AllFishNoBrakes’ Journal

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 8/23/2023 at 7:47 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Is that tank row on the top bowing towards where the two tanks meet or is this like a fun camera trick?

Definitely exaggerated by the camera. They’re not exactly level, but it’s all good. There’s metal joists that support each level, and those tanks meet between 2 joists. Just a slight tilt, but it’s in one direction.
That top shelf is the only one that has plywood on it as I knew the 55 was going up there. Shelves are rated for 2.5k lbs, 10k for the whole rack 

Ya, we’ll see with the floaters/duckweed. I want to keep all the other floaters, and simply remove the duckweed that’s intertwined in them. I’m not expecting any changes, but we’ll see!

Edited August 24, 2023 by AllFishNoBrakes

[AllFishNoBrakes]

After the initial low dose of tannins here’s where we sit:

Not a blackwater tank yet, but definitely got a little dose of tannins. I’m resisting temptation to just pile in more botanicals as the wood hasn’t sank yet, and a gradual change is probably better for the fish. Also don’t want to overdo it as this is a deeper tank with with different lighting. 
 

Also, the Pea Puffs were being super cute today:

 

All the snail shells crack me up. Murder Beans just hovering over their previous victims. I figure with my water being so soft, it can’t hurt to leave them in and let them dissolve. 

Edited August 25, 2023 by AllFishNoBrakes

[TheSwissAquarist]

How’s Isshin doing?

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 8/27/2023 at 1:50 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

How’s Isshin doing?

He’s doing well! He’s super animated and always goes zooming whenever I go into the kitchen where his tank is. He’s definitely been a fun addition and has added life to the tank that sat dormant for a while until I found him. Thanks for asking!

[AllFishNoBrakes]

What up party people?

Just your standard Wednesday around here. Got started on the tanks earlier than usual, which means that I finished earlier than usual which felt nice. 
 

Wood in the 29 is finally water logged after a week. Got it kinda jammed together. Probably not in its final form, but feels good to have it down in the tank so I can play with it. My girlfriend said she’d help me arrange it next week. The hard part is two of the pieces are wide and since it’s a 29 gallon tank it’s not very big front to back. Might have to snip some branches, and I’m being sure to leave enough space on the left side of the tank so servicing the air stone and sponge filter isn’t a nightmare. 
 

Also dumped some liquid tannins in the tank. The past few times I’ve boiled botanicals I’ve ran a longer boil (15 minutes) with a 45 minute steep, and I’ve been collecting the “blackwater tea”. Probably dumped in 4 or 5 oz’s to start getting the tank darker. Also tore up another 3 big Indian Almond Leaves. Tried to not go overboard with the liquid tannins as the leaves will definitely add some more, but I really want the tank to start darkening up! Here’s some pics:

The one random orange shrimp is fun! Can definitely make the “scape” more interesting but the goal today was to just get everything that sank in between the plants and get a super rough draft. I can always tinker as we progress.

Really starting to dig this blackwater shelf:

Cheers, Nerms. Looking forward to continuing to play with the tanks. 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Another 24 hours later and we’re getting somewhere. Leaves have started to fall to the bottom and release more tannins. 

From here I’ll probably just continue chucking leaves in weekly. Might reduce the water change slightly, too. For years this tank has gotten 10 gallons every week. Might pull that back to like 7.5 gallons to preserve some of the tannins. 
 

Also, this Rainbow was looking dapper:

Him and his 3 ladies chillin in the c02 bubbles with the Cardinals. 

[TheSwissAquarist]

He’s really fired up! Time to add some spawning mops! 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

@TheSwissAquarist I actually had a mop in with them when they were in the 29. Definitely saw a few eggs, but never pulled them. Honestly put in 0 effort to try to hatch and raise some. 
 

Maybe one day, but my life is wild right now lol. I haven’t even hatched an Angel spawn in months. 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Behold, our first blue shrimplets:

 

Tiny little spec in the middle of the rock. As I started to look around, I saw a few more. 
 

In the initial batch, I think we only got 1 female. Definitely going to make building the colony take longer, but that’s alright. It will be satisfying knowing one little lady was responsible for the whole thing when it’s huge. 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

A day late, and a couple dollars (or LFS credits?) short, but that happens sometimes. 
 

Met my mom and her husband for dinner last night, so I sped through the maintenance on the tanks yesterday. Water changed everything and reset the air stones. Fertilized. Wrapped everything up, and then headed out. 
 

Today my girlfriend had an early appointment, but on the way home we stopped by favorite LFS #2. Cruised around the store and checked out what they had available. Went to buy some Hikari smaller bloodworms, but they were out. Bummer. 
 

