Rando place where xXInkedPhoenixX posts about stuff....occasionally...

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

To clean the tank with fry, you can spot clean it with a turkey baster and squeeze the baster out into a white container such as a sour cream container. If you accidentally beamed up any fry, they will be easy to see and return to tank.

Shrimplets are experts at hiding. They start off clear and can fit into the tiniest of places. It’s common to not see them for a few weeks after they are born.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

On 9/9/2023 at 6:15 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

turkey baster

Yea I have these. Actually mine is a long extra big coral feeder I LOVE. See below:

2 Pieces Aquarium Coral Feeder with 2 Pieces Stainless Steel Feeding Long Tweezers Syringe Spot Coral Feeder Reptile Feeding Tools for Aquatic Plant Reef Anemones Lionfish (Green, Silver) https://a.co/d/c15N6u2

However the Parent tank is SO messy with their food and detrius from wood (I've removed a big piece however left one for thr pleco) that there are times I have to risk a vacuum unfortunately. Otherwise risking the health of the tank is a very real thing. I don't do the whole tank, usually try to stick around the eating area.

Good to know the shrimplets are good hiders.

Edited September 10, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/10/2023 at 12:01 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Yea I have these. Actually mine is a long extra big coral feeder I LOVE. See below:

2 Pieces Aquarium Coral Feeder with 2 Pieces Stainless Steel Feeding Long Tweezers Syringe Spot Coral Feeder Reptile Feeding Tools for Aquatic Plant Reef Anemones Lionfish (Green, Silver) https://a.co/d/c15N6u2

However the Parent tank is SO messy with their food and detrius from wood (I've removed a big piece however left one for thr pleco) that there are times I have to risk a vacuum unfortunately. Otherwise risking the health of the tank is a very real thing. I don't do the whole tank, usually try to stick around the eating area.

Good to know the shrimplets are good hiders.

Check your bucket with a flashlight also if you are doing any vacs in the tanks with shrimp.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Tank maintenance yesterday. I started with the Medieval. Recently I got some embroidery netting to dim the lights on the arch side of the tank. I usually keep the floaters culled to just over the "tree" on the left of the tank. I was battling some pretty good hair algae attacking the plants in the arch area despite the beautiful carpet I was getting on the arch. So I had to sacrifice losing it by dimming the light. the hair algae is greatly reduced! Sadly my Arch carpet is leaving, but the hair algae is minimal. I guess I'll take that! Here is the tank: 

Here's the arch: 

Because the lights are so bright you may not be able to see but side by side- floaters on one then the net on the other: 

Inhabitants doing well in the Medieval. I keep an eye out for the Kuhlis but rarely see them. One, however is sometimes sheltered up front along the glass in a rock cave of sorts- their faces are so cute: 

I don't see the shrimp super often but they're still there: 

AND I SPOTTED MY FIRST SHRIMPLET!

So that was cool. 

I'm slowly turning the oldest tank, the Parent, to a little better looking. Because there are soooo many bottom feeders it's a hard tank to keep clean. They push food everywhere! Plus I had some algae that I'm working on (my ACO light is down to 20%!!!!), as well as a detrius problem from the wood I added. I did keep one of the 2 large pieces in the tank so the pleco and others can enjoy it. That has helped a lot but it's still a hard tank to clean because of all these things. At one point I was having to switch out the intake sponge every week, clean the HOB and squeeze out 1 of the 2 sponge filters. Right now it's much more manageable but has a ways to go still: 

Here are a couple of the messy culprits (the Cory at the worst mess makers): 

Angry Man doing good. It's getting so grown out the Angry Man himself is hiding: 

Punk and his girlfriend Industry get along ok, she's getting bigger. He still chases her off the bottom from time to time. I don't think these two will ever be a breeding pair, but that's ok. 

 

Edited September 13, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[DaveO]

That's pretty cool you got shrimplets. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Came back from a relatively regular weekend away to do tank maintenance. Sad this week to have lost one of my Kuhli Loaches who jumped out of the tank found dead on the carpet. I was very bummed. 

