OnlyGenusCaps

I hope you successfully find them soon. They are awesome, and should be way, way more common in the hobby! Totally! The owner of TCG is a really smart dude, and he's so willing to share his knowledge. I really enjoy talking to him. This little trick of his may have solved my problem! That's hilarious! It did not occur to me it could be taken that way. Thanks for wishing me luck!

The main place I have to keep tanks of various sorts is underneath the stairs to my basement. Glamorous, I know. Actually, it's even worse than that. To get there, you need to exit the basement into the garage (cold in a Minnesota winter, and hot in a Minnesota summer), then through a cramped storage area, past the well tank and water treatment equipment, near the boiler, finally to access the one wall I can put tanks on. This rabbit warren of a space, is my little sanctuary. And inspired by @Atitagain's description of his aquatic vivariums, I have also decided to give this odd little space a Latin name - "Subscalarium", which roughly translates as the under stair -arium. Basically, I've decided to combine all of my efforts in this one place into a single journal. And I thought it needed a... Unique name. Yes, let's go with unique. I'll get photos of the space at some point soon, partly because I have plans to make it much nicer. You know, so I want to spend time there. I'd been thinking about this for a month or so, but then Zenzo's new vid really sold me on the importance of finding ways to spend time with your tanks. I mean, how can I enjoy them if I am never near them?! And this part of the house is about as far away from anything as I can get - so I have to go there. The thing that made me decide to post something today, is this: These are hatched but not yet released wrigglers of desert gobies (Chlamydogobius eremius). I have been trying to figure out how to get the fry for a while now, a little like @HillstreamBoy's efforts with his Rhinogobius. The problem is that the male cares very well for the eggs, and any time I pulled them they fungused on me quite quickly. So, I've been working on timing the pull correctly. But I've also figured out that the flow I was getting in my Ziss breeder box was woefully insufficient for this species. I suspect the male is fanning them almost constantly. I wasn't quite sure what to do, until I got to chatting with the guy who owns Twin Cities Guppies. He told me that the Fluval hang-on breeder boxes can be hooked up to a small desktop fountain pump and provide way more flow that way. So that's what I've done here: You can see I've stuffed some 30ppi Poret foam in the main overflow to try to keep the wrigglers in. And here is the tiny pump I bought on Amazon: I'm pretty encouraged. For one thing, one of the wrigglers went free swimming while I was finishing getting this set up! Sadly, it was pulled over the tiny stream of the secondary overflow, which lead me to put a second strip of Poret over that. I am a little worried that the current will be too strong for the little guys when they release. I need to go and get some moss tomorrow. I don't have any on hand. A big breeder no-no. But I'm excited because I am getting so, so close! Wish me luck on this batch. I'd love to BAP these. They are the coolest fish!

I'm glad someone else gets overcome with excitement when they find something new! I'd hate to be alone in that. 🤣

You have such and easier time in the winter getting stuff done. I can't even spray paint stuff, or glue PVC (unless I do it in my house). I miss Maryland winters. The summers I'm okay I left behind though. Nice rescue!

And there is why I am not sure I'll ever be able to keep any of these species. My water is 320ppm TDS and 8.4pH. I'll have to live vicariously though your efforts! Which is far more cost effective. For me. 😁

I love that you simply can not be stopped. You are a fish breeding force of nature! I've only ever had my eye on one species of Betta, because it can do brackish water, I think it might handle my very hard water - Betta mahachaiensis. Looks similar to the one you are chasing right now. I'll be watching this thread to glean what I can from your efforts just in case I am bitten by the same Betta bug someday.

😧😮😲😳💡 When this is setup, I could snorkel with Lake Malaŵi cichlids! 🤯

Today was a momentous day for me. It was the first day I've ever climbed into one of my tanks! I needed to get the overflow drains in today, and so I had to get on a ladder and climb into the aquarium so that I could get the pipes measured to be cut to the right length for the drains (I'm doing a Herbie style drain set up in each of the overflow weirs). It was surreal sitting inside of the tank and realizing "this is what my fish will see when they are swimming around in here!" Productive day though. I got the drain lines cut and in, as well as the Loc-Line returns installed. Basically all of the stuff I need to crawl into the tank for. For now... In the process I learned that anything that you have to do while working from inside the tank takes far, far longer than you expect! Think about how annoying it is when you forget something you need at the bottom of the ladder? Well, add crawling in and out of a tank lid to that. Makes me wish I was more organized. I also learned that I don't think I ever want a tank much deeper than 30". When you have to reach the o-ring for a bulkhead at the bottom of an overflow weir, 30" is deep enough!

