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Oh, I also got a pair of long wave scissors. Pretty sweet tool! You can really isolate a single stem/leaf. I didnt mean to but I wound up spending 30 min tidying up the 90g last night.

Sadly, I may have been heavy handed with my h2o2/glut spray the other day. Lost a lot of anubias and bolbitis leaves, though the plants are still alive.

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On 1/11/2022 at 8:40 AM, Vanish said:

Sadly, I may have been heavy handed with my h2o2/glut spray the other day. Lost a lot of anubias and bolbitis leaves, though the plants are still alive.

If you lost the leaves, I would say the leaves were already damaged. At least that has been my experience in dealing with staghorn, BBA and cyanobacteria. 

Only exception would be the beautiful red repens I trimmed back and dropped in a 50/50 H2O2 when cleaning the tank, and then took a phone call and forgot to replant until the next day.🤦‍♂️

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The other day I came to the realization that I had a closet full of tanks and a tank rack with yarn on it. The obvious thing to do is swap them.

I started off putting 1.5 x 1/4 inch neoprene tape down. Then I added the black posterboard to the 10g tanks. I have the "missing" tank but I need to make a new place for the air pump first.

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Then I realized I had salvaged some 1/2" plywood from the old shelves and they would be perfect for extending the lower shelf to hold the 20 longs. I had originally intended to acquire 3 more 20H for the lower rack, but I won these two at an auction for $1 each, so I might as well work with them.

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I cant stand back far enough to get a frontal shot of the whole rack.

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I'm not ready to fill them with water yet but I think this is going to work. I want to add insulation foam panels to the sides between the vertical risers and underneath the bottom level. I'm not sure that 2.5g is going to stay there. I still have a bunch of lids to cut from salvaged windows and sponge filters to buy.

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Yesterday, I painted the two new boards I cut black to fit in with the black and wood scheme.

I cut the tops for the 20 longs from the old window. It was a large double pane and the glass is thicker than most, maybe 5/32". I've still got half that piece, plus an entire double pane to clean up, so that should be enough for all the tanks.

Six large sponge filters and some airline showed up in the mail. The sponges are seeding in my 150 sump.

Lastly, I created an airline grid with taps for all the tanks on the rack, including all 3 levels.

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This weekend I need to contact the localish fish stores to see if they will do credit for any of my fish. If I am going to keep expanding, i need a more reliable place to sell them, as craigslist isn't very effective anymore. I dont do Facebook, which is where the CAS members post to each other.

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On 1/21/2022 at 7:41 AM, Vanish said:

This weekend I need to contact the localish fish stores to see if they will do credit for any of my fish. If I am going to keep expanding, i need a more reliable place to sell them,

Typically, I have had the best luck by offering to bring the first batch (~10 to 15 fish) with a proper invoice, as a trial. On the invoice I list my price and I write SAMPLE N/C under amount due.

I make sure my grow out tank matches their parameters before I bring fish in.

I follow up a week later, and then the negotiations begin. 

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I didnt get around to contacting LFS today, but have time tomorrow. Did lots of puttering with all my tanks though. Lids have been for all the rack tanks including the top row now.

One of the 20L is set up as a corydoras breeding tank. Still need a heater for it. I want to use the other for breeding rainbows ... probably. Middle 10g might be a plant grow out? Something that doesnt require much maintenance.

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Otos are helping with algae in the 29g, but there is still a long way to go. I reduced light intensity another 10%. Sunset dwarf rainbow photo taken earlier in the day just after lights on.

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Fishy feeding time in the 20s

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LFS says they are interested in my angels and other future fish. Need to strike a deal.

Got a bit carried away and made up some light shields out of extra black coroplast from the riparium project. I wish I had made the top one 1/2" taller, but I think I can hide the tiny gap with a slight adjustment. The rack isn't bowed down, the coroplast is bowed up. Lower one will be mounted with velcro or magnets, need to make up my mind.

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Kind of fun to work with the coroplast, going to try to make a fry tray out of it.

The rack sides will eventually get 1 inch foam insulation board slotted in.

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The other pair in the 90g have wigglers on that java fern. I'm not going to pull them out though. The 90g is looking pretty swell after adding the second light.

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I hope the ludwigia broadleaf can maintain its look when I replant it, cause it's looking great atm. You can sell the old growth in the bottom right. Will remove that next time I'm in there.

