Biotope Biologist Posted March 10, 2023 Author Share Posted March 10, 2023 I realize I am very bad about updating progress on the tank. The hair algae has grown out quite a bit. I removed a ton of it but the algae remaining is actually harboring a dense mat of christmas moss that has been really taking off lately. The hope is that it will outcompete the algae in the long run. But for now the rocks look like a jungle with cute goby faces popping out to see if I’m going to feed them. heres to hoping the water willow flowers late spring! I am lucky enough to enjoy about 12 hours of direct sunlight The sump plants have grown out quite a bit. Although the snails have made short work of the duckweed 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted March 30, 2023 Author Share Posted March 30, 2023 Last night was messing with the filter and saw a little neon blue streak… My white clouds spawned again and the fry must have been sucked down into the filter! Best place for them away from hungry mouths. The female goby also appeared to be gravid last week so we will also be keeping our eyes out for some lil gobes. Her stomach was large and yellow and her fins were very vibrant black and blue. The male goby is kind of a recluse in the caves lately too. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted April 28, 2023 Author Share Posted April 28, 2023 (edited) 1 month update time! glowup of the filter plants. Pardon the algae I leave everything for the snail and shrimp army. Saw 15 shrimplets today during water change. And idk 100 ramshorn babies? Shouldn’t be long before I start introducing them both to the main tank. Before: After: Fry is about 6 weeks old now? Few more weeks and it too can join the main tank. Fat tummy is a good sign. I only feed a few daphnia down there a week so must be eating something else Main tank in the sun! Trout are full up on brine shrimp and recent water change disturbed the algae bed. And the gobies only really ever come out to bother me for food. So an old pic of them being cute Edited April 28, 2023 by Biotope Biologist 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 It's all looking awesome, sir! What fry are those? Your WCMM? If so, why are they so blue?! They look like little neons. Mine are never like that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted April 28, 2023 Author Share Posted April 28, 2023 Thank you kindly! And yeah I am fairly certain its a WCMM. The blue neon stripe is what made me notice it in the first place. Very striking. This is the second batch of fry they have given me and near I can tell this is the only survivor. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 I'd work harder to up survivorship in those fry. If that stripe makes it into adulthood... 🤑 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted April 28, 2023 Author Share Posted April 28, 2023 Start fighting @WhitecloudDynasty on the online seller platforms! 🤣 “whatever their price is I will undercut it, I guarantee it!” All seriousness though I am down to 5 as one of my breeding females kicked the can for some unknown reason. I am really thinking I need to add another 10-15 more. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted April 29, 2023 Share Posted April 29, 2023 On 4/28/2023 at 6:59 PM, Biotope Biologist said: I am really thinking I need to add another 10-15 more. But the blue fry! Think of the blue fry! Won't somebody please think of the blue fry! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhitecloudDynasty Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Sweet keep breeding those white cloud! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted May 12, 2023 Author Share Posted May 12, 2023 It’s plant update time! The last few weeks of sunshine have really triggered some growth. The white sedge is producing some very large strands of grass. The snake grass is budding off the parent stalk like crazy. And the water willow is really starting to get tall. Once these plants mature ideally they will start rooting into the water column. Always get some hitchhikers and I plan to let them grow. This clover species does not look like the ones from around here. And a beautiful serrated heart shaped leaf plant has started popping up. And not related but my brother informed me this is a rather rare phenomenon, so here is my prayer plant flowering. I guess my green thumb aint so brown after all 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Duck Posted May 12, 2023 Share Posted May 12, 2023 On 5/12/2023 at 10:40 AM, Biotope Biologist said: This clover species does not look like the ones from around here. And a beautiful serrated heart shaped leaf plant has started popping up. Could be wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) instead of clover, very similar leaves. And your serrated leaf might be a native violet. Nice work on the prayer plant! Tank is looking good! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted May 23, 2023 Author Share Posted May 23, 2023 Woke up to Water Willow blooms Keep an eye out too. After a long search I found the terrarium that’ll be the forever home of the orange isopods. I am going to take my time with this one. Still on the fence about whether vampire crabs will be joining them. Might also try my hand at tropical mushrooms and try feather millipedes. We have a local mushroom culture specialist. Lots of ideas bouncing around my head. It’s a big project. Got to get this all water sealed and replace the hardware with antique gold. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted June 23, 2023 Author Share Posted June 23, 2023 Everyone is doing great! Not much going on in here. Gobies keep displaying breeding behavior but nothing has come of it. Don’t mind the algae, it’s sunny and our home gets about 14 hours of sunlight now. So it’s a daily task to keep up with clean glass. Upped water changes to 3x a week to keep water temps at 68-70. They like to creep up to 73 in the evening even with the blinds drawn. The WCMM however will not stop breeding. Spotted another 3 very small fry in the filter. That brings my total to 6 fry. 2 of which are almost big enough to join the display tank. Another week or 2. They are big enough that I target feed frozen daphnia 3x daily. Shrimp population is booming. I estimate I have close to 100 now. There is 1 female that is always berried up. And she is a beautiful deep red. Probably about 1.25” and she is very secretive only see her at night. Once I have about 50 full grown adults I will start populating the display with shrimp and snails for the fish to hunt. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 You might try letting the temps go a bit higher to get the gobies to breed successfully. Most "cool water" fish kept in the hobby are really just temperate species that can take cooler temps in the winter, but also warmer temps in the summer. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 43 minutes ago, Biotope Biologist said: Look look look! ☝️ @Chick-In-Of-TheSea Love the wilds. 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted June 23, 2023 Author Share Posted June 23, 2023 46 minutes ago, nabokovfan87 said: Look look look! ☝️ @Chick-In-Of-TheSea Love the wilds. 🙂 Haha I have a smorgasbord of different types in here! I buy the ‘reject neo’s’ because they are only $1 a pop. 😋 I had one that was showing blue but it didn’t make it through it’s first molt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted June 23, 2023 Author Share Posted June 23, 2023 14 hours ago, OnlyGenusCaps said: You might try letting the temps go a bit higher to get the gobies to breed successfully. Most "cool water" fish kept in the hobby are really just temperate species that can take cooler temps in the winter, but also warmer temps in the summer. Good point. I will let the water get a bit warmer! I dream so many times of waking up to dozens of lil baby gobes, then I get disappointed when it’s just WCMM 😆 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 48 minutes ago, Biotope Biologist said: then I get disappointed when it’s just WCMM There are worse problems to have. I wonder if the teeny goby fry would make it with the WCMM in there? Mine in my outdoor pond are unrelenting predators - except to their own young. They even keep dragon and damselflies from breeding in there! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted June 23, 2023 Author Share Posted June 23, 2023 My concern is the trout mainly. But if the WCMM fry make it then there is a chance! Lots of rock rubble and algae mats to hide in for them! WCMM are quite interesting though mine when they are spawning get very aggressive even chasing the trout off. Then they go into the water willow area where only they can swim and I assume they’ve been laying eggs there. Although I haven’t made visual confirmation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted June 24, 2023 Share Posted June 24, 2023 8 hours ago, Biotope Biologist said: My concern is the trout mainly. Legit concern there! Creek and small stream specialists from alpine areas can be true cold water species (or high latitude species - like I probably wouldn't warm up a char or a burbot). Though certainly I am telling you things you already know. If you do let it warm a little, I'll be curious how it goes! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted June 24, 2023 Author Share Posted June 24, 2023 I think since they hail from India they are probably okay with low 70’s. Even in the mountains around India I’m sure water temps can get up there if ambient is upper 80’s lower 90’s. Experimenting is the name of the game I think with fish that don’t have a ton of husbandry documentation… In other news I fear my LFS is targeting me. They have brought in some more exotic hillstream loach varieties, panda loaches, and a few species of lizard loaches… curses. photos are not my own: 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted July 29, 2023 Author Share Posted July 29, 2023 Fish are happy as clams! Plants are doing quite well, the java fern is slowly but surely taking over the log. And my maiden hair has finally stopped being a drama queen and put on new fronds… It’s too sunny where I live now so she melted 🙄 Lastly I decided to move my grandma’s glass reef to the tank as my plants started burying them under leaves Grumpy boy- I’m late to feed 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted August 6, 2023 Share Posted August 6, 2023 That tank is looking good, sir! I love the biofilm that has grown over the rocks and such. It looks more like a natural stream than any tank I have ever seen. Well done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted November 6, 2023 Author Share Posted November 6, 2023 We moved again in the fall just a little ways away from where we lived previously. Hopefully this will be the final move for these fishies. One goby was incredibly stubborn about leaving the caves I provided. It took tremendous arm strength to lift the cave system out of the water and hold it there until he finally plopped out and was fished out with a net. anyway still get plenty of light on the tank so I took a photo of the java fern. It seems to be the new hangout for the minnows 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted January 23 Author Share Posted January 23 3 month updates seem to be my regular now! 😅 My pump is malfunctioning in that it now pumps extremely inconsistent amounts of water. So I decided to bite the bullet and buy a Nyos Viper 2.0 pump. It is supposedly the quietest sump pump on the market at this size. It has large rubber feet instead of suction cups and a dial that controls the rotation of the impeller rather than gating the intake. Supposedly this means a far more accurate and consistent GPH for my fish friends. This also meant I had to upgrade the hosing to 5/8” from 1/2” so I should be able to run the pump closer to its maximum at 520gph. As long as it doesn’t effect the whiteclouds swimming ability. They enjoy current surfing so it shouldn’t be an issue. But I do have babies in the display to worry about. With the 5/8” drain I needed a new gate valve so I went with a marine grade plastic one. Thats it! I set it up this morning before work so I will update in the coming days and write up a review of this pump. Fish are all still doing great and once I get back from FL I will be adding 10 white cloud, some fancier neocardinias and a small school of hillstream loaches 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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