Coffee with Teejay

[TeeJay]

Sneak attack. Got one pic of 2 of the new smaller Cory's! Looks like everyone has made friends overnight. And another shot of the original Cory's with 2 new additions. The new ones will grow nicely with the old skool crew. Time for more Java moss!

[TeeJay]

Just a few random pics from the morning coffee session with the shrimpy friends.

[redfish]

Looking very nice.  I'm waiting patiently, well not really, for my water sprite to take off and get big. 

[TeeJay]

On 8/18/2022 at 8:20 AM, redfish said:

Looking very nice.  I'm waiting patiently, well not really, for my water sprite to take off and get big. 

I have better luck floating water sprite. I started with 2 of them. And not the whole top of my 29 gal is full

[redfish]

I'm floating a small branch to see if it will take off also. So far, not doing much but I'm still hoping for the best.

[TeeJay]

On 8/18/2022 at 8:30 AM, redfish said:

I'm floating a small branch to see if it will take off also. So far, not doing much but I'm still hoping for the best.

When I started to float mine it took a solid 30 days to notice much difference. After that it was game on.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Interesting. Maybe I will float mine too. It seems unhappy in both tanks.

[TeeJay]

Finally I actually see some shrimp nom nom on an alge wafer. First time I have actually seen the eat something I put in the tank other than the bacter ae?

[nabokovfan87]

I'm off to go work on the black corydoras tank.

How are the new fish doing as a part of the horde?!?

[TeeJay]

On 8/21/2022 at 3:29 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I'm off to go work on the black corydoras tank.

How are the new fish doing as a part of the horde?!?

There doing very well. Everyone is hanging out together. Just did a water change so it's a bit cloudy.

[TeeJay]

Been a few days since I got to post about the shrimp sanctuary. I'll is going well. Just did a test strip on parameters. 0 for ammonia nitrites and nitrates. So nice and stable. The bladder snails are exploding in here lol. They must have really hit the biofilm hard lol. But I don't mind. I can always take some time babies and smoosh them for the Cory cats in the tank next door for a treat. Got a couple of good pics. Just gave th a Xtreme shrimpy sticks. I usually give just one a day. Then 2-3 times a week I give a tiny dose of bacter ae. As well they always have catappa leaves for grazing as well. This out of food seems to be just right. I haven't noticed any spikes in anything so we will call it a win.

[TeeJay]

Just checked on the corys. Everyone is doing well. I. Noticing see of the older ones are getting a bit lighter in color. I'm sure it does not help that they are on a light gravel. Just trying to blend in I'm sure. Just a little flake food today. The last couple days they had frozen brine shrimp and frozen blood worms. Tomorrow night will probably be a repashy mix of community plus grub pie and super green the seem to like it when I do it like that. Bummer that it seems repashy has stopped making the grub pie for fish. I know they still make it for reptiles. I wonder if it's the same thing.🤔 

I still want to work on getting switched over to a mainly sand substrate. It's only been about a week since I added the 5 new Cory's to this tank so I want to give them a few more weeks to get totally used to there new home. So early fall we will probably get to work on that. Lots of fun things to do between this tank the shrimp sanctuary and the new mystery snail clutch that just hatched yesterday. 

 

P.S. we may have some new fish coming to the 29 gal tank in a few weeks as well. I may need to make a new journal about that adventure as well. 

[anitstuk]

On 8/23/2022 at 8:11 AM, TeeJay said:

 

I still want to work on getting switched over to a mainly sand substrate. It's only been about a week since I added the 5 new Cory's to this tank so I want to give them a few more weeks to get totally used to there new home. . 

 

 

 

 

Yeah I agree 100%. Let them settle into their new home so they are more relaxed if/when you put the sand substrate in. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/22/2022 at 3:11 PM, TeeJay said:

Noticing see of the older ones are getting a bit lighter in color. I'm sure it does not help that they are on a light gravel. Just trying to blend in I'm sure.

Just keep an eye if they are breathing heavier than others or if they have red gill plates. beyond that, should be fine.

 

On 8/22/2022 at 3:11 PM, TeeJay said:

I still want to work on getting switched over to a mainly sand substrate. It's only been about a week since I added the 5 new Cory's to this tank so I want to give them a few more weeks to get totally used to there new home.

Should be a video, but the tank is cloudy and there's a glare.  Worm day for the Panda Horde.  They are zooming around just being little manatee's or something. 😂

*weird blue dot?*

[anitstuk]

Hopefully the bladder snails don't steal the shrimpies food!

[TeeJay]

On 8/22/2022 at 7:35 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Just keep an eye if they are breathing heavier than others or if they have red gill plates. beyond that, should be fine.

 

Should be a video, but the tank is cloudy and there's a glare.  Worm day for the Panda Horde.  They are zooming around just being little manatee's or something. 😂

*weird blue dot?*

I haven't noticed any heavy breathing. I'll keep an eye out to see if there girls start to get red or inflamed. I'm pretty sure we have been lightning up for awhile now. I don't think it's anything to be concerned about but I'll keep an eye on it just in case

On 8/22/2022 at 7:42 PM, TeeJay said:

I haven't noticed any heavy breathing. I'll keep an eye out to see if there girls start to get red or inflamed. I'm pretty sure we have been lightning up for awhile now. I don't think it's anything to be concerned about but I'll keep an eye on it just in case. You can see in the one pic although blurry how a couple are lighter than the others.