Moreso bummed because upon my return discovered that my beloved rescue GloBetta, Serket is also very sick. Maybe @Odd Duck or @Colu could consult with me but this could either be something very bad like Dropsy/Tumor or something also bad but maybe not fatal-- a very severe injury. What I can see is one side of her face is inflamed (and 2 days prior she was perfectly fine in all ways) scales are up, and redness in the gill area. The OTHER side of her face is almost totally normal but probably a bit malformed due to the otherside being so severely out of whack. She is also not swimming well- mostly sinking head down. My hope is that she injured herself on something in the tank and that I can save her because if it's the other there is likely no hope. I have quarantined her in a 3 gallon with Kanaplex and IAL. She is isolated to a floating breeder due to her swimming issue and I put one of her Betta Leaves in there so she can sit comfortably close to the surface. She has been mostly resting there since she discovered that. She can move around some ok, just not her usual graceful self at all. This morning I got her to eat a bit of thawed frozen bloodworm. This is the picture of her damaged side (could not get her to sit still for a pic of the other side): 

Trying to go to a happier note now, the shrimp in the Medieval tank are doing very well. I've seen at least a half dozen babies at one time but I suspect there might be more. I've seen only a couple larger adults that are likely the originals at a time so I'm not sure how many original shrimp I have left. However, with the amount of little shrimp I have I should be able to create a small colony out of them. This is very cool for me since my prior attempts at keeping shrimp were a fail! 

The Julii Cory in the Parent tank are doing well. As mentioned previously they must be having babies because I've seen fry (and have unfortunately found deceased fry) in the tank. I believe I spotted a juvenile Cory yesterday but was unable to confirm for sure. I think the Cory have also helped the Otos be a little more outgoing- that and the siesta and my odd hours with the lights being off during times I spot them is also a factor. I catch them up front more often than their usual spots by the back large sponge filter. It's really nice to see them. My Otos are so beautiful. 

Edited September 27, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Colu]

On 9/27/2023 at 3:28 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Came back from a relatively regular weekend away to do tank maintenance. Sad this week to have lost one of my Kuhli Loaches who jumped out of the tank found dead on the carpet. I was very bummed. 

Moreso bummed because upon my return discovered that my beloved rescue GloBetta, Serket is also very sick. Maybe @Odd Duck or @Colu could consult with me but this could either be something very bad like Dropsy/Tumor or something also bad but maybe not fatal-- a very severe injury. What I can see is one side of her face is inflamed (and 2 days prior she was perfectly fine in all ways) scales are up, and redness in the gill area. The OTHER side of her face is almost totally normal but probably a bit malformed due to the otherside being so severely out of whack. She is also not swimming well- mostly sinking head down. My hope is that she injured herself on something in the tank and that I can save her because if it's the other there is likely no hope. I have quarantined her in a 3 gallon with Kanaplex and IAL. She is isolated to a floating breeder due to her swimming issue and I put one of her Betta Leaves in there so she can sit comfortably close to the surface. She has been mostly resting there since she discovered that. She can move around some ok, just not her usual graceful self at all. This morning I got her to eat a bit of thawed frozen bloodworm. This is the picture of her damaged side (could not get her to sit still for a pic of the other side): 

Trying to go to a happier note now, the shrimp in the Medieval tank are doing very well. I've seen at least a half dozen babies at one time but I suspect there might be more. I've seen only a couple larger adults that are likely the originals at a time so I'm not sure how many original shrimp I have left. However, with the amount of little shrimp I have I should be able to create a small colony out of them. This is very cool for me since my prior attempts at keeping shrimp were a fail! 

