Previous thread: >>2062274
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
http://www.petsolutions.com
>FUCKING GOOGLE - http://www.google.com
What's the bare minimum components required for pressurized c02 dosing, not including diy.
Is a reactor required or can it be pumped straight to the tank?
>>2064963
A decent regulator, needle valve, full sized CO2 tank, solenoid (recommended if you don't want to manually shut off your CO2 at night), and a method of injection into your tank.
A reactor is recommended due to the higher saturation rate but you can use a ceramic CO2 disk to inject CO2 into your water if you have a smaller tank.
>>2064969
I've got a 55g but I have 2 powerhead and a large hob moving water at roughly 1480gph, I read something about running it through a powerhead or filter intake to increase saturation?
>>2064961
Fishes need places to hide too in quarantine, or they'll just get stressed and even more susceptible to disease
Mr. Mango also established that area as his territory and will sometimes chase away the female honeys, or let them stay
>>2064981
You can try running it through a powerhead and measure the drop in pH to see how much CO2 is being dissolved in the water. Google CO2 ppm and pH chart.
>>2064961
>barren empty tank
Seems silly to put an animal into a purposefully stressful environment for the sake of making sure that it's not susceptible to illnesses that can be caused by stress.
>>2064987
I'll do some more research, thanks for the input
>>2064954
>shrimp
>somehow a fish
Kekarooni
>>2065022
implying this is fish general
>>2065022
we're not /fg/
>>2065022
Its a shellfish...fish is right in the word, dummy.
>>2064990
I prefer steak for dinner but I'm not stressed when I don't have it.
Fish prefer a substrate but they're not stressed when they don't have it.
>>2065031
not to mention you can actually observe them and treat them more easily
though let it be noted that tank has no substrate
>>2065031
If you look a little more closelier, you can see that that tank indeed does not have any substrate, and your analogy is dumb. A luxury food isn't comparable to basic shelter.
>>2065047
a substrate is also not comparable to basic shelter.
but the reason we do bare bottoms in QT's is because they're easier to clean and thus maintain water quality.
Most QT's don't have a dedicated filter on them running full time, so water quality is an issue.
>>2065066
You're the only one who ever brought up substrate.
>>2065104
I brought up substrate because there's nothing else about that tank that could be interpreted as being stressful.
>>2065108
wow, how new are you?
/aq/ is shrimps and plants.
you can discuss fish here if you like, but nobody really does.
>>2065111
/aq/ is fish only. Shrimp belong to /ck/
>>2065106
That picture is mine. I posted it as a contrast to a typical "box of water" quarantine. It wasn't meant to seem stressful.
>>2065115
ah. I thought you posted it as an example of a bare tank since aside from the garish plastic plants it looks pretty much like any breeding tank or QT I've ever seen.
>>2065120
Looking back, I can see how it could come across like that, but nah, it's my temporary home for three upside down cats and a platy.
The garish plastic plants are whatever happened to be in the clearance section at the pet store. I prefer fake ones for QT because if anything does happen you can just soak them in hot water and dry them out.
>>2065135
I really want upside down cats again but people have an epileptic aspergers attack if you put anything in a tank that other fish never come in contact with in the wild.
>>2064954
So the aquarium general is a shitty shrimp thread now? Lame.
>all this invert hate
Fuck yourselves
>>2065175
They're only okay. Mainly used as food for my fahaka puffer.
>>2065228
Learn the difference between opinions and facts.
>>2065231
Okay my opinion is they are okay. Fact is my fahaka puffer tears the shit out of them. A crawfish decided he was going to pinch and try to manhandle him. Fahaka bit his claw off then went after that succulent tail then bit his head. It was nice. I do enjoy raising and keeping colonies of Bamboo shrimp for personal pleasure.
>>2065252
Would it be excessively cruel to stock an outdoor pond with fish knowing they'll die in the winter?
are aquariums animal abuse?
>>2065262
Pond digging bro here. Yeah pretty much unless you bring them inside during winter. But I'm going to test it out with some non native sub tropical species when spring comes around.
>>2065264
Shitty aquariums are
>>2065267
Explain shitty aquarium. Nothing is shittier than a rectangle or cube full of water when in the wild they live in much bigger environments.
Made the mistake of putting in a pair of rams after my betta established himself. He started off like a total asshole for a day or so but he calmed down. I still see him chasing them around every once in a while during feeding. Is he going to be a problem for them? I find it hard to believe that rams would have a problem with occasional aggression but I don't know
>>2065271
You should ask the fish and get back to me
>>2065272
I got rid of my bad ass betta because of the aggression. Even in a 55 gallon he claimed all territory and even the bigger fish would not come out but he didn't fuck with the corys.
