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OnlyGenusCaps

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Everything posted by OnlyGenusCaps

  1. OnlyGenusCaps
    Agreed! I did the same successfully for the firs time this winter, probably based on the same tips from Cory. I've broken tanks in the past with the BRS method, and was thrilled at how easy it was with Cory's method. Made all the difference in the world!
  2. OnlyGenusCaps
    Those are so tiny! Love them!
  3. OnlyGenusCaps
    No. They are submerged in habitat for sometimes a week or more, but they can't survive long-term in that state. Aldrovanda is as close as you can get. But there are some red forms of that.
  4. OnlyGenusCaps
    There is a plant that is basically an underwater Venus fly trap.
  5. OnlyGenusCaps
    I've got some matten filters right now I am playing with, but for small tanks I like a box filter more than a sponge for all of the mess reasons mentioned above. The big reason though is that box filters can be whatever you like. They are like little sumps in that way. If you want more mechanical filtration, use filter floss as the top layer, and pull it out once a week (or whenever it gets dirty, which is easy to assess). Need more bioreaction/nitrification? Devote more space to that with some lava rock or something similar. It's air driven so it has all the energy efficiency advantages of a sponge filter, it's just way, way more flexible as a platform. You could even fill the box with sponges if you really like that material. 🤪
  6. OnlyGenusCaps
    Agreed! I have about 50+ species of carnivorous plants that I grow. I started a local club a decade ago, and have served on the board of the international society. I suppose I like them a bit. 🤔
  7. OnlyGenusCaps
    Agreed that there is a chasm of difference between what we are talking about and sea water. I also think the point about baby brine addition is solid. The information available about what comes through seems oddly variable depending on source. I've gone down a bit of a rabbit hole on this. I find the numbers that claim lower ionic concentrations coming through to be suspect, as that should not be how ionic exchange works (certainly doesn't on charged columns on scientific equipment). Depending on the source, very hard water through a softener could bring you into the lowest range for the strictest definition of brackish water - although where people draw the line for brackish varies as well, by a factor of two! Or I can find numbers that claim loads of calcium cleared out with essentially no sodium input. Much like @KaitieG, I am getting a softener installed just on the hot water line. I'm curious enough, I plant to investigate. But for now, I must emerge from this particular rabbit hole.
  8. OnlyGenusCaps
    Maybe ours are different. Mine comes apart easily and is pretty quick to clean with a scrub from an old toothbrush. Or, I'm just doing a terrible job of it. That seems possible too. 😂
  9. OnlyGenusCaps
    Agreed. I have a jetlifter on some matten filters. Never go back to airstones again. So much flow!
  10. OnlyGenusCaps
    Right. Sodium in your water. That's what I am sating. And the link admits to that. Arguing it's not "salt" because it is not NaCl is a cute little industry trick. But, yup, you'll get sodium in your water. Could be sodium carbonate, which is still a salt.
  11. OnlyGenusCaps
    So, I have done sponge prefilters and filters from the long rectangle Cubematerial pieces of Poret foam in the Cubefilter section of Swiss Tropicals. I cut the foam to the general size I need with a razor, and then use a hole saw to create the spot for the tube to the depth I need. Make sure the drill is set on reverse so the hole saw won't bind and tear the foam. Cut the hole slightly smaller than the tube diameter and you should be set.
  12. OnlyGenusCaps
    Water softeners exchange Calcium for Sodium (largely, but there are other lesser ions exchanged, and you could use potassium salts instead at a higher cost). Sodium is a 1+ ion and Calcium a 2+. You'll be getting two atoms of sodium in your water for each calcium atom removed. Basic chemistry. If you water is really hard, you could see some salinity. That said, if you are really concerned, you could get a salinity test/refractometer to be certain. Always good to test the water. Then you can be sure.
  13. OnlyGenusCaps
    That's great news! Sounds like it worked. With any luck that will take care of it, but if not the first time you'll know what to do. I'm excited for you!
  14. OnlyGenusCaps
    I am currently a member of the MAS too. I'm curious how you'd liked it, even the auctions? To your main point, I didn't know that as @Fish Folk pointed out (thanks for the link BTW) the Co-Op even had this feature in their website. Given that they seem open to that, perhaps one solution might be a feature of an old forum I where I was a participant for another hobby. In this case this was an international society for this hobby, but local societies could register an account and there was a board where only these approved society accounts could announce meetings, auctions, etc. In the case here there could be a pinned link at the top with the map that is already on Aquarium Co-Op. If this is an interest of yours perhaps you could make suggestions you have on the "Website Suggestions" thread, or maybe just ask @Daniel about it directly. A national level clearing house for information does help people find local resources. Just not sure Aquarium Co-Op wants that or not.
  15. OnlyGenusCaps
    Sorry to hear it was hard on your khuli loaches. That must have been a bit stressful for you - and them. Hopefully you only need to do this once, and you'll be rid of it. Pesky stuff that.
  16. OnlyGenusCaps
    This is what I love about this forum! It's not just about immediate responses. People will go off and think about stuff. I did too! I found your original post quite thought provoking and I've learned a lot from the rabbit hole it took me down. Your post caused me to think about what might be out there on fairy shrimp culture already. There are a few articles on culturing them, but I think the one I liked best was this one on semi-automated culturing of fairy shrimp. I don't have the bandwidth for yet another project right now, but when I do I might give this technique a go. Sorry I can't post the full pdf here.
  17. OnlyGenusCaps
    I think what you have is often called "staghorn algae" and not BBA. It's another freshwater red algae (yes I know these species aren't "red", but that's what they are related to). I had a tank infected with both staghorn and BBA last autumn. I did recently tear it all down, but that was for the BBA not the staghoprn which I found much easier to control with peroxide. Spot treating with peroxide didn't harm my shrimp. I can't tell you about the frogs though, and I might be inclined to pull them during any treatment for a few hours. After that the peroxide should be completely gone. Don't take my word for the safety with shrimp though. Here is a whole video about it (though he treats the whole tank, and I just spot treated the algae with a syringe). Good luck!
  18. OnlyGenusCaps
    This is amazing! Following.
  19. OnlyGenusCaps
    I would like to state, that I thoroughly enjoy the bluegrass/hip-hop vibe on the hermit crab video. Epic!
  20. OnlyGenusCaps
    Does it look fluffy? Like this? If so, it's called black beard algae. It's a contaminant on plants and other things that stay wet. Your tank has been infected. Sorry. There are ways to control it with hydrogen peroxide, to which it is very sensitive. Some try lighting and nutrient tricks. I just tore down an aquarium that got infected, sprayed everything with peroxide, and am reworking the whole thing. I feel this is easier than constantly dealing with the stuff. If this is what it is, don't buy plants from the same place. It's a likely source. Good luck!
  21. OnlyGenusCaps
    I fear you are right. I try, and often fail, to avoid being part of the disposable culture. I suppose I was hoping one company resisted. I may give that a go. Thanks!
  22. OnlyGenusCaps
    I know there are many, many questions about air pumps and noise. I'm less concerned about that than being able to maintain an air pump. I have a small Tetra Whisper and the air intake filter has gotten dirty. I was unable to find the little filters for it, and so e-mailed the company. They, unhelpfully, referred me to a diaphragm repair kit. So, I am curious does anyone know of a small air pump that is easy to maintain including getting new air filters for? Or are all the ones you can do routine maintenance on larger pumps? For my purposes, I only really need a small pump. All input and opinions welcome. Thanks everyone!
  23. OnlyGenusCaps
    Such a great tank! It is so unique, creative, and adventurous. I'm so glad to see it here. 😀 Edit: following.
  24. OnlyGenusCaps
    Hello @eatyourpeas. Great to see you over here! You have some of the coolest projects in the works that I know of. I'm looking forward to all of your updates here! It'll be wonderful to add your creative and adventurous tanks keeping to this fantastic community!
  25. OnlyGenusCaps
    Interesting topic! I've considered doing Daphnia but never pulled the trigger to try (which is sad because one of my wife recent post-docs was doing research on them, and it he made culturing them look super easy!). I am curious if anyone has tried culturing any of the freshwater Anostraca, or if people only use brine shrimp. I'd think they would be similar nutritionally, but you might be able to have a colony of the freshwater ones on hand much like the Daphnia. Actually, come to think of it, does anyone know why only salt water Anostraca eggs are available on such a large scale? I suspect that might hold the answer.
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