Previous thread: >>2070021
FISH EDITION
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.petsolutions.com/ http://www.aquabid.com
>FUCKING GOOGLE - http://www.google.com
>>2072940
>>2072932
Whats easier for a first small tank (5.5g).
Shrimp or Small Tetra? Both?
Just want to experience keeping a tank alive and healthy.
>>2072942
Shrimp or small tetra. Shrimp if you would like to keep more in the thank. Tetra you would have a max of five if they reach 1 inch full grown
>>2072942
shrimp all the way
How are you plants doing, /aq/?
Bonus points for pics.
>75 gallon tank
>2 juvie oscars
>2 juvie jack dempseys
>2 juvie green terrors
all fish under 3". I am just keeping them in this tank til I can discern male from female. I already found the male Terror. Anyway, anyone have any tips for cleaning a sand substrate?
>>2072942
Objectively easier would be tetras, shrimp have more variables that need to be in place for them to thrive.
>>2072942
Tetras will not do as well, I have had them die early because they are solo. They are a schooling fish and need other tetras.
>>2072986
Heterandria formosa
>>2072986
a single beta or a single endler's livebearer (cousin of the guppy). These are the only fish that can thrive in such a small tank. The tank can also hold a Dwarf Puffer and they are really cool. They just require constant water changes and water parameters to be happy and healthy.
>>2072986
Some guppies
>>2072981
Tetras do not always school even when living in numbers. Obviously you'd need to have zero threats in the tank for that to happen.
>>2072975
My plants are doing meh, my corals are doing fantastic though!
>>2072986
Unfortunately a lot of the small 'cool' fish that can be kept in nano's are also quite hard to keep. Dwarf puffers and Scarlet Badis are both incredibly picky eaters, and often only eat live food, most can be trained to eat frozen bloodworms, but even that is a huge pain in the ass. There's a few species of tetras that are only a centimeter or so, those may be good. I'd avoid the larger 'nano' tetras, size tetras need to have 5 or more, even 'nano' tetras schools can have large bioloads. They have some tiny green tetras at my LFS that are fully grown at only about the size of newly born guppy fry, although they are expensive ($5 each), a small group of 10 or so could be kept in a 5-10 gallon tank relatively easily. Honestly though, shrimp are your best bet for nanos. Once you get a large breeding population of shrimp (100+ in a 5g) then you can introduce one of those micro predators I talked about earlier, like dwarf puffers or scarlet badis, and as long as they don't eat the adult shrimp they should be provided with a good supply of constant live food, which you should still supplement with occasional bloodworms.
>>2072990
>Heterandria formosa
ugly
>>2072991
Neither a betta or a single endlers is a good choice. There are many other small fish that can be kept in that size tank. A betta certainly doesn't thrive in that small of a tank
>>2072996
>My plants are doing meh, my corals are doing fantastic though!
My plants went through a rough patch, it took me a good two weeks to figure out what was wrong. Apparently my nitrogen was very low, below 5ppm.
One week later with 20ppm+ and they're looking so much better.
>>2072986
an Asian Arowana would do well
>>2073009
+1 on the arowana. You could also try some dwarf bala sharks.
>>2073002
Nice! I only have heavy root feeders, and really good soil substrate capped by sand, so they are fine on all nutes. I just have two plants that are struggling to deal with my light, but my floating cover plants are getting thicker every day, so soon they will have the partial shade they want.
>Reasons why you shouldn't have a 150w Metal Halide over a 4g tank
>>2072975
>fish edition
go post in the dirted tank edition
>>2072991
Bull fucking shit. I've kept 5 Cardinal tetra for 2 years in a 5 gallon. They were thriving. Get some knowledge on fish and how to take care of an aquarium for spitting ignorance.
>>2073021
Shut the fuck up and stop trying to further segregate the aquarist community. We already have reefers and freshwater people constantly pissed off at one another for no reason.
>>2073023
I don't know if you're new to /aq/, but everyone here thinks it's blasphemy to have anything less than a 20 gallon and that's animal cruelty to have fish in anything under a 10.
![IMG_0244[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/s9OAGRW.jpg "IMG_0244[1].jpg")
>>2073025
psh you noob. I've been cycling my gigas tank for a day already, and planning on rescuing one from petco tomorrow. This is my gigas tank. Suggestions?
>>2073028
Because 90% of /aq/ is LITERALLY mentally fucked up.
>>2073026
Well don't purposely piss people off in the fish edition aquarium general
>>2073028
That's fucking true though
Poorfags and their 20 gallons and under need to leave
>>2073034
That wasn't even my post, fucktard. I assume your the OP, so I'll say this specifically to you. Just because the word 'edition' is in the name of the thread, it doesn't make the thread solely about the word that precedes 'edition'. It's a fucking /aq/ general thread. Anything that has even the slightest relation to the aquarium keeping hobby is discussed here. From fish, to substrate, to tank design, and yes anon, even to corals.
>>2073036
>calling someone a poorfag
>not having a reef tank
>=hypocrite
>>2073036
>implying aquariums cost a lot of money
>implying I can't keep a Oscar in a 5 gallon
>implying fish don't grow to the appropriate size of the tanks they're in
>>2073039
The fact that you'd wish that on any living thing shows me that you shouldn't be allowed the privilege of any type of pet. Unfortunately we can't take people like you and just put them in asylums anymore. You are the autist cancer killing /an/.
>>2073043
>>implying fish don't grow to the appropriate size of the tanks they're in
The outsides of the fish do, but their internal organs do not, and if they can't expand properly it will cause the fish many hernias, eventually killing it from stress/being internally smashed.
>>2073043
proper aquariums cost a lot of money
any redneck can throw a bunch of tetras in a fucking 2.5 gallon """""aquarium""""
>>2073048
There's no way to define a proper aquarium. You don't need to spend $2,500 to have an adequate aquarium, especially when you go the DIY and craigslist route.
