Guppysnail Aquarium Journal

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

InThe end all this CPD drama is just going to mean more breeding and more colored up fish which for many people is the reason they love CPDs. 
As for Angel he will be a good looking boy. My wife loves Buffy so she digs the name a lot. 

[Guppysnail]

On 1/22/2022 at 7:31 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

InThe end all this CPD drama is just going to mean more breeding and more colored up fish which for many people is the reason they love CPDs. 
As for Angel he will be a good looking boy. My wife loves Buffy so she digs the name a lot. 

Someone lays eggs daily in that tank. That’s why that poor little girl was surfing. It was her day and no one was showing her love 🥲

I used to watch Buffy too 😁

Edited January 23, 2022 by Guppysnail

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Because my CPDs are in a small cube I don't get to see the drama, there's a little bit of an open space in the front/middle where they come out and feed and maybe squabble but once I approach the tank everybody scatters. Something I thought of when you said that happened to you I always think "oh no the cops!". Anyway, sad that I don't get the see the drama like you can, my tank has lots of hiding places. No signs of babies. If I sit in front of the tank long enough individuals and small groups will dart out from time to time. Darn it, I want a soap opera!

[Guppysnail]

On 1/22/2022 at 7:43 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Because my CPDs are in a small cube I don't get to see the drama, there's a little bit of an open space in the front/middle where they come out and feed and maybe squabble but once I approach the tank everybody scatters. Something I thought of when you said that happened to you I always think "oh no the cops!". Anyway, sad that I don't get the see the drama like you can, my tank has lots of hiding places. No signs of babies. If I sit in front of the tank long enough individuals and small groups will dart out from time to time. Darn it, I want a soap opera!

I decided this evening I’m moving the tiger lotus to the other side to swap with the short red tiger lotus so I could snoop easier 🤣. I spend so much time watching the drama in the tank. Hubby can’t understand why I don’t watch TV. Love, violence, intrigue, suspense. It’s all in that tank. I get exhausted watching all the high speed chases 🤣

Oh @xXInkedPhoenixX I’ve only ever seen 4 fry in the tank with the parents one  I snagged Scooter aka Livy. The other three vanished in hours. I have to pull whatever planter they lay in to a separate tank to get survivors. 

Edited January 23, 2022 by Guppysnail

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I would watch less TV too if I could see them, as what little I can see is defintely fascinating. I love the little dances that the boys do with each other and then the girl chasing and even the girls chasing other girls. I don't even have a clue if all 9 of them are still in there! 😫 I'm a deprived fish keeper.

[missriss126]

Finally all caught up, what a delightful read and I feel like I have learned so much about you and your tanks. 
 

Looks like I need to up the water changes on my Pleco fry tank, I’ve been doing 25% daily, mostly to remove the uneaten food since they are still so tiny that I don’t believe they are creating that much waste (yet!).
 

I don’t have an exact age for them, as I found the fry and moved over what I could… I could them 2 weeks ago and they were the size of my thumbnail, so about 0.5 in or so. Was able to snag 45 of them to move in to a grow out. No casualties yet, but I feel like I’m not seeing much if any growth, even though they constantly have food available and I see them eating and pooping… maybe I just need to give it more time? 

[Guppysnail]

On 1/22/2022 at 8:37 PM, missriss126 said:

Finally all caught up, what a delightful read and I feel like I have learned so much about you and your tanks. 
 

Looks like I need to up the water changes on my Pleco fry tank, I’ve been doing 25% daily, mostly to remove the uneaten food since they are still so tiny that I don’t believe they are creating that much waste (yet!).
 

I don’t have an exact age for them, as I found the fry and moved over what I could… I could them 2 weeks ago and they were the size of my thumbnail, so about 0.5 in or so. Was able to snag 45 of them to move in to a grow out. No casualties yet, but I feel like I’m not seeing much if any growth, even though they constantly have food available and I see them eating and pooping… maybe I just need to give it more time? 

They grow slow for a bit. Then you will see most have a jump in growth a few won’t. I moved them to guppy grow outs because they never caught up only got skinnier with less food in the belly. I assume it was natural competition because shortly after moving them they caught up in growth. Mine seemed like they would stay the same size then have growth spurts then nothing then spurt. This held true on all three batches. 

