KittenFishMom

@Aiden Carter Hi Aiden, Sorry to not get back to you sooner. it has been a bit crazy here. I have some mixed results with scuds I get from the stream and lake here in NY state. I understand there are 2 basic kinds of scuds. small vegetarian scuds and bigger omnivor scuds. I have the bigger size. Where are you catching you scuds? do you know which type you have?.

@Zenzo and @Colu The spot on the flagfish looks a little bit bigger, but not by much. Should I do a 5 day treatment with the maracyn? I added some aquarium salt (2.5 teaspoon for 10 gallon) and Equilibrium (1.5 teaspoons), and a wonder shell, as well as one packet of maracyn last night. The KH came up but the pH is still 6.4. Our OR system is up and running today, I could do a water change with RO water with equilibrium in it, or not change the water because I started the maracyn. The Ammonia and NO2 are still zero.

Also, having just gone through this and currently setting up an RO system. Hardness is often measured as a total of calcium and magnesium in the water. Our well water has zero calcium, and a ton of magnesium. So the water softener folks test for calcium and say our water is completely soft, but the test strip I was use test for magnesium and said it was unmeasurably hard. I had to cut the well water with an equal amount of distilled water to get the API chemical test to give me a result for magnesium and KH. Our well water also has a bad amount of ammonia in it coming out of the well. (we are at the shallow swamp end of the lake, which is teaming with wildlife and ages of decaying water plants under the mud. I have a 5 gallon bucket with an active sponge filter from one of my tanks and a heater in it. I top it off and ghost feed the bucket every night and use water from it the next day. We hope to have the 7 stage RO system up and running very soon. It was hard to find a place in this tiny cottage from 1936 where everything was accessible and the gauges and monitors were readable. We wanted it at the kitchen sink for drinking water, but had to put it in with the furnace and laundry. You have to walk through the bathroom to get to it. Also had to have an unused internal chimney removed. Nothing is ever as simple as it looks in the videos. Oh Well.

@Zenzo thank you so much !!!

@Zesul Patrick_G did say to dry the rock and scratch it, so you may want to repeat the test with drying and scratching or scraping the clean spot to test before testing. Use an old serrated butter knife or a us quarter ($0.25) because it has the ridges on the edge, just to rough up the rock and get though any coating or oxidation and get in to the real rock. then dab with vinegar. High pH is basic/alkaline so think of things like baking soda or calcium or limestone or cement or coral or bone or seashell. Those all cause high pH. If you put in coral or shells or a chunk of sidewalk cement, they could be doing it.

I think someone should go into business making painted/printed tri-fold screens to put in front of sponge filters. Sort like old style room dividers. Maybe printed on silkscreen fabric, netting glued to frames. the water could flow through, but the picture would hide the sponge. They could be landscapes, or still life, I think a big bowl of fruit in an underwater world would make someone look twice. How does a steam locomotive with the rising air billowing out the smokestack? Maybe a Roman Candle fireworks with the bubbles being sparks? Or make a Right Whale blowing bubbles? I'm just trying to get into a better mood. I bet some well place driftwood and a few rock would hide a sponge filter without blocking water flow. a cave like opening in front of the black sponge would give the impression of a cave, with lots of depth.

Many of my sponge filters and intake filters are starting to get covered in java moss or Christmas moss. I thinking about trying my hand at topiary

@Zesul Take the rock out and dab a clean spot that won't show on the bottom of the rock with a cotton swab or folded paper towel dipped in vinegar and see if it foams. then wipe that spot with water and put the rock back in the tank. Have swab/paper towel, and a cap of vinegar and second set with water on the counter/table before you get the rock out. The plants will never know they were out of the tank.

