[Streetwise Indoor Aquariums]

@StreetwiseI love that it's pretty self-sustaining. I'm aiming that way, but it takes a while.

[Looking for fish suggestions!]

8 minutes ago, MAC said:

I saw some Daisy Rice Fish at my LFS the other day that looked amazing in their densely planted tank. Might keep an eye out for some of those. 

I just started looking into it a couple days ago, but it's sounds like they're pretty easy to breed, and without getting overrun by too many fry. Might be fun.

[Looking for fish suggestions!]

Off the top of my head, see if endlers or rice fish match up with your parameters. I know the size would work, and they both have some color variety - particularly endlers. 

[Water Iris Mini-Ponds with Fish]

Beautiful and fun! 

Is your climate good for keeping the fish out all year, or will you need to bring them in for winter?

[Angelfish - white dots that make pieces of fin fall off]

16 minutes ago, Colu said:

 it possible it's damaging it fins on something in the tank

I wondered about that. In the past, I did have plastic plants in the tank. But in the last few months, the sharpest thing would just be the gravel, and he usually doesn't swim low enough to touch it. I think it's unlikely that the most recent white dots are the result of injury.

And even if they were the result of injury, what exactly would the white dots be made of? Something like a scar? A speck of fungus, but not a type that spreads? I'm baffled.

[Angelfish - white dots that make pieces of fin fall off]

Can't get a good picture, but can give a good description:

1 angelfish in a lightly planted 55 gallon. Only tank mates are snails.

Every few months, 1 tiny white 3D dot will appear on a boney part of a fin - not the webbed part. The dot tends to be about 1 cm from the tip. After days to weeks, the bone is bent at the dot, as if broken. A few days later, the dot and the boney section past it simply fall off. The most frequent fins are the 2 long dangly ventral fins.

Currently, there are 3 of these white dots - 1 on a ventral, and 2 on the tips of the anal fin. This has been happening for years, but I'd never seen 3 at a time before. 

Parameters:

• pH 7.8-8.0
• Nitrates 10-30
• Hardness 11
• Nitrite 0
• Ammonia 0
• KH/Buffer 3
• Water Temperature 76

Any ideas?

[Long time lurker, finally made an account to participate]

I love the clear porch pond! 

[Fish Suggestions for a 29 Gallon]

I know Irene from Girl Talks Fish has videos involving honey gouramis. They might help. What I'm linking is just one. There are at least two more.

 

[Does Fritz ParaCleanse treat the tank also or just the fish?]

1 minute ago, Colu said:

 the meds are absorbed thought they skin of the fish 

Good. Thank you.

Anyone know if I should take my Purigen bags out of my filters while I use the ParaCleanse?

[Does Fritz ParaCleanse treat the tank also or just the fish?]

@Schwack I'm about to use ParaCleanse to treat probable intestinal parasites. 

Do fish swallow the medicated water into their digestive system?

The instructions from ParaCleanse and ACO say that it treats internal parasites, but don't say you need to actively find a way to make them swallow it. Am I missing something?

[Maintaining a stable pH]

26 minutes ago, Mmiller2001 said:

 my pH swings from 7.3 to 5.9 every single day

Just clarifying: That swing is happening in a single tank? (Instead of multiple tanks that each has its own steady pH.)

[Maintaining a stable pH]

2 minutes ago, CalmedByFish said:

@Hobbit  High school chemistry was either the 1st or 2nd class in school that I could barely pass. 🙄 

Edit: And now I see you were a science teacher! LOL Good luck with ME. Pff! 

Edit #2: Apparently I've also lost the ability to post correctly. Whatever. I'm off to my non-nerm life for now. 

[Maintaining a stable pH]

@Hobbit  High school chemistry was either the 1st or 2nd class in school that I could barely pass. 🙄 

[Maintaining a stable pH]

3 hours ago, Eric R said:

KH serves as a buffer, because it keeps acids from lowering your water's pH

So increasing KH doesn't directly raise the pH? It just prevents other things from *lowering* the pH? 

[Maintaining a stable pH]

I still don't really understand the KH stuff above. (I'm new to doing this well.) 

When I recently asked a similar question, forum members told me that fish can adjust to a non-ideal pH much better than they can handle fluctuations, and said to not "chase" pH. So I stopped, letting my pH stay at the 7.8-8.0 that it is out of the tap. So far, so good. The only species we both have is snails, but I can at least tell you the snails are fine with it.

For the future, it was also suggested that I stick with choosing animals that are good with a higher pH, so I don't have to worry about it. I guess that would also apply to plant choices. 

[50 Rummy-nose Tetras]

To help somebody more experienced than me answer: How big will each be when you get them? (If you know.) 

[Listened to the guy at the fish store and now I have a pleco that's going to be bigger than I bargained for]

I'm sorry this happened. I'd guess it's a high percentage of us that have gotten terrible "info" from store workers. 

[I Made These Baby Panda Corys!]

1 hour ago, Nancy K said:

Yes with the heater in the tank powerless and no heat in the house the water got very cold and I think that was what spawned them. 

That is astonishing to me. I remember crying for people and their fish as that was happening. This is the first I've heard of the situation creating life instead of killing. Beautiful. Love it. 

[I Made These Baby Panda Corys!]

I can tell this is an awesome story, but I can't quite tell what it is! Is getting cold what triggered the spawning? So the babies are the silver lining of the TX freeze?

[Help with my new fish that's too large]

I recently had to keep a too-big fish in a tank for 1-2 months while I replaced his usual big tank. Not ideal, but he's fine now. I think I'd just take a deep breath and start setting up the big tank. You can use some bacteria-covered stuff from your current tanks to jump-start the cycling. 

You really don't need to worry about the light yet (stick a lamp nearby?), or the C02 yet (if at all?). And if he wants to eat algae, algae wafers might be a great option.

Based on pictures, you've probably got plants that will do fine with low light and no C02. 

So in answer to your specific questions. 1) That's what I'd do. 2) At least a couple months - long enough to not worry while you set up the big tank.

[intro ..]

The tub and "hold my beer" comment both made me laugh. I'm *pretty* sure I love the tub pond. 🤣

Welcome!

[Heater nearly cooked my fish]

One other idea is to use multiple little heaters instead of a single big one. That way if a heater gets stuck on, you've got more time to find the problem before the water's too hot. 

[Medaka Rice Fish - just a story]

When I was young, I briefly lived in Japan. I once saw plastic bags of small white fish being sold, and of course, bought a bag. I had no idea what they were, but they made me happy.

With all the recent mentions of medaka rice fish, I just realized that must be what they were! It's been decades of not knowing. I'm so intrigued! 

... and maybe, of course, I can get some.  🙂 

[Philosophical Question on Culling]

I just remembered something that I don't think anyone's mentioned.

Part of what pushed me into "my fish can eat my fish" was just reading the ingredient list on their flake food one day, and wondering how exactly the fish in the flake food went from swimming to unconscious. It was probably a horrible experience for them. Probably not anything quick or humane about it.

From thinking about that, staring at the ingredient list, I realized whatever happens in our home aquariums is usually far less awful. 

Now that I think about it, it may actually be more ethical to feed our carnivorous fish in a way that keeps us in charge of how the food-fish are treated throughout their life and death. Not practical really - but getting closer to ideal.

[Philosophical Question on Culling]

2 hours ago, Brandy said:

If we stop struggling with these things it is time to stop raising animals in any capacity. Short lives should be good lives, as any farmer knows. There should only be one bad day. 

Well said.