Previous thread: >>2039769
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
>General aquarium care sheets - http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/
>Livestock and plants for sale - http://www.liveaquaria.com/
http://www.aquabid.com
>FUCKING GOOGLE - http://www.google.com
>>2042585
>sound like almost exactly what I was planning
>I even bought my first corys from a local store today
I don't know if that's a good thing or not but I've spent the last hour watching my corys putter away while eating and I feel content
>>2042592
>bump limit wasn't even reached
Im new to the hobby. What is this ashy looking stuff in my tank? Should I be worried about it? It is on some larger leaf plants, my wood and decorations. It brushes off if I try though
By the way, I have no fish yet, just around 12 plants
>>2042601
Had the plants about 3 weeks, 29 gal, Whisper 30 filter
>>2042585
Sounds gr8, 8/8 m8
>making new thread before bump limit
Nigger what are you doing?
>>2042592
So continueing from the other thread, in which I was thinking about making my own tank, I'm wondering if neon tetras might be a better alternative to white minnows.
I really like the Kuhli loach and black skirt tetras, but their caresheets say they prefer warm water. The reason I wanted to do cold water at the beginning was because I'm living on the coast in colder weather, so I thought something a little hardier might do, but now I kind of want to just go ahead with a full out setup and heater. I wanted something to do because I'm bored a lot, so might as well make the best tank I can.
>>2042618
Neon tetras are boring as fuck so have fun
>>2042620
I really don't mind boring, I'm not going to be sitting and watching them all day. I just want something to care for/play around with as a hobby and that will get along with the other fish. I'm also trying to stick to small fish.
>thread still hasn't reach bump limit
>makes new thread anyway
>>2042592
are endlers fun?
>>2042624
Well they are small.
Check this out and see if anything stands out
http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Coldwater_Aquariums
>>2042631
Most of those little critters look badass! I think what might be best is if I wait until I have the tank setup ready and see how much water it will have and how much cleaning will need to be done on it before I make a final decision on what type of fish I should get, keeping certain ones in mind. Ideally, I want to use most of the table space and make like a bonsai version of a pond.
>>2042592
>Protomyzon-pachychilus
Are they freshwater fish?
How big do they get?
How many can you keep in a single tank?
Can you keep them with shrimp and snails?
What other species of fish can you house them with?
What do you feed them?
>>2042662
Just look up panda loach care sheet
>>2042618
WCM's enjoy less warm water than neons, what with coming from mountain streams in china and whatnot.
>>2042662
>> le no :^)))
yes
very small ( 6cm, though the one pictured is probably between 2cm and 4cm) as they grow up they loose the distinct pattern.
depends on the tank
off course
the swimming kind :^) (any kind of non predatory fish is fine, if it can be with shrimp it can be with panda loaches)
loach pellets, bloodworms, artemia - the usual for small micropredatory fish.
>>2042738
Ya, that's why I'm thinking maybe neon tetras instead so I can keep the water at a constant temp for all the fish, though I was playing around with the idea of having a warm side and a cool side in the setup, but I don't know if this would be hard to achieve, or maybe give the fish less space to swim around.
>>2042742
>I was playing around with the idea of having a warm side and a cool side in the setup,
That isn't possible.
So those weights that come wrapped around bunched plants corrode or are they safe to leave in an aquarium?
>>2042618
Neon tetras need a heater and are way more boring looking and acting than white clouds.
>>2042631
Seems like a lot of fish that are sold as tropical are actually cold water.
>>2042662
A 10 gallon tank should be enough to host a colony.
They don't have any specific requirements, but they do prefer high water flow.
Keep in mind that teir pattern and color will change drastically as they grow up.
Are cherry shrimp prone to crawling out? If so, how can I stop them? My tank I'd planted so a bunch of my plants reach the surface
Ideas for a brackish tank? I'm thinking dragon/violet gobys, bumblebee gobys, ghost shrimp, maybe a figure 8 puffer if I can find one that isn't an asshole.
>>2042812
archer fish and mudskippers
>go to pet store
>they have an entire tank dedicated to newts
I had no idea there were aquatic breeds of newt. Does anybody have any experience with them?
>>2042817
They're pretty much like turtles. They need a small landed area, and they will destroy anything you put in the tank.
>>2042628
>hundreds
>only 3
Kill yourself
>>2042742
No. Avoid neon tetras. You will regret your decision. Trust me. I just got rid of 10 after a year. All they did was pick out spots in the tank to sit around until it was time to eat and then sometimes they would just wait till the food fell next to them.
