Cyndi

July 17- Did no work in the tank today, but added some bloodworms and bottom dwelling food. Saw the new pleco again and even got a pic! I think this is the prettiest pic yet - will be out of town next week, hopefully all will be well. Shelter Manager H. takes very good care of the fishies during the day. Problem is, she feeds and feeds and feeds! I've purchased a day and night pill box so that we can - together- keep an eye on how much food actually goes into the tank. The Aquarium was her baby before it was mine, so I'll have to proceed diplomatically.

Really? Seems like High end aquascaping is where the money is in freshwater - plus you'd get to meet all the cool FishTubers😜

Speaking of bad dreams - I was awake half the night last night and I had an epiphany. I am a recent empty-nester, so I thought I'd apply to my local box store as I'd noticed their aquatic section has gone really down hill. "I can fix those tanks," I says to myself, and even got myself an interview the same day! The lady interviewing me says that they are looking for team players (Check), and not someone who is coming in looking to change everything ("Great", I says to myself). She then offers me the job of random pet store employee who will pitch in and do anything (Again, Great). But the interaction seemed weird. The epiphany came in the middle of the night when I realized they have no intention of ever doing anything with their aquatics section - that's what she meant by saying she doesn't want new employees to think they can change everything. She was talking about not doing simple, routine, tank maintenance! Apparently, they like their aquatics section to look like a horror show. I'm obviously going to be doing something better with my time.....

Yes! This seems more like it! Thanks! Someone suggested I also feed bloodworms I’m addition to the algae wafers he’s already getting -

Thanks! I looked it up and it seems L15 is more strikingly colored than my specimen. But that could be the lack of real driftwood. I will add some just in case that helps him get more colorful! Someone else suggested it might be a clown pleco - does this ring a bell?

This very thing is a source of continuing frustration for me. I live in a decent sized city with several LFS and many big chain stores. Whether one of them has healthy fish or not is pretty much a dice game. Sometimes I feel like I'm perpetuating animal abuse by keeping fish. Why haven't shop owners realized that beautiful tanks full of non-dead fish are the surest way to get customers? Maybe its cuz I don't know anything about business. 🤔

July 16 - Today we had a minor victory- I found the mythical, lost pleco! One of our loyal volunteers mentioned that a long time ago she put a brown and black striped pleco in the tank but that she hadn't seen him since. I thought he must have been lost during the giant log removal, but today I saw him chilln' underneath the little elephant! I was so excited I ended up chasing him away with my camera **sigh**🙄 I've included a pic from the internet - does anyone know what kind of pleco this is??? Any info is great!! More good news! The ich treatments seem to be working. For this reason, I have decided not to raise the temps any further than 80 degrees. I don't want to stress the neons any more than need be. Why are the neons even there you may be asking???? Because they are a shelter favorite, and I don't have a better situation lined up for them. This tank is helping me learn to compromise!

Raising the temp sounds like a good idea- though you may notice that there are neons in the tank. I would think it's already too hot for them, but they do seem to be faring well. Temp is 80 (when I remember to plug the heater back in). Worst case scenario is that I have to set up a QT to use salt - I've experimented and these plants don't do well with salt. Thanks so much for the suggestions!

July 12 - One of the headaches about maintaining a tank off-site is that I can't be there to keep an eye on things. We've been having a persistent problem with ich on some/ or one of the clown loaches (there are 5). I've been treating with Ich-X at full strength every other day after doing a 1/3 WC. It's a lot to keep up with - and I'm going out of town next week- hope all will be well - any advice is welcomed! The first pic is showing the light colored clown loach and his size compared to a molly. The second is just a cute picture of Groot with some neons ☺️.

But Chupacabra Does sound scary! (😜 JK). Yeah, one of the things I like about managing the Shelter tank is that it gives me the opportunity to talk about how fish ACTUALLY need care - just like any other animal! I've noticed that a beautifully maintained tank can help change minds.

