Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 15 Author Share Posted July 15 (edited) Today I got the inkbird configured and programmed the Kasa for the light. Added air and tested parameters to verify the cycle since all the media was seeded. Parameters are 0/0/30. Excellent. Did a gentle siphoning and water change; in went Prime and Fritz Zyme 7 (just for that extra boost to coat all the things - couldn’t hurt eh?). I drip acclimated 3 head-and-taillight tetras and added them in. I will test daily this week and hope to add the other 4 next week, wait, then the embers, wait, then the guppies. The guppies will be a hot minute though. I do want to quarantine them for awhile. I expect the driftwood is going to output its slime in the coming days. Also- how did I luck out on this one? It didn’t float! I (boiled 1/3, flipped it over and boiled the other 1/3) x2, then filled a bucket with hot water. Held the driftwood over the bucket and dumped a bottle of peroxide on it. Lowered it into the bucket and let it soak overnight in that hot water/peroxide solution. Weird it didn’t float though! Last piece of driftwood I purchased floated for like 2 weeks in a tote! But hey, not complaining. 🙂 In other news, I just had my first hummingbird of the year. I’m sure it noticed all of the firebushes are in full bloom right now, then it must have noticed the feeder. (I’ve been putting this feeder out and cleaning it daily since March! Glad it finally paid off. Seeing a hummingbird warms my heart and makes me smile. Such precious, beautiful little creatures.) Last night the bear brute forced its way into, or out of, my yard.. again.. so now we have multiple fence repairs to do. 🙄 It wants the suet that I put out for the woodpeckers. I don’t bring it in every night because the last few nights it was raining, and I didn’t want to get drenched. I suppose I will have to change the routine and go retrieve the suet regardless of weather. I also completed a diamond painting; just a small one: 8x10. First time! Relaxing to work on. I’ve been working on it for about an hour a day since the 4th of July. I will give it to mom on her birthday. Her home decor is safari themed. Next day update: my cat totally noticed the diamond painting and has been staring at it 🧡. Edited July 15 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 16 Author Share Posted July 16 All the Walstad plants I added to the ember tank melted and made a huge mess! Clear shedded leaves were just everywhere. I did a water change. Water going in was a bit cooler. It was aged at room temp. The fish started mating dances! It was fun to see. The trio in the 20 took some time getting used to the Hob. It’s not horribly strong, rated for up to 30gal, but they have been living in a tank with a sponge filter. After adding them and seeing their behavior, I turned the Hob on and off intermittently, about every 15 minutes or so to help them out. Today, it seems they are really enjoying it.. playing in the flow! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 16 Author Share Posted July 16 (edited) Do you guys remember the Tom & Jerry cartoons where Tom would have the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other? My angel was saying “add 3 fish to the new tank” and the devil was saying “ADD ALL THE FISHES!” (14). Glad I went with the angel, because today I read ammonia at 0.25, despite seeded media. Gives me an appreciation of how important seeded substrate and decor are (I went with new this time). Fish felt no effects though, as there was still Prime in the water. I redosed Prime along with another 4 oz of Fritz Zyme 7, so now I’m at the new tank dosage (vs the established tank dosage I was at previously). Added a new seeded sponge filter as well, the extra I always keep running in the main tank, until the cycle completes. This is now a fish-in cycle with plants. PM update: added pothos and polyfilter to HOB and did water change. Edited July 17 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 17 Author Share Posted July 17 (edited) Reading zero ammonia this morning. This next part is the part I’ve been waiting for, for so long! My lone head and taillight from the 29 has been introduced to friends! 😍🥰 It was sold to me washed out and the fish store thought it was a pristella tetra, but when color developed, I saw it was not. I could tell it was very bored in the 29. It would somewhat school around with the other species but often would be found on its own just hovering. This one fish is the whole reason I purchased and quarantined the other new head-and-taillights. Well, check this out. This is immediately upon adding it to this tank. Mating dances with the others! Omg! My heart is so happy! I will continue to do daily water changes with Prime as we go along. Edited July 17 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 On 7/17/2024 at 6:14 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: This next part is the part I’ve been waiting for, for so long! This is awesome! Congrats on finally getting the little one back to a herd. 