Gailey!!! Need fish help!

[omieluv]

Date: 7/15/2009 1:36:49 PM
Author: diamondgirl4382
MC--the biowheel is a good filter. That''s what I have on my 33 gallon. Beneficial bacteria grows on the wheel part so just keep an eye on it to make sure it is always turning (if it stops and the bacteria dries out, it will die and your tank will be thrown back into a cycle!)

This has not been true in my experience. I have never owned an Eclipse filter on my larger tanks and they made it through the cycle in roughly the same time as my DF''s tank that has 2 Eclipse filters (he has a 75 gal). There is plenty of surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow in the gravel + filter pad and on decorations that will be added to the tank. In fact, I tossed out the bio-wheel in my 5 gal Eclipse because the splashing made so much noise.

I am not advocating that MC toss out her bio-wheels, however, as bacteria will grow on the bio-wheel. Just pointing out that the world will not come to an end if the bio-wheel stops turning. With 1 danio, the impact of taking out the bio-wheel mid cycle will not be heavy.

Not trying to start a debate on this issue, just sharing a different experience.

 

[omieluv]

Date: 7/15/2009 11:11:18 AM
Author: MC
Yes, the weight of the tank is a huge deal . . .I had mentioned a month or so back that we move quite often and if we do so again, what are we to do with a huge tank? Even though I''d love one, it may simply not be practical at my stage in life.

I''ll look into the hornwort eventually. One small plant may be okay, but yes, I do not want to complicate with anything other than the fish.

Yesterday, for about an hour I sat and watched the Danio swim. It had looked earlier like she had fin damage, but upon watching her, I am sure now that her right fin has some sort of damage to it.

So, I give her Melafix and watch to see if n other symptoms of illness begin.

**** As you said, I need a larger tank for the Danio to thrive, however, if I just keep her in the 3-gallon tank, she will have some sort of life, and live for a while, right? If there isn''t possible for me to get a larger tank within, say five years, would it be better if I attempt to exchange her for a beta? This is what I need to find out!

Just quickly before I run off to wake up my kids - the Danio is doing very nicely this morning. She''s swimming around and as active as yesterday! I haven''t checked the water levels yet.

Thanks again everyone for all your help. Sorry I''m not responding to everything, but I''m reading closely and taking notes.

Glad to hear that your danio is doing well. Sometimes rips in fins can occur when transporting fish from the fish store to the new aquarium, which is why I suggest using stress coat when adding new fish. However, if the danio had developed fin rot or something related, Melafix would have been a good choice + a water change. Honestly, I would exchange the danio for a betta in a few weeks, after your tank cycles. Danios are hyper schooling fish and really require horizontal room to swim. Bettas and Paradise fish lounge, so a 3 gal should be fine.

The reason why I have not set up a tank larger than 35 gal is because I have been moving around quite a bit as well. In college, I owned a 2 gal tank from Walmart that housed a betta, which was very easy to transport. After college, I knew I wanted something larger, so I went with my 35 gal hex because of its shape and size. I have found that it is not a problem to transport, so I have stuck with it. I am not sure how much you move around, but I imagine a 20 gal tank would not be all that difficult to move around, nor is it too heavy when filled. I have moving my tank down to a science: First, buy a plastic bin from Target, drain half of the tank water into the bin, take out fish and place into bin, drain the rest of the tank. Place the gravel into another bin & keep it wet with some of its original water (this keeps the beneficial bacateria alive), keep the filter pad with the fish. Then I quickly set up the tank in the new location and add original tank water and fish. Of course, setting up the tank and adding fish needs to happen rather quickly, so the tank is the last thing I do in a move. I also use an airpump with air stone with the fish until I can get them back into the tank.

Regarding plants, I agree that you should work on one thing at a time. Hornwort is a simple option, but you can also look into java moss and java fern too, as they are "low-light" plants. Java fern is nice because it can be tied to tank decor and its roots will eventually secure the plant to the object. Should plants be a potential interest, I suggest looking at getting a 20 gal "long" tank as it has more surface area for fish to swim and it is shallow enough for light to reach the plants. It is a good plant "newbie" tank. Remember though, live plants are not necessary to maintain the water quality of your tank, which can be attained through mechanical filtration through your eclipse system and through biological filtration via beneficial bacteria that will develop in your aquarium.

