Steph’s Fish and Plants
-
Posts
345 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Feedback
0%
Content Type
Forums
Downloads
Store
Events
Blogs
Gallery
Profiles
Posts posted by Steph’s Fish and Plants
-
-
Here are those updated full tank shots I was talking about 😉 pictured first is my 20 long, current stocking is 6 celestial pearl danios, a blue stiphodon goby, and 7 habrosus corydoras. The second picture is my 10 gallon with my betta Drogo and an Amano shrimp. My first ever saltwater build is coming tomorrow 😁 I won’t post in depth about it on here unless ppl ask for it but I’ll include some photos occasionally in case ppl are interested.
-
3
-
-
Most tetras, danios, and rasboras should get along with each other as long as you provide enough of each species you get so they can properly school. As mentioned, different species won’t school together so if you were to get one of each species of tetra, they would all be very stressed out and alone. But a large school of a few species would do great. The smaller rasboras could potentially be an accidental snack for the largest of tetras, but that’s mere speculation on my part. The aquarium coop YouTube channel has several videos on stocking tanks and Cory mentions heavily of how to really fill out a community tank by getting fish for the different areas of the aquarium, so getting fish that like to stay in the upper third of the aquarium, fish that stay in the middle, and bottom dwellers. I’m planning on doing just that as I continue stocking my own 20 gallon community. Right now I have celestial pearl danios, which are bottom and midwater dwellers, I just added some habrosus corydoras which are bottom dwellers, and I’m also going to add some pseudomugil gertrudae rainbows, which hang out at the top of the tank. I may add an apisto as a show piece fish, and or some candy cane tetras for a bit of a bigger bodied fish. I’m not sure yet. Best of luck
-
1
-
-
Sort of hijacking this post, but does anyone know the difference between seachem tidal HOBs and aqua clears? Is there a difference. I think @AdamTillbrings up an interesting point, rather than replacing what you already have just add to it. The marine lands aren’t doing a poor job, why fix what isn’t broke right? Especially if the gain is going to be very minimal. Also, redundancy is always a good thing. In the saltwater world, they’re always running backups and backups of backups in case something fails, and I think that in the freshwater world we don’t consider Ry he benefit of redundancy nearly as much. Adding a third filter and keeping the other two will keep the biological you’ve already established, and if one breaks down the line it’ll give you time to get a new one, as the other two will be sufficient. It’ll also help eliminate any dead spots you might have in the tank. And it’ll save you money. Buying one brand new filter will be cheaper than 2, and you won’t have wasted the money you spent on the others. Now you’ll have more money to spend on more fish or plants or a new heater when that fails etc.
-
In my 3 (well now 2 bc I just tore one down in leu of a saltwater tank) freshwater tanks I haven’t tested the pH since I set them back up. I don’t even own a pH test kit at this point. What I Do test is the Kh. Kh is your buffer capacity and what keeps the pH stable, so if I have enough of that, I know my pH isn’t going anywhere. pH is only important in certain scenarios, such as highly sensitive shrimp, African cichlids, and tank crashes. Now the first two are still variable but it’s more important to be in their desired ranges than community fish and other types of cichlids. In the case of tank crashes, it’s my understanding that when the pH drops below a certain point, somewhere around 6.2 or 6.3 or something, ammonia gets converted to the non toxic ammonium, which isn’t broken down by the bacterial colonies in the tank, so it builds up and up and up until we change the water and the pH rises back up. Then, all that ammonium that’s been building up instantly becomes ammonia and shocks the system and is often times higher than what the bacteria, which have been dying off without a food source, can handle. This is a tank crash and often leads to large die offs from the combination of pH changes and high levels of toxic ammonia. A pH in the lower 8s is really of no concern however, unless you’re trying to keep extremely fancy shrimp like caridina and other similar, highly sensitive species.
-
I would consider adding something to buffer Kh but if your tank pH doesn’t fluctuate much then I wouldn’t worry about it. As mentioned above, testing pH of tap water right after collecting it is going to give false readings because of dissolved gases which dissipate out over time. Try collecting some tap water and letting it age a day or so before testing it. The catappa and driftwood will lower it some, and having a low Kh will allow the pH to fluctuate more, which is why I suggest looking into raising that somehow, which could be crushed coral or alkaline buffer etc. the biggest thing with the hardnesses and pH however is stability. As long as there isn’t big changes or fluctuations then fish can adapt and will do just fine. My Kh out of the tap is around 2 like yours, but I’ve buffered it up to around 5 so that my pH doesn’t drop and cause ammonia issues (aka a tank crash). I have a little bit of crushed coral and I occasionally add alkaline buffer after water changes if my Kh tests low. If you do end up raising the Kh, do so slowly over the course of a few days, that way fish can adjust
-
When in doubt, ask. Always be asking questions. The mire we can understand Why a thing is happening, the better off we are. Why do I need 6 of these fish but only 1 of these, why do I need to wait before adding fish. Why are my fish doing this. Always be asking yourself why something is happening, it’s how we learn and grow in the hobby. Another piece of advice that I always will take with me is that there’s a 100 ways to skin a cat, meaning that there are so many different ways of doing things. Some will work for you and some won’t, and what did work for you won’t always work for everyone else. I find that online and on social media it’s really easy to get caught up in looking for others mistakes and looking down upon others or having others look down upon you because of a certain thing, and while yes there are cases where there’s a lack of proper husbandry, but there’s also different ways to provide proper care and husbandry, and as long as your fish are healthy and it works for you then that’s what’s important. Everyone has their own opinions based on their own experience. Find what works for you and perfect it.
