Kyle’s Fish-Keeping Adventure Journal

[Desktop Aquatics]

Well I’ve never been one to journal but I’m nearing the 6 month mark on my first aquarium.

Brief breakdown of my long journey and intro into the hobby: 
setting up an aquarium has been a dream of mine for the past 10 years since stumbling upon a YouTube video by uarujoey at the time. I was hooked! My parents had a 55 that was a community tank ( honestly hated it, never felt a connection to it ever!) that they did eventually get rid of after I started high school but never did I know the scale fish keeping was done. After going into the rabbit hole that was fish keeping YouTube back in 2010 my parents wouldn’t let me have a tank. I waited 4 years until I graduated high school when my parents let me have dart frogs!

I kept dart frogs for about 4 years during college and bred about 6 different species of ranitomeya before I sold them off when I moved out of my parents. A 2 year stretch of not have any exotic pets while I finished college leads us to 6ish months ago when I finally decided to set up my desktop aquarium.

I had just built a large desk setup that held my pc and 3 monitors and I had a 25x13 space on the end of the desk I knew what needed to be done. I ordered a 60p (17gal aquarium) online and decided I wanted to keep South American dwarf cichlids. I found a local fish store that had some apistos and I knew this was for me. I set up the tank in March let it sit for a month until cycled and added 12 cardinal tetras! Then about 3 months later I got my apistogramma blue steel, sold as borelli 😅, and have since got them breeding. It took about 3 months of them maturing and I am raising the first fry in this desktop aquarium! This has been by far the most fulfilling hobby I’ve ever been apart of and I can’t wait to continue this journey with all of you!

make sure to follow my journey on my Instagram desktop_aquatics for dailyish pictures and I’ll continue to post journal entries on this forum post!

here’s my tank and species inside!

[Guppysnail]

Love the tannins!

[Desktop Aquatics]

Update time!

It’s been 2 months since my last update! My first spawn from my apistos are growing out well some are almost sellable size. Giving me a good break from every other day water changes! However they have spawned again with the last week and I have moved momma and the fry into a breeder box. The female apisto was become extremely aggressive to the male and the first batch of fry and it was time for a move.

This is the first time I have ever used a breeder box and will be an interesting experience. Without room for additional tanks it was necessary to tone down the in tank aggression. So far the breeder box is a cool way to watch the wrigglers grown but I do worry about their feeding as the last batch fed on micro-organisms inside the tank. I am doing my best to put in some botanicals that have colonies on them. I also moved a sponge I had on the intake that they fed on last time into the box to add a stable food source, hopefully this works out well!

All in all very excited to move and add more tanks in the future for more breeding projects!
 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@KylecThe plants and moss you put in the breeder box along with the catapa leaf in there will provide plenty of microorganisms and infusoria for them. If you don’t already have a powdered fry food and or baby brine shrimps that would be the next step when they’re big enough.

I really like that footprint of tank. Your scape is well done and as previously commented upon by @Guppysnailits very naturalistic with the tannins and leaf litter. No wonder they are so happy and breeding.

In the past with apistogramma I’ve found similar issues with females with this second generation of fry leading to aggressive behaviors. This was a smart and logical step you’ve taken moving her and the wigglers. You will need to watch it when you reintroduce the female. That could be pretty dicey I’d be home that day and watch it like a hawk otherwise one of the adults might end up dead. That’s a ways off though so enjoy the nature you have there it’s a really precious glass box! 

[Desktop Aquatics]

Big Update!

So today I successfully sold my first batch of fry that my apisto pair raised! I had to take apart my aquarium to catch them which was a learning experience for sure as I had only ever set it up and let it grow out. While it was sad watching my tank come down as I took out each hardscape piece and took off every plant it also allowed me to fix beginner mistakes! for example I had planted anubias extremely high in my aquarium leading to weird surface growth that always annoyed me. So while bitter sweet was a great experience for me. 

