Guppysnail Aquarium Journal

[Hobbit]

I e been feeding my pleco babies green beans for a while now and they love it! Mine don’t have nice food bowls but they don’t know any different.

And my mom pleco seems to ALWAYS have an egg belly… do you think she’ll produce fewer eggs if she’s not with the male? I want to give my male a break but I don’t want her to get uncomfortable. Maybe in need two males. 😬

[Guppysnail]

On 3/31/2022 at 8:18 AM, Hobbit said:

I e been feeding my pleco babies green beans for a while now and they love it! Mine don’t have nice food bowls but they don’t know any different.

And my mom pleco seems to ALWAYS have an egg belly… do you think she’ll produce fewer eggs if she’s not with the male? I want to give my male a break but I don’t want her to get uncomfortable. Maybe in need two males. 😬

I was thinking 2 males would be better in a bigger setup for me. I just fear fighting and do not have room for a larger setup. When I was allowing them to hatch I started taking every other clutch to give dad a break. He began looking a bit haggard and weary with back to back clutches but still a dutiful dad. I don’t know if it would reduce clutch size that’s a great question. I have not separated because I fear mom getting egg bound…and they are an adorable couple. 🤷‍♀️ My mom lays and in days starts her new egg belly. This is her today a week or so from delivering…again.

[Hobbit]

Wow that’s a LOT! Goodness. At least it’s the same amount of work for Dad no matter how big the clutch is (I think).

[Guppysnail]

My other project is almost complete so I will get back to regular updates soon. 
Here is Spot (now named Dotty) in her new home with her older sibling Chunk and my pharmacist.

Here is Hershey the chocolate neo shrimp that turned up on an old sword leaf that is developing gsa 😝

HAPPY ADVENTURES…TRY SOMETHING NEW

[Atitagain]

Dotty such a great name. How often does this happen where your “albino “ have a spot of this nature? Is it fairly often but not this noticeable, it happens but not that often, or I’m fairly sure this is the first I’ve seen you show is it that rare? The long fins are so beautiful, I know we’ve talked about some of the problems with them but I’m seriously thinking of getting a couple.😬

And Hershey is crazy cool 😎.

[Guppysnail]

On 4/6/2022 at 9:17 PM, Atitagain said:

Dotty such a great name. How often does this happen where your “albino “ have a spot of this nature? Is it fairly often but not this noticeable, it happens but not that often, or I’m fairly sure this is the first I’ve seen you show is it that rare? The long fins are so beautiful, I know we’ve talked about some of the problems with them but I’m seriously thinking of getting a couple.😬

And Hershey is crazy cool 😎.

I get 2-3 each batch. Chunk was a Charlie Brown head spot. Some grow out of it like chunk some do not. Mom has a tail spot that’s still there. Dad had one but it’s faded to almost nothing. My understanding is it genetic breakthrough color. I don’t have problems with mom n dads fins unless my ph hits 7.8+. Or when mom is really prego the tips turn white but never damage. I’m thinking her being so big shorts blood supply. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@Guppysnailyour female is a goddess wish my girls had those curves! Lots of veg and wafers and Repashy, hopefully they’ll get there!

[Guppysnail]

On 4/6/2022 at 11:32 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

@Guppysnailyour female is a goddess wish my girls had those curves! Lots of veg and wafers and Repashy, hopefully they’ll get there!

She is very Rubenesque. 🥰. Her figure started becoming voluptuous after her third spawn. She used to slim down right away but not so much anymore. She just laid 3 days ago I’ll see if she is up for a non prego picture today. 

[Guppysnail]

Took all the pleco babies to the LFS last week except a few I kept for friends. Gave them what I could and took the remainder to the LFS. got home to put the UGF in the 10g some of them were in with my stunted guppy boys and Nemo. This adorable little one was sitting in the empty food dish waiting for dinner🤦🏼‍♀️  He had to have been up under the lip of the hob or canister outflow. So looks like I’m going to be upgrading the 2 -10g tanks at some point so this baby has a home. 
 

Got the UGF  in that tank. Loving it. Just stuck all the existing sword babies in the ground. Not sure what I’m going to do with it yet  I stuck a cave in for the pleco baby  Nemo went right in and made himself at home .  Just looked at this pic  my manzanita wood must still be in the bucket  Need to put that in. I still refuse to clean the glass  Nemos ugly lunch box  

Put the UGF in half at a time in the Pygmy tank. Triple checked before I moved gravel. Set everything up. Looked underneath to see if it was doing its job. There was my derpy tailed CPD. He came right over and stared at me through the bottom “Hi Mom”. Not even panicked just moseying about. Tore it back up in came 3 Pygmy and 4 more CPD Disneyland ride 🙄. Sometimes them not fearing my hands is a nuisance. 
Everyone loves the UGF. Very active everywhere. I’m very pleased. 
 

I’m one of the 😎 cool kids now.  I have plants actually planted 🤣. Crypts my darlings I’m coming for you next 🤗

 

I ordered UGFs for the other tanks. I like them. 
 

HAPPY ADVENTURES… TRY SOMETHING NEW. 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Guppysnail

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Awww, I'm surprised you've only found 1! I can't imagine how hard it is to catch them all when you have so many! So cute though!