[Atitagain]

Had to do some catching up.😁 it’s crazy how much extra plant you have after you do clean outs. And that elodea strand you pulled out is crazy. You get such amazing growth and your plants are always so beautiful it’s hard to believe no CO2 or ferts. 
Glad to see you have a panda playground, I’m gonna be getting some corys before long maybe some pandas? 🤷🏻‍♂️ I just love the salt and peppers a lot!

 

 

[Torrey]

Thank you so much for the explanations and the videos!!!

Spouse is now interested in the pandas & the CPD. I have been looking for CPD here for 2 years, because originally I wanted a group for my 5 gallon (proof that internet information is not always accurate).

Today, some finally were available at the Big Box... so off we went.

Requested assistance in the fish area, and then headed back. Let spouse look at the CPD and the pandas while I grabbed more fish food... and we waited... and waited... and waited... and asked for assistance in the fish area again. 

And waited... and waited...

After 45 minutes, my service dog let us know that the restroom was needed. Spouse went out with the dog and a decision that there must be a reason to not get the fish and she wasn't willing to risk Whale (largest female endler with large, dark eyes... and my spouse's favorite).

I paid for the fish food, gal says "I thought you were going to get some fish?" I shrugged...🤷‍♂️

[Guppysnail]

@Torrey I do the same. When obtaining pet/things if something becomes too difficult I often get a gut feeling and wonder if it is my Guardian Angel steering me away. When I stubbornly refuse to listen it rarely works out for the best. 
@Atitagain elodea is that one plant for me it either stubbornly pretends to be a plastic plant and does nothing or it tries to take over the world. It behaves differently in each tank for me. The pleco baby grow out I couldn’t even keep it alive. I think it did so well because the 29 was crazy overstocked. And pleco babies I worked to keep nitrates at bay a lot more. Plus those tons of little sucker mouths were hard on everything 

Edited January 23, 2022 by Guppysnail

[Guppysnail]

PANDA EGG 😍

It is only 2 eggs that I could find but I’m thrilled they are happy enough in the new tank to spawn. It’s not going to get a lot of flow behind the alert so I’m not holding my breath but…WOOHOO 🎉 

Interesting CPD morning. I still have no clear Alpha. They seem to have split into two breeding groups. Half in the original breeding area and half in the anubias on the left. I need for turn the algae leaf on the anubias but I’m going to let it be so I don’t disrupt whatever is unfolding with the CPD. I’ll probably just cut it off later. Each group has a pseudo alpha betta combo with other subordinate males and some females. So either double the drama or less drama. Time will tell. 

mom will lay today courting in progress

repashy day

HAPPY ADVENTURES…TRY SOMETHING NEW 

[Guppysnail]

Found egg #3 on my elodea🥳 Total school girl excitement here 🤣

and a shrimp already berried in there

Edited January 23, 2022 by Guppysnail

[missriss126]

Exciting about the panda cory eggs! Are you going to collect them or try to let them hatch out in their tank?

My albino corys must have laid early this morning, but before I noticed they had already eaten them and my plecos were cleaning up the spots from the glass. One day I will find a few eggs before they decide to snack on them. 😁

[Guppysnail]

@missriss126I will leave them in the tank. I don’t normally have issues with eggs hatching that way. A few got knocked out of the pleco cave when dad was first learning and hatched. My cpd eggs hatch. I’ve used breeder boxes before but they are a pain. I currently don’t have an appropriate one for Cory. The ziss is awesome but the grating on the bottom would allow food to fall through. I’m not breeder to sell. The only LFS near me accepts donations but does not buy from locals. If a few survive to increase my colony and allow me to raise baby panda I will be over the moon. If it does not work I will get an appropriate breeder box and go the meth blue route so I can raise babies which is my passion in the hobby. 

[Levi_Aquatics]

Congratulations! I always love finding eggs and fry in my aquariums!

[Jennifer V]

Wow! Panda babies? 🤯 I didn't even consider that as a possibility for when I get mine. Very excited for you and can't wait to see what happens. 

[Guppysnail]

The CPD drama resolved. I unfortunately did not witness it hubbys day off so we went grocery shopping that morning. My second to largest is colored the red alpha.  My littlest boy is darker orange beta. They are again a cohesive group but that day every time one of them ventured to the left side of the tank my littlest betta would dart over and sort of round them up and usher them back to the right like a herding dog 🤣. No one is hurt thank goodness. My largest male has become smitten with my derpy little girl. He hangs with her at all times. Fry do not survive in this tank and if I pull eggs I will move the derpy girl 3 weeks prior so if it is a genetic defect it won’t pass on. But their little love affair is cute. 
 

