[My snail unrolled! 😳]

This is so neat. He's living art! It would be interesting if the babies expressed the same qualities. Glad they got their own bowl. He is very cute. 💚

[Making feeding easy while I’m gone]

Your fish will pick at any vacation feeder. I don't recommend them honestly. You can put your normal feedings into a pill organizer for your help to just put food in for everyone. You can get away with lighter and/or more infrequent feedings while you're away. It'll help keep you water clean while you're gone, too. If you do use the organizer, and feed every few days, don't up the amount of food per feeding much, if at all. Your tank grows food on it's own and you want the tank to keep up with waste while you're gone. 

If you get an auto feeder, I would set it up ASAP so you can dial it in before you go. You don't want to foul the water with too much food waste or be feeding enough to need a water change while you're gone.

 

[Filtration and Algae Oh My]

The problem is actually when the wormhole stabilizes. It causes the nitrates to bind to any and all surfaces and instantly grows algae on the surfaces affected. I had to remove my Stargate for this reason. Thats probably where the bugs came from, too. Maybe install an Iris?

Seriously though, I love your Stargate.

[Help with Betta! He's lost more than 50% of his fins in the last few weeks and appears to be ill]

He is such a beautiful fish. I'm pretty sure that If you dose by food, you don't feed the betta the whole does of medicated food as prepared. Feed only as much as he will consume in a max of 3 minutes. Correct @Colu?

I generally dose the water column. If you dose the water, I recommend using a milligram scale to get the dosing right for such a small amount of water.

If you can manage, I would make a space for at least a 5 gallon tank for him to move into as a permanent home once he's recovered. You can work on getting it set up and cycled while you treat him for his fin rot in his current home. He's just so pretty, I feel like it'd be easier to see him and manage his water easier with a bit more water volume. Believe it or not, the bigger the tank, the easier it is to keep the water parameters in balance. And a 10 gallon would be even better IMO. ❤️ Rooting for the recovery of your little Curly. Keep at it!

[Help with heating a 10g]

I think it's fine to have a cooler side and a warmer side.  One side of my 75G is about two degrees cooler than the other side where the heater is closer. Top of the tank is a bit warmer even still because of my lights.

[125 Gallon Journal]

@Kevin F. Plastic rocks or not. Still looks super cool there. It's a perfect hide. Not too big, not too small and the fact that it is plastic, and set up like that... it's even more awesome in my opinion because you can move the bla check inside there to see if someone has passed away and gone in there.

[Guppies]

On 12/5/2021 at 3:55 PM, lefty o said:

guppies will likely pick off the shrimplets, but adults should do fine.

This is true. They can continue a colony with enough cover. It won't be prolific by any means though. I started my shrimp cube specifically to make sure my colony can breed. I plan to put some of the adult shrimps into the other tanks so I can make sure I have a backup stash of shrimps. If I get babies in the tanks with guppies/rasboras, cool, if not, well at least they can make babies in the shrimp cube.

[125 Gallon Journal]

I love this thread! That is quite a journey with the 125G. It's beautiful! The rocks on the left are really, really cool.

[10 gallon ideas]

On 12/5/2021 at 11:21 AM, mtnmonster said:

Thanks for the ideas. I'm trying to talk her into a bigger tank for more options. I never thought about platies. I've never had luck with guppies, but I've successfully kept swordtails and platies before so I could help her better with them. 

I would see what she thinks about a 20G High tank. They're about the same footprint of a 10G, just a tad bigger, and then her options for plants would open up a bit more, and give the fish more swimming room. Especially if you're going with swordtails.

I would get 4 or 5 smaller variety corydoras. Dwarfs are really cute and they add a lot of personality to the bottom of the tank. I would, however, keep stocking light, no matter the size, unless there's a ton of plants in the tank. Depending on how often she's willing to change water, and at what percentage she can comfortably change at a time. I try to keep my water changes on all of my tanks down to a max of 5 gallon changes at a time so I'm not carrying a ton of water around, or having to make a ton of trips. I don't have a fancy water change system. Just buckets from Smart and Final and 5G buckets from Home Cheapo.

[Guppies]

If you're wanting the shrimp to breed, be sure to give their babies lots of cover, java moss is great for them. And a pre-filter sponge to cover the intake of your HOB filter, if you're using a hang on back filter for your tank that you plan to put shrimp in. 🙂

[New top fin pro series filter]

On 12/5/2021 at 2:48 PM, Zeithelden said:

@anewbie oh, I see. Okay! It’s pretty new. About five months old or so - designed for discus. I have two that have been in there for about two weeks, so I ordered up four more. Very excited to see what happens. I’ll put one up this week. 

I see that other tank there too... Would love to see a journal for both of them! They're beautiful!

 

Regarding this fancy top fin filter. Can we just take a moment to appreciate the holographic box? I mean, it's pretty slick and I dig it because... SHINY THINGS!!!!

I like the way it's set up. I fight with a Penguin 150 on my sons 20G High. I have hot rodded it out, but it's not easy with how small the back portion is. I will consider trying the top fin when this one poops out on me, which, it will soon. I'll either do the top fin or an aquaclear... maybe a tidal... We'll see.

