125 Gallon Journal

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Hope they all make it, because what a cool tank for them to be living in!

[Kevin F.]

Week 63/64.  I tell you when it rains.   Again no update last week do to stuff.  Tank is doing good.  I did loose two of the otos thos week.  I have one more that is still really skinny and not eating.  He hangs around the moss and just sits there.  The rest arw getting fat and happy.  Update on using the Easy Carbon to combat beard algae.  The peace I treated is completely free of algae now.  So this week I  took out another piece of wood sprayed it down with Easy Carbon let it set for 2 minutes, rinsed it off and put it back in the tank.  We'll see how it does.  I'm hoping for the same result as before.   Did a 30% water change today.  I wrote down the numbers but had to run out for a couple hours for our Sunday night Youth meeting and the wife through it away in accident.  Not her fault I should have budgeted my time better and posted before I left.  I do remember that nothing was out of spec.  That one cory was at it again to.  I finished cleaning wad putting stuff up and I watched him swim across the tank and crash into the Pogostemon Stella's and just sit there forever.

[Odd Duck]

On 10/9/2022 at 9:15 PM, Kevin F. said:

That one cory was at it again to.  I finished cleaning wad putting stuff up and I watched him swim across the tank and crash into the Pogostemon Stella's and just sit there forever.

That’s such a cory thing to do!  They are so goofy sometimes.  Water puppies for sure.  So playful and all around adorable.  Tank continues to look terrific!

[Kevin F.]

Week 65.  Lost two of the new Oto's so far.  The rest have fattened up nicely and are even taking time to mess with each other.  All other fish are good.  Haven't seen any of the shrimp in a while though. I thank next time I try shrimp I'll start with a larger group. The easy carbon is doing really well on the driftwood and plants attached to it.  I don't dose the tank directly because of the val.  I take out the driftwood hose it down with Easy Carbon let it set for a min, shake off the excess and put it back in the tank while I'm doing a water change.  I am really happy with it.  Did a 30% water change yesterday.

Nitrate 10/25

Nitrite 0/0

Hardness 300/300

Buffer 80/80

pH 7.2/7.2

Chlorine 0/0

Ammonia 0/0

[Kevin F.]

Two week update.  Tank is doing ok.  Had another oto die and some of the other fish weren't looking good.  I recently started feeding some freeze-dried blood worms, I started noticing the problems not to long after.   The food is not expired but it did have a small oder so I dumped it out and near the bottom of the container was mold.  I stopped feeding this did a 30% water change and everyone perked right up the next day.  That was bonkers.  I have to say I appreciate Xtreme and there clear container even more now.  I also took some befor and after shots of how the Easy Carbon did on the driftwood and plants.

I am really pleased with the results.  I used the method of taking the wood out putting Easy Carbon on it letting it set then rinsing it in tank water and putting it back.  It killed all yhe beard algae and the plants look better.  In a couple more weeks they'll be back to normal.  Trimmed the val today.  I'm going to have to take it out and replant it due to the fiah and snails uprooting most of it.  This will also give me a chance to put in some blockades to help keep it just in the center.  I will probably do that in about 3 or 4 weeks.  Next week I'm going to start on the left side trimming and getting the algae off the drift wood.

I did a 40% water change today.

Nitrate 10/10? 

Nitrite 0/0

Hardness 300/150

Buffer 80/80

pH 7.2/7.2

Chlorine 0/0

Ammonia 0/0

[Kevin F.]

Got all the vall pulled out.  Man what a mess, there was so much detritus in there.  I sorted all the val got rid of the ones with no roots and gave them a good trim before replanting.  I also put in about 10 root tabs were I replanting. Gave the pogo a good trim. And will I was cleaning o e of the giant danios got stuck in the moss ripping it loose from the cave.  Should have waited till to day to take photos it is looking good.  I did about a 40% water change.  All the numbers were exactly the same as last week.

[Kevin F.]

Sorry y'all, don't know what happened to last week's post.  I must have not hit submit.  Tank is doing good though.  The val has had a little die back after the replant, but there is still some that has already reached the top of the water.  Tried a different food this week, repashy bottom scratches.  The fish loved it.  They picked and pick at it.  The Cory's rolled part of it around until it was gone.  While cleaning the tank today I moved some of the moss and a shrimp came out ran around my hand and back into the moss it went.  I had no idea any of them were still alive.  Even if it's the only one I  still think it's cool that aftwr I gave up hope there they are.  Water parameters were all exactly the same.  

Edited November 20, 2022 by Kevin F.
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