You will find there are many opinions in the aquarium hobby, so keep that in mind when reading responses.

 

[omieluv]

Date: 7/15/2009 2:01:09 AM
Author: Gailey
I don't want to get into a long drawn out debate on the value of plants in a freshwater tank, and I am not advocating MC do anything more than add a bit of floating hornwort. It will help to oxygenate the water and sop up the nitrates. That's all. With a 3 gallon tank, she needs all the help she can get with water quality.

Fish don't need plants to thrive, but tanks can thrive with plants in them and a healthy tank means healthy fish. I'm not talking about cichlids here, I know they live in very plant barren lakes in nature.

The closest you can come to replicating conditions any particular breed of fish enjoy in nature, the happier and healthier they will be.

Just saying ....

I do not want to get into a debate either, however MC is new to the hobby and I can tell she wants to do the "right" things in order for her tank to do well. There are many opinions in the hobby regarding what the "right" things are, so I wanted to ensure that she knows that live plants are not necessary. I will agree with you in that tanks can thrive with live plants in them. However, it is important for MC to know that a tank can be healthy without live plants.

It is my view though that unless fish are "wild-caught," replicating the environment is really not a necessity for fish to thrive. Granted, you will want to know if the particular species needs places to hide, heavy cover, etc., however, what is supplied to meet these needs is not relevant, just as long as those requirements are met. Furthermore, to replicate conditions for most fish will mean that the water will need to be tanin laden from tons of driftwood, mud, etc., which is not pleasing to our eyes. Of course, you said you are an advocate of coming the "closest" you can come to replicating conditions, not exactly replicating conditions, to have a thriving tank. However, I do not think the level at which your tank thrives is a function as to how close you can come to replicating the conditions of the wild - unless we are talking wild caught fish that are sensitive to changes.

My tank is as "natural" as I can make it without going with live plants. I have driftwood, riverstones, natural gravel, etc. My water also has a tint of red from the driftwood. However, to each their own. For instance, I saw a beautiful tank decorated in white gravel and plants with platinum angelfish. It was very interesting and I have no idea how she kept it algae free, but she liked it and I found it beautiful, but would never want it for myself. So really, there are no "rules" as to how the tank should appear, just as long as needs of the fish are met (e.g., water quality, tank size, tank mates, food, etc.).

 

[omieluv]

Date: 7/15/2009 1:51:19 AM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 7/15/2009 1:33:06 AM
Author: omieluv

Date: 7/15/2009 1:27:35 AM
Author: Dancing Fire
tell me about it...

i had Discus in the late 60's,then a small saltwater aquarium in the mid 70's and breeded Discus in the late 70's-80's, then a 240 gal with saltwater tropical fishes and now i have a 180 gal with a 24' Arowana,plus a 10,000 gal koi pond in the backyard.

Sweet! I love discus, but my tank is not big enough (35 gal hex). My BF is thinking of switching from his SA cichlids and he has a 75 gal tank...hmmm....

Do you have pictures of your koi pond? It sounds lovely. I have also heard your koi are quite lovely, if you have pictures of them, please post!!

when i was breeding Discus i just put the mated pairs in 20 gal tanks. a 20 gal tank is all they need for spawning.

Beautiful pond!!!!!!!!!! 10K gallons, wow!! Your Koi live better than I do. I knew koi could demand high prices, but never knew prices go so high as 60K and I am going to guess the sky is the limit. They do live quite a while though, so at least you get them for a while.

Oh right, I know Discus do not need tons of room for spawning, but I just do not have room for a group of discus in my tank, as I understand they prefer living in schools (I could be wrong). I suppose a mated pair would be OK in my tank, but, I am concerned it would not be enough room for them.

 

[omieluv]

Date: 7/15/2009 1:50:48 AM
Author: Gailey

The asian fish keeper I aspire to be like is Takashi Amano. The man is a master, I have all of his books. One day ....

