Rosy barb edition
previous thread >>2026437
Discuss anything aquarium related here, including inhabitants, decor and issues.
Google is your friend.
Feel free to ask questions but know that there are a lot of resources out there that could answer your question a lot faster and accurately than /an/.
Make sure to include these things in your post before asking because we can't help you if we don't have the full picture:
-tank size
-parameters
-any and all inhabitants + how long you've had them
Links:
>How to cycle your tank:
http://pastebin.com/x4WnB0Ah (embed) (embed)
>General aquarium care sheets - http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/
>Livestock and plants for sale - http://www.liveaquaria.com/
>FUCKING GOOGLE
>http://www.google.com
What are the minimum care requirements for these?
>>2030195
You want a bowl with plenty of room to grow and hot chlorinated water. Probably around a 2:1 ratio of water to "dino eggs". Short lived, enjoy it while it's warm.
>>2030195
>tfw I used to eat these every morning as a kid and still do occasionally
Would you reseal this? It can hold water now but what about longterm? Trying to "fix" a used aquarium I got.
>>2030216
I would probably use it for practice disassembling and rebuilding a tank.
>Finally getting my 10 Kuhli Loaches on Tuesday
I've been waiting since December get these, I'm ain't gonna fucking wait for the LFS to get them in the middle of January. Hopefully the other LFS I'm making a 1.5 hour drive to doesn't have them in shit condition to make me reconsider
My tank will soon be a writhing pile of shrimp and kuhlis
>>2030219
Eeesh. I don't know if I trust myself enough for that.
>>2030226
it's pretty easy.
If you don't want to try it you could just shave all that thick loose sealant off and reseal though.
I personally wouldn't try resealing over the loose silicone.
>>2030227
But you suggest I reseal though, right?
>>2030227
I mean- remake?
>>2030228
>>2030229
depends on you.
I keep saltwater, there's no way I'd trust that tank for saltwater.
but it would probably be fine as is for a while with freshwater. You're always going to be worrying about it though. It's probably best to at least reseal it.
depends on the size as well. Small tanks really aren't that expensive, you could just toss that and buy a new one. It's up to you.
>>2030231
Eh, I'll try rebuilding for the experience. I basically got this thing for free.
>not living in Japan prefecture
>not having 5+ LFS that stock the highest level tech within 20km
>not having access to rare fishes and plants
Do you guys even care about being tank heads or nah
>>2030233
I was browsing reddit aquariums and they had a thread that showed off pictures of a jp lfs. I jelly as fuck man
I'm looking for an alternative to dwarf cichlids such as rams. Looking for a colourful, small and peaceful pairing species that easily breeds in the home aquarium. So far, I'm interested in peacock gobies, but I was wondering if there was any other species that could fill a similar role. Any suggestions?
>>2030239
Dwarf gourami.
>>2030239
Badis, Darios, and pygmy sunfish. Apistos are also nice.
Any Canadians know any good sites like liveaquaria that actually do ship to Canada? All I'm finding are sketchy websites that look like my first website I made in grade 9. Why do we always have to get fucked in the ass for shit like this..
I can order though my LFS' but I feel like they're going to hike up the profit margin like motherfuckers.
hello, ive put my fish in a tank but the tank isnt cycled. how can i prevent all my fish from dying
>>2030256
By posting bait
>>2030256
do a 20% water change each week.
it probably wouldn't hurt to test for ammonia and use a water conditioner that detoxifies ammonia and nitrite for the first couple months.
most fish available on the market can survive cycling just fine.
>>2030247
LFS. If you do find a site to order from, you should wait until spring, otherwise you'll get some frozen fish.
>>2030190
I had a single rosy barb that lived for 5 years under the worst possible conditions. Kept it in a sealed pot in my yard with, a few other standard goldfish, and would only check on them every 2 weeks or so to pull out the dead ones. They all died except the rosy barb which cost me 60 cents.Best investment of my life.
>>2030247
I don't know of any canadian based ones, except for a jellyfish auction i saw on aquabid. So, shipping is probably going to be as high as whatever you lfs markup is.
You might try the guy at selectaquatics.com. I have no idea if he can ship to Canada, but if you are looking for something rare he might know someone who does.
Hey guys i got a 30 L freshwater tank with 5 Galaxy Rasbora, and about 15 blue pearl shrimps. i want to buy some more fish for my tank, any ideas? it is heavily planted with gravel.
>>2030315
Rasbora espei are great top swimming fish that tightly school and remain fairly small. If you had sand, I'd recommend pygmy cories.
tetra would be fine, but I find them boring.
>>2030316
Nice! (Trigonstigma espei?)
>>2030319
Yes, Trigonstigma espei. Get about 5 of them.
I've been looking at LED lighting, I've found some el cheapo strips on amazon.
What sort of spectrum do I actually need for fish?
Are the strips of 5050 or 3528 leds good enough?
>>2030377
A lot of fish don't really care. It'd be a different story for a planted tank.
>that one fish that never eats
>that one fish that eats everything
Also, my glass catfish are idiots. When it's feeding time they swarm the top, and when the food falls to the middle they continue swarming the top.
>tfw finally have traces of nitrite after 8 fucking days of fishless cycling
>>2030397
Enjoy your aquarium turning to milk after your first fish purchase.
>>2030398
Explain.
>>2030404
The added fish load is gonna make the bacteria on the walls and such explode in number.
I swear some of you must do nothing but fish less cycle tanks over and over again like fuck that's all these threads are ever about
>>2030417
What are you basing this on? Like lots of organisms, this bacteria's population is depended on how much food there is. They will literally die down or reproduce at a rate that will correspond to the amount of food available.
