Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 On 6/17/2023 at 10:45 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: tank in the future is in the range of 180-190 gallons Yes!! 🙌 On 6/17/2023 at 10:45 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: putting her in a floating breeder Nice. I’ve seen some folks do that when trying to see if their betta could be a community fish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMosster Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 On 6/17/2023 at 7:12 PM, nabokovfan87 said: I found this and had to share... https://www.catfishstudygroup.org/pdf/journal/2014_2.pdf reminds me more of a fancy pleco then an oto, but in the picture there is no good scale, so thats what i thought it was at first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 18, 2023 Author Share Posted June 18, 2023 On 6/18/2023 at 5:55 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: Nice. I’ve seen some folks do that when trying to see if their betta could be a community fish. Yes, I've done it when I added Serket to the Flex just to see how she'd react to others. Did it with Zaggi (Purple) too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 18, 2023 Author Share Posted June 18, 2023 (edited) Punk was halfway up the tank being a middle-dweller this morning, which is what I hope to see him doing when I get his girlfriend this afternoon pretty shortly here since I still plan to put her in a floating breeder. It's always fun to see him in different, unexpected places: In preparation I have put in some black sand on the right side of the tank for Punk to play with. Always felt a little bad I didn't have any in there and hoping this positive addition will help with indroducing his new friend. I also flipped his food bowl upside down (would make a perfect place to put eggs if they ever feel so inclinded 😗☺️). Today was the day the Kuhlis got added to the Medieval Tank. Probably never to be seen again (as evidenced by their release) but that's ok, I know they are there. Here is a Google vid of their release: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AyGEK2euWx4vqKvG7 Valere was VERY curious about the newbies. Here is a screen shot of the only 1 of the 3 that stuck around in the open for just a few moments before also disappearing. Wondering if I should do something more for my Mystery snails. 2 of them look fantastic- shells perfectly smooth, the blue one which was not available for pictures looks a lot like his tankmate as far as shell health goes: The Gold Mystery not so much. Wondering if it's damage from falling/squeezing through or mating OR something that they are missing in nutrition. It has been the biggest and was rather large when I got them. There is crushed coral in the substrate now and even added a Wondershell and Cuttle bone. Little one was eating Repashy there. I'm keeping a close eye on them. Serket was caught eating and caught me watching her in the granite feeding "bowl": She has such a face for expression, like a tiny tank Pit Bull. Longfinned Pleco was front and center today: Invictus was looking mighty pretty this morning at feeding time: Annnd Punk. Awaiting the arrival of his girlfriend. We hope you like her Punk! Edited June 18, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMosster Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 On 6/18/2023 at 5:44 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: It's always fun to see him in different, unexpected places: "if fishkeeping was 'the fish did the same thing every day' it wouldnt be a hobby" On 6/18/2023 at 5:44 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: Annnd Punk. Awaiting the arrival of his girlfriend. We hope you like her Punk! hopefully together they like the rest of their tankmates. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 18, 2023 Author Share Posted June 18, 2023 Sheeeee'sssss here!!!!!!!! So tiny compared to Punk! 🥰🥰 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMosster Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 (edited) On 6/18/2023 at 7:50 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: Sheeeee'sssss here!!!!!!!! So tiny compared to Punk! 🥰🥰 name. she needs a name. You cant give your journal star a girlfriend without giving her a name. IDK choose your own name. I just think she needs a name. Edited June 18, 2023 by TheMosster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 (edited) Well fish friends, so far so good!!! After spending the night in a breeder box in the Angry Man, new female Bolivian was released! She was NOT happy about having spent the night there but after she was let loose she colored back up quickly. She went right up to Punk and cornered him by the Angry Man. I've seen zero signs of aggression so far (of course it's still too early to tell), they are both picking up bits of food and spitting them out so they're comfortable enough to do that. Occassionally I'm seeing behavior I've never seen out of Punk, almost like a dance/swaying in the water. He'll sidled up to her. Neither of them have pecked at each other s far. As I type this little girl went middle water and up into plants, he shortly followed as if looking for her and found her and she went up to him. So far so good! It's been less than an hour I know so I'll be sitting here a while and when I can't occassionally stopping to check on them. Here is the video of her release, sorry it's dark: https://photos.app.goo.gl/m76UUS6ew6BshGZM9 Here are some lovely pictures of them together so far: Everybody, meet INDUSTRY! Hopefully she'll be Punk's lifelong mate! Cross your fingers for us! Edited June 19, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 Staaaaahhhhhp -- I'm getting cuteness overload! On 6/19/2023 at 10:32 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: : 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMosster Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 On 6/19/2023 at 10:32 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: Well fish friends, so far so good!!! After spending the night in a breeder box in the Angry Man, new female Bolivian was released! She was NOT happy about having spent the night there but after she was let loose she colored back up quickly. She went right up to Punk and cornered him by the Angry Man. I've seen zero signs of aggression so far (of course it's still too early to tell), they are both picking up bits of food and spitting them out so they're comfortable enough to do that. Occassionally I'm seeing behavior I've never seen out of Punk, almost like a dance/swaying in the water. He'll sidled up to her. Neither of them have pecked at each other s far. As I type this little girl went middle water and up into plants, he shortly followed as if looking for her and found her and she went up to him. So far so good! It's been less than an hour I know so I'll be sitting here a while and when I can't occassionally stopping to check on them. Here is the video of her release, sorry it's dark: https://photos.app.goo.gl/m76UUS6ew6BshGZM9 Here are some lovely pictures of them together so far: Everybody, meet INDUSTRY! Hopefully she'll be Punk's lifelong mate! Cross your fingers for us! i suggest protein stuffing her if you want to get lots of eggs. (stuff like bloodworms, tubifex worms, and high protein prepared foods like Repashy Spawn and Grow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 Oh my goodness! They look so happy together. Crossing my finger for true love ❤️ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 The video was too perfect. Really excited to see how they are doing together. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMosster Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 @xXInkedPhoenixXhow are the pair reacting to their tankmates? I know cichlid pairs can get pretty territorial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 20, 2023 Author Share Posted June 20, 2023 By the time I had no choice but to stop monitoring them yesterday the two Bolivians started to sort out their heirarchy. Punk started to kinda chase her off the bottom but made no physical contact with her, and it was slow speed chase nothing too quick. I'll see her on the bottom and sometimes he's fine with it, other times he tells her no. This morning I checked on them for as long as I could but did have to leave- however thought the girl was still kinda middlle-dwelling more than bottom they are both colored up fine, I see no damage to either and they were both eating. I did see them both on the bottom at one point and they were near each other and not chasing. All seems still well so far. I'm continuing to cross fingers they will be good together. Didn't get a pic of them together this morning (they were faster than my camera today) but here they are this morning: Punks facial black lines are actually darker than they have been indicating to me he's coloring up in a good way. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 22, 2023 Author Share Posted June 22, 2023 Lots of action in my tanks lately! Good things too. It's weird being down a tank- (meaning the recent small QT with the Kuhlis) and soon to be down another permanent tank when the new fish clear QT in the Flex (honestly I CANNOT wait to get rid of the Flex, it is a terrible tank for me). Speaking of that the fish in there are doing well despite my frustrations with the tank. No meds, everybody healthy and active. 4 Endlers, 1 Hillstream and holding at 3 Julii Cory despite my efforts to look for at least 3 more. Here's a shot of the Hillstream, Dyson and action shots of the Endlers: Medieval tank still doing very well! Last week's addition of the Kuhlis has been a welcome change to the activity of the tank. I figured I'd not see them again once released but they have been seen, to my delight, at least a few times. The day after I released them I got video of all 3 happily swimming back and forth and up and down in the tank. These small fish probably appreciate the length of this tank, that includes the Guppies and Embers. Here is the short video I caught: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5RwFtEniWUYXNTKx5 Here is one of them taking a break from the frenzy: Here is Valere, always looking thrilled at the fact that he shares his tank with the fish equivalent of a kindergarten classroom where he plays the teenager: Here are a few embers lurking in the background behind the sword. I wonder sometimes if I should get a few more as there are only 5. Thinking maybe they'd be more active if there were more of them. Punk and Industry are seemingly still doing well. This morning when I checked on them both were in the bottom level of the tank. Not next to each other but this is ok to me. Both also appear to be totally unharmed and colored up nicely telling me neither is particularly stressed (Punk left, Industry right in case you can't tell): I'm going to try and get a really good shot of Punk and his colors and put it up side by side with a past photo to show how he's colored up since she's been in the tank. His eye stripe is darker and the black on his dorsal is darker and the stripe below it is growing/coloring up. So I take this all as good things. Little girl Industry also has maintained her color which I'm very happy about. Lastly, I'll post this on my Oto journal but this morning while doing daily maintenance caught sight of a baby Oto. As mentioned last time I will be letting any new babies just stay in the tank, barring more than I think that the tank can handle of course. 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 I noticed a cute kuhli loach eating Repashy in this video. Have you tried offering Repashy to your kuhli kids? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 (edited) On 6/18/2023 at 5:44 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: Wondering if I should do something more for my Mystery snails. They need to eat calcium too. I mix calcium carbonate in my Repashy. Snello 1 recipe 👇 Calcium carbonate is free from Crayfish Empire (just pay shipping). You can snag some of their free snail pellet and snail cookie samples there too. Edited June 22, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 On 6/20/2023 at 8:34 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: By the time I had no choice but to stop monitoring them yesterday the two Bolivians started to sort out their heirarchy. Punk started to kinda chase her off the bottom but made no physical contact with her, and it was slow speed chase nothing too quick. I'll see her on the bottom and sometimes he's fine with it, other times he tells her no. This morning I checked on them for as long as I could but did have to leave- however thought the girl was still kinda middlle-dwelling more than bottom they are both colored up fine, I see no damage to either and they were both eating. I did see them both on the bottom at one point and they were near each other and not chasing. All seems still well so far. I'm continuing to cross fingers they will be good together. Didn't get a pic of them together this morning (they were faster than my camera today) but here they are this morning: Punks facial black lines are actually darker than they have been indicating to me he's coloring up in a good way. It would be sooo cool if you got baby Bolivians! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 22, 2023 Author Share Posted June 22, 2023 3 hours ago, TheSwissAquarist said: would be sooo cool if you got baby Bolivians! Yes. But if not that's ok with me as long as they get along. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 25, 2023 Author Share Posted June 25, 2023 (edited) Buckle up, I think this will be a long one, but lots of pics and short google videos. So I had some time in the morning free to observe more than I have in the last few days, Punk and Industry in the Angry Man Tank. They still seem to be doing OK. Not total pals but not complete enemies. I think Punk is enforcing his territory like he does with the Tetras and Rasboras. She seems unperturbed by it and acts normal. She doesn't hide from him but hangs out mid water often though she has corners she likes to sit too. They are both eating just fine and behavior besides this good. Neither are showing any visible signs of stress to me (my first Cichlids so if you have input let me know, I read something that says if they are dark they are stressed and if they are washed out they are happy, this is counter-intuitive to me). No fin or body damage on either, and though Punk appears like he's nipping at her I'm 99% sure he's not actually getting her. It's a small tank, and the plants definitely make it a little more cramped. I removed 3/4 of the dwarf water lettuce today to get more light and less root in the tank. Anyway, I think they are still looking really beautiful and hope this is just a time thing. Here is a short video of what I am occassionally seeing: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fJm99tkfTA9p8Exf7 Here are some pics I took of them today: Meanwhile today was the day I was going to go ahead and give the green light to the Endlers and the Hillstream I got for the what I've still been calling the Accidental Tank. I finished maintanence on that first. I had put 2 Anubias plants and 1 Java Fern into Reverse Respiration last night because of some hair algae, they got put back and did a small water change. I got my trusty ACO catch cup out and caught the 5 fish (Hillstream Dyson was actually very easy to catch today thank goodness). Started the acclimation process while I did maintenance on the Parent Tank. Here they are getting acclimated and waiting their turn: You can see Kirby the Hillstream in the bottom right corner against the glass, Serket above them and my 2 remaining Endlers, Phoenix and Flare checking out their new friends behind the cup. BFG the snail is also on the sculpture in the middl in plain view. While they were waiting for release the Parent Tank got it's water change, 1x sponge filter cleaning and HOB cleaning (don't worry there's another sponge filter that didn't get cleaned, these things get alternated). I saw one of my Oto babies! I think I have 2, as the one I got the pic of today is probably the one I posted earlier in the week and later in the day I saw a less developed baby along the back glass that was impossible to get a pic of. Here is the older baby on an Anubias leaf today: They are stupid cute. My sole long finned Albino Pleco is doing well despite losing its sibling, getting bigger and looking beautiful! I think the Parent Tank is looking pretty good since the remodel. It's a little more difficult to get in to gravel vac but worth it. The animals seem happy with it. I see the pleco and the Otos on the 2 new wood pieces all the time. The long suffering Apongeton was just thrown in a pot (literally, didn't even bury it just put it there) and it even has responded to the new iteration. Pictures never do my tanks justice. They always look better in person. Anyway. Moved back onto the Accidental Tank. It was time to release the hounds! Here