You are right - used to be simple! Life seems more complex in general IMO.

Hmm.. It's simply a problem to be solved. Let's take each issue one at a time. Here is what I would do - Add plants to suck up all that excess ammonia. Hornwort and Pogostemon stellatus (sold by AQ Co-op) are good nutrient sponges. Make sure you have an adequate light. Forget what the internet says about gravel not growing plants. I have gravel and/or black blasting sand (BBS) in most of my planted tanks. I just use root tabs around the Crypts. I'm not sure that the chloramine is affecting ammonia levels - and it is removed by Prime. Not sure if you know that Prime will raise your ammonia readings even though it binds ammonia and makes it non-toxic. Also, I wonder what happened to the pipes during the freeze that affected your tap water? (Sorry if you already mentioned this) Using bottled water seems expensive long term and figuring out the tap situation seems more manageable. Another solution is to connect with other aquarists in your area via FB or something. I'm sure there's some sort of Houston Aquarium Association or some such - they may be able to give you dialed in advice about local conditions. I agree with HH Morant - this hobby is supposed to be fun! Good luck!

Awe!That is sweet and encouraging! Yes, the reaction has been favorable - sometimes embarrassing - Often I don't know how to take the compliment. And OH YES! I'd love to "Flip This Tank!" Once you get a bead on what is happening in a particular setup, there really isn't anything you can't do! It isn't rocket science, but figuring it out can feel like it. It helps that this isn't far from my house, so our water sources are probably the same.

I think you are right! Especially since it was doing so beautifully with zero care! Other volunteers have also shown me their "neglected" Java ferns in seasoned tanks and they look LOADS better than mine!

Monday July 5 and Wednesday July 7 More Before an After pics - I'm getting good! The black mollies and clown loaches are practically invisible. To create more of a contrast, I've been contemplating adding cleaned pool filter sand, but it's gotten crazy expensive - $15 a bag! I decide it's worth it. The results are much better than I expect! I moved the foreground gravel to the back, creating hills, and poured the sand in the front. At some point, I've also added some sad tissue-culture Pink Flamingo Crypts along with some Ludwigia. Though tiny, they are growing well with the addition of Easy Root Tabs. On July 7, I decided that we've sucked out so many nutrients that it's time to fertilize. Of course, Easy Green is my first choice!

Thanks! Me too - that giant fake log decoration has some big holes in it. There's hope that he's in there???

June 15. I've been away for a month. Cabomba has gone crazy and the Pogo is getting leggy. Hornwort is growing as a floating plant along with some floating salvinia - great for sucking out nutrients, but also significantly blocking the light. Photos taken on same day - I remembered to take before and after pics - hooray! I added a cute Elephant decoration from my personal collection.

Here is the tank on May 17. You can see the Cabomba and Pogostemon is really growing in nicely. BTW, Pogostemon was initially purchased from the Co-op and is a great nutrient sponge - which is just what this tank needed! Also has some floating plants. I couldn't figure out where all the nutrients were initially coming from. Tank is only stocked with Lyretail mollies, some black neon tetras, 3 neons, and 2 (or 3 depending on whom you ask) small clown loaches. Certainly not enough to cause a nutrient explosion resulting in that all-pervasive black ,wavy BBA-like algae. One Sunday, I'm working in the tank, and M., the Shelter Manager on duty, says, "Oh, there used to be a huge black log in there". (I'd heard of this mythical log, had found lots of decayed remnants of it, and was trying to locate this gem). He says, "I reached in there and pulled out the slimiest, grossest thing you ever did see - and it stunk so bad too!" He tells me that at that point he was committed and just threw the whole thing in the dumpster. So at least that explains where the log went and where all the nutrients came from! It might also explain where one of the Shelter volunteer's missing pleco went. Probably stuck to that log for dear life - poor thing! Note how the Java fern is deteriorating - even though I didn't add any more liquid carbon.

