nabokovfan87

I mean..... I guess I'll have to feed some brine today and show you the magic of pandas. 😂

Hey Everyone, I am dealing with a pretty annoying and frustrating issue to try to problem solve. It would be "easier" for me if there was an off the shelf solution or something available via etsy that I can purchase that is 3d printed. I literally need a tube and a way to easily route this tube to a certain spot. Essentially, I can't side mount my HoB because of the issue finding a lid. I fixed the lid by using silicone and adhering the proper size rear trim piece to the 30" long lid available at the big box store. I would very much like to just have a better quality, side mounted lid. Finding a Versatop or other size lid that is ~28 inches deep (glass only) would be adequate, but this isn't really something available and would involve a lot of setup on my side. I would buy the lid for a gigantic aquarium, use 1/2 of it, and that's just because I want the lid to open up one way. The glass at the hardware store is "fine" but buying the parts for the trim, the hinge, thickness of glass I want to use, etc..... it's a massive cost and not worth it at this point in time to solve the CO2 issue. (I apologize for the long explanation, but I am trying to speak to the frustration here). Short version, I have a pump head that is very similar in design to the ACO version (mine was the older one, from aquatop) and it pumps out at 158 GPH. For the use case I have, I only need one that is ~80-100 GPH and preferably with a spraybar. I can use the existing pump I have, mod a spraybar, but I don't know how much this will alleviate the massive flow the tank is seeing right now with this pump. I am vigorously stirring the tank and it's harsh on the fish and plants right now. Long term, this isn't something I want to do. The way I have it installed right now, diffuser is on the back right of the aquarium, the pump is on the front right of the aquarium pointed directly at the corner with the diffuser. I still see the plants swirling a bit more than I'd like. Which led me to this thing. Which is actually stronger than what I have now, but rated for a "nano tank". I checked the directions and didn't find an easy way to adjust the flow on this either. Sicce Shark pro is an option, does have a "spraybar type feature", but it's pretty big and bulky in the aquarium. this would end up right over a series of stem plants and look pretty terrible. The pumphead on the front of the tank isn't much better. I was looking at something like this as well. https://www.hygger-online.com/product/fish-tank-filter-pump/ Question, does anyone know of or have anything that would mod the ACO pump (or a slightly lower power version of this pump) that would easily have: 1. Spraybar out 2. Sponge to protect the intake

Just meaning, they keep that area clean so to speak. It's very common for the females to spend time doing that with their swimmerets. Hopefully I spelled that right! You can usually equate it to something like corydoras glass surfing. They could be preparing, could just be normal behavior with no motive, or it's for a very specific reason. If you see her berried and that motion, it's probably release day. It's just exercise for them and very typical behavior. Trying to find some random video online of shrimp to see it. At 21:43 you see a shrimp pop in from the right and just do the similar behavior. Sometimes it's brief, sometimes longer, etc. Happens again at 44:26 Found another. ~3:20-335 on the sponge. At 4:50 you can see a close up shot of one just hanging out cleaning. Irene also mentions one reason they do this is to release pheramones.

I know time is the big one. Is the little one getting any special foods? 50% water change on the 18th or? Typically I won't dose salt back to back to back like that. I might add a % dose based on the water change. But not a full dose.

Yeah. They do it a lot. It's super normal. They do it just to clean, prepare. release.

zoeys just meaning the little shrimp. Zoe / Zoeys

When they release the Zoey's they sit in the flow and flap like that. Just normal.

Me either. They definitely like it because it gives them enough room to get under the leaves and then there's cover over top. Little short corydoras palm trees. 🙂

I am finding that these ones love the carpet of S. Repens and hide underneath it like giant ents in the fangorn forest. I am hoping it keeps growing out for them 🙂

My black Corydoras never eat what I feed em. They are stubborn. The juveniles do because that's home but the older ones can't be bothered. They get nervous when I'm around or something. I've tried feeding at different times and stuff. Seeing them eat is a rare luxury for me. Catching them graze on BBA was just funny and explained a lot. Most times they will figure it out, but it's just something to keep an eye out and if you see them trying really hard to get down on the gravel. That species has a longer nose so I assume they love to dig a bit more. And yes. Having more you'll definitely see them more active. It's such a cool thing that getting just a few more changes their behavior so much. Try repashy or something just make sure they get a bite. See if you notice them being crazy towards the food like they were starving and as a result, color changes.

