Starting Over

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

The pictures you have posted though it doesn't show a full view it's definitely a rimmed tank. The standard glass lid might work even if it is a different brand (as long as the sizes are similar) you'll just need the measurements. There are lots of clever people here who have made their own lids and swear by them they may answer up as well. 

I think the nice part about being retired (which I think I recall you are?) is that it doesn't matter what hour you are at the computer you can do what you want. I however get to be at work. 

[lindabee53]

On 12/11/2021 at 4:32 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

The pictures you have posted though it doesn't show a full view it's definitely a rimmed tank. The standard glass lid might work even if it is a different brand (as long as the sizes are similar) you'll just need the measurements. There are lots of clever people here who have made their own lids and swear by them they may answer up as well. 

I think the nice part about being retired (which I think I recall you are?) is that it doesn't matter what hour you are at the computer you can do what you want. I however get to be at work. 

It is most definitely a rimmed tank.  When I said I didn't know what kind of tank it was, I meant brand.  Sorry - I wasn't clear.

I am retired and I love it.  I'm not wild about being on a fixed income, but there's a lot to be said about reading and sewing and crocheting and yard work all on my schedule.  However, my little town is reopening our library after a long closure and it'll all be volunteer run.  I'm on the Board of Trustees and currently the only one who knows how to use the system to check books in and out and all that good stuff, so when we open today (yay!), I have to be there.  At 11:00.  With no sleep.  Aaaarrrgghh!

Thank you so much for all your tips and info, all your support.

[Gator]

@lindabee53; Yep, retirement is cool. I can go fishing anytime, my neighbors all say I grow the best tasting vegetables they've ever eaten, and my aquariums are doing very well.

Marineland and Aqueon both make excellent glass tops. Measure the inside rim of your tank that the lid will sit on, if your tank is a 20 GL, I think those measurements are 30 by 12. When you buy your glass lid and have put on the handle, put a single strip of black duct tape on the hinge. The hinge will break over time and the duct tape will help prevent that, but if it does break, the duct tape will continue to hold it together. 

[lindabee53]

@Gator Thanks for the tip - I appreciate it!

[Gator]

@lindabee53; I'm glad I could help.

[Guppysnail]

On 12/11/2021 at 1:09 AM, lindabee53 said:

I put my cories and otos into the 20-gallon tank just over a week ago.  I lost one of each, so have three otos and five cories.  They all seem happy and one of the cories is getting really big.  

I also got the two pieces of wood back in, along with the water sprite that came in.  Some of the plants didn't do well after being torn up, but nothing has actually died.  One of the Anubias is hanging on by a thread, but there's a bit of rhizome that seems good and it's putting out a couple of roots.  It only has three leaves, but I'm letting it float around and not messing with it.

I hung a little plastic basket on the back wall with suction cups.  I cut a chunk of pothos off a plant that my old boss had in his office and put it in there.  It's been a couple of weeks and it's doing well.  I also but a stem of wandering jew in and it's taking off.

I'd like to find some other kind of top/lid.  What I have is a black top with a hump in the middle for the light.  It's ugly and does nothing to add to the appearance of the tank.

I just caught up on your journal. When you look down on the shell with its head lined pup with your if it is rounded and the point goes left and the antenna are thin it is a bladder snail. If the point goes right and antenna are triangular and look like horns it is a pond snail. Neither of them need fed they have plenty to munch in the tank. If the entire shell is conical and pointy it is likely a Malaysian trumpet snail. Do not feed them either. These three reproduce rapidly if fed you will over run your tank with snails. 
as far as lifting water …I am retired on a fixed budget as well but the best investment I ever made was a pump. They are not that expensive I’m including the pond hose I got as well. My wrist just can’t take the lifting anymore. You just sit the pump in the bucket and plug I in holding the hose in the tank.

Your betta looks so graceful! 

[lindabee53]

@Guppysnail Thank you so much for the information on the snails.  I'll have to wait for them to show themselves where I can see them clearly and see what I can match to your descriptions.  And I won't feed them, not deliberately anyway.  With some fish and a couple of nerite snails in the tank, I'm sure they're getting plenty to eat.

Also, thanks for the pump info.  It'll have to wait until after Christmas, but it may be a necessity.  My wrist is okay, but I managed to hurt both shoulders - at different times - over the past two or three years.

It's time for bed, so I'm going to get off the computer.

 

[Torrey]

On 12/11/2021 at 2:59 AM, lindabee53 said:

There's a Petco about 30 miles away and I'll probably wait until after Christmas to go look at lids.  I appreciate the suggestions and will keep them in mind.

