xXInkedPhoenixX

@Fish FolkThey certainly looked like them, and I would but don't have a safe QT place to put them unfortunately.

Since you have a fancy lighting system you should find the recent thread for siestas- people are having really good luck with plant growth which may also help your algae issue. Since I don't have fancy lights I haven't been able to experiment with that but it seems to really work for people (and plants).

I run low tech and try to limit myself to drastic solutions when I can. I have brown hair algae off and on and what I found is that the closer the plants/decor are to the lights the more it grows/or that's where I usually find it. So, I started dialing back the light (that definitely helped) and that combined with manual removal and trimming the tall plants that can be trimmed has kept the vast majority of it at bay. However I'm sure there are others here who can contribute more methods of potential erradication.

This is what @Fish Folk does when not mass reproducing fish.

I did a search of the forum and didn't come up with a specific thread. Yesterday at my LFS they had some beautiful (and very LARGE) Tiger Otos. Anyone have them? Being a total Oto freak fan it would be so neat to keep them, but at $20 a pop I'm hesitant. I don't have an "established" QT tank though I have two very viable potential home tanks for them.

How's the Oto doing?

I personally look at it like harvesting chicken eggs. If you get them soon enough they are not viable anyway. Have to do it with the bladder snail sacks I find too. Best to do it then than cull little babies.

The CPD is super small but so far looking more like a girl than boy. Might be too early to tell @Guppysnail. As far as my others go I think I have either 4 and 4 or 5 and 3 males to females. They don't sit still long enough for me to be sure of it.

@PineSong great, that's exactly what I need. I think it will make my Flex more lively and colorful- I got 4 today of all different color/patterns. They're in a 2 gallon QT right now with a hitchiker (CPD which will go with my others) and 3 Hillstreams. They're very active.

@laritheloud they're cute but I can already tell/see their reputation for being water pigs. They're eating the algae wafers I've left for the Hillstreams.

Even MORE fascinating! Wondering if mom releases some sort of chemical to finish the spawn? I reminds me of a podcast I listened to of a certain species of octopus that once she lays she will absolutely not move from her spot. She literally starves to death even when food is offered to sit with her eggs. Other than protection there has got to be more to that. Like with certain insects and parents sacrificing themselves for food. Obviously the puffer isn't doing this in her death, but I still wonder about a chemical release.

Ummm and have we noticed there are 2 other levels?? I presume a 2nd story and a basement!! I want to see the backyard plans with the koi pond!!!

@Waka88 that was definitely an option for me BUT INSTEAD of doing just a single centerpiece fish I decided centerpiece GROUPS are the direction I'm going. Today I got my very, very long awaited centerpiece Hillstream loaches (ok they're bottom not center but kind of what I've wanted to keep all along in my "Angry Man" tank) and for my Flex I got 4 male Endlers. Funnily enough I got my group of CPDs for the Aquatop here and while the gal at the LFS was catching my Hillstreams I got a bonus CPD they let me have. (only Endlers pictured below, well, sorta)

Wow, so interesting. I feel like there's plenty of insects that reproduction requires death, didn't realize fish could be that way too.

@Torrey I appreciate that. With all that said it seems like then the aquarium trade is setting us all up for failure as MOST of us can't keep those parameters. Which makes me even more frustrated because it sets these little fish lives up for failure too. All for $$$$$$$$ Well. They're not getting any more of mine.

I hope I'm wrong. 😞

Beautiful plant!! How big across are those lily pads? I'm guessing these are best in larger tanks!

Hi! Welcome to the forum!

It's a bummer, but I get it- I don't have all the things going on for you and my 5 small under 20 gallon tanks take enough time. I think your choices on tank sizes is right, I've never kept tanks that big but everyone is always saying how much easier larger tanks are. They say the parameters are more stable, maintenance is less, and when you have those bigger filters less to clean compared to my sponge filtered little tanks. (though I don't have any hard issues with my little tanks). If that's all true- then those are the tanks you should keep, because time is what you're aiming for.

The white stuff is more than likely biofilm and is normal in a cycle and safe for fish. Snails like to eat it. You can also get what they call bacterial bloom during the cycling stage. There are some good youtube videos about this sort of thing.

@Ember I agree, I'd be concerned about it whether or not I had seeded material just because of stress level for the fish- even with seeded material you can't guarantee giant swings in water conditions compared to their parent tank. I personally prefer not to pull fish from their parent tank unless I absolutely have to so I usually start with a floating breeder and escalate only if I need to. Everyone does this differently. Since it's an Oto you can usually pick a rock or small items that have algae on them and put them in the breeder, and make sure he/she has access to whatever food you feed them. Since they're in the floater you can monitor their condition as much as you prefer and you don't have to hunt for them.

I bought a floating breeder box when I started my first 20 gallon tank at recommendation to have for standard equipment in a "fish first aid" kit. I've since added the size up from that. Firstly I never planned on breeding anything (but nature has other plans always), however it's also been a life saver for injured or ill fish, snails, plants and introducing new fish. On that note I HIGHLY RECOMMEND keeping a fish first aid kit with all the necessary meds and equipment. I know it's an expensive initial expense for a lot of people but it is worth its WEIGHT IN GOLD.

Hopefully others have more optimistic opinions. I JUST had a baby Betta die with similar behavior. I had her for 5 days. I gave her a variety of very small foods. The only food I witnessed her eating was a very small thawed frozen bloodworm. I also previously had a giant female galaxy koi betta who wouldn't eat. No other signs of illness. They both failed to thrive and I lost them with similar behavior you are talking about. Maybe they are actually sick but I personally have no idea with what and what med I would start with.

@laritheloud I was just wondering about it because it would be neat instead of a centerpiece fish (a concept to which I'm totally over) maybe just be able to add a few (literally 3) more colorful fish to my small collection of ember tetras.

@Ember that'll make things harder if you need to QT and medicate like @Colu suggests but since it's a solo fish smaller containers are pretty easy to find/set up. I like the small Imagitarium holding tanks that Petco sells they're pretty cheap and easy to store. BUT if you keep his/her conditions JUST RIGHT there's a good chance they make it though without further action needed. Sometimes leaving them in their familiar environment is best to help them heal as long as nobody picks on them and the conditions are right. Floating breeder boxes are also great for isolation/monitoring if you have those on hand- just can't medicate that way but it's a good way to keep an eye on them and make sure they're eating/not getting worse.