OMG, I love Amano's work....

Do you have pictures of your aquarium to share? I would love to see pictures of your planted tank(s).

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi everyone,

Wow, so much info. . .

My frustration over the Danio recommendation compelled me to return the fish. The split fin either occured in the fish store tank or during transport because it was like that last night and the ammonia levels were stable. The fish kept holding her fins tight toward her body and it took me about five minutes of close observation before I could tell for sure that the fin was injured. That isn't why I returned it (I've seen Finding Nemo), but because I felt it was wrong to keep a schooling fish in a small tank AND because when I called the pet store to ask what I was suppose to do long-term after the fish cycled the tank, the manager said to buy two more Danios!

The best choice appears to be a beta, but I decided on one male guppy due to it being more active than the beta. If it survives, then I'll look into getting some sort of small plant and another small tank companion for the guppy (a different type of fish because the guppies at that store were a bit nippy toward each other). I'm going to be very careful about monitoring the ammonia levels to be sure that at least I have partial control over the situation. If the fish doesn't make it, then I'll just get a beta.

The whole vaccuming the rocks is confusing me a bit. . .I guess I have a few weeks to decide which is best.

I'm so glad you all think the bio-wheel is great!

DF - You've posted pictures of your koi before and I've always admired them!

Oh, and I expected my cats to be glued to the fish tank, but they hadn't even noticed, so I put each of them up on the counter next to the tank and both cats just jumped down and walked off! I guess they are just more bird kitties. Thank goodness my son didn't ask for a parakeet.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/15/2009 2:31:56 PM
Author: omieluv

You will find there are many opinions in the aquarium hobby, so keep that in mind when reading responses.

Yes, I can see it''s a hobby where opinions easily heat things up. Much more so than whether or not to shop at Tiffany''s!

It''s going to take me a bit of time to read through and think about everyones'' responses. I''d like to research each concept before making any more moves.

It was rather stupid of me to just jump into purchasing a fish based on my son''s request. All my life I''ve owned cats and am use to them and how easy going they are, so I didn''t imagine that I would end up coming home with a creature I would actually return to a store, because I''ve never experienced a situation where I picked the wrong kind of pet. I feel it was extremely wrong of me to assume I would just buy equipment, a fish, plug it all in and all would live harmoniously.

 

[diamondgirl4382]

LOL, my cat doesn't care about the fish either. Actually, our cats look a lot alike! Here's a pic...

BTW, one of the best websites I've ever found for fishkeeping is www.badmanstropicalfish.com. There's lots of good info there.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/15/2009 4:59:32 PM
Author: diamondgirl4382
LOL, my cat doesn''t care about the fish either. Actually, our cats look a lot alike! Here''s a pic...

BTW, one of the best websites I''ve ever found for fishkeeping is www.badmanstropicalfish.com. There''s lots of good info there.

Oooh, he is so cute! It would be fun to start a thread on black and white cats like ours! Seems like a bunch of us have one (or more!).

What is your cat''s name? Mine''s "Half and Half." My husband calls him "leche y leche." It''s suppose to be Spanish for half and half, but we don''t know the translation, so it''s milk and milk!

Thanks for the website tip.

 

[Gailey]

Date: 7/15/2009 4:31:06 PM
Author: MC

Date: 7/15/2009 2:31:56 PM
Author: omieluv

You will find there are many opinions in the aquarium hobby, so keep that in mind when reading responses.

Yes, I can see it''s a hobby where opinions easily heat things up. Much more so than whether or not to shop at Tiffany''s!

It''s going to take me a bit of time to read through and think about everyones'' responses. I''d like to research each concept before making any more moves.

It was rather stupid of me to just jump into purchasing a fish based on my son''s request. All my life I''ve owned cats and am use to them and how easy going they are, so I didn''t imagine that I would end up coming home with a creature I would actually return to a store, because I''ve never experienced a situation where I picked the wrong kind of pet. I feel it was extremely wrong of me to assume I would just buy equipment, a fish, plug it all in and all would live harmoniously.