I'm too cheap to buy lids, if I am spending that kind of money I am either spending on plants or fish😅

I buy the big sheet of 'egg crate' light baffling and cut to the size of my tanks (it's wonderfully multi purpose: creates a ladder for the turtle, one sheet can lid 2x 55 gallon tanks or 4+ 10 gallon tanks, and cushions rocks so they don't crack my bottom glass) and either:

Leave as is with light on top

Cut down the middle and use zip ties to make a "hinged lid"

Saran wrap or buy plexiglass or glass to rest on top to eliminate evaporation..... back when I had access to my own tools and shop, I custom cut glass for lids, and used silicone to make a "hinge"

Not saying that any one approach is better than another, just throwing some other options out there. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

On 12/12/2021 at 12:16 PM, Torrey said:

I'm too cheap to buy lids, if I am spending that kind of money I am either spending on plants or fish😅

LOL @Torrey I only paid $7 for my glass lid it was bought online for the discount and I used points, didn't have to cut or store a thing just threw it on the tank. 😉

Edited December 12, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[lindabee53]

On 12/12/2021 at 2:16 PM, Torrey said:

I'm too cheap to buy lids, if I am spending that kind of money I am either spending on plants or fish😅

I don't know whether I'm too cheap to buy lids, but I don't want to spend if I don't have to.  Seriously, I'm already trying to figure out how to afford another tank AND a place to put it AND plants AND fish.  I guess I should see whether I can keep this first tank going.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Then @Torrey's way might be a cool option for you! 1 piece sounds like it'll cover both your tanks. 😉 

[lindabee53]

Much as I appreciate all the tips and information, nothing is going to happen before Christmas.

My cories did something I've never seen them do before, which doesn't mean they've never done it.  If I hadn't been paying more attention to the tank than to my yarn, I'd never have caught it.  All five of them were in a row, just scooting across the bottom of the tank, then through the little arch in the wood, and then over the top of the wood before going off in different directions. 

Is this common and I've just not noticed before?

[Torrey]

On 12/12/2021 at 9:35 PM, lindabee53 said:

Much as I appreciate all the tips and information, nothing is going to happen before Christmas.

My cories did something I've never seen them do before, which doesn't mean they've never done it.  If I hadn't been paying more attention to the tank than to my yarn, I'd never have caught it.  All five of them were in a row, just scooting across the bottom of the tank, then through the little arch in the wood, and then over the top of the wood before going off in different directions. 

Is this common and I've just not noticed before?

I have seen cories play "follow the leader" like that before, especially in the larger schools Youtubers show in their big tanks.

[CalmedByFish]

@lindabee53 Sounds like one of your cories' ancestors cross-bred with a goose. 

[lindabee53]

Well, waiting until after Christmas to do anything worked well for me.  I ended up being gifted a glass lid and a light.  It isn't fancy, but it's LED lights and a narrow profile - looks nice.  Now I can actually see the pothos and wandering jew growing out of the tank.

The last of the Christmas money I received went to buying some plants and scissors from the Coop.  No more using my good shears!

Fin (the idiot betta) has started getting himself into the basket that holds the pothos and some of the wandering jew.  He gets in and then can't get out.  I left him in there a couple of days ago, thinking that if he could get in, he could get out.  Nope.  Four days in a row, I've had to get him out.  

[Torrey]

On 1/7/2022 at 10:15 PM, lindabee53 said:

Well, waiting until after Christmas to do anything worked well for me.  I ended up being gifted a glass lid and a light.  It isn't fancy, but it's LED lights and a narrow profile - looks nice.  Now I can actually see the pothos and wandering jew growing out of the tank.

The last of the Christmas money I received went to buying some plants and scissors from the Coop.  No more using my good shears!

Fin (the idiot betta) has started getting himself into the basket that holds the pothos and some of the wandering jew.  He gets in and then can't get out.  I left him in there a couple of days ago, thinking that if he could get in, he could get out.  Nope.  Four days in a row, I've had to get him out.  

Sounds like the betta has created a favorite game: play with the human!

I have discovered the egg crate light diffusers work to keep roots in the tank, leaves out of the tank, and fish in the tank where they belong.

Fin sounds like he's got a fishy sense of humor. 

[lindabee53]

On 1/7/2022 at 11:53 PM, Torrey said:

Sounds like the betta has created a favorite game: play with the human!

I have discovered the egg crate light diffusers work to keep roots in the tank, leaves out of the tank, and fish in the tank where they belong.

Fin sounds like he's got a fishy sense of humor. 

I'll look for the egg crate light diffusers next time I'm in town - 25 miles away.

Fin's definitely entertaining, but why he thinks getting into the basket and waiting for rescue is fun is absolutely beyond me.  I've accidentally touched him a couple times, and he doesn't recoil the way he did the first couple of times.