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The 75g is looking better after the old Turkey baster treatment during a siphoning. Probably need to do it one more time.

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The 10g red cherry shrimp / endler tank is getting a bit wild, but has a sweet triangle self scape going. Theres a sponge filter in here somewhere 😂

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On 1/24/2022 at 6:02 PM, Patrick_G said:

What are the two fish at the top? I can’t decide if they’re rainbows or killifish. 

Madagascar rainbowfish. Really hoping I can get that pair to breed. Hard for me to photograph, and one of those fish that looks just so much cooler in person due to iridescence. When he flairs his fins are incredible. The pair was an impulse purchase, but I've never found them for sale since. 

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Tried blanched zucchini in several tanks. A little bit of interest while lights were on, but completely disappeared in the tanks with plecos overnight.

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I had surgery yesterday so will probably be a bit slower on updates this week.

My wife may be bringing home some new guppies to add to the 75. She wanted some brighter males in there. The yellow snake skins are nice up close but dont stand out from a distance.

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Wow, the colors on these are crazy. Wife brought them home,  they're labeled as "laser beam guppies" which I cant find anything on the internet about and we have 3 of them. I hope this isn't some sort of glofish thing.

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Edit: further research is turning them up as "Laser ray" so just a slightly different name.

Edited by Vanish
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I've started a new thread specific to my attempt to breed the madagascar rainbowfish. Preparing for that is how I've been spending some time the last couple of days. 

 

 

The dollar tree by us carries these 3 inch pots, which are the perfect size. I am also getting a bunch of these planted. Just waiting for my potting soil to saturate atm.

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I've also set up the BBS hatchery, the hatching jar and the 20L for fry trays has been fully set up with a sponge filter and heater.

One of the 10g on the top rack has been filled with my plan to select a female guppy to eventually breed with one of the new Laser Ray males. I don't have a light for the top rack yet, which I'm not certain is even necessary except for plant growth. It is more difficult to work in than I was hoping for. I am going to have to find the right size stepping stool.

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My potting method is 5 layers.

  1. Clay balls
  2. Safe-T-Sorb
  3. Soaked organic potting soil with all the floaty bits removed
  4. Safe-T-Sorb
  5. Clean sand

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When placing in the tank, it is of the utmost important to go slowly, allowing water to come in through the bottom. Also, do not allow water to splash over the edge, disturbing the sand.

I got distracted in the middle of this, so I hope the nyphaea didn't dry out too much.

In the photo below, I've done a C. Pontederiifolia and a Pogostemon Stellatus 'Octopus'

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Here is the fry tray system I have set up at the moment, awaiting its initial trials. 

20g Long with large sponge filter and a couple potted plants, two custom coroplast boxes with filter foam overflow set at 2 inches deep, Tom's aqualifter supplying water. I'll add some moss in the boxes once I have fry. Easy to add air if necessary, too. Glass covers slide over, they're just out of the way here.

I can add more fry boxes if this works and I feel I can handle more fry. I'd like to replace the aqualifter with an airlift but I dont have the tubing on hand to try it.

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On 1/26/2022 at 8:40 PM, Vanish said:

Wow, the colors on these are crazy. Wife brought them home,  they're labeled as "laser beam guppies" which I cant find anything on the internet about and we have 3 of them. I hope this isn't some sort of glofish thing.

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Edit: further research is turning them up as "Laser ray" so just a slightly different name.

Woke up this morning and both of these guppies are dead. 😑 Unpictured one is happily chasing the ladies about. Can do the return policy if I want to go out in the snow. Checked water and everything is fine as expected. Hard to say what they died from since the plecos and cories like to chew on dead fish.

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On 2/2/2022 at 11:38 AM, Vanish said:

Woke up this morning and both of these guppies are dead. 😑 Unpictured one is happily chasing the ladies about. Can do the return policy if I want to go out in the snow. Checked water and everything is fine as expected. Hard to say what they died from since the plecos and cories like to chew on dead fish.

Bummer, I always suspect internal bacteria infections when there's no outward signs. 

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On 2/2/2022 at 11:49 AM, Mmiller2001 said:

Bummer, I always suspect internal bacteria infections when there's no outward signs. 

I really should QT fish and treat for that kind of thing, but my wife likes to see them in the tank straight away.

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