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 20 Author Share Posted July 20 (edited) Haven’t had ammonia in a few days and nitrates are present, but I’m still changing water and testing because I like to err on the side of caution. I believe the addition of the cycled sponge filter was the key. The Val is very melty and translucent, and I snipped a bunch of that soggy stuff today. I do see some new bright green sprouts trying to emerge from the rootballs though, on some plants. 2 more head-and-taillights were added to the tank, and that’s everybody minus 1 which may or may not require treatment. I started a new thread today for him. Anyway, the new tank has a half dozen fish in there now, and they are utilizing the space very nicely. I am sure they are grateful to finally get out of that bare bottom 5 gallon quarantine tank. I am looking forward to adding the embers soon, as they swim in and out of decor which will be nice to watch. Not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but the driftwood has 2 swimthroughs, plus fish can swim under it as well. Not sure if you can see the holes in the photo or not. Edited July 20 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 20 Author Share Posted July 20 (edited) Sneak peek of fish I nicknamed “fireball guppies”. We reused a bag but these came from my friend, she bred this line. There is also one loner endler in there that I adopted, similar coloration. Edited July 21 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricksonAquatics Posted July 20 Share Posted July 20 Why do they remind me of a guppy version of an Agassizii Apisto??😂😂 So fun! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 21 Author Share Posted July 21 On 7/20/2024 at 7:16 PM, EricksonAquatics said: Agassizii Apisto Now that’s a beautiful fish! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 26 Author Share Posted July 26 (edited) On 7/13/2024 at 1:59 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said: @Chick-In-Of-TheSeaa big vote yes here for those fireballs. Cory recently mentioned fish he wished he kept and that’s one of mine. @EricksonAquatics I went ahead and added the guppies from my friend. (Excuse the plants which are in their melty phase). I will be acquiring 4-5 more from her, all males. One is a brilliant white. I think he’s a platinum guppy or something. Also Flint was being EXTRA CUTE this morning! Edited July 26 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 I went back and adopted the other 4 guppies. 1 is a platinum (brilliant white) guppy, I believe. He’s in quarantine. He has a wound or tumor or something that I am treating. Here is a video of the ones in the 20 gal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 30 Author Share Posted July 30 (edited) Live grindal worm feedings, and sneak peek of the platinum (?) guppy. He’s having trouble swimming because something (a filter?) happened to his tail before I received him, and even light air is pushing him around very easily. So he’s in the 5.5gal AND in a breeder box. The breeder box keeps things calm for him but allows him the air that he needs (he’s been staying close to the surface). I added catappa leaves also and he was very excited about that and raced over to them. I cut one up and put it into his breeder box so he can use the pieces for shade and shelter but still sip at surface air as he needs. There is lots of air running in that tank for him, and he’s getting daily water changes with salt to help keep the wound clean and promote healing. Edited July 30 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 On 7/29/2024 at 8:03 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: Live grindal worm feedings Do you have the filter on a kasa plug? I would recommend turning it off for 20-30 minutes when feeding frozen or live foods like that just because so often they can go right into the filter. Beautiful setup. I can't wait to see the plants go crazy in the back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 30 Author Share Posted July 30 (edited) On 7/30/2024 at 12:07 AM, nabokovfan87 said: Do you have the filter on a kasa plug? I would recommend turning it off for 20-30 minutes when feeding I don’t, but I could have unplugged it. I was watching them eat and thinking, should I shut off the filter? And then just didn’t because I was tired and didn’t want to reach for the plug. LOL! And I was filming. 