is the video of the release: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bNzjHvJGF9rj1KXV8 Here are the Endlers, always the ones to jump into the fray and immediately all 6 were mixing it up. Thankfully not seen anything other than constant movement, nobody in particular is getting picked on and the tank has so many hiding places and things to do it's enough to occupy them but upon initial release of course they only wanted to swarm around together for a while. Short video of their swarming after release: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VsNj9ik9cb2XT2D48 I couldn't be more proud of Serket the rescue GloBetta. She is just the coolest fish. She is curious and will assert her authority but NEVER nips, then goes about ignoring them the vast majority of the time. She is the perfect community Betta. I love her: There's even a shot of her checking out Dyson on the glass. She's a little freaked out by the Hillstreams she'll get close then they do their jerky movement thing that sends her away very quickly😄, it's actually pretty cute to watch. She is so pretty. I'm a huge fan of hers: Then there was Dyson and Kirby. I guess I was most concerned about them. Dyson was ALL over the tank today, living it up. Kirby stayed in that corner after the release and I knew it was a matter of time before Dyson found Kirby. Meanwhile Dyson was as I said literally all over that tank. I think Dyson found every wall, every hide, every plant, every sculpture, which was the first thing they landed on upon release: Then of course as I mentioned, freaked out Serket a little, and of course Dyson found BFG the snail as well: THEN the moment happened: https://photos.app.goo.gl/reZQ3Z6ofj7YaMvv8 And then: https://photos.app.goo.gl/zXKLb1q7GyyWw2pg8 Aww. The grumpy old men of the tank world. I so love them. Don't know what sex they are but hope whatever they are they get along. Thankfully there is plenty of space for them to spread out. Valere says hi (not the greatest pic of him but he's getting a little fat due to the amount of food I have to put in the Medieval tank for everyone): At the end of my fish maintenance day today I was filling all my gallon jugs and while the water was going I was admiring my 2 twenty gallon tanks side by side. Thinking how much I love all of my tanks and how much I love this hobby. Despite this taking a good chunk of my day today I would have preferred doing nothing else. Edited June 25, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted June 25, 2023 Share Posted June 25, 2023 (edited) I love these adornments so much 😍❤️ What an artist! Very careful and methodical, and makes it look “just right” Edited June 25, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 25, 2023 Author Share Posted June 25, 2023 On 6/25/2023 at 3:13 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: What an artist! Very careful and methodical, and makes it look “just right” Funny they did exactly that isn't it? It's no shell bandaid like @Guppysnail's Nerite but just as creative. 😄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 27, 2023 Author Share Posted June 27, 2023 This weekend after having released the Endlers I'd kept the 3 Julii Corycats in QT in the Flex. I was going to keep them in there until I found more Julii then move them. Well, after scouring my area I found some in stock at a big box that was out of my normal circle. I made my way over there and got 4 more (and 4 Platinum Guppies as I seem to have lost yet another in the Medieval tank- boy they must be hard to keep alive since I've already gone through quite a few!!). I brought the new little ones home. Since they might need to be treated and I've determined the 3 corycats I had in QT are good I removed them and started acclimating them for the Parent Tank, floated the bags with the newbies: I hooked up the UV sterilizer to the Flex and let the newbies loose. Unlike the Endlers and Cory I got from the LFS these 8 fish were way less active and more stressed. I made sure the light was off for the day so they could settle in. By the end of the day they were eating the Repashy I left in the tank and moving around just a little more. New Cory acclimated in my trusty catch cup: Once that was done I took a short (very uneventful) video of their release: https://photos.app.goo.gl/8XcSRiwznkEi41Jn7 They split up upon the release but it's clear to me Cory do like to stick together and found them back together in the tank later: NOTE: Any red you see is not on the fish, it's terrible glare with this tank. They've been active and seemingly eating since their release into the Parent Tank. Can't wait until I can release their 4 new friends as well! 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 On 6/27/2023 at 11:12 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: Just beautiful. One of my favorites. I hope they do well for you. It speaks volumes why these ones and the pandas are in just about every single fish shop you walk into. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 28, 2023 Author Share Posted June 28, 2023 On 6/27/2023 at 2:05 PM, nabokovfan87 said: One of my favorites. I hope they do well for you. It speaks volumes why these ones and the pandas are in just about every single fish shop you walk into. It wasn't the Cory I expected to end up with. I have a fondness for Albino Cory (had one as a kid). These were an impulse buy since they were the last 3 in a tank with a lone Hillstream. Felt like I was supposed to take them they are super cute. All Cory are, just different patterns. These are my first Corycats since I was a kid!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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