Can a small group of ottos do well in a 5.5?
>>2073050
Not him, but even doing the craigslist/diy route i spent $500 making a proper 55g freshwater community tank, and about $1,200 on my 30g reef tank, which most reefers would call low tech. The 55g cost me $50, and the 30g cost me $100, as just the base price of the tanks. Everything else went into filters/lights/rocks/substrate/heaters/misc. Even my 4g freshwater Nano has cost me $150, not including cost of the tank itself.
So yes. Keeping a proper fish tank is expensive, and just because you tell yourself your cheap setup is adequate, it likely is not.
>>2073050
>DIY
>looks like shit
>functions like shit
hurrr look mah i saved $20
ain't muh coke bottle filter and duct tape pump amazing I'm a trailer park Einstein
>>2073052
Everyone will disagree with me, but I've kept an oto in tanks ranging from 10g-2.5g over the last two years. The little guy has been an absolute champ, basically getting moved from tank to tank to clean up algae. He's pretty much always been by himself, and continues to thrive. Honestly, he seems to make friends with the other species of fish in the tank. He seemed to hang out with my dwarf puffer A LOT.
So yes, a small group of oto's (2-3) should do fine in that small of a tank
>>2072986
African Dwarf Frogs are okay in smaller tanks
>>2073057
>My point was just that you don't need to blow your bank for a decent aquarium.
If have enough money that shelling out $500 for a medium sized freshwater aquarium isn't breaking the bank, then sure! you definitely don't have to spend all your money on the tank. You do however have to provide an adequate enviroment for this animal that you've paid to have captured out of it's natural habitat, transported thousands of miles from home, to die in your aquarium. The least you can do is provide it with a good life, and if you do a good enough job, they will actually breed, hopefully helping to keep more of their wild friends from being captured. Sadly, very few fish captured for us aquarists actually even make it to the fish store to be sold, and of those few, even fewer will ever be able to breed and fulfill their biological destiny.
THAT is why we spend money on our aquariums. Not because we simply want a cool object or decoration to look at, but because we actually want to preserve the species we keep, and want them to thrive like they do in their natural environment.
>>2073064
small tanks are fine for small species
is it cruel to keep a dog in a house when in the wild they roam entire continents?
>>2073064
This
It's like keeping a snake in a shoebox, I mean sure it will live but it wont be happy and it wont thrive, you wont be able to enjoy it as much and you wont have the peace of mind that you gave your pet the best environment and conditions you possibly could have.
>>2073068
Small tanks are fine for small species. But a small tank doesn't mean a small pricetag. Like I said, my 4g nano still cost me more then what most fish tank owners (note: I didn't say aquarists) ever spend on their 55g tank.
And as for your dog and house argument, pic related. Also for good health dogs need to be walked at least once a day, because they do need exercise, just as a fish needs space to swim around. Are you able to take your fish on walks? I've never seen a Bala shark owner taking a bala shark for a lap around a lake on a chain so it can get it's proper exercise. No, I see people stick those in a 20g tank all the time, and then they think it died of old age after 6 months and it got about 5 inches long.
>>2073072
forgot pic
>>2073077
.....where did the 'O' and 'E' come from? Also, blatant troll is blatant
Anybody know if 30 watts is enough for dwarf baby tears is a 55 gallon tank
>>2073090
The whole 'watts per gallon' concept is incredibly flawed. Just a good general idea for people who don't want to devote the time it takes to understand lighting, which is fine. It really does matter what type of bulb your talking though. If thats 30 watts of flourescent, it wouldn't be enough to illuminate the tank even, but if it's 30 watts of LEDs, then you might have enough light to grow any plant. My LEDs over my reef are only 55 watts, and yet my coral thrives.
....So what kind of light are we talkin here?
>>2073092
Yeah it's a 18 inch aqueon floramax. Ladyat petco said it should work but I don't now
>>2073096
So from what I read online, those are T8 bulbs, correct? You might be able to keep dwarf baby tears, but they will be long and stringy, and reach for the surface of the water, not spreading out and carpeting like we like baby tears to be. I doubt you'll get much growth. My advice? If your planning on being in this hobby long term, go ahead and buy two of the 165w LED chinese black boxes on amazon for $80. They will literally grow everything you could ever want to keep in the hobby, from the most light intensive SPS corals, all the way down to keeping Java ferns and Anubias. They are dimmable, so you can go from 5% all the way up to 100%, which will probably fry most freshwater plants. They have a life of over 12 years, use 1/3 the power of every other light, and provide a better spectrum then even metal halides. They will pay for themselves 5 times over, just on your bulb replacement costs over the course of 10 years.
TLDR; shell out $160 bucks now and have infinite amounts of aquarium lighting at 1/3 energy cost and no lightbulb to replace for 12 years.
>>2072986
Get five to six white cloud mountain minnows. Or you can get the gold colored cloud mountain minnow.
Hell, you could do those guys AND shrimp. A shrimps bioload is so small it won't overwhelm the tank, even when combined with five or six small fish like minnows. Not unless you have 200+ shrimp crammed in there with the fish.
>>2073028
To be fair, most people outside of /aq/ think it's perfectly fine to house a betta inside of a vase with some pothos vines as it's only source of food for it's entire life.
These same people also think the average lifespan of a goldfish is a couple weeks, and that they never grow larger than the bowl you keep them in.
>>2073072
>what most fish tank owners (note: I didn't say aquarists)
faggot
>>2073145
There's quite a difference between my dad, who has a fish tank for decoration in his office, and people like me, for whom it's a dedicated hobby. Faggot
>>2073023
>I kept a betta in a bowl one time and it lived three years, so it's cool to keep bettas in bowls
>>2072998
>A betta certainly doesn't thrive in that small of a tank
>source: me
>>2072975
Bushy. Fish are doing well too.
