What are you doing to your tank today?

[KeepKeepingAquatics]

Nothing to my tanks for today (although I have plans to make an amazing aquascape for shrimp in my 5 gal, I also want to upgrade said five gal to maybe a larger rimless design?) Today I was helping my grandpa find and remove bladder snails from his tank.

 

[Renn242]

Wondering what everyone is doing to their tanks weather its changing decor adding removing, changing substrate, new lights filters air stones or sponge filters etc..... Also pics are very much encouraged
PS if there is a better section for this thread please move it Thanks!!

Finally got the aerator to work…

 

[Fisch]

Oooh....I'm excited. Can you share a pic?

Took a while to get a picture and to find the thread I made the picture for.
Pic is not the greatest, my apologies.
You can see the separation of the two substrates. Seems to hold, and the sponge strip is siliconed to the glass.

 

[RIFishbowl]

Just planted some Vals, no more artificial plant.The Ember Tetras are all in them and seem to like them.

 

[Blacksheep1]

Melting and swearing at air line tubing mainly …

I bought a length and set it aside for this , then bought a new dual air pump with the thoughts of running 2 tanks off one. It said it came with air line too so fab !
Well the stuff it came with is so thin and flimsy it won’t even connect to the pump. It just kinks and I don’t have enough today ( or the time to get more ) to do what I need now.

Why is a simple job never just simple ?

 

[StarGirl]

Melting and swearing at air line tubing mainly …

I bought a length and set it aside for this , then bought a new dual air pump with the thoughts of running 2 tanks off one. It said it came with air line too so fab !
Well the stuff it came with is so thin and flimsy it won’t even connect to the pump. It just kinks and I don’t have enough today ( or the time to get more ) to do what I need now.

Why is a simple job never just simple ?

Murphys Law.

 

[Linda1234]

Not doing very much today; just check if Mom is doing ok and still have eggs; well i guess no more eggs:

 

[Zer0Fame]

I just wanted to do a big water change in the planted tank ... and then realised I forgot to turn on the RODI system ...

 

[Fisch]

It is a productive Sunday....Water change in the 125gl, taking out and cleaning one Mattenfilter as hair algea was accumulating. Took out ~100 pest snails that were hiding under one of the rocks.
I also flooded the bedroom as I noticed too late that the syphon was not hanging in the bucket, now that floor is clean as well.
The new snails in the QT are doing great, getting more active, munching on the Cory wafers.
And not tank related, I gave my Cocker Spaniel the long overdue haircut. Now it is time to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

Melting and swearing at air line tubing mainly …

I bought a length and set it aside for this , then bought a new dual air pump with the thoughts of running 2 tanks off one. It said it came with air line too so fab !
Well the stuff it came with is so thin and flimsy it won’t even connect to the pump. It just kinks and I don’t have enough today ( or the time to get more ) to do what I need now.

Why is a simple job never just simple ?

It is all marketing....bad tubing so you have an excuse to go to the LFS, and then not only buy tubing, but see and purchase a fish or two

 

[BPSabelhaus]

Cleaned out the intakes and pre filters on all the tanks.
Then this happened.
How it started:


How it ended:

 

[Rose of Sharon]

Cleaned out the intakes and pre filters on all the tanks.
Then this happened.
How it started:
View attachment 867349

How it ended:
View attachment 867350

That would make a super cute Christmas card!!!

 

[V1K]

Did 50%+ water changes on both tanks, because I was a bit slacking before and the nitrates were approaching 20. Also regulated the legs of the stand of smaller tank because it was a bit misaligned. At first I struggled with it with no results, but then I realized I can use pliers to turn the legs, and then it went pretty easy.

 

[BigManAquatics]

Looks like a feed n watch type of day. Frozen food day, so that is always extra fun watching the tetra hordes scurry!

 

[Wendybrass]

Looks like a feed n watch type of day. Frozen food day, so that is always extra fun watching the tetra hordes scurry!

I LOVE frozen shrimp day. I added a female Betta a couple weeks ago and was interested to see how the zebra danios, one bully in particular, would be at feeding time. It's total mayhem of course, but when she's got a clump of frozen shrimp in her mouth they don't even try to take it. They'll dart all around her and wait for pieces to break off. Gotta give the gal some respect! Haha

 

[BPSabelhaus]

I keep wanting to take the brackish tank to freshwater again, but then things like this remind me why I have this tank. The pile worm hitchhiker is thriving.


So creepy and alien looking, but it hitched in unseen so it had to have been tiny or even an egg and just look at that creepy thing! lol

I think I’ll name it Aquapede.

 

[Cara]

the sponge strip is siliconed to the glass.

Love it!love it! But I'm gonna play dumb here. what exactly is the sponge strip?

 

[BPSabelhaus]

I don't know what I’m doing. I have no idea what the water parameters are. If you are looking for information, I can tell you I’m an idiot. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career of neglecting tanks not in the living room……

lol

Somehow I grow water lettuce very very well in my sons 5 gallon betta tank. Apparently whatever I’m doing / not doing is working lol

So I’m cleaning floaters out. Again.



Snow melted mostly so I took the dog on a nice hike after de floatering. Got some mountain mint and a small sword fern that I need to choose a spot and a nicer day before I plant. So I popped some mint into each filter and tossed the fern on the plant shelf with the horsetail that I’m adding to my bog filter on the pond.

Edit: The fern was removed because the area it was growing in will be a road next year. I have permission to recover native plant species from the city parks dept who operates the cemetery the road is being built on (wooded land running alongside the cemetary, will still have 300ft of forest before getting to cemetary)

 

[Fisch]

Love it!love it! But I'm gonna play dumb here. what exactly is the sponge strip?

No dumb question...I cut my mattenfilter leftover material into a 3"wide x 1/2" thick strips, and siliconed the pieces to the desired length. Then I siliconed the strip in the desired shape to the bottom of the tank. Silicone is not needed except it prevents the strip from being syphoned.

 

[Wendybrass]

Did 50%+ water changes on both tanks, because I was a bit slacking before and the nitrates were approaching 20. Also regulated the legs of the stand of smaller tank because it was a bit misaligned. At first I struggled with it with no results, but then I realized I can use pliers to turn the legs, and then it went pretty easy.

Your tanks are just gorgeous.

 

[Cara]

mattenfilter

Still had to look it up sounds like a REALLY interesting idea

I'm toying around with an idea in my head. Using some food storage containers I have (new), cutting it open in a way that leaves some of the bottom intact, not siloconing it to the bottom but thinking that the weight of the gravel on the base will hold it in place. And this will give me an imperfect wavy effect.

Not sure if this makes sense but In a perfect world and in my head it works perfectly

 

[Wendybrass]

I'm trying to figure out how to make my 10g black glass tank fit in my display cabinet. It's a refurbished china cabinet, no doors. But I'd need to cut the middle shelf for access to the tank. There's only 1" clearance at the top and the dumb shelves are permanent. So I'm thinking do I dare cut a section out of the middle shelf? If I can make a clean cut I could add L brackets and lift it out for maintenance. If I screw it up I've ruined our living room cabinets. I'll take a quick picture. The tank would go where the gingerbread house is. Lots of clearance in the back and sides. Just the top. This is hurting my brain but it's all I can think about. I have the tank. I have all the equipment. It would look so good in there. My husband thinks I'm insane. He's not wrong.

 

[V1K]

I'm trying to figure out how to make my 10g black glass tank fit in my display cabinet. It's a refurbished china cabinet, no doors. But I'd need to cut the middle shelf for access to the tank. There's only 1" clearance at the top and the dumb shelves are permanent. So I'm thinking do I dare cut a section out of the middle shelf? If I can make a clean cut I could add L brackets and lift it out for maintenance. If I screw it up I've ruined our living room cabinets. I'll take a quick picture. The tank would go where the gingerbread house is. Lots of clearance in the back and sides. Just the top. This is hurting my brain but it's all I can think about. I have the tank. I have all the equipment. It would look so good in there. My husband thinks I'm insane. He's not wrong.

Is it possible, instead of cutting the middle shelf itself, just disassemble/detach it somehow? And them make it into a removable shelf by adding hangy thingies (idk the English word for those bits that hold removable shelves)? If they're scewed to the frame, should be pretty easy. If they're glued to it, it would be challenging, but maybe still possible to somehow unglue it, or cut through the glue instead of the wood, idk...

 

[Wendybrass]

Is it possible, instead of cutting the middle shelf itself, just disassemble/detach it somehow? And them make it into a removable shelf by adding hangy thingies (idk the English word for those bits that hold removable shelves)? If they're scewed to the frame, should be pretty easy. If they're glued to it, it would be challenging, but maybe still possible to somehow unglue it, or cut through the glue instead of the wood, idk...

That would be ideal. I can't tell if it's glued or there's screws or ......? But yes then just put in those thingy's and voila. I have no idea how to figure that out.

 

[KingOscar]

That would be ideal. I can't tell if it's glued or there's screws or ......? But yes then just put in those thingy's and voila. I have no idea how to figure that out.

A very close inspection will help determine if this is possible in a feasible and clean manner. It could end up being difficult to do.

 

[briangcc1997]

I'm trying to figure out how to make my 10g black glass tank fit in my display cabinet. It's a refurbished china cabinet, no doors. But I'd need to cut the middle shelf for access to the tank. There's only 1" clearance at the top and the dumb shelves are permanent. So I'm thinking do I dare cut a section out of the middle shelf? If I can make a clean cut I could add L brackets and lift it out for maintenance. If I screw it up I've ruined our living room cabinets. I'll take a quick picture. The tank would go where the gingerbread house is. Lots of clearance in the back and sides. Just the top. This is hurting my brain but it's all I can think about. I have the tank. I have all the equipment. It would look so good in there. My husband thinks I'm insane. He's not wrong.

From the pics, looks to be an older piece of furniture, solid wood. Very good chance the shelf is glued and nailed in place. You may see nail holes on the outside of the cabinet in line with the shelf...although a good carpenter would have used some wood putty to fill that hole and make it invisible. Flashlight might help you locate nail holes/depressions.

**I'm going off the hinge that isn't countersunk into the frame and some areas where it appears the stain/varnish is worn off. Newer units would have screws/wood dowels and stickers with fake wood grain over them to hide the screws.

Good luck on whatever you find/decide!

 

[Wendybrass]

From the pics, looks to be an older piece of furniture, solid wood. Very good chance the shelf is glued and nailed in place. You may see nail holes on the outside of the cabinet in line with the shelf...although a good carpenter would have used some wood putty to fill that hole and make it invisible. Flashlight might help you locate nail holes/depressions.

**I'm going off the hinge that isn't countersunk into the frame and some areas where it appears the stain/varnish is worn off. Newer units would have screws/wood dowels and stickers with fake wood grain over them to hide the screws.

Good luck on whatever you find/decide!

The hinge was an add-on, aesthetic only. I had these refurbished in the distressed style. They're those 80's veneered china cabinets, not the greatest quality, and the shelf is most likely MDF, although it could be wood. If they're screwed they're nicely covered on the outside, ****. Thank you for this. I think that's the best I can find out without taking it apart. I've googled and searched......I'm still considering cutting straight cuts right where the front edge of the cabinet is, that leaves 1 1/2" of the shelf attached to the sides that's hidden by the front edge of the cabinet. Make a straight cut to the back. Finish the edges and add small L brackets for easy on and off. I'm going to try to dissolve any glue but like you said they could have screws, dowels etc. It's crazy to keep thinking about this but I'm obsessed with putting a tank in there.

 

[briangcc1997]

Seems like a lot.

IF it was mine, here's what I would do - proceed with caution if you do this...

Slide a thin metal putty knife between the shelf and the side of the unit to find out what I'm dealing with and where - wood dowel or screw/bolt. Then once located, I'd see how much of a gap I could open between the two proceeding very cautiously so as to not damage the wood. Harbor Freight (and others) sell oscillating tools for these kinds of cuts. I'd get one of those to slice through whatever is holding the shelf on one side. Then repeat process on other side to remove the shelf in one piece with minimal damage to the unit as a whole.

Homely Despots/Blowes sell shelf pegs - get a pack, drill holes where the screws/dowels were, and support the shelf that way. Removable when the tank needs maintenance.

 

[Wendybrass]

Seems like a lot.

IF it was mine, here's what I would do - proceed with caution if you do this...

Slide a thin metal putty knife between the shelf and the side of the unit to find out what I'm dealing with and where - wood dowel or screw/bolt. Then once located, I'd see how much of a gap I could open between the two proceeding very cautiously so as to not damage the wood. Harbor Freight (and others) sell oscillating tools for these kinds of cuts. I'd get one of those to slice through whatever is holding the shelf on one side. Then repeat process on other side to remove the shelf in one piece with minimal damage to the unit as a whole.

Homely Despots/Blowes sell shelf pegs - get a pack, drill holes where the screws/dowels were, and support the shelf that way. Removable when the tank needs maintenance.

That's an excellent bit of advice. I'll do that with the putty knife and see if there's any way to decipher how it's attached. Thank you.

 

[Wendybrass]

Seems like a lot.

IF it was mine, here's what I would do - proceed with caution if you do this...

Slide a thin metal putty knife between the shelf and the side of the unit to find out what I'm dealing with and where - wood dowel or screw/bolt. Then once located, I'd see how much of a gap I could open between the two proceeding very cautiously so as to not damage the wood. Harbor Freight (and others) sell oscillating tools for these kinds of cuts. I'd get one of those to slice through whatever is holding the shelf on one side. Then repeat process on other side to remove the shelf in one piece with minimal damage to the unit as a whole.

Homely Despots/Blowes sell shelf pegs - get a pack, drill holes where the screws/dowels were, and support the shelf that way. Removable when the tank needs maintenance.

Can't get the thin putty in. The backing is that thin board they put in the backs of cabinets. When I clean up Christmas I'll go at it from the back. Thanks again for your help

 

[briangcc1997]

Did a water change yesterday on my son’s 55 that has two adult angelfish. One was acting very, very strange. Curling tail, swimming nose down, flipped on it’s side, etc. Seemed to calm down a bit after a water change.

Came downstairs this morning and my wife said I needed to see something. Eggs, lots and lots of eggs on the filter. Male was in process of fertilizing them. So…a couple lfs later and I got the exact filter I needed and swapped the one with eggs into a 10 gallon tank. Filter, media, sponge and some tank water from the original tank to boot. So…Penguin Pro 275 in a 10 isn’t overkill is it??

8 tanks…and we’re in discussions for a 40 breeder but no idea where I’d put it.

 

[Wendybrass]

Did a water change yesterday on my son’s 55 that has two adult angelfish. One was acting very, very strange. Curling tail, swimming nose down, flipped on it’s side, etc. Seemed to calm down a bit after a water change.

Came downstairs this morning and my wife said I needed to see something. Eggs, lots and lots of eggs on the filter. Male was in process of fertilizing them. So…a couple lfs later and I got the exact filter I needed and swapped the one with eggs into a 10 gallon tank. Filter, media, sponge and some tank water from the original tank to boot. So…Penguin Pro 275 in a 10 isn’t overkill is it??

8 tanks…and we’re in discussions for a 40 breeder but no idea where I’d put it.

Woah! Congratulations.

 

[MrMuggles]

Discovering how to split my Kessil lights into 2 separate groups on the controller so I can set each light's schedule independently, makes for more dramatic sunrise/sunset!
The fish love it, some choose to go out in the "sun" early and others stay on the dark side to hit the snooze button.

 

[Motherlovebetta]

Going to head upstairs and do a water change on my 20g. May try and count fish if I can even see any. Is the tank too planted if you can’t find fish?