MC, don''t beat yourself up, we''ve all been there. In fact what you have started with is pretty much what most people start with. I think I said that my first tank was 20 gallons. It wasn''t, it was a 2 gallon hex. I didn''t have it up and running very long because, the fish died and then the frog died. It was only after that I discovered about the whole cycling thing. The fish store didn''t tell me. I think it was week two that I progressed to the 20 gallon. I had a marineland eclipse hood, worked like a dream!

I had a 5 gallon eclipse to for my beta. In the end I scrapped it because I had two tanks in succession that split in the middle of the bowed front, eighteen months apart. I now have George VI in a 5 or 6 gallon glass bow front tank with an aqua clear filter hanging on the back. I''ll try and take some pictures, but my Nikon 5700 sucks at indoor focussing.

 

[Gailey]

Date: 7/15/2009 3:04:28 PM
Author: omieluv

Date: 7/15/2009 1:50:48 AM
Author: Gailey

The asian fish keeper I aspire to be like is Takashi Amano. The man is a master, I have all of his books. One day ....

OMG, I love Amano''s work....

Do you have pictures of your aquarium to share? I would love to see pictures of your planted tank(s).

I do have some photos somewhere. I think they must be on the desk top. They are not recent pics, and they are not especially good. You think taking pictures of gems is difficult, trying to photograh a glass fish tank was challenging beyond belief!

Watch this space and I''ll see what I can dig up.

 

[Gailey]

Date: 7/15/2009 2:51:33 PM
Author: omieluv

Date: 7/15/2009 2:01:09 AM
Author: Gailey
I don''t want to get into a long drawn out debate on the value of plants in a freshwater tank, and I am not advocating MC do anything more than add a bit of floating hornwort. It will help to oxygenate the water and sop up the nitrates. That''s all. With a 3 gallon tank, she needs all the help she can get with water quality.

Fish don''t need plants to thrive, but tanks can thrive with plants in them and a healthy tank means healthy fish. I''m not talking about cichlids here, I know they live in very plant barren lakes in nature.

The closest you can come to replicating conditions any particular breed of fish enjoy in nature, the happier and healthier they will be.

Just saying ....

I do not want to get into a debate either, however MC is new to the hobby and I can tell she wants to do the ''right'' things in order for her tank to do well. There are many opinions in the hobby regarding what the ''right'' things are, so I wanted to ensure that she knows that live plants are not necessary. I will agree with you in that tanks can thrive with live plants in them. However, it is important for MC to know that a tank can be healthy without live plants.

It is my view though that unless fish are ''wild-caught,'' replicating the environment is really not a necessity for fish to thrive. Granted, you will want to know if the particular species needs places to hide, heavy cover, etc., however, what is supplied to meet these needs is not relevant, just as long as those requirements are met. Furthermore, to replicate conditions for most fish will mean that the water will need to be tanin laden from tons of driftwood, mud, etc., which is not pleasing to our eyes. Of course, you said you are an advocate of coming the ''closest'' you can come to replicating conditions, not exactly replicating conditions, to have a thriving tank. However, I do not think the level at which your tank thrives is a function as to how close you can come to replicating the conditions of the wild - unless we are talking wild caught fish that are sensitive to changes.

My tank is as ''natural'' as I can make it without going with live plants. I have driftwood, riverstones, natural gravel, etc. My water also has a tint of red from the driftwood. However, to each their own. For instance, I saw a beautiful tank decorated in white gravel and plants with platinum angelfish. It was very interesting and I have no idea how she kept it algae free, but she liked it and I found it beautiful, but would never want it for myself. So really, there are no ''rules'' as to how the tank should appear, just as long as needs of the fish are met (e.g., water quality, tank size, tank mates, food, etc.).

MC, you make some very good points and yes, there are many different routes to a successful tank. Probably the best route is time itself. As tanks mature, the problems gradually lessen. That''s what I found anyway.

I guess it will make you giggle when I say I that added Fluval Granular Peat to my tanks in the filter to raise the tannin level! I even have one tank with a soil substrate - loadsa mud!!

As to algae free tanks, here''s my algae army:
Amano Shrimp
Siamese Algae Eater
Otocinclus
Ameca Splendens - these are amazing algae eaters. They eat hair algae!

 

[diamondgirl4382]

My cat''s name is Rocky. He''s got such a good personality--tuxedo cats are awesome!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Update - I changed out 1/8th of the water this morning (not very much water!). The ammonia was around .50 and the guppy was hovering around the bottom. After reading a bunch last night about how often hobbiest lose their first fish, I decided that I would go against the grain and just change out a bit each morning to keep the levels slightly more balanced and hopefully preventing spikes. After changing the water, he has been doing a lot better.

Hopefully with a small amount of water, the beneficial bacteria still grow!

For some reason he keeps nipping at the filter. Attacking it and so forth.

 

[omieluv]

Date: 7/15/2009 4:31:06 PM
Author: MC
Yes, I can see it''s a hobby where opinions easily heat things up. Much more so than whether or not to shop at Tiffany''s!

It was rather stupid of me to just jump into purchasing a fish based on my son''s request. All my life I''ve owned cats and am use to them and how easy going they are, so I didn''t imagine that I would end up coming home with a creature I would actually return to a store, because I''ve never experienced a situation where I picked the wrong kind of pet. I feel it was extremely wrong of me to assume I would just buy equipment, a fish, plug it all in and all would live harmoniously.

Totally MC! There seems to be 2 categories people fall into when they are in the hobby: Fish Haver or Fish Keeper. Fish Haver''s stock their tanks with little regard to what the fish might need to thrive. The main goals of the Fish Haver are to have an overly stocked tank and to keep the fish alive. Fish Keepers tend to do what they can to create an environoment optimal for fish to thrive in. So, there are often heated debates between these two schools of thought. Then, there are several opinions on the Fish Keeper side of the spectrum, in terms of what the best environment for a fish to thrive in.

Many new people to the hobby make mistakes, as they soon find that establishing a healthy aquarium is not as easy as it seems. In my case, I was fortunate enough to have a mentor, but I would not be truthful if I told you that I did not make my share of mistakes. Funny you should mention owning a cat prior to the aquarium. In my case, I owned the aquarium first and then adopted a cat years late. I have been in the hobby for 15 years and just got a cat 4 years ago. When I went shopping for cat supplies, I was shocked in that so little was needed for my cat and very little research was required. Additionally, I could not believe that my cat demands less maintenance than my aquarium, so funny! I was expecting to have a project on my hands with a cat, but not so.

 

[omieluv]

Date: 7/16/2009 12:14:12 AM
Author: Gailey
you make some very good points and yes, there are many different routes to a successful tank. Probably the best route is time itself. As tanks mature, the problems gradually lessen. That''s what I found anyway.

I guess it will make you giggle when I say I that added Fluval Granular Peat to my tanks in the filter to raise the tannin level! I even have one tank with a soil substrate - loadsa mud!!

As to algae free tanks, here''s my algae army:
Amano Shrimp
Siamese Algae Eater
Otocinclus
Ameca Splendens - these are amazing algae eaters. They eat hair algae!

I totally agree. I have found that my aquarium is on cruise control, as it has been established for nearly 10 years. Though I have moved several times, my water chemistry always tested out the same, so I am very fortunate.

Peat is a great way to raise the tannin level, so is adding driftwood. Six months ago, I added 75lbs of driftwood to my tank and the tannins are just now starting to go away. Not that I mind a tint of red, as it gives the tank a natural feeling. How in the heck do you deal with mud?!

Otto''s are great for algea control. Never had amano shrimp, as I have always had angelfish and dwarf cichlids, but have read they are great cleaners. Fortunately, I do not get hair algae. My algae destroyer of choice is my dwarf albino bristlenose pleco...she is a great algae weapon.

 

[omieluv]

Date: 7/15/2009 4:59:32 PM
Author: diamondgirl4382
LOL, my cat doesn't care about the fish either. Actually, our cats look a lot alike! Here's a pic...

BTW, one of the best websites I've ever found for fishkeeping is www.badmanstropicalfish.com. There's lots of good info there.

Your cat is so cute!

My cat really does not pay attention to my fish either. However, there will be times where she will walk past the tank and look at the fish as if they had not been there before. Her eyes get big and watches the fish for an hour and then seems to forget about them for weeks....such an odd one, my cat is.

Badman's is a good site and another good site is www.aquahobby.com. Additionally, I have had great experiences at http://www.bigalsonline.com/ for fish supplies.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/16/2009 6:39:54 PM
Author: omieluv

Totally MC! There seems to be 2 categories people fall into when they are in the hobby: Fish Haver or Fish Keeper. Fish Haver''s stock their tanks with little regard to what the fish might need to thrive. The main goals of the Fish Haver are to have an overly stocked tank and to keep the fish alive. Fish Keepers tend to do what they can to create an environoment optimal for fish to thrive in. So, there are often heated debates between these two schools of thought. Then, there are several opinions on the Fish Keeper side of the spectrum, in terms of what the best environment for a fish to thrive in.

Many new people to the hobby make mistakes, as they soon find that establishing a healthy aquarium is not as easy as it seems. In my case, I was fortunate enough to have a mentor, but I would not be truthful if I told you that I did not make my share of mistakes. Funny you should mention owning a cat prior to the aquarium. In my case, I owned the aquarium first and then adopted a cat years late. I have been in the hobby for 15 years and just got a cat 4 years ago. When I went shopping for cat supplies, I was shocked in that so little was needed for my cat and very little research was required. Additionally, I could not believe that my cat demands less maintenance than my aquarium, so funny! I was expecting to have a project on my hands with a cat, but not so.

LOL!! thought i was on a koi forum and not PS.

 

[omieluv]

Date: 7/16/2009 6:57:05 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 7/16/2009 6:39:54 PM
Author: omieluv

There seems to be 2 categories people fall into when they are in the hobby: Fish Haver or Fish Keeper.

LOL!! thought i was on a koi forum and not PS.

No kidding!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/16/2009 6:39:54 PM
Author: omieluv

Totally MC! There seems to be 2 categories people fall into when they are in the hobby: Fish Haver or Fish Keeper. Fish Haver''s stock their tanks with little regard to what the fish might need to thrive. The main goals of the Fish Haver are to have an overly stocked tank and to keep the fish alive. Fish Keepers tend to do what they can to create an environoment optimal for fish to thrive in. So, there are often heated debates between these two schools of thought. Then, there are several opinions on the Fish Keeper side of the spectrum, in terms of what the best environment for a fish to thrive in.

Many new people to the hobby make mistakes, as they soon find that establishing a healthy aquarium is not as easy as it seems. In my case, I was fortunate enough to have a mentor, but I would not be truthful if I told you that I did not make my share of mistakes. Funny you should mention owning a cat prior to the aquarium. In my case, I owned the aquarium first and then adopted a cat years late. I have been in the hobby for 15 years and just got a cat 4 years ago. When I went shopping for cat supplies, I was shocked in that so little was needed for my cat and very little research was required. Additionally, I could not believe that my cat demands less maintenance than my aquarium, so funny! I was expecting to have a project on my hands with a cat, but not so.

Yep, cats are a cinch. Food, water, litter, and a lap to sit on and they are in heaven! The worst that happens is when you have two or more and they start bickering with each other! lol

Yikes as far as the: the fish haver and the fish keeper. . .not sure which category I''m in. As long as the little Guppy stays alive in the environment he''s acclimating too, I''ll be happy

It''s still just a bit over-whelming that he''s so vunerable in his little tank. I read earlier about tank cycling without a fish. . .thay may be what I''ll do if needed.

I''m also trying to find a good local reputable fish store to assist me rather than go back to a standard pet store.

 

[Dancing Fire]

MC
you need to kill enough fishes to be an expert Fish Keeper.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/16/2009 7:39:23 PM
Author: Dancing Fire
MC
you need to kill enough fishes to be an expert Fish Keeper.

Than I hope I never earn that title!!! lol I fed the guppy a bloodworm. He looks like he spits his food out. Is it that he''s only taking tiny bites and so it appears that he''s spitting it out or his he actually gaining some sort of food nutrition?

