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Blaha

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Everything posted by Blaha

  1. My thoughts: PH 8-8.2 nitrate 0-5 nitrite 0.5-1 ammonia 2-4 That's comparing how they look on screen to the chart I'm holding. If you post it with the chart it could be easier for consistent lighting, but this hopefully is pretty close. A tip that may or may not be useful in your case: If you can take pics and have a way to put a grayscale filter on them, would that help? I'm not entirely sure how colorblindness works, but if it works that could save you some stress maybe
  2. I know Cory has mentioned before that sometimes when they die it is because they have gone too long without food and just can't be saved before you get them, but I feel like at least some should survive. That is no fun. I've lost about 2/3 of all hillstream loaches I've ever tried to get as well. There is a whole video dedicated to ottos from just before or just after the most recent Peru trip
  3. Update: I can't really tell good from bad, and also have some small string algae which doesn't help, but there is almost twice the eggs as yesterday! I lost count around like 150, so hopefully at least one makes it from the lot haha
  4. 10 hours is still high for algae, especially if you have some kind of plant light. Turning it down likely didn't increase growth, it has just done little to stop it, and changes like that can take a week or more to see algae dying off. I'd recommend 6-8 for now, and that can go up as the plants grow or once fish are in it and there is less for the algae to eat and fish to potentially eat the algae. As far as siphons go I have had the same cheap syphon from PetSmart with a little hand pump to get the siphon started for about 12 years. It works fine. Maybe a little slow as my tanks have gotten larger over the years at right around 1 g/min ish but I find it fine and it has the reach to gravel vac and a long hose on the other side to reach the bucket.
  5. I'm going to let nature take its course. I'll see how many hatch and survive. It's the first time anything has ever laid any eggs for me, and they are everywhere! If they all get eaten then I guess it is a good dinner for something, and if they don't then more friends!
  6. Are these eggs? I just did some major changes to a tank including a huge water change, rearrangement, and removing my Tiger lotus that was taking over the entire tank. Then 2 days later I wake up to these things everywhere. I have emerald corys, kuhlis, hillstreams and neon tetras. Is there anything I should do to help them hatch, or to know if they aren't viable?
  7. Not so surprisingly, the full tank, equipment, and decor setup on a Buy, Sell, Trade for $50 has two small leaks. Maybe so small after a 24 hours test in the garage that the seller didn't know. If they did know that is lame of them. It is an opportunity to re-seal a tank. I know how, but never have. I'll also refurbish the stand to be a black cherry color to match the other tank and general room aesthetic. I will probably journal the experience for my own future reference at least
  8. I did get it. If it doesn't become angels then it can be something else, or I have a friend that will take it if I don't use it. It was $50 for the tank, stand, lid, small canister (don't know what kind yet) Petco heater, an air pump, decor, and gravel. So it was a good deal. It needs some cleaning and I need to test the seals before in the garage before it goes inside. I think it could be a fun set up with a variety of community ideas
  9. I have always wanted an angel community. I saw someone selling a 28g Hex tank (18x20x24tall) and I was wondering if that would be a suitable size for them? It is plenty tall for a few, but would it be enough for them laterally?
  10. It never needs replaced. The stuff we have is like 10 years old and gets run a few times per week. But it's smooth like tumbled rocks the size of aquarium gravel and we have like green and blue ones. It's not hard to clean because it gets cleaned as soap and metal residue builds up and gets scummy. I rinsed it the same way I've learned to rinse aquarium gravel and it game out great. The part about it being specially makes sense. It may only be purchasable from suppliers. I started to think about it after the most recent ACO video at Aqua Lounge because I really liked the look of the flat stones in the fine black gravel
  11. I works as a precision machinist, and we have a machine called a Vibratory Finishing System. It works roughly like a rock tumbler, but instead of tumbling it vibrates. It is meant to take burrs off irregular shaped parts without scratching them. There is a huge variety of media you can add to the pot including a non-abrasive ceramic media. It comes in tons of sizes, colors, shapes, etc. Usually when I see people using an industrial substrate its an abrasive Aluminum Oxide powder (BD Blasting Sand or the like) so I wonder, has anyone ever messed with Vibratory Media as a substrate, or does anyone else know about it and would have more info if it is safe? It doesn't seem to have any sort of coatings or anything like that because you add the detergents in the machines when you run it.
