nabokovfan87

I definitely love the modded "boost filter" you have on the HOB as your in-line pre-filter. I wish more companies viewed this as a great way to make it so much easier to want to use a canister filter week to week. I dig it! Nice work. Welcome.

Just doing a sanity check here. The honey Gourami wants a temp around... 70-80 so I definitely would drop the temp down from 76-->74 and report back on how the corys themselves are breathing.

I would start by dropping the temperature a bit. How is your filter setup? Can you show us what your media setup is and if you're using cartridges or did you replace the media inside? Flow on this filter is 125 GPH. As an stat point, my 29G tank I run a filter with 250GPH as well as 1 air powered filter and 1 airstone. You have a filter that may not have a ton of flow so adding an airstone as well as your sponge *might* help the fish out slightly. I would view it like this..... Take one of the corys and observe them. How rapid are they breathing and how red are their gill plates? A video of this would really help, 1-2 minutes long preferred. I can take one of mine to compare if that helps you in any way at all. For pandas I target 72 deg. I keep mine at 70-74 generally. Keep in mind, that the store might have a pretty different PH compared to your tank. This isn't a major issue and it might be a reason for some of your losses. You will get some fish that stick around and those fish will do well, especially pandas. They are a very hearty species once they adapt to your tank, but that initial process can take some time. Adding wood is a great way to lower the PH, so I'd recommend going that route if you feel like that is the concern for your fish and the tank. I would also look at something like your KH/GH and anything else in the tank that would cause the PH to rise after it's in your tank. Some rocks will affect water parameters. This is just something to keep in mind and try to sort out specifically what is causing these issues. Until the PH is matching your water change parameters more closely, I wouldn't add any more fish. Let the tank settle and let's talk through some issues before adding or trying to add more fish. Finally, what is your water change schedule, and how much % volume of the tank are you changing when you do change water? Do you have major differences when testing your QT 10G tank compared to your 29G display tank? Edit: here is a video of a "similar style" of filter. This gives you an idea of how it functions and can be modified if that is something you wish to do.

Amanos!

THIS! That was what I was wondering how many people do this! I always worry about bloat. I stocked up on frozen when the whole shutting down thing started and I have way too much. I've added worms for the corys and been feeding those moreso. I think after a while the fish get bored of the same offerings and don't react as "enthusiastic" as I'd prefer. They are generally curious, wonder what is in the tank at feeding time, but I get the feeling like some days they just don't want anything. I am going to try to feed less at once, but try to offer some more frozen stuff, and keep on top of the nitrates if they spike a bit. Here's mine: 1. 2 tanks 2. I feed in the morning about 2-3 hours after lights go on, after the sunrise basically. 3. I have in the past, but I find that whether it's dusk or dawn the fish don't really care. It's more about what is fed at those times as well. Meaning, whenever I am feeding on off hours or for nocturnal fish, I tend to feed repashy, wafer, more of those slow release type of foods. If I go in the room and it's just starting for the lights to go out, I might occasionally drop in something to treat them. 4. I have 3-5 different foods I feed at any given time. One of them being slow release, one being flake, and one being a pellet. I also feed frozen foods as well (shrimp+spirulina, worms), and do have repashy. I will wake up and randomly grab a different one, there is no order or logic, but just trying to mix up the foods. Some weeks I might just go flake every day if they are really attacking it.

I realize that.... just kind of dumb to me that, that is the "default size" they think we need.

So I have been a customer of seachem for a while and sometimes ya just have to laugh at these choices. I have a tidal filter and want a second, small mesh zip style media bag. I can buy "the bag" or other media bags but those require a tie and I just don't want to deal with ties. I prefer the zips. So I finally found what I thought was their tidal equivalent bags on sale and purchased 3 so I can split out the crushed coral and add some to my HoB instead of the substrate. I get the box home, open it up and just sort of giggled. Apparently when they say small, medium, large they mean the mesh size and not the size of the bag. My mistake. So let's play a guessing game. What "size" media bag would you expect. Would you think it's the equivalent of a Tidal 75? Tidal 110? Nope! It's literally not even possible or feasible to fit into any hang on back or canister filter. It's only useable in a sump and it's got to be a pretty big one at that. See below. It can fit my entire forearm. Now I get to stuff all this crap wadded up into the HoB like it's filter floss. And.... Apparently, if I buy the branded media replacement stuff from seachem for the tidal HoB (matrix refill) then it doesn't come with a media bag. "Ideal for resins and small media" 😂

I'll take 2 please.

I guess I'm just curious how my own habits tend to match up or differ from others and their tanks. I would ask: 1. How many tanks do you have? 2. How many times a day do you feed? 3. Do you, of have you ever, target fed some species in the AM, some in the PM hours after the lights go out? 4. Do you feed certain foods on certain days? The same thing every day?

That hairgrass looks awesome! well now we all just wanna see the fry!

I was able to pull this from the thread image, I can't see the original resolution, but I think this is the photo we're trying to see.

Dang! I had this happen 😞 We had the house go down with the sickness and I couldn't be around my tanks. Power went out because the water kettle flipped it and 24-36 hours later I walk into my QT tank with the impeller stuck and no flow. My shrimp were not ok and I never want to see that in my tank again. I totally understand and have such sympathy for the issue you're going through. I went through 2 months of that bacteria slime growing trying to get the cycle back. Just horrific stuff for me. BUT. I want to be encouraging towards what you have going on. Is there a different color/variety of shrimp that you wish to try? Is there something about the tank you want to change but haven't been able to because it's been an established working tank for you? Now is the time to take a breath and a step back and adjust whatever you want to. In future, because this happened, you'll have an extra eye out trying to make sure this doesn't happen and the tank in question will bounce back! You got this, chin up, and enjoy building back up.

So excited to see your excitement for the specimen container! I totally understand not having one and finally having one to make it a bit easy. I use mine for holders for water changes and so on. So useful and always an arms reach away when ya need it. *waits to see what's next* It's exciting to hear the planted tank progress and how the easy green will help with some of the issues you're going through as well. All cool stuff! Congrats again to everyone 🙂

You might have something that came in with neon tetra disease, and this can affect other species I believe. That being said, let's take a step back and try to diagnose things correctly. 1. Can you please post a photo of the tank itself, specifically so we can see your filtration setup, thermometer setup, hardscape, etc. 2. You mentioned the parameters for a lot of the water tests, what is the temperature? If possible, please post the values ppm for your water parameters. 3. Is it possible that the tank had some soap or oil or something that was accidentally introduced during a water change? Was there any reason for sensitive species to be affected in such a way to cause a wave of deaths?

I think I have a challenge for you.... The next time you walk into the room and your shadow scares the fish and you see them run off to another part of the tank, try to find out where they go to. Do they go to a hide behind a rock or simply the furthest spot from where you're at in the tank? Do they tend to keep a piece of the hardscape between you and themselves? I think the corys are doing exactly what comes natural to them. When I look at the tank you have I do see rocks, but I don't see cover. Some corys really just LOVE to have cover. They want to feel protected from things and that gives them the security. If this is the case, then I recommend testing them. Walk into the room, sit down in a chair 3-4 feet away from the tank and watch. After they scatter you should see some of them pop back up and explore the tank, to try to look at you, some sort of a reaction. There is a very famous cory breeder who's mantra is "be the fish" and right now that's what comes to mind. They are trying to explain a need to you, just give them a chance to see what exactly that is. Here is some of mine, I will go take photos and show you the difference between open / covered water. These guys are FINALLY getting their new tank here shortly, so I'm excited to give them a new setup. They've been in this holding tank for FAR too long and it's been a mess the entire time because of the load. To be clear.... you see a few of the corys. There's 20+ that you don't see.

those rocks make me nervous. Love the tank! Corydoras heaven.

out of curiosity, what kind of corys? Otos love to be in a group and have comfort of others around them. Sometimes only a few remain. My tank at night is filled with all the fish following my corys around as they look for a place to spawn or just play in the flow of the tank. The otos are right there with them swimming around feeding at night as well and looking for a place to stay out of the way. The only think you really have to do is be careful with what food you offer and temperature. Some corys like a lot of flow (in my experience, otos appreciate it up to a certain point) as well as that 72-74 range for temperature. For food, what I mean is that if you are feeding something the corys like, maybe toss in a mini wafer / algae (preferably spirulina) wafer for the otos as well and just keep an eye out to see if the otos go anywhere near it. If the otos have algae and stuff to eat, awesome, but just make sure they aren't starving or being scared away from the food by a few feisty corys.

you might get away with using a turkey baster to pull the eggs and move them if they fall. For my amano project I had a light and used a marinade syringe with a pretty big opening to get them from the fresh --> salt tank. For eggs it might work but be a bit too strong. Awesome progress, I am waiting for you to show off a macro shot of some week old fry before they get any coloration/pattern! It's so nice to see the progress of the juveniles and the pattern forming in. I think the corys you have really love the tank and the little hides those rocks give them. I can only imagine what that tank with some moss balls and little cory fry swimming all around would look like. (that description being very similar to my first successful breeding project!) it's so neat to see the difference in the coloration between the parents and the fry.

This is the feeling I get when I see the photos: 😂 Can you please post your test results? Nitrite, Nitrate, KH, GH, PH. How often are you feeding? How old are the SAEs?

I definitely dig the idea. Might be a nice etsy thing for you or someone to make these for hobbyists. 😉

I would make this top piece overhand the top of the cover here. You don't want to put that on the valve/regulator the way you have it. It might be perfectly fine, but you can get some L-brackets or something to lift it up as well. Something like this: Blue = existing piece you have. you add a new one. Or you take the piece you have and just use L-brackets or something so you can set it on those brackets and support anything you sit on top.

It really stunk up the room on days when I would feed it, then pretty much everything became the same way because I was watching out for it. I love the ingredients list on the xtreme stuff, but I would love for them to have a sinking pellet instead of a semi-floating one. That being said, yeah.... my fish prefer the hikari wafers a bit more. I prefer and they also enjoy the sera o-nip spirulina tabs. I enjoy those a lot moreso than other wafers. I'll toss a link to a thread I made on the topic, there's some photos of my corys with that food as well.

I basically rotate out food. So if you're doing it in a normal tank, one day to the next I just change the food I offer. If you're offering multiple, be very minimal and stick to the "if it's not gone in 5 minutes" mindset. You can feed the upper fish their portion and drop about 1 wafer per 5 corys is about what I'd suggest. I didn't have luck with the xtreme wafers and have switched to a different food for that type of a food. Since you're doing the meds for internal parasites as well. be sure to look into repashy

My "herd" started in a 55, then a 75 and they had caves they would chill in and congregate around. With a lot of space they tend to.... or some tend to go and protect their area while other fish go out and explore around in their little groups. It was kind of like they took over the pleco caves or whatever hides were around whenever they wanted. They were definitely the tank bosses when they wanted to be, but they definitely can be a reclusive group if you give them cover. They come out to eat, show activity through the afternoon and night as well. Must've been on the bottom of an anubias leaf or something. did you move any into that tank from the main one? Congrats though, keep an eye on the big tank for more! I wonder if someone has some pandas with incredibly dark / filled out dorsal fins. Some of mine are pretty splotchy. If I was trying to breed some for profit, that would be a trait I'd attempt to highlight.

clown pleco, blue phantoms, etc. I'd probably suggest corydoras. They are easy to have, fun, they go into a LOT of tanks, and it's a pretty fun breeding project to help supply a store. -Panda -Salt and pepper -Albino -False Jullii All of those are pretty common / affordable for a store to purchase. So anything else should be pretty good targets. I would avoid anything crazy expensive unless you have a lot of confidence in the people around your store to purchase those fish. There's some cool looking corys that aren't too pricey for the day-to-day traffic to appreciate.