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Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics

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Everything posted by Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics

  1. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    the ammonia being an unknown may be a factor. If you can get an API test kit, have a local store test your water, or grab Tetra test strips to get a better picture of your water quality. ammonia in a tiny amount will keep your fish sick. A lot will poison them. I agree with everyone on here. Knowing your water is the first step.
  2. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    Same for me. Sometimes I hover above the sand to get some stuff, but storing it up a bit works the best.
  3. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    Not necessarily. Could be heavy in other minerals and not potassium. I am currently trying to decide how much Easy Green I should be using so I haven’t grabbed a potassium test or ferts. I’m hoping the potassium in Easy Green will be enough once I level out my needs.
  4. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    I have Java fern and it is kind of picky on water. I bought some from the co-op and some from a local store. Both browned in my water. Not like melt, brown spots. If it browning in spots it might be that it needs additionally potassium. I was in a discussion on here with someone else about Java fern when @Irenesaid she had that problem and potassium took care of it for her.
  5. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    Val takes forever to acclimate and propagate. I had mine for many, many months before I saw a shoot. And when I moved them in the tank they took forcer before I saw another. Honestly, they’ve been in my 75 gallon for five months and yesterdayI smiled at how many have propagated in the past couple of months. Give them a good home, feed them, don’t move them, and you will eventually have a lot of it. For months I wished I had bought more of it.
  6. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    Plants could have used the available nitrates. Are you dosing any fertilizers? Sounds like you may be a go for adding fish. I would just go slowly to make sure your bacterial colony can keep up. Plants make life a lot easier.
  7. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    You want 0 Ammonia and NO2, but to be cycled and starting to “season” you want to see some nitrates. Did you just do a water change? Some nitrates means your cycle is working. If it were me I would wait to see that I am regularly producing nitrates, but sounds like it is going well!
  8. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    I keep them in the back of the tank, but here is a picture of one of them.
  9. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    I glued some java moss to pots my plants came in and stuffed them into my substrate. They took off and I have three "moss balls" for my shrimp the live on.
  10. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    My 75 gallon has cories. It has both gravel and sand. The cories do tend to stay on the sand more often than the gravel, but Insee them all over the tank. the main reason I did some sand was for me. I enjoy watching them dif around in the sand. I think they are fine with most any substrates that you might use.
  11. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    Great point! I totally read that as 2 months for some reason. Slow and steady will provide the best outcome. It is hard not to buy all of the inhabitants you want, but you will have a better experience if you let the tank keep up with the bioload.
  12. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    Love seeing the progress! I have dreams of a fish room in the future, so I can’t wait to see how things progress.
  13. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    If you have been feeding the snails I don’t see why it wouldn’t remain cycled.
  14. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    Update Little guy didn’t make it. I wasn’t able to call the lfs yesterday. I had high hopes for the little guy. Today is the second treatment of Paracleanse. He seemed to be getting around fine last night, but I found him on his side those morning. I wish I had been able to purchase them a couple of days sooner and maybe I could have treated earlier. I still need to call to see if they treated for parasites. The other two appear to be doing fine. I will give them Paracleanse today and then watch a couple of days before the water change and regular feeding. Looks like I will be qting them for at least three more weeks. I believe that is @Cory’s recommendation on treating with Paracleanse? A second dose two weeks after the first?
  15. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    @Speakeasy and the Co-op ones are stackable! I have a medium sitting on top of a large. I could see running fine on top of course for the same results you are describing.
  16. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    Oh yeah! They can hold for a long time.
  17. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    They also remind me of Molly fry.
  18. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    I would think maintenance would be key. A fine sponge filter regularly cleaned would have more surface area. But once the fish poop clogs it up it would be less. for most of us I think the coarse offers the best balance.
  19. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    You will most likely put the same size air pump on either. So the flow is not impacted by the size of your sponge. Ways you can impact the flow; 1. Length of uptake tube the longer the tube the more flow. 2. A flow valve (highly recommend. You cut your airline between the pump and where the tube enters the tank and put the valve in there. Recommend some place easy to reach) 3. Ziss Never Clog airstone. It has these small pads that release the air. You tighten the stone and get smaller bubbles. Smaller bubbles mean faster filtration.
  20. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    I agree with Ben on a new tank or smaller tank. I always did the three at a time method. It kept me from having to chase parameters and no spikes when adding young fish. if you have a larger tank or when your tank becomes seasoned (months of everything going groovy) you can add more at a time. I once added seven young neons to my 75 gallon with no major change in parameters. I’m sure it changed something, but so didn’t see it.
  21. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    I had some Blackbeard breakout on some of my decorations and a few plants. I had some Excel that I stopped using when I added Val to my tank. I decided to spot treat the BBA. It works and my Val hasn’t melted. I didn’t treat the tank like the packaging says because I have Val and Otocinclus. I want some algae, but NOT BBA. I used the bottle recommended daily dose (1 ml per gallon I believe) and a pipet to administer the algaecide directly onto the algae. The algae does, turns brown/pink, and inhabitants eat it.
  22. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    Like everyone here has said its more preference than anything. When I upsized to a 75 gallon I bought two of the large course sponge filters. I also had my medium from my 25 gallon in it to “seed” the new tank. They worked great for the most part, but I never could get the fine particulate out of my water. I wish I had considered a fine sponge filter for occasional cleanup, but I came across a great deal in a bargain canister. I stacked it with sponges and poly fiber. Now my water is crystal clear. Bet I could have used an occasional fine sponge to do the same though. They are so cheap, I would buy both. Run the coarse 24/7 and put the fine in if the water needed “polishing”. But that’s me. If I were you I would 100% buy the coarse and if your water still has particulate in it buy a fine to run occasionally just for that.
  23. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    The plant weights could be used to get them to stay on the substrate long enough to root. Keep in mind that plants like anubias and Java fern have rhizomes (the horizontal root the stems/leaves and roots grow from) and rhizomes must stay above the substrate. You can’t bury them or the plant will die. You can bury the roots that are growing down, and put a plant weight around the rhizome loosely. The roots will eventually grab the substrate and you can carefully remove the weight. Keep it loose, and make sure you’re fish can’t get hurt in any sharp edges or corners.
  24. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    I glued Java moss to my plant pots and created hiding places for my RCS. Once they grew out they look amazing. *edited to include pic
  25. Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics
    Great idea. I had planned on calling them tomorrow anyway over that Sterbaii. I'll see what they charge. I can shoot you a message after I've spoken with them.
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