  12. I've never had problems with corys being injured by gravel. I would keep the gravel but if you do want to change it do that change before adding fish because its a big change
  13. I have a Tiger Lotus bulb. I got it from ACO about 9 months ago. It took 3 weeks to show any signs of new growth, about 2 months before it's first pad, then it was about every 2-3 weeks per pad which got progressively larger from an inch each to 4.5+ inches. It slowly sped up until about a month ago to a rate of 1 pad per week, and a grand total of 4 bulbs in the system, and all of the pads were off of the second bulb as well as bulbs 3 and 4 were connected to the second. The one I bought basically grew a few leaves, sent out a big baby, and is relatively dormant now (not a problem) This month though things got intense. The 3rd bulb in the system began throwing up pads. The 2nd now makes a pad every 3-4 days, this new one is sending 1-1.5 inch pads every 7-10 days already. Aside from that the second bulb also had sent out a 5th bulb. These past few weeks The second bulb sent out FOUR MORE bulbs, and the new one up front sent out a baby already as well and is quickly claiming the 3rd largest size, just behind the original at marbled sized. Any advice on what to do about this crazy growth? I love the plant, but I don't want it to take over everything. Probably not coincidental, but the crypt Luscens is going mad too. There's 4 of them planted. Two of the small ones send out a baby, and the big one in the center was the size of the rest around the beginning of April(it may be multiple sprouts now but it's too dense to see) There has been change, but not an insane amount. Haven't changed water or cleaned the sponges in over 2 months, last liquid fert was about 6 weeks ago, last root tabs for the crypts was around Christmas. I have never gravel vac-ed since setting up in August. There was a change of - what the forum helped me identify to be - seed shrimp in a thriving colony in the gravel, especially by the bulbs.
  14. The chain stores have been bare, the local stores have been fine. I think wholesalers don't want to sell as much to the chains that pay next to nothing compared to a local. I'd say mostly supply chain, but also some stores may be limiting livestock alongside staffing issues because if they don't have the staff to care for the animals then they can't stock them. Or they may "shut down" a certain number of tanks to reduce the amount of tanks they need to maintain. My local pages of trading and whatnot are still jammed with people trading fish, moving bred fish. There is more people getting rid of tanks than looking, but also many of the people getting rid of tanks are have upgraded to a bigger one or it broke and they replaced it and are looking for someone that wants to fix it to take it. As far as the Lacey amendment goes it still has only been introduced and read twice. It hasn't been voted on or passed in the house or senate (according to congress.gov), and even if/when it does it has a clause of a 12-18 month observation period to see what volumes of what creatures are being imported vs raised domestically, and how much is moving between states
  15. I just put mine halfway in the gravel, I had plant weights but didn't need them. 9 months later this thing is out of control for a 29G and I love/hate it haha. I get a new 4-5in diameter pad every few days from the first daughter bulb to grow. This first daughter has sent out 5 or 6 babies off of it now, and one of those started growing the little mini pads that it starts out with. One of the baby bulbs isn't even in the gravel, it's just floating like 3 inches above the substrate with roots that made their way down. I chop out a couple pads a week as they start to melt but there is layers of pads now. It's a lot to keep up with but the fish and the crypts love the shade of a canopy
  16. I will try to get a closer shot, but compared to what I have tried to look at, and what other fishy places have suggested this seems like the closest to correct. I will do some research into seed shrimp as well to see various varieties or conditions they'd live in. Seed shrimp is the first suggestion I've heard back with this look, anyone else has suggested things with shells or appendages, or flatworms that are round instead of long(but I found 0 sources to say that is a possible occurrence) Thank you! Edit: I've done a bit more research and I think @Guppysnail has it pegged at stonewort seed shrimp specifically, but some kind of seed shrimp if not those. I'm glad because they seem like a benefit more than anything, and the conditions line up. I've hit near self-sustained ecosystem. I only do 10-20% water changes once every 8+ weeks when the water starts to get cloudy from the lily pads, or the sponges need cleaning. I usually need to fertilize because nitrates get used faster than produced. Even when I do cleanings I never gravel vac because I don't want to disturb the plants. It's been about 9 months since the last gravel vac. They eat fish waste and algae and I had an algae bloom last November that took 3 months to temper to a state of slight algae for the hilstreams I have. Stonewort seed shrimp almost exclusively live on or around stonewort, which I don't have, however stonewort is very prevalent around the southern areas of lake Erie and my is pumped and treated from there, so they probably have come into my tank by surviving the treatment process because they are so indestructible. I saw they are even one of the organisms being tested on the ISS as a candidate for introducing life to Mars and survived with little oxygen and 0 gravity for several months. I've always wanted to try live bearers but unsure which, so maybe these just gave guppies the leg up on mollies and platies to be added once my tetras are gone.
