Chris
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Posts posted by Chris
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On 12/25/2023 at 11:54 AM, Shadow said:
One thing I have learned with this hobby, nature has a way of throwing you curveballs and learning experiences.
Sure does! This hobby is almost never boring!
On 12/25/2023 at 11:54 AM, Shadow said:As far as the Goby, this is the one I am speaking of...
Yeah, I've had these guys in the past. Super cool relationship with the shrimp, but maybe not the most fun fish you'll have in your tank IMO - really depends where they set up their cave. I've found blennies tend to be a bit more exciting to watch, on average.
In good news - I had a male and 3 females make it through the epistylis apocalypse, and probably about 10 fry. So in the end, it's taken salt, erythromycin, lots of aeration, and Ich-X to get them through it. Seems like maybe the platies brought in an infection, or possibly I had an ammonia spike that led to the epistylis taking hold. The fry look clear of spots, and the adults only have a couple spots per fish left. Hoping for the best.
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On 12/24/2023 at 9:19 PM, Shadow said:
@Chris first off, thanks for the journal! I started several myself on here. I just added a Saltwater Journal as my friend gave me two Waterbox Nano Reef Aquariums. I am setting up the first soon and plan to go pretty much all coral, anemone, maybe a couple Black Storm Clowns and some other things. Is your Goby a Watchman Goby? I was thinking of one of those and a Peppermint Pistol with it since they have a symbiotic relationship.
Secondly, with ich, I have tried this before and worked like a charm, Father Fish's technique of raising the water temp.Thanks man! Could you be a little more specific on which goby you're talking about? I've had a couple different Yellow Watchmans over the past several years but don't have any currently. I think the one in this journal was likely either a neon goby or a clown goby - I have both currently - but this journal has been around for a little while at this point, so I may be misremembering.
The symbiotic relationship is really cool, but they'll be a fish and shrimp you don't see all the time. Sometimes they even put their cave in a place where you never see them - which sucks. Plus, gotta keep a deep sand bed. Not deal-killers, but things to keep in mind.
I ended up deciding this disease is definitely epistylis after observing for a few days. The bumps are raised off the body too far for ich, it came on way too suddenly, and was far too deadly for any ich I've seen. I've lost all the blue platies, and all my guppies and Bristle nose except for a few fry and a couple struggling adults. Kinda just monitoring, feeding good food, and dosing meds to see if any make it through. The tank went from around 30-40 fish to about 8 in a week 😞
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On 12/22/2023 at 6:48 PM, JBeehler said:
White worm generally requires a starter culture?
Yep, as far as I know. Aquabid has several sellers offering cultures at basically any time, if you can't find a culture local.
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I've had a total of 7 of these things - I ordered my first in September of 2020, and ended up buying 6 more over the course of 2020/2021. Of those 7, I still have 2 running in my fishroom - the other 5 all quit working in a similar way to what y'all are talking about. They'd quit pumping, and a quick smack or wallop with something would get them going again. Some started making rattling sounds, and I think one or two were "working" but barely pumping air. Eventually the 5 I threw out became so weak that I replaced them with the Aquatop pumps (this was before Co-Op pumps were available, I think) and they've been great. The 2 nano pumps I still have are both being used on tanks running sponge filters, no issues. Most of the pumps burned out in the first year I had them, with one or two quietly dying since then.
I wouldn't buy a nano pump to run 24/7 again (unless there's a re-design), but they're still a useful tool to have and they're still better than most air pumps you can buy from Tetra/Fluval/Chain stores, at least in my opinion.
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On 12/19/2023 at 8:26 AM, JettsPapa said:
I've heard that explained as "Do like I say, not like I do."
Yep. I should know better!
I'm thinking this looks more like epistylis. I dosed Ich-X and salt, hoping for the best.
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Yall ever preach something and not follow it 100%, only to have it come back and bite you?
Yep, I didn't QT. I thought it'd be fine to mix in some Aquabid platies from a reputable seller with my guppies.
I'd noticed some odd behavior the past couple days, but didn't see any symptoms i associated with ich. Tonight, I look in the tank and the fish are covered in it, and I've got three dead fish. Kinda wild how quickly this has progressed.
Dosed 1tbsp of salt per 2 gallons of water after I removed my mystery snails and plants, and we'll see what survives.
