourami and angel becoming aggressive with time. The pearl gourami are generally peaceful but the males can become aggressive during mating season but with a heavy planted tank of that size, I wouldn't be worried about death, maybe some nipped fins. And the angel is more of a toss up, sometimes they're good others bad. I guess you need luck

While they're beneficial to the tank, if you want to get rid of them, remove any floating plants from the surface (these make the food) and provide very arid air around the surface as they also need humidity.

If you have a semi-fast outflow on like a pump, I would recommend some Vals. I instantly get "river" scape from their long leaves flowing from the output. So majestic.

Thank you all for the support. I've talked with a bunch of people and hung out with some of the other people in my floor. Been doing good and I guess this was a fresh start and outlook on the situation. Im going to start wearing my co-op hat to attract some other nerms😂. With best regards, -Keeg

Anybody know how to make some life long friendships in college? I moved in last week and things were going smoothly. A few days after I moved in, my roommate did too and he's a bit odd in my opinion. We ate lunch/ dinner a few times and got to know each other, but now he doesnt want to do anything, literally. All he does is sit in front of his computer with headphones all day. We're at that point in school where classes havent started and everybody is just adjusting to their living arrangement. I dont know what to do, ive invited him to go play pool, explore the campus, etc. etc. But he just says no and goes back to his computer. When I try to engage in conversation, he doesnt continue the conversation. For example: Me: "So how do you like Seattle compared to Phoenix?" Him: "its good". How are we going to carry a conversation when I do all the lifting. Frankly I just want to meet some new friends where we have things in common and aren't awkward to be around. Should I keep putting myself out there or should I wait for my classes to start where I can meet people with similar interests off the bat?

A lot of people let it soak in a tub beforehand to get the extra tannins out and water log it so it sinks, but I personally like the tannins in the water and holding it down with some rocks would work just fine.

Yep, some fry have special requirements as they're being raised. I dont know a whole lot, but I know bettas need lots of live food until they're able to eat dry food. And other fish (theres a bunch, I dont know names of) that need egg incubators for them to even be hatched properly. Ive personally found that live bearers are super easy, but bettas are the most rewarding as you get to see them grow on a more intimate level because your caring for them a lot more than the "fend for yourself" species.

So sorry for your loss. I can't imagine losing someone as close to me as a father. Does the mystery tank have the same filter and other stuff as the one you gave away? Sometimes I find random fish supplies that I never knew existed. I feel like they're a blessing. Possibly a sign, in any case, free tank and evidence of the afterlife!

They look like planaria to me, also known as flat worms. I find after I over feed the fish over a long period of time. It could be a combination of the two though. The worms in the rocks kinda look like detritus worms and the ones on the glass look like flat worms. But im going with planaria because of how thick they look.