>>2042840
Are you sure that your water parameters were ideal for them?
>>2042841
Yep. They had an entire 20 long tank with some albino corys and guppies. Never sick and water and temp was always spot on.
>>2042840
Weird. Mine would swim all over the place.
>>2042844
Put them with a fish they're afraid of and their instincts will kick in and turn them active and tighten the schools.
I have fifteen tetras and a breeding pair of angelfish. The angels are just small enough and so calm that they've never attacked the tetras, but the tetras still school and swim around pretty quickly.
The tetras do eat the angelfish eggs, so the angels do sometimes nip the tetras, but overall they get along.
So we just put our shubunkin goldfish into this larger tank, I believe it's a 20 gallon tall, we got it from my girlfriends mom, I will measure it later to find out what it is. We had him in a stupid 3 gallon hydroponic tank and I felt bad for it so we got this.
He's so active and swims everywhere.
I'm slightly interested in getting other creatures for the tank but not sure yet. Right now it's the shubunkin and 2 snails.
Anything interesting I should like at to house with him? Maybe another shubunkin?
>>2042866
Goldfish are social animals, you should have at least three.
>>2042867
Wont the tank size be restrictive to them? I was reading that a 20 gallon is good for one and add 10-15 gallons for each additional one.
They can get quite large, right?
Girlfriend is trying to guilt trip me into getting rid of both of my tanks. Because one the water from the filter is "making her mad" and doesn't like the placement of the other. I told her to leave.
>>2042868
Here's a video with some large adults in a 20 gallon and it just seems a little cruel. maybe just one more for the tank.
https://youtu.be/76dcFWUEeKQ
>>2042870
You did the right thing.
Never be with someone thats gonna take your hobbies from you.
Your partner should love you enough to known that
And if it was really bothering her she could buy you a quieter filter.
Got some pictures of your tanks and gf?
I want to compare them.
>>2042811
Cherries are useless out of water and being outside of water isn't their natural instinct. They're not like amanos that can jump and walk in land
>neon tetra
Literally the memest of the meme fish.
They don't school. They float around in one spot all day then they just die of genetic defects from being so inbred.
I had 10 and all but 3 have died. I'm glad because as they die I'm replacing with much more fun zebra Danios.
>>2042823
What about dwarf frogs
>>2042884
...so, no?
>>2042895
Very peaceful and easy to keep.
They're slow eaters and most fish will outcompete them for food, so it's best to keep them in a single species tank.
They don't need emerged areas, but it's highly recommended to keep them in shallow water.
>>2042871
>water spotlessly clean
>no shit anywhere on the sparkling white substrate
>fish all large, healthy, and active, despite being mutant abominations that can barely float, let alone swim
The only thing cruel about that tank are those disgusting fake plants.
>>2042885
The remaining won't die for a long time. They can live for awhile which is why I gave mine away after a year to someone who actually enjoys these genetically modified fish.
>>2042908
>mutant abominations
As far as goldfish breeding goes, aiming for fancy fins is a lot less awful than those eyestalk ones, or the ones with massive fragile eye bubbles that can burst and will kill the fish through slow, constant infections.
>>2042911
Those poor googly eyes gold fish.
>>2042592
tfw ur goldfish get the ich
>>2042592
Whats a good hardy saltwater fish for a fish only 15 gallon tank. Only looking to put one or two fish in it, nothing else in the tank aside from the filter and heater maybe sand.
>>2042929
mollies can be adjusted to saltwater and come in a variety of colors, plus they're cute when they beg for food.
>>2042930
The sailfin mollies especially. They are super cool, but like 3 females for every 1 male.
They are fuckers and will breed but if you don't catch the fry they will get eaten
>>2042929
Saltwater has a good selection of crabs and shrimp to choose from.
>>2042929
Get a pair of some nice clowns, I know you said fish only, but maybe get a nem too. can add crabs too
>>2042906
How big of a problem is underfeeding? I can't just throw 2 in my communal 10 gal and call it a day?
>>2042944
I think it just depends. It might be okay if the frogs can eat but it might go wrong if all your fish eat the food.
What's in your tank? Do you have a picture?
>bump limit still not reached
>made a new thread anyway
>>2042947
Planted 10 gal with eco complete substrate. Have 2 small corys now. Planning on getting
>2 Bolivian rams
>2-3 cherry shrimp
>Maybe another cory
After that I have no idea. Was thinking tetras and my roommates said that they'd want to get the frogs
>>2042900
It has been known to occur but it's very against their nature
>>2042988
Those poor corys. They need 2 more friends.
>>2042996
Cool, thanks. Just got worried when I saw them in the pet shop and they were all clustered up at the filter.
>>2042999
>get them two days ago
>whenever they're not flying around my tank like sentient roombas they lie on the bottom close to each other
I got a couple just to start and see how they act, but I love these little suckers and I'm definitely gonna try to get more now
what corys do you prefer /aq/? Emeralds were my first
>>2042908
Okay cruel was probably the wrong word but shouldn't they have more space to swim, they seem to be active fish, but mine is only about 2-3 inches right now and he swims like crazy.
So I went and got 5 24kt gold cloud fish and a big ol snail and two large algea eating shrimp, only 2 because I want to see how they do or if they even survive.
I was looking at Danios, tetras, barbs and red-tail sharks but the petco lady said none of those would do well with the shubunkin, which I didn't think was right, she said it was because of the ammonia the shubunkin put off. But she recommended the 24kt gold cloud fish.
What do you all think, have I fucked up? I'd this going to end in a disaster?
I hope not, I want all of these guys to thrive.
>>2043004
Never had of those, but they're definitely my favorite.
>>2043004
Corydoras pygmaeus
>>2043004
If I had cory cats, I'd go for these first. I love their patterning
Imminent bump limit new thread before bump limit even reach :^)
>>2042591
How do mollys manage to have adaptions to survive in both Fresh and Salt water? Don't they conflict with each other?
>>2043034
Mollies are brackish.
>>2043034
Guppys can be acclimated to live in salt water tanks and will breed the same as well.
>>2043034
In nature they live in estuaries and salt marshes.
>>2042988
Shit that's a lot fish for 10g.
Make sure to change your filter and keep the tank clean as fuck.
Otherwise you'll get brown water. I know because I put like 15 fish in a 13g long
>>2043004
I'm a leapord cory fan myself
>starting new thread long before bump limit
>using live aquaria
Check out this catfish though
>>2043096
It was like five posts from bump limit though
>>2042769
White clouds are the shit, way under rated. Watching them flare at each other and interact with each other is miles better than neons.
>>2043101
Check out that catfish
>>2043103
Love it, have some Plotosus
Who hillstream loach here?
my found 2 corycats dead. i just got them a few days ago. they were swimming fine last night and this morning theyre dead.
>>2043112
Tank size and mates?
>>2043112
They need at least 4. 5 or more for best results. They literally die of loneliness.
>>2043116
30 gallons
it was just an rcs tank. i got a bit bored, so i purchased 4 corycats. i knew they were supposed to be in schools of more, but i decided to try out 4 first and add more later on.
>>2043118
Not true. I had 2 for years till I actually did research and got them more to school
Help! I ordered some plants but the tank isn't ready to go yet. How can I keep them alive?
>>2043136
Set them on fire?
>>2043136
what part of the tank isnt ready to go?
you can throw them in a bucket with an airstone i guess
I got a bunch of Egeria Densa a couple of days ago, they've all started to become bent down towards the bottom.
They still look perfect and my water parameters are just fine, the substrate is dirted and I'm dosing with liquid ferts.
Anyone know what might be wrong?
>>2043136
I decided to just dump them in my guppy tank. Looks like I'm getting snails in my new tank, oh well.
>>2043142
All of it :) the plants shipped a lot faster than I expected. I'm mostly waiting on my mud to dry out. I had to do it in a tupperware inside since it's been raining for months.
>>204d3146
They would have been fine in just the plastic bags for a few days lad.
>>2043149
They were shipped in paper towels, and I wanted to free the lil MTS I asked him to throw in. Doesn't matter though, what's a few more species of snails!
>>2043150
Wtf did they wilt at all?
>>2042885
I bought 12 a couple of months ago, none of them have died, they always school and swim around like maniacs.
What are some good tankmates for a Blue Crawdad? 10 Gallon tank, so I don't want a lot of fish, just the Crawdad and maybe one or two surface-dwelling fish.
>>2043194
Anything small and fast, like danios and barbs.
What are some easily obtainable treats for your fish? I can't/won't grow worms or maggots, and easy to source is a plus. I feed my Cory's and WC minnows frozen bloodworms and my Otto's blanched cucumber. Usually 2x a week on top of flakes everyish day.
>>2043200
Live California blackworms are relished by all my small and medium sized fish. Local mom and pop fish stores should carry them.
>>2043200
Mix small doses of garlic with your fish food, they love it.
>>2043200
Semen
Is Black Sand good? I've never used sand in an aquarium before, only gravel.