Selling the apisto fry was extremely interesting and tested my catching abilities. Even with all the hardscape out catching 34 little baby apsito fry was challenging as I had only ever caught corydoras before which were super easy to catch. Being my first attempt at ever spawning any fish to have 34 grow out was definitely an accomplishment for myself but also the amazing parent apistos that I have! I have read on forums that apisto moms aren't always that great but My female is amazing best momma out there! I'll be posting pics of my tanks rescape in the coming days as the water settles and I finish adding more botanicals in! 

[Desktop Aquatics]

February update! It’s been almost a year since setting up my aquarium and diving into this amazing hobby! The amount I’ve learned in this year is insane! I went from wanting to only do aquascaping to falling in love with apistogramma and black water aquariums! I have just finished growing out my second spawn of fry and have gotten 6 otocinclus to help maintain the algae in this aquarium. Haven’t had any losses except my cardinals from my original group but haven’t lost any in about 9 months so I call that a win! Can’t wait to keep everyone updated as I will be moving soon and probably adding an aquarium or two in the future!!

[Hobbit]

The aquarium looks great! Congratulations on having so much success with your apistos. How wonderful that you got such a great mamma fish. ❤️ They must love all the leaves!

You also have a very pretty kitty. 😻

[Desktop Aquatics]

No pictures for this update! I have officially had my tank setup for exactly a year!!! Essentially this is my tanks birthday and oh boy what year it has been and the amount of enjoy and knowledge has been so crazy! While experiencing a handful of losses due to a lack of knowing that fish could be sucked into the canister filter I have also brought so many more into this world! having successfully bred my apistos and growing out 3 batches of their fry, I have been considering new fish for this next year. 

The current stocking is a pair of blue steel apistos, a small school of cardinal tetras, 4 otos and a single amano shrimp. This stocking has brought me so much joy and diversity to my first tank but I am feeling a bit bored of the apistos as I have bred them and the cardinals are amazing but I think I'd like to try Pencil fish instead! These are just stocking changes and I would be keeping the amano and otos for sure as they are so fun to look for and keep the tank looking decently clean.  With such a small footprint I have been considering other dwarf cichlids.  

With this new year of Fishy experience I hope to continue breeding fish but also with alot of life changes I might have to take the tank entirely down but only if I have to move! this would allow me to maybe add more tanks but only time will tell! Thank you everyone for making this first year so amazing and hopefully many many more!

[Hobbit]

Aww yay! Happy tank birthday! Sounds like you have some great plans ahead.

[Desktop Aquatics]

It’s been a while but I am here with an update! a lot had happened the last 4 months. First off I have sold my first apistogramma pair of “steel blues” and all of their offspring. I did love these fish and they brought me alot of joy and knowledge but it was time for a new breeding pair. After selling that pair I rescaped my tank to a much more realistic look. I also added to my cardinal tetra school up to 12. 

In June I also bought pair of Ap. Agassizii red backs. They have been growing out alot and I think I finally have my first batch of eggs! I do love these apistos a lot I hope they are as good of parents as my last pair!! I’m truly loving my tank as it is right now with the scape and my fish stocking everything is moving very smoothly. These apistogramma seem to have such a personality to them and are so fun to watch! I’ll try to be posting more as fry come from this pair and potentially another tank on the way!!

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/31/2022 at 3:09 PM, Desktop Aquatics said:

Those yellow bands on the fins are pretty awesome.  Nice fish and it's totally awesome you were able to breed and share these with the local shops 🙂

[Desktop Aquatics]

Hello everyone! I am back! It’s been a while hadn’t realized I hadn’t updated this since July!! A lot has changed!! I got rid of the inhabitants of this tank and have dove into a whole new adventure! I sold my cardinal tetras and apistogramma Agassizii for a pair of Ivanacara adoketa! 

this is my newest breeding project for the desktop aquarium! I received these guys a week before thanksgiving and they were extremely skiddish for months! Over the last month and a half they have come to life accepting food from my hand and constantly out and about! This is my true black water tank with a ph in the 6 - 5.5 range consistently and I switched to using only RO water for this tank!