water temp = 78.8f Ammonia = 0 (NO3)PPM =50 (NO2)PPM = 0 Hardness (GH)PPM above 300 Buffer(KH) PPM = 0 pH = 6.4 @Colu Please let me know if you think this might be contagious. I was going to hold my last 10 guppies in this tank while the person who is getting them gets her tank cycled. Received fish via mail about 2 weeks ago. I have had them in quarantine 10 gallon tank (cycled guppy tank, no guppies), I have been feeding and observing, but have not done the Quarantine trio yet. Hoping I might not need too because they are young and from a private breeder, with minimal exposure to pathogens. Yesterday I noticed the KH and pH had dropped so I added crushed coral and did a partial water change with aged aerated (ammonia = 0) well water. Today I noticed one of the 6 fish had a light spot at the back of her head/neck. I don't think it has changed shape or size. It looks off white, but there are IALs in the tank. I don't think it looks fuzzy or shiney or swollen. I netted all 6 of the fish in a specimen container to look for any spots on the other fish. They all were frightened and were hard to photograph. I did the best I could. I was hoping having them together would help calm them. They are back in the tank now. I got 12 photos. I cropped 5 for this post, but can post more. This tank has a dish 1/2 full of sand and lots of filtration and some driftwood and plants and snails. I can photo the tank if that would help. I have been feeding bbs, Xtreme nano, sinking pellets, and every so often a few Vibra Bites. everything in the tanks looks normal, except for the spot. the fish are feeding, swimming, hunting, and patrolling as normal. Snails are snailing around, plants look fine. A bit of hydra from the bbs, but I have stopped them when I saw the hydra. most of the group, one with spot top left

@Flumpweesel There is a lot going on in my life right now. Some good, some bad. "This too shall pass". I was hoping to get advice to help a few cory fry make it before I moved the flagfish from quarantine into the 55 gallon tank. I think once I add the flagfish, the cory eggs and fry are doomed. In a while I might try raising a few cory fry in a breeder box, but I don't want the tank overstocked, so I really only want 3 or 4 to add to the tank. According to the tank calculator I used, when all the fish I have reach maturity, I will be at about 80% capacity. The guppies were such a nightmare, thinking the corys could go that way really did panic me. If I never get any cory fry to adulthood, that is OK. I rehomed the yoyo loaches and will probably rehome the 2 male bettas. I am trying to get the fish population down to something very manageable. I was thinking that watching a few cory fry grow would be enjoyable, but it is far from necessary.

@Flumpweesel I had no idea corys could multiply like guppies. Thank for letting me know. I will start working on rehoming the corys. I will miss them so. They are such fun to watch.

Another quote I like a lot is "you don't learn nothing the second time you are kicked by a mule" Really, try to learn everything you can from the first time you make a mistake, If you don't, it will happen again I love "sleep faster, we need the pillows" It mean there are many thing you can do faster. but there is no way to sleep faster. Something just take time. I need to get to bed. it is 3:00 am. What time zone are you in?

@nabokovfan87I'll get some good photos tomorrow. There are eggs on the glass and on the java moss, and probably other places too. I need to get some videos with the moonlight ponds on. The fish are active and it looks very magical. I will keep the flagfish in the QT until we have given the cory fry a fair chance. Watching the flagfish hunt in the QT, I don't think cory fry would have much chance once I add the flagfish to the 55. As I say, I don't want a lot of cory fry, but a few babies would be fun to watch grow. I can put the betta from the 55 gallon tank in the qt with the flagfish and see how that goes. I'm leaning towards rehoming the bettas. I've been getting the photos of the 55 build organized and scaled. I was going to write a journal about it. but now I am not sure I am up for a lot of negative comments. I have so much going on and spending the time on that to get shot down doesn't seem to be worth the effort. I am beginning to think "It is better to sit in a corner and be thought a fool rather than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." They say "If you believe all you problems are the result of bad luck, you luck won't change" Time for bed. Thank so much for your help and kind thoughts.

@AndEEss My corys came from different stores, a year apart. The original corys have regular fins. The corys I got this summer are hi-fins. I think chances of inbreeding are really pretty slim, very slim. I own a few neon tetras that I don't expect to produce fry. The chances of the male bettas, or the female flagfish producing fry are also very very slim. I am not a breeder. I never sold a fish, and I don't plan to ever sell a fish. I put in a huge effort to rehome all the guppies that were born while I was primary caregiver for my terminally ill Mom. I don't want to increase the number of corys in my tank by very many, but I have had a very rough year, and seeing a few new corys, would give me a smile. I asked for advice because I could use a smile now and then. I'm sorry if my questions gave you the impression I was planning to line bred or inbred my corys. I studied genetics at university, I wouldn't do that to any animal. Thank you for your helpfulness.