 

[briangcc1997]

Wife is rehoming a bunch of fish. We started with 4 pandas…not all are pictured here….

**pandas are staying. Evicted are the 2 pink kissers, gold gourami, and a metric ton of platys.

 

[Linda1234]

Not much today; i did manage to take a picture of a few of my crypts:

 

[Fisch]

Water change In the 125. Added Mystery and Nerite Snails after they spent a week in the QT. Now lights are out and everybody can relax, including me....

 

[ruud]

Discovering how to split my Kessil lights into 2 separate groups on the controller so I can set each light's schedule independently, makes for more dramatic sunrise/sunset!
The fish love it, some choose to go out in the "sun" early and others stay on the dark side to hit the snooze button.

Is the visible glittering effect solely attributable to Kessil? Or also partly due to water surface movement?

 

[StarGirl]

Seen a red baby cherry shrimp in the 9g today. I hope there is more!

Saw another in the back so at least 2!

 

[Fisch]

During our walk along the river I am always looking for interesting pieces of driftwood. Instead I found this today....
Swimming in my now empty QT.
May be she will be yellow again when she warms up

 

[briangcc1997]

Worked with our lfs on which cichlids to start with. Owner was very patient with my son. Blood dragon, 2 electric blue acaras, ob, and dolphin.

All seem to be behaving.

Somehow we couldn’t talk my son into yellow labs.

 

[MrMuggles]

Is the visible glittering effect solely attributable to Kessil? Or also partly due to water surface movement?

I got the shimmer effect from cheap panel-style LED lights as well but it was less damatic. Regardless of the light source, it only shimmers without a lid. and you guessed correct, needs a bit of surface agitation as well. With a lid there is always condensation, it diffuses the light and eliminates the effect.

 

[BPSabelhaus]

Aquariums we’re looking a bit dark, so I pulled a half gallon of floaters out of the three lol

Did you know there are fish in those tanks? Fascinating discovery today lol

The difference in light getting to the floor is insane lol

Not even two weeks and the poor betta could barely swim through the roots lol.

 

[kansas]

skipped the gym, changed water in both the 9 and the 55.

 

[BigManAquatics]

Did a water change on one of the tetra tanks today. Also admiring how much all my red-eye and glow-light tetras have grown over the last several months!

 

[airfix2]

yesterday i went to the lfs to and came home with new fish food(mine expired a few months ago) and some crushed coral to raise my ph (for my guppies in the community tank)

 

[Wendybrass]

Trimmed a couple of plants, tested the water. I had 0 nitrates a few weeks ago and my plants were struggling. Started dosing Thrive for low tech tanks and hoping this makes a difference as I'm pretty sure I had a potassium deficiency. My pH is down to 6.6, it was 7.6 3 weeks ago. My water out of the tap is acidic, >6.4 but my tank was 7.4 - 7.6. And I think I lost a juvenile guppy . I have 10, I think - they're hard to count. That's it. Back to work.

 

[Motherlovebetta]

Trimmed a couple of plants, tested the water. I had 0 nitrates a few weeks ago and my plants were struggling. Started dosing Thrive for low tech tanks and hoping this makes a difference as I'm pretty sure I had a potassium deficiency. My pH is down to 6.6, it was 7.6 3 weeks ago. My water out of the tap is acidic, >6.4 but my tank was 7.4 - 7.6. And I think I lost a juvenile guppy . I have 10, I think - they're hard to count. That's it. Back to work.

How do we trade water?!?! Mine is the opposite!

 

[BigManAquatics]

Oh, almost forgot. Went to petsmart this morning, found a little acryllic 5 gallon bowfront aquarium. Going to work on setting it up next few weeks and start looking for a betta for it in the New Year.

 

[Wendybrass]

How do we trade water?!?! Mine is the opposite!

Alkaline tap water? Oh boy. I'm fortunate here.

 

[StarGirl]

Alkaline tap water? Oh boy. I'm fortunate here.

Yeah our Michigan rock water comes out 7.6 and raises to 8.2.