Favorite LFS #1 wasn’t out of the question since we were already out, and they had the Hikari smaller bloodworms last time I was there, so we cruised on over. They didn’t have the Axelrodi Rasboras, but they did have the bloodworms! Scooped a couple of those up and paid with credit (I love getting stuff and not having anything come out of my bank account), and resisted temptation to bring home some Sparkling Gourami’s. Sparkling Gourami’s is originally what I wanted for the 6 gallon cube, but I think I want the Axelrodi more at this point. 
 

Check out the color difference between the 20 long (more mature) blackwater tank, and the still in conversion process 29 gallon tank:

20 long

29 gallon

Pretty interesting, at least I think so. 
 

Itching to get some fish back in the 6 gallon, and some new fish in the 29. Still undecided on the 29, though. Good thing I have nothing but time!

[TheSwissAquarist]

Are aquarium plants able to suck up tannins in the same way that they suck up ammonia?

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 9/7/2023 at 11:50 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Are aquarium plants able to suck up tannins in the same way that they suck up ammonia?

To the best of my knowledge, the answer is no. The only way(s) I know of to remove tannins are with water changes or carbon. 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Isshin seems to be a happy boy 🖤

 

This tank is super hard to take pictures of, hence why it’s rarely seen, but I couldn’t resist him up front showing off his bubble nest. 

[TheSwissAquarist]

Which tanks your favourite?

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 9/10/2023 at 8:23 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Which tanks your favourite?

That’s an excellent question, and one that’s hard to answer! It definitely switches around, and I like all of my tanks. Right now, I’d say either the 20 gallon long blackwater, or the 29 gallon Pea Puffer tank. So hard to pick between the two as they’re just so different from each other!

[AllFishNoBrakes]

What’s good everyone? 
 

Not gonna bore you with the water change details this time. Busted those out per usual. Boiled a nice chunk of botanicals and threw 80% of them in the 29 gallon. I’m ready to darken that bad boy up. Also threw a little poly fill in the small HOB to clear up the water a bit. I want dark water, but clear dark water. 
 

Took some photos as I was water changing today:

C02 crystals from the bottom of the diy canister. Always fun.  

The most pregnant Platy I’ve ever seen. I don’t think it’s Dropsy as it’s just the belly, and no pineconing of the scales. That belly is HUGE!

Looks like I now have 2 Amazon Swords producing more Amazon Swords. I’m running out of room for all these Swords!

[TheSwissAquarist]

Looking great as always! Aren’t CO2 crystals dry ice? Or is that Nitrogen? 

P.S. How would you advise dividing a medium sized tank into several grow outs? 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

@TheSwissAquarist I’m not sure what the chemical composition of those crystals are. I’m definitely not a chemist lol. It’s not dry ice as it would burn me if I touched it if it was. All I really know is that when the canister is out of gas, and I dump it out, there’s always this thin layer of crystals on the bottom that I need to get out of there. 
 

I’ve tried a couple different ways to divide tanks. I know here in the states they have some commercials options, but I didn’t like all the suction cups and the gaps that were left around the divider. Also gotta think about how small the fry are going to be, so any gaps or holes need to be smaller than the fry. 
 

The first time I used craft mesh, zip ties, super glue, silicone, and other craft supplies. That worked alright, but if the craft mesh got knocked out of the holder it was a nightmare to get back in. 

After that I used dense foam (still using it today) and it has worked pretty well. Every once in a while I have to reposition it slightly, but it works. Also creates a massive space for additional bacteria to live so that’s a plus. 
 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

How often do you think about buying something before you actually buy it? For me personally, as I’ve gotten older (I’m in my early 30’s) I’ve found it takes longer and longer for me to actually pull the trigger on buying something. I contemplate, and wonder, and look around, and try to find the best deal. Then, I have to force my girlfriend to convince me to spend money on myself lol. For her though, I don’t really care. She needs something? Let’s go get it! For myself, she has to convince me to buy it. 
 

I’m thinking about getting a Fluval 107 for the 29 gallon blackwater tank. That tank has never had the clearest of water, thanks to the Cory’s, a medium sponge filter, and a Tetra Whisper 10. However, the plants always hid it pretty well. Now, with very little plants, with the addition of tannins, additional botanicals constantly breaking down on the bottom, and the Cory’s I’m really not digging the cloudy water. I want it to be dark from tannins, not dark and cloudy. One of the LFS constantly has in their newsletter that their price is below MAP (so call the store!). If memory serves me correctly, it’s either $79.99 or $89.99. Seems hard to beat. Probably gonna pick that bad boy up on Thursday. 
 

