xXInkedPhoenixX

I LOVE my NICREW inline dimmer I got from Amazon. My lights are programmable but the whole time, intensity, color, percentage blah blah blah thing was too much for me to bother with. Especially since programming the times alone was not a huge hassle but not enjoyable- at all, one flicker of the power in my old, old neighborhood would wipe the custom programming clean. No thanks. Once I got the times programmed all I had to do was pick the intensity on the dial switch. Good. To. Go. And yes, it worked to control my algae issues. https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-Aquarium-Dimmer-Switch-24-Volt/dp/B07F33H26V/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=2W4AHHGMTPG7O&dchild=1&keywords=nicrew+aquarium+led+light+inline+dimmer&qid=1619414239&sprefix=nicrew+inline+%2Caps%2C289&sr=8-3-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExWkkxWlQwNDBMUVpPJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTc5MTM1MVg1OVFYTk1GRVVBMSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzMyMDIxMVlNNTdBSkw0R1gySyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

@Gator it just so happens that I visit FL from time to time as I have a friend that lives in one of your tourist cities (Orlando). I will have to convince her to visit Silver Springs as it sounds like a super cool place, the pictures online are beautiful. Thanks for sharing that spot. My 2nd 20 gallon has much bigger pieces of driftwood and the tanks sit side by side, there is a very clear difference in water coloring. I love both looks. I'm not sure I'll ever achieve something like what @Streetwise or what @Isaac M has done as they have amazing natural tanks. I can admire them and all the others here from afar and just do my own thing. I can't have tank envy because then I can't enjoy MY tanks for what they are and I do very much enjoy them. I like learning from other posters about how they do things, there are some truly amazing fishkeepers here. I've been slowly rearranging my parent tank but not wanting to disrupt the breeding going on it's been very, very little at a time There is definitely plans to add more wood in the future- just haven't found the perfect piece yet. It won't be a blackwater tank by far but maybe in the future it's something I'd try.

Alright fishy friends. The 3rd generation is starting to show their little faces. I've caught #1. Sadly, the real #1 was swallowed up by one of my Harlequins before I had the chance to grab the net. That was, though nature, nothing I enjoy seeing. I still love my Harlies though. I'm wondering if my fellow posters here have an opinion about whether or not, once my black neon tetras (aka murder fish to me since they picked off some of their own number) are settled into their gang war if my Harlequins should move into the tank with them (we'll have some Jets vs Sharks) and make my original tank an Oto/Snail only tank? Could that work? There would be 10 Harlies and 10 Black Neons (as long as they don't off somebody else).

@Gator It has been my observation, Oto mating dances happen at night. I see the smaller ones chasing the larger ones back and forth in the tank (usually to the back but have seen them in the front occasionally) and it's pretty vigorous (and in fact I saw it last night and they make me smile, I wish I could capture it). I have never caught them in the mating position shall we say, which I believe is a T per some research I've done. As far as my set up, I can confirm that there is really no flow in the area the eggs have been layed. I run a sponge filter and a corner air driven bio filter (sponge/media mix)- the top/mid tank gets decent movement (as evidence by the moving aponogeton) but I don't think there's much movement if at all at the bottom being a 20gal tall. The area where my momma lays is right at the front corner across from the corner filter which is actually relatively new to the tank to help handle the bio load. No movement of the Sword and it's no taller than 5 inches? The leaves are no wider than she is. It is a Sword I nearly lost in another tank but somehow coaxed it back to life when I moved it into this tank from a dead one. I have done so much research, prior to getting Otos and Harlequins, but as I stated very early on, this was not expected at ALL because Otos are not easy breeders per alllll the research I've done. SO, I did NO breeding research. I've given myself a headache with hours and hours of internet searching and picking brains here since then. I'm kind of a nerd- and I love to learn.

I actually did save the plants and the moss ball from that tank. I didn't dip them either. just squeezed the moss ball out and put the plants in my new tank when it cycled. No issues since. ...but a dip wouldn't hurt if you wanted to be extra careful of course

I get it. That's where I was at. Finally decided when I couldn't figure it out despite trying pretty hard that it was time for it to go. It was a relief when I threw it in the can. Hopefully you do figure it out, from what I can see it looks like it's a nice tank.