The Julii Cory in the Parent tank are doing well. As mentioned previously they must be having babies because I've seen fry (and have unfortunately found deceased fry) in the tank. I believe I spotted a juvenile Cory yesterday but was unable to confirm for sure. I think the Cory have also helped the Otos be a little more outgoing- that and the siesta and my odd hours with the lights being off during times I spot them is also a factor. I catch them up front more often than their usual spots by the back large sponge filter. It's really nice to see them. My Otos are so beautiful. 

looks like hemorrhaging under the skin more likely to be an injury swim into something in the tank or got trapped there's always a possibility something else is going on like a growth under skin what I would do is treat with maracyn2 active ingredient minocycline has anti-inflammatory properties and add a small amount of aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 10 gallons that will aid Gill function and add essential electrolytes aid an extra air stone give an update if your seeing no improvement after a course of maracyn2 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Colu

[Odd Duck]

Completely agree with everything from @Colu - spot on as usual.  Here’s hoping for a bruise because a bruise should clear fairly quickly.

[DaveO]

On 9/27/2023 at 9:28 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

My Otos are so beautiful. 

Yes they are. And congrats on your shrimp too.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Congrats on shrimplets. I hope Serket will be ok.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

So at @Colu's advice and @Odd Duck's concurrence I was expecting to do a water change and put in Maracyn2 to replace the Kanaplex. However, she seems to be doing very well- swimming a bit more normally than she was and though I wish I would have gotten a top down picture when I put her in QT, this morning it's not as inflamed as it was when I put her in. She didn't eat any bloodworms but doesn't seem too stressed despite still being confined to the floating breeder. So I made the executive decision to go with dose 2 of the Kanaplex. She also has a tablespoon of aquarium salt and the IAL is coloring up the water nicely. Here is a pic of her today, ignore the bubble near her eye area that's on the surface of the water, she's blown quite a few, hopefully out of being comfortable. Or maybe they're just oxygen bubbles. 

[Colu]

On 9/28/2023 at 3:42 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

So at @Colu's advice and @Odd Duck's concurrence I was expecting to do a water change and put in Maracyn2 to replace the Kanaplex. However, she seems to be doing very well- swimming a bit more normally than she was and though I wish I would have gotten a top down picture when I put her in QT, this morning it's not as inflamed as it was when I put her in. She didn't eat any bloodworms but doesn't seem too stressed despite still being confined to the floating breeder. So I made the executive decision to go with dose 2 of the Kanaplex. She also has a tablespoon of aquarium salt and the IAL is coloring up the water nicely. Here is a pic of her today, ignore the bubble near her eye area that's on the surface of the water, she's blown quite a few, hopefully out of being comfortable. Or maybe they're just oxygen bubbles. 

As your seeing improvement keep going with the kanaplex after a course of kanaplex if your still having issues I would switch over to maracyn2 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Colu @Odd Duck wondering. Serket is doing "ok" but yesterday after I may have stressed her out a little by doing a cleaning her injured gill area got inflamed and very red, maybe even bloody. It's back down today but considering a med change. I do have Maracyn2 (it's expired within the last year but probably still effective enough), unexpired Marycyn AND expired but possibly still effective FURAN2 (which as we all know is pulled from availability now). Do you still think Maracyn2?

[nabokovfan87]

do you have just normal Maracyn / Erythromycin?

(The reason I ask or bring it up...)
Kanaplex / maracyn2 = gram negative
maracyn = gram positive

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@nabokovfan87 Yes, I have unexpired Maracyn hehe. 

And you're right I was thinking too about neg/pos meds as well. 

[Odd Duck]

On 9/29/2023 at 12:34 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

do you have just normal Maracyn / Erythromycin?

(The reason I ask or bring it up...)
Kanaplex / maracyn2 = gram negative
maracyn = gram positive

Minocycline is quite broad spectrum and treats a lot of gram positive and gram negative along with a few oddballs.  I would lean towards using the Maracyn-2.  It should still be fine as long as it was appropriately stored.

Edited September 30, 2023 by Odd Duck
Typo

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Well. Sad to report, my little Serket did not make it. S.I.P my little rescue girl. 😔

 

Edited September 30, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/30/2023 at 9:03 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Well. Sad to report, my little Serket did not make it. S.I.P my little rescue girl. 😔

 

So so sorry. At least she didn’t die in a pet store cup. You were her savior.