Thank you so much for your help and support ! ! I have been fluffing and moving java moss around the bottom of the tank. I will be planting more of the floating plants tomorrow. I have hornwort and lake plants that I picked out of the lake before it went down too much. I have been sticking stem plants through bio ceramic cylinders and stuffing them into the sand. It works well, and there is no lead in the water. I even think it slows the corys down when they try to dig under the plants looking for yummy tidbits. I have an HOB breeder box, but I don't think it would get enough water flow. I may try it next time they spawn. Thanks for your thoughtful kindness ! !

@AllFishNoBrakes My disabled son is moving out of our home into an unfurnished apartment in the next few weeks. I plate is too full right now, to add caring for the eggs and fry outside the tank. I just wanted to try to do what I could for the eggs while leaving them in the tank. The temp is 78 on the top water and 76 near the bottom. If they don't make it, so be it. Maybe I can raise some eggs in future spawnings, but I can't right now. I did raise about 70 or 80 day-old wild bullhead fry 2 summers ago. So I think I can do it, but the timing is bad just now.

My peppered corys have been laying eggs on the glass. From what I have read it will take 3 days to find out if the young males are old enough to father fertilized eggs. I am planning to leave the eggs where they are. I want to know if there is anything I can do to help the eggs and fry make it to adulthood without removing them. I just built the tank and have been floating and planting plants. I added java moss bits all over the bottom, not attached to anything. The water flow in the tank is very low right now to give the plants a chance to root. Should I add Methalyne blue to the 55 gallon tank? Should I increase the flow? Should I add more IALs? Should I try to get some green water going in a jar in a west window? I have a sponge filter and a small HOB filter. I have been cleaning the filter media in the HOB, but not disturbing the sponge filter which was from a cycled tank. The tank has organic potting soil under the sand. I don't use charcoal in the filter. The tank has corys, neon tetras, kuhli loaches, a male platek betta, and a bunch of snails in it. I haven't added the flagfish. They are still in quarantine. These wasn't meant to be a cory breeding tank. But the eggs appeared, so I would like to give them the best chance I can, but I know I can't care for the eggs and fry outside that tank right now. Thanks so much

It is pool filter sand. I washed and really raised the container well before adding sand. Then added tank water to the cup to almost to top edge so the dry sand would not fly around the tank when lowered into the tank. I haven't had reason to sanitize the sand yet. I think I would dump it in a bowl with peroxide, stir and let it sit for awhile, then rise well. Or just replace it. Sand is cheap. The old sand could be used on plants or tossed in the lawn. Never put it down the drain !!!!

I think a container of sand in a display tank could be easily hidden with rocks or driftwood or plants. It doesn't have to look like a deli cup of sand. You could glue the tank's normal substrate to the sides to help it blend in.

I put the sand container in to tank to give the kuhli loaches a place to dig and hide and frolic. They would just ignore the sand from the empty heater guard. The corys liked poking their nose in up to they eyes looking for tidbits and resting their big egg filled bellies on the soft sand. I caught the first cory to move to the big tank by slowly lowering my hand over the container and lifting it by the edge with my finger tips. The cory just quietly hide in the shadow of my hand until the container was in the big tank. The second one was upset that she was the only cory in the tank, so she would not bask on the sand in the open. I did have to quietly net her. The flagfish really like it. I think it would also help keep the sand from accidently scratching the glass during cleanings. you can just lift it out before vacuuming or cleaning the glass. cup of sand with planter leaning on it. I put cubes of frozen food under the bottom lip of the planter to hold it in place as it melts Here you can see one flagfish in the cup, and one in the background outside of the cup, but at fish eye level(ignore water spot)