Hi, google image yourself lymphocystis and see if that is what your fish friend might have.

@benchilton how frustrating! I'm sorry I don't have anything to offer but: I had a 5 gallon tank that had a phantom disease even after I had taken it out and cleaned it, put in new substrate and started over. Ever since the last fish died and I dumped that tank I haven't had that issue since.

It seems to happen to some of us from time to time, they're still beautiful upside down! 😁 I'm on my tablet so I can see them just fine with a slight screen adjustment hehe

Hi there Atlanta! Pics! Pics! Pics!

Hi Alan, Some seriously gorgeous fish tanks there my friend.

In fact, here's the Aquarium Co-op page on fin rot https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/fin-rot

ah, ok I see that, wasn't sure if it was just the pic/light.

I personally can't see anything with the pic however, if it's fin rot SUPER clean water and Aquarium salt is the way to go if you can't get meds

I'm not a great photographer either, I mean, it's just a phone most of the time- not their first function right? That little one is STUPID cute. 😍

Love that tank. What a nice variety of life!!

Where's the pics!?!

It's nice sometimes to know that the perfect people aren't always perfect. It makes them more human. 🙃

Yes. But most of my Otos look like that so it's hard to say if that's a sign- 2nd pic a juv with similar albeit smaller belly

Is the eye cloudy? Kinda looks like it but can't say for sure. I'm wondering if it's "cloudy eye" which is a bacterial infection. Google some images and compare to your fish? See if that's maybe what it is. It could also just be an eye injury if it's just 1 eye.

@Isaac M well shoot, I interfere all the time. Can we just call me Mother Nature? My fish won't know any better. 😁

@Gator I am with the new technology and have AquariumNote app, I keep track of EVERYTHING. It charts my water tests, I make daily notes/times feedings, water changes, chems, etc. Tracks my equipment/supply pricing and times purchased. Reminds me about fert tabs and sponge squeezings etc. I don't keep track of the moon phases but I know what you mean about stuff like that. So far no rhyme or reason, I've had 3 consecutive spawns starting 1 month 18 days ago with the first visible baby (my tank has been running for 7mos 10days per the app). This is my first time with Otos AND funny you should mention: 10 Harlequin Rasboras- They have not been seen eating any of my eggs but have caught a few translucent wayward babies- however my Swords ARE short and they don't typically troll the lower level of the 20 gallon tall I have them in- though I've recently caught a few flashing into the "fishbowl" I leave food in for the bottom dwellers which contains pieces of cat scraper and algae wafer. I found that interesting. As far as I can tell I only have seen 1 momma fish but there are other places in the tank moms could hang out- however only having 30 ish per spawn I'm betting I have only one laying- my understanding is they aren't prolific egg layers which to me stands to reason because in the wild they hang out in the many thousands. My momma fish is, IMO, very smart, she lays her eggs on the one sword that has a driftwood cage even the snails can't really get to the plant, so I imagine the Harlequins haven't quite figured that out. @MichelleMichelle I'm in Northern CA and though I'm not sure we are allowed to offer up fish on the forum as of now it would be really cool to have some forum members adopt my babies because I'd know they'd be taken care of by other NERMS and maybe even the offspring will have success in breeding and that would be SO awesome. I see we have little badges under our IDs for trade status but haven't seen anything about what that means yet (though I haven't looked either) I'm actually really nervous about them growing up, I have 2 LFS who have said they'd accept them in trade, but they have to be an inch to accept them. They're not quite there. Is it bad that I want them all to stay small? 🙃

@Gator that seems to be the issue, nobody seems to know for sure! As you can see by the title I didn't do this intentionally, but now I have 60+ and more on the way as evidenced by those pics. I don't have any crypts right now in my tank- just swords, aponogeton, and anubias species

@Gator of course no worries, hoping if I'm doing something right others can replicate it. All the eggs I've spotted have been on the undersides of my Swords's leaves.

Honestly I think one of the reasons mine is spawning is because of the extra food in the form of Hikari Wafer