I’ve never had a canister, so that alone sounds fun. I’m planning to do a 107 with a pre filter sponge, remove the carbon it comes with, and either a few layers of poly fil or some other additional media. I really think the finer polishing pad that comes with the filter will already do a nice job (especially with a pre filter sponge, and all the sponge already in the canister), but an empty tray seems like a missed opportunity. But then, additional media doesn’t really seem necessary and is just an unneeded additional cost. I’m heavily leaning towards poly fil, but I also don’t wanna service the thing all the time. 
 

Decisions, decisions 🤔. If you have experience with the 07 series let me know what you do!

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 9/19/2023 at 3:39 AM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

How often do you think about buying something before you actually buy it?

A month or two, unless I really need it. It’s sort of like contemplating another tank…

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/18/2023 at 6:39 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

For her though, I don’t really care. She needs something? Let’s go get it! For myself, she has to convince me to buy it. 

Very much the same way. I spend a lot of time trying to dive into the details... for her as well as Myself.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 9/19/2023 at 2:46 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

I spend a lot of time trying to dive into the details... for her as well as Myself.

Same. I’m thankful she does as well. I just have no problem being like “yup, you got it” when it comes to her. Definitely not the same for myself lol. 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Yesterday I noticed the male Pleco was sitting on some eggs. Today, the Panda Angels spawned! That part of the 55 that’s sectioned off is overflowing with life! I haven’t pulled either of the spawns. Honestly, I’m kind of curious what happens if I let nature take her course. Will I regret it? Perhaps. Will I learn something? Absolutely! We’ll give it a few days and see what happens. 
 

Also received the sponge intake filters for the Fluval 107, and I made a grave mistake. Everything I looked up online says the opening for the intake is .5”. I bought sponges that are .6” thinking that would give me enough clearance. Well, turns out the tubing might be .5”, but the strainer is definitely bigger. No worries, we’ll just rip that strainer off and hook a sponge directly to the intake pipe. Feels like a massive oversight, but at the same time, I’m not really sure I wanted the intake as deep into the tank as the strainer goes. 
 

All’s well that ends well. The quest for knowledge and understanding is never ending. I hope you’re having fun with your tanks, Nerms!

Edited September 23, 2023 by AllFishNoBrakes

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Whew, what a week. 
 

Skipped maintenance last week as I simply just wasn’t feeling it. I slept in (greatly needed) and just didn’t feel like spending 4 or 5 hours on the tanks. I removed some floating plants, topped some things off, messed with an air stone or two, but didn’t do the whole routine. 
 

This week, my girlfriend had surgery on Monday, and we thought we might, maybe, be staying overnight in the hospital. Figured we’d be out of there by Tuesday afternoon, back home, and would have the next 2 days to take care of her and get the tanks done as she was napping. Turns out we were there until Thursday night. Not what we were planning on, but it needed to happen, and honestly the team over there at the hospital was really awesome. Thankful the surgery went well, thankful for the people that took great care of her while we were in the hospital, and thankful to have her home and on the road to recovery. 
 

Yesterday, I was able to set up the Fluval 107. Felt intimidating, but honestly it’s pretty simple. Just like anything else, after you do it the first time it only gets easier from there. The tank was a mess, but the filter did a great job overnight! I woke up to water that was tinted, but not cloudy. 
 

Today I worked on every tank. Took all the media out of the canister to squeeze it out and continue collecting the debris in the water column. Scraped glass on the Pea Puffer tank, and trimmed back several of the Swords that desperately needed it. Put in some work, for sure, but I’m liking where the tanks are at. I think the duckweed is 99% gone in the 55 Angel tank, and as of today it’s about 98% gone in the 20 high next to it. Few more tanks to go, but I’ve definitely done some damage in those tanks, too. 
 

The 107 inspired me to add a different internal filter to the Pea Puffer tank. I need to give that tank some love. I’m looking forward to sprucing up the tank. It’s probably my tank that requires the most manual cleaning as no snails can escape the murder beans. Hoping a more powerful internal filter can help me keep the tank looking a little better. 
 

I think I’m going to take the tiny internal filter I pulled from the 29 gallon blackwater and stick it in the 20 long blackwater tank. The 20 long has run exclusively off a small ACO sponge filter the 3+ years it has been up and running. I figure it can’t hurt to have a little more sponge, a little more circulation in the tank, and using Poly Fil I should be able to polish the water like I was doing when it was in the 29. Without any bottom dwelling fish, it’s not nearly as cloudy as the one next to it was before the 107, but I’d love to see the dark brownish-reddish water be more polished. 
 

I’ve also been going back and forth with some things to add to the 29. I need to make some decisions and make a move, but I’m looking forward to doing something new. 
 

Cheers to sprucing things up and trying new things. Hope you’re enjoying your tanks!

Edited September 30, 2023 by AllFishNoBrakes

[nabokovfan87]

Those swords are just massive...

Very thankful to hear the medical stuff went well.  Send all the well wishes to her for us!