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Minanora

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Posts posted by Minanora

    Hulks Escape!

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    The plants!!!! YESSSS!!!! I love it!

    I'm an insane person: For treating plastics, I generally raise my quarantine tank temperature to about 85 while running carbon, at least on the things that I'm comfortable with skipping the sous vide. I seriously do this to all of my airline that goes into the tank, every airstone. Every sponge that I plan to use.... If I get "unbranded" sponge material from Amazon I always put it through the sous vide at 110 for a few hours with several water changes and rinses. That way, no matter what tank I use it in, or what temperature the sponge gets to it won't leach anything into the water. In my experience plastics leach at different temperatures rather than being cleansed by things like peroxide. Plastic has pores that hold onto gasses from manufacturing, along with tiny particles of mold release spray, etc. As plastic warms up, these pores open and these things leach out.

    • Thanks 1

    What size tanks have you had on a kitchen counter?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Excited to see what you come up with!

    Regarding countertop strength: I'm always more worried about the floor if you're not on a slab. But depending on how the counter was built, I can see your concern. Especially with solid surface overhangs. My counters are built onto the cheapish cabinet boxes from the home cheapo competitor. My counters are built on 3/4"ply with 1/4" hardibacker, mastic and are finished with granite floor tile. The compression created using downward force on the cabinets has never been a problem under 500#. I've had at least 500# of lead on the counter at one time, over a 36" cabinet base. Yes, lead shot bags... Boat ballast bags to be exact.

    Hulks Escape!

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    I'm sorry to read about the loss of the Danios. Maybe there's some residual chemicals in there that they were sensitive to as well. That's the only thing I could think of besides your notes.

    I run carbon in my new tanks during their cycle, just in case of leeching plastics or any lingering manufacturing residue from equipment. My cycles are fishless. I even use my quarantine tank with carbon for new plants and anything new that goes into the aquarium or filters. I am a little paranoid. I ran a plastic injection molding machine for about 10 years, did CNC milling as well. I remember all the chemicals used for various tasks surrounding the manufacturing processes I participated in. Plastics are a special thing indeed.

    UN Contrasoil Black and RO Water?

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    @Mmiller2001I'm not hard set on the hardness/KH. I think I can safely go down.

    Ideally, this chemistry would be for both my shrimp tank and a breeding tank for chili rasbora. Plants, anubius nana petite, rotala India, bulbitus Africa, Christmas moss. Maybe some others... I'm not checking spelling right now but I think I have names mostly right.

     

    Just want to do both the same so I can mix adult shrimp into the rasbora tank without much fuss and easier for water changes.

    Sakura orange shrimp to be exact

    Minanoras adventures in fishkeeping

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    On 11/12/2021 at 5:53 PM, PineSong said:

    Our house is too small for large tanks, too. I set up my planted tank mostly to give me something to garden in during winter--now I have accumulated a few strains of guppies and i am looking forward to having a summer tub outdoors and making mutt guppies next summer--that'll be my "big tank" experience. 

    I look forward to hearing about your outdoor tub!

    Minanoras adventures in fishkeeping

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    @Guppysnail Thank you! It took a long time to choose their names. Sword in the Stone is my favorite animated Disney movie. Next names will be from my second favorite, Treasure Planet. 🙂 OR maybe the original Pete's Dragon.... I would love to have a fish named Elliot. Lol.

    @PineSong Thank you. I was surprised that he was interested. The Koi pond/tank outside is a long ways out, but I garden and I love to feed my plants with the water from my water changes. I'm actually getting a few 50G drums to hold water over the winter. I do my best to not waste water. I mean, outside of having aquariums at all... which some would consider a "waste of water" in the grand scheme. Then there's the water softener and R.O. which I would recycle if our county would allow me to... but that's outside of my control.

    I just wish I could have more large tanks. But our home isn't large enough to do that in a practical way. If I did tons of tanks it would look like I'm (more of) a crazy fish lady. 😛 And.... I'd have to send DH down under the house more, I just can't do that to him. Nor do I want more points of contact under the house to have to check for termite tubes every year. These are seriously the things I think about...