>>2043194
Hatchet fish chill at top and never go down to the bottom.
>>2043228
They seem very nocturnal but very cool
>>2042743
Alright.
>>2042769
>>2042840
>>2042885
>>2043189
Seems like there's differing opinions on them, maybe it's also dependant on what breeder you get them from. Well that's fine, they aren't the only small fish, I just thought they might be a better alternative to the minnows.
So, so far it seems like the white cloud minnows for sure do not like warm water, so that's fine. I think I'm going to google a bit on other small fish that go well with the black skirts and kuhlis.
>>2043236
Wrong hatchet fish.
This anon here reporting
>>2042988
Im watching my corys all the time and I'm realizing that all I want in my tank is activity and variance. What are some fish that like to be unpredictable in their actions or have interesting/unique habits?
Bonus points for fish that interact with or prefer live plants
What's your preferred substrate for a planted aquarium?
>>2043264
Eco-complete but I've heard floramax is fine. No stats to back it up, just experience
>>2042812
Micropoecilia picta colony.
Why are cichlids so popular in the aquarium hobby but I never hear anything about rainbowfish?
Rainbowfish > cichlids
>>2042592
What could be cool for a 10 gallon?
I was thinking ember tetras + dwarf cories, or just threadfins and an oto or two.
>>2043278
>>2043250
I got mollies, people say they are low teir, but they can interacted with and beg for food.
>>2043275
Lots of things. They're some of the smartest fish in the trade and all seem to have some kind of "personality". Some even know there's more to the world than just the box of water they live in. Also you have the weird fucks who they they are complete carnivores and masturbate while they are slowly killing their fish by feeding them feeder gold fish.
>>2043298
Mine always die them I realized they're brackish fish.
>>2043292
Interesting, do you have experience with them?
>>2043325
No, sorry, I have no personal experience with them.
>>2043327
Well, thanks for the suggestion senpai.
I'm really thinking some ember tetras and around four threadfins (1 male 3 females)
There shouldn't be an issue seeing as those are both very small fish? I will probably plant as densely as as I can.
>>2043324
That sucks I keep mollies in fresh water and they are fine so far. Its been about a year since I had them.
![MollySet_Singature.jpg7a74cc8a-e602-493c-8dcf-7f96adbaf994Original[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/daHlMSh.jpg "MollySet_Singature.jpg7a74cc8a-e602-493c-8dcf-7f96adbaf994Original[1].jpg")
I love livebears
Are there big ass livebearer?
![171%20%203x5_500px[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/drfVyN0.jpg "171%20%203x5_500px[1].jpg")
![giant-frogfish-24M1043-50D[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/FKcLx1l.jpg "giant-frogfish-24M1043-50D[1].jpg")
Its some sort of water chameleon
![freshwater-aquarium-fish-images-450x453[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/kel7h9M.jpg "freshwater-aquarium-fish-images-450x453[1].jpg")
![Dive%20Card(small)new%205-3-12[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/n5ZyJmb.jpg "Dive%20Card(small)new%205-3-12[1].jpg")
I'm about to have my 30 gallon tank free from all fish I have been holding for a pal. What would you suggest? I like larger fish. But what would you do? Planted with sand substrate with a 60 gallon rated filter but I may be go buy a canister.
>>2043351
Maybe anons fish got raised in brackish/saltwater water and the person who sold them to anon just threw them straight into freshwater without allowing them to gradually adjust?
>>2043352
>orange one
Jesus Christ, that's as bad as the googly eyed goldfish. What the hell makes people think shit like this is even remotely ok?
>>2043377
No. The store sold them as fresh water fish when I first got into fish. All 5 died so i stopped. Learned they are brackish and will only be happy in brackish setting. After them I haven't had any fish die beside a upside down catfish that mysteriously died after one year.
>>2043368
This is just my personal dream talking, but I have always wanted to do a mock saltwater tank with all freshwater fish. Not a choral mock tank, though.
Get some rocks that you can attach a couple of fake starfish and maybe a rubber octopus to, some long tallish aquarium plants that look like small kelp/seaweed such as vals, or giant hairgrass. Slice up some marimo moss and attach it to driftwood to look like saltwater algae. Throw in a shit ton of seashells, then pick freshwater fish that can be mistaken by plebs for saltwater fish. Like khuli loaches as "mini" eels, some vampire/bamboo shrimp as lobsters, maybe a couple angel fish since I've seen fish with the same body type in ocean documentaries. Or maybe some silver barbs or silver dollars, or similar fish.
There's just so many cool things you could do, I love daydreaming about creating "optical illusion" tanks like that.