>>2065271
>when in the wild they live in much bigger environments
Not necessarily.
>>2065281
Some fish. Most fish though yes. Unless they are bred in a tank.
>>2065281
Please. Bettas live in much less water.
>>2065271
They live their whole life spans in tanks.
It cant be abused if they live longer,
>>2065140
Fuck those guys. Those three are going in with flame tetras, kuhlis, and endlers. I'll have three continents in my tank.
>>2065272
In most cases the bigger concern would be the rams tearing up the betta's fins. You'll just have to keep an eye on them and have a backup plan in case things go south.
>>2065279
same. surprisingly, the African Dwarf frogs I have take none of his shit and attack him if he gets too close though which is pretty funny to watch
>>2065390
they show him no aggression. they're Bolivians so they're not inclined to that type of crap [spoiler] hopefully [/spoiler]
also, I've noticed both of my RCS just suddenly started hiding in a log 24/7. they're normally active, but all of a sudden they both just posted up there. hoping it's breeding finally but we'll see
>>2065264
especially in coral reefs many fish stick to an area smaller than a 50 gallon their whole lives.
in fresh water killies, bettas, and gouramis often live in what amounts to puddles
>>2065425
>in fresh water killies, bettas, and gouramis often live in what amounts to puddles
Not true whatsoever, simply an old wives' tale.
>>2065264
Really it's a lot different with plants and hides.
Many people are getting more into the wabi-sabi three fish in a jungle sort of look.
It's a great hobby, that humanity is better off with. It teaches ecology, at a hands on but most off level. Aquariums aren't abuse, but Fish tanks are. Farms aren't abuse but beak-cutting is, etc. It's really a moot point, unless you can actually go through a happy life without abusing something. I just abuse my captive bred reptile and frog, and I do this by not instantly culling them like the unprofitable captive beasts they are.
>>2065439
South American killifish literally live in puddles.
>>2065445
how do they get into the puddles?
a "puddle" is an impermanent thing. There is no ecological niche known as a "puddle"
>>2065447
They jump in, lay eggs and leave.
>>2065447
They're self cloning. When the puddle dries out, they lay eggs genetically identical to themselves in the mud and are reborn next year when the rainy season returns.
But the "puddle" is closer to a pond in size.
>>2065451
>But the "puddle" is closer to a pond in size.
yeah, and there you go. a "puddle" is 5 feet across. several hundred thousand gallons of water is quite different from 7 gallons of water.
>>2065452
Hey, I'm not the same anon who is suggesting to keep fish in small tanks, I'm just stating the life-cycle of killifish.
>>2065140
This is funny because I've very recently become a biomefag. Suddenly I decided that a dwarf gourami doesn't belong with neon tetras. Now I'm splitting my livestock into two tanks. Plants are getting separated as well. OCD is a bitch.
If I have a cycled media and shove it into a new canister filter will I need to cycle that canister still or can I just use it only straight away?
Also what are would you estimate the time it would take for the tank to cycle if it's a new tank?
>>2065506
I left mine a week, similar scenario.
>>2065440
well they've been in there for two days and they usually don't hide for a while to molt that I've seen
>>2065513
also, the female is out more than the male. havent seen the male moving and I cant get in there to poke him to see if he's fine
>>2065512
Awesome, I've has the tank up for a week with a seeded filter then when my other filter came in I crammed as much media into the new one.
I'll give it another week or two though, hell I haven't even ordered my plants yet.
>>2065533
it takes something like 4-6 weeks to cycle a new tank.
using filter media from a cycled tank you should be able to have it cycle immediately, but only if you change the media over quickly (don't let it dry out or sit around) and then only if the new tank already has a source of ammonia in it.
if you stick cycled media on an empty tank it just dies. Those bacteria need ammonia and nitrite to eat or they die. Then you're starting off from scratch.
>check my amazon sword today
>4 more stems are brown at the root and i pinch them off easily
whoever said these things are easy to grow is a fucking liar
>>2065542
they like high light and decent substrate. they need no c02 or special ferts so yes theyre easy to grow
>>2065540
Crap, when I filled the new tank I used about 10 gals from my established tank so hopefully that was enough. I'm not in any giant hurry but I don't wanna waste my time doing tests that are irrelevant.
May try out the "instant cycle" bull shit as I've never used and read mixed reviews and curiousity has been peaked.