😝 On 7/30/2024 at 12:07 AM, nabokovfan87 said: Beautiful setup. I can't wait to see the plants go crazy in the back. Thanks! The plant melt stinks, but the ACO microsword that just came brightens things up. Not sure if that shows in the video (update: on thumbnail it’s bottom right). Also I had the par a tick too low for the val, so that adjustment has now been made. I have Purigen but nervous to use it; new to it. Came in a 100gal packet and I don’t know if I need to split the packet up for the 20gal or what. With tannins out, I think the guppies’ colors will pop a lot more. I was trying to find threads on it. I believe @Guppysnail @MattyM, @Pepere, and @tolstoy21 have used it with good results. Edited July 30 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 I use Purigen in my canister filters. I use these mesh bags to hold it in the filter. https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Aquarium-Reusable-Activated-Saltwater/dp/B08YYX8HSF/ref=sr_1_5_pp?crid=3EM7Q5PPXW14V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rKucpydeidoq2__UeiuyiMMDJtTQBYrYUNpQaQFD4tH_GVU_sFtuB0JbGE7aa_xuxyYAmuXXcQMOjSp96LlvBCljyZ4BI-RqYnzjtw0KeZf5CuxFjj3avvwrK6MquJyi1c2Qi-z7jxmqSRaSWni1IFYwHWQcfFq_X5LuAdGLUMbSmhettJcdFFwQcOWCLSJrHqyzf6BOLb2ReQv1aqpofHnCd9V3BGkQsmOUuFDc5-qKryO-Qhgd6cO0DO7an7W4EJTwSaUH7ocU_EIaKh5tac4qLnbrsTGOfURyC5JJcfQ.bAW_NPpPee9HVbBQ3d48O-zbgAKf65EypDBeLznjEgc&dib_tag=se&keywords=mesh%2Bbag&qid=1722334052&sprefix=Mesh%2Caps%2C427&sr=8-5&th=1 For each canister filter I have 2 bags. One in the filter, one in the fridge in a water filled food storage container ready for monthly filter servicing. I service my filters the first saturday of the month and swap purigen bags. The removed bags get placed on a bowl big enough to hold all of the used bags and gets recharged by soaking in a heavy bleach solution for 24 hours before being rinsed well and soaked in tap water for several hours and then soaked overnight in fresh water with a quarter cup of dechlor poured in. Then into water filled food storage container with a few tablespoons of dechlor added and into the fridge until filter servicing day. Purigen helps to remove dissolved organics as well as tannins and hence removes the yellow greenish and brownish tinges that can occur in aquarium water. It will also remove meds, so needs to be removed before treating a tank. It can help remove contaminants accidentally introduced to a tank. It is a product I consider worthwhile keeping in use, but I dont consider it essential. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted July 30 Author Share Posted July 30 On 7/30/2024 at 6:32 AM, Pepere said: I use Purigen in my canister filters. I use these mesh bags to hold it in the filter. https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Aquarium-Reusable-Activated-Saltwater/dp/B08YYX8HSF/ref=sr_1_5_pp?crid=3EM7Q5PPXW14V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rKucpydeidoq2__UeiuyiMMDJtTQBYrYUNpQaQFD4tH_GVU_sFtuB0JbGE7aa_xuxyYAmuXXcQMOjSp96LlvBCljyZ4BI-RqYnzjtw0KeZf5CuxFjj3avvwrK6MquJyi1c2Qi-z7jxmqSRaSWni1IFYwHWQcfFq_X5LuAdGLUMbSmhettJcdFFwQcOWCLSJrHqyzf6BOLb2ReQv1aqpofHnCd9V3BGkQsmOUuFDc5-qKryO-Qhgd6cO0DO7an7W4EJTwSaUH7ocU_EIaKh5tac4qLnbrsTGOfURyC5JJcfQ.bAW_NPpPee9HVbBQ3d48O-zbgAKf65EypDBeLznjEgc&dib_tag=se&keywords=mesh%2Bbag&qid=1722334052&sprefix=Mesh%2Caps%2C427&sr=8-5&th=1 For each canister filter I have 2 bags. One in the filter, one in the fridge in a water filled food storage container ready for monthly filter servicing. I service my filters the first saturday of the month and swap purigen bags. The removed bags get placed on a bowl big enough to hold all of the used bags and gets recharged by soaking in a heavy bleach solution for 24 hours before being rinsed well and soaked in tap water for several hours and then soaked overnight in fresh water with a quarter cup of dechlor poured in. Then into water filled food storage container with a few tablespoons of dechlor added and into the fridge until filter servicing day. Purigen helps to remove dissolved organics as well as tannins and hence removes the yellow greenish and brownish tinges that can occur in aquarium water. It will also remove meds, so needs to be removed before treating a tank. It can help remove contaminants accidentally introduced to a tank. It is a product I consider worthwhile keeping in use, but I dont consider it essential. How many gallons is your tank? Do I use a whole bag for my 20 gal or do I divide the granules and use a portion of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyM Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 On 7/30/2024 at 4:14 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: I have Purigen but nervous to use it; new to it. Came in a 100gal packet and I don’t know if I need to split the packet up for the 20gal or what. Nah, I just used the whole thing in my 20 gallon tanks with hang on backs, i just put it on the very top so it's the last thing the water flows through. It will last awhile, much longer than a month b/c of the smaller water volume - no need to deal with the mess of splitting it up unless your HOB is very small and can't fit it - but I fit it in an AC30, just had to fold it a bit. When new, just give a good rinse and 10 min soak in some de-chlorinated water before using. When you clean your HOB just squeeze them out in some tank water and they will last even longer - I use them until they are almost black. I don't regenerate them b/c that's the part that makes me nervous 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tolstoy21 Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 On 7/30/2024 at 5:14 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: Came in a 100gal packet and I don’t know if I need to split the packet up for the 20gal or what. You can use any amount of Purigen. Once all the tannins are removed (and whatever else it removes) the extra Purigen will just sit there, doing nothing, waiting for something to remove. If you put too much in, you just have extra headroom to work with. However, I'd argue to split it in half so you don't have to recharge all of it once you're done with your current use. Just less to have to recharge. On 7/30/2024 at 11:32 AM, MattyM said: I don't regenerate them b/c that's the part that makes me nervous 🙂 Regenerating resins, especially Purigen, is very easy. Purigen regenerates with a weak bleach solution. You just have to rinse it afterwards and treat it with a little Prime. If you follow the directions provided by Seachem, you can't fail. I regenerate all kind of resins and all you have to do at the end is make sure they are flushed clean before reuse. Depending on the resin, sometimes you want to flush it with RO water. Purigen is not one of these. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyM Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 On 7/30/2024 at 4:06 PM, tolstoy21 said: Regenerating resins, especially Purigen, is very easy. Purigen regenerates with a weak bleach solution. You just have to rinse it afterwards and treat it with a little Prime. If you follow the directions provided by Seachem, you can't fail Do you use a Buffer solution? I think their website mentions that and I just didn't want to invest in another product. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 On 7/30/2024 at 2:14 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: I was watching them eat and thinking, should I shut off the filter? And then just didn’t because I was tired and didn’t want to reach for the plug. LOL! And I was filming. 😝 😂 I enjoy it! But I always hate those days when I forget to turn it back on. Very jealous of the saltwater hobby and their "feed mode" buttons. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tolstoy21 Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 (edited) On 7/30/2024 at 5:32 PM, MattyM said: Do you use a Buffer solution? I think their website mentions that and I just didn't want to invest in another product. When I last used Purigen, the instructions said nothing about the use of buffers (at least that I remember). Either way, I would follow their instructions as indicated on their site. But to be honest, I did not use a buffer. Just Prime. Regenerating resins is cost effective if you plan to re-use them long term. I regenerate DI resin as I go through a lot of it and don't want to have to keep shelling out money every time I replace a canister. It's been a long time since I used Purigen, but I do think it is a good product. Edited August 1 by tolstoy21 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted August 3 Author Share Posted August 3 (edited) Currently preparing for the tropical cyclone which should hit in the next day or two. It may become a cat 1 hurricane but as it now stands, winds are expected at about 75mph, as well as flooding, tornados, and heavy rain. Most of my nano pumps died, and I noticed Cory mentioned in a recent livestream that ACO no longer carries them, likely because they were not living up to ACO quality standard. However, they saved me last storm and ran my tanks off power banks for several days. I did order a few similar from the popular e-commerce platform that tends to carry all the things. They will be here by morning. Also, happy to