I am also working on a new project that will be done in the summer, it’s a boreno biotope tank that’s I’ll feature plants from boreno peat swamps, a pair of wild bettas from the area and possibly a shoal of chili rasboras! It’ll be a 13 gal bowl that’s pictured below!

 
I will have an entire post when this is up and going to explain my entire process but I am soooo very excited for this tank! Hope y’all enjoyed this update and will stay tuned!

[Desktop Aquatics]

Big update!!! I have moved into my new apartment and that means I finally have my own office thus room for more tanks!!!!!! I have planned a new rack that is holding my QT tank and my newest addition being a 80gal! It is 48x24x16 and will likely be a rio negro biotope that my ivanacara will be moved into with a whole host of new species I will be keeping! 
 

QT tank with filters cycling!

 

rack and 80gal!

The other big project that was mentioned in my last update on here is the Borneo Bowl! It does have it own update journal page but its always good to mention it when talking about my entire hobby as it is right now! I have it planted with a bunch of crypts and a ton of Buceaphalandra! This 13 gallon bowl aquarium will be holding a pair of betta hendra and a small shoal of chili rasboras probably 10-12 chilis!

 

Borneo Bowl in its amber glow!

 

The hendra pair I will be keeping’

last but not least the desktop tank! The ivanacara are currently still in this tank until I can get the 80 filled and cycling but once its all good to go this tank will be getting a huge rescape and home to a super fun new species I have really wanted to keep! The desk tank will be home to 15 nannostomus sp “super red cenepa”!  I am very excited to see if I can get them breeding and sold locally!

ivanacara readjusting!

new haphazard scape! Very temporary

 

That is my update for now! More will be coming as the 80 gets filled and scaped as well as the Borneo bowl getting its new inhabitants!

 

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by Desktop Aquatics

[Desktop Aquatics]

like I promised I got a pretty big update on the Office Fish room!

last week I got my Betta hendra pair for the Borneo bowl and the week prior I also got my 15 Chili rasboras which all are doing great eating and exploring the tank!
here are the chilis! really coloring up and shoaling is really cool around and in the log.

This is Rosie and Sam the Betta hendra pair. They are acclimating well to the new tank and hopefully in no time I will get some breeding behavior.

 

Also I have finally filled the 80 with sand and added the leaf litter in yesterday! Hopefully next week I will be getting my hardscape and will be able to finally really get this tank finished and coming together!

after the leaf litter was added I’ll be adding more after the hardscape is in!

Hope yall like this update and I will be posting more of the 80 when I finally get the hardscape going!

Edited June 17, 2023 by Desktop Aquatics

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/17/2023 at 10:07 AM, Desktop Aquatics said:

Hope yall like this update and I will be posting more of the 80 when I finally get the hardscape going!

ORD. Those Bettas are wonderful!

You're doing well with the blackwater style and it's always enjoyable for me to see a tank with that sort of a hue. Loving the stuff you're doing. Keep it coming!

[Desktop Aquatics]

hello followers! another decently large update!!!

Starting off with the Rack itself the 80 is on I have added in the middle shelf and added 2 15's! These will work as my QT and Grow out tanks for now and might end up turning one into a spawning tank for the hendra or the ivanacara!

also made some lids for these with just 2 pieces of glass each covering each other and adding a little handle on the front!

Now for the 80 rio negro biotope! it is fully scaped and I have 25 cardinals coming in as well as 12 corydoras adolfi in the coming weeks! they will probably sit in the QT tanks at first to allow me to view them make sure they are looking good but then I will be adding them to the main tank!

I am using manzanita wood for the root structure and then the river side I have umbrella grass planted with a small dashing of leaf litter and some larger seed pods to cover up the spongefilters!

Borneo bowl hasnt had much to update on but it is looking good and the hendra are really starting to come out more and show off their colors! Ill post some gifs down belwo of these little guys!

hope y'all enjoyed this update!!!

Edited July 1, 2023 by Desktop Aquatics