Copy-pasted from other thread, didn't initially see the new one.
>went to flea market
>beautiful antique slate-bottom tank
>iron single-piece stand
>55 gallons, 60 dollars
>no room for it anywhere
>can't justify buying it
Kills me, /aq/. If anyone here is near Glen Burnie, the tank is at the 8th Ave flea market, which happens every weekend. Really close to House of Tropicals.
>>2073162
Key word is thriving you faggot
>>2073045
The only cancer that's killing /an/ is the ones who keep feeding into the b8.
>>2073023
>thriving
>two years
I hope when you say 2 years, you mean you then moved them to a bigger tank, and not that they died. Because a cardinal tetra that's thriving should live about five years. I think they can live up to 10, like neons.
>>2073054
55g with nice stand, driftwood, rocks, and substrate cost me 80 bucks. Canister filter was only 70 dollars and include media. So no. I went Craigslist route and have a proper aquarium that has been up and running for over a year with happy fish, no one has been sick, and no deaths.
>>2073064
>animal that's been captured
>travelled thousands of miles
Is it the 70s again? Most fish you get are from breeders now. Besides the few that are captured.
>>2073241
>"so was my betta"
>>2073243
Many many many sources disagree with you
>>2073247
Never owned a betta mr aspergers
>>2073243
Neon tetras have a lifespan of 10 years in the wild. 5 if you're lucky in the aquarium.
>>2073250
>dying at the minimum captivity lifespan
>"thriving"
Clubfauna says 4 years with proper care.
>>2073252
Man, I don't think I've ever had a neon die before 5 years, except the one time my cats managed to climb on the back of the tank and fuck up the heater and kill a whole shoal.
>>2073255
Sorry I know how to take care of my fish better than you. Want to say that to my 16 year old Oscar? One day anon you'll get the hang of it.
>>2073271
Again
>dying at the minimum captivity lifespan
Sorry baby, you're not impressive. I'm sorry to hear you have such low standards of care. I wish you luck.
Finally copped two female dwarf gouramis. Or, they were delivered this morning, but I'm at work and can't see them yet. Difficult to find some. I understand chain stores don't stock them because they're not colorful, but still, pretty challenging to find them online.
I wonder if I'd be able to successfully raise some fry.
>>2073272
It's like you think you know about fish care. Nice job. I feel sorry for anything you keep. My fish actually thrive and have proper care. No wonder anything you keep doesn't like to move much. Sorry little boy.
>>2073272
I feel like you're one of those guys who buys "predatory" fish and feeds them gold fish and masturbates while watching
>>2073255
the fuck nigga? if you can at least keep a fish for its minimum life expectancy then your doing something right you angry ass autisic faggot
>>2073273
I think most of the neons in one tank are about 6-7 years old now, the angels (which leave the neon alone, thankfully) are about 5. They're technically my father's fish, but I care for them most of the time. Previous angels lived to be 11, neons I think were 8-9.
The current neons in the tank that's solely mine are still young, but they seem to be doing very well. I have high hopes.
>>2073280
Once my neons reached 4 year I tossed them in my cichlid tank
>>2073276
>keeps cardinal tetras in a tiny tank
>they die young, predictably
>"lol i am superior fish guy"
All of my fish are very lively, thank you for the faux concern. Anyway, 2/10, obvious bait but I took it anyway.
>>2073278
No, I feed predatory fish to my goldfish and encourage them to masturbate while I politely turn away.
>>2073255
Actually keeping them alive longer than they would be in the wild would be consider good and if they at least lived a minimum life span well then they must have thrived. Do you know nothing about life expectancy and how living things work? Put a bullet in you skull and stop shitting up out threads.
>>2073284
I doubt anything you own is fairing well. You're digging yourself a steep hole.
>>2073287
Why, because I don't think you should keep a shoal of tetras in a five gallon, because I can google things and see that you're wrong within seconds, or because I have higher standards than you in general? You're right, my poor neglected fish, living above their minimum requirements.
I'm a monster.
>>2073286
Keeping them alive doesn't mean they're flourishing. I would say that 2 years isn't bad, it's just not impressive. That's how long they should be living if you don't introduce predators and provide the basic necessities. A fish that's thriving should be more long-lived.
>>2073289
Sorry they lived a much much much better life than anything you have or currently owned. Again you're probably young and you will eventually get the hang of it.
>>2073292
I know you went through the trouble of making this bait especially for me. Thank you, but I'm full.
>>2073291
Multitude of things that can contribute to a shorter or longer life. Sometimes they also just die with absolutely zero things being wrong in the tank. It's just life. It's cruel.
>>2073293
>b8
I'm spitting truth and it's hurting your feelings
>>2073294
Yeah, shit does happen.
>>2073295
My feelings are 100% okay. Don't worry your head about it, I just think you're being a little tryhard right now. I already took enough bait, I've had my fill. Thank you, maybe I'll wrap it and take it another time.
Sage, this has derailed far enough.
>>2073300
Well thanks you just admitted I'm the better keeper. Again like I said you'll get the hang of it mr cancer who's killing /aq/
>>2073301
>mfw I post in /aq/ all the time, have been for years, and this is the very first disagreement I've had
Okay, done for real this time.
>>2073303
>tfw dropped mfw
I feel like /aq/ just keeps getting ruder over time. It used to be one of the few places on the site where we could just fellate each other about aquariums without much beef, maybe the one rare asshole/troll. Not sure what changed but these threads are almost as argumentative as the rest of 4chan now.
My angelfish recently reached maturity, and have paired off. They're my first cichlids, and I enjoy them a lot. They're in a tank with kuhlis, a pleco, and a rainbow shark. Are these cute little fuckers going to eat all the fry if my angels spawn? I assume the shark will try, but what about the kuhlis?
If they do breed successfully, I can probably sell or donate to my LFS, so I suppose I'm okay with the fry not being eaten. It would be most convenient if they don't breed, though.
>>2073314
Yeah, it's been a little shitty the past few threads. Judging by the poll thread, there are a lot of younger users on /an/ right now. Maybe that has something to do with it.
>>2073315
>keeping fish who don't live on the same continent
>>2073318
>caring about what continent your fish come from when they're working well together and you enjoy them
>>2073320
The common person doesn't understand why so I understand why you don't know. Heard petco is having some sales from this little kid who keeps his goldfish in a bowl with a betta.
>>2073246
That's a joke, right? Maybe 30% of fish we get are breed, mostly just cichlids.
>>2073328
Only down time I get is when I'm not doing actual work taking care of my fish :) try it sometime
>>2073328
>implying Samefag
Only one is me
>>2073326
False. Lot of the time it use to be wild caught fish. But now most fish we get are bred and a smaller percentage are wild caught. I work for the largest wholesaler.
>>2073336
>implying I'm angry
I can understand why you'd think that, but I'm more confused than anything. Time spent being a jerk is time better spent learning a new skill. It just seems wasteful to me. But I guess a hobby is a hobby.
Anyone else have a problem where it's impossible to come home empty handed from the LFS?
>>2073339
I'm a dick in person. I belittle people and degrade them to bend them to do what I want. Thats why I own my own business that's never lost a dime in 20 years.
>>2073338
That'll never happen
>>2073342
I try to kick the want to go to this new lfs store almost everyday. He has so many cool and hard to find fish. Even has a few black water tanks set up and freshwater barracuda which I'm really tempted to take home. Along with a super rare brownish pink freshwater puffer named me chunky
>>2073350
Mr. Chunky*
>>2073345
Good for you, congratulations on all the success that you're not unlikely to be lying about.
>>2073342
Same. Last time I went in "just to look" I came home with driftwood and a new background. Time before that, new plants. Time before that, cichlids. I can't leave without buying something, so I just don't go anymore unless I have something specific I'm looking for.
>>2073345
And while you may be successful, your friends and family despise you. Trust me, I know people just like you. My roommate thinks I'm his best friend, I've hated that douchebag for years now. You guys just do these mental gymnastics that make you think the people around you like you, where you really just force them to be in your presence, and they hate you for it.
>>2073348
You never know. He could be busy with them being an actual caring human instead of some port degenerate.
>>2073353
>friends
Only fiends I have are the same way as me and we get along
>family
Hahahaha I would not dare waste money and the possibility of losing it all to a ex wife
>>2073342
I can't even drive past the LFS without going in to buy a plant, and when I'm in my hometown, I'm constantly drawn to my reef store, because they love me there and always feed me, and give me free shit :) They are truly the best
>>2073348
Yeah, probably not. But wouldn't it be something if it did, though?
>>2073356
It's probably because they think you're poor because they drained you lol
>>2073355
>Only fiends I have are the same way as me and we get along
That's the lie you tell yourself. Like I said. You guys do mental gymnastics.
Your second bit just further proves that point.
>>2073355
>family
>only thinks marriage
Mother, father, aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings, cousins, etc.
>>2073361
They can all fuck off. My eyes are on money and that's true happiness. Along with fish.
IM A VEGAN AND I LOVE CROSSFIT. Sorry it's been a few minutes.
>>2073358
hahaha well they do know how much I've spent there, only like $500 or so, so not toooo bad, considering all of my corals, fish, literally everything in my tank practically, came from them.
They give me free shit and feed me because I hang out there for like 3 hours at a time, and practically work there. While hanging out, I've captured fish and bagged them for customers, cleaned tanks (cuz I oddly genuinely enjoy water changes and general maintenance, and my 30g doesn't give me enough work), I've even sold a customer on a tank system. I've actually helped them make money, and whenever I have a day where i do a lot of work like that for them, they always slip a frag of some zoas or sps in my bag. Last 4 times I've been there, they havent accepted my money, even though i tried to make them take it.
Anyone keep cloud minnows? What's your favorite fish o keep with them?
>>2073357
It truly would.... Sometimes I wish this board wasn't anonymous, so that we actually could know who has experience to back up their bullshit.... Sometimes...
>>2073362
HAHAHAH. I hope that's not actually true, but if it is your the degenerate scum i really thought you were.
>>2073365
My lfs is great. But if don't spend a lot at once they will not pay attention to you and if you do get there attention they won't talk to you and have a angry look on there face. Luckily a new store just opened 2 miles away and the guy is nice and openly invites people on his business page to come in and help unbox fish for fun.
>>2073371
Go to that new guy. The reef store I go to doesn't have the best selection, but after shopping at their store for a few months and becoming friends with everyone who works there, they will try very hard to help me get anything I want, whether they have to order it, or find a frag of it from one of their other customers. Give your money to the genuinely nice people, and help their business to grow, and I promise it'll make the hobby even more enjoyable.
>>2073369
I generally like the anonymity, but I know the feeling.
>>2073241
>thrive
>THrīv
>verb
>>It moved 16 inches in one direction, stayed still for a bit, then move 8 inches in the other direction. Then he ate a thing and pushed out a turd.
>>2073373
Luckily if your here long enough you just kind of know everyone by their tanks, but even then people will hijack them as their own.
>>2073372
That's what I plan on. I told him just call me and I can help him on my down time. He gets things I have never seen in any fish store since I've started the hobby 5 years ago.
>>2073374
Seems like you don't know what thrive means. You could have a 10,000 gallon tank with one male guppy and everyone would cut you down for not having enough space.
>>2073374
Who let PETA in again?
>>2073376
Good for you. Sounds like fun anon! wish i could check out that store
>>2073367
I have some as feeders in a crayfish tank with zebra danios, Gambusia, and an Endler.