My Kuhlis came in
And now I'll never see them again in my quarantine tank, not even knowing if there's a bunch of rotting kuhli corpses hiding under the decaying catappa leaves
>searching for plants
>google image has lots of purple plants
>notice they are all referred to as "silk style"
So, are these fake plants? Or are they called that because of texture/exotic foreign name translated into english? Like all those names for fancy goldfish?
>>2043382
CLEAN YOUR FUCKING FISHTANK
>>2043368
Fill your fish tank full of Crypt Balansae, super easy low light plants.
>>2043380
>couple of fake starfish and maybe a rubber octopus to
No offense anon, but that would look completely fucking horrible.
>>2043382
REEEE! ALL THAT SHIT ALL THAT AMONIA AND NITRATES! REEEEEEEEEE!!!
>>2043384
That's just the catappa leaves breaking down. my water params are at like 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 10-20 nitrate
It's extremely hard to vacuum a tank like that especially since it's sitting on the floor, no suction power on water change hoses
>>2043386
Not if they are realistic, and carefully hidden among the rocks/plants so they are barely visible.
But what I really like daydreaming about is getting some aquarium safe arts and crafts stuff and making fake corals. Like a perfectly smooth blue calcite orb, use super glue and smooth blue glass beads of varying sizes to make the patterns then burying the base in sand next to rocks.
Seriously, google blue corals, with some DIY ingenuity and a little spare cash and lots of patience you could easily pull off homemade fake corals.
Can anyone identify these? Threw away the packaging. I may get more but they were advertised as betta plants that grow with low light. Had them for maybe 2 months with little growth.
>>2043392
Anubias?
>>2043392
Looks like a Cryptocoryne of some sort.
>>2043380
>I have always wanted to do a mock saltwater tank with all freshwater fish.
I've done lots of those. I started out with African cichlids in a tank full of bleached coral skeletons and white beach sand. I had all kinds of plastic seaweeds and a bunch of sea shells.
Later I saw some discus and thought they looked really ocean-ish. So I bought some and learned how to keep them. Had to give away the cichlids to keep the discus, but pretty soon my fake ocean tank was full of different discus and some rams and dwarf gouramis and neon tetras.
After keeping discus for a few years I realized it's cheaper and easier to just keep real saltwater tanks so I did that instead.
>>2043401
What are some good less expensive discus alternatives?
>>2043408
Pretty much anything saltwater and cheap.
Other than that I don't know. Discus are the most beautiful and majestic freshwater fish, no contest. Just my opinion. I haven't seen anything in freshwater I like half as much.
>>2043410
I've never understood the big draw towards discus. They're boring as fuck, and this is coming from someone who keeps a big tank with a single fish that sleeps all day.
>>2043411
Yeah, they don't do much. They're pretty though. And big.
Big and pretty, I guess that's the draw.
they're also expensive and difficult, but not nearly as expensive and difficult as they are big and pretty.
I'm wanting to set up a planted 5 gallon Walstad tank to move my shrimp to.
Can I just use plain old yard dirt, or do I really need to go pay moneys for fucking special dirt?
>>2043447
As long as it doesn't have any herbicides or pesticides you should be fine. Shift the soil for rocks, bugs and twigs and test the water before adding shrimp.
>>2043447
I've heard it's good to add a thin layer of gravel on top. Helps with stopping it from getting stirred up
>>2043456
I don't think it has any pesticides on it
The plan is to soak the dirt to make sure nothing floats too.
Then use water from my established tank to fill it, and pull my sponge filter from my little ghost shrimp tank (I'm moving them to the big tank)
>>2043476
I'm gonna cap mine with pool filter sand.
I finally got a job.
What size tank and cool fish should I buy with my huge paychecks?
>>2043583
Get a 125 gallon tank and fill it with a bunch of fish and plant the shit out of it.
>>2043486
Sounds just like my in-progress tank. I wanted to do mineralized top soil, but it's been raining nonstop for months. So I just sifted it, soaked it, and it's been drying for a week. Topping it with pool filter sand too.
MTS
>http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/library/52554-how-mineralized-soil-substrate-aaron-talbot.html
Anyways, I'm the anon who got their plants to early yesterday and just dumped them in their snail-infested guppy tank. Woke up to a bunch of babies hiding in the plants :D
Am I the only person who just goes out and catches invasive species from streams to stock aquariums? I've managed to get some pretty ridiculous shit that way.
Will adding higher grade females to my cherry shrimp colony improve the grading of the offspring?
I'm thinking of going to the local shrimp store and getting a few fire red females.
>>2043620
of course.
>>2043619
Probably not. But seems kinda fucked up taking them from a large stream or lake compared to your tiny box of water.
Eastern Yuropfag here, planning a big one around 200-300L. I've quickly realized that equipment at this level costs a lot and trying to save some dosh.
Whats the best way to buy equipment? Trying local retailers? The manufacturers themselves? Buy some used shit off ebay and hope for the best? Maybe they are comparatively cheaper in the US like computers and phones(I can arrange free shipping)?
How should I grow bamboo in my tank? I heard that the leaves can't be underwater, or they'll die.
Do people put them in breeder boxes and have them grow out the back?
>>2043656
People put them in filters also
I wish there was a way to automatically subscribe to recurring threads like this. /aq/ is almost a board within a board at this point.
>>2043583
55 gallon is a good size
>>2043004
Most of the "emerald" corys in the trade are actually brochis splendens, not even corydoras. The differences are insignificant, but themoreyouknow.jpg
>>2043112
How long has the tank been set up? What kind of corys were they?
>>2043264
Dirt with a gravel cap.
>>2043353
The pike livebearer is pretty awesome. Belonesox belizanus. They only reach 6-8 inches, but that's large for most freshwater aquarists.
>>2043619
You got to post some pictures.
>>2043696
>>2043584
Unfortunately my paychecks will only be huge when compared to my welfare checks. My apartment really doesn't have the space for a huge tank either, and I haven't been in the apartment queue nearly long enough to get a bigger place.
I could fit a 30 gallon on my drawers, so I guess I'll aim for that and some discus.
>>2043698
I'm not explaining it anymore so here
>>2043718
It's just going to be heartbreak with discus in a 30 gallon. You could do some sand, plants, a school of Cory and a few angel fish. Something I did using all South American fish and plants
>>2043721
I don't really like angelfish though.
The site says discus need twenty five gallons. Is it wrong?
>>2043725
What discuss? I know most get large.
>>2043725
you can keep a discus or two in a 30g.
it's just harder to do because they require pristine water conditions which are easier to maintain in a larger tank.
if you're willing to put in the effort you can do it though. Well, assuming your water is ok or you don't mind dropping $140 for and RO/DI unit.
but then if you're willing to spend hundreds of dollars on livestock and water treatment I'm not sure why you'd want to go cheap on the tank size.
>>2043718
http://www.aquariumdimensions.com/
You can probably get a bigger one, just take the dimensions of your dresser :) What's your budget like?
Just got java moss that has been out in the cold for several days. Will it be fine? I am letting it warm up in the bag before putting it in my tank.
Do I have to worry about pest snails and other stuff since it has been outside for so long?
>>2043748
Budget is enough for a 50 gallon tank with filter, heater and LEDs from my local pet shop. Unfortunately, my drawer probably isn't sturdy enough for more than about 30 gallons.
>>2043746
I'll at least be giving it a try. It won't be my first time keeping fish, and the water in the area is pretty much the best in the country.
>>2043741
Cool blue and red ones I've seen at my pet shop. I thought I had a photo on my phone, but I guess not.
>>2043763
30 gallons for mated pair. 55 if you want more than one if not mated pair. Or 30 gallons for one lonely discus.
>>2043762
Java moss when cold is known to be highly combustible. Be careful
>>2043769
Lolwut.
That is bull
>>2043763
Dressers are surprisingly sturdy!
When the other guy said "pristine water conditions", your tap water doesn't really come into play. It's more about keeping ammonia, nitrates, and other undesirables at pretty much 0.
>>2043782
I mean in regards to hardness, pH and chemical additives. I do know the ammonia cycle.
>>2043782
>your tap water doesn't really come into play
tap water is about half of what I meant, but the guy didn't get my drift.
Discus prefer soft, acidic water. It really doesn't matter how good the guy's tap water is, it's probably not soft and acidic. And it's going to take a lot of work and money to get it to where it needs to be.
With discus an RO/DI unit is standard, and you'll need a lot of discus buffers. Unless you're lucky enough to have soft water to begin with and don't mind buying peat moss or similar to create blackwater.
>>2043785
>I do know the ammonia cycle.
discus require 0 nitrate or close to.
so the standard water change schedule and normal filtration will kill them.
A discus tank is pretty similar to a reef tank in regards to water quality requirements.
>>2043718
I got a seaclear 36g bowfront acrylic. It's pretty nice, but the light hood is cheap shit.