[Minanoras adventures in fishkeeping]

Well, my co-worker gave me three tanks that his old roommate left behind when he finished his college term and moved back home. So now I have another 20T, 10G and a 5.5G nested together outside my kitchen door. He asked me if I wanted them and I made a joke about how I could fill them with baby fish.... Then they appeared on my desk. Apparently he has one more too, a 40G breeder that I can have... I want it, but, where the heck would I put it? However, it would be great for growing out the guppy fry. Currently I'm changing 70% of the fry water every day and dosing it with Prime to try to keep up with the poos. 108 children in a 10 gallon isn't the best situation. They're all healthy and happy but man, the nitrates. The lawn is happy about it though! I've also mastered my RO to Tap water ratio since I've been able to make so many water changes. Totally dialed in for the future state of the 75G water changes now. And the shrimp cube too. Perfection!

I have more babies... The Red Lady had fry the day after I got her, then the super pregnant two of the blue dragon girls had babies, then the next day after that, the pregnant king cobra girl had babies. Small batches, but still, there's fry in the 20G again. *shrug*

Misty and Shiva had their babies, as planned, in a mesh breeder inside the 20G yesterday. I'm leaving them in there for two more days to make sure they aren't holding any fry.... I thought they were done last time, put Misty back into the main 20G and then she proceeded to drop like 30 more fry... Don't want to do that with the pure-strain fry that are loose in there. I DO NOT want to mix them up since I'll be raising those out to the full three month mark, at the least, and selecting ones to keep for future breeding.

I think I'll set up the other 20G high tank in my master bathroom. We don't shower in there right now, the counter isn't used for much. I don't use any chemicals in my hair, or even a hair dryer. No perfume or anything like that so it's totally safe to put fish in there. I'll use that 20G high for fry grow out... I actually may be able to set up a 40G breeder in there....... hmmm....

Oh yeah, and I've been picking out snails in my 75G. My son is actually really good at picking them up with the plant tweezers. It's amazing to watch a 3 year old catch snails and be so careful with my plants and hardscape. he's pretty cool. 🙂

[Too much black?]

On 12/5/2021 at 9:45 AM, Chad said:

Good stuff @Minanora. But that Monte Carlo?! Just kidding, this coming from the only person on the planet who can kill java fern and I don't know even what Monte Carlo even looks like.

Well it's not supposed to look like what mine does! Ha! My corydoras root around in it so it won't root. It's my scraggly looking plants that are most forward in the controsoil, below the guppy and to the right, in the front. I've resigned myself to the fact that it isn't going to carpet and am planning on either filling it in with Glossostigma and Hydrocotyle Tripartita instead. Plus some well placed plugs of dwarf hairgrass for contrast. Then I'm topping everything with the flourite sand for the corydoras to better rummage through. They can uproot as many plants as they want. So long as they're getting enough to eat, I don't mind.

[What do you currently have in quarantine?]

On 12/4/2021 at 2:08 PM, HH Morant said:

It's a quarantine tank, but became a grow out tank when I decided to save some eggs.

Now my plans to use the tank as a quantine tank for some new angels have been put on hold for a while.

This is what has happened to my QT. It's currently a guppy fry grow out. I just got a 5.5, 10, & 20T for free. So I at least have another 10g that I can use as a hospital tank if I need it. Knock on wood, everyone is healthy and happy right now. No new fish coming home with me for a while. Too many guppies being made at home. lol.

[Too much black?]

I think it's fine. Especially if you have green plants. Plus the controsoil isn't jet black. I use it in my tanks and the first time I used it, I put flourite sand in with it not realizing that the soil would be more brown-black than black. I also mixed in caribsea planted plus. Hind sight, would have just used the controsoil across the whole tank without the sand.

Here's a photo to show the color difference. Please ignore my monte Carlo that refuses to root.

 

Controsoil only, in my shrimp tank.

[Greetings from California foothills. Been out of aquariums for 47 years when ick killed all my fish. Its come along ways since then. I enjoy the building of all my own stuff, all very cool.]

Greetings from the California wine country area. Welcome back to the, ever evolving, hobby. Love your DIY pond! Cool setup!

[Atitagain Fish Room]

Oooooooooooh that 60 is a planted paradise waiting to happen! What plants are you thinking about having go in there? Besides the floating ones. I'm excited for you! Excited about the bowl, too!

[Atitagain Fish Room]

Sorry that you had to choose to rehome one of your kids. That's always hard.

Plants are kind of my obsession... I love my fish, but dang, plants make me almost just as happy. Put them together, it's just the best ever! Yesterday I got more corydoras to up my school size in the 75G and it was the first time I've bought fish without also buying at least one plant. I wanted to, but I want my next plant to be hydrocotyle tripartita... and I didn't want to buy a $14 tissue culture of that. Too much for my wallet.

[Anyone else waiting to log into FFXIV today? Final Fantasy.]

