[How did you discover Aquarium Coop]

Found him about 6-7 years ago when watching the King of DIY on YouTube as a suggested video. I’ve been watching off and on for about as long and just recently became a member and joined the forum after I set up my first aquarium!!! Never looking back I love the community and the YouTube channel! Proud to be a nerm!!

[I’m new to the hobby]

Welcome!! I am also fairly new to this hobby with probably 10 years of research and interest but only 6 months with an actual tank!! Glad to see other new nerms!!! Best of luck with your hobby!

[what state do you live in?]

The AZ fam strong 

 

[Have you ever accidentally exposed yourself as a Nerm?]

Everyone knows I keep fish I am very open about my hobbies and love explaining to people and answering questions about it. Granted I've been doing this for 6 months so ill probably be more reclusive as time goes on.

 

[First Apistgramma spawn]

On 8/15/2021 at 3:26 PM, the other Irene said:

yeah, more apistos.  I pulled my fry at 2 wks.  for the 2nd batch I have I going to wait 4 wks to see what happens.

a little update, have decided I will not have room for another grow out tank. so, I will be monitoring my only tank extremely closely and hoping for the best really... If there are problems might have to rethink the lack of space and get creative. Not much has changed in 3 days but they fry are still with mom and are from what i can tell growing and feeding on the detritus in the tank 

[what state do you live in?]

Representing southern AZ, gotta love the old pueblo!!!

[First Apistgramma spawn]

Thanks for all the tips! Yah I was already feeding the tank baby brine anyways but good to know. The parents seem very attentive, I’m truly just amazed how exciting it is, I was genuinely shaking when I saw the fry and I’ve never been more observant with my tank than I am now. Being only 5-6 months in I honestly didn’t think it would happen this fast or easy. 

[First Apistgramma spawn]

This is my first attempt at breeding any fish but I did get my apistogramma 'blue steel' to spawn and have started raising the fry on their own. The female is doing a great job and thus far none of the other fish in the tank have been bothering them at all. Is there any extra I should be doing? I am feeding baby brine shrimp and feeding repashy spawn and grow sparingly. I planned on extra doing extra water changes every other day instead of my usual twice a week.

P.S. extremely new to the hobby started 6 months ago very excited and nervous

[Large Aquarium racks]

On 8/10/2021 at 11:53 PM, Hobbit said:

I shall humbly recommend my stand build thread! 😇 It’s built to hold a 75 on top—you’d just need to make it taller and ignore the cabinet portion to fit more tanks on the bottom.

Is it feasible with no woodworking experience? I think that depends on whether you’re patient, meticulous, like learning things, and have someone to help you who does have experience. And someone who has tools. Like, lots of tools.

I went into my stand build with a small amount of woodworking experience from helping on larger projects like a chicken coop. And my husband has made some serious furniture with a master woodworker, besides having an engineering degree. Sooo… 😄 yeah that was helpful. We had a pretty decent collection of power tools already but we ended up buying a nicer circular saw, an orbital sander, and an impact driver along with all the necessary small hardware and accessories. Having the right tools makes things 1000% easier. It was a biiiiig project but it’s really nice to have something that’s exactly the way you want it. And it’s awesome to be able to point to something and say, I built that!

 

I have nothing but time, I don't plan on moving till march but figured the longer the plan and accumulation of stuff would make the process easier. your stand is amazing and I think ill definitely be will be looking at this one a lot!

[Large Aquarium racks]

I had planned on doing something with wood as i can build it to my exact dimensions just had a terrible time looking for a diy for a tank that size that isnt just a single stand. I want the 75 to be more eye level as im 6'3 and my smaller tanks to be lower but there is no such builds out there that ive found

[Large Aquarium racks]

I have been setting up plans for my new apartment and the rack I want to set up. My plan is to have a 55 or 75gal tank on top with 2 rows underneath with either 20gal or 10gals. I haven't really found any good DIY for making a tank of that size with smaller tanks underneath. Is this feasible I have no experience doing any wood working?

any links or advice would be appreciated

[Cardinal tetras becoming aggressive?]

On 7/31/2021 at 4:54 PM, Jungle Fan said:

I've kept cardinals on and off since 1968 and I've only ever seen them become aggressive in very small groups when something had happened, and for a short while your group might be down to just a handful.

On the other hand I've seen apistos go after everything that moved when they breed. Are you sure your cardinals killed each other, or are you guessing, it sounds to me that what you see might be stress nipping from being pursued by a bigger killer all through the night.

Apistos aggressive breeding behavior, and their taste for shrimp are the two factors why I keep Bolivian rams in my 75 gallon tank instead of Apistogramma cacatuoides red, or Apistogramma macmasteri. Don't get me wrong apistos are great fish, I love them, they are normally great tankmates, but when they breed it's no more Mr. Nice Guy, and they get down to business as I learnt the hard way a few decades ago.

Cardinals do best in larger groups, the bigger the better if you want to experience their true schooling behavior and see them less stressed. I know that books advocate for 7- 8 minimum a lot, but they really start being more relaxed around 15 in my experience. I keep 35 in my tank and it's a joy to see them parade up and down lengthwise in the tank, and around the driftwood.

oh no, I think maybe you misunderstood me. I know how they all died it was not due to aggression, the cardinals are just picking at each other now that there are only 7. When there were 8 they were a solid school never saw aggression. The male apisto does occasionally lunge at a cardinal but I have yet to see any actual fin nipping besides the tetras on each other. 

[Cardinal tetras becoming aggressive?]

I have no experience sexing tetras at all I will have to do some digging... it seems to be everyone picking on everyone its very strange

[Cardinal tetras becoming aggressive?]

I have a 17gal with 8 cardinal tetras and a pair of apistogramma. The tank has been setup for about 4 months and I have had my share of dead cardinal tetras.... started with 12 down to 8 and then 7 as of last night. The first 3 were dead the first week in the tank from my LFS and the last 2 have gotten sucked into the filter. Now my once peaceful school of 8 has become an aggressive group of 7 that are picking at each other over night since the 8th one died. Is this common in tetras? I know larger schools dissipate aggression but just because one is gone now they are all aggressive? wanted to hear more thoughts on this as I haven't dealt with this before.

yes I have a sponge over my intake, they still get in sometimes not sure how....

and water parameters were better than usual

ph-6.8

ammonia- 0ppm

nitrite-0ppm

nitrate-10ppm

       

[What are your current breeding projects?]

On 7/17/2021 at 10:49 PM, Crabby said:

Apistos are super rewarding to breed. The courtship is very beautiful. Get your miniature live foods ready!

I got baby brine shrimp I’ve been putting in once a day so they know it’s there hopefully they breed soon, they could have already the male is very territorial over their cave. The problem is my center piece is full of caves they use and I can’t see in there so it’s hard to tell

[What are your current breeding projects?]

Very new aquarist, I’m currently working on breeding a pair of ‘steel blue’ apistogramma, they are so close I can feel it. The female is showing breeding colors and the male is dancing for her outside her cave it’s a matter of time now.

[Hello from Tucson!!]

@DannyBWell thanks it means a lot! Totally hooked after this tank I need a whole rack now 😂

[Hello from Tucson!!]

Hi there! First time ever using a forum for aquariums. I got into the hobby about 4 months ago. I own a single tank on my desk, a 17gal, that holds a small school of cardinals, 4 panda Cory’s and a pair of ‘steel blue’ apistogramma. Can’t wait to be an active member on this forum as it grows with my hobby!!! 

(Note that most of the pictures are a month old as the blackwater has dissipated)