Please feel free to share some of your favorites!

You can try reverse respiration for that issue on particular. I had a rock with some moss on it and did that because, as you mentioned, it's so impossible to remove some varieties of algae easily.

Agreed. My only concern with paleness not being related to acclimatization with the tank and being their normal chamoflauge is just that if they haven't been able to feed (gravel gaps) they might be weakening. I don't think it's a concern. I believe you're doing the feeding dish method as well, but that's why I ask about their gills and such. 🙂

I'm going to end up with bottles but I'm trying literally bags of a sheet of ice. If it shows good results I'll let you know! My hope is that I can literally use it to pour water in and protect the fish a bit from the bucket. Hopefully.

I was doing some reading and came across a pretty awesome little fact. I had to share because it involves a word we all have heard a ton from Cory. Guess what the largest live-bearer fish is? I'll add the answer below with a link to an old article/essay that was mentioned in the book I'm reading. Answer: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00004997

This is a good refresher, if you ever add meds I tend to watch it just to make sure I'm not missing something.

@FLFishChik Similar wood stuffs? There is a video by green aqua I was watching yesterday. they just look at tanks and talk about how to cure algae issues in general. It's a good overview / place to start. Manual removal is the best way to start to get rid of it. Figure out the balance that's off, then you'll start to see improvement.

Just keep an eye if they are breathing heavier than others or if they have red gill plates. beyond that, should be fine. Should be a video, but the tank is cloudy and there's a glare. Worm day for the Panda Horde. They are zooming around just being little manatee's or something. 😂 *weird blue dot?*

And yeah. The TF version does come with a bulb. The Python is WAY easier to use for cleaning substrate itself. With the top fin you're going to suck up some sand / fines pretty easily. Since switching, I have been training myself to not flood the floor and use Cory's pinch method. It was never an issue before because of the difference in flow rate (smaller tube and hose diameter).

I have the Top Fin "medium" from the big box store. there is a few varieties, but I'll use this as an example. When I say tube I am only talking about the inlet itself, hard plastic tube that goes into the tank. Aqueon is also very similar to this layout. It's traditionally a "wider tube" for a specific reason compared to the narrow version. Mini / Nano: Short tube, narrow diameter Small: Same as medium, but has a narrow diameter tube (usually sold as 10G in other brands) -Probably the one you're looking for Medium: wide / normal diameter tube, normal length tube Large: Same as medium, but longer tube X-Large: Longer tube for deeper tanks, same as large, but just longer. Here is all of these side by side. Here is both side by side. To give you an idea of the Top Fin vs. Python Tubes. Keep in mind, the medium for python is just shorter but it still considered a "wide tube" compared to the top fin version. Shown below, this is the Top Fin Medium vs. the Python "Large". Keep in mind that the suction itself on the siphon is going to be much less. There might be some chunks of muck that are difficult to pick up, but you can move them to an accessible area and then just plug the end with your hand. Either just use the bulb to start the siphon (not really easy to do and kind of frustrating) or you dip the whole thing in the tank as shown....... here. As others mentioned, you can fill it with water. For tight spaces, you can probably get away with with just using similar hose to what a python comes with (available in 10' sections or from hardware store) and then using the bulb to start that into the bucket.

Temperature?

Agreed, I ran 3-4 weeks of the treatment without issues with any of the Co-Op meds.

I am right on the border with mine. I use Seachem Alkaline buffer in 1/8 tsp increments. About 4-6 of them is good for "maintaining" things on a 20-30g ratio. I would expect that to help, but it doesn't really solve the problem. The best thing, if you have the tank for it is to add some crushed coral. It's going to be a slow, long term release and it'll be a lot more stable than trying to dose the tank, letting the buffer do it's thing, and then testing to see if it's "ok". It's a lot less stressful on the tank and the fish (and shrimp). To give you an idea of what's going on, waste consumes the KH, that drops the PH, and it's just replenished most often during water changes. https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/ph-gh-kh

I mean.... it doesn't look like the stuff in my tank, but it's definitely similar in fuzz density. Do you see anything elsewhere? That brown coloration is typical of a bacterial bloom and I usually find them in the filter. If you have that in the tank, I would check the pump, HOB basket, etc. and just make sure stuff isn't clogged with slime. A chunk might've broken off and gotten stuck on the wood, or it's just some sort of "something" that grows on the wood.

What temperature?