The pandas have laid eggs almost every night. Interestingly though not a single egg or remaining spot from an egg being placed and eaten is on the glass. They are all on plants mostly underside of leaves. I did get to witness mating and egg placement which I have never witnessed in corydora eggs usually magically appear in the morning from any Cory I have kept. The problem my stinking old eyes I can’t see them enough to know if they are fertile 😟. They really should be more considerate and place them on the front glass 🤣

The flat cave I put in for the Pygmy was a no go they stopped venturing in altogether and hid under the intake so I replaced it with the 1/2 pot from their original tank and now they venture in. They are like 2 year old children holding their breath until they get what they want 🤨

I took video of the two youngest boy guppies I’m watching with blue pectoral fins and blue gonapodium with I’m hoping shorter tails. I tried slo-mo unfortunately it turned it into a 30 minute video. So I took stills of the video. I also am watching the two blue boys with brighter tails like a cross between my blue and my moms blue. 
left is Buddy my guy missing a top lip who it typical of my boys otherwise right is the oldest dark one I’m watching

heres more of him

the littlest one

the brighter ones

Hubby went back to work after his weekend but this morning he earned big time fish points especially for a non fish guy. He said “I just ordered you your own 4500 watts generator so you have one dedicated for the fish room and can plug everything in during power outages and not share with house space heaters “😲. I never asked for one or even thought of it. I just made contingency plans. He is the best non fish hubby 🥰 this last all day power outage issues with single digit temps was unnerving. 
 

HAPPY ADVENTURES…TRY SOMETHING NEW

[Torrey]

I'm ORD🤩🤩🤩

 

And massive hearts and gold stars for your hubby!

[Guppysnail]

Plant mowing day. 
Mom n dads tank is looking spectacularly full with the au 😍 I’m loving it. It now touches the front glass  

I got so frustrated with the APL in the stunted boys tank. I put weights on it I buried it no matter what it kept floating up out of the planter looking like a weird floating plant with a ball hanging off.  I decided to drop it in the 29. I figured it could float all it wanted behind the wood. It sank like a rock 🙄🤣. 
so the 29 “rapunzel” elodea was back to full length again 😣.

before mowing 

next few tries 😝😝😝

 Still am not pleased with this tank so here are a few attempts to fix it today. The last pic was just before Angel sat in his food bowl waiting for dinner and refused to move so I gave up for today. The suction cup planters need to go. They just look goofy to me in this tank. So I’m going to group them In terra cotta pots tomorrow and see how they look. I took one whole pot of elodea out from the left and cut the right one back. The pot contained 5 stems each between 2-3 feet long. I cut just under a foot off each of the right stems and added to the panda tank and guppy boy grow out. The elodea in the panda tank needs trimmed as well. ( I wish plants would grow to the perfect size then STOP🤣)The hornwort in the Pygmy tank was just not looking the way I hoped so I moved it to the windowsill and dropped the elodea in as floaters. I like the way it looks much better it doesn’t float in a clump. 

Red tiger lotus are looking great 

HAPPY ADVENTURES…TRY SOMETHING NEW

[Guppysnail]

Now I’m very happy 😁thanks @Odd Duck grouping works  

Edited January 28, 2022 by Guppysnail

[Odd Duck]

On 1/28/2022 at 12:58 PM, Guppysnail said:

Now I’m very happy

This is the part that counts!!! 💃🏻 🎉 

Edited January 28, 2022 by Odd Duck

[Guppysnail]

Pleco 🐼 panda  fun

 

[PineSong]

On 1/19/2022 at 4:16 PM, Guppysnail said:

I have pics of the freshwater tank section and saltwater and skate petting pond a few pages back in my journal they hsve an aviary as well as a reptile room. It awesome and so worth it. I drive 45 minutes to get there

I used to visit this store when I lived in PA and it was a 1.5 hour drive. I believe it was the first place I ever saw pea puffers--mind blown.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Great updates @Guppysnail. Glad the CPD drama is behind you and now more time for plants, guppies and catfish!

[Guppysnail]

@Beardedbillygoat1975 The CPD drama never ends. It’s just very soap opera where the intrigue intensifies to the season finale. This was this seasons finale. It’s much better than watching TV for me 🤣