report that I now have some tanks on the ACO air pumps with built-in battery backups, so if I do lose power, I don’t have to immediately do anything. Heres a little vid of the 20g. The lack of clarity you see there is caused by the new driftwood. I am running the Purigen but it didn’t seem to do much yet. I did add Hank today. I came to the conclusion that he cannot be treated; his gill plate may not grow back. Not sure what happened to him, whether it is a birth defect or an injury, but he came this way and has always done well. He was glad to rejoin his school. I hope to still make it to my birthday event tomorrow: Monster Jam; something I’ve always wanted to see. We will see what the weather does. I think we will get the brunt of it on Sunday. Edited August 3 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 On 8/2/2024 at 6:41 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: Most of my nano pumps died, and I noticed Cory mentioned in a recent livestream that ACO no longer carries them, likely because they were not living up to ACO quality standard. However, they saved me last storm and ran my tanks off power banks for several days. I did order a few similar from the popular e-commerce platform that tends to carry all the things. They will be here by morning. Also, happy to report that I now have some tanks on the ACO air pumps with built-in battery backups, so if I do lose power, I don’t have to immediately do anything. Great work on getting the things you need! I have one I use for emergencies. I heard they were working on fixing the design, but alas... not released or has been cancelled. Hyggar or someone... they have one very very similar in terms of nano air pumps that fit that role as well. I just tried to find it and it seems to take a normal power outlet, so that's a no go. Searching for "usb air pump" has probably given you the same things I'm seeing. I definitely would never say run them 24/7 given the design issues, but short term it's an absolute lifesaver. So are the D-Cell air pumps! On 8/2/2024 at 6:41 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: I hope to still make it to my birthday event tomorrow: Monster Jam; something I’ve always wanted to see. We will see what the weather does. I think we will get the brunt of it on Sunday. Very cool and Happy Birthday!!! You will absolutely enjoy it. Don't forget the earplugs. 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted August 3 Author Share Posted August 3 (edited) On 8/3/2024 at 12:38 AM, nabokovfan87 said: Don't forget the earplugs. 🙂 Got ‘em! On 8/3/2024 at 12:38 AM, nabokovfan87 said: the D-Cell air pumps! You ever used these? I’ve got 2 but they are dreadfully loud. The only way I can tolerate it is to run it inside a cooler. air pump</a> noise level" width="200" data-embed-src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/45cF8sVXfuk?feature=oembed"> On 8/2/2024 at 9:41 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: Currently preparing for the tropical cyclone Expected to become a hurricane now. The air pumps I ordered look exactly like the ACO ones except for color. The reason they run so long is because they only pull .5 volt. Edited August 3 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 (edited) On 8/3/2024 at 2:20 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: You ever used these? I’ve got 2 but they are dreadfully loud. The only way I can tolerate it is to run it inside a cooler. I use them all the time. yes. I have 3 on hand, one for each tank + one backup. They are about 1.5-2.5x the power of those nano ones and work better with the larger tanks. They aren't or shouldn't be crazy loud (mine is a marina branded one). They sell them at petsmart under the house brand now, which is great to see them *actually available* for emergency situations. Worst case, you place it on a towel or you can clip it to something, but I have never had to isolate the noise in such a way. Pure silence, place it on a dish towel in the cabinet and shut the door. I have to do this with all of the air pumps I use because that noise really vibrates my eardrum. The intensity on these d-cell pumps is a bit sharper and a bit louder than other pumps, but you can quiet them just the same. Do you want to hear mine and how "loud" they are for comparison? It's a much different noise than what you showed in your vid. I love the stack of towels. That video needs more views. 😂 Edit: The engineer in me wants to "soundproof it" a bit and it's probably ridiculously easy to do it. I'll think on it. Edited August 3 by nabokovfan87 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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