Gozer_1

I too am a certified applicator so you are in good company lol. Gotta do what ya gotta do. I hear ya about Cottonwoods or CottonwEEds as I like to call them. Our worst "enemy" is Kotia. That stuff just won't die.

Gozer_1

Well it's all clear now. Everyones doing fine and the waters great. I added 2 Cory cats and 2 tiny Emperors. 1 more Cory and I think my stock list is complete.

2 Gold Gouramis
2 Male Guppies
2 Cories (Will be 3)
3 Otos
6 Emperor Tetras.

Attached Images

45Feb1.jpg (482.0 KB, 33 views)

susitna-flower

Absolutly LOVELY! Your tank looks like it has a good balance between fish and plants. How do your nitrates run?

Gozer_1

Thank You.

This weeks Nitrate test results were some where around 0.02 or 0.03.

COBettaCouple

Love it! I remember when Triton was all alone.. Looks great now.

Gozer_1

My oh my, the last few weeks have been a down right tough bunch.The tank is looking pretty thin these days. All but the Crypts are very stressed or atleast were. The Vals took it the worst and the Ludwigia is none too happy. The mysterious worm from Walmart incident and resulting heavy medication and such took a heavy toll on the plant population. The Water Sprite is coming back nicely. It was mostly just in need of a trim. The same goes for the Ludwigia. In my tall tank the Ludwigia get spindley and shed a bazzillion leaves. I'm seriously thinking of replacing them. Maybe more Sprite or some Swords. My poor Vals have dwindled to few and far between. I removed the driftwood because it was crushing the Vals so they were already having a tough time. The treatment period affected them pretty bad. They're making a come back though. The Wendtii Crypts are just fine. I even moved one of them and it didn't melt at all. Hmmm The last bit of bad news is that Neptune has to go. The paint is bubbling up all over the place and has flaked off in places. Just don't want that in my tank. So, Horsey is king of the fish now. Oh well, Neptune is the reason I could fit the driftwood in very well so I may just switch them. On a lighter note. I added 2 more Cories for a total of 4 and at long last I got 2 Spotted Raphael Catfish. They are for the 150 but need to grow out first. Don't want them to be an expensive Oscar meal. The tank is officially overstocked lol. I said I wasn't gonna but Oh well I did atleast till the Raphs move out. The price for that is the algea problem I've been fighting.You can see in the picture I have some nice Beard algea I believe it's called. My poor Anubias is fighting it's way through the gloom to show it still has a flower lol. Poor thing, it's so hard to get that kind of algea off of the leaves.

Anyway, just thought I'd catch up. thanks for checking.

HatchetHaven

neverendingninja

That would be the reason for your stressed out plants and algae outbreak, unfortunately. You should look into dosing dry ferts.

http://www.rexgrigg.com/ferts.htm
http://www.rexgrigg.com/dosing.htm

Look into it. You won't regret it

Gozer_1

OK update time. I've been dreading this. As you may know I had a series of problems with this tank. I don't think my Nitrates are a problem. They barely show up on the test. 0.02 is pretty low. It all started with the worms. While treating the tank for worms my 5 yr old Gourami got an infection. I got it cleared up but it would come right back. Over the last week or so he began getting thinner and started losing color. By this point nothing would clear him up. Sadly, I felt I needed to put him to rest. It was a tough choice but he was very ill. I needed to think about the wellfare of the other tankmates and he wasn't going to make it in the 10 gal hospital. 5 is a fair age for a Gold Gourami and I'm guessing his immune system just gave in. He lived a wild life including a short while rooming with a very small Oscar and some large Iridescent sharks. Big tanks and little tanks. He was notably happiest in this tank. Live plants make a major difference for your fishes overall health. Things are starting to get back to normal. I will be replacing the Ludwigia as soon as possible. In higher light it may do better but in my tank it is a massive leaf shedder. Making me crazy in fact. I also have a problem with tufts of blackish algea I believe is called beard algea, not sure though. Whatever it is, it is hard to remove even with scrubby pads and a tooth brush. The Water Sprite has a regular green algea issue. I don't think the Otos like trying to eat off the oddly shaped leaves or something. Thinking about adding a couple more Otos. The Crypts seem to absolutely love life. I highly recommend Wendtii crypts. I've had zero problems with them. The Vals took a dive with the sick tank problem but are making a come back. They too do a nice job of staying algea free. The Anuias is Beard algea heaven and VERY VERY difficult to clean off. It bloomed though so it must be some measure of happy.

Well, I hope the next update is better news.

COBettaCouple

We're sorry to hear that you lost your Gourami.

Gozer_1

He was a gentle old man even for a Gourami.

On another note, a friend is looking for a new home for an small 2 or 3 inch Angel. It's currently housed in a 55 with 4 or 5 inch Oscar which he also wants to give me. I don't know much about Angels at all. I don't know if my 45 is right for one with all the Tetras and lone female Gourami. It is a 45 tall so that would be nice. I feel oh so sorry for it. The Oscar is not very healthy at all. I feel like I could bring it back but after this worm battle tank wipe out I don't know if I want to go through more. It has a bad case of Hole in the head. A common Oscar problem, heck mine has a few spots and she eats like a queen. This other Oscar is very pale in color and just looks under nourished. Anyway, the Oscar is for another topic, the 150 that is already full. What do you think about adding a poor mistreated Angel? Would it fair well with 6 Tetras, 1 Female Gold Gourami, 4 Corys, 3 Otos and two baby Raph cats in a 45 tall, atleast for awhile? I guess the other question would be, will my Tetras fair well with an Angel? This one is pretty humbled at this point.
I've decided to try Amazon Swords instead of Ludwigia as soon as I can get some, by the way.

COBettaCouple

I wouldn't be able to help myself and would have to bring that angel home. Tetras often make good dither fish for the angels so the only thing I'd be thinking about is the gourami. But I'd put both fish into seperate q. tanks, if possible, and give them a chance to make it.

Gozer_1

Well the angel has gone through a huge transformation from a white pale down trodden fish to a golden beauty who loves life. Even the kink in her top fin is smoothing out. I now see why people fall in love with Angelfish. She gets so excited to see people now. A month and a half from when I got her and you wouldn't know it was the same fish.

The Ludwigia is gone now and I plan to get some Amazon Swords later this summer. I'm going to have to get rid of the Anubias. The beard algea is too mighty. The only thing it is affecting is the Anubias. It's growing well but looks terrible. I may trim all but the two good leaves off after a bleach water dip to give it one last chance. Everything else is good though. The SAEs are doing very well. Adorable little guys.

Anyway, just dropping in to update.

COBettaCouple

Great to hear the angel is doing so great!

Isabella

Howdy everyone I know I'm "a little" behind ... but nevertheless wanted to say, Gozer, that your tank looks WONDERFUL Great progress, and great job .