xXInkedPhoenixX

They're pretty. Why so cheap? The simple colors or?? I don't get the flux in price, quite a swing. Can't wait to see more of the Auburn one

You REBEL!!!! A) the reveal went as I predicted. B) boy, you need a tripod for ur phone!!

Can't wait to actually SEE them....there will be a big reveal! Or it will be a lot like the 1st pic. 😆

Aww u rescued discs!

Firstly I agree with @Guppysnail the tank is gorgeous. I've never been a cichlid person either- HOWEVER I've been interested in Bolivian Rams and they're supposed to be peaceful- and their colors are gorgeous. It's the only time I've been tempted.

@Guppysnail buy a BIRD or DESK fountain. The error is in the label. 🙃

I love the tail to nose dances the CPD boys do, it's so pretty. I can't tell who in my pack is in charge a couple of them are very nicely coloured up. No clue who my solo baby belongs to!

They like anything that doesn't have a "cat" label on it. Like CAT bowl, CAT box, CAT toy, CAT bed....all rejected in one form or another. Unless of course they accept your offering, but only on their terms. They are indeed the rebels of the animal world.

I personally would reset the whole tank. Maybe just like others have said, because of an overabundance of caution. However, I have some very lovely container gardens in part because of discarded substrate (for one reason or another not always due to sick fish).

@Beardedbillygoat1975 @Odd Duckdoes it make a difference if the airstone is tight fitting or should there be a little space between the stone and sponge?

Would an airstone inside a pre filter sponge work as a nano sponge filter?!

@Odd Duck I'm focused on little things for my tanks and my new Otos, and thankfully there is the scapes from scraps project I'm working out.

@Beardedbillygoat1975but can we really consider POOP organic? 😂

@Streetwise hi, 🙃 is this ok to use for my 🐌🐌🐌 habitat? It's the only thing I could find without pearlite.

@Torrey,huh, funny. I seem to be surrounded by dead people then! 😂🙃

I'm sorry to see this too. It's been a hard loss week for a lot of us. 😞

@Torrey thank you. Because of instances like this it makes me even more determined to be a better fish keeper. There were things within my control that could have prevented what happened. It's a very, very hard lesson. My QTs are small so from this point forward there will be daily water changes. I had too much faith in my spot cleaning- as when I was medicating the patient there were no water changes and the tank did well. I was too confident. Many years of keeping several kinds of animals have such hard lessons in them. I train occasionally at work and one of the things that I tell trainees when something bad happens- is that THESE are the lessons that you will NEVER forget- not only will you not make the same mistake again- but you can help others before they make the mistake and your story will have impact. So. I have to move on, and try harder. I've watched that video several times and have re-posted it here several times. I aspire. But I'm not there yet. I'd say all but a couple of my tanks are pretty well hands off (4 of 6 not too bad). 1 is close to becoming hands off. The last, The Accidental Oto Tank may always require a daily maintenance of some kind until I come up with a better solution. For now it's therapeutic for me to do things for it. I'm still a water changer- it will be hard for me to change that habit. Compared to a lot of you on the forum I'm still a newbie in this hobby- but I learn something new every day.

Thanks @Jennifer V. I intend to keep trying. Because I'm a nerd- I read a lot. There have been several studies that have shown intelligent people DO swear, your friend is absolutely correct. There are of course those who are not and every other word is a swear. This of course is different. However, using a swear word to emphasize things- and using swear words as a literal stress release is not uncommon. Letting a good F word fly has been proven to help with stressful moments. I don't like to bottle things- even if there's nobody around to listen but the animals- they got an earful yesterday. The over/under quote has been around a while- where it came from I do not know- but I do remember vaguely it was used on Frasier (I too, love that show).

OTOCINCLUS COCAMA AND VITTATUS: Final Thoughts on the passing of my Cocama and.... A mix of sad and now angry (that it happened) I got even more determined to make sure that: 1.) That never happens again- I take full responsibility for the ammonia in that tank- it shouldn't have happened. and 2.) More than EVER determined to keep Otos and potentially breed them. You know how they say after a break up in order to get over someone you get under...... So what do fishkeepers do when this kind of thing happens? A lot of us go to the LFS to distract from, and honor the loss of fish that pass. Loss of one life will hopefully save others. I could have gotten middle dwellers for my Angry Man Tank, the 10 Black Neons have been at their leisure alone in that tank for too long. BUT no! They had Oto Vittatus. I know in order to breed a better "monster" I need genetic diversity. I left not ONLY with 6 Vittatus in hand (now in my poor little patient's former tank), I am also on the list for them to call me next week when they are expecting more O.Cocama. I will buy them out (as I don't expect them to get that many but I'd buy up to 10 or 15 and split them up between the Accidental Tank and the Parent Tank). Anyhow, the Vittatus I got are a little red/irritated- but I got a good sized adult Female (99% sure female). The tank has IAL tea; I pulled a filter from the Parent tank -since it needed squeezing out anyway (though I didn't squeeze it out to jump start the QT- and it wasn't bad at all actually I was surprised) and I put a little Stress Coat in there. I will monitor and see. You can see the redness in the pic below (most especially in that large female). I Godzilla'd (my term for doing drastic things) yesterday and used every swear word I know (and I know a lot)- so it's a good thing I guess I live by myself because if I wasn't quietly talking to my poor patient to hang on for me- all the other words (if I wasn't sitting with them) that came out were bad ones. I released the 2 baby Otos in the Parent Tank that were in a floating breeder- AND- while I was "furiously" cleaning the Accidental Oto Tank I tipped the breeder with 6 inside there and 2 got out- so I shrugged and released them too. Best idea? Meh. I don't care. Bioload there totally negligible and moving can always be done. This means the Accidental Nursery is staying empty for the time being. All is fine with that since it's not ready to support life anyway- the water tests are completely wonky. I feel good about it and I am grasping at straws trying to feel better. It's nice to see the tiny ones hanging out in the tanks.

My little Oto didn't make it through the night. 😔

@CT_ if you think you have unreasonable attachment.... I had lunch plans with family- cancelled. I'm not leaving their side. I have 3 days off- and I will likely not be beyond a room's radius of this fish for a while. I do have an airstone running in the breeder box they are in so I think I have that covered but I might add another. I just dumped a bunch of plants that were cuttings- some growing roots into the tank. I've tested ammonia again (despite the 100% water change I did that was tested and 0 ammonia then) and it's still 0.

Thank you @Torrey. Unfortunately no frogbit or other floaters. I put 2 chunks of Polyfilter in the tank, the ALL new water is IAL infused, put in a little Aquarium salt and have the little one in a floating breeder so they're closer to the surface with an airstone in that and the sponge filter running in the tank. They are still with me, breathing. 😞 I think I've done everything I can.

.....I type this from a space of extreme sadness and worry. I had 2 overtime shifts this week- and despite having quickly spot cleaning and Prime dosed, the Quarantine tank with my beautiful patient Oto with Popeye spiked to 4.0 Ammonia. I went into emergency mode and dumped the tankwater while having caught my poor Oto and placed them in clean water. The ammonia is back at 0 but I'm not sure if it's too late. I feel TERRIBLE. They are still breathing (no extreme redness) but they are struggling to move so they are not moving much at all. I'm sadly prepared to lose them as I have now done everything that I can. What's worse is that they look amazing. Please say a prayer and/or send well wishes for my poor Oto. 😭

@H.K.Lutermanyea I don't mind them for some of my tanks but I do find they have out competed my Otos for food so they are not welcome in those.

@H.K.Luterman ever find a pest or 2 on the ones in the tank? I've avoided them because of that possibility.