Ugh.
In other, better news - the cardinals have started eating decently well. Two are definitely doing better than the other guy, just not sure if he's ill, stressed, or possibly a third wheel.
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They're starting to come around!
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Alrighty, two pieces of news.
For one, I found ricefish eggs! Woo! They used my spawning mop. I counted about 8. I've had eggs, but I've never tried to raise the fry. Super excited!
Second, I moved the ricefish onto the rack in a 10 gallon. I moved all the plants and rock as well. New substrate, since I wanted Gravel.
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On 12/16/2023 at 9:50 PM, msudawgs56 said:
Your flowerhorn is looking great. I just got another one after having to sell mine a few years ago in a move. I think the black sand is a great addition. I have a 75 gallon for mine once he is out of quarantine. I think yours would love the 75 too once you can get one. I've enjoyed reading through your posts. Keep them coming!
Thanks! I love them, they're a really fun fish. Very interactive.
I actually did upgrade mine to a 75 a couple months ago, just never posted. Did away with the decor because he was starting to hurt himself on it a bit.
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I would agree that you should pinpoint the exact cause of your algae instead of assuming it's your light. IME, even a cheap Amazon LED fixture will be capable of putting out enough light to overwhelm a small tank. I'd look at your water parameters and fert schedule, and find a balance with all three.
All that said, my favorite light on small tanks is the Finnex Stingray Clip-On. The Finnex Stingrays are one of my favorite lights, and the Stingray Clip-on is under $25, has a nice light spectrum (IMO), a gooseneck for adjustments, and has been a quality light that's lasted years. Not sure what dimensions your tank is, but this light will likely work well for you.
Biggest downside is that the clip really works best with rimless tanks (it sounds like your cube probably is rimless anyway). It works with rimmed tanks but sometimes it can be tough to get a good mount.
https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-JL-C18-Stingray-LED-Cliplight/dp/B00LMH10HC?th=1
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On 12/16/2023 at 3:48 PM, Lennie said:
Im not sure if this is a valid way of shipping all snails as not all of them can breathe air directly. If I am not mistaken, spixis can't breathe air like mysteries. I have at least never seen mine going to surface for this purpose unlike mysteries.
I'm not sure either.
To clarify, I was recommending an individual bag of water per snail.
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I've never shipped snails, but I've been on the receiving end of many snail shipments. A lot of sellers opt to ship them wrapped in wet paper towels in a cup or bag - I've always had a higher mortality rate that way. Not crazy high, but typically I'll lose none if they're shipped in a bag of water like a fish, as long as shipping doesn't take forever or something. The downside of shipping them in a bag of water is that they might be sloshing around, into each other, and chipping their shells. Shipping them individually would be the best, but of course it'd be expensive.
Just my $0.02. I'm sure someone else has shipped way more snails than me.
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I probably wouldn't be so worried about PH in this instance. Lots of good advice in this thread, but not sure you're going to find any issues with a PH in the 6's, unless you've possibly had a PH swing by adding chemicals.
For reference, my water hangs around in the mid 7's in most of my tanks. I've kept embers (and other fish that liked acidic water, including wild-caught fish) just fine.
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So, first 20 gallon is set up and the bulkhead has been leak tested... no leaks! Woo! Still gotta cement the drain, but y'know. Progress.
Why the rush in setting up the tank, you ask? Well, I had me a good ole case of the just can't help its. I picked up a trio of Banggai Cardinals yesterday, straight from the wholesaler (purchased from the LFS at a discount since I picked them up before he unbagged them). I plan to try and breed these guys - they're a mouthbrooder, similar to some of the Bettas. I got three out of hopes of either have a pair or 1M/2F. If I end up with 2M (or God forbid, 3M) I'll have to rehome the extra male to keep him from being murdered.
Most marine fish are shipped in a low salinity to help save on salt cost. It also weakens most diseases (especially parasites), and anecdotally a lot of people believe it's beneficial to the internal organs since they're not working as hard to filter salt. Whatever the case, the water in the bag tested at 1.017 (natural saltwater is roughly 1.026), so I set the tank up with water at 1.015. Always better to drop fish into water that's less salty than what they were already in. I floated them for 20 minutes and then netted them into the tank. I'll be increasing the salinity by a few points a day to avoid shock, until we get to about 1.020 or so. That's a fine salinity for a FOWLR (fish only) tank.