That's exactly why you buy a bit of fish at a time to let the bacteria catch up. If you buy too much, you'll get a spike and the fish might die.
>>2030423
Some of us have more than one tank.
>>2030423
Guy who actually keeps fish in his tanks here, just ignore them. Let the tank run for a few days on bacteria boost and plants and then just dump in your fish like a normal person. I've started three freshwater tanks and never lost a single fish this way. Saltwater can be a bit more complex because of how sensitive the damned corals are.
>>2030428
What bacteria boost do you use? They never work for me.
>>2030440
Last two times I've used Sera Bio Nitrivec. Can't recall what I used the first time, might have been the Sera gunk that time too.
>my snail does that floating upside down and crawling along the surface thing
I honestly thought you guys were making this shit up. It looks hilarious.
>>2030423
It's not like there's a small and finite number of people with access to 4chan.
>>2030425
Not him, but it's supposedly "common" for the water to turn cloudy during or shortly after cycling. I say supposedly because it's never happened to me before on any of the 20+ tanks I've had. Even if it does, it's harmless and it should clear up on its own within a week.
>>2030445
Animals do a lot of weird things.
How many fish tanks can I have in my room before being one of those weird fish people?
I have a 70l planted aquarium for fish and amanos and a 20l for just RCS.
I'm considering picking up another 20l to breed a few round of amanos but eventually having crystal shrimp in there.
>>2030565
I have seven throughout my house and I'm totally normal.
For real.
>I got a new angel 2 days ago, didn't quarantine it
>today it had long white and beady poo
>I immediately quarantine paranoid it's parasites, it but the poo fell somewhere in the main tank
What do you think guys, are my fish doomed? The new fish has been eating and seems completely normal aside from the fact that it has red gills.
If they do have parasites, would mixing garlic with their normal food fix them
>>2030614
> Red gills
> Parasites
CLEAN YOUR TANK RIGHT NOW and pray to aquabuddah your fish don't catch it. Parasites can hide for months before showing up and bacterial diseases can be dormant for months, too. Don't add fish without quarantine.
Also get actual parasite treatment and/or return the sick fish. Garlic is NOT a treatment, it's mixed with food and meds to get the fish to ignore how bitter the meds taste. It's like feeding a dog a pill coated in cheese. The cheese isn't the medicine, the pill is.
>>2030239
Peacock gobies are great. Would recommend. Killifish are pretty cool as well. I'm thinking about getting a pair of Garderi sometime soon.
>>2030190
How do I get rid of snails in my external filter? Don't even know how they got there, never had any in my tank.
>>2030581
>I post on 4chan but I'm a total normie!
>>2030622
Okay thanks I cleaned it, hopefully they don't catch it. I am still going to feed them garlic because it can't hurt
>>2030565
who cares what normies think
My goal is to reach weebey mode
Do fish stores usually like to price match when ordering through them? I would rather drive 20 minute roundtrips than around 90 minutes. It's just that my local fish store, which is more of a pet store but they have a nice fish department, is a bit more pricey on their fish.
I just feel like I would come across as a shitty person if I said "well those guys sell them at $__, can you match that?". In my case it's a large dedicated fish store with many others across the country vs a small private pet store..
>>2030692
>being this poor
>>2030703
>having lower than average intelligence
Hello my brother bought me a fish and put it in my salt water tank. Is it a salt water fish? Can't find anything.
>>2030730
That looks like a reticulated hillstream loach, which is a freshwater fish.
>>2030730
He dumped a fish into your tank without your permission? The fuck..
>>2030735
So it's going to die?
>>2030746
Probably.
>>2030735
Oh hey it's the featured fish from last thread. I thought it was a stingray or something. Are they expensive? They look pretty neat.
>>2030746
Treat some tap water with anti-chorine, put the fish in it and pray. Also tell your retarded little brother to leave your tank alone and that this poor fish is now probably going to die. be MEAN about it. Yes, he will cry, but that's the point. You need to drive home that HE hurt an innocent creature by doing this and that he needs to leave your fish alone so that he doesn't hurt other innocent creatures (ie: the fish in your tank).
If he whines that he was just trying to help, do NOT let up. Explain that he can help by doing things with you and asking to do them first. Doing things WITHOUT you first saying it's OK results in dead fish.
Can I get a fish ID pls
>>2030761
He has cerebral palsy. I can yell at him but he will continue to do stupid things until he dies a 7.
>>2030767
Jesus man I hope this is a troll
Ugh god that was uncalled for
Hey guys I only just started with the hobby and have finished setting up my first tank. It's only 17 litres but it's planted and is currently stocked with 11 White Cloud Mountain minnows (6 gold, 5 regular). The PH has just reached acctable levels for cherry shrimp (6.8 ph). So I want to know, is is set up actually ok for shrimp?
Excuse the water on the glass and the cloudy water, this is directly after new cycled gravel was put in and I did a water change.
>>2030767
>cerebral palsy
That's not an excuse to be stupid or injure your very expensive and delicate saltwater fish. Cerebral palsy affects motor skills, babying him because he has it effects his brain. In short if he's treated like a stupid baby who needs to be coddled forever he will stay a stupid baby who needs to be coddled forever.
Also put a plexiglass lid on top of your tank and lock it. You can glue or cold weld the latches for the lock. Have some air holes on the FAR SIDE of the lid so he can't reach in but air still circulates. That will help keep him out permanently and will also keep out meddling moms and other junk that you do NOT want messing with your fish. Hide the key and don't tell anyone where it is.
Crap diagram attached should help you get the idea of what I mean by a locking lid.
