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Kat_Rigel

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Everything posted by Kat_Rigel

  1. Kat_Rigel
    In theory, crushing the coral into smaller pieces with increase the surface area, and an increased surface area means more chances for it to dissolve (thats what you want in order to raise kH.) Just watch that you don't clog your filter.
  2. Kat_Rigel
    My understanding is that fish scent centers in the brain are pretty rudimentary. I think you're better off just trying it out. Personally I would not expect it to end well for the shrimp; bettas can sometimes see bright colors on other fish/creatures as a challenger, but it truly depends on your specific fish. It will be less hassle to use cull shrimp. Worst case scenario your fish has a healthy snack.
  3. Kat_Rigel
    It's the Wonder Shell. I know the product has tons and tons of fans, but I hate them. They really threw off my pH and gH numbers when I added one. PH dropped,, gH skyrocketed,, kH fell. To be fair, perhaps I used a shell that was too big for the tank? I dunno, I just had all manner of issues with water parameters a few days after adding it. I much prefer crushed coral because it adds both kH and gH in a more balanced manner.
  4. Kat_Rigel
    My livebearers (guppies) much prefer floating foods like flakes. I got grumpy because they ignored the Repashy lol. The corys enjoy it white a bit, as do the snails, but personally I would recommend Xtreme flake like the krill or spirulina as well as fluval bug bites. Those fattened my guppies up pretty quick- repashy as a treat rarely, but more for the other fish.
  5. Kat_Rigel
    I would try checking your water out of the tap with your test strips rather than the info from the water website. It makes it easier to compare. Ignore all those product recommendations from Tetra, they are just trying to sell you stuff (as you probably figured out.) You can add aquarium salt to increase hardness and/or crushed coral. I am fond of the coral method myself; I chuck it in the HOB filter and voila! I just try to replenish it every 10-12 months.
  6. Kat_Rigel
    If a fish would eat adult guppies, I wouldn't exactly consider it "peaceful." I guess it depends on your definition. I breed guppies and take the offspring to my LFS for store credit. Culls go in my outdoor pond. I dont have a ton of space, but someday when I do, I plan to get a big boi like a bichir or oscar to eat the culls or unwanted guppies. So that would be my recommendation- a separate tank with a bigger fish. As far as recommendations within the tank... I dont have a ton of experience but angelfish sounds like a possibility, as mentioned above.
  7. Kat_Rigel
    Ah, my Google News algorithm knows me well. Interesting article on fish scale "armor" and the trilineatus cory. https://api.nationalgeographic.com/distribution/public/amp/animals/2021/01/tiny-catfish-shrugs-off-piranha-bites
  8. Kat_Rigel
    Do you keep strains separate or are they a mixed bag/see what comes out?
  9. Kat_Rigel
    Recently snagged these adorable peppermint platys. Terrible pics, please forgive me lol I know guppies have the IFGA (International Fancy Guppy Association), but is there any organization that does "fancy platy" shows or anything? Perhaps the ALA (American Livebearers Association)?
  10. Kat_Rigel
    I LOVE IT!!! ❤❤❤
  11. Kat_Rigel
    Totally normal. Mine had this for weeks; it is growing fine and I never wiped it off or anything. Definitely has the look of a fungus though, I totally understand why you were concerned (I was too.)
  12. Kat_Rigel
    Same! I flipping love platys, but my stocking levels are way too high right now (growing out some fish to sell.) Platys are surprisingly underrepresented in breeding programs, it would seem. Like, breeding fancy guppies is very popular, but I am not familiar with any platy breeders. Perhaps we will join together and be the first and foremost specialists?! Lol But really, I wonder if breeders feel like platys aren't "challenging " enough?
  13. Kat_Rigel
    I got some medaka ricefish in September and they started breeding like crazy after just a few weeks. By my estimation, the oldest fry I have right now are about 3-4 months, and I am anxious to sell them to my LFS. However, they are only about 0.75", which seems a little on the small side for selling. I have been feeding a variety of high protein foods such as live baby brine, frozen brine shrimp, Xtreme krill flakes, and rotating in a smattering of Xtreme nano and bug bites for variety (I have a fish food problem lol) Mainly I am wondering if others find this to be a normal growth rate or if there is something I could do to (safely) ramp things up? I know that guppies can appear "chesty" if you push it too much, and I wasn't sure if I might see a similar issue here. I see that a few stray fry in my heated tanks (80*F) are bigger than in my fry growout (69*F). Do you guys think I should add a heater? Could overcrowding be an issue? (I am happy with the water quality, but it is quite overcrowded... I'd rather not admit to a number 😅) Just looking for some input from others. Thanks!