One of the cories suddenly seems larger, or maybe I just haven't noticed.  They're all amazing to watch.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Maybe Fin is trying to play basket ball but has no ball so he's using himself. Or it just looks like a cozy spot- he have a hammock or floating cave?

[Torrey]

I trained most of my bettas to swim into my hand so I didn't have to net them and risk damaging their fins, especially my crowntails.

It's easy to teach as long as they are food oriented. Fish are sentient creatures, I suspect most of the time they are waiting on us to get a clue, lol.

Kind of like our dogs who question our ability to take care of ourselves. I mean, from a dog's perspective we aren't even capable of growing enough fur to keep us warm, how on earth can we take ourselves 🤔😅

 

I wonder if fish ever worry about our capabilities, since we don't live in water and don't have scales.🤷‍♂️ [we can all thank my adopted dad for my perspective on life, he regularly interpreted canid for the family]

[lindabee53]

On 1/8/2022 at 1:22 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Maybe Fin is trying to play basket ball but has no ball so he's using himself. Or it just looks like a cozy spot- he have a hammock or floating cave?

He does have a hammock.  I have an anubias that was badly damaged, and after trimming it up pretty severely, I left it to float around.  It has some roots now and a few leaves, and Fin has claimed it for his own.  From time to time, I nudge it over to where the bubbles are rising from the sponge filter, and he's quick to climb on and ride.  When it eventually bumps up against the front, I nudge it again.  Sometimes I think he's like a three-year-old:  "Do it 'gain, Mama!"

[lindabee53]

On 1/8/2022 at 1:26 AM, Torrey said:

I trained most of my bettas to swim into my hand so I didn't have to net them and risk damaging their fins, especially my crowntails.

It's easy to teach as long as they are food oriented. Fish are sentient creatures, I suspect most of the time they are waiting on us to get a clue, lol.

Kind of like our dogs who question our ability to take care of ourselves. I mean, from a dog's perspective we aren't even capable of growing enough fur to keep us warm, how on earth can we take ourselves 🤔😅

 

I wonder if fish ever worry about our capabilities, since we don't live in water and don't have scales.🤷‍♂️ [we can all thank my adopted dad for my perspective on life, he regularly interpreted canid for the family]

Are we training them or are they training us?  After all, Fin swims to the front when he sees me, gets my attention, and I feed him.  He may well have the whole food training thing turned around from what I do.  I'll bet Fin thinks he boss. . . and he could be right.  😉 

[CalmedByFish]

On 1/8/2022 at 9:16 AM, lindabee53 said:

Are we training them or are they training us?  After all, Fin swims to the front when he sees me, gets my attention, and I feed him.  He may well have the whole food training thing turned around from what I do.  I'll bet Fin thinks he boss. . . and he could be right.  😉 

Sounds like a cat.

As of yesterday, my new gourami hurries to the front wall when I approach, waiting for food. Once yesterday,  I just stopped to stare at him from above. He hurried over, didn't get fed, and I'm pretty sure he started spitting water on purpose. He might've just been grabbing for invisible food, but now I'm curious. (And yeah, it worked, I fed him. 🙄)

[lindabee53]

This is not getting better!  As of this morning, one of the cories is following Fin into the basket.  I'm going to have to come up with some other way of hanging the pothos and wandering jew.  Three times today - I know they think this is a big joke, but if they don't start behaving, I'm going to crochet little leashes and stake them to a sponge filter.  🙄

[Torrey]

On 1/9/2022 at 3:08 PM, lindabee53 said:

This is not getting better!  As of this morning, one of the cories is following Fin into the basket.  I'm going to have to come up with some other way of hanging the pothos and wandering jew.  Three times today - I know they think this is a big joke, but if they don't start behaving, I'm going to crochet little leashes and stake them to a sponge filter.  🙄

I think you may appreciate @Guppysnail's airline suction cup solution.

No basket for fish to jump into, and still have plenty of roots to eliminate nitrates.

I ran a ziptie around the base of the plant after I threaded it through the 'clamp' inserted into the suction cup. 

Cut off the extra length from the ziptie, and then stuck the suction cup on the glass. Very effective strategy for meeting plant needs, aquarium needs, and the human's needs for ease of access, lol.

Completely eliminates the fish game of basket hopping.🤣

[lindabee53]

@Guppysnail is so clever!  And @Torrey is so kind for pointing this solution out to me.

I do have some suction cups, but no zip ties.  On the shopping list, they go.  I did see some pothos holders on Etsy - I think they're called Poth-O-Carry - but not in the budget.  I'd rather make do with what I already have, or add bits and pieces, as necessary.

Thank you!