>>2073375
Yeah, I don't pay close enough attention, but I might have to start. The only non-trip poster I can kind of recognize is nociception-senpai, and I don't think he's /aq/. I could be wrong, though.
>>2073378
>You could have a 10,000 gallon tank with one male guppy and everyone would cut you down for not having enough space.
>source: stuff I made up
>>2073384
Nope. Blow you Brian's out.
>all this taking the bait
Truly the most easily trolled threads on fortune.
Here's your topic change, wankers
Hey, /aq/! What's some interesting/fun/unique fish pairings you've encountered/had in your tank?
>have a betta with two ADF and a bunch of peaceful but fast fish
>betta added last, but still fucks with other fish for the first week
>all the other fish just live with the bullying
>not the ADF
>lunge at him when he gets close
>swim up to the middle of the tank just to hover near him while he eats
>ignores all the less douchey fish even when they're on top of them
They're the hero's my tank deserves
>>2073336
>So easy to make people angry here.
Probably because there's no real cause or context to try to irk people in this thread. It's like crashing someone's book club meeting so you can talk down to everyone about their personal interpretations of the novel of the month.
>>2073345
>I'm a dick in person.
I believe it.
>I belittle people and degrade them to bend them to do what I want.
There's probably a very limited number of people for whom this is an effective tactic of coercion.
>Thats why I own my own business that's never lost a dime in 20 years.
Same here. Of course, my business hasn't made any money in 20 years, but it also hasn't lost any.
I feel like someone who is an accomplished entrepreneur as well as a misanthrope wouldn't be here right now though. But I'm currently at work as I type this, so who knows.
>>2073342
No because I can't fit anymore tanks where I live. If I could, I'd probably be fucked. But I do often feel the urge to buy *something*, and end up in stores just looking at shit. I ended up with a betta most recently.
A lot of my purchases lately are online anyway. LFS suck for when you want a very specific, non-meme fish or invert. I couldn't find RCS to save my life, or if I did they'd be colorless shrimplets or low-grade shrimp. I hate calling asking for a specific species and they don't have them. Almost rather just pay $30+ shipping and get exactly what I want, instead of trying to design my tank around what I can or can't find.
>>2073364
Are there any truly herbivore fish species out there? Or are they all opportunistic omnivores?
>>2073394
Oto's.my otos have never been seen eating a dead fish. only algae and algae pellets. They dont even bother with shrimp pellets
>>2073392
>have a betta with two ADF
How's 3rd grade?
>>2073375
>puffer fish anon (I think there's at least two separate anons who own puffers, but I always recognize the one with the elephants ear in his tank, we had a long discussion about that plant)
>clown fish senpai (May or may not be the same anon who has an orgy sized saltwater tank that is currently being repaired because of some cracks on the bottom)
>mollusc dude (he stocked his tank with live plants collected from the wild, has an adorbs little mollusc that hitched a ride into his tank)
>scream anon (has a clay ornament in his tank that is a human face screaming, but oddly enough it works well, so it's funny rather than tacky)
>zen anon (has an oriental theme to tank, including a sweet Buddha statue)
>office betta dude
>at least a couple blackwater anons but I always remember the one with the long thin horizontal piece of driftwood
>two separate anons that both have pieces of driftwood in their tanks shaped like giant dicks
>guppy anon
Whatever happened to the anon that has an awesome betta named after a pokemon?
>>2073397
I don't know, why don't you tell me all about it when you graduate to middle school?
![IMG_0251[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/3kq8dP1.jpg "IMG_0251[1].jpg")
>>2073398
I'm both puffer fish anon and clown fish senpai :)
>>2073402
Oh dang! How's it going?
Do people ever ask why you keep your puffer fish separate in it's own tank and not with "the rest" of your fish (AKA saltwater fish)?
>>2073381
i recently got a crayfish i want to add a couple fish with him that he wont kill instantly which species do you reccomend temporarly him in a five gallon until i can clear out space for a 30 gallon
>>2073416
It's pretty good, everyones happy :), except one of my softy corals, but he's always pissed. My puffer is actually a dwarf puffer, so pure freshwater for him :), I would like to get a marine puffer at some point, but they are kind of a gamble with coral, sometimes they eat it, sometimes they dont. And I have several hundred dollars in corals, so I'm not really sure.
For awhile I was trying to get a cowfish or a boxfish, but the first cowfish showed up to the LFS dead, the boxfish lasted a night in my tank and died (probably because he had already traveled two days in a box, then I picked him up, and took him to my house two hours away, i think the temp variations got to him), then the replacement boxfish (all of these were under warranty from LFS) died in transit to the store. At that point I decided I already did enough damage to the species, so I'm not going to try to get any more.
>>2073402
More like "I force my puffer to live in a small space for my amusement" anon
>>2073418
Is Bob naturally that blue? Or do you feed him special vitamins or something to bring out that vividness?
Also, why do crayfish, lobsters, shrimp, always look so damn pissed off all the time?
What are some good fish for a tannin rich environment?
>>2073422
lol you crack my shit up man. Nah, have you ever kept a large group of DP's together? The males find their own territories, while the females stick together and swim through all the males territories. The territories my males would always pick would be like the size of a freakin betta bowl. This 4g is more then enough room for my little male to have his territory, and then some.
![IMG_0252[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/MCWxOnZ.jpg "IMG_0252[1].jpg")
Here's a shot I literally just took of my puffer. He's doing what he literally always does, hunt. He's never bored.
>>2073418
Danios or white clouds, likely. They're pretty fast and stock to the to of the tank.
Tbh though the best thing you could do is hold off on fish until you get the bigger tank set up. A holey rock and some shrimp might work out better.
>>2073423
They're selectively breed. They also come in red and white.
>>2073429
The fact that your puffer eats mostly live food, and he actively searches for it, and you made damn sure there are plenty for him to eat before introducing him, man. Your puffer must be more mentally stimulated than most people's fish in 50 gallon aquariums.
My only question is how do you keep it so clean if there are constantly shrimp and snail corpses to clean up?
>>2073436
That's what I figure. My fish in my 55g always just swim around, and get really excited when I feed the tank. You should see this guy when he wakes up though (He actually sleeps completely vertically, wrapped up in my roots from floating plants), and once the light comes on he gets really excited and happy, swimming around everywhere super fast, because the snails (which have learned to mostly come out at night) are usually still out and about, and he gets to go on a quick morning rampage before they all bury themselves and hid for the day. Then he just continues to hunt pods all day, and snatches the occasional snail that comes out of cover.
Really one of the most interesting fish I've ever owned.
I use special filter pads that absorb ammonia, which takes most of the brunt of the puffers eating frenzies, and then I also do 75% water changes once a week.
>>2073429
Does he have a go at the grown shrimp or just the smaller ones? I've been wanting to do this for about a year and it's only gotten worse since one of the local lfs I go to has some pea puffers in.
>>2073446
He only has eaten newborn shrimplets. After they get to about half an inch in size, he stops messing with them. I'd say go ahead and do it. It's very challenging, and a unique tank. Just make sure you let your tank run for atleast two months with snails and shrimp before you introduce a puffer. Even then, you have to be careful about which puffer you select. I spent probably 15 minutes looking at the pea puffer tank at the LFS, finding one with the right personality.
>>2073423
hes naturually this blue i feed him shrimp pellets and occasionally treat him to veggies
>>2073435
thanks man i just want bob to be happy and not so lonely ill wait to add him some company when i get a bigger tank
>>2073425
A pea puffer is not the size of a pea. They grow to an inch.
>>2073436
The puffer is living not thriving. In the wild there territory is much much larger.
>>2073481
No, it's wild territory really isn't any bigger then my tank. Good try though. Why don't you read a bunch of scientific reports on malabar puffers before you continue this conversation.
Are saltwater hobbyist the worse of the hobby? 95% if saltwater fish are captured from the wild. They use a poison to force them out of reefs so they can catch them easily and some die and some won't even reach the store. This automatically puts saltwater hobbyist on the bottom tier of any list. But they don't care because it's a dick measuring contest who spends the most money. Fish come second or third to them.
>>2073484
Which is what I did and they claim multiple territories. I'll keep mine in the recommended 30 gallons.
>>2073486
Cite who says that they claim multiple territories, because I've never read that anywhere.
>>2073485
I'm a saltwater hobbyist, and do my best to only buy tank raised fish, not wild caughts. None of my fish in my tank are from the wild, none of my corals are from the wild, and furthermore, I frag corals often and give them out to fellow reefers, to spread out the species, hopefully prolonging their life on this earth, since I'm pretty confident that we wont have corals in our oceans in 20 years. I see it as conservation
>>2073448
Set up this tank a few weeks ago for my betta who's a few years old, once he kicks the bucket I'll throw all the rcs from my 55 in it and look for a dwarf puffer but for now this guy is digging his home, hell of an upgrade from a 3 gallon, no plants, no heater.
What type of fish did you look for when you were buying yours?
>>2073423
>why do crayfish, lobsters, shrimp, always look so damn pissed off all the time?
Because they are.
>>2073492
After keeping a betta in a tank as large as that, you'll realize how they truly aren't meant for small tanks. Watch him bulk up and put on lots of muscle in the next couple months, He'll honestly probably live quite a bit longer.
When I was selecting my puffer I was looking for a male that wasn't super dominant, and more passive(to hopefully not go after my shrimp). I watched for big ones that were hunting snails and avoided them (because they probably will eat a lot, and some puffers are literally bulimic, theyll eat eat eat eat, puke, then go back to gorging. They just love to eat. I also went for a male, not a female, because they stay smaller, and sometimes the females are just insatiable and just always want more food.
>>2073492
Most aggressive. It gives me a boner when I see him eat live things.
>>2073500
My betta claimed my entire 55 gallon as his territory. But he was a giant plakat and was pushing a little past 3 inches. Even chased my cichlids away.
>>2073500
Thanks for the info, he's only been in there a few days and I already see a difference in him, always exploring. Might put some rcs in there to see how he acts with them, he's been a pretty aggressive fish which is why he was in a 3gal instead of the 55 so there's no telling what he'll do.
>an aggressive betta?! No way!
>>2073423
bob is mean he likes messing with the decorations in the tank so far hes moved all is decorations next to an airstone and when i catch him do it he poses with his claws up like a hardass
>>2073503
Back when I had a betta in my 55g it was the same thing. He'd chase off my bolivian rams and angels all day. Even though the entire tank was his territory, he would spend all of his day in a mason jar that i had turned on its side, and filled with air, a small beach (was for crabs to crawl into), and a nice plant. It was kind of an interesting thing. I bought him from the store in a mason jar, and it was actually that mason jar that the breeder grew him in his entire life, that was then his home in the 55g. Then one day I put a group of gouramis in the tank, and since they were also labrythian fish, he was having none of it. He got out of his mason jar and chased them all throughout the tank and beat them up pretty bad before I was able to remove them.. Up until that point I thought the mason jar was his territory, but in fact it was the entire tank lol
>>2073507
Lol I had one betta that was the biggest pussy you've ever seen. You know how most bettas will flare when they look at themselves in the glass? Not this guy. He'd see himself in the glass, and turn around and sprint the other way.
>>2073492
>>2073500
My betta seemed miserable in my 40 gal. I didn't think there was such a thing as "too big" but I guess it was for him. Now that he's in a 20 gal, he's happy as can be. Very active, much bigger than he was.