Every flagfish I have had has been female. I really enjoy them. They are very very busy fish, but not aggressive, that I have seen. They are always checking everything out. When I was switching fish around, I put the deli container of sand I had set up for the kuhli loaches in the quarantine to have it out of the way. They adult corys use to hang out in it, but the kuhli loach were not impressed. I didn't think about it when I put the 6 new flagfish in the quarantine tank and they love the sand cup. There are usually 2 or 3 in the deli cup. It is half filled with sand. I leaned an ACO Easy Planter against it to provide a hide out. I tuck cubes of frozen baby brine shrimp under the raised end of the plant er to keep the eggs from drifting around the tank. Some end up on the sand, others end up on the pebbles. I am sure the Flagfish are eating all of them, but they really like getting the ones on the sand first. It is strange to watch them hop in and out of the container. they often sort of greet each other through the side of the container, then both swim to the top edge. There is a lot of sand in Florida, so it must remind them of home. I'll get a photo tomorrow when the tank lights are on.

I have 3 baby salamanders in my scud colony. They are about an inch long. I can clearly see their eyes, and sort of see their toes and gills. I was sitting on the ground picking up wood chips and bark chip one spring day to make way for a flower bed at our new house where a wood pile had been. The neighbor asked his wife if she thought there was something wrong with me because I had not move in a while.

@Aiden CarterI'm in the finger lakes area of Central NY. We have all sorts of stuff in the creek, scuds, worms, insect larva, frogs toads water snakes, crayfish bladder snails ramshorn snails. I do a lot of "civil engineering" on the creek to keep the bed of the stream low and clear to protect the little one lane bridge from getting snagged be branches and flooded. I see all kinds of things wiggling in the water and on shore. I see a lot more than I can name. I also find lots of fossils too. it is a fun cool place on a hot sunny day. The longer you look, the more you see. I'm the sort of person that can spots 4 leaf clovers at a brisk walk. Best time to find them is in the spring.

I went scudding tonight for a few minutes and caught a lot of scuds. It had rained off and on all day. The the creek had a lot of fast water in it. I set up my net a bit down stream, and stirred the gravel up stream with a stick. I used scuds in my tanks last years as part of the clean-up crew and for snacks for any fish that could eat them. Should I use scuds in my tanks again this year with my current stocking of fish? This year I am stocking a 55 gallon tank with 10 peppered corys (2 adult, 8 young), 8 adult neon tetras, 6 young black kuhli loaches and 6 young flagfish and a bunch of snails and plants. I am also thinking or setting up 1 or 2 male betta tank, or I might rehoming them and just grow plants in the tanks to keep my options open. I know I will be away from the cottage more than I originally planned because my son is moving out of our house into an apartment downtown. I want to be understocked and have tanks that are easy to care for at the cottage, because we will be home more. I bought an automatic feeder, but it refuses to feed more than one tank. 8-) (My biggest worry is power failures. I have ACO air pumps that will keep the air stones and sponge filters going, but I might not be here to put on heat packs and cover the tanks with blankets in the middle of a blizzard.) I'm wondering if these scuds will be too big and fast breeding for the fish to keep them in check/balance. I've seen videos where scuds ate much more than their share of plants, and I am trying to get the plants to grow and fill in the open spots. I also know scuds are good at cleaning the tank and entertaining the fish. The corys were laying a few eggs last night. It would be fun to see some cory fry. I don't know if this size/type of scud would eat the eggs or fry. I know this type will eat anything. Last year I saw them sneak out and steal frozen blood worms when I was feeding the fish. I set up a scud colony about a month ago, like Torrey's, in a drink dispenser. It is working pretty well, but there are planaria and leeches in it, so the scuds don't seem to be multiplying. If I am going to keep a scud colony, I will need to clean it out well and start it over again with scuds I have sorted and rinsed several times. What do you think will work best for my tanks? scuds or no scuds. Thanks in advance!!!! Here is a photo of a small sample of the scuds in a soup bowl: (the US dime is for scale)

@TheSwissAquarist Here are 2 photos of my hi-fin corys. The camera and I were battling, so the food clouded the water by the time I got these shots. I will work on getting better photos soon. Here you can see how high the fin is compared to the body, also the side fin goes all the way back to the wide spot on the tail, and it is not completely folded : Here you can see how long the fin is as its tip goes under the adult on the left: