April R
- #1
Ok, it is now the almost 5 weeks since I started my planted freshwater tank. All fish and snails are still present and accounted for, and looking great, which makes my constant battle with my ammonia levels even more mysterious and frustrating. I have been dealing with Ammonia levels between 1.0ppm-4.0ppm. Fortunately my pH is being kept below 7.0 with oak leaves, which I discovered are a great alternative to almond leaves, and the best part is they are free! My fish love to hang out under them when they are floating and to rummage around them and lay under them when they sink. I am still waiting for my guppy girls to drop their fry, they are both getting bigger and bigger by the day.
(latest pic of tank)
As some of you know, I have started a new tank. It was originally going to be a 10gal betta tank, but the tank, after I got it, cleaned it, decorated it, and filled it, 2 days later I come home to a tank 3/4 empty and a floor 100% soaked. The water was dripping across the tile and out the front door. So not cool
So in a panic I placed the dripping leaking tank outside, raced to Petco, and got a new tank. They were out of 10 gal tanks, so I ended up with a 15gal. Which is fine, whatever betta or bettas (still debating on a divided tank or not) I get will have just that much more room. However, I am no longer eligible for the ROAK contest that Fried Bettas is hosting, so I am a little sad :'( I really wanted one of those beautiful little females. But maybe I am meant to rescue a pet store betta.
(new 15 gal digs)
On a pretty cool side note, I contacted a new LFS on Friday and asked if they would test my water and told them about my ammonia struggles. The owner said I could come in Saturday. He also suggested changing out the carbon filter and that even with my rinsing it with tank water, it was probably saturated with decomposed organic material and released ammonia back into the tank. After changing it out and waiting until morning to test my water again, it went from 4.0ppm to 1.0ppm and has been staying steady at 2.0ppm with a pH of 6.4 to 6.6. The fish are looking great, healthy, and active, so that is good.
When I went to the LFS, the selection was not great for freshwater, and the place was being renovated from the previous owner's setup, so there were not any products or supplies available. They are going to mostly service, rent, and setup aquariums for businesses and large scale residential customers, but they guy was nice enough to put up with my incessant questions about his store, experience, and setups. He had a sweet fluval bowfrount freshwater planted tank with fancy guppies and ghost shrimp, and a cute drift wood decorated with willow moss to look like a big tree in the middle. He also had this really cool looking seawweed-like plant in a clump at the bottom. I asked him how much he would sell it for, and he said he didn't sell anything from the tank in the front. I guess I looked disappointed, because he said he would give me some for free.
(new plant in tank)
Score! And thanks to the forum members who helped me identify it as freshwater seaweed, and type of Round Pellia known as Süßwassertang. And it looks pretty cool in my tank. The guy said it has tripled in size in a few weeks from a quarter sized clump he got int he shipment of ghost shrimp, to the tangerine size he had. He didn't use co2 or ferts. It does need to be tied or secured to something in your tank, like DW or a rock; I found this out when it kept floating around and getting caught int he filter intake or behind the bubble wand. It is now being weighed down in my tank by a small lava rock.
So, there is the new tank to cycle, and I am getting two albino swordtail females in soon. I am also getting some floating plants and nerites from Peabody's Paradise in soon as well. The floating plants and nerites are going in the 15 gal and the swordtails are the last to be added to the 20 gal. I will update next week.
(My emerald cories hanging out)
(one of my nerites juggling a carrot)
(Nerite buddies cruising the tank wall)
Until next time--Peace, Love, and Süßwasser, April R
(latest pic of tank)As some of you know, I have started a new tank. It was originally going to be a 10gal betta tank, but the tank, after I got it, cleaned it, decorated it, and filled it, 2 days later I come home to a tank 3/4 empty and a floor 100% soaked. The water was dripping across the tile and out the front door. So not cool
So in a panic I placed the dripping leaking tank outside, raced to Petco, and got a new tank. They were out of 10 gal tanks, so I ended up with a 15gal. Which is fine, whatever betta or bettas (still debating on a divided tank or not) I get will have just that much more room. However, I am no longer eligible for the ROAK contest that Fried Bettas is hosting, so I am a little sad :'( I really wanted one of those beautiful little females. But maybe I am meant to rescue a pet store betta.
(new 15 gal digs)
On a pretty cool side note, I contacted a new LFS on Friday and asked if they would test my water and told them about my ammonia struggles. The owner said I could come in Saturday. He also suggested changing out the carbon filter and that even with my rinsing it with tank water, it was probably saturated with decomposed organic material and released ammonia back into the tank. After changing it out and waiting until morning to test my water again, it went from 4.0ppm to 1.0ppm and has been staying steady at 2.0ppm with a pH of 6.4 to 6.6. The fish are looking great, healthy, and active, so that is good.
When I went to the LFS, the selection was not great for freshwater, and the place was being renovated from the previous owner's setup, so there were not any products or supplies available. They are going to mostly service, rent, and setup aquariums for businesses and large scale residential customers, but they guy was nice enough to put up with my incessant questions about his store, experience, and setups. He had a sweet fluval bowfrount freshwater planted tank with fancy guppies and ghost shrimp, and a cute drift wood decorated with willow moss to look like a big tree in the middle. He also had this really cool looking seawweed-like plant in a clump at the bottom. I asked him how much he would sell it for, and he said he didn't sell anything from the tank in the front. I guess I looked disappointed, because he said he would give me some for free.
(new plant in tank)
Score! And thanks to the forum members who helped me identify it as freshwater seaweed, and type of Round Pellia known as Süßwassertang. And it looks pretty cool in my tank. The guy said it has tripled in size in a few weeks from a quarter sized clump he got int he shipment of ghost shrimp, to the tangerine size he had. He didn't use co2 or ferts. It does need to be tied or secured to something in your tank, like DW or a rock; I found this out when it kept floating around and getting caught int he filter intake or behind the bubble wand. It is now being weighed down in my tank by a small lava rock.
So, there is the new tank to cycle, and I am getting two albino swordtail females in soon. I am also getting some floating plants and nerites from Peabody's Paradise in soon as well. The floating plants and nerites are going in the 15 gal and the swordtails are the last to be added to the 20 gal. I will update next week.
(My emerald cories hanging out)(one of my nerites juggling a carrot)
(Nerite buddies cruising the tank wall)
Until next time--Peace, Love, and Süßwasser, April R