>>2065542
How long have you had it?
Cause I lost most of my leaves when I first put my amazon in.
Cause now it grows like a weed. I get a new leaf emerging a day
>>2065544
not him but I have swords too. thinking about cutting my current one in half now that it's pretty big. is there anything I need to know or can I just slice away?
>>2065548
never tried it anon, try to find something through google
>>2065545
>I filled the new tank I used about 10 gals from my established tank so hopefully that was enough.
kek
>"instant cycle" bull shit
it's pretty much bullshit.
it's ok, fish can usually survive cycling. Most people don't know when their tank cycled, they just assume it happened instantly because they don't test water and the fish didn't die.
>>2065544
they absolutely won't grow in sand without co2 and ferts.
>>2065551
that's what I read online. I'll have to try it and get back to you all
>>2065554
i said a decent substrate you illiterate ape
>>2065553
>it's ok, fish can usually survive cycling. Most people don't know when their tank cycled, they just assume it happened instantly because they don't test water and the fish didn't die.
I used cloud minnows to cycle my 55 thinking they'd die but atleast I'd get the cycle started, all them fuckers are alive and well. But I've changed my views on live cycling.
>>2065548
I cut mine willy nilly. Its in the right corner
>>2065562
cute moss ball
Are lens filter degenerate?
>>2065561
>I've changed my views on live cycling.
did you decide it's bad?
I've never had a problem with live cycling. Now I mostly do saltwater though, and cycling is accomplished by normal live-rock die off.
What do other anons dream of getting one day? Pic related, my aim is to attempt breeding some Sepia Bandensis if I ever get enough time/money to do so.
![eel_fire4[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/cIvoz1b.jpg "eel_fire4[1].jpg")
I want fire eels. Those are the cutest fis
>>2065568
A wildlife pond.
>>2065562
oh shit, is that growing on driftwood?
Still have lots of work to do. Been slowly redoing everything. Any ideas?
>>2065548
You can rip off as many stems as you need to, and it will grow back just fine. You can't really make it grow shorter, though.
>>2065566
>did you decide it's bad?
I've always known it's "bad" for the fish, Unnecessary stress an shit. But I'm trying a more "kind" way of keeping an aquarium. This is my first go at being a nice person to fish though so we'll see if those cloud minnows don't because seasoned "cycle" vets
>>2065585
do root structures need to be present or will they just grow?
>>2065542
What's your substrate?
>>2065588
You need to leave the roots intact. When I need to trim my swords I just tear off all of the leaves/stems that I don't want. You can't replant them.
>>2065580
Probably a background or paint it black to hide the equipment behind it
>>2065591
>can't replant them
how am I supposed to cut off some if I cant take it out of the substrate? Im using ecocomplete so it's basically gravel
>>2065595
Are you just trying to thin it out, or are you trying to propagate? Swords propagate by sending out runners and growing sister plants, almost similar to bromeliads. You can't really force them to propagate.
If you just want to thin it out because it's getting too big, or to encourage new growth, just rip off some of the stems right near the base. Choose leaves that are yellowing or torn.
>>2065595
Pic related is what I'm talking about. Hopefully you can see a few broken stems. That was me thinning out some bad leaves that were torn and dying anyway.
>>2065598
I fucked up. I have an anubias Lanceolata actually
>>2065601
Of course it's sideways. Fucking iPad is the best camera option I have.
>>2065593
This.
Last time I painted a tank I used a chalkboard spray paint by valspar, not sure if luck or what but that shit worked out better than expected on glass with no primer.
>work for a paint company and use the competitors shit.
>work for a paint company and cannot afford 90% of the stuff we make, even if I buy it at cost
>>2065603
kek. Those long leaves are pretty similar to swords.
In that case you can cut the rhizome with something nice and sharp, like a razor blade, and the two halves should grow. Just make sure each half has roots and leaves.
What can I put in a 15 gallon brackish tank? Thinking a pufferfish with skrimp, I was going to do 2 angels a couple zebra danios, and a few albino cats (freshwater obv) but maybe a single fish friend could be cool in brackish water.
>>2065580
The piece of driftwood is positioned in an unnatural and unstable-looking way, very distracting.
You should lay it on the substrate, or replace it entirely with a longer piece.
