HS Classroom Tank Journal!

[Betsy]

@OceanTruth - I had such high expectations for the local stores!!  There's still one in Belmont that I want to check out...but four stores in...I'm not driving to Belmont.

I feel like we (really...I) need an emotional online plant purchase confessions thread!  😅🤣

I just placed an order online - drowned my local store sorrows in a coupon code and some:

• Golden Nesaea (looking for some color and shade!)
• another Anubias Nana Petite (stinkin' cute)
• some Lesser Creeping Rush (want some texture in the front...I'm a little intimidated by moss and they didn't have any Hydrocotyle tripartita 'Japan')
• and some nerite snailsssssss (which is really what I was after today!  I blame @Brandy 😂👍)

[OceanTruth]

27 minutes ago, Betsy said:

 I feel like we (really...I) need an emotional online plant purchase confessions thread!  😅🤣

I just placed an order online - drowned my local store sorrows in a coupon code and some:

Lol. That's too funny, because I've been there.

Aquarium plant coupon codes are too tempting! Even if I don't think I really need any more plants, I still want to punch that darn code in.

Anubias nana petite is the best. I almost always add at least one if I need to order plants. Although lately I've been cheating on them with Bucephalandra. They're just like anubias, but double, triple the price! Why?!?! Lol.

[Betsy]

2 minutes ago, OceanTruth said:

Anubias nana petite is the best. I almost always add at least one if I need to order plants. Although lately I've been cheating on them with Bucephalandra. They're just like anubias, but double, triple the price! Why?!?! Lol.

Almost bought two nana petite!  They really are the best!!!  If there were buy 2 get 3 free...I'd probably buy the whole farm! 😂 

I also looked reallyyyy hard at the buce!  SO many different varieties and SO pretty!!! I have this feeling Bucephalandra is in my future...but you are right!  (They need a buy 2 get 3 free sale, too!) 💸🤣💸

 

 

[Betsy]

Started working on a quarantine tank today (cleaned an old critter container and added one of my old tiny HOB filters that I fitted with a coarse sponge)...probably should have started this last week.  Used some of the water from my planted tank and will probably add in the last 5 mL of my starter bacteria tomorrow to see if I can get something productive to happen.  I've got a tiny heater coming and another small bottle of the Fluval Cycle stuff on the way...and yeah!  I can't wait for my two nerite snails to arrive!!!  (Oh...and the plants, too!)

When y'all quarantine snails, do you use all three of the quarantine meds?  

Also...I busted out my Silhouette machine, and I think this qualifies as a NERM ALERT! 🤓😜:

Also...super pumped to report that I am seeing new growth in the planted tank!  The Windelov seems very pleased.  I think cutting the light from 9 hours to 8 hours was a good move (although, I'm not sure that two days is a long enough amount of time to really tell)...I don't see any additional algae growth on the golden anubias.

Still on the hunt for the perfect betta!!

Happy Monday, friends!!

[Socqua]

Very exciting. Regarding quarantining snails, I personally don't medicate them. I think you'll find most people don't, but I certainly won't speak for everyone here. Quarantine and monitor is always smart, and meds probably won't hurt. But, seeing as though this is the first critter in your tank, I would just drop them in and keep an eye on them. Definitely not going to stop you though, especially when you went to all that nerminess to silhouette label it lol, and you can do all three meds if you so desire.

Also, because your tank is so new you might have to increase the lighting again soon to make sure they have enough algae.

Also also, I personally wouldn't even quarantine your betta when you add it. I'd just add it in (after acclimation) and keep an eye on things. Others will probably suggest you medicate, so feel free to get other opinions and ignore me 😁

[Betsy]

@Socqua - this all sounds like great advice!!!  I was waffling on quarantining the snails...and then I went down a YouTube rabbit hole...and I'm pretty sure YouTube made me paranoid, haha!  The vendor I got them from seems to have a really good reputation, so I'm sure they'll be fine.  I'll probably judge by the plants...if the plants arrive and they look sad, then I'll quarantine the snails! 😂

I will definitely be sure to turn up the lights for the little guys!! 🐌🐌

Thank you for your help!! 