Tank is only half-full so I can simply add a few liters of salty water at a time to raise the salinity, without having to worry about siphoning/temp matching water change water. Saves on salt this way, too. Tank is also currently uncycled, since the media I have is cycled at 1.025. If I were to just drop that into this water, it's likely the bacteria would be killed. So I'm keeping a close eye on parameters until I hit the target of 1.020, at which point I'll add the cycled media into an internal filter until the sponge filter is seeded. I had planned on simply dropping the cycled media in, but hadn't realized how low the salinity would be in their shipping water.
I'll add crushed coral as a substrate and some more natural looking decor once we're out of the QT stage.
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On 12/15/2023 at 10:41 PM, Fish Folk said:
It’s “Plants Night” here at Fish Folk HQ. Started out snapping a photo here and there… and ended up with a bunch.
For perspective: (1) I am _not_ an aquascaper. (2) I am a passionate amateur hobbyist fish breeder. (3) I do breeding _more like_ L. R. Bretz —without his skill— than other approaches.
As an East Coast guy, I’ll admit that West Coast folks are generally WAY better with plants that we are.
These plants are partly functional (context for fry, ammonia and nitrate absorption) and partly ornamental.
Here are some shots with notes…
(1) Riccia — fascinating top-water plant, excellent for top-water fish fry. It tends to grow best when attached to a matten wall, etc. with some gentle but constant water-flow or airflow. Buy a little, forget about it, and check on it after several months.
(2) Java Moss. This stuff is essential fir breeding certain fish. It can multiply down low, or attached mid water column to structure. It is a moody plant that tends to explode when it begins in a large bunch. There are very different kinds.
(3) Najas (Guppy Grass). This is helpful for live-bearer colonies, allowing fry to easily hide. I am not sure how to get it to stop growing!
(4) Hornwort (Coon-tail). A bit prickly, this plant is considered “cantankerous” because if it is unhappy, it will drop it needles suddenly. Keys for me seem to be: keeping water stable, feeding some liquid fertilizer, and avoiding overly warm water. Female Bluefin Killifish sayin’ “heeeey!”
(5) Valisneria americana. This is one of my more versatile plants. I like it in tall tanks a lot. It can grow hot or cold. I just like the way it looks.
(6) Aponogeton (bolivanus?). This one is just big and fun. Left side of photo. It’s similar to a Sword — seen in background.
(7) Amazon Sword. This one has done well in a cold water tank for years now. Occasionally I add a root tab. It’s actually a favorite of small fish, who love hiding between leaves.
(8) Anubias. This one is rocking three flowers right now! Much more ornamental than functional, it may be the most beautiful plant in an aquarium when, after many years, it covers everything.
(9) Bronze Crypt. This colorful plant is really pleasing to the eye. It grows long, long roots through the substrate, and will pass on from one aquarist to another fairly well. Get lots, and it won’t disappoint.
(10) Java Fern. This had a few dead leaves, but it is a huge “mother-plant” that has given birth to J-ferns all over my fishroom. We got this one years ago at a fish club auction.
(11) Water Lettuce (and duckweed). I had the WORST time finding Water lettuce for my tubs last spring. Never again! I’m going full-throttle, keeping my own alive here all winter long. These are excellent nitrate absorbers, and their long roots provide ample hiding places for fish fry. The duckweed is a bit annoying, but plays a part in the eco system.
(12) Aquaponics herbs & Bamboo. I’m growing Basil, Oregano, and Rosemary to eat in this Aquaponics setup. Bamboo is more ornamental — for fun. This setup zeros out my nitrates completely. I feed plant food regularly.
(13) Hygrophila polysperma (Indian swampweed). This is my favorite fast-growing stem plant. It has bright, light green leaves. It is easy, easy, easy!
(14) Tiger Lotus. Entirely ornamental, this plant will either thrive or crash for you. I’m not terribly sure what conditions it needs, but it is stunning in some tanks… a failure in others. Of the “red plants” this is perhaps the easiest.
(15) Pothos. My sister got us started with tiny cuttings… we have kept going for years and years. I use them to filter water in HOB filters, aquaponics baskets, or — here — in fry jugs.
