Guppysnail Aquarium Journal

[Guppysnail]

Morning one. All the Pygmys that came yesterday are doing great! 2 still rest occasionally but not like yesterday (might not even be the same two🤷‍♀️)

[Guppysnail]

Today was my day to just watch fish from my bean bag and relax ALL DAY LONG! Pygmy are still doing amazing. They adjusted immediately are not afraid of me and pick at the siphon like my guppies 😳. I was so shocked I have never had such an easy time with shipped fish. I get the feeling they were well cared for just because they have no fear of me my hands or siphon.  I did not stare at them though. I’m always so afraid to get attached before the first 48 hours pass safely.  
 

These are my two stunted growth boy guppies. They were stuck in my pothos planter along with one girl I did not see for almost 2 weeks. They got in and grew too large to get our which is why I removed the planters and did egg crate. All very healthy active and personable just small. Obviously I won’t let them breed just in case it’s more but I love them dearly.  They live in the funny tank with the fry. I take the girls to a sorority as soon as I can tell. They play all day…I’m boss…no I’m boss.. no me..boss boss boss 🤣

guppy p/panda community is doing great spent most of my day watching my boy show off. 

and one of my cats Simba yelling at me because I paid too much attention to the fish today. 

HAPPY ADVENTURES!

[GameCzar]

Dawww, those orange boys are cuties.  And wow those blues!  

Tell Simba I said, "Pspspspspsps." 😉

[Guppysnail]

He is loud BOSS BOSS BOSS all day. I love him

[Picklepuppy]

Loooooove it! 😍

[Guppysnail]

Seasons change and so do I …..

Today was an emotional up and down. This morning my little blue boy I watched most of yesterday came to say good morning but didn’t dance for me. When I say dance When he was younger in his prime….magnificent it made me feel like a teenager at a Beatles concert swooning. He came  to my fingers for breakfast but only ate one bite then swam rubbing against my fingers like always. I have noticed him slowing down the past couple weeks. He is the first guppy I ever bought around almost 3 years ago.  He was there in a group but the only one that came and danced for me so impulsively I bought him. Two days later I drove two hours to the only store I could find with females in stock to retrieve two girlfriends for him. Hooked on guppies ever since. Ironically he is the last guppy I have left that I purchased. All my remaining guppies were born in my tanks.  I got home from my lfs today and he had passed away.  He had a good life and brought me endless joy RIP little boy❤️ I consider it one of life’s tender mercies that I got to spend all day with him yesterday. This was this morning

As the new season begins…next book in this series is now titled 

GUPPYSNAIL…THE UNINTENTIONAL PLECO FARMER 👩‍🌾 

I had my big ugly cry while doing a 50% wc on his tank and adding some more aq coop water sprite.
I finished and looked over to find my boy and girl pleco in the cave AGAIN. Their mating looks nothing like I read on the internet about boys trapping girls. She is a princess. Again this time she lays on top of his cave while he cleans. He pokes his head out and looks at her and she swims in to inspect. He swims in with her and she swims out and looking chagrined he returns to cleaning furiously.  This dance has gone on all day so I’m going to have eggs again any day. 🤦‍♀️
babies are doing great I moved the food a bit to give mom & dad some room

New pygmy cory are amazing not a single casualty 16/16 healthy beautiful active. My first two groups are doing great as well. Apiece of the coop sprite broke off as I was putting it in so I gave part to the pleco and part to the juvenile girl guppies

 

I feel blessed with every moment these graceful creature share my life. 

OH…HERE IS PICS of the plant tank with my snails and guppies at the lfs. I couldn’t get a pic of the guppies but did catch some other fish in there

. The sign changed a bit but it’s still there 😁

Enjoy your fish! Happy adventures!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

So sorry to hear about your Blue Guppy loss. We are lucky to have them in our lives for the time we get them. 

Your plecos are BEAUTIFUL! I wish I could get one from you!!!

(love the snail NFS!!)

Edited August 27, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX
1 more thing.

[Guppysnail]

On 8/27/2021 at 7:08 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

So sorry to hear about your Blue Guppy loss. We are lucky to have them in our lives for the time we get them. 