 

[TeeJay]

I haven't noticed much of the bladder snails going for it. Sometimes the mystery snails will. But I also usually put a couple of alge wafers in there for the snails are night.

[nabokovfan87]

Agreed. My only concern with paleness not being related to acclimatization with the tank and being their normal chamoflauge is just that if they haven't been able to feed (gravel gaps) they might be weakening.

I don't think it's a concern. I believe you're doing the feeding dish method as well, but that's why I ask about their gills and such. 🙂

[TeeJay]

On 8/22/2022 at 8:53 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Agreed. My only concern with paleness not being related to acclimatization with the tank and being their normal chamoflauge is just that if they haven't been able to feed (gravel gaps) they might be weakening.

I don't think it's a concern. I believe you're doing the feeding dish method as well, but that's why I ask about their gills and such. 🙂

No I haven't used a feeding dish for them yet. But if you think it's a concern I can always start using one tomorrow. The original 6 have been in there for almost 3 months and I know they were kept on gravel at my lfs but it never hurts to use the dish. I also have the other group of 6 in the 29 gal tank. Those are juviniles still. Better keep an eye on them too. I have not noticed any color differences in them for this week that I have had them. I also notice the Cory's in the 29 gal are more active in the sense the swim up to mid water and do more exploring at all levels of the tank.

Edited August 23, 2022 by TeeJay

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/22/2022 at 6:23 PM, TeeJay said:

No I haven't used a feeding dish for them yet. But if you think it's a concern I can always start using one tomorrow. The original 6 have been in there for almost 3 months and I know they were kept on gravel at my lfs but it never hurts to use the dish. I also have the other group of 6 in the 29 gal tank. Those are juviniles still. Better keep an eye on them too. I have not noticed any color differences in them for this week that I have had them. I also notice the Cory's in the 29 gal are more active in the sense the swim up to mid water and do more exploring at all levels of the tank.

My black Corydoras never eat what I feed em. They are stubborn. The juveniles do because that's home but the older ones can't be bothered. They get nervous when I'm around or something. I've tried feeding at different times and stuff.  Seeing them eat is a rare luxury for me. Catching them graze on BBA was just funny and explained a lot.

Most times they will figure it out, but it's just something to keep an eye out and if you see them trying really hard to get down on the gravel. That species has a longer nose so I assume they love to dig a bit more.

And yes. Having more you'll definitely see them more active. It's such a cool thing that getting just a few more changes their behavior so much.

Try repashy or something just make sure they get a bite. See if you notice them being crazy towards the food like they were starving and as a result, color changes.

[TeeJay]

On 8/22/2022 at 9:52 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

My black Corydoras never eat what I feed em. They are stubborn. The juveniles do because that's home but the older ones can't be bothered. They get nervous when I'm around or something. I've tried feeding at different times and stuff.  Seeing them eat is a rare luxury for me. Catching them graze on BBA was just funny and explained a lot.

Most times they will figure it out, but it's just something to keep an eye out and if you see them trying really hard to get down on the gravel. That species has a longer nose so I assume they love to dig a bit more.

And yes. Having more you'll definitely see them more active. It's such a cool thing that getting just a few more changes their behavior so much.

Try repashy or something just make sure they get a bite. See if you notice them being crazy towards the food like they were starving and as a result, color changes.

I mean they all seem to swarm the food well and they get repashy as a large staple for food. I tend to beak a few chunks up and spread it around the tank so they have more spots to feed from. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/22/2022 at 6:54 PM, TeeJay said:

I mean they all seem to swarm the food well and they get repashy as a large staple for food. I tend to beak a few chunks up and spread it around the tank so they have more spots to feed from. 

I am finding that these ones love the carpet of S. Repens and hide underneath it like giant ents in the fangorn forest.  I am hoping it keeps growing out for them 🙂

[TeeJay]

On 8/22/2022 at 10:27 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I am finding that these ones love the carpet of S. Repens and hide underneath it like giant ents in the fangorn forest.  I am hoping it keeps growing out for them 🙂

Have never tried that plant before. Heck I never had live aquarium plants before until I set up the tanks I have now.

[nabokovfan87]

Me either.  They definitely like it because it gives them enough room to get under the leaves and then there's cover over top.  Little short corydoras palm trees. 🙂

[TeeJay]

So I know @Guppysnail likes to use feeding dishes alot and @nabokovfan87 has been test one out with his Corys. So I thought I would give it a try. So I put a bit of repashy I'm a glass feeding dish. I have an extra from the shrimp sanctuary. I added it about 10 mins and a couple of the juviniles found it and did a bit of nom nom. One more is currently in it by himself going to town. I think I will leave it in overnight and see what's left in the morning. But I think I need to switch to a terracotta pot plate for more surface area so they can all pile on.