>>2043786
>all of that
What. I kept discus for about a decade without doing a single water test. Literally my first fish. They did get ich from my loaches once, but they survived the treatment just fine. Only thing that ever went wrong.
I get that they're "Oh so difficult", but don't try to scare him out of getting his dream fish just because you like to go for overpriced overkill systems.
>>2043792
I assume your success is dumb luck, mostly just by having the right kind of tap water by accident.
it happens sometimes.
To be honest, discus aren't that super special any more. The captive bred ones you buy these days can handle pretty much everything other cichlids can. It was different back in the 80s when all the books and shit we still reference today were written, since you used wild fish then.
>>2043796
>The captive bred ones you buy these days can handle pretty much everything other cichlids can.
>there are more than 1600 species of cichlid known.
>cichlids vary wildly in what they can handle.
>>2043786
Yeah I kind of jumped in, I've never owned discuses. I'm not fond of finicky fish.
I would never buy an aquarium set, btw. You'll be upgrading your filter and light within a year coz they're always shit.
any fags in 248 area code want some juvenile oscars?
>>2043410
Are there any freshwater alternatives? The only "pretty" freshwater fish I know of are bettas and goldfish. And neither one of those do well in 10 to 15 gallon community tanks for various reasons.
Not unless you are extremely lucky and wind up with the rare super chill betta.
>>2043447
The only thing you really need to be concerned about is that most dirt that's sold has massive amounts of plant fertilizers in them. Those chemicals will naturally seep out and poison all of your fish. That's the main reason why most tanks don't use soil, but instead use sand or gravel.
But as long as you make sure you buy soil that is fertilizer free, then you'll be fine.
>>2043860
Any other Cichlid.
>>2043583
The bigger the tank, the cheaper it is in the long run. Plus, you'll have much more options for fish choices over time. Go big, you'll thank yourself down the road.
>>2043860
Killifish
>>2043650
Did you miss the part where anon said "invasive species"????
He's doing the local ecosystem a favor, although I doubt it will have any large impact. However, one less invasive mouth not eating local foods means one more native mouth eating local foods.
>>2043860
>be me and get a betta that likes my shrimp.
>>2043860
dwarf gourami
>>2043655
DIY is the way to go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrLYm-ZDGLw
>>2043656
Do you mean lucky bamboo? Because lucky bamboo isn't really bamboo at ALL. Trust me, you do NOT want the real genuine bamboo growing in your tank. The roots of those plants are strong enough that they can break solid cement.
Anyways, if you do in fact have lucky "bamboo" then yes, you can have the lower half, and even most of the main trunk, submerged. But it's absolutely necessary to have at least one third of the leaves above water.
>>2043703
>fish with beaks
The fuck. That's almost as weird as fish with teeth. Don't let bugguy see this, or he'll use it as evidence that all mammals and birds are really just fish.
>>2043868
Please tell me they are not called killifish because they kill all of your other fish.
>>2043860
Gouramis of all kinds are cool
>>2043860
>10-15 gallon
Why so tiny?
As far as pretty fish go, there are some guppy strains that rival bettas in looks, many rainbowfish species are nice looking, all sorts of neat rasboras, barbs, and danios
>>2043869
Take one 60 more are born. That's how it goes.
Could I go grab rocks covered in the long hair looking algae and put them in my tank? Before I have fish of course. Like run the tank for a bit before fish. Or will it not be safe? Like let the rocks with algae sit in some tap water for a bit
>>2043898
The question is, why do you WANT algae in your tank?
>>2043907
It looks good on the rocks and green is very beneficial and good food source.
>>2043910
That takes a lot of effort, constantly
You have to clean the sides of the rock, the tank walls, and the gravel. After a few days, you have to clean it all over again.
lol! jusy my opinion of course but shit i have not seen anything else on here as nice as those panda loaches! gotta try and track those down for sure. pic related my tank. some khuli loaches, cardinal tetras, congo tetras, dwarf pleco, ottos, and plants ...(CO2), bacopa, pearl weed, crypts, micro sword, madagascar lace, and some baby tears i just plugged in there two days ago on the right side under the lace.
>>2043112
I'm guessing brand-new, uncycled tank. Your corys filled the tank with ammonia via their breathing and the bacteria that eats said ammonia hasn't developed in your filter or gravel yet.
>>2043208
Depends on a lot of things. Gravel can be vacuumed once in a while to get all the filth out. Not so much with sand. Are you planting things in the tank? Awesome. If not, why do you want to use sand?
>>2043913
Not really. I'm too lazy to get plants right, so I just turn my blue wavelengths up a bit. Soon all of my rocks and wood are covered in a nice layer of "moss", and I keep otos, plecs and garras. You only have to clean the glass every other week.
I did get this awesome looking algae from my LFS by accident when adding shrimp from the bag, It was sorta clumped into little bushes. I now have small green bushes covering my driftwood and slate, it's cool-looking.
I guess you just need no completing plants, silica based substrate helps algae too.
Algae also only grows on some rocks. My pumice and obsidian are completely free of algae, while my slate is dripping with it.
>>2043324
Mollies have a wide range of natural habitat. I keep mine in super soft water with my amazon fish. They do just fine.
>>2043926
Easier looking on the eyes, better for most bottom dwellers, easier to keep clean, comfy looking etc. a thin layer of it and you don't have to worry about anaerobic pockets especially if you have bottom feeders.
>>2043934
Sand is not easy to clean. Most vacuums sucks up sand when it would leave gravel
>>2043941
>vacuuming gravel
You don't vacuum it. It doesn't need it. You just hover over the top and no sand gets in while picking up poopy.
>>2043943
I meant sand not gravel. Fuck I'm drink.
>>2043944
But not everything gets picked up that way. Dead java moss is heavier than silica sand
>>2043951
I grow stalky plants so I know nothing about that. I'm using some beach sand that has little black rocks also
>>2043930
Same.
Keep your tank clean, turkeys
>>2043921
Dude that tank looks so cool.
Your Amazon sword is looking robust, does it have runners?
>>2043941
M8 sand is considered the easiest substrate. All shit falls on top and that's it m8
>>2043004
I really want some Corys but my Bichir would eat them all. I can't get rid of the fucker either.
>>2043960
I thought they had small mouths and poor eyesight? You can't get full grown Cory's?
>>2043961
A bichir will choke on a cory. Their dorsal fins get stuck in an upright position. Both fish die. Bad times are had.
>>2043963
Ahh, yes that makes sense?
Do you have a picture of your bichir?
I want to see every tank on 4chinz
>not owning freshwater clams
They clean your water, lower nitratesdown, and eat the detritus
>>2043966
My tank temporarily holding 2 oscars and a jack Dempsey till Sunday. Then I'm rearranging, adding more plants, and adding South American fish. Maybe angel fish, whatever type of South Americans Cory available at lfs, and one more type of South American fish. I don't know. Help me pick one more /an/. Something the Angels won't eat when they get bigger.
>>2043985
>american
>not Asian
REEE
Also, get some kind of larger tetra like emperors
And maybe a BN pleco.
>>2044007
I have a bristle nose juvy in my 20 long at the moment. I don't know what I wanna do. I want to do a group of schooling catfish. A larger type of fish and a school of something else. But want them from the same country or continent.
So I've been working on my first saltwater tank and finally got to the point where I can start adding some corals. Grabbed a duncan, some green bay packer zoas, and a red magician paly frag. Looks like I have a spaghetti worm that stowed away with the palys. Also got some sexy shrimp and this cute lil bastard.
>>2043966
I'm too embarrassed to post my tank. It's my 2nd dirted plant tank. I had shitty lights so my plants grew like malnourished children. I finally got decent lights but the overgrowth is too much. I'm tempted to scrap it again and start over.
Reminds me, what can I expect now that I've switched from low light to high? I have dwarf sagittaria, Anubis and Amazon sword.
>>2044042
Algae depending on how intense your new lighting is.
>>2044043
No, I mean more along the lines of my plants. Will they adjust and start to grow more like bushes rather than trees?
>>2044054
The amazon sword and dwarf sag should grow more bushy but the anubias might get algae if your lighting is too strong. Are you dosing ferts and using CO2?
>>2043981
Question, is it possible to train clams to open and close on command? Can you train them to open, drop a very small pebble in, have them close, and then wait and harvest the pearl?
Or will they just spit out the pebble?
>>2043985
Your tank needs more plants, bro. And also some marimo moss.
>>2044007
How large do emperor tetras get? And are they fin nippers?
>>2044062
You can train them to stay closed above the surface, that's what they do on big oyster farms to let them be shipped without dying and rotting en route.
No idea if you could extend that to making them open when you want them to.
>>2044066
4.2 cm according to Wikipedia.
All tetras are fin nippers.
>>2044092
Luckily then tend to keep it amongst themselves, usually. You can get a rouge
>>2044054
Expect your Amazon to explode.
>>2043877
They are, mine ate all my arapaimas.
Are there any fish-predators of koi and goldfish? I'd like to make a natural ish pond for some.