    • Like 1

    Minanoras adventures in fishkeeping

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    Finally got some good pictures of Merlin and Mim the Swordtail pair. They're quite a pair indeed. They're magical to watch in just about every lighting. Babies are coming soon, hopefully only a few weeks away! I can hardly wait! They're so personable and fun. I will say, I think Swordtails are almost constantly pooping... I have two pairs in separate tanks, all four of them, seriously, pooping almost all of the time. 🙄PXL_20211112_194254842.jpg.0b26ab702ac045bb1eb4b9ae4c5a2cac.jpgPXL_20211112_194035908_MP.jpg.9e07d00775b375179f8663c193fd05c4.jpgPXL_20211112_194048297.jpg.b8e8edf415c310ea255318ef0a6eae1d.jpgPXL_20211112_194134365.jpg.be2f3e8ba05b4fde4c5ac1499437251b.jpg 

    • Like 4

    Looking for recommendations for CO2 system

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    @Mmiller2001wow. That's a lot more CO2 than what we use for our beer! 🤣 I have our 10# filled every 9 months, at most. I may need to find an alternative to buying another 10# tank and regulator. I don't have the space in my cabinet for that size tank and I'm 100% sure my husband would lose his mind at the idea of me having to get $30 in CO2 every month.

    Is it possible to use CO2 injection along with something like Easy Carbon?

    Most of my plants have no "requirement" for CO2 but a few are "medium requirement". Regardless, I know everything would grow better with CO2. However, I actually want some algae growth to help feed the community. I'm a bit worried about putting in too much CO2 and losing algae. I have 4 otos and 5 Amano shrimp. I'm currently exterminating snails.

    Thank you for the advice!

    Looking for recommendations for CO2 system

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    I want to add CO2 to my 75G/284L tank. Should I just use a generator system or filled paintball gun CO2 tanks?

    I was thinking about being lazy and doing a generator setup with the baking soda and citric acid. Like the "FZONE 2.5L Aquarium CO2 Generator System Carbon Dioxide Reactor Kit with Regulator Mini DC Solenoid and Diffuser for Aquarium Plants Tanks" thing that is on Amazon. 

    BUT. I have a 10# CO2 setup in my garage inside my Keezer that I use to force carbonate beer and kegs. If I can just fill a Paintball tank from that system, that would be neat. But I'm not sure how this would work.... Is this even a good idea? Has anyone here done this?

    How much CO2 do I even need for a moderately planted 75G? Do I need more than one diffuser?

    Minanoras adventures in fishkeeping

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    Just need to express my feelings about the fact that two of my guppies, Misty and Shiva had more babies.

    There are so many between the two of them that I can't count them all... Misty had hers on Friday at 22 days. Shiva had hers today at 24 days.

    I can tell them apart by size and where they hang out. Misty's babies all hang out in plain sight at the surface most of the time and always have. There's about 26 of them. Two or three of Shiva's babies have joined them.

    Shiva's babies all hang out in the plants at the bottom in the back. I counted at least 30....

    I'm excited about more babies but I was kind of hoping that the swordtails, tetras and other guppies would eat some of them... Nope, they only chase them away when they're after food at feeding time. Maybe the harlequins will do a better job, I hope.

    I have a few babies that already have black in their fins and some that were even born very dark, and with black on their fins. These mutts are definitely different than the last batch. Excited to see what they look like in a few weeks time!

     

    Everyone is still doing great in the 75. And I pick up a 2.6G for the shrimp tank project tomorrow! Excited! I can hardly wait to scape it!

    I know the shrimp will breed....I will be putting excess shrimp into the 75g to keep the colony small in the 2.6. No fish are going into the 2.6. Just plants and shrimp.

    • Like 3

    Hulks Escape!

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    I can't figure out how to put the words together with what I was trying to say about the bubbles and plants. Just... Bubbles near plants do cool things depending on the leaf textures... Different types of action/emotion. Sometimes I don't make sense... Forgive me. 🤦‍♀️

    • Like 3

    Hulks Escape!

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted · Edited by Minanora
    Re-read my comment and saw that I left half my thought in my head. And I still can't figure out how to fix it...

    I love it! I can hardly wait to see what you do with this! Bubbles (plants near bubbles, I meant) could make it really come to life with whatever plants, too. Lots of possibilities!

     

    • Like 1
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