Well, the results are in. I tested, what was it, 7 things, I think. The epoxy did work! But, the cheap wood laminate pealed in a spot. Because of the epoxy? Honestly, I don't know. But, @TheDukeAnumber1, solid advice on the flexible stuff, sir! The rigid stuff, like liquid nails started cracking when I snapped the magnets on and off repeatedly. The hot glue also worked, but the nickel plating on the magnets seemed to let peal back more easily than for the winner. For the record though, I think either the epoxy or hot glue would have worked. But, I've decided to go with a caulk: Loctite Power Grab Ultimate Crystal Clear. It's easier to work with than either the hot glue or the epoxy. It stays flexible, and grabs both things well. All I have to do is squirt a very small amount on the wood, press the magnet into it, and then I covered it with masking tape to hold it firm (probably an unnecessary step, but I'll continue for peace of mind). I couldn't pick it off with my nails, and it sowed no signs of wear from the snap tests. Plus, the sound of the snap seemed dampened when it and the hot glue were used, which I hope will help the magnet avoid cracking over time. The one down side is that it absolutely needs 24hrs to cure. Check it in 12 and you'll be convinced it will never set. By 24hrs, it has magically cured and the magnet was solid in place. Thanks everyone for the advice and help! It was quite disheartening to have the epoxy mess happen, but thanks to you all, I believe this has worked out much better in the end.

So, I am a rescue puppy here from another fish forum. And I couldn't be more happy about having this community as a resource and as support; to keep me going when I fail; to celebrate with me when things go well. All of this was put into stark contrast when I revisited a forum for another interest of mine recently. There, any decision is met with 50% or more of people telling you how you have done something in the wrong. Because there is an accepted dogma of what is "right", even though as we all know around here there can be many acceptable ways to accomplish a goal. It's disheartening to work hard on something and then share it there, only to be questioned and undermined for any decision that deviates from cannon (typo stays as it's funny and evokes the firing squad feel of sharing on that site). Here though, there is something magical people do. When anything in particular isn't to their taste, or of particular interest, even just at the moment, they - and this is the magic part - move on. I don't know why that seems so hard for people to do other places. Indeed, not doing something seems to me to be the easier approach. Yet, for some reason people in other places feel the need to go to the effort to gripe, complain, and belittle someone for things that don't impact them. I do think that's part of the difference between here and much of the internet. The quiet civility of not. Of letting live. Of letting go. It seems when people recognize that not every thought needs to be uttered, kindness and support can grow in a community. Perhaps it is restraint that the core of civility itself? I am just very thankful for that, and this place this morning.

That was the most entertaining rant I've had the pleasure of reading in a while! Thank you for that. I needed that today. I too try to recognize when something I am dealing with has objectively gotten so bad it crosses the line into farcical. Your vendor probably lives that way daily! 🤣

Sorry to hear of the delay. I hope you are treated well also. That said, I've loved the frenetic pace of the updates here. Fits the hurried lives of the inhabitants you are awaiting!

The tale of the failed epoxy has turned into a bit of a snag in working on the paneling. If you really care, you can check that out here: I've decided I do not want to let that hold me up. So today I purchased $300 in plumbing fittings. 🙄 Big tanks = big bills. This will get me started on the sump build. For some reason the photos of the sump arrangement in my previous post are now unavailable. 🤷‍♂️ I did replace the first containers anyhow, making it a bit different regardless. Here is the basic arrangement: It will consist of 3 RV water tanks linked with PVC. The first two will be constant volume containers, and the third will fluctuate with the return pump going on and off as well as automatic water-changer. Once I get working on the plumbing I'll go over details of the flows and purposes of each chamber. But for now, I need to decide how I want to get into these tanks so I can get started!