[Odd Duck]

So sorry for your loss.  I did not expect to hear this at all.  It looked like just a bruise and seemed to be improving as expected.  Thank you for all you did to save her back then and now.  You gave her a much better life than she would have ever had otherwise.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

We lost our betta DJ Turbo a month ago, terribly sad. My deepest sympathies. 

Enjoyed catching up on all the great and beautiful animals, tanks and plants you’re keeping. Well done and hopefully all the wonder elsewhere can distract you somewhat. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I'm often bummed that my current work schedule doesn't allow me the time to see my fish in their lights in the morning before I leave. Yes I could change their schedule but I just prefer not to. I still turn on the kitchen lights where all but one of my tanks is so I can feed them. Typically I turn on some small lights first and while I get ready for work let them get used to it. By the time I turn on the main lights they seem ready for their food. It's hard to get pics because of the lights being off. But here is Invictus, the last of my rescue Betta (don't worry Zaggi, aka Purple is still kicking at my Mum's but I'm not counting her since she's no longer at my house). Invictus is one of my joys. Recently there was an invasion of Ramshorn snails (I didn't RR some new plants from another fish keeper, but I'm ok with it) and I've caught him flaring at them pretty frequently. He feeds in the morning in the Dragon tank from a blue feeder ring. His color is dull due to the lights: 

Then we have Punk, who continues to reject his offered girlfriend Industry but she seems unfazed by this. I often see her in the middle of the tank just above the plants but because she is so small she is SO hard to find. Neither seem too stressed. I'm really looking forward to putting them in my future 200 gallon tank and seeing if that helps their relationship. I am hoping it does! If not at least they'll have SO much more space to themselves. Anyway, here's Punk, hunting flake this morning: 

Edited October 14, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Odd Duck]

In the 200 G, you could probably add 4-6 more and they’d have plenty of room for each their own territory.  They could pick their own mates.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

On 10/14/2023 at 6:15 PM, Odd Duck said:

4-6

We thought about that too but we both love Punk and Industry so much we are thinking we would love to know that's him and that's her. If we had more we wouldn't be able to tell who is who. 😞 If they were more like Betta fish with more individual looks we'd probably do it.

We'll see, it could change

[nabokovfan87]

I wanted to share this for the sake of future enjoyment in your tanks.  Filipe is/was an amazing person and this was one of the final tanks he got to enjoy.  He has 3-4 videos on this set-up in particular that he put in the kitchen for his wife. Very fun to follow along and see the progression.

Tribute video, highly recommended.

 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Been busy, then briefly out of country as well. Don't tell my fish friends I tried authentic fish & chips for the first time and I really enjoyed it (I don't typically eat fish, don't really like it). 

Fish tanks did ok with only one feeding in 9 days from a relative stopping by. Sadly I lost 4 White Guppies in the Medieval tank and not even sure why (never found any bodies/evidence either)- everything is good in there and the shrimp seem to be doing very well (I've counted at least 20 from orginal 5). Since I've been home I lost another one to a tank jump so down to only 3 White Guppies.

Anyway, as I said otherwise everyone else well. In the Accidental Tank since Serket was gone and I was down to 2 lone Endlers (and the Hillstreams that hide) I got 8 mixed male Endlers from a local fish keeper/breeder. So that tank has been much more lively with 10 active inhabitants. No pics of them right now since it was kind of a last minute addition prior to my leaving. They all did well though when I was gone.

My centerpiece fish, Invictus (the rescue Betta), Punk and Industry all doing very well. I think Punk was a bit mad at me for the absence. He turned his fins on me: 

I will leave you with Industry in the Angry Man tank, she's starting to hold her own with Punk or they're just getting along a bit better- though he still chases her off it seems she has a bit more bravery. She isn't so quick to swim away from my presence or finger to the glass either as she has been doing. She even posed for this picture. I think she's getting lessons in spunk from Punk....