My husband wants to give it some beer

So much obsession over a tiny 3/4" creature!

 

[diamondgirl4382]

He should still be getting some nutrition from the food. No if he totally turns his back on the food and is not interested at all...that''s a bad sign!!

 

[Gailey]

Date: 7/16/2009 6:49:02 PM
Author: omieluv

Date: 7/16/2009 12:14:12 AM
Author: Gailey
you make some very good points and yes, there are many different routes to a successful tank. Probably the best route is time itself. As tanks mature, the problems gradually lessen. That''s what I found anyway.

I guess it will make you giggle when I say I that added Fluval Granular Peat to my tanks in the filter to raise the tannin level! I even have one tank with a soil substrate - loadsa mud!!

As to algae free tanks, here''s my algae army:
Amano Shrimp
Siamese Algae Eater
Otocinclus
Ameca Splendens - these are amazing algae eaters. They eat hair algae!

I totally agree. I have found that my aquarium is on cruise control, as it has been established for nearly 10 years. Though I have moved several times, my water chemistry always tested out the same, so I am very fortunate.

Peat is a great way to raise the tannin level, so is adding driftwood. Six months ago, I added 75lbs of driftwood to my tank and the tannins are just now starting to go away. Not that I mind a tint of red, as it gives the tank a natural feeling. How in the heck do you deal with mud?!

Otto''s are great for algea control. Never had amano shrimp, as I have always had angelfish and dwarf cichlids, but have read they are great cleaners. Fortunately, I do not get hair algae. My algae destroyer of choice is my dwarf albino bristlenose pleco...she is a great algae weapon.

By putting a thick layer of gravel on top. I''ve tried to copy my photos to the gallery, but there''s a glitch, so I''ll just post one or two until it''s sorted

 

[Gailey]

Date: 7/16/2009 8:41:39 PM
Author: MC

Date: 7/16/2009 7:39:23 PM
Author: Dancing Fire
MC
you need to kill enough fishes to be an expert Fish Keeper.

Than I hope I never earn that title!!! lol I fed the guppy a bloodworm. He looks like he spits his food out. Is it that he''s only taking tiny bites and so it appears that he''s spitting it out or his he actually gaining some sort of food nutrition?

My husband wants to give it some beer

So much obsession over a tiny 3/4'' creature!

I have so been there! Try a brine shrimp next!

 

[Gailey]

Gailey''s clowns

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/16/2009 10:34:02 PM
Author: Gailey
Gailey''s clowns

Gailey...nice looking Clown Loaches.

believe it or not, i had seen some 12" long Clowns at a local fish store.

 

[omieluv]

Date: 7/16/2009 11:06:00 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 7/16/2009 10:34:02 PM
Author: Gailey
Gailey''s clowns

Gailey...nice looking Clown Loaches.

believe it or not, i had seen some 12'' long Clowns at a local fish store.

I have seen them get big as well. They are such beautiful fish and look great in a school.

 

[Gailey]

Date: 7/16/2009 11:06:00 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 7/16/2009 10:34:02 PM
Author: Gailey
Gailey''s clowns

Gailey...nice looking Clown Loaches.

believe it or not, i had seen some 12'' long Clowns at a local fish store.

Thanks DF

Yeah, there''s an aquarium store in town that looks like the kind of place you should never set foot in. Run down, dirty, a bit smelly etc.,
But boy does that guy know about fish. He has a tank with huge clowns in.

I''m getting all excited about my fish and my tanks - they don''t get a lot of attention at this time of year. I think I might invest in some new clowns and yo-yos. It will mean setting up a quarantine tank, but that''s ok, got tanks coming out of my ears!

 

[omieluv]

Date: 7/16/2009 10:30:48 PM
Author: Gailey
By putting a thick layer of gravel on top. I''ve tried to copy my photos to the gallery, but there''s a glitch, so I''ll just post one or two until it''s sorted

Good idea! I have talked with plant enthusiasts who do not put a layer of gravel down & they are always complaining about how messy their tank can get when they are preening or transplanting.

So, I am guessing the plant gathers its nutrients from the mud via its roots & then the gravel layer secures the mud?