On 12/4/2021 at 8:50 AM, eatyourpeas said:

I like the old style MTG, and love the cards. I must admit to spending too much time making decks. 🤪

I agree. I feel like they release cards way too fast now and the new cards are way too powerful which is ridiculous. The mechanics can be fun but I like the old MTG cards best. We have tons of them. Still play with them. Got into Arena to protect our actual cards from the toddler when he was younger.

[Anyone else waiting to log into FFXIV today? Final Fantasy.]

On 12/4/2021 at 8:38 AM, GameCzar said:

@TheCzarista and I played FFIV for some time, not a bad game at all!   We actually played it BEFORE it was "A Realm Reborn" and it was a mess, they ended up making a nice game.

I spent most of my MMO time on the 15 year old DDO  (Dungeons&Dragons Online)

I wish I had switched to FFXIV when it released. Husband tried to get me to. But I had been playing WoW since it came out. Switched to FF this year because of the Blizzard drama that needs to get sorted out. I know it may be blown out of proportion, and it may not be an issue with every team in the company, but I'm not going to support them while they get their act together.

I do play some MTG Arena.

[Anyone else waiting to log into FFXIV today? Final Fantasy.]

On 12/4/2021 at 8:02 AM, eatyourpeas said:

I usually give up when I try to log into LoL and they politely estimate too long a time. Too many interesting things to do instead.

I've heard LoL is a lot of fun! I just leave my game window up behind other things I'm doing. Last night I even went and made dinner while I waited. Played with the dogs, accidently unplugged the modem once, so I lost my spot on queue, and then gave up finally and went to bed.

Had a dream about accidently mixing the fry up in my female tank by having the mesh breeder come apart in the tank.

[Cooking]

On 12/2/2021 at 8:37 PM, Streetwise said:

@eatyourpeas, tell me more!

@lefty o, I am going to have to practice flipping eggs and grilled cheese.

What is the best oil for seasoning?

I use avocado oil to season my cast iron and my carbon steel pans. I never touch my good carbon or cast iron pans with soap. Ever. (edited to add that I do this because I washed my grandmas with soap when i was a kid and I got a wooden spoon to the back of the head)

I do not recommend cooking anything acidic in your cast iron. Just from personal experience, it can do a number on the seasoning. Tomato fail.

Cast iron is my favorite! And, not just because one of my brother-in-law's sells Saladmaster... I have some Saladmaster pans.... they're okay, but nothing can replace my cast iron.

 

Lodge makes a luxury/pro line that has a milled interior that is smooth as silk too. Sexy, and the most epic nonstick, similar to the one @KaitieGshowed in her photo. There's another manufacturer that makes a similar one as well. The pores in their castings are much finer, so you get that slick out of the box interior.

Another note, I use chainmail to clean my cast iron and all of my pans except the polished exterior of some of the all-clads I have. a good one is "the ringer" branded chainmail cleaner. just make sure you get a LEGIT "the ringer" not a cheap knockoff. There's no replacement. the welds on the rings, the grade of stainless, priceless. I just make sure to use a wood spatula to push my chainmail around when I'm working with a molten hot pan.

 

On 12/3/2021 at 8:53 PM, lindabee53 said:

It cleaned up pretty well, but I've hesitated to cook in it.

Cook in it! just cook a bunch of bacon fat in it first; get it really well seasoned. Winner!

On 12/3/2021 at 4:36 AM, OnlyGenusCaps said:

o, I'll suggest grape seed oil.  It is a semi-drying oil and it works at high temperatures without smoking.  Kind of perfect to get a pan going (though I've not tried it on a pre-seasoned pan TBH).  What I'll suggest is to caramelize onions in the pan using the grapeseed oil and a bit of salt.  Then just wipe it out.  Do it again in a few days time.  You'll develop a good base of "seasoning" that will be pretty durable.  And you get to eat a bunch of delicious caramelized onions!

I did exactly this with my dutch oven and "it's" lid as well. Lid was a bit of a pain, but now that it's seasoned well it is a camp essential for cooking red meat.

[Anyone else waiting to log into FFXIV today? Final Fantasy.]

My husband and I play FFXIV. He was able to log in this morning. I decided to sit and watch the fish instead... Pff, now I've been waiting to log in for over an hour. We've been playing Final Fantasy games for as long as I can remember. People in our FFXIV clan even know that I'm obsessed with my aquariums. Haha.

[Anyone Watch Anime?]

Our family watches a lot of anime. Started with Cowboy Bebop back when we were in high school... Um, that, then I've always loved Big O. Super into a lot of different styles, generes, target audiences. I fell in love with My Hero Academia. Really into SAO, Overlord, Hellsing. I own a large collection of anime. We mostly watch dubbed anime these days, just because we multi-task with a toddler.

[White fuzz on new Anubias Nana Petite]

@Torrey @Mmiller2001 @Atitagain Is the white film on this anubias something to be worried about? Have any of you experienced this?

I just had two plants with the same film that I put into my 75G a few weeks ago. Today I did see that one of my baby swordtails is missing a literal tail. Looks like needlefin, but water parameters are perfect, even <5ppm nitrate. Could the white film be the cause? I assumed it was an injury, now I'm second guessing, since the swordtail babies go through all of the plants.