Thanks everyone for the advice! I decided now that I have some scrap, I may as well run some tests with different options. Plus, I have decided to do a polyurethane coating on the wood to try to prevent it from warping from changes in moisture, and I can't do that until we get days that are at least 10C from what I am reading. So, I have a little time anyhow, I've decided. For the test, I swung by the place with the helpful hardware man, and she was! I'm going to retest my epoxy, and do the hot glue, plus a few other adhesive possibilities. I going to think of the tape as a last resort because it is just so much more expensive. I'll let you all know how it comes out tomorrow. Thanks again! This community is great!

It's finally going to be warm enough to try that today. So, I'll give it a go. My garage has been well below freezing, but today should get to 5C before falling again. A tropical heatwave!

I'm already using hot glue to attache the acoustic foam to the panel. I'll definitely try this. I guess I just figured it wouldn't work with the metal. It's set up next to the project already. Easy enough to test. Great idea! Thanks! If not, I might just track down that crazy magnetic tape that @Mydonkeyfish found. Tape and hot glue - now we are at my skill level of DIY: beginner, set on easy mode. I just looked that tape up and it's really expensive for my purposes. Let's try the hot glue first. 😁

I would do a magnet sandwich, but as mentioned I'm trying to get this to stick to a powder coated steel frame. It's 2 inches thick, and I don't want to think about the size magnet I'd need to get that to work through the frame. My keys would rip out of my pocket when I walked by. 😉 All kidding aside, I like that technique and my sump will use a sock holder doing this, plus I want my wave maker pumps for this tank to be the ones that do that as well. Attaching equipment like that is awesome! So, I'm using 0.25 inch diameter magnets. They are quite strong, but obviously don't provide a large surface area. I'm curious about this glue tape. Tell me more! If not for this project, it seems like a useful bit of knowledge for the future. When I was considering actual plywood, which is heavier than the stuff I am using now, I was thinking about counter sinking epoxy coated magnets, but battling potential warping and holding up that much weight was going to require very large magnets. So that idea was chucked in the bin - like most of mine. 😜 The wood is certainly thin enough that I could use magnets outside to hold it up. The down side there would be the aesthetics, and I suppose the small amount of extra labour (I put the "u" in there just for you) in collecting the magnets each time. If I fail too many more times, maybe I will go this route. That's a good idea. I think it might not be quite strong enough to hold the weight. But I like your thinking! Thanks everyone! I'm going to reattempt the dreaded epoxy. Wish me luck!

I mean, you are correct. I just don't want it to be true. Okay, back at it tomorrow. I'll post how poorly I do. 😆

So, you are saying that I 🤬 up the epoxy, and I need to do it right. That checks out and I believe you. I guess I was just hoping for an easier way out. Oh well. Back to scraping glue off wood, and trying to be better at DIY. 😒

This is amazing! Thanks for keeping us posted on your experiences! I am sure I have males guarding most days. I need to be better about pulling the eggs and raising the fry. This is inspiring! I'll give it a go as soon as I am set up to do so.

So, I'm trying to cover a powder coated steel aquarium frame with some wood to hide the sump, but I've run into a bit of a snag. I plan to attach magnets to thin (1/4 inch) plywood. First go was epoxy. Never hardened. That could be my fault. Probably is. But it makes me leery to try it again. Today I got some caulk recommended to me at "big box store" and while it stuck well to the wood, it didn't even pretend to try to stick to the magnet. Masking tape could peel the thing off from the caulk. So now I have two board that I can't use;except to try to do glue tests. I'm open to ideas. How would you glue a magnet to wood?

As a connoisseur of peatmoss (not a joke, don't ask), I'd like to say, that stuff is awesome! Also Maryland crab cream cheese sounds great! Plus, a bagel. We don't have anything like good bagles around here. They are like Wonderbread™ rounds. So disappointing. Looks like you are off to a great start! Quick question, do the eggs need months to dry (i.e. really slow drying), or can they dry quickly and just need to be stored dry for months?

I'll be trying that today. And don't worry, not every update will turn "I had epoxy that didn't cure" into a pages long story. 🤥

Good! I was secretly hoping you'd make this decision. Not only do you need to make mistakes to learn, believe you have enough experience and talent to quickly figure out what is going on with these little gems. Glad you took the plunge!

New inhabitants... New adventures!