  17. Hi! I noticed these little guys in my tank today. Any idea what they are? If they are a problem, and tips on managing them? I have cory's and kuhlis, but if there is a fish that likes eating these I'm always on the lookout to go shopping for a new friend. The tank: 29G 0 nitrite, ammonia, chlorine <20 nitrate Crazy hard, off the charts. 75-78 degrees, planted, and well established. This is the best pic I could get. My camera is nice, but has it's limits. That's normal sized gravel and the creatures seem to be about 0.5-1mm or less based on my attempted measurements and calculations Edit: They are all in the gravel, near the top of the gravel, but don't get more than an inch above the gravel surface, and they are mostly in jus one corner of the tank where it is the most heavily planted, but also has a sponge filter
  18. I've kept a few varieties in gravel with similar ph, so I think there is some other thing going on. I'd say the only difference for me is my water is unmeasurably hard, but Corys are hardy and should work in softer waters as far as I know. You have plenty of hiding places so I wouldn't think stress is a factor. I guess what are you feeding them, or how much? Corys don't really eat algae and stuff like most bottom feeders. I feed mine a lot of the Xtreme Nice pellets so they can scrounge throughout the day and occasionally an algae wafer and they are a nice heathy size
  19. I wouldn't have thought they could be strong enough, but digging around slowly adding air would make sense. Since it is unused and a couple kuhlis have already curled up inside of it I guess that's just how it will be now haha
  20. I have an easy planter in my tank, and it's been empty for a little bit because the plant it was holding had died off. This morning I woke up and it was lifted up. The tank has tetras, hillstreams, kuhlis, and corys. I don't really think anything would be strong enough to lift it. The corys are just the largest in the tank and the kuhlis burrow sometimes. I'm just very confused on how it could happen.
  21. Before the winter and weather delaying flights and stuff It's always been very consistent delivery 2 days after placing the order in northeast ohio. I also would usually order in the morning local time, so super early for the west coast so it's usually shipped same day. The tracking is also nuts. Stuff like check it at 11am. Arrived in cleveland shipping hub at 1245pm, shipped to X city at 807am arrived in city at 2pm, out for delivery at 1030am. The location is enough hint but it brightens my day when I see it. I've only had one thing arrive truly late all winter because the est is about a week, so a day later than the usual 2 days is still been on time. I do know what @Widgets means about the "Package in transit" message that shows up, sometimes for a couple days, if nothing else does. I think that's when flights are delayed because of weather or maybe if the weather is bad enough they send it by truck so it takes longer without a facility check in. It made me nervous when I ordered plants around New years and it happened. They showed up a day or two late, but they were okay. I was having an internal debate to contact ACO but decided to hold out until 5 days late. They are no longer okay because I have killed every single stem plant I've tried but oh well. They lasted a month which was a new record. Other plants I do fine but not stems.
  22. This Hillstream I have is always a different color, like every day somewhere between dark-ish gray and light gray, sometimes almost orange-y. I came home from work and she was PALE though, and on her favorite shell munching away. She isn't acting funny. She seems to be more orange on the gravel, plants, and pots, and darker when around the sponge filters or on the tank wall. The other one I have is almost always dark grey to black, and almost always on the back wall, which is black, or a sponge or heavily planted area. It's currently on the heater suction cup and phone is just not having it trying to capture a good shot of it. I had a 3rd that died a few months ago, and have had a few failed attempts to get another from a chain store so I gave up a bit because they haven't fought since some of the plants grew in (No LFS near me) Am I going crazy or is it a thing that they can camouflage slightly? I can't seem to find anything on it one way or the other. Shell photo from today, Leaf photo from about a month ago, with a dark period between the two I have no photos of
  23. Yeah. I have a cat that sits on a nearby table with the same look of "I want to hunt that" as yours has, but we have trained her not to try and climb the tank when she used to try. It's pretty cute and I know she can't actually hunt it so I don't mind
  24. I have some Luscens. Probably too small for your goals. I've given it some root tabs in the past, but it's been ages since I've needed to and now that my light and algae is in a more manageable state they've been blowing up (by crypt standards which is still very slow) I also have a full bottom gravel tank and it's a couple inches deep which helps trap stuff. I know you do pots for everything so likely you would want/need root tabs. Idk. My Luscens and my Lotus Bulb ae the only plants I've successfully kept. I have an Anubias Nangi and It hasn't died, it just also hasn't grown any new leaves ever. I know they are slow but it's been a couple months
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