Ninjoma Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 I've been posting my photo updates on the Facebook group, so I figured I would use the forum to do journaling. It will also be nice to have my photos centralized so I can look back on them. I currently have 5 tanks: #1 10g with ember tetras, guppies, cherry shrimp and ramshorn snails. -I recently moved over some of the colorful guppy fry from my brackish tank to act as dither fish for my shy ember tetras. -I'm working on growing out some of my ludwigia rubin cuttings for the background plants. I also sorta don't like how the melon sword doesn't go all the way to the top of the tank, so I am trying to grow some hygrophila behind it. I may just go back to suction cupping a floating plant back there. -I swapped the kedagang that was on the center rock with the black pearl that was on the right log so it is more symmetrical with the left log that also has kedagang. -I've been struggling to deal with planaria in this tank, that I think is preventing my shrimp for repopulating. I've tried expel-p a few times, and am currently finishing a dose of prazicleanse, which also doesn't seem to be doing the trick. Going to try "no planaria" next week. #2 16.9g + penn-plax trutle topper brackish paludarium with guppies, gold claw fiddler crabs, indonesian batik fiddler crabs, a red claw crab, nerite snails, amano shrimp and ghost shrimp. -These pictures are a bit dated because I didn't have a chance to take photos today. -Figuring out what plants will work in a brackish tank has been a process. Most of my anubias has rotted and died, and most of my crypts melted all the way back. Some of the crypt parva is hanging in there. Some of bolbitas fern seems to be doing well. Val, hornwort and maybe even my rubin sword and hygrophila are thriving. I'm going to try micro sword for the foreground, since it is supposedly one of the most brackish tolerant plants. "King" "Crabby" #3 29g with an angelfish, german blue rams, platies, honey gourami, ottos, kuhli loaches. -This tank is my closest to being "complete." My water sprite died off when I raised my temperature in preparation for my blue rams, so I have been working on replacing them. Currently trying a green rotala on the left and hygrophila pinnatifida on the right. Other than that, I am happy with where the tank is "Derp" (my partner painted this for me for my birthday) #4 40g breeder with a fancy goldfish, bristelnose plecos, zebra danios, swordtails, peppered corys, mystery snails, and apisto borelli. -My orange and black goldfish Jasper recently died of dropsy, which was heartbreaking, so am moving away from keeping goldfish for the foreseeable future. -I recently added a black mystery snail "chocolate chip", so now I just need a chestnut mystery snail and I will have one of every color combination. -No particular goals for this tank. I have a lot of slow growing plants, that I am curious to see how they will shape up. "Jasper" (RIP 😭) and "Ruby" "Phantom" "Chocolate Chip" #5 75g with pearl gourami, roseline sharks, siamese algae eaters, flagfish, reticulated hillstream loaches, bolivian rams, a rainbow shark, indian lilac crabs, CPO crayfish, a blue kong zebra crayfish and amano shrimp. -Recently moved the log on the right in front of the dwarf sag because it was being completely blocked. I decided to add repens in front of the log, because I saw some nice ones at my LFS. -Decided to use larger anubias species for the top of the center cave instead of the nana petite that was there. "Mortimer" 2 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 Your tanks are show stoppers. I wish I had half of your green thumb. Im looking forward to reading more about your crabs. The only tank my hubby ever recommended we get another tank was for crabs. I don’t know much about them so I backed out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 These tanks look amazing! I want those guppies for my new fishroom. Such beauties 😄 I'm looking forward to see more in the future Keep up the good work♥ Also I always wanted to have that madagascar lace plant, but I remember reading they go dormant above 25C. Have you ever faced any issues, or does your tank ever reach those temps? 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted May 25, 2023 Author Share Posted May 25, 2023 On 5/25/2023 at 2:13 AM, Lennie said: Also I always wanted to have that madagascar lace plant, but I remember reading they go dormant above 25C. Have you ever faced any issues, or does your tank ever reach those temps? Yeah, I had a lot of issues keeping the plant in warmer temperatures. I ended up getting a chiller for the tank just for that plant and it started errupting with big beautiful leaves. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 On 5/25/2023 at 7:57 PM, Ninjoma said: Yeah, I had a lot of issues keeping the plant in warmer temperatures. I ended up getting a chiller for the tank just for that plant and it started errupting with big beautiful leaves. Well, I better don’t even consider having it ever :,) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted May 25, 2023 Author Share Posted May 25, 2023 On 5/25/2023 at 1:55 AM, Guppysnail said: Im looking forward to reading more about your crabs. The only tank my hubby ever recommended we get another tank was for crabs. I don’t know much about them so I backed out. What are you hoping to know about them? I'm happy to answer any questions. I got some decent photos of my gold claw fiddler crabs today. Still need to get some photos of my red claw crab and Indonesian batik fiddler crabs though. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 On 5/25/2023 at 5:59 PM, Ninjoma said: What are you hoping to know about them? I'm happy to answer any questions I’m just hoping to learn about their behaviors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted May 25, 2023 Author Share Posted May 25, 2023 On 5/25/2023 at 3:06 PM, Guppysnail said: I’m just hoping to learn about their behaviors. My fiddler crabs have been really chill scavengers. They behave pretty similarly to shrimp, walking and climbing all around and eating bits of everything including algae. They aren't shy, but they do get startled easily, especially when they are on land. So if you move near them quickly or sometimes when you just walk in the room they will make a mad dash. I haven't seen any agression towards my shrimp or guppies, unless they touch the crabs, then they kick them away with their legs and continue about their business. I have seen the males battle once by grabbing eachothers big claw, but neither were injured. The males will sometimes dance or wave to court females. They are also escape artists. I have found them on my floor in various rooms multiple times. Red claw crabs are known for being more predatory and aggressive, so they aren't a reccomended community member. I started with a very small female crab, who was missing a claw to hopefully minimize any aggression. She is a bit more terratorial than the other crabs, and messes with my ramshorn snails, but seems to mostly stick to herself on top of the pre-filter sponge or scavenge like the other crabs. The Indian lilac crabs mostly find a spot to hang out and chill sometimes in the water sometimes out of it during the day, but will also occasionally cruise around the tank. They seem to ignore my fish and other inverts so far, but do eat small snails. They don't seem to get startled by my presence. 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 Oh my. I am enchanted with the fiddlers. Thank you so much for sharing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 Super cool mate Do they have names? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted May 25, 2023 Author Share Posted May 25, 2023 On 5/25/2023 at 4:12 PM, Lennie said: Super cool mate Do they have names? The female is named Lulu, the males are Crabby (larger light colored claw) and King (smaller darker orange colored claw) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 On 5/26/2023 at 2:19 AM, Ninjoma said: The female is named Lulu that's what my sister would name hers She loves the name Lulu! 😄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted May 26, 2023 Author Share Posted May 26, 2023 I got my microsword today. I hope it solves my brackish foreground woes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted May 26, 2023 Author Share Posted May 26, 2023 Did some work on my brackish paludarium today. -I've decided to give up on crypts. Most of them metled away and the ones that didn't seem to have rotting roots. I also am very inpatient, so I don't like relying on slow growing plants. -I planted micro sword in the foreground yesterday. It is supposed to be one of the most brackish tolerant plants, so I am expecting it to work out well. I am a little bit worried about my twinstar b-line lamp not providing enough light, so I may move it closer to the front if the micro swords are struggling. -My rubin sword seems to be doing quite well, so I decided to move one of my other swords from my 75g to fill out the right side. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted June 3, 2023 Author Share Posted June 3, 2023 Finally got an okayish picture of my red claw crab "scarlet." She's elusive! Got some more good pictures of my gold claw fiddler crabs. They're very not elusive! Found a surprise baby reticulated hillstream loach in my 75g. The guppy fry I moved to my 10g are getting more beautiful every day. I also added a bunch of my guppy fry to my 10g. I was hoping they would act as dither fish for my roseline sharks and siamese algae eater who like to hang out under my madagascar lace and don't really utilize the rest of the tank. Nothing seems to have changed so far. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neitherman Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 Your tanks are stunning! I can't get over how lush and green your monte carlo carpet is. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted June 3, 2023 Author Share Posted June 3, 2023 I finally got some actual good photos of my red claw crab this morning. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted June 6, 2023 Author Share Posted June 6, 2023 In my never ending quest to be satisfied with my background stem plants, I've removed my hygrophila pinnatafida in my 29g and replaced it with hygrophila siamensis trimmings. I just want something nice and bushy to cover line of sight to the powerhead. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted June 6, 2023 Author Share Posted June 6, 2023 Got this cute video of one of my Indian lilac crabs emerging from one of their hiding spots. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 In case anyone likes watching my crabs as much as me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 On 6/8/2023 at 11:15 AM, Ninjoma said: In case anyone likes watching my crabs as much as me. Did he eat that ramshorn? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Absolutely beautiful tanks @Ninjoma! Lovin the little crabs for sure! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjoma Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 On 6/8/2023 at 8:48 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said: Did he eat that ramshorn? Maybe 🙄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 On 6/8/2023 at 11:53 AM, Ninjoma said: Maybe 🙄 He totally did. The ramshorn was chillin on a piece of grass and never saw the impending doom...🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 The crabs are very interesting. These one don't need a land area like vampire crabs? Also are they safe for fishies and snails? Anything with pinchers except dwarf crayfish scare me to try them in case it hurts anything. Especially when fish are sleeping during night time >_> Showing some karate moves here: On 6/8/2023 at 6:15 PM, Ninjoma said: 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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