>>2030754
They need lots of oxygen and prefer fast water, but other than that they're pretty normal. Set up an air stone, make your filter create as hard a stream as you can, and feed them algae wafers.
>>2030692
Family owned stores in general don't price match.
>I just feel like I would come across as a shitty person if I said "well those guys sell them at $__, can you match that?"
Yeah, sounds about right.
>your water is so hard that it's above the recommended hardness for FUCKING CICHLIDS
Is it time to buy an RO machine? My water hardness has been a plague when trying to grow plants hydroponically and now it's abck to haunt me in my attempt at fishkeeping. So tired of this shit.
>>2030770
How long have you had the tank up and running?
What is the general hardness and temp of the tank?
I can already tell you common dwarf shrimp such as RCS and CRS will most likely not breed prolifically in that tank.
>>2030824
Tank has been running for 2 months, usual temperature is 22-26 degrees. I can't get a precise reading on hardness but it's very middle of the road from what the colour chart tells me.
>>2030825
You'll be alright. If you vacuum the gravel, you'll be avoiding the biggest concern which is a nutrient spike from the relatively pristine conditions more shrimpmemers tend to keep them in.
The interesting bit about your tank is that your anacharis probably doesn't handle the nitrates as quickly as a fistful of java moss, so that's why cleaning would be particularly important in your case.
>>2030827
Thanks for the advice, I already do twice weekly water changes would that be enough? There are smaller ground covering plants in the tank it's just difficult to see them. Would you recommend any other plants/objects for the tank?
>>2030754
About $10 locally. Easy to keep. Just keep up on water changes and make sure your filter breaks up the water surface well. Had mine for 11 years. Also like flat and round rocks.
>>2030770
11 white clouds is a lot for a 17 liter tank. The tank's all right for shrimp, but the fish will probably attack babbys. Moss will help give them cover in addition to giving them something to pick over.
You should really get some kind of plant light.
>>2030830
Totally.
You might slow down a bit as the tank matures, the plants settle in, and even the wood become saturated with beneficial surface bacteria.
The more plants, the better, as they can help with general water hardness. That becomes an issue when you have porous structures such as wood in the tank that will naturally filter calcium molecules from the water that the shrimp will need for successful molts. However, you already have something to remedy that - the shells you've dropped in will slowly leech carbonates into the water that will replace what is taken up by the wood.
The only note would be too high of a general water hardness over time - too many shells and unfinished stones (aq. gravel is always washed and polished and sealed with a thin acrylic that stops it from affecting water chemistry.) Water that is too hard will make it difficult for the shrimp to molt and will claim any potential shrimplets, to say the least.
Also, get more plants! Shrimp love them. Since water chemistry is such a big deal, you'll want to get your fish on a "two feed, one fast" schedule. The shrimp will clean up as many remains and detritus as possible and will still have food thanks to the plants that host nearly microscopic creatures that the shrimp eat. More cover will also give them the confidence to breed because your minnows will definitely eat anything the size of a newly hatched shrimp. (A more open setup such as yours would be more than enough in a shrimp only tank.)
>>2030841
Not really necessary.
Intense lighting will melt anacharis.
Both java and anacharis will explode in his tank in six months, if he slows the water changes to once a week and manages to get feeding just right.
>>2030844
So you would recommend some Java moss? And you think water changes should be once a week?
>>2030852
I'm pretty sure everyone recommends java moss. The thing is that it doesn't particularly appreciate being planted and will just sit in a clump until it attaches itself to something. You might want to take some cotton thread and tie a massive clump onto your wood. It's what I did, sans the thread.
>>2030843
Yeah I put the shells in for hardness to counteract the wood, which I put in for lowering ph (I had real issues with ph at first). I don't mind if the fish pick off the occasional shrimp fry all I want is a sustainable population.
How many shrimp would you recommend to start with? I really wanted them for help with cleaning and waste removal of Algea and stuff, bonus points for being nice looking.
What other plants are good? I've heard Java (moss and fern) are good for cold water such as this, any other suggestions? I just want plants for the substrate now as the elodea fills the upper space quite well.
>>2030854
Thanks for the advice, I will do that when I go to get the shrimp from my Lfs on Friday.
>>2030857
The thing is that cold, low light plants are such for a reason - they often inhabit the lower zones of the a lake's ecosystem, so the ones that do well with planting usually grow tall and will often serve better as background plants.
I'm not entirely sure what else might work, but look into strapping on an anubias on the wood and having a larger hunk of moss fill out the lower bits of your tank.
The shrimp will do a good job of removing bacterial blooms and brown algaes, but don't expect them to take care of hair algae.
>>2030854
>will just sit in a clump until it attaches itself to something.
Does it attach to things? I had a clump for about two months tied to my driftwood without attaching, and I've read some anons say it does and some say it doesn't. What's your experience with it?
>>2030844
I never said intense lighting, just something. Very few plants will stay alive in just ambient lighting (though java moss is one), and they're very unlikely to "explode."
A simple 9-13 watt daylight cfl in a desk lamp would be plenty.
>>2030857
6-10 shrimp is enough to start with for a shrimp only tank, but you may want to get closer to a dozen on account of the fish.
Cryptocoryne species will survive in very low light and most stay 3-4 inches tall. Dwarf saggitaria grows more quickly, but you'll need some kind of light for it.
>>2030868
>cryptocorynes
Very good suggestion. I am a little upset I did not think of it myself!
>>2030867
It's picky.
If it is too tightly bound, the plant will melt around the ties. Once it is loosened and there is current, its longer strands will send grabby grabby rhizoids along the surface of the wood that are surprisingly powerful in currents, but will not stand against a clumsy human hand if it is, say, smooth stone or wood.
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/information/pet-finder.php?atlas=1&type=aquarium
Is it just me or is this really difficult to get results? I'm putting normal values at 20gallons and I'm barely getting any fish.
>>2030868
Oh cool, I saw my LFS had a water trumpet in anyway so ill get that.
I have to thank you guys for all your advice, this is my first proper fish tank and u want to do well with it before I move into larger more elaborate projects.
Eventually I'd like a very large salt water, a large freshwater community tank, a large planted discuss tank and a few other things, if all goes well here what should I start on next?
>>2030873
Ok.. I just found out that using sand leaves out almost everything.
Why is this?
>>2030879
Sand harbors a fuckload of bacteria and waste and can create anaerobic areas like nobody's business.
>planted nano
>>2030881
I was told that I could simply steer a stick through the sand every water change or something so it doesn't form deadly gas pockets.
I just find it weird that they suggest gravel over sand for corys. Sand is the best substrate they can have.
>>2030888
Then you stir up waste and form nutrient spikes.
The fact that it is so dense is really the worst thing about it. I don't have anything against it.
>>2030876
>water trumpet
Huh, never heard it called that.
The large freshwater community would be the logical next step, but with enough research and diligence, you can really do anything you want.
>>2030879
That web app is weird as hell. The questions it's asking don't really make any sense. I'd use Aqadvisor over that.
>>2030881
>create anaerobic areas
Theoretically possible, but not really likely unless you're filling half the tank with sand.
>>2030888
Any kind of bottom dwelling species will keep it sifted well enough. If you're really worried about pockets, MTS are good for aerating substrate.
>>2030891
Yeah. It's just that aqadvisor is a little less accessible when it shows you available fish. You have to google everything. Do you know any good websites simply to look at aquarium fish and brainstorm?
>>2030889
>The fact that it is so dense is really the worst thing about it.
This. Sand isn't that bad, honestly. Just add live plants, don't overfeed, and clean your tank your nutrients/bacteria will stay in check. I have never seen a tank die off from sand.
>>2030894
What the heck do you guys use? I was under the impression that sand is the unsung hero of aquarium substrates. I already have sand in this cycling 20g. Don't really feel like restarting.. It's going to be planted in a few months, though.. If that makes it any better.
>>2030895
The unsung hero of aq substrates?
Bare bottom.
My personal favorite is large river rocks.
>>2030895
Not sure about them but I've used blasting grit and pool filter sand in both planted and non planted tanks for years without problems. You only run into compaction problems if you use super fine shit like play sand.
>>2030895
That's because sand is the unsung aquarium hero. I just use regular aquarium sand. Really, you're fine with sand. Sand is the best for bottom dwelling fish though they can uproot plants so add them after the plants are well established. So plants + upper level first go first, then loaches/cories,ect.
>>2030890
Yeah it's probably a country based thing with the names.
I will probably go for the community because the community>discus>salt seems like natural progression in difficulty anyway. On the topic is
209 litres big enough for 2-3 large shoals of tetras/rasboras and a few other fish like corys, guppies, small gouramis etc?
>>2030896
>Bare bottom
Yeesh. I get the advantages. I watched an entire video on it. But I'd rather have a more "natural" tank.
>>2030895
I think most people here keeping planted tanks use plant substrates like Aquasoil or EcoComplete. Some use potting soil with a gravel cap.
Sand is a dirt cheap aquarium substrate that looks decent. I haven't heard any other praise for it. In my experience it works fine for low-nutrient plants, but silica sand (like pool filter or play sand) seems to cause aggressive and chronic diatom blooms.
>>2030896
>Bare bottom
For non-planted tanks, yes. Absolutely.
>My personal favorite is large river rocks.
But then you have to clean under them...
>>2030899
Discus difficulty depends almost entirely on the pH and hardness of your tap water.
>On the topic is 209 litres big enough for 2-3 large shoals of tetras/rasboras and a few other fish like corys, guppies, small gouramis etc?
Yes. You'll get a more natural look and happier fish if you stick to fewer species. For a big tank, a simple sort of checklist would be to get a top-, mid-, and bottom-dweller, a clean up crew, then some kind of centerpiece fish.
>>2030902
>Discus difficulty depends almost entirely on the pH and hardness of your tap water.
I can confirm that. When I first started out and knew nothing I kept a discus in my 70 litre tank for years without any special effort. Turned out the tap water was pretty much perfect right out of the tap. I didn't even dechlorinate back then. Little bugger lived like that for six years before I moved and got him a properly sized tank.
>>2030908
the reality is they aren't particularly difficult to keep, especially the tank bred blue strains.
they adapt to hard water quite nicely. They won't breed in hard water is all.
their reputation for difficulty comes from those heady and ancient times in the late 1980's when Duran Duran rocked the world and all the discus you could buy were wild caught.
>>2030902
I'm an aquasoil anon. Thought I would put in my 2 cents:
Even the newest, best aquasoil is just baked (terrestrial) dirt that breaks down over time. I'm not convinced my plants are growing at a rate that justifies the layer of brown filth at the bottom of my tank. If you think about it, most aquatic substrate in nature is either sand, clay, or disgusting mud. This stuff would be disgusting mud, except it was "meant to be" at the surface. I'm not even certain my microbes know what to do with the stuff because it doesn't break down evenly or form that fine muck/silt that you associate with fertile river substrate. It's just bad.
This stuff is a fad. Use sand like a decent person.
>Buy some recomended expensive "specially formulated protein rich" food for shrimps
>Smells like dry cat food
I bet this is literally ground up cat food
>One of my big female RCS looks like it just molted
>Is trying to escape every other shrimp in the tank
>See one of them overpower it and roll it over looking like it was trying to eat it
>Female tries to get away while the other one rides her back
Is this what shrimp sex looks like?
What sort of test kit should I be using?
I'm seeing the 5-in-1 strips and various kits with test tubes and the like.
If I assume each kit works as good as the others, I've got red/green colour blindness.... are any of the kits better in that regard?
>>2031013
I don't know if color blindness should even matter because whatever color pops up will correspond to the same colors you already see on the reference sheet. But I'm not really knowledgeable when it comes to color blindness so I might be spouting utter nonsense.
Regardless, don't use paper strip kits. Use the color drop ones.
>>2030994
she was asking for it
>>2031086
But if a bad result is red, an opposite bad one green, and the good one yellow, it would all look the same to him.
>>2031013
Seachem makes the most user friendly test. You're going to have to get a friend or neighbor to help you with the last part though.
>>2030994
Sounds about right. Here's an old video of some thirsty amanos.
>>2031013
Have you taken a look at the results sheets before? Most strip tests use green for ammonia and pink for nitrite and nitrate. The API liquid kit uses yellow/green for ammonia, blue/purple for nitrite, and yellow/orange for nitrate. If you can read the result sheet you should be fine.
The liquid kit with the vials is much more accurate and far cheaper per test in the long run, but it takes longer to get a result (5-7 minutes vs. 30 seconds). The strips can be "good enough" if you're just doing a basic freshwater setup, but the liquid kit will give you better results.
>>2031133
The only time I've even seen the strips was for about a minute when a clerk did a water test for me. I don't recall the colours on it.
Just added two goldfish to my 125 litre tank and one has been fine, but the other one has a clasped fin and sometimes goes mental opening and closing the fin and swimming backwards and forwards. Getting a water testing kit on Saturday but does anyone know what's wrong with my fish? Pic related the shubunkin is the sick one
I posted on /aq/ before regarding a 35g I got for free. It's pretty beat up so I'm using it as aquarium building practice. Got nothing to lose if I fuck up.
Do glass aquariums use standard glass? I just got off the phone with my local glass shop and got a quote for the panels I want to replace. It's like 75% cheaper than what I thought it would cost in the first place.
Also, is 100% silicone truly 100% silicone? I bought one of those bottles that need those squeeze trigger things. Bought it at a hardware store.
>>2031153
Regular silicone will leach chemicals that will kill your fish. Gotta use dat clear shit
>>2031162
Fuck. Mine is "white". Does this look good? http://www.rona.ca/en/sealant---silicone-ii-sealant-2000097--1
>>2031150
Just tested the water (found some ph testers) and it was 6.4, I have plecos, tetras, and a khuli loach. I read that goldfish are best in 7.2-7.6. Is this the reason for the clasped fin?
bwuu
>>2031153
I believe most manufacturers use tempered glass for the bottom pane and normal glass for the side panes.
>>2031165
>Midew-resistant
Means it has mold inhibitors and fungicides and whatnot. No good. The easiest way is to look for one that specifically says it's aquarium safe. People have mentioned having success with various brands of clear silicone that don't have the "anti-mildew" warning, but it's always going to be a calculated risk.
>>2031174
Aquarium-safe means the price is inflated 5 times.
>>2031150
Fish is probably sick. Did you remember to quarantine?
>>2031153
Get the "food safe" silicone for best results. Silicone often has various metals in it that won't harm humans but might bug your fish. That said, I have heard of people using the clear shower caulking 100% silicone with little issue, especially once the tank had water in it for awhile and went through some water changes.
>>2030766
it's a albino walking catfish if i remember correctly
>>2031153
GE Silicone II is the usual choice.
a lot of people are now building tanks with an RTV sealant, which is stronger. Not really necessary for the average application though. Commercial tanks are way overengineered to begin with. They don't require strengthening.
My old workshop teacher made aquariums with pipe sealant and a metal frame. Looked crazy, but I guess it worked.
>>2031153
also just a couple tips:
razor the old sealant off completely. Use a razor to cut the tank apart.
tape your seams off where you don't want sealant so you get a good clean line.
wipe the hell out of the glass with rubbing alcohol before sealing.
if you don't have a jig to set up the tank, have a friend help you hold sides in place while you tape the edges together. Duct tape will hold the whole damn thing together while the sealant cures.
it needs to go together fast, you want all the sides glued up in about 30 minutes or less. The silicone from the first side needs to still be wet when the last side goes into place.
practice with your friend what you're each going to do before you do it. Mostly you just need them to hold the first two sides in place while you tape them.
>>2031225
addendum:
if you're using tape to hold it together, the tape goes on the outside of the tank (of course).
also the tape on the bottom needs to be placed before you start. So you'll have your bottom glass with like three strips of duct tape sticking out of each side underneath, sticky side up. ready to stick to the sides.
>>2031228
>>2031225
>>2031218
>>2031196
>>2031162
FUCK. JUST FUCK. My blade got stuck in angle where I just had to carefully wiggle it out twice, and both of these times, this happened. This is the worst one, the other one is a little "better". Is this still safe or is this whole project ready to go down the toilet?
>>2030817
Damn, how hard is it?
>>2031297
Using the API test kit, it took 23 drops to change color. I also checked on my fairly cheap electronic ppm pen and it says 480 ppm which kind of corresponds to that number of drops. I remember having to deal with so many minerals clogging up the roots of my plants. They never had healthy roots.
I'm seriously considering mixing in RO water with my tap. It's just going to be a bitch to manage when I finally get my 75 gallon setup. I don't know how I'm going to do it.
>>2031306
Damn, RO might be the best way to go. It won't be much of a hassle if you buy an RO unit yourself. There's a bit upfront cost, but you can just have a 50 gallon drum filled with RO water to put in during water changes.
Do you have a good LFS or any breeders in your area? I'd talk to them and see what they do. Fish are adaptable. They might be able to give you some locally-bred species that will thrive.
>>2031167
They are nice fish
>>2031283
can't really tell from the pic.
if there's any cracks at all the panel is trash. chips are kinda up to you. If there's chips on both the inside and outside the panel is trash though.
small chips with no cracks on one side of the glass might be ok.
>>2031322
I have an old house that uses a well. It's not connected to the city water. That's why in all the fish stores I visit, the staff flip-over backwards when I mention my water hardness. So I'm a little fucked.
>>2031357
I think I'm just going to get a new sheet of glass. I'd rather pay ~$15 once than risk 35 gallons of water all over the floor.
I'm thinking maybe cutting up this panel to make a smaller aquarium. Maybe a quarantine tank. Something that doesn't need to look good.
>>2031306
That's more or less the same thing I was dealing with when I lived at my boyfriend's house. They were on a well. We had an axolotl for a couple of weeks in it just fine, but we ended up deciding to just get tap water from a friend's hose for water changes. That was for a 20 gallon, though, nothing really big.
Would the RO filters get clogged/full really quickly running water something like that?
>>2031373
do you still have to cut the other panels loose?
I've found it works best to cut all the inside sealant I can off, then pull the panel away from the others hard while cutting from the top down on both sides at the same time.
Like pull the panel hard towards me and make small cuts into the seams of both sides. Eventually the whole panel pulls free and if you're careful and lucky you don't chip the glass. You're pulling it apart while you're cutting it.
>>2031373
>I'm thinking maybe cutting up this panel to make a smaller aquarium
That would work well. Were you going to try cutting it yourself or have it done at the glass shop? I assume you know enough math and geometry to play with the dimensions and get a good gallon-age out of it.
>>2031389
Yeah, they're all loose. Everything's good. How do you remove the sealant for good, though? I mean it's really, REALLY stuck on the glass. I could do it with a razor but it would take so much time. Is there something safe I can rub over it?
>>2031394
I'm going to try myself for the experience. Glass cutters only cost ~5 bucks and you get 10-15 cuts out of them apparently.
> I assume you know enough math
Heh! I'll play around with this thing, I think. http://www.theaquatools.com/building-your-aquarium
>>2031414
you just scrape it with a razor. keep the razor wet so it cuts clean without scratching the glass. It helps to have a razor holder thingy like janitors and window cleaners use.
my tank looks like someone jizzed in it every single time I do a water change. these things slow down and pretty much disappear after time but theyre always back 10 minutes after a water change. wtf are they?
on a side note:
my rcs females seems to have a "crust" on top of its body. can anyone tell me what it is?
Ill have a picture later.
>>2031368
Maybe you can buy bottled water?
>Babby shrimplets spotted hiding in moss and on glass surface
It begins, there's like 8-10 berried females
I did find two smaller shrimp corpses though, haven't seen any deaths for nearly 3+ weeks. Hopefully everything is OK
I wanted to do a Pico Reef tank.
I have seen a lot of people doing this with nothing more than lights and a power head.
My question is, how would you maintain good chemical balance without the use of a protein skimmer?
I've tried looking around, but I wasn't able to find any sort of definitive guide for maintaining pico reefs. Most information I have found is only a portion of what I need at best.
I've read that some people simply do more frequent water replacements.
>>2031751
if you don't feed a lot, you don't need a skimmer.
the bacteria in the liverock are responsible for nitrification and denitrification.
you will have a longer period with algae in the beginning but the nutrients will get absorbed by invertebrates and coral over time.
A coral tank without fish or food will go into a state of limitation.
I have an 18l tank with light and pump running for 4 years now and i have to feed my hermit and shrimps from time to time because there are almost no algae.
I just change 1l a month.
I keep sps, lps, anemona and softcoral.
>>2031824
Different person, but out of curiosity, what do you feed the inverts and how much/often?
4 days ago. What plant is this? Incoming more pics
>>2031925
Yesterday
>>2031927
Just now. Excuse the shitty looking sand. looks like shit with the lights off.
>>2031917
i feed a quarter of a 1cm diameter foodchip for freshwater catfish every two days to my hermit crab.
it is green and consists of:
vegetables, cereal, crustaceans, algae, fish and yeast.
the coral get a little Tropc Marin pro-coral-zooton every week
Hi, I have a 125 litre tank with:
5 zebras
1 kuhli loach
4 common plecos
5 tetras
2 goldfish
2 loaches
Is this overcrowded? Thanks in advance
>>2030247
desu I usually go to Big Al's
>>2031953
No the threads after that one lol it was a loach
>>2031942
Zebras are air-breathing mammals that need a few acres of space, a 125L tank won't do.
Kuhli loaches need schools of 5+
4 common plecos are way too much
Goldfish are carp which grow huge and need cold water
What loaches?
Yes, nice b8, 7/8. Got me to reply.
>>2031961
I got this tank off a friend who was moving, not b8 m8. How do I salvage this tank then, because they all look happy except the zebra fish, the tank is at 24 degrees which he told me was fine for them all btw
>>2031966
Water freezes at 32 degrees. Your fish are frozen which means they're dead. There is no rescuing.
>>2031928
Not sure what that plant is, but the one you have on the right needs to be unburied. Otherwise, it'll die
Well shit
>>2031969
It's been burriws for 8 months and has grown almost twice its size m8
>>2031973
Buried. For some reason burriws is an autocorrect in my phone.
>>2031973
That's an anubias, and typically they die if their rhizome is buried in the substrate. I guess yours is an exception
It's been a week since my Oscar has eaten. He gets excited when he sees me but won't eat. My other Oscar eats and my jack. Water is fine. He just won't eat. No sickness, no parasites, nothing. He just stopped. No pellets, flake, or frozen.
>>2031976
I know what it is I have read so many differing things. Ill dig it up and see how it grows then.
>>2031976
It looks like it's not doing well since planting it in my new tank with sand I'll dig it up. Haven't paid attention to it till I this water change.
>>2032012
Yeah it grew from a bulb.
>>2031966
Give away the plecos, goldfish, and "loaches." Either get more kuhli loaches or give that one away, too. If the tetra are all the same type, they're fine.
>>2032016
It's almost certainly some kind of Aponogeton. I can't find a species that looks exactly like that, but maybe distachyos or satarensis. Or it could be some bastard hybrid. Post more pics if it sends out flower stalks.
Most Aponogeton grow explosively for about 6-9 months, growing stems 2-5 ft long, then die back, go dormant, and eventually die unless allowed to rest.
>>2032023
Yeah they're at about 19 inches long at the moment. What do you mean by rest?
Also this is another I can't remember the name of. I think it was wynd something.
>>2032027
>What do you mean by rest?
When the leaves have mostly died back, cut the rest off, dig up the bulb, and put it in a plastic bag along with some damp paper towels.
>Also this is another I can't remember the name of.
Cryptocoryne wendtii?
>>2032066
Okay thank you. Yes! That's what it is thank you again kind anon.
>have convict cichlids
>can't have live plants because they are little fuckers that dig up everything and move substrate everywhere
getting real frustrated bros
>>2032089
You got cichlids dumbass what did you expect?
>>2032089
How much research did you do into convict cichlids before getting them, because it doesn't sound like you did very much at all.
>Oto is now such a fat bastard that he can't press up against the glass due to his protruding stomach
Is this normal? I literally never feed it
>>2032099
It's atypical, but not a cause for concern.
>>2032102
Took a picture
>>2032103
Kek, it happens sometimes, mine survived
>>2030817
I know your pain.
I tried RO many years ago, but the filters get clogged almost instantly. Granted, the well itself has three different filters on in to try to sift out the larger stuff, but I still have problems.
See if a close neighbor has a deeper well, they usually produce much friendlier water.
Anyway; time, never doing water changes, and a deep substrate bed (or some other method of denitrification if no plants) have worked for me. Some plants (can look up species if you want) did eventually stop dying on me after awhile, and I use rainwater to top off.
My saltwater tank went through this weird phase where much of the hardness literally precipitated out of the water, so if you have a cheap way to mess with your pH that might be worth a try.
>>2031966
Oh, shit mang. I'm in sorta the same position after I decided to take care of my cousin's "Tank", so I'll stop calling b8.
Give away the plecos, or put them in a pond if you live in the right climate
Give away the goldfish, or put them in a pond if you know anyone who has one
If you can't find someone who will take them off your hands, ask all of your local LFSs, some will usually take them.
What type of loaches are they? Clowns?
By zebras, you mean zebra danios right? These are actually pretty coldwater, but they do fine in warmer water.
Buy 4 more kuhli loaches.
Are you sure they are common plecos? Not bristlenoses or anything? I doubt anyone has the levels of stupidity to buy four of the largest aquarium fish available to purchase.
>>2032160
Common plecos aren't the largest you can buy hehe. But don't ever release a pleco into the wild. It's so bad in Florida.
>>2032103
Mang, that doesn't look normal. Maybe constipation of some sort or dropsy? Feed him some blanched and de-shelled peas.
>>2032165
I know, but they're one of the largest, and probably the most well known for being large.
>>2032166
thats a adonis pleco, not a common, you dingus.
>>2032179
I was just looking for "big plecos", mang.
Have a cycled 30 gallon tank. What should I put in it? I like catfish and fish that eat meat
>>2032241
Well cat fish will get way too big.
Maybe a single oscar? No he'll outgrow it. Idk.
>>2031928
Aponogeton
>>2032165
>Common plecos aren't the largest you can buy
Iridescent sharks? Baby sturgeon?
I have a male Bolivian ram and was thinking about getting more. Should I get one female, two females, or one male and two females? Would any one of those be more or less likely to cause issues with aggression or problems pairing? And am I likely to have trouble with my dude being territorial to the newbies?
>>2032271
Pet store here is selling iridescent sharks with a tag of minimum 75 gallons and meijers employees tell people a normal aquarium is okay
What is the UGLIEST freshwater fish that is fit for aquariums? I'm thinking +/-40 gallons. I'm talking anglerfish-tier (not the deep-sea one).
>>2032311
Can't think of anything uglier.
>>2032321
Give me a break. Glofish are dumb but be real.
>>2032311
Medusa Plecos?
That mouth gives me shivers, ugh...
>>2032327
Jesus, it's cthulhu in fish form.
>>2032311
Get a red eye puffers are pretty weird.
>>2032327
Oh man. Not bad.
>>2032311
Dragon goby or those puffy eyed goldfish.
>>2032311
>>2032311
Though to be fair there's some discussion on if the goby is actually freshwater, and the scorpionfish is definitely brackish.
>>2032402
Forgot pic
Hey everyone, I'm the guy with the funky vampire shrimp from last thread. I think I've identified her as a Sulawesi Fan Shrimp. Could someone with some knowledge of this stuff confirm my suspicion?