After seeing so many bettas just sit at the bottom of 1-5 gallons, looking like sad lumps, it's really refreshing to see one that's lively. I don't think I could keep one in something smaller than a 10 gal, they like having a good bit of territory.
>>2073511
Yep. Mine would chase my 5 inch acara and rivulatus away and would creep up on my bichir and just stare as you can see in this image.
>>2073511
And here's his ugly ass before I gave him to someone who had the neatest planted 10 gallon for him. Honestly I miss him but none of my other fish would come out anymore.
What can I add to this tank in terms of plants/decor? I think it's almost where I want it to be, but needs improved aquascaping. I was thinking maybe another patch of moss on the other side, and some tall plants in the back behind the driftwood.
>>2073515
Lmao! Mine would do that to my Cardinal tetras because he knew he couldn't catch them.
When he'd go up for air he'd have a go at the cloud minnows I originally used to cycle the tank.
>>2073492
>puffer
>and RCS
m8... I've seen puffers go after full grown crayfish before...
You'll regret it.
>>2073524
If anything I'll have to stop selling rcs to the lfs lol.
>>2073529
I eat the extras. Not filling but do make exotic snack.
>>2073530
Do you make tiny shrimp cocktails?
>>2073518
maybe some dwarf sagittaria around the rock to break up the substrate a little, E Tenellus should work too
Is there a rule that says a filter HAS to be on the back of an aquarium? My fish store told me it was unwise to put it on the side of the tank and then didn't give me a reason other than, "it messes with the flow"
>>2073569
Then it wouldn't be a hob filter...
There's really no reason, I don't see flow/dead spots being an issue if you run a cheapo power head(which you should do anyways). Tell lfs guy to fuck himself.
I've always read that RCS breed every month but I've never seen this. I've only had mine breed once then non ever became saddled again despite waiting 6 months.
But I recently bought some high grade females, not only did they become berried within a week of being introduced into the tank. But a few weeks later they are berried while at the same time saddled ready for the next breeding cycle.
Is this how they're supposed to be?
>>2073536
I should. Good idea. I'll make my mom one when I see her and tell her they're these new fancy shrimp.
>>2073588
>Is this how they're supposed to be?
Yes. I wish I could get mine to *stop* breeding. I take about 15 out of my 10g every week, but the population never seems to change. They're like rabbits.
>>2073582
it'd be a HOS filter :P. Geez >>2073569, don't you know it's in the name?
For reals though, no it shouldn't matter at all, especially if you do what >>2073582 said and have a cheap powerhead. Everyone should have powerheads in their tank. Much better for the overall health of the system, and makes the fish much stronger.
>>2073607
Yep. I had a 1000gph power head in my 10 gallon betta tank and now he's buff as fuck and beat the shit out of the snail.
>>2073632
Lol that'd be insane.... No way a betta could keep up with that kind of flow. I know my betta didn't even like getting near my 200GPH powerhead in a 55g
>>2073335
Bumping my question here. Is there anything I can do short of moving him into a different tank whenever I feed the bottom feeders?
>>2073656
I get around that by feeding more at once.
if you're feeding one wafer a day, make it two at once and only feed every other day.
or distract your angel with some treats when you feed wafers. Maybe some bloodworms or krill or something first, then drop the wafer when he's eating the good stuff.
>>2073656
Maybe put the algae wafers in something like pic related?
>>2073658
The thing is, I usually feed them flakes and wafers at the same time, but he'll happily eat a full portion of flakes and then swim off to the wafer before it's even had time enough to soften in the water for the intended recipients to get started, and then he'll gorge until he looks ready to burst, while the shrimp and catfish are too scared to go near for their portion. If I feed them the wafer a bit ahead of the flakes, I get pretty much the same thing.
>>2073659
That might be an option. I don't doubt that the amanos would go into it to eat, but I do doubt that the catfish would. Have you ever tried something like it? I suppose getting rid of trumpet snails is a side benefit to trying, and it's not like it could be worse than it already is anyway.
I got myself a shitstained twig from the pet store today and it was only $10.
Happy birthday to me.
>>2073569
A lot of tanks don't even have a "front" or a "back"; an aqueon tank can be faced either way, a rimless cube tank has four potential orientations. And realistically you could turn a tank sideways if you wanted to. What he said fundamentally makes no sense.
>>2073663
There are a hundred different variants. You could probably find one that'd work if you look around.
If not, try a water bottle with a large enough neck that the catfish can get in, but not the angel.
>>2073664
It's on top of a 40B, by the way.
>>2073669
Not bad at all, thought it was a 10g for some reason. My lfs sells similar for 35 dollars.
>>2073509
LMAO, he sounds awesome. Maybe you could try finding one of those rubber dog toys that are hollow, maybe one manufactured for a smaller breed, and every other day hide some food in it so when he's fucking shit up he receives a pleasant surprise.
>>2073518
Get some rotala and attach them to the top of that wooden spire, like pic related. And then there are many different vallisneria you can google, but I strongly recommend corkscrew val for the background.
And of course you can never go wrong with a couple marimo moss balls. Marimo moss is incredibly versatile. You can slice it to flatten it and sew it on to certain objects to make all kinds of cool tunnels, domes, carpets, and decorations for rocks/wood.
>>2073687
DERP, forgot pic.
>>2073666
Wow, I didn't know Satan was in the aquarium hobby.
>>2073685
Back when I had a crayfish I'd do this with seashells. I had a bunch in there and would put a pellet in one. She always figured it out pretty quickly.
>>2073744
All of the adorbs, anon.
>make heavily planted tank for my rasboras and rcs
>rasboras have all disappeared except for the original 4
>shrimp are slowly dying
>my new otos and corys seem to be doing great
Well fuck. What should I try with my otos and dwarf corys since all my shrimp and rasboras are dying off?