  14. Kat_Rigel
    Agreed, 10 at the minimum, more of I can.
  15. Kat_Rigel
    @Wes L., I agree with @JettsPapa- I had always heard that the neos prefer hard water while the caridinias prefer soft water. My water parameters are approximately as follows for the neo tank: pH 7.3, TDS 473, GH 12, KH 6. Ammonia, nitrite are zero, nitrate at 20ppm. Again, the reds did fine and the blues did not, so... 🤷‍♀️ So far I have at least 4, so we'll see how it goes. I dont have space right now, but in the future I would like to just set up a big 20gal long with a matten filter.
  16. Kat_Rigel
    This is a super interesting graphic! Thank you for sharing!
  17. Kat_Rigel
    This was my guess as well. Since the reds are more common, I'm guessing they required less selective breeding (when starting from wild type) than the blues or other colors. As far as water parameters, I have purchased from local breeders and checked their water parameters (as well as asked them) and they are pretty darn close to mine. So not sure what the issue is. And "failure to thrive" is EXACTLY the correct term- like, they're hanging in there, but not for too long. If my current try fails, I'll be taking a break on them for a while. Sometimes that's the best way to go about it.
  18. Kat_Rigel
    I have been keeping red cherry shrimp (as in, neocaridinia which are RED,) and have had some success in about 3 different setups. I really like the blue dream neo's, and for some reason I always fail with them! I have even tried removing the reds from their setup and putting the blues in there, but they die off after several weeks. I have tried purchasing from my LFS, from local breeders (twice!) and I'm currently on my fourth try with these buggers (thank goodness the LFS gives me trade in credit for my snails and fish!) I always drip acclimate over hours, ensure temperatures are the same, etc. They don't die right off the bat so I don't think its an acclimation issue, as I've had no problem doing the same process with the reds. Has anyone else found certain neo colors to be more sensitive? I'll get the hang of it eventually, just wondering if others have the same experience or if I'm unlucky or not setting myself up for success.
  19. Kat_Rigel
    Wondering if anyone out there has a tip for sexing ricefish. Obviously if I see one carrying eggs, we have a female. Several sources online refer to males having "bigger" anal fins, but the issue with that is you need to have both sexes in order to compare... and if I knew that I had both sexes, I would not need to know! Haha Does anyone know a better way to sex them, especially ones that do not rely on comparisons with the opposite sex?
  20. Kat_Rigel
    That was probably the best choice; it seemed like a foregone conclusion. Really weird- it doesn't seem genetic, since it did spread from one fish to another, but I don't think you could have done anything else. Here's hoping you don't see it anymore.
  21. Kat_Rigel
    Er... forgive me but it's not obvious to me. 😂 (Demonstrates my ignorance on cories.) I would definitely treat with an antibiotic like maracyn, as stated above. He's not looking real good, and an open wound is an invitation for infection. Help his body get a head start by treating with the antibiotics. I was going to recommend salt too but you have implied that it is not a good option. I would definitely put in a quarantine tank; you don't want tankmates to prey on his weakness, plus its cheaper to treat a small tank if you use meds. I wonder how he got stuck? Maybe one of his barbels got caught?
  22. Kat_Rigel
    Agreed. I did a whole post about this a little while ago; there's so much variation in determining what color those strips are. Interestingly, the Tatra strips actually have an app that will automatically read the color, but... how accurate is that, with variations Iighting? It's a constant struggle.
  23. Kat_Rigel
    I've had issues with the nitrate test accuracy, but its usually a higher reading than the true value. Did you wait long enough for the ferts to be distributed throughout the tank. I would not expect a reading of zero.
  24. Kat_Rigel
    I recommend sticking with first hand experiences; I agree that it seems like it would hurt the plant, but I have glued the rhizome without issues on multiple plants (anubias and Java fern.) I mean, you wouldn't want to slather the entire rhizome with glue or go crazy, but just a dab works fine.
  25. Kat_Rigel
    I'm here to support the fan method as well. I had axolotls as a very poor grad student, I lived in Miami, Fl (quite hot!) and kept the tank uncovered, using a fan to lower the temp. I am an A/C hog so ambient temp in the apartment was normal. I did have to top it off weekly as a good portion would evaporate. I didn't have any tank mates, and I would expect cherry shrimp to get gobbled up immediately. I was surprised that @JPF kept them in there successfully for any amount of time.) You might be able to get away with quick species like danios, but... I would not be optimistic. Because then if you're not worried about the fish, you should worry about the fish nibbling on those delicate, worm-looking axolotl gills. I hope you enjoy your axie(s)! They are great animal, super cute and just so cool!
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