>>2065626
I'm thinking a figure 8 puffer or a dragon loach with bumble bee gobys. Could I throw some moss balls and java ferns then have the rest be artificial so my fish allies dont eat them up?
anybody run co2 in a planted tank 24/7? what's your stats/results?
i posted in the other thread about my betta, and ive now upgraded to a tetra 5 gallon...
but i have some questions. first, the water is pretty cloudy even though i wiped out the tank beforehand...why?
also, i didn't cycle the tank but there is a filter and i did use water conditioner...is it really bad to not cycle it first?
>>2065672
Running it 24/7 is retarded. Check out watch?v=1JzvfHO31Ug
As for results, plants went from dying of left to right now to thriving within a couple of days. The old leaves that dies beforehand obviously didn't make it.
I'm running about 2 bubbles per second with the method provided from YouTube. It takes about a week to a week and a half before I have to refill the bottles, I run them for about 8 hours daily.
>>2065683
post before and after pics
Thought I'd post a few pics from my native aquarium. Arkansas here- dug all the plants out of the creek near my house. The warm water really perked them up.
I don't know much about plants, so I don't know which are invasive or not. It's tough to find a definitive list of aquatic regional plants.
One is some sort of grass- found it in large mats. Dug some up and cleaned the mud off.
The next is a short red bunch of leaves. It's becoming greener as it grows.
I also found some roots covering the shallower and rockier parts. No leaves, but I took some to try out. After a few days in the tank, they are starting to bud.
Any info or tips on native tanks would be appreciated.
>>2065696
Oh, and I dug up some sort of mullosk. My tank has never been clearer.
>>2065697
Here is the root- complete with sprouts.
>>2065579
Yeah I just tied it to to the wood.
I recommend it. I had the anubais buried for a while and they grew slow and steady, now they are way better
>>2065696
I kinda wanna do that with my 5-gallon. There's a park near my house with lots of native plants, shrimp, and minnows. Looks awesome though dude. Post updates every so often.
>>2065697
>mollusc tank
i think you just started a new meme
>>2065580
That piece of driftwood is perfect for making an "underwater tree" like pic related. It's even in the perfect position.
Just get some leafy aquarium plants like anubias and tie/superglue them to the tips of those "branches".
>>2065681
first did you wash the substrate before you added water, second why did you not cycle first you degenerate
>>2065681
>is it really bad to not cycle it first?
it is among the most deadly things you can do, your fish is going to degrade rapidly.
remove all plastic plants from a tank with a betta, they will damage its fins
>>2065786
That looks awesome
>>2065271
>Im fish
>Have nice decent home
>Plants to swim around and take cover in
>Decent open space to stretch my fins and do some small dashes
>Never need to do any frantic darting since no big meanies try to eat me in here
>Theres a small bit of moving water in the corner and sometimes you can swim against that for some fun
>get some food at around the same time every day so I don't have to starve
>I love my happy simple life
>What more could I want?
>>2065860
Well considering you're a fish with Internet access you must have it better than my fish
One of my cardinal tetras has gotten a J shaped beige "string" around his anal fin. He seems active and healthy though. Is this something I need to worry about, or did he just get some poop stuck to his fin or something? I've tried taking photos but he's too small and fast. It's very small, around two or three millimetres in length. My initial worry was worm, but it hasn't noticeably moved in two days.
>>2065881
Sounds like poo to me.
>>2065562
O V E R S T O C K E D
>>2065790
This meme again
>>2065681
Do I?
>>2065939
What are they labeled as?
>>2065942
Corydoras Paleatus.
>>2065951
Wow they're way off
I have been reading up a bit on corries, how many of you have had experience with cory self poisoning?
>>2065961
Well Corie's are social fish so I'd imagine that they'd eventually have disputes and assassinations would occur.
>>2065961
Wouldn't call it self poisoning only because in the wild they realease the poison when confronted by a predator. They don't mean to kill themselves in a small container of water during transport.
>>2065790
>>2065912
not bait
i already owned the fish but he was in a 1 gallon tank...surely a non-cycled 5 gallon is better than the 1 gallon he was in?
also the water looks more clear now so i guess thats a good sign
>>2065988
not cycling your tank is the #1 cause of aquarium fish death. there's a reason we make such a fuss about it anon
>>2065989
well i know that now but like i said, isnt a uncycled 5 gallon better than the 1 gallon he was in...
>>2065989
That isn't true at all.
How long will it take java fern to attach to the driftwood? Those strings are super noticeable, they're driving me crazy.
The java fern was previously established in the substrate and grew into a long patch, if that changes anything.
>>2065959
So what are they?
>>2066013
A cycled tank will always have 0 ammonia unless the cycle has crashed (in which case the tank is no longer cycled)
so i've noticed that my betta has these discolorations on his fins that wasn't there before.
what's causing it and how can i treat it?
>>2066067
Yes unless that tank is not maintained just like average joe buying fish and letting the kids take care of them.
>>2065993
no. a cycled tank is better than an uncycled tank, period.
you aren't fit to keep fish, if you asked that question 3 times without understanding the implications of it. pick another pet, like ants.
>>2066081
>fishless cycle
Toppest of keks. Gets me everytime.
>>2066081
yes i know it's better, but when i first bought the fish i had him in an uncycled 1 gallon tank. since i already owned the fish at that point i couldn't cycle it because the fish had nowhere else to be
then i got the 5 gallon, but again the fish was already in a 1 gallon so it must be better for it to be in an uncycled 5 gallon than an uncycled 1 gallon.
>>2066088
>n so it must be better for it to be in an uncycled 5 gallon than an uncycled 1 gallon.
NO
IT'S
NOT
>>2066089
Technically it is. Get rekt in your fudge factory.
>>2066089
how the hell not...the water inside is essentially the same quality but it's 5x bigger.
>Have a 90L community tank
>Have a 20L shrimp tank
>Shrimp never breed
>One day there's a mass die off and ammonia spike
>Can't seem to get ammonia under control so take the 5 remaining shrimp still alive (20 died) and dump them into my community tank knowing they will probably be eaten.
>3 months down the line get another 90L and set up a shrimp only tank again
>No shrimps are breeding in this tank
>Meanwhile those 5 shrimp that I put in my community tank are breeding like crazy
Fuck you shrimp fuck you.
>>2066092
Lesson learned never keep things in such a small tank where things can go wrong very very quickly
>>2066092
How much ammonia can shrimp produce? I have a spare, uh, I'd say it looks like around to be a 30 gallon tank and spare stuff to make another aquaponic (thanks Aerogarden customer support), I've also wanted a safe spot for memeballs but the fish will bully those ;_;
>>2066096
It's more the fact that they've thriving in my tank where they should get eaten and not thriving in the specific tank set up just for them.
>>2066068
Moar proteins, son.
>>2066133
care to elaborate...
Any large shrimp I can keep with my blue acara and green terror? Along with my school of corys. I also have a Bichir but he's very small and the biggest fish is only 3 inches. My 10 gallon shrimp tank got rekt and without thinking I put them in my 55 gallon and all my fish had a very good dindin.
>>2066068
Bettas often change color over time. He looks fine.
>>2066091
Being in a cycled 1 gallon with Jo ammonia is [arguably] less likely to stress a betta than being in an uncycled 5 gallon with high ammonia.
That said, just make sure there's never any uneaten food rotting in the tank, keep up on water changes, and check the water parameters occasionally. Bettas are highly resilient and as long as you don't let the ammonia get too high while the tank is cycling, it's unlikely that he'll suffer much damage from it.
What do you guts use to cut the plastic steps for Aqueon Versa-tops?
>>2066136
Just jizz in the tank.
>>2066153
A knife
>>2065695
I don't have before pics, sorry.
I really need to get a black background.
>>2066177
Don't hate on Donald.
>>2066092
This is what happened to me. Nano shrimp tank with an environment tailored to their needs, and no predators. Shrimp deaths on a weekly basis. Community tank with like like 3 different species of fish that will gladly eat baby shrimp as well as take shots at adults. Tank is fucking overrun with shrimp now.
Nano tank is now a betta tank.
>>2065903
>not stocking your tank to the maximum
It's a busy tank. I wouldn't say it's overstocked.
>>2065568
I'd like to have a pond. It sucks that this essentially means buying property, or renting a house that the owner doesn't mind having its backyard dug up. Feels like it could be a long way off.
>>2065786
I never considered using rotala for a tree. I've only used moss. But will the rotala attach itself to the driftwood like moss would?
>>2066203
how many gallons, it looks like ten and theres like 20 fish
>>2065562
>mollys
I kekd beyond belief
Is 80 degrees to high? Use to sit around 77-78 but since adding glass lids and led but the led isn't putting out much heat
>>2066218
High for what? Cloud minnows yes, Cardinal tetras no
>>2066226
Cichlids, corys, pleco
can i have anything more than 1 betta in a 5 gallon tank? like a betta and guppy or something?
>>2066234
Snails work, sometimes shrimp.
>>2066235
so not any actual fish like a guppy or cory?
>>2066234
>hurr a betta and a guppy
god i wish all you people would fucking perish in flame.
don't read a single fucking thing and come here and ask the dumbest question possible.
please don't keep fish. the hobby is too hard/complex/involved for you. get a cat or something.
>>2066240
just a question bro
guppy was the first small fish that came to mind as an example
>>2066240
>the hobby is too hard/complex/involved for you.
only if they do it by the book.
it's really easy if you just plan on buying new fish any time the old ones die.
You can't hate on people for doing things differently from you.
>>2066240
Can I put saltwater crab in freshwater tank Anon
>>2066092
It seems to me that the vast majority of the time aquarium owners who manage to successfully breed shrimp have their shrimp housed with fish.
I know shrimp graze through sand/dirt, but do they flat out feed off of fish poop?
>>2066141
Vampire shrimp, large enough that they resemble lobsters more than shrimp. Plus, they are fish friendly.
>>2066210
I'm pretty positive that the roots will attach to the driftwood if you firmly wrap them around certain sections. The problem would be making sure the string/superglue you use doesn't strangle the roots, rather than keeping them firmly anchored.
>>2066244
the fish you used as an example is the #1 fish that would be aggressively killed by a betta. they can't go with anything with flashy flowing fins like they have.
>>2066244
Never ever house a betta splendins with a fish that has large/bright/flowing fins. It will trigger the splendins territorial instincts and the betta will slaughter the fish.
However, fish that don't resemble bettas/have large or bright fins will get along fine. Think about getting five or six tetras, or similar fish. Just do a boatload of research first to make sure they aren't fin nippers and it's not cruel to keep that many in a tank as small as yours.(Many smaller fish species are schooling fish species and NEED more of their own kind.) But as a general rule, the smaller and faster a fish, the safer it is with a betta splendins.
>>2066237
Guppies are a gamble with bettas to begin with and corydoras need schools. Get a 10g or larger if you've got the space and try pygmy corydoras.
>>2064954
Oh hey guise
Have any of you ever introduced water or plants from natural pools, streams or lakes into your aquarium to see what grows?
Should I expect to see wacky wildlife?
I have placed some puffball looking algae aquatic plant and water from two streams/rivers
I'm feeding my fish live brine shrimp and spirulina to combat infection
>Obtained 6 year old 1'00" long Mbu Puffer
What am I in for?
>>2066174
Your plants look very nice.
>>2066267
They actually like eating girardellis chocolate
Any other brand they don't eat
Has the be girardellis
>>2066256
oops, didn't see this one
so would five tetras and a betta be too much for a 5 gallon?
>>2066273
Neons should be fine, but they need to be in groups of at least eight or they will get stressed out. Eight neons and a betta is on the upper end of what you can keep in a five gallon.
no digging on my pond latley, we had some serious cold (-12f) and the ground froze enough that i decided it wasnt worth smashing through a foot and a half of frozen ground with my sledge or axe, just to keep digging, going to recruit some child labor and have a little cousin help me dig when it thaws
What can I expect to happen if I feed my fish pizza
>>2066298
thanks ill probably try that.
Just bought a 220L tank for african cichlids, any tips on filter/ heater brands?
also how do you guys find rocks for your tanks? the only decent ones i can find are at fish stores and they charge way too much
>>2066317
a tip on heaters- buy a digital thermostat off ebay for $11. Makes whatever heater you use about a billion times more reliable.
regarding rocks, I just go pick some up from the woods. I live in the mountains where you got your pick of rocks. Most of the rocks I've used over the years are either river rocks or limestone.
>>2066264
Looks good, but your water is cloudy as heck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4CnMWfQfc0
>>2066310
Best of luck!
>>2066331
thanks, i spent an hour smashing frozen ground and made just a few feet of progress and almost lost my ears so il wait until it thaws
>>2065568
I want a gazebo with a koi moat. Tacky as fuck I know but I'd rock that shit so hard.
>>2066273
Neons are rather active and delicate for a five gallon. If you can find them, microrasboras like mosquito rasboras would be better. Bettas are also usually okay with Endlers (the wild type coloring, not the hybrids).
Ultimately your best option would be to get a larger tank before trying to put other fish in with the betta.
>>2066267
>What am I in for?
This
>>2065568
my dream is to one day have a gf
>Not being apart of the Radion LED Master race.
It's like you plebs want to burn down your house and get raided for suspected grow ops with you 20k 4,000 watt metal hailds.
>>2066376
I got a qt GF because she liked my reef tank.
Are CPOs easy to breed? Any experience?
I have one in a 10G along with some RCS. I know I'm probably pushing it if I get a second one to see if they breed but might be worth a try.
and if you're wondering, I haven't had any issues with the RCS. They seem to get along just fine. Even if the CPO approaches one, they jump out of the way and they're too fast for him.
>>2066203
Its 36 gallons bowfront
Mollies are cute, but only get females. I got these fish with my gf and we were pretty casual at first. We were worried about killing them so we got cheap fish
We had boys at first and they were bros, but I got a female mistakenly and it drove the bros apart.
Still a lot of my monthly fry are lyretails and that means they are cool.
>>2066313
ammonia poisoning
Hello.
I have a hard time handling a regular fish tank due to being paralyzed from the waist down.
Are there any fish tanks made with easy maintenance in mind or any clever tools that make cleaning/changing stuff easier?
>>2066442
http://www.amazon.com/25-Foot-Python-Aquarium-Maintenance/dp/B000255NXC
>>2066442
There are siphon hoses that plug directly onto your water tap, if you can get high enough up somehow to easily put one into the tank, water changes should be pretty easy. Otherwise I'd look at nano tanks, ten gallons or less, since a water change there is pretty much as simple as replacing a bucket worth of water.
Is this place just shrimp general now? This shit is getting out of hand.
>>2066438
pizza poisoning
>>2066442
if you look at the last half of this, it shows an easy PVC thing that will sit on your tank
http://spec-tanks.com/how-to-make-your-own-python-type-aquarium-water-changer-diy/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DGI0H6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
and then if you don't want to build the rest, this is the vacuum I just bought.
>>2066450
Then post something.you crybaby
>>2066450
>STOP LIKING WHAT I DON'T LIKE!
>>2066339
Get a drawbridge for your moat.
And some archers.
Hey guys, I started up a 27 gal about a month ago, everything is going along well, filter cycled, lights work, plants are growing, shrimp are breeding etc. the only issue if have is that currently I'm only stocked with 10 ember tetras and 10 neon tetras as well as 20~ RCS. The embers are brilliant, really active, always swimming around and have really coloured up nicely (except one male who is grey, I call him my ash tetra). The neons in the other hand just sit at the back of the tank behind the plants most of the day. None of them are swimming funny, they eat well all that, are they just lazy fish? If it helps the only thing that seems out of place is the very front and tips of their fins are a much more solid silver than see through, but it doesn't look like fin rot. Aside from that they all look healthy but they just don't swim very much and hide a lot. Am I doing something wrong?
Pic related, 4 of my neons doing what they do best.
>>2066476
Damn forgot to include water parameters. Ph is almost exactly neutral, somewhere between 6.9-7.1. Ammonia is 0, nitrite is 0, nitrate is 4 ppm. Tds is 184, 135 of that is salt.
How long will it take to get old meme tetras to accept new ones?
I added 6 new tetras today, and it looks like the 2 older, bigger ones I had left want nothing to do with the new guys and stay by themselves...
>>2066476
sounds like pretty normal behavior in my experience.
>>2066478
you should try to keep odd numbers. It seems to help.
>>2066479
So they are just boring? Funnily the only two that don't seem lazy AF are the crippled ones. One was born with a fucked up tail, the other one had the lower half of his tail bitten off, those two swim with the embers mostly.
>>2066483
>So they are just boring?
depends what you find interesting.
personally I think all freshwater fish are pretty boring. But yeah, meme tetras are usually pretty chill.
>>2066442
Petco stocks a line of Fluval tank/stand combos that have a spigot built into the cabinet that's connected to the tank, so you just have to put down a bucket and turn the handle and it drains water from the tank for a water change without the need for a siphon. I can't remember the name of the tank series, sorry.
For refilling the tank, the python style siphons would likely be your best bet.
>>2066460
It's true. Shrimp are mainly for traps and fags.
>>2066317
Best tip is to not get African cichlids unless you're a man child
/sb/ - shrimp and betta general.
>>2066529
/mfg/ - meme fish general
So at the moment I have some very long strands of what seem like hair growing in my aquarium. Is it some form of Algae?
I Hesitate to call it "hair algae" as it's not like any hair algae I've ever seen. These strands are half a foot long and literally look like a piece of female hair covered in fuzz.
>Male RCS dying off in droves
>Female RCS all pregnant
So that means the water quality is fine then? It tests fine.
Do males often die after shagging?
>>2066532
It's possible it is actually hair, that's been in there long enough for actual algae to grow on it.