>>2073691
>>>tumblr
>>2072940
whats a good starter fish?
setting up a 10-20 gallon.
>>2072940
In the previous thread an anon told me to make a homemade cave for my Corie's and I'm doing that right now.
Going to add the java moss soon fellas
>>2073788
Get that AK47 Baby seeking bullet away from your tanks anon, don't you know bullets like to kill living things?
>>2073773
>white/gold cloud mountain minnows(benefits: extremely hardy, cold water fish so heater isn't required unless temperatures wildly swing or get below freezing within room of tank)
>betta(benefits: labyrinthine organ, so can breathe surface air if filter breaks)
>mollies(benefits: if gradually acclimated over time then can live in both brackish and saltwater, which means a drastic reduction in possibly catching freshwater illnesses such as ich)
>platys
>guppies
>tetras
>danios
>cherry barbs
>>2073788
That was me! Sorry I didn't get to answer your question on time, but the holes I suggested was essentially a place to thread the cotton string through to hold the java moss in place, sort of like the holes in shoes that the shoelaces go through.
Looks like you're doing a great job! Hope they like it!
>>2073790
did you leave out goldfish because they are trivial?
>>2073791
Not that anon, but goldfish are terrible starter fish. They shit so freakin much, and are extremely prone to randomly dying because they can be inbred as fuck. On top of that, they all get fuckhuge, and will most likely eat any fish it can. They aren't even attractive.
>>2073788
Don't forget to melt the edges of the bottle where you cut, anon.
>>2073794
Lol I'm totally fucking with you man. I have two mosin nagants leaning against the wall right now, and usually I have a 54r API round out and about, because I just love to look at it and fiddle around with it.
>>2073794
Yep, sounds like you got everything under control. Can't wait to see the final product!
>>2073796
I knew that and noice.
Imagine if they had fish guns for fish armies.
>>2073799
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_%28comics%29
>>2073799
That's why one day I will form an army of pistol and mantis shrimp. I shall rule the 7 seas with my cute army of death! Human feet, beware.
>>2073803
Holy shit that would be hilarious.
>>2073773
In my honest experience I had a bala shark in a 20 gallon for a year and forgot to change its water the entire time and he lived. Very hardy but probably died of old age because he was like 5 inches when I got him and that's a realistic maturity size
>>2073282
y tho?
>>2073807
Bored with em. Did nothing but sit around till food came.
>>2073805
>he was like 5 inches when I got him and that's a realistic maturity size
keep telling yourself that
Just added a new, larger snail to a little tank only to find one of my old snails immediately ran up to it and has been riding the new snail's shell around the tank as if it's a tiny horse. The smaller snail will even pull most of it's body out of it's shell to try to keep a hold of the bigger one.
No matter what it tries the big one can't shake it. It has tried things like dropping off the glass or sitting at the top of the water. The smaller snail was sitting above the water line riding the other snail's shell.
I don't think this is mating behavior is it?
Pic related: Snail on Snail action.
>>2073805
This is a young bala that probably died way to young. Now, do you really think yours was mature?
>>2073511
i know it might trigger a few people here but i have a pearl gourami and a betta in the same tank. absolutely zero aggression and they even chill in the same corner. the gourami likes to feel the betta with its feelers. its not permanent though the gourami is going into my 55 as soon as i get rid if the male that tried to kill her.
>>2073812
The smaller snail might be eating a hole in the larger snails shell due to a calcium deficiency.
You can fix this by dropping a cuttlebone into the tank. The same kind you give to parrots to chew on.
If you don't have the time/money for a cuttlebone, then take a single egg, use a thumbtack to poke a hole in each end, blow the yolk out, then use some kind of file to widen the holes and smooth the edges out. Then use a toothbrush and water to thoroughly clean out the inside of the shell. After it's all clean, drop it in the tank.
>>2073823
Or use reptile calcium powder
>>2073826
Yeah, but eggs are cool man, you can use super glue to attach all kinds of neat things on the outside, and they make awesome little mini caves for snails, shrimps, and small fish.
>>2073828
Until your geophagus pecks at it and breaks it ughhh
>>2073831
Well shit mang.
Just got this 29 gallon set up a couple days ago and introduced a school of 6 zebra danios today. I know I know it's a little early to introduce fish but luckily I'm not a dumbass and know to do a couple 25% water changes a day for a while til my nitrogen cycle finishes. I just wanted some life in there. Next fish is probably gonna be a khuli loach. Eventually I'd like to do a couple guaramis and an angel as my center piece. Oh and some ghost shrimp for cleanup detail.
Eventually, I'd like to do live plants instead of the fake ones I threw in there, but that won't be for a while.
Oh and last thing, the big empty spot in the back left of the tank I am going to mount a small piece of driftwood with suction cups eventually, just to fill in that empty space I'm not too fond of but still leave plenty of room for swimming
>>2073823
>>2073826
Would a calcium supplement tablet work (the kind with magnesium in it) or should I just use animal-tailored products?
In the mean time I'll remove the smaller snail as a safety precaution. I got the smaller snail last week and it's shell was pretty pale, so a calcium deficiency might have something to do with it.
>>2073844
>couple guaramis
The only couple of gouramis you can have in a 29g is a 1M:2F trio of Honeys or Dwarves, or a shoal of Sparklers. Even then, they might not take kindly to a bunch of hyperactive danios. A single Angel might be fine, or if you want to do a single lone gourami you can do Thick Lipped/Pearl
Do your Kuhli Loach last, they like more aged, "dirty" established tanks
>>2073847
Hey thanks for the input, fair point I didn't really look into the guaramis temperament so thanks for the warning there. Yeah I'm only planning on doing one angel cuz they get pretty big. Maybe instead of guaramis I will do some kind of tetras or something, maybe another little school of something.
Oh and how do you think a german blue ram would fair in this tank with the above mentioned tank mates? Would he be bullