Torrey Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 @Isaac M you don't even have to heat your pea puffer tank? Our apartment also stays between 65° to 70° F, although the turtle pond drops to 50° in the winter, now that the heater broke.😒 Luckily, the endlers that avoided being caught don't seem to care, and are rapidly multiplying again😆 You are inspiring me with more options! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 @Guppysnail thank you very much! The shiners are so beautiful, I can only imagine what they will look like when they fire up! Thank you! I still love my aquariums, do not get me wrong, I was just down because I could not figure out the problem. I am here to stay! Haha @xXInkedPhoenixX thank you! Yes, it was not a fun experience, luckily it never hurt any of the inhabitants too bad. Mostly the corals were not as vibrant and happy as they should have been. @Torrey I do not heat any of my aquariums. I had an incident with a heater that failed on me and I do not want to take that risk again unless I can trust the water heater. None of my aquariums drop lower than 68 degrees however. I haven't seen any negative effects on the fish either. I even have some fish spawn in those conditions. I would not recommend this with german blue rams, discus, etc though. Fish can thrive in a wider range of conditions than I think we give them credit for. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 40 Gallon Corydoras Tank Update: The tank is looking cloudy from missing a few weeks of squeezing out the sponge on the powerhead intake but the fish are still doing great, matter of fact, the pygmy corydoras are still spawning which is awesome! The crazy thing though is that the anubias is starting to compete with the pothos for the biggest leaves in the aquarium, these anubias leaves are now measuring 5 inches long and are at the point of breaking the water surface! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiapeach88 Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Shiners are pretty, glad to hear you are figuring out the issue. And getting somewhere. All looks great 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted April 27, 2022 Author Share Posted April 27, 2022 Very brief update, will do one that is much more comprehensive as I find the time. However, we can start with the 10 gallon aquarium. The neon tetras, guppies and blue dream shrimp now have some more friends, 10 corydoras habrosus! My girlfriend gave me a gift card for Christmas last year and I have always wanted to keep this species so I jumped on the opportunity. They have not disappointed either, they are incredibly social and active. Once again, Corydoras are my favorite! Haha For the 40 gallon Corydoras Riparium, I just wanted to document the size of some of these leaves. The anubias has now broken the water surface and grown leaves rivaling that of the pothos. Also, the crypts are in grand need of a trimming but boy have they gotten massive, for scale, here is the largest crypt leaf next to a pothos leaf (also an adult cherry shrimp in the bottom left corner for scale): And here are all 3 leaves next to each other: I have also been experimenting with feeding live baby brine shrimp every day, especially because of the reef tank inhabitants. However, I only have one hatchery and my shrimp hatch every 48 hours. Plus, I am feeding twice a day and only have so much time. With a little research, I found that they can be refrigerated and they will stay alive. The colder temperatures cause their metabolism to slow down which is great for preserving nutrition. Once they hit the warmer aquarium water, they begin swimming again like normal. I keep mine in these little deli/ condiment cups and run the shrimp through a sieve before I feed them to the aquariums. It has worked out great. 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted April 27, 2022 Share Posted April 27, 2022 I absolutely love the idea of slowing the BBS metabolism to retain the nutrients and prolong the hatch use. Great idea I will be borrowing 😁 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndfi78 Posted April 27, 2022 Share Posted April 27, 2022 How long can they stay in the fridge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted April 27, 2022 Author Share Posted April 27, 2022 @Guppysnail haha go for it! @ndfi78 the longest I have left them in the fridge for is 48 hours. I haven't tested longer than that. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndfi78 Posted April 27, 2022 Share Posted April 27, 2022 I've been interested in doing BBS, but I only have a 55 gal (very lightly stocked), 10 gal, and 3 gal. It always seemed like I would end up wasting a bunch. Also, what happens to the BBS that are released in the tank and aren't eaten right away. I assume they would just be picked off by the fish eventually, is that correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted April 27, 2022 Author Share Posted April 27, 2022 @ndfi78 you will be surprised how much BBS fish can eat but I believe BBS will only live for a few hours in freshwater. If it does not get eaten, it will get caught by your filter and breakdown like everything else in your aquarium, no big deal. You can probably try hatching out an 1/8 teaspoon of eggs in any container that is fish safe that you have (for example, @Guppysnail who posted above started out in a glass jar type of container) with an airline in it with some aquarium salt. You can feed what you can the first day they hatch and then refrigerate the rest to be fed the next day. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted April 27, 2022 Share Posted April 27, 2022 @ndfi78 I started with a 1 liter glass ice tea dispenser 🤣. I did 1/8 tbs at a time and used a plant weight to keep the airstone down. Isaac gave me the idea for the tea dispenser and I had just ordered one to use for tea so away I went. It’s awesome I upgraded t a ziss hatchery and now I do a whole tablespoon and freeze them in a silicone ice cube tray just like the frozen ones in the store but more affordable. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndfi78 Posted April 27, 2022 Share Posted April 27, 2022 omg, y'all were talking about freezing them above and my mind just skipped right over it. Perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted April 27, 2022 Author Share Posted April 27, 2022 @ndfi78 I was talking about refrigerating them, @Guppysnail freezes her BBS in a silicone ice cube tray. Freezing works great when you want to save them for a longer period of time. For shorter periods, refrigerating works well. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted June 3, 2022 Author Share Posted June 3, 2022 55 Gallon Update: I added a light across the top as the riparian plants have started to cover the lights so much that it was too dark to see into the aquarium. I would get more glare than anything when looking into the aquarium. I will be trimming back, adding more planters and adding more variety to the riparian plants. Everyone is doing well in this aquarium and I have also added an Angelfish (Leopoldi) and Bolivian Rams. This is my first time attempting to keep Rams and my first successful attempt at keeping an angelfish. These fish have been in this aquarium for months now. The Rams have really grown a lot as they were tiny when I got them. I could not get great pictures of them but this will do for now: 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted June 3, 2022 Share Posted June 3, 2022 It's looking great! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted June 3, 2022 Author Share Posted June 3, 2022 5 Gallon Update: I trimmed the tree and removed the internal filter. This aquarium simply has an airstone. Pumpkin the Pea Puffer was very shy in the beginning and has come around now to being curious at everything I do including following me around while trimming the tree haha My girlfriend loves halloween and pea puffers so it was only right that I surprised her with this pea puffer last Halloween (pumpkin aquarium decor included) haha I also received 2 aquarium product orders today. I just wanted to share as it is always fun for me to see what other people purchase and use! haha Thank you, I appreciate it @Patrick_G! 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted June 3, 2022 Share Posted June 3, 2022 Who needs a filter for one little Pea Puffer right? The tree looks very well trimmed and the pumpkin is totally whimsical. Nice work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted June 3, 2022 Author Share Posted June 3, 2022 @Patrick_G yeah it is complete overkill haha thanks! It took a lot of effort to trim back the monster that it became! 40 Gallon Reef: Some quick shots of the reef tank and some of its newer inhabitants: Forktail Blenny with an amazing personality! Shy Court Jester Goby Outgoing Royal Gramma Berried Peppermint Shrimp Pencil Urchin Various soft corals/ zoanthids 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted June 3, 2022 Share Posted June 3, 2022 Everything is looking so wonderful 😍. I ADORE the pumpkin. It makes it nostalgic of Charlie Brown and The 🥰Great Pumpkin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 Hi everyone, this past weekend I made it out to the Monterey Bay Aquarium as I have been wanting to see the new “Into The Deep” exhibit showcasing deep sea creatures. As a nerm, it was amazing to see these creatures and I wanted to share some of the things I saw with my fellow nerms here. I hope you guys enjoy! Tadpole Snailfish Spiny King Crab and Porcupine Crab Basket Star Japanese Spider Crabs - These crabs are huge by the way! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 Moon Jelly - Yes, they are feeding on live baby brine shrimp! Haha Bigfin Reef Squid - Amazing how they can change colors (take a close look at the brown pattern disappear on the body) Sea Angel - One of the most amazing aquatic animals I have ever seen, believe it or not, but this is a swimming snail! Blood-belly Comb Jelly - Mesmerizing to say the least! Giant Isopod - How cool is it that they let you touch a giant isopod?! The water was estimated to be about 45 degrees Fahrenheit by the way! Flamboyant Cuttlefish 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 And of course, who does not love the reef tanks?! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrey Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 On 6/6/2022 at 11:46 PM, Isaac M said: And of course, who does not love the reef tanks?! I ran out of reactions! 😍😍😍 I had stepped away, my spouse found the Monterey Bay YouTube channel. So my Patient Spouse™ just leveled up to Reluctant Nerm™, lol. Those crabs were huge!!!! I don't think they had those last time I was in California, my kids were excited to be allowed to put their hands in with the rays, lol. Definitely no isopod petting option. Thank you so much for sharing!!! How are the Bolivian rams at the lower (68 F) temps? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 These are fantastic. Thank you for sharing. I had no idea a swimming snail even existed. That is crazy cool! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 @Torrey Reluctant Nerm 😂😂 Yes the exhibit is brand new with the isopod and giant crabs. If you go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium website, I believe they have a livestream of the crab tank. Honestly, I had no idea they were that big from looking at the livestream, they were more than 2 feet tall and about 3-4 feet across from while standing in a relaxed stance! Haha The giant Isopod was the size of a football as well! Haha The Bolivian Rams are doing well, they have been doing really well ever since I put them in there mid-April. They actually started eating within the first few hours and have yet to stop haha They have grown quite a bit and developed much better coloration. The tank is unheated but I think the water is in the lower 70s, not in the 60s except for maybe the middle of the night. @Guppysnail I had no idea either! Haha it is such a beautiful creature though, the shape of the body and swimming motion blew my mind haha it is even crazier if you research what it looks like when it eats! 😂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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