It's a bit unfortunate since I keep cichlids and a vampire shrimp would be big enough that they won't pick on it, but the Sulawesi shrimp don't get big enough. Guess I'll keep her with the tetras for now.
>>2032513
Of course I forget my pic,despite spending a few hours in Photoshop on it...
>Housemates keep turning the heating on and off
>Temp of aquarium fluctuates between 23 and 25 degrees
>Lost 2 shrimp last night
>>2031824
How do you go about picking corals and anemone for a Pico environment like this? Obviously you need compatible species, but are there any specific species or traits that you should avoid or want?
>>2032550
Tell them to leave it at one temperature or the next person will end up beheaded then cut and cleaned and made into shrimp food.
Do I need a special brand of cuttlebone or so? I just bought a cheap one that looks like it came right out of the squid, but it smells a bit odd. Do I just drop the whole thing in, too? I've got amano shrimp, a pair of convict cichlids and a school of tetras, will it alter the water too much for them?
>>2032590
Just boil it if. Where did you get it from?
>>2032591
"Zoo", they're a local chain shop, but pretty good. Just boiling it will make it fish safe? Cool, and thanks. I was just going to drop it in.
>>2032594
Boiling will kill most things that will kill your fish and probably get rid of that nasty smell if it has one.
>>2032391
Please no
I've got a 25 litre tank I want to put a fighting fish in. Would an airpump be good enough or should I get a filter?
>>2032620
An airpump hooked up to a sponge filter would be excellent for a betta
Either way, I would get a filter of some sort
>>2032513
Yeah, that looks like it. It's definitely not a vampire.
I saw some weather loaches with awesome spots at my LFS. I was just about to buy one when I noticed all the goldfish in the tank had ich. Shitty LFS.
Here is my loach.
>>2032620
Getting a sponge filter set up is super affordable. Only possible downside to an air pump is how sensitive you are to background noise, where you tank is, and how much white noise there is to help drown it out. The hum of the pump + the bubbling of water gets on my nerves, personally, but I'm an autist.
>>2032550
Do you not have an adjustable heater?
Just got a new camera. Feels good to be able to take pictures on something other than my phone. Obviously I'm not great at it yet and I need to get a lens better suited for aquarium photography, but it's still fun.
My current salt tank is proving too messy for me. I'm going to give the fish away to friends and start over with a freshwater tank. What are the steps I need to take to do this?
>>2032550
You could just heat the tank to 25 to avoid the fluctuations.
>>2032620
If you already have an air pump, then get a sponge filter. If you don't, you might as well just get a small filter like a Cascade 20 or Azoo Mignon 60. Or those cheap internal ones on eBay.
>>2032675
>Getting a sponge filter set up is super affordable
Everyone always says this, but by the time you buy the sponge, the tubing, and the air pump, it costs just as much or more than a power filter.
>>2032703
Bag the fish, empty the tank, wash any decorations you want to keep, including the substrate, do a normal freshwater tank start.
>>2032704
Uh 25 degrees is still below freezing dip shit it won't melt the ice
>>2032710
I'm giving away the substrate too. But I'm keeping the sand, so how would I clean that out? Bleach?
>>2032699
Hey, Bolivian Ram bro
>>2032713
You have ice on your tank? You doing an arctic setup or something mate?
Hey guys does this sound like gill flukes?
One fish has red gills and white beady poop. Another fish has been scratching against plants, and also has white poop but it looks slightly different. All the fish are eating and behaving normally aside from this.
>>2032716
Hey, nice fish you got there.
>>2032713
>HURRR FUCKIN HUR LOOK WAT REARTD I R!
Can we stop this shitty meme? Because it's really shitty.
>>2032715
The way I clean substrate is by putting it in a bucket, putting the bucket in my shower, and submerging the shower head at the bottom of the bucket. The remaining salt should dissolve into the water and pour out.
Don't worry too much though, a tiny bit of salt in a freshwater tank isn't going to kill your fish, and each water change will clean out a bit more of it.
>>2032723
I was taking about the sand
>>2032726
So was I. Are you talking about some kind of ultralight sand here?
>>2032727
Yeah. It has algae in it too is what I need cleaned out.
>>2032729
In that case I'd empty the tank, then fill it with new water, leave the lights off, and do a water change or two to get rid of the salt. Leave it in complete darkness until the algae is dead.
>>2032719
Has anyone else dealt with gill flukes? Praziquantel is so expensive I really don't wanna buy it
What kind of fish is this? Bought this set up a few days ago and this is the only fish. Guy said he just showed up one day. This is about the best pic I can get as my phone freaks him out.
>>2032745
Penguin tetra I think. You'll need more if you want to keep it.
The fact that it just randomly appeared in the tank is very weird...
melanotaenia praecox
>>2032747
great. i do like the little guy, very active. are they hard to find?
Hey guys, setting up a 55 gallon planted aquarium, and need some help with lighting. I currently have a 20 gallon planted and it's doing fair.
What do you guys suggest for 55 gallon freshwater lighting?
>>2032755
Not at all, they're pretty common.
>>2032756
I have a low light dirted 55 gallon with crypts, vallisneria, and anubias. I'm just using a shoplight that holds two 4ft t8 bulbs. I'm currently using Aqueon full spectrum daylight bulbs, but previously I used 6500k bulbs I got at Home Depot. My plants are doing very well. I trim the vallisneria about once every couple weeks, and I remove newly sprouted crypts probably once a month or so.
>>2032721
Not until the eurocucks realize this is an American site
