Chick-in-of-TheSea journal

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Ok, plants planted!  For the most part I kept the simplistic scape. Stood the rocks up tall though to hide equipment. I think the crypt on the right will spread out over time. Also I had to add another 1” of sand.

The heater debacle has been resolved (swapped out) and the replacement ran overnight with a result of a perfect 78 reading. It’s been tested before and was fine then too. It has an external dial too which is nice, should I need to change it at any point.

Hence my mission for today will be to go back and try to procure the King Koopa nerite. This tank is already cycled as well. Ammonia-0, nitrite-0, nitrate-5 because initially I put disgusting water change water into it and a very well seeded sponge from the shrimp/snail tank.

But Houston, we have a problem. 

Guess it’s time to finally check out the ACO cart I have goin. For now I gave to the crinum, the crypt, and the leftmost dwarf sag. All of these are higher requirements plants but hopefully with the proximity to the light in this shallower tank it will work out. Also dosed Easy Green.

The crypt has one wonky leaf that just kinda does its own thing (like my hair) but hopefully it will perk up and lift soon with the addition of the root tab.

This is a little cloudy, what with the addition of the sand, but you should be able to see the crinum better in subsequent pics.

Meanwhile in the 10g, the anacharis is still happy as can be, floating around.

I should have taken a closeup of the sword  but forgot- maybe you can zoom in and look at the sword in the front right corner. The little guy. That’s from @Guppysnail. Can you see it has new, green leaves? Looks like the one front left does too. ☺️

Edited November 4, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Guppysnail]

Even though it’s cycled what will the new nerite eat if it does not take to veggies? Is there enough biofilm?  Oh I’m so excited to see this new guys adventures. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/4/2022 at 9:09 AM, Guppysnail said:

Even though it’s cycled what will the new nerite eat if it does not take to veggies? Is there enough biofilm?  Oh I’m so excited to see this new guys adventures. 

I was either going to swirl in Soilent Green repashy or drop in an algae wafer to get him started. There is biofilm on the walls, but he will eat it pretty quickly.

Oh also I was probably going to put in a little chunk of new driftwood.

Edited November 4, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Guppysnail]

On 11/4/2022 at 9:14 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

little chunk of new driftwood.

You will have plenty of biofilm. Leave the lights on extra long to help your algae grow quicker. Sounds like you have a terrific plan as usual 🤗

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/4/2022 at 9:18 AM, Guppysnail said:

You will have plenty of biofilm. Leave the lights on extra long to help your algae grow quicker. Sounds like you have a terrific plan as usual 🤗

Also I have some slimy algae growing under lids in the other tanks. I could add some of that too so he has a snack.

[Guppysnail]

On 11/4/2022 at 9:21 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Also I have some slimy algae growing under lids in the other tanks. I could add some of that too so he has a snack.

The slime algae on the lids is not true algae I believe. We tested it while working with RR. It behaves like bacteria not algae. I think it may be Cyanobacteria not algae. Total guess but I would not add it. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/4/2022 at 9:37 AM, Guppysnail said:

The slime algae on the lids is not true algae I believe. We tested it while working with RR. It behaves like bacteria not algae. I think it may be Cyanobacteria not algae. Total guess but I would not add it. 

Interesting.  I'm always learning something new.  Well, he will like the driftwood.  The LFS store sells little chunks for $2.50 each.

I just hope he's still there by late afternoon today.  Maybe he will hide under the rim or behind some plants and no one will see him.  🙂 

Edited November 4, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/4/2022 at 5:33 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

But Houston, we have a problem. 

I would toss those around the crypt and then the grasses and stuff will spread out looking for nutrients 😉

They (the grass-like plants) usually do well enough with just the easy green for me.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Introducing this gentleman here. There is a story. He was not a purchase.

But alas, it’s late so I will save the story for tomorrow. 🙂

He had a 1 hour drip acclimation this evening. I threw an anubias in there for now in case he’d prefer to rest on a leaf. He also has a large almond leaf in there as well which will release tannins. I will be boiling leaves to make a solution that I can add in during water changes too.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/5/2022 at 2:45 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Introducing this gentleman here. There is a story. He was not a purchase.

But alas, it’s late so I will save the story for tomorrow. 🙂

He had a 1 hour drip acclimation this evening. I threw an anubias in there for now in case he’d prefer to rest on a leaf. He also has a large almond leaf in there as well which will release tannins. I will be boiling leaves to make a solution that I can add in during water changes too.

He's really pretty!

Let me guess...he was given to you by a friend who couldn't care for him?

Good night!

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/5/2022 at 4:59 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Let me guess...he was given to you by a friend who couldn't care for him?

Well, you’re half right. He did come from a friend, yes. My friend Erin. He was in a 10g and was living harmoniously with a bristlenose pleco. And then Goldie the mystery snail moved in from another tank where she had been quarantined. However, betta decided he was not going to play nice with Goldie. So this was Erin’s solution.

But betta became unhappy and would not stop obsessing over the divider. He surfed it every single day, trying to figure out how to get through.

I set up the 5.5g because the Aqueon Forge stand I bought was designed to accommodate a 5.5 on the bottom and a 10 on the top.

Now the whole plan for the 5.5g was indeed, to house a betta, as a 5.5 is limited in stocking. It could be a shrimp tank, or a nano tank, perhaps a dwarf gourami tank. But after seeing this thread, (a very wonderful thread- you should grab a coffee and read it today!) I decided it would be a nice thing to do to provide a little paradise for a betta fish.

So yesterday, I texted Erin a photo of the tank that I set up for a betta. She liked it!  A short while later (I assume she was thinking during this pause..) she asked if I would like to adopt him. Seeing as how I could not decide where to get a betta or what kind to get, there are just so many choices - it was a win-win for both of us (and most importantly, for him). I also knew he was very healthy and a bit about his personality, what his diet has been and how much he eats, and I was given some food and dechlorinator and catappa leaves with him. Also I am just entering the realm of bettas so I might tag @xXInkedPhoenixX here & there - hopefully they might be willing to answer a question or two as we go along in our journey. I already asked a fair amount of questions to @xXInkedPhoenixX over on that other thread, and took notes! LOL! (I think it’s noble to adopt a betta from a cup, but I humbly admit I’m inexperienced with bettas and decided it’s not the decision I should make right now.)

Betta has gone from 10” of horizontal swimming space to 16”. He’s loving it. Here’s him exploring. He utilizes the whole tank, and that “temporary” anubias is his favorite plant (of course it is, LOL). He returns to it again and again. He likes going under the leaf to enjoy some shade. So that stays. At least until the crypt fills in.
 

He got some bloodworms this morning. He didn’t notice them at first; I had to make sure he actually would see one fall, and then he would lock eyes on it and follow it closely down to the bottom, tilt his head, inspect it, then chomp!

 

 

He’s going to get a variety of foods: bloodworms, daphnia, bug bites, and betta pellets. Although I understand they cannot be overfed and a lot of problems come from that. So I will be going with the process Erin has been successfully following (feed every other day), and he’s used to that.

I have named this betta Geppetto, a nod to my Disney-loving friend Erin. It’s been her mission to get me to see the Disney movies I’ve never seen. We do it adult style though, with cocktails to match the movie (for example, we made Jungle Juice, a cocktail to enjoy while watching Disney’s Tarzan)… girls’ night IN. …Come to think of it, Geppetto kinda sounds like betta, huh?

——-

And now for a little plant update in the other tanks. Looks like all but one of the bulbs has sprouted, and the swords are making tiny new green leaves. I placed an ACO order yesterday, and more root tabs are on the way. 
 

 

Edited November 5, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/5/2022 at 1:34 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Well, you’re half right. He did come from a friend, yes. My friend Erin. He was in a 10g and was living harmoniously with a bristlenose pleco. And then Goldie the mystery snail moved in from another tank where she had been quarantined. However, betta decided he was not going to play nice with Goldie. So this was Erin’s solution.

But betta became unhappy and would not stop obsessing over the divider. He surfed it every single day, trying to figure out how to get through.

I set up the 5.5g because the Aqueon Forge stand I bought was designed to accommodate a 5.5 on the bottom and a 10 on the top.

Now the whole plan for the 5.5g was indeed, to house a betta, as a 5.5 is limited in stocking. It could be a shrimp tank, or a nano tank, perhaps a dwarf gourami tank. But after seeing this thread, (a very wonderful thread- you should grab a coffee and read it today!) I decided it would be a nice thing to do to provide a little paradise for a betta fish.

So yesterday, I texted Erin a photo of the tank that I set up for a betta. She liked it!  A short while later (I assume she was thinking during this pause..) she asked if I would like to adopt him. Seeing as how I could not decide where to get a betta or what kind to get, there are just so many choices - it was a win-win for both of us (and most importantly, for him). I also knew he was very healthy and a bit about his personality, what his diet has been and how much he eats, and I was given some food and dechlorinator and catappa leaves with him. Also I am just entering the realm of bettas so I might tag @xXInkedPhoenixX here & there - hopefully they might be willing to answer a question or two as we go along in our journey. I already asked a fair amount of questions to @xXInkedPhoenixX over on that other thread, and took notes! LOL! (I think it’s noble to adopt a betta from a cup, but I humbly admit I’m inexperienced with bettas and decided it’s not the decision I should make right now.)

Betta has gone from 10” of horizontal swimming space to 16”. He’s loving it. Here’s him exploring. He utilizes the whole tank, and that “temporary” anubias is his favorite plant (of course it is, LOL). He returns to it again and again. He likes going under the leaf to enjoy some shade. So that stays. At least until the crypt fills in.
 

He got some bloodworms this morning. He didn’t notice them at first; I had to make sure he actually would see one fall, and then he would lock eyes on it and follow it closely down to the bottom, tilt his head, inspect it, then chomp!