(Also...I'm totally breaking out the silhouette again once they have names! 🤓)

[OceanTruth]

Looks like you're all set up for some livestock. :) I also don't quarantine snails, much less give them meds. Maybe I should be doing that, but I have never done it.

I am also on the hunt for a betta fish! Hard to choose, but I feel like when I see the "right" one, I'll just know it and jump all over it without hesitation.

[ChemBob]

I believe in some of the quarantine and med trio videos, Cory says he doesn't quarantine snails or shrimp. I think only one of the meds does anything with them as well, but can't remember which one. I don't quarantine s ails or shrimp, granted I only have 2 tanks and a very limited base of experience. I have started to quarantine fish since nerming up the past year. Prior to that, I did not quarantine, and lost several fish, both new and established, when adding fish. 

[Betsy]

Y'all.  I found the betta!!  Ordered him this morning (left the browser window open last night and thought if I wasn't crazy about him in the morning, then I wouldn't buy him...obviously was still crazy about him!). 💸😂💸

He's a Koi Boy!: a Red Koi Galaxy Male.  I love his little white chin and the blue dots on his dorsal and caudal fins!

I'm concerned about shipping him because of the temps (our highs have been around 40F lately 🥶)...but I think they live in Virginia (?), so maybe the shipping will be speedy since I'm just down south in North Carolina.  They mentioned that they'd try to mail out next week...I let the seller know that I don't mind the wait for better weather and would wait even longer if needed.

The snails and plants arrive tomorrow! 🐌🌱

[Levi_Aquatics]

Super good looking aquarium! It is super exiting to see aquariums in classrooms all over! Keep up the good work! In regards to the shipping of the betta, if they include a heat pack and ship and pack it well the fish should be just fine. He looks great!

Edited February 2, 2021 by Levi_Aquatics

[OceanTruth]

Congratulations on finding a betta! He's a beauty. Can't wait to see him in his new home.

[Betsy]

Installed the snails today!  See if you can spot them! 🐌🤓🐌 They are lovely and I love them!

I think we're going to name the zebra nerite "Sig" and the tiger nerite "Figgy" after significant figures (a topic in our current unit that carries through the whole course)...but the window is still open for a student to have a genius idea! 

I am going to stick some wet rocks in a sunny window (I hear that's a thing) and get some algae wafers to make sure they stay happy and fed.  I've had some hair algae crop up on the Windelov...I wonder if it's like cotton candy for snails. 🤔 The texture is right, haha!

I also ordered some plants from the same vendor.  I have been spoiled by the Co-Op, and I'm not sure that I can order plants from anyone else. 😂 

I don't like where I put the clump of Lesser Creeping Rush on the left...it blocks the cool hole in the driftwood.  So, I'll probably move that tomorrow...maybe I'll stick it behind the driftwood piece!  I may move the very petite nana petite as well...maybe down around the golden nana on the far left.

The Golden Nesaea did NOT like being shipped...at least, that's what I'm assuming happened because the leaves are falling off and the stems are not red like in the listing photo.  I contacted the seller about it (EXCELLENT customer service...they offered me a store credit, and I know where I'll be shopping if I want need more snails!!! 🐌😄🐌), and I stuck it in the quarantine tank to see if it'll recoup...it's not pretty enough for my planted tank (you see...I am now a plant snob...haha!).  I don't think it'll like not having substrate...maybe my coworker (who's about to set up a new tank) will want it. 🤞

And...I moved my stats to a Google Sheet.  I think Mondays will be water change days and Tuesdays will be fertilizer days.  Very productive Thursday!

Hope you all had a nice day!!!

PS - @OceanTruth - I'm excited for you to find your betta, too!!!  Pleaseeee post when you do! 😄👍

Edited February 4, 2021 by Betsy

[FrozenFins]

I got a snail for my betta tank too. They are SO cute!! All though my plants have small roots so he accidently will ocasionly rip up the plants.

[Ron Hudson]

Oh if only many thousands more teachers such as you!!!!  Lucky students!

[Betsy]

I knew snails could poop...but I had noooooo idea how much...it's astounding!!!  And I've only had them for four days!!! 🐌💩😳🤣

[OceanTruth]

2 hours ago, Betsy said:

I knew snails could poop...but I had noooooo idea how much...it's astounding!!!  And I've only had them for four days!!! 🐌💩😳🤣

They are little poop machines!!! Lol.

I’ve never had nerite snails, so I’m interested to know if they eat your hair algae. I have bladder, ramshorn, Malaysian, mystery, and Japanese trapdoor snails and they don’t seem to touch the stuff.

[Maggie]

Wow, I sure wish I'd had you as my chemistry teacher! The most memorable thing my wacky chemistry teacher did was to blow up his experiment. It was a small explosion, but all the sleeping kids woke up. It was probably on purpose, but he made it look like an accident and we all laughed at him. I loved chemistry anyway, but it sure would have been fun to combine with biology, which I hated (didn't want to cut open animals).

[Betsy]

@Maggie - I like to burn Doritos to measure the calories!  😈

Small, controlled explosions are always fun!  Thank you for the kind words! 😄👍

@OceanTruth - I hope they will eat my hair algae!! 💁‍♀️ It's all the way up on the tip top of the Wendelov...so I don't think they can reach it...maybe I'll grab some down for them and see what they do!  

I've got a mini update on the tank for today - I put in some Scarlet Temple in the back left...I think I'm officially out of space for plants!  I am also unsure if it will do well...I get a vibe that I may not be great at stem plants.

I also got a kH/gH test, and as expected...my water is softer than a cloud!  I don't even think I made it to 1 degree on the kH...and I barely made it to 3 degrees on the gH.  I put 1 oz. of crushed coral in a Co-Op plant bag (shout out to @Streetwise for the plant bag tip!) and stuck it in the HOB.  We will see what the numbers do...if they don't change by Thursday, I'll up it another oz.

I also kind of want to switch my heater out...I have it turned all the way up and I can't even get to 78F!

Happy Tuesday, friends!!

Edited February 10, 2021 by Betsy

[OceanTruth]

Great choice of plant. The scarlet temple really adds a pop of color in your tank.
Don’t worry too much about stem plants. They look a bit funky at first, leaning and bending in weird directions when you first plant them. They might lose some leaves in the beginning as well. After they adjust to your water though they’ll really get going. A couple of trims and replants later, it will start looking amazing.

[FrozenFins]

As long as you have a nutrient based substrate (which looks like you have) or some root tabs, or both. The stem plants should do fine after the melting back stage.

I have some monte carlo in my betta tank with a nutrient riched substrate, I have never dosed any ferts in that tank. Probably one of my easiest planted tanks.

[Streetwise]

Cheers @Betsy, I think reusing stuff is part of the positive spirit of our hobby.

[Betsy]

The betta has arrived! 🥳

His colors were wayyyy muted from the journey, but after acclimating him and letting him bee-bop around...he's starting to color back up really nicely!

Now...to pick a name!

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Betsy
Added a video for funsies!

[Socqua]

I was trying to be nerdy and combine Hydrogen atom (red) and Oxygen atom (white) into some name, but the best I got is HO which is pretty lame. Maybe your students will have better ideas!

Beautiful fish and tank, has to be just about "complete" right? (No tank is every complete)

[Betsy]

@Socqua - I like where your head's at!!!  I'd really like the name to apply to the course!  So, anything to do with the elements would be perfect!

If the Scarlet Temple survives...I think I am satisfied!

I guess this means I'll need to get another tank! 😜  I'd loooove to do a lidless!

My husband even said, "So...how much maintenance is one of those?" I think that's code for "When are you going to put together one of those for us?"...right? 🤣

[Socqua]

I mean you could go with OH 😆.

I think he's even asking for you to teach him so he can help with the maintenance! You got one tank "for your students" and now you can get another "for your husband."