Here it is on May 8 after everything cleared up. S., the volunteer coordinator, had to reset some of the Java Fern as it had gotten dislodged during the massive over turn of gravel. I don't think she was expecting such a major overhaul as she said "you didn't have to do all that work!" Here was my first introduction to well-intended comments running counter to my carefully considered plans! I would have to continue to practice diplomacy - and I mean practice! S., if you are reading this, please know that I really appreciate you for letting me take on this project! This journal is meant to chronicle not only the journey of the tank, but also my personal journey in learning how to manage differing expectations while also getting to do what I want!

Hi Everyone! I wanted to share my journey with rehabbing this 75 Gallon fish tank for a local Animal Rescue in Kennesaw, Georgia. I'd initially expected volunteer orientation to consist of learning how to manage 40+ shelter dogs. However, during training, we rounded a bend, and there I saw it! At the end of a prominent hallway stood a dark, murky 75 gallon Aquarium! A weird, black hairy algae covered every surface, and at first I felt pity and horror at the thought of those poor fish (in a Shelter no less!). But then I was impressed as I saw it was also full of healthy, green Java Fern. I was humbled as my own Java fern struggles with black holes and general lack of vigor, despite my best efforts. In fact, far from being "neglected", this tank was much loved, yet it had no one who really knew how to take care of it. I knew that I could make this tank look really good, but could I convince it's "caretakers" to let me take it over? Diplomacy would be called for. Luckily, the offer of my services for free tank rehab and regular maintenance were accepted, along with promises that I, and I'm quoting here: "could spend whatever I wanted". Well, if that doesn't make a Nerm giddy, I don't know what would! Anyway, though I've kept my receipts, I'm certainly not spending "whatever I want" ! I've even donated some of my own plants - ok now I will post pics. This is the first picture I took after a MASSIVE 2X water change - with Buckets! Luckily, this shelter has court ordered community service volunteers who helped with all the carrying, but I was still exhausted. Had to teach them basics such as DO NOT pour HOT water into the aquarium. The black algae came out in clumps very easily, not wicked difficult like BBA - I wonder what it was? Anyway, more posts to come! This pic was taken on May 6, 2021. Java Fern, All Hardscape, and Gravel were already there (observe how pretty the Java Fern is, especially on the fake wood - subsequent photos will show its not as pretty after my interventions. I know for certain it DID NOT like liquid Carbon) -I added the Cabomba, Pogostemon stellatus and Hornwort from my own tanks.

@SeahorseI feel your pain, but please don't give up! Do what you know, observe the results, and if it works, try to replicate it. If it doesn't, do something different. I think that's what we did pre-internet which made fish-keeping so enjoyable. Also, understand if you are growing plants, you are doing more than fish-keeping. You are establishing an ecosystem - which is much more complex.

This is a fun topic! My first tank was a huge (or so we thought) 30 gallon affair we purchased at the mall with an UnderGravel filter. My mom and I kept fancy goldfish. To this day my mom says "I love goldfish but they always get body sores". I've tried and tried to explain that the cause of that was most likely MY lax (read non-existent) Water change schedule. But she won't listen - she still blames the fish! Incidentally, today she has a 5 gallon Betta fish that she LOVES. She's always updating me on his antics - yet water changes are still up to me. Whenever I go and visit, she has the hoses all ready for me 🙂 . It makes for really sweet memories actually!

Welcome to the fishroom Jenny! I've found this forum to be a friendly, helpful place! And I think it's interesting that you are a science teacher interested in earth systems. I'm not exactly sure what that is, but an aquarium is certainly a closed system just like our Beautiful Blue Marble 🙂 So, I'm sure you'll find lots of overlap!

Oh yeah, one of mine broke and I thought it was my fault! It still worked though so that was good 🙂

Really? Mine also love bottom feeder tablets - I’ll have to try the Pleco formula!