What are you doing to your tank today?


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I still never see those blasted licorice gouramis so I was hoping adding more plants to their tank might help them feel like showing up once in awhile. There are Salt ‘n Pepper Cories and some Endlers that are always out&about but that doesn’t seem to make them feel like showing themselves either. I would like to move them to a smaller tank I could monitor more closely if I could find a spot for one.

Anyway, got a nice deal on some really nice crypts and a bunch of very small assorted swords and a few other things but before I could plant anything I found I would need to add more Flourite black sand. Sigh. ‘Tis a bit messy adding sand.

Naturally that meant I had to move a lot of the wood and rocks and uproot what plants had managed to stay planted in a bare half inch of sand.

So it’s going to be a bit of a general rescape when all is said and done. Quite a chore and awkward since this tank is on the bottom shelf of the stand. Not much room above it and it’s a bit of a pain to try to reach the back.

Got as far as planting a few of the crypts before the lights shut down and now it’s time to slice up the cat’s din-din. They are remarkably patient if I’m a bit late serving it up but they have their limits. Once they decide I’m too late with dinner they start behaving like self propelled rockets that have lost their navigational programming - gets a bit crazed.
 
I still never see those blasted licorice gouramis so I was hoping adding more plants to their tank might help them feel like showing up once in awhile. There are Salt ‘n Pepper Cories and some Endlers that are always out&about but that doesn’t seem to make them feel like showing themselves either. I would like to move them to a smaller tank I could monitor more closely if I could find a spot for one.

Anyway, got a nice deal on some really nice crypts and a bunch of very small assorted swords and a few other things but before I could plant anything I found I would need to add more Flourite black sand. Sigh. ‘Tis a bit messy adding sand.

Naturally that meant I had to move a lot of the wood and rocks and uproot what plants had managed to stay planted in a bare half inch of sand.

So it’s going to be a bit of a general rescape when all is said and done. Quite a chore and awkward since this tank is on the bottom shelf of the stand. Not much room above it and it’s a bit of a pain to try to reach the back.

Got as far as planting a few of the crypts before the lights shut down and now it’s time to slice up the cat’s din-din. They are remarkably patient if I’m a bit late serving it up but they have their limits. Once they decide I’m too late with dinner they start behaving like self propelled rockets that have lost their navigational programming - gets a bit crazed.
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I'd rather have my cats propel like rockets instead. If something goes wrong my cats take it out in each other. Even if it's not time for their food and they don't want to wait another minute.
The bowl is empty.
"It's your fault!"
They're less mature than toddlers.
But when everything is good they're cuddling.

Water changes and monthly filter cleanings on all my tanks this weekend.

Thinking through what to do with my Betta's tank issues.
 
Little apistos growing up. Fed almost exclusively on baby brine shrimp. 2 weeks old.
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Little apistos growing up. Fed almost exclusively on baby brine shrimp. 2 weeks old.
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Baby Bettas :)

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Baby fish are so cute. <3
Once my fry are grown that's it for me, but at least I get to witness these amazing life cycles on here. ^_^
Added some violets to a small pond :)View attachment 898817
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I would have never thought Violets could grow like this until you had it in your tub too. Do their roots work the same as a spider or pothos roots in water?

Some photos from today
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Milo and the corys
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Tetra and shrimp tank
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Both bamboo shrimp feeding
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Gorgeous!
 
Betta tank sorted. Tomorrow Shrimp Tank, Fry Tank, and if I'm lucky, my adult Goldies tank. The rest of the tanks are good so shouldn't be as time consuming as the Havoc that went on in Sunset's tank. Just usual maintenance, thank goodness.
 
Baby fish are so cute. <3
Once my fry are grown that's it for me, but at least I get to witness these amazing life cycles on here. ^_^

I would have never thought Violets could grow like this until you had it in your tub too. Do their roots work the same as a spider or pothos roots in water?


Gorgeous!
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Not really. They love marginal areas like the mini pond where they can get a lot of water. The tub is another attempt to get some to grow in a filter. Last couple died, this one probably will too. This one I'm trying with the Taproot mostly out of direct water but I don't think this one is enough. It's doing ok right now.


But the pond is probably the most natural where the pond overflows into the violets but is otherwise just accessible via capillary action.
 

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Didn't get around to my adult Goldies today. Their usual schedule is on Mondays anyway at least.

Everyone else is set though! I'm pretty happy with my tanks. Just hoping to see better growth in my fry tank and Betta tank. Hoping to see that by spring and be able to compare pictures.

Neocardina tank
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Miss Sunset the Betta Queen
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Goldfish fry. If you zoom in you can see all five.
Will have to get a video soon.
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I did get a quick video of Sunset when I had a little after taking care of the others:


Wish I was able to sit there longer and add music, but I want to use it as a reference video mostly of what the plants look like right now.
 
Changing the 55g tank water today. Will be good till after vacation then.

Anyone know how to ship Water Lettuce? Do the roots get broken no matter what?
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The roots are going to get a bit beaten up unless maybe you do what some shippers of terrestrial plants do to protect taller ones.

Basically they roll them separately in whatever suits - from those flat flexible sheets of foam packing to newsprint.

I think your best bet would be to roll each water lettuce lengthwise, like a long candle, in something like bubble wrap - bubbles to the inside to allow some air around them..

Or in several layers of paper towel or newspaper and then wrap that with plastic sheet of some sort.

Then pack them as if they were long fragile candles. So long as they can’t slide up/down or roll around in the package they ought to get there in as close to one piece as is possible
 
The roots are going to get a bit beaten up unless maybe you do what some shippers of terrestrial plants do to protect taller ones.

Basically they roll them separately in whatever suits - from those flat flexible sheets of foam packing to newsprint.

I think your best bet would be to roll each water lettuce lengthwise, like a long candle, in something like bubble wrap - bubbles to the inside to allow some air around them..

Or in several layers of paper towel or newspaper and then wrap that with plastic sheet of some sort.

Then pack them as if they were long fragile candles. So long as they can’t slide up/down or roll around in the package they ought to get there in as close to one piece as is possible
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They are fairly small with about 1-2 inch roots. I was thinking a gallon bag with paper towel and some air for semi floating?
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i just got back from my lfs and got some cherry shrimp and frogbit
i've never really been able to keep frogbit alive, but i have good feelings about these ones lol
i got the cherry shrimp as a sort of impulse decision since i was going to get amanos, but they only had cherry shrimp and other neocaridina
i was thinking about ghost shrimp, but the lady at the lfs told me that there's a small chance that they might get huge since they get mixed in with other species (i think? i kinda forgot lol), so i just got cherries instead
they're acclimating right now, and my black neons are super curious about them (if they, the shrimp, ever get stressed, there are lots of hiding spots in the tank, and my tetras used to live with two amanos, so i think everything will work out)
feeding time is gonna be crazy though
my tetras try to eat anything that enters the tank as long as it isn't other animals or my finger, and it got pretty funny watching the amanos hide their food from the tetras (nothing aggressive, my tetras just really love shrimp food)
update: they've been in the tank for a couple of hours and they're super curious and happy :)
 
They are fairly small with about 1-2 inch roots. I was thinking a gallon bag with paper towel and some air for semi floating?
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At that size I don’t think I’d worry over much about the roots. I’d just make the bag nice and fat with air and make sure it won’t collapse entirely if it should happen to get chilled and include a wet paper towel to make sure the roots don’t dry out.

I thought you must be talking about shipping full size ones which can have enormous roots and they are a bit brittle.

As for me, I spent a chilly hour or two planting the new 10g and redid the rock work in it, I think I got a little carried away with the pieces I started out using. Too big.

It looks a bit sad but it could be worse and it will look better once the plants grow in a little. I also added a bunch of cherry shrimp - on sale at the LFS. They’re adults and 3 of them didn’t make it but the rest of them seem ok. But I have a horrible feeling that they are all female. I can’t see an obvious male! 20 odd ladies and no gents to party with? I will have to find at least a a couple of fellas :).

I might just take a hammer and chisel to some of the rocks and see if breaking a few gets me more usable pieces. Or sand?

I forget what they call the stuff but it is in thin layers - sedimentary. So it ought to be relatively easy to split but no way to know how difficult to cut. A stonemason I am not.
 
They are fairly small with about 1-2 inch roots. I was thinking a gallon bag with paper towel and some air for semi floating?
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When I've ordered water lettuce, it's just come in a plastic bag with very little water, most likely just the water that was on the plant after it was pulled from a tank and shaken off.

You only need a little to get started anyway. Out of all the different species of floaters I have, the water lettuce grows the best and has outcompeted everything else. I also have frogbit, Asian water moss, red root floaters, and water spangles (I think). I have never had luck with red root floaters and barely have any left.

I probably throw away half a cup worth of floaters a week. If I didn't remove them, I'd have a huge mess in the tank and all my other plants would be starved for light.
 
When I've ordered water lettuce, it's just come in a plastic bag with very little water, most likely just the water that was on the plant after it was pulled from a tank and shaken off.

You only need a little to get started anyway. Out of all the different species of floaters I have, the water lettuce grows the best and has outcompeted everything else. I also have frogbit, Asian water moss, red root floaters, and water spangles (I think). I have never had luck with red root floaters and barely have any left.

I probably throw away half a cup worth of floaters a week. If I didn't remove them, I'd have a huge mess in the tank and all my other plants would be starved for light.
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I know exactly what you mean. I used to have a ton of it. The one thing I notice with plants I get shipped is that the ones that show up in a bag that isn’t full of air sometimes arrive as slush.

When they are sent in bags without air sometimes it seems like they suffocate or something. When they are shipped with water added, which is heavy for one thing, floaters have shown up looking like they drowned.

The ones in bags without liquid water and with plenty of air seem to do the best but of course it depends on how long they’re in there and the temperatures too.
 

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Just finished taking the canister filter apart for an impromptu cleaning, cause it had a plugged hose.

It had been about 6 weeks since I last cleaned it, I think it was just some plant matter clogging the intake tube.
 
I know exactly what you mean. I used to have a ton of it. The one thing I notice with plants I get shipped is that the ones that show up in a bag that isn’t full of air sometimes arrive as slush.

When they are sent in bags without air sometimes it seems like they suffocate or something. When they are shipped with water added, which is heavy for one thing, floaters have shown up looking like they drowned.

The ones in bags without liquid water and with plenty of air seem to do the best but of course it depends on how long they’re in there and the temperatures too.
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Yep, I think it's also a matter of how long they've been in the bag. I had a shipment that got delayed and was in the mail for almost a week. The floaters did the best of all the plants in that shipment.
 
I think I have valid proof that one of my fry is not an apistogramma and I think the only way he made it to the breeder box was by getting sucked into the intake tube. Compare the fry at the top with the apisto at the bottom. It has to be another neon.

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Better picture of mystery fry.

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I can't wait until they really show patterns and such

In the interim, I just watched one poop. It was adorable lol
 
Milo and friends
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Nice tank for such a pretty fish.

As for me, I checked on the new 10g before bed last night and it isn’t terrible but I really want to meddle with the rocks some more. Don’t have them the way I’d like yet.

The colonies of stentors or whatever they are have grown substantially on the left side glass & there are minute traces of new ones starting up all over the glass in front - can’t really tell about the right side or rear glass.

Lots of plants in there but all very young - cuttings or little swords just starting to produce adapted leaves.

Also a shot of one of the almost certainly all female red cherry shrimp I put in. I must find the wee darlins’ a boyfriend or two.
 

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I've got to adjust a few plants, make sure they're not buried too much in the fry tank. I have to replant a couple stubborn Petchii crypts in my Betta tank. They keep just floating up! Going to try sticking a pebble under the leaves and hope that anchors them in place.

I had a talk with the plants. I said, look, I give you a home rent free, light, a nice planted substrate bed, I feed you fertilizer and you have snail maids. What more could you want?
I think it's working....
^_^
 

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I'm feeding my nerite snail. He's really picky and I've had to try all kinds of funny fruits and vegetables. Today is apple and mushroom day! I had to replace the squash from two days ago that he didn't touch.
 
I'm feeding my nerite snail. He's really picky and I've had to try all kinds of funny fruits and vegetables. Today is apple and mushroom day! I had to replace the squash from two days ago that he didn't touch.
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Have you tried some seaweed? It’s the closest thing to what they naturally eat. Dried seaweed, not toasted or seasoned, would be worth a try.

I can’t imagine any nerite being interested in fruit or any carbohydrate heavy veg or root.

If that doesn’t work, I’d try things like blanched green leaves - maybe mustard greens or parsley.
 
Have you tried some seaweed? It’s the closest thing to what they naturally eat. Dried seaweed, not toasted or seasoned, would be worth a try.

I can’t imagine any nerite being interested in fruit or any carbohydrate heavy veg or root.

If that doesn’t work, I’d try things like blanched green leaves - maybe mustard greens or parsley.
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I've actually found he loves apples. Thanks for the tips, parsley is a good one!
 
I'm feeding my nerite snail. He's really picky and I've had to try all kinds of funny fruits and vegetables. Today is apple and mushroom day! I had to replace the squash from two days ago that he didn't touch.
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Wow, you have to feed your snail? Mine get fat cleaning up the tank.
 
I've actually found he loves apples. Thanks for the tips, parsley is a good one!
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Amazing. I would not have expected that from any nerite!
Wow, you have to feed your snail? Mine get fat cleaning up the tank.
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I have one nerite that’s grown to an impressive size but they often fare very badly if there is no algae to eat. A lot of them just aren’t willing to try alternative foods.
 
Amazing. I would not have expected that from any nerite!

I have one nerite that’s grown to an impressive size but they often fare very badly if there is no algae to eat. A lot of them just aren’t willing to try alternative foods.
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I must have constant algae farms then. My Nerites have been bulletproof and dont eat food I put in for the pleco and other snails. They are definitely very choosy with food.
 
Amazing. I would not have expected that from any nerite!

I have one nerite that’s grown to an impressive size but they often fare very badly if there is no algae to eat. A lot of them just aren’t willing to try alternative foods.
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Mine acts like he is starving if I don't spoil him with an apple. Lazy idiot completely ignores the algae on the driftwood, and boy there is a lot of algae on the driftwood. You think mine is a sugar addict?
 
Mine acts like he is starving if I don't spoil him with an apple. Lazy idiot completely ignores the algae on the driftwood, and boy there is a lot of algae on the driftwood. You think mine is a sugar addict?
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Anything might be possible!
 
I did my 3 tanks, everything okay there, then I went to a LFS and unexpectedly got a job. I'm very happy
 

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I think I found out where my little infestation of ciliate life forms came from. I think they are stentors and I believe they arrived on a bunch of red myriophyllum.

Noticed them growing on the myrio tonight. It looks like it has some sort of odd fungus but it’s not a fungus - more of the teeny tiny little guys that settled on the glass.

I am not entirely sure what to do about them. Ignore, attempt to eradicate or perhaps attempt to culture?

Decisions, decisions. I wonder if they would be simpatico in a culture with scuds?
 

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Decided in the middle of the night that I have to make water changing my fry tank easier. I need to be able to change a lot more water at a time. So I just ordered a second water pump and a 75 foot water changer to reach and hook up to my faucet.

Will be here just in time for WC day!

Why'd I have to be into an expensive hobby? Lol
 
Sadly I picked up some green neon and this poor little fellow was dead in the bag :(
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We are considering getting a cat or kitten so I am in the market for some tank lids :) have to rethink some things but excited to maybe have a new addition! We are still thinking about it and it won’t be any time soon :)
 
We are considering getting a cat or kitten so I am in the market for some tank lids :) have to rethink some things but excited to maybe have a new addition! We are still thinking about it and it won’t be any time soon :)
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We had a lidless aquarium when i was like 7 or 8 and a really smart tom cat (tabby); he would spend days fishing for guppies but to my knowledge never actually caught one. He didn't love water so he only reluctantly stuck the tip of his paws in the water but i suppose if you end up with a water loving kitten lids might be useful - though conversely it would be a clever way to get them to take a bath.
 
I swear my fry get a tinsy bit bigger in the course of one night. There's most days where they seem the same size and then all of the sudden they leveled up while I slept.

It's that just how it goes?

As fun as that is, I also found that my Betta has a clear bubble on her eye. =(
 
We had a lidless aquarium when i was like 7 or 8 and a really smart tom cat (tabby); he would spend days fishing for guppies but to my knowledge never actually caught one. He didn't love water so he only reluctantly stuck the tip of his paws in the water but i suppose if you end up with a water loving kitten lids might be useful - though conversely it would be a clever way to get them to take a bath.
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I have a cat that seems to find water quite fascinating and isn’t horrified if she gets wet. My sweet little Wriggle, Mistress of the Dark Shadows Clan looks so innocent but she’s a serial fish killer.

Though I didn’t see her do it I know she’s the one that went fishing in my tiny long tank and not only caught but undoubtedly ate all but one of the tiny fish in it.

I had moved some rocks that were in the way and didn’t even think about it. I don’t think I really understood they were the reason the tank had been left alone. Come the next morning the fish were gone. The rocks are back in place so she can’t do it again.

She had all night to chase them in a very small tank - 18” long, 6” wide and tall. I would hate to see what she’d manage if she had a shot at the bigger tanks!
 
Hoping I have fish when I return from vacation. :eek:
 
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