[Guppysnail]

On 4/9/2022 at 6:47 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Awww, I'm surprised you've only found 1! I can't imagine how hard it is to catch them all when you have so many! So cute though!

I strip the tank bare. That’s why I was shocked this cutie was still in there. 

[Widgets]

I am glad that you are happy with the UGF. They are not for everyone. If you didn't like it, I would feel bad having lead you astray. Other than the bare bottom QT, I have UGF in all my tanks. I think more folks would enjoy the UGF if they actually tried one instead of listening to the stories. 

 

[Guppysnail]

On 4/9/2022 at 9:01 PM, Widgets said:

I am glad that you are happy with the UGF. They are not for everyone. If you didn't like it, I would feel bad having lead you astray. Other than the bare bottom QT, I have UGF in all my tanks. I think more folks would enjoy the UGF if they actually tried one instead of listening to the stories. 

 

I remember them when I was a kid. I never remembered having so much yuck on the substrate.  That’s what prompted me to start asking. I never put more than an inch of gravel anymore because it gets so yucky. I tried several types of substrate the past few years, all the same rotting yuck. I do believe I’m going to be extremely happy with the ugfs. I can’t wait to get the microfauna boom.  Panda babies will do better I hope. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I have now setup 3 tanks with ugfs in the last 6 months feel like it’s a Back to the Future moment!

[freemoney]

On 3/28/2022 at 10:19 AM, Guppysnail said:

All my critters are doing well. It is time to rehome this group of plecos. Three display the breakthrough color spots. Spot is one. One has a spot on the side and one has a tail stripe. My pharmacist is taking Spot. I’m worried the other two will be viewed as “defective” or something wrong with them. I spoke to the manager at the LFS they go to.  He said no problem.  They accept unwanted fish as rescue rehabilitations. If they do not get adopted they will happily live in the giant plant room with their plants on a separate filtration system so not be exposed to all the incoming stuff from the fish they get for sale. That made me feel a lot better. 

Tulip continues to live upside down on various leaves. The panda are a bit to rambunctious for her but she does clean the walls and eat her veggies etc. at night. I feel bad that I took her food dish but she didn’t use it because the pandas like to sleep in it 🙄….perpetual two year olds.  
 

Honeysuckle on the other hand..always hanging out with the Pygmy and CPD. He has claimed the terra cotta tunnel though instead of his pleco cave. He chases the other fish when they try to go in. 

Lefty is less than thrilled with her younger siblings sharing her tank. She sits and stares at them from hidden spots. When I add new veggies she chases everyone away then after she starts eating she allows them to join in. Definitely queen bee. 

Angel still bosses the guppies about but loves his snail. The snail and shrimp are the only ones allowed in the food bowl. He positions himself so he can see it at all times. Guppy comes near he gives chase. 

Mom has a big egg belly again 😫 Dad has begun flirting and cleaning the cave. 

Guppies are headed to the LFS as well. The two blue ones I’m keeping continue to get prettier. Nemo is slowly but surely cleaning the yucky back wall 😁 One girl is exhibiting the more blue body. She is still young though. Doesn’t show great on camera. Sadly she does not have moms black lipstick  😕  

Possibly somewhat cannibalistic of a sort but my shrimp love frozen brine shrimp.  

I spend entirely to much time watching my badder snails acrobatic arguments. 

 

HAPPY ADVENTURES…TRY SOMETHING NEW 

How big is that terracota dish? That snail looks HUGE

[drewzero1]

On 4/9/2022 at 11:54 PM, freemoney said:

How big is that terracota dish? That snail looks HUGE

My LFS got a bunch of apple-sized mystery snails in last month. It messes with my head when I see them because I'm used to the size of nerite snails.

[Guppysnail]

On 4/10/2022 at 1:03 AM, drewzero1 said:

My LFS got a bunch of apple-sized mystery snails in last month. It messes with my head when I see them because I'm used to the size of nerite snails.

That snail is about 3 inches in the shell. When fully stretched on the glass his foot is almost 4 inches. I got 12 mystery snails almost 2 years ago from what I was told was the same clutch. 2 became double the size of the others and the coloration is slightly different. I suspect those 2 are not from the same clutch and possibly some variation of actual apple snails. Somewhere in my journal there is a picture from last year of him in my hand. He is larger now and the longest lived from that batch. 

[Guppysnail]

@drewzero1I measured the pot. It’s 4 inches. The flat dish is 6. This is last year. He is bigger now. He ventures out whenever I work in the tank for extended periods so I let him crawl on my hand to return him. 

Edited April 10, 2022 by Guppysnail

[Hobbit]

I’ve been wondering about UGF’s and maybe this is the time to ask. So… they pull water through the substrate, into an uplift tube, and then… do they just dump the water out at the top? Is there a sponge that collects mulm? Do they work in fine gravel or does it have to be coarse? Don’t they get clogged? And then do you have to rip out your substrate? Teach me the ways of the UGF!