and enjoy your tanks. Take time to look and really notice the little things. And I mean the little things. All the little micro fauna that will grow and develop as your little slice of nature evolves. That’s why I love bottom feeders so much, it forces you to take time to really look through the tank to find them. Keep the fish that make You excited. When you’re planning your next tank, plan it around what you want to keep. Whether it be bettas or Oscars or rainbows or peacocks or puffers or eels or whatever. Decide what you like and keep it.
-
2
-
-
So unfortunately I don’t think any survived my 3 week vacation. I have 1 technically but I don’t know if it’s from the same round as the others or not. If I get more breeding action or learn anymore I’ll update here. Everyone else feel free to put your input or experience here as well
-
Well, it’s been a while soo Update time. I went to my parents house for a few weeks for the holidays and lost pretty much all the CPD fry. Ive found one but I’m not hopeful on it making it. In other news, I tore down the 5.5 betta tank and moved Drogo the betta to a new 10 gallon palace so I can setup my first ever saltwater tank. I also got 7 habrosus corydoras today that were just moved up from my store’s breeding room 😁 I’ll ad some updated full tank shots tomorrow when the lights are on
-
1
-
-
This is perfectly timed as I just got my first ever cories, the habrosus corydoras. They’re so cute!
-
4
-
-
It sounds like you’re leaning toward rock? Go with your gut. There’s no right or wrong, just whether you like it, as far as scape goes. Did you cap the soil?
-
As said above, there’s no such thing as too much filter just too much flow, but within reason. Like an aqua clear 110 is very much overkill for a 10 gallon tank, so it needs to fit reasonably in the tank. That being said, my 20 long at its height bioload wise had 2 HOBs rated for 20 gallons and 2 sponge filters rated for 20 gallons. Upgrading to the 55 filter and running the sponge gives you more leeway. I’d suggest getting a hang on back with adjustable flow, that way you can dial it back if the flow is too much, or crank it up if you have reticulated loaches or plecos or something that want that higher flow. The sponge filter will add oxygen to the tank and add surface area for bacteria and for things like shrimp to graze on. My favorite filtration combo is a hang on back or HOB with bio media and sponge, and a sponge filter. I would avoid carbon cartridges because they’re an unnecessary expense, and every time you replace the cartridge you’re losing that bacteria. Now there are times when carbon is necessary, so keep whatever carbon came with it handy just in case, but I wouldn’t run it unless you need it.
-
1
-
-
Did you ever figure out what it was? Is the puffer ok?
-
Preston john I believe has put out a lot of info about them. Check his site spottedcongopuffer or his Instagram, I feel like he’s put reference photos out at some point.
-
Look at those bright orange little bellies 😍 this is so awesome. Congratulations and keep up the great work!
-
On 11/18/2020 at 4:44 PM, Brandy said:
How many gallons is this tank anyway? I was thinking...I remember you did not plan to put in a filter, and I am more and more beginning to believe filtration is largely cosmetic when you cram your tank full of plants like me. I would rather buy more plants and lights.
In saltwater they rely on the beneficial bacteria growing in the live rock in the tank and all the other fancy equipment is water polishing, nitrate/phosphate export, and buffering. I think that given enough time and managed properly, this is the same in freshwater as well. It probably is what ends up happening in tanks filtered with cartridges that are frequently replaced. The plants are the nitrate export, and the beneficial bacteria are all over the glass and decor and gravel.
this has been so much fun catching up on this thread, I always learn so much. I’m constantly telling other people about the cardinal tetras on the Hindenburg now whenever people are getting them at work (I work at my LFS)
-
2
-
-
Wow your tanks all look great! a while back you mentioned getting a 55 at some point, why not go with a 75? I’m fairly certain they’re the same footprint but the 75 is taller. Would be better for angels. And not all that much different than the 55.
-
1
-
-
If I really took the time this list could be so long because I’m in college and am limited to 3 nano tanks.
but, the one thing that’s always on my mind and will be the first tank I do once I have a house would be for a Schoutedeni Puffer. They’re absolutely adorable, amazing, and personable, and I hope to breed them as well.
reasons I can’t are, like I said above, I only have nano tanks so I don’t have a big enough tank (would want at least a 40b for 1, probably would do a group in a 75) as well as money and availability. I want captive bred individuals, ideally from the master himself @Preston John but I don’t think he has any available rn (at least according to his site) and they’ll be pretty expensive when he does. As well as tank expenses for a 75 gallon.