Your plecos are BEAUTIFUL! I wish I could get one from you!!!

(love the snail NFS!!)

Thank you. I wish I could give you 40-50 of them. First batch guesstimate 60-80 now another I have to find alternatives my lfs cannot support that many. They have 9 tanks plus a plant tank and 5 gal glow fish tank. 

[SWilson]

What a beautiful story and perspective. Mr. Blue Guppy was beautiful.  Thanks for sharing and I'm sorry for your loss. Agree, your plecos are stunning and what an adorable courtship!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Yeah I thought I had it "bad" with 60 Otos! 

[Guppysnail]

On 8/27/2021 at 7:15 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Yeah I thought I had it "bad" with 60 Otos! 

😳

[Patrick_G]

So sorry about boy blue. We’re attached to our first male, the fabulous Jonathan Van Ness. I’ll probably take my batch of mutts to the LFS this fall, but Jonathan must stay. 

[Guppysnail]

It is official.  The courtship was successful.  I have another clutch of pleco eggs. I see why they are considered invasive.

[Hobbit]

So sorry that your blue boy passed away. It’s a blessing that he got to live out his full life with you and all the girlfriends you brought him! ❤️ 

Very exciting that all your pygmy cories survived—and that you have so many pleco babies! You are making out to be a great farmer!

[Torrey]

@Guppysnail your plecos are gorgeous!

 

Our lfs would probably buy from you and pay for shipping, the fish manager was just talking to me asking if I would start breeding bristlenose and panda corys for him.

 

If you are still struggling to get the frogbit growing fast enough to keep nitrates down *and* not have guppies devour it, try putting it in the tote that isn't fish safe.

Try lights on for 5 hours, 3 hours off, and back on for 5 hours, and add liquid fertilizer every other day.

 

Once the roots are over 6" long, and new growth is solidly established, return to the tank. I literally just transferred almost a 5 gallon bucket worth from the T 4' tank to the turtle pond, because the frogbit finally recuperated from the guppy nibbles and took over the top of the tank.

[Guppysnail]

On 8/30/2021 at 12:47 AM, Torrey said:

@Guppysnail your plecos are gorgeous!

 

Our lfs would probably buy from you and pay for shipping, the fish manager was just talking to me asking if I would start breeding bristlenose and panda corys for him.

 

If you are still struggling to get the frogbit growing fast enough to keep nitrates down *and* not have guppies devour it, try putting it in the tote that isn't fish safe.

Try lights on for 5 hours, 3 hours off, and back on for 5 hours, and add liquid fertilizer every other day.

 

Once the roots are over 6" long, and new growth is solidly established, return to the tank. I literally just transferred almost a 5 gallon bucket worth from the T 4' tank to the turtle pond, because the frogbit finally recuperated from the guppy nibbles and took over the top of the tank.

Thank you. I love them. They are definitely water puppies.  Thank you so much for this information. I’m definitely worried about what to do with all the pleco babies since that many would overwhelm my lfs. I just set up a grow out tank for them. I’m going to list them places as local pick up only to start because I do not know how to ship fish safely.I have ordered enough so I could probably figure it out though.  If that does not work I may message you for info. I’m going to put the frogbit in a tote today. 
I actually want the frogbit because I think the roots are so pretty. That’s why I cringe when guppies eat my roots 😟

my hornwort that was struggling from not enough nitrates since I added pothos I put in the tote for a bit with liquid calcium from your name that plant post. I added a ton of easy green and it took off now it back in my guppy grow out and trying to take over the world. 😁

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

If you can network with a local breeder who does ship you may be able to work something out with them either purchasing or just shipping for you to help move the plecos. They go fast on Aquabid typically.

[Guppysnail]

This week I feel like I have not contributed much useful to the forum. I have been so busy playing musical aquariums utilizing so many of the great ideas I’ve gotten on here. I feel like a stalker this week as the only time I’ve really had I’ve been here gleaning more ideas I needed. Starting to feel like my signature should be

I COMES TO STEAL YOU IDEAS 🥷🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing freely your fabulous ideas and wasn’t sure where to put it so I put it here 😁

[Patrick_G]

Feel free to steal my ideas since I mostly stole them from Cory, Irene, Ryo and MD fish tanks 😀

[Guppysnail]

Crazy musical aquarium week…

it was my birthday so I figured hubby would not say anything about me putting up another 20long.  Thank goodness I was right 😁 he helped me move the funny tank off the dresser to a nightstand. I managed to get this up and running without buying anything.  I scavenged 3 coop sponges and a hob from running tanks that I keep as extras for just this sort of impulse. I also found a brand new Aqueon I don’t even know what it was from in the closet.  Pulled out an old glass heater. (Did order a replacement Aqueon pro so baby pleco don’t get burned). Pulled substrate out of tanks and put in a mesh bag inside a mesh breeder. I also marinated some bio max in a mesh bag in their current tank. Robbed tanks for plants and used every tiny shoot of a plant from my plant grow tub. Some too small I stuck in the mesh breeder along with some frogbit and pothos from their current tank. 

I left it set up for 24 hours and added my 10 oldest juvenile female guppies

I was so pleased usually when I do this I still get a trace of nitrite not even .25 but a trace…this time nothing 😁 and here starts the rolling credits for the delightful ideas I stole from the wonderful folks on here. I ordered a ziss breeder (idea from @Atitagain to put the pleco babies in while first in the new tank and to transfer them to the new tank. I also am all about the basket idea again from @atitagain since my fish room has ended as a second room with two tanks. 

@Hobbit I ended up using zip ties instead of rubber bands under the beads since they will be in my tanks longer than it takes the rubber bands to deteriorate.  Via this idea I was finally able to create elodea forests in 3 tanks and a hornwort Forrest in the funny tank thanks to @Torrey for the calcium tip. I moved it all to guppy tanks and it swallowed the tank 😁

the CPD think I made them a new playground. The CPD fry I rescued to the Pygmy tank is doing amazing thanks to @GameCzar for turning me onto sera micron I ordered from coop (man I wish I knew about that stuff when I was breeding CPD). 
like I said I have been stalking ideas. Thanks again folks. 
Pygmys love their home and I love them. I couldn’t get a picture of them all they are too fast

pleco babies are doing amazing. Dad had a small clump of eggs stuck to his tail? I was going to hatch but noticed a few didn’t look right so I discarded them. 

I sold 25 shrimp to the lfs and I was horrified.  In the bag with the shrimp was a baby pleco. Those things stick to everything like Velcro. I brought him home he is fine. I found 5 guppy fry in my sorority grow out so I obviously did not separate someone soon enough. I separate the day i cal tell but old eyes are slow eyes I suppose. It’s not letting me add more photos hmmm I’ll make a second post I suppose.

HAPPY ADVENTURES 

[Guppysnail]

I redid the guppy community to get rid of the artificial decor I had for plant height because my plants are tall enough now. 

I chopped a decent chunk out of my finger cutting zip ties I’m a clutz so if you ever need to work in your tanks injured duct tape and rubber gloves really work  it was my week long fashion accessory 🤣

[GameCzar]

Yay I was helpful! 🙂  

[Guppysnail]

On 9/1/2021 at 7:24 PM, GameCzar said:

Yay I was helpful! 🙂  

ALWAYS 😁

[Atitagain]

one hand washes the other @Guppysnailim stealing the bar with the hooks! Where did you get that? Love the hooks seems to work great.

and I’ve only glanced at your journal. When I get more time I’ve got a few journals I want to read and yours was already at the top of the list. I can’t wait till I have plant growth like yours but I’ve only been using plants 6-8 months, still learning but as long as I stay on top of it seems to be getting easier.

[Guppysnail]

On 9/1/2021 at 7:33 PM, Atitagain said:

one hand washes the other @Guppysnailim stealing the bar with the hooks! Where did you get that? Love the hooks seems to work great.

and I’ve only glanced at your journal. When I get more time I’ve got a few journals I want to read and yours was already at the top of the list. I can’t wait till I have plant growth like yours but I’ve only been using plants 6-8 months, still learning but as long as I stay on top of it seems to be getting easier.

I stole that idea from @Hobbit I got mine on amazon. This forum is so awesome.