[drewzero1]

On 4/10/2022 at 7:09 AM, Hobbit said:

I’ve been wondering about UGF’s and maybe this is the time to ask. So… they pull water through the substrate, into an uplift tube, and then… do they just dump the water out at the top? Is there a sponge that collects mulm? Do they work in fine gravel or does it have to be coarse? Don’t they get clogged? And then do you have to rip out your substrate? Teach me the ways of the UGF!

I haven't had one since I was a kid, but as I understand it, the substrate acts as the 'sponge' in this situation, and if it gets clogged you can gravel vac the mulm out of the substrate. The surface area of the intake is huge compared to a sponge filter, so it would be hard to clog if you clean your gravel.

I'm looking into getting back into UGFs in small tanks/planted bowls where a sponge filter would take up too much space, so I'm also interested to hear anyone's experienced wisdom!

Edited April 10, 2022 by drewzero1

[Guppysnail]

On 4/10/2022 at 8:09 AM, Hobbit said:

I’ve been wondering about UGF’s and maybe this is the time to ask. So… they pull water through the substrate, into an uplift tube, and then… do they just dump the water out at the top? Is there a sponge that collects mulm? Do they work in fine gravel or does it have to be coarse? Don’t they get clogged? And then do you have to rip out your substrate? Teach me the ways of the UGF!

I had them when I was a kid and did not care how or why they worked so do not take this as gospel. My understanding is the mulm breaks down more thoroughly inside the substrate because more o2 allows more of the correct bacteria to grow and less bad low o2 bacteria to grow. Here is under this spot ( ignore all the extra gravel that happened rescuing my nosey CPD). @Widgets show theirs underneath in this thread that’s been running for years with little mulm in the plenum space. I included a picture so you can see there is a good layer of gravel but light shines through allowing good flow. 
 

so far even my Pygmy are using areas of the tank they normally do not near the substrate. They seem even more active if that’s possible. 

 

[ndfi78]

Man, y'all are making me want to setup a tank to try a ugf out...

[Guppysnail]

 @Hobbithere is one of the outflows. There is one in either back corner. It came with 2 carbon inserts if I ever need to use them. Ignore the funny bubbles. I added more cheap gravel that always does that for the first week. 

[Widgets]

On 4/10/2022 at 8:09 AM, Hobbit said:

I’ve been wondering about UGF’s and maybe this is the time to ask. So… they pull water through the substrate, into an uplift tube, and then… do they just dump the water out at the top? Is there a sponge that collects mulm? Do they work in fine gravel or does it have to be coarse? Don’t they get clogged? And then do you have to rip out your substrate? Teach me the ways of the UGF!

To correct a misstatement made above, my tank pictured in the thread linked by @Guppysnail has only been running for 4 months.

The UGF design will trap the wastes in and below the gravel, breaking it down to Nitrates to feed the plants. There are so many variables in how they can be setup, and therfore a wide range of performance.

The amount of waste generated in the tank is a big factor. This includes the stocking level, the amount of feeding (or overfeeding), and the amount/size of fish poop generated. Too much waste can overwhelm the UGF and result in waste accumulating on the surface of the gravel, or even clogging the gravel bed. Also, fish that rearrange the gravel themselves may dig enough to expose the UGF grate and limit the filtration due to the partial bypass.

The size of the gravel and the depth of the gravel bed will impact the amount of waste that the UGF can process. Smaller grained gravel can handle more waste. Deeper gravel beds can handle more waste. You can have too fine a gravel that drops through the slits in the grates and doesn't leave the needed water channels below the plates.

The flow of the water through the gravel bed will also greatly impact the amount of waste that can be processed. The default setup uses airstones to push water to the surface. The size and quantity of bubbles will impact the flow rate. The more lift tubes used will increase the flow.

For even more flow, a water pump can be used. This can be a power head that sends the output as user configurable flow in the tank. It can also be a HOB or canister filter, using the surface area of the gravel bed much like you would use a sponge prefilter. 

You can also setup a reverse flow UGF where the output from a canister filter is pumped down through the uplift tube. This configuration is not providing mechanical filtration,  but is using the large surface area for beneficial bacteria growth.

There are also some that are using extremely low flow rates through the UGF, trying to consume the oxygen in the water and produce an anoxic condition to consume Nitrates from the water. There are strong opinions on both sides of this practice. 

Some will say that you cannot have plants with UGF, but my plants have always done well when their roots make it to the nutrient rich mulm under the UGF plates. The only problem I see with plants and UGF is the difficulty in moving plants around once the roots go into the plates. It takes more time to extricate the plants and you loose some roots, but I usually trim some roots to promote growth when I plant new plants that I have purchased. Why should replanting be any different? 

If the UGF is collecting too much waste for it to process (or more than you are comfortable with) you can vacuum the gravel. It is best to do this in sections, only doing a portion on each water change. If you vacuum too much at one time , you could disturb too much of the beneficial bacteria. You can safely vacuum away any waste that accumulates on the surface of the gravel. Also note that a heavily planted tank like my Community Therapy tank is impossible to do much gravel vacuuming because of the plants everywhere.

There are some folks that will send a hose down the uplift tube to siphon off as much of the collected mulm as possible. 

[Hobbit]

Hmmm interesting! Good to know!