Tedrock

Second wonder shells! It addresses hardness and the issue of GH. I suggest some reading on GH and KH. The coop had videos hosted by Irene.

Things to consider might be sun, does it get any? if so a glass/two pane thermoplastic sheets tops will trap warm air no gaps. That will add significant degrees. +5 or more at night so that may keep it in the low 50's with a heater on low and that may increase the types of fish you may keep. I do this in the spring and fall here in New England. My guppies can stay out till October that way.

I am a HS teacher as well and deal with the same concerns. Students do appreciate it and it has benefits for social emotional growth. I would educate all who use the space the living nature of the environment you are sharing with them. Have the students serve as stewards and guardians of nature as much as they can. Use it as a learning experience for them and hope the mistakes are few and far in between. all the best, Tedrock

Thanks so much this explains a lot about their behavior.

I adopted some abandoned fish from another teacher in my high school. They are outside my wheelhouse can you assist me in identifying them and a little info about them please? Many thanks, Tedrock

Always food usually brine shrimp and cycle between repashy and extreme. A couple of plants and Ziss airline values/air stones. Also any new coop product I am a sucker I know.

I started with half moon tiger mosaic guppies but learned you saturate a lfs clientele with niches guppies like this. You have a window. Then I spoke to mgr of stores who said primary colors move so I invested in Albino full red guppies, then Koi guppies. Customers will buy these and I can sell them 30 every 3 weeks. I have found there are two main types of LFS guppy buyers. “That is a cool color fish I want it” and then there is the “I want a High end guppy that most LFS or chain stores don’t carry.” That is two types of guppy markets. Both have their merits.

I totally agree this isn’t about making real money it is just supporting the hobby and help paying for the electric bill until I make a enclosed fish room I can heat separately. That is what is killing me here in Massachusetts. I switched to cool water fish to keep costs down but if I go heater-less, breeding slows to a trickle. I have some tough cool water guppies.

I got paid cash - well a check. I really doubted that I will get to this point but I want to thank Cory and the Coop team for this video series and all informational videos. It has taken over a year and a half, full of fish room drama. Fits and restarts, driving to LFS all around New England, wondering if I would ever produce anything consistently. Well I stuck to the formula - shrimp, guppies, and now plecos - with Java moss sprinkled in. Started with shrimp and store credit for over a year. Well over the weekend I got my first check as you can see in the pic. I was a little surprised it actually happened. I don’t want to be a total fanboy here but I will say I followed the suggestions or guidance from Cory in his series and it paid off, literally. Thank you again, Tedrock If people want to hear more specific things I learned in my experience I can share just let me know.

I have been watching these specific videos for months before this how to make the trays videos came out. Thanks Dean and the Coop! I totally copied everything about them credit will always be given!

Hi Dino, While I am no snail expert, I have had many snails. Snails can rest sure, a day, two, three even. If you see immobility for a week check the tank hardness. You may have done this but GH and KH do make a difference in overall activity. KH controls acidity which besides affecting the shell, I think may also affect the skin/body. I have not read that any where or heard it any place, it just just seems to me as a possibility. Also I believe diet plays a roll, you need to mix it up. Please you could already being doing this but veggies are HUGE. Then there is stuff like snello - look it up if you don't already use it, that is a deep dive down the tunnel of joys to pampering your snail. Now again these are just some ideas, I hope I may have helped a little. Tedrock

I currently have a thing for rice fish. Some people like Discus, others Plecos, with me currently it is Rice fish. I have a problem, access to different strains. Here in the US i have searched the internet - Aquabid, Ebay, and a few major commercial websites. I have found the basics like Daisy, Platinum, Red Cap, Orange. Now on the thread I see there are others like Blue. Does anyone know where more unique ones can be found? I understand that in Japan and parts of Asia this is common place but here it is super niche area in the hobby. Can you point me in a direction. Is there a facebook group or club? Can you message me a vendor's name? Your help would be appreciated. Tedrock

I would love to find those in the U.S. I have never heard of them.

I find the smaller the food the better. I used extreme krill too and they would struggle with even crushed sizes. I found coop fry food the go to food. As for eggs I would pull the moss I kept in their tank and place it in a ziss breeder box. Fry would soon be born.

The Orange medaka are light orange solid translucent throughout the body. The Koi currently have milky white core with orange blending into their spine and into the head. I have attached Aqua huna’s pic mine aren’t that orange yet so I hope the color returns.

Well there is a lot of buzz all of a sudden about them. I like them because they are a cool water fish and I can breed them in my fishroom without heaters. Currently I have Orange Platinum and a new line of Koi rice fish. We will see if they really are Koi or Aqua huna will be getting a strongly worded email. I really do hope they become more popular.

You are so right remember their collection as you mention the number of tanks you have. Great point. We all remember beanie babies!

When it comes to my wife and the price of fish anything under 50 is fine but for big purchases there need to be a meeting of budget committee. It is worse than Congress.

How do you tell others about your passion for aquatics? I don’t like calling it a hobby it seems more than that to me. No but really, how does the subject come up? Do they just see all the fish themed merch that adorns you or work space and the side ways glance appears. Now mind you I really don’t care what people think, I am me I am happy. Fish, shrimp, snails, underwater gardening give me peace. I just dislike that awkward moment when you must explain what the “hobby” is to you with the least words possible which is different in every situation. Just looking for some different perspectives. many thanks Tedrock

Hi Zenzo, I know this is the first event of its kind, I guess. This could be a mobbed event or no one comes (the later is never going to happen) How might you track possible registration without being counter productive to the local membership. I am an east coast guy I don’t have a sense of the members base there, but I know it runs deep. So this event may bring tons of members out. I was just wondering for you guys. But I am sure you have had this discussion and are working on a plan. Tedrock

First off I am no expert but I struggled with this same issue. I built a “fishroom” 20 tanks and my city water is not bad but breeding was my goal. I wanted to more successful with shrimp and so I took the plunge. I bought a RO DI system during Black Friday. It has made a difference in breeding but I would say it is not absolutely necessary. I am a shrimp person so remineralization is a must so you need to ask what is your end goal. It makes top off’s and water changing super easy but you have keep in mind it is an added cost. Tedrock

Now that is beautiful a dream tank.

Jimmy also uses them in the coop videos too, different times but the concept is the same.

I agree the rice and minnows are go to go in the garage the guppies would be good for sure down to 60. After that I would try a test sample this year. If you want to run a small tank just for them you could heat that and insulate with materials to keep costs down. This all depends on how many fish you have. I hope this helps. Tedrock

Corals now that is a world I have no idea about, you could be talking about the moon.