 

 

He’s going to get a variety of foods: bloodworms, daphnia, bug bites, and betta pellets. Although I understand they cannot be overfed and a lot of problems come from that. So I will be going with the process Erin has been successfully following (feed every other day), and he’s used to that.

I have named this betta Geppetto, a nod to my Disney-loving friend Erin. It’s been her mission to get me to see the Disney movies I’ve never seen. We do it adult style though, with cocktails to match the movie (for example, we made Jungle Juice, a cocktail to enjoy while watching Disney’s Tarzan)… girls’ night IN. …Come to think of it, Geppetto kinda sounds like betta, huh?

——-

And now for a little plant update in the other tanks. Looks like all but one of the bulbs has sprouted, and the swords are making tiny new green leaves. I placed an ACO order yesterday, and more root tabs are on the way. 
 

 

Seems like @xXInkedPhoenixX has a lot to answer for ! 😜

Nice to see Snoopy get some new plants; what kind of bulbs are they?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/5/2022 at 9:34 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Seems like @xXInkedPhoenixX has a lot to answer for ! 😜

Nice to see Snoopy get some new plants; what kind of bulbs are they?

They are some sort of variety of Aponogeton.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

WHOA!!!  Geppetto made a massive bubble nest! It’s only his second day here!

 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/6/2022 at 1:14 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

WHOA!!!  Geppetto made a massive bubble nest! It’s only his second day here!

 

Wow! Any thoughts about getting him some female admirers?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/6/2022 at 7:26 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Wow! Any thoughts about getting him some female admirers?

Haha, no way. Because if you breed them you need a separate tank for each of those fry! 😳

@Fish Folk is breeding them though. Check it out here:

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Last night I boiled some catappa leaves and then let it steep overnight.

I figured out what works best for water changes on this bottom tank. Rather than buy a new, smaller siphon, I just took the thing off the thing and now it works well, because the problem was, if the water level goes below the top of the rigid thing, the siphon stops. I only changed about 2qt of water here, just so that I could add some of the tannin solution to the tank.

Thing without the thing:

Dish pan:

Someone appreciates the tank on the bottom shelf. I gotta keep an eye on that girl though. She’s a bit of a trouble maker!
 

Also the community 29g has a lot of energy this morning. 
 

 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/6/2022 at 1:49 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Last night I boiled some catappa leaves and then let it steep overnight.

I figured out what works best for water changes on this bottom tank. Rather than buy a new, smaller siphon, I just took the thing off the thing and now it works well, because the problem was, if the water level goes below the top of the rigid thing, the siphon stops. I only changed about 2qt of water here, just so that I could add some of the tannin solution to the tank.

Thing without the thing:

Dish pan:

Someone appreciates the tank on the bottom shelf. I gotta keep an eye on that girl though. She’s a bit of a trouble maker!
 

Also the community 29g has a lot of energy this morning. 
 

 

Have any of your cats ever eaten any of their aquatic housemates??

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/6/2022 at 10:43 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Have any of your cats ever eaten any of their aquatic housemates??

Nah. But this little one does like to look in buckets. So I have to be careful when drip acclimating fish.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I just realized my little cryptocorne is not getting any “sun”. I will have to move the catappa leaf over a little bit tomorrow, but I will be careful not to disturb his masterpiece.

The plan was for the leaf to sink, but Geppetto had other ideas. 🙂

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/6/2022 at 4:14 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

hahaha, Love it!

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/6/2022 at 5:48 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I just realized my little cryptocorne is not getting any “sun”. I will have to move the catappa leaf over a little bit tomorrow, but I will be careful not to disturb his masterpiece.

The plan was for the leaf to sink, but Geppetto had other ideas. 🙂

 

I think I still have some pictures from when I last bred bettas...I'll try and find them if you're interested!

Juvenile:

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/7/2022 at 1:35 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

I think I still have some pictures from when I last bred bettas...I'll try and find them if you're interested!

Juvenile:

That’s cool @TheSwissAquarist! How many fry did they produce and what was your setup like? I think @Fish Folk had like 50-something on his last breeding attempt?

On 11/6/2022 at 5:21 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

hahaha, Love it!

You see how he has an attitude, @nabokovfan87?  He does not think his bubble nest is a Kodak moment.

Edited November 7, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Uh oh.

time to take inventory on nano air pumps & power banks.

Also I gave Geppetto a brine shrimp today.  To my knowledge he has never had one before.  He very closely stalked it as it floated down and just before it hit the sand - CHOMP!

Edited November 7, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/7/2022 at 11:58 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

How many fry did they produce and what was your setup like?

Setup: 15 gal long with 1 'Black Orchid' (Black Crowntail with electric blue veins) male and 1 royal blue female. I ended up with about 60+ fry on the first go. I got so desperate for holding space for them to grow out in that I used plastic cups (1 litre) to hold them! The second time I just left the fry in there until they were catchable. I got about 5. I'm still searching for some pics...