(16) Unknown … (sword species?) This plant looked nice with these Rainbow Shiners. Beautiful plants + beautiful fish = happy NERM.
I understand this is a plant thread, but man, I gotta get me some rainbow shiners.
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I've received my Blue Platies and Magenta mystery snails from aquabid over the past few days. Super happy with the platies, not so much with the mystery snails. I'd barely consider them purple... I had a strain a couple years ago that looked almost painted. Oh well.
Oh, and the Bristle nose and cherry shrimp in this tank are doing well.
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On 12/14/2023 at 5:57 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:
I find that the Ricefish mops only work if there’s no other plants in the tank which are suited to spawning.
Kinda what I figured, too. I plan to move them into more of a breeding setup once the rack is together.
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Finally found the plumbing parts I needed! Here's the current plan:
1" Bulkhead --> 1" 90 degree elbow --> 1" Valve --> 1" slip X NPT --> 1" NPT X 3/4" Barb --> 1/2" nylon tube stretched over barb --> Drain
Kind of convoluted, but I couldn't find a more straightforward way to connect it all. Whatever works, I guess.
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Looks like I missed the ricefish eggs. I think something ate them - I saw one on a plant last night, and went to collect this morning, but they're gone.
Also, I got in some more plumbing parts for the new rack... And it looks like I miscalculated how much wiggle room I had with the drain pipe height. With the way I had the rack set, the bottom rack wouldn't be able to drain into the pipe by the time I added in plumbing connectors. So I raised the bottom row by about a foot, which solves that problem, but only leaves about 6" between the top of the 10 gallon tanks and the top rack. Hm.
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On 12/12/2023 at 10:07 AM, jwcarlson said:
I can't think of a better use for it other than I think it would be good for a breeding pair of discus.
I've played around with getting a pair of H. Erectus (sea horses) for this tank. They get fairly tall, so the height would be nice. Just haven't decided if I want to invest in a chiller.
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I've got this same Petsmart 37 that I was just thinking about putting up for sale the other day. Currently I've got bristlenose, cherry shrimp and mutt guppies in there, but it seems nigh impossible to keep plants happy. I've had a Crypt Wendtii planted (with root tabs) for 6 months and I've not seen any growth. Same with the Anubias and Java Fern. The amazon sword I had to move because it was just slowly melting.
This wouldn't be a terrible idea for this tank! I've listened to Dean's talk, but it's been a few weeks. Any reason you went with a HOB instead of putting a sponge filter down below?
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Found my ricefish carrying eggs. Built some spawning mops to try and raise some. Couldn't find pool noodles, so I took some Styrofoam bowls, cut out the bottoms, and stuffed the scrubby pads through a hole in the center.
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Found mystery egg clutches the past couple days. I gotta find some time to put together a tupperware incubator.
I drilled 4 tanks yesterday. No breaks, woo!
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On 12/11/2023 at 4:09 AM, madmark285 said:
Not sure if this helps but I did this for a non-pressurized connection:
The hose is for portable water made from PVC, the pipe is 3/4" Sch 40. I just put a bunch of PVC glue inside the pipe and slide the hose thru it. To clean it up, I cut the end off then glued it to the elbow.
The hose is Camco 25ft TastePURE Drinking Water Hose, it is a snug fit inside a 3/4" pipe.
This may be exactly what I'm looking for!
If I have time I'll stop by the hardware store during work today and pick up some parts to mock up.
Chris's Fishes Fish Room Journal
in Photos, Videos & Journals
Posted
Aquabid stuff incoming!
Nothing too crazy. I ordered 20 blue neos to add into my ricefish tank (hoping to breed a trifecta - mystery snails, shrimp, and ricefish all in one aquarium), and they should be here late next week.
I also won an auction by accident, lol. I came across a brand new auction for 10 rainbow shiners about a week ago, and put down the minimum bid of $40. Seemed like a really good price, considering what the other listings were asking. Never thought another thing about it until I got an email yesterday saying I won. Whoops! They'll be going into one of the 20's up top. Also coming late next week.
All I need to finish up my rack of tanks is some more soft tubing and barb X NPT fittings. I bought out the store this week, so waiting on some to come in. At that point, all 7 tanks will be ready to be set up and good to go!