End of new betta's first week. The amazon sword in the back that's melting has all brown stems today, looks like that one's dead too. I put in root tabs the other day but these things just will not ever, ever survive for me. I can't understand it.
Do they automatically die if you move them around or something? When I don't take care of them they live, when I set the tank back up and clean everything they die. fuckin piss plants.
>>2066565
oh btw...the t8s i'm using are only 15 watt, so i think there's just not enough wattage for swords. what 18" t8 bulb should i be using, is there a better replacement? Also this bulb is almost 2 years old, so i should probably replace it just because it might be getting dimmer?
>>2066529
You're the only one who's talking about shrimp and betta.
Besides, if you want to talk about something else why don't you just do it?
Show us your rare fish.
Why do people have such a hard on for endlers?
>>2066568
It will definitely get dimmer over time, so get a new one.
It's common for plants to melt when moved to a new tank, although that's never happened to any swords I've purchased. Are you getting any new growth at all?
Who here automates their aquarium?
>>2066657
I'd like to do something like that one day on an aquaponic
>>2066668
I warn you it can be quite an obsession.
Keeping Reef tanks isn't as hard as it's made out to be. But it defiantly makes life easier if you have the proper equipment.
I'm half panicking as I just now spotted and fixed a major security flaw that accidentally left open on the aquarium controller API. Someone could've if they wanted to gotten remote access and cause IRL damage by flooding my house and/or killing all my fish/corals.
>>2066617
Who knows, maybe people keep em because they're trendy.
Personally, I would love to keep uncommon livebearers such as Limias, Mosquitofish, and Half-beaks. But they're hard to come across
>>2066695
Your Ph seems a bit low is that normal?
>>2066568
You'd have to get a new hood if you want brighter light. Its recommended to change out fluorescent bulbs once a year, even if they're still putting out light, because that's usually the point at which they stop putting off the right kinds of UV for plants.
>>2066696
>mosquitofish
There are companies here that hand them out for free if you have a pond to help prevent mosquito outbreaks.
>>2066637
every single sword i have purchased has melted. i cannot get a single plant to survive
i am using excel, water parameters are fine, just added the flourish root tabs.
got a nice piece of driftwood today finally. gonna attach the big java fern to it to make a "tree"
>>2066717
Excel can burn some plants, although it shouldn't burn swords. Try replacing the bulb, and give some time for the root tabs to take effect.
>>2065681
oh god why
>go to pet section of Walmart to see what they have
>see a couple ghost shrimp in one tank with a white rock
>contemplate buying a couple since nowhere else close has any
>look closer
>that is not white rock
>that is a pile of shrimp corpses over half the size of my fist
Holy shit /aq/. I always told myself "what's the worst wal-mart can be doing" but dear god there were like 3 out of a hundred still alive. How can that even be profitable?
>>2066698
Not him, but no. That's not normal.
pH on a reef tank should never go below 8, and optimally won't go below 8.2
It's possible he has a problem with an auto-topoff system. It's also possible he's running a CO2 reactor to make kalk and the media is running down.
More likely what he's seeing is a combination of calcium buffers being used up by corals at about the same rate that organic nutrients build up in the water causing acidity.
basically his water is filthy and used up and needs to be changed. This is sort of ironic. He spends thousands on top-dollar automation but can't do a fucking water change.
>>2066761
P.S....
I forgot the other obvious possibility- his probe may be out of calibration.
>>2066759
Most likely the shrimp died in transit because they are shipping like any other feeder, then the pleb who put them in never bothered to take out the dead because minimum wage=minimum effort
ok i know im going to get shit on for this but i have 2 3-4inch goldfish in a 15 litre tank, dont blame me.
my family wont let me buy them a bigger tank but are wanting to buy a fluval edge 46l, is this somewhat suitable for a while. when i move out i will be buying a bigger tank and taking them with me.
>>2066812
No. Don't waste money on shit like fluval edge that pointlessly costs more than a tank twice its size because it has expensive proprietary components. Just get a bigger tank. 20g.
>>2066812
It's better than a 15 liter tank for sure.
46 liters is unsuitably small for 2 goldfish.
15 liters is RIDICULOUSLY small for 2 goldfish.
Honestly in the 15 liter tank they'll probably die pretty soon. In the 46 liter tank they might last a year maybe, if you actually bother to pay attention to ammonia and nitrites.
For the cost of the fancy pants fluval tank you could probably get a much bigger regular tank that would work better.
>>2066815
This.
Bought a 20g a while back for 20 dollars. Or you could hop on your version of craigslist an buy a 55 gallon for like 50 dollars.