For now tho, I’m living vicariously through his and others Instagram accounts 😅
-
1
-
-
A CoOp gift card definitely. Check out the merch section and look at the stickers, throw some of those in as well, especially if any of them are ones that he has. A T shirt or the CoOp towel would be good too (fish keepers ALWAYS need more towels. Trust me). Do you know if he has a Python for water changes? (It attaches to the sink, is super long), if not then that can be a “bigger” ish gift (it’s like $50). Another thing you could do is if he has a local fish store he likes to go to you can take him and have him pick stuff out and have him show you his favorite fish they have and stuff, that way it’s an experience and then he gets the gift of the stuff he picked out as well. The most meaningful thing you can do is connect with him through fish keeping and show him that you’re interested in it because he is.
-
3
-
-
Im doing a lot of saltwater research right now. I think I’m definitely gonna go with option 2, or at least moving the betta. Eventually maybe the CPDs if I can get a red eye puffer for the 20, if not I’ll leave them in the 20 and probably get some pseudomugils and some habrosus cories. Now onto the mantis. I really wanna do the 40, but it’s gonna be so much more expensive and work than if I did a 13.5 Fluval evo for a smaller mantis, but there’s a trade off. Got a lot of thinking to do (and saving up regardless) but I’ll definitely throw some pics on my build thread on here 😁
-
Hope he’s ok. Could it have been a bully in the big tank? What else was in the 135? Did you test the parameters in the tank?
-
I had this happen in a shrimp tank too a few years ago. It never caused any harm to the shrimp that I noticed, I went from 4 cherry shrimp to 30 in just a few months. I believe them to be detritus worms based on what I was told at the time. As others above have said, cut back on feedings and let the shrimp outcompete them as far as food goes. A good gravel vac won’t hurt either.
-
So, my girlfriend finally approved me getting a 40 breeder saltwater mantis tank, on one condition: I have to tear down one of my 3 freshwater tanks.
im super excited about the saltwater tank, but I’m torn on what to do about my freshwater tanks. I have 3, a 5.5 betta tank, a 10 gallon for my pea puffers I may or may not be getting back (they’re with my parents rn, long story), and a 20 long with a blue goby 6 celestial pearl danio adults and about 30ish CPD fry (I plan on taking most to my LFS when they’re big enough, they’re only 2 weeks old rn)
So I have a few options...
option 1: tear down the 10 gallon tank that I just finished setting up and got all new substrate for that’s supposed to be my experiment tank comparing seachem to the CoOp easy line. If I do get my pea puffers back, put them in the 20 long and hope they do ok (they’re with 3 rummynose in a 10 and haven’t caused any issues over the past 9 months). I’d have to level out the table that the 10 amd 5 are on, and put the 40 on that table.
option 2: tear down the 5, put the CPDs and the betta in the 10, and do a puffer in the 20 (either the peas if I get them back, or a South American or red eye) and do the 49 either on the table with the 10 sideways or get the 40 a stand
option 3: put the 40 on a stand regardless and level that. (Can go with option 1)
Option 4: put the betta in the 20 with the CPDs and do the puffers in the 10 if I get them or a red eye puffer
any input or advice would be great. I have recent photos of each tank on my build thread “College Apartment Fishroom Build”
-
Do you know what has been causing your issues? Bristlenose plecos are one of the hardiest species out there besides commons in my opinion. Anything that’s gonna be on the smaller end other than them and maybe snowball plecos are gonna be sensitive and expensive. What temperature is your tank at? What else is in the tank? What size tank? Is it new or well established. What’re your parameters? Is there driftwood in the tank? What have you been feeding your plecos? All of these are gonna be important no matter what species you keep. In general, plecos like warmer temperatures in the high 70s to the low or even mid 80s, are constant grazers with a high bio load, and need some sort of wood in their diet. Bristlenose are the supreme algae eaters of the plecos, with other species ranging from herbivores all the way to carnivores. If we can solve why you’re not having luck with bristlenose, then you can keep a wide variety of species, but in my research and opinion they’re the hardiest of the smaller plecos.
-
A Kh of 6 is fine for guppies, and having bumped your Gh up they should be fine. Any babies you raise will also do 10x better in your water bc that’s what they’ve been in all their life. Chasing parameters often times causes more stress to fish than the original parameters. I buffer my Kh because out of my tap it’s a 0-2 and so my pH will likely drop and cause issues with ammonia and the cycle. Really the only reason I’d consider changing anything else in your case would be for African cichlids, but your water sounds just fine for guppies for me. I would imagine that the Seiryu stone could be at fault for the confusion with the “lower” Kh (tho 6 is more mid range and is what we keep the store water at (I work at my LFS)) in comparison to the pH. Over time you may find the pH drops a bit if you don’t do anything to it. But at 6 it shouldn’t drop too much, if at all. As for why your LFS wouldn’t sell you anything, that’s a bit odd 🧐
Anyone Keeping Native Darters?
in General Discussion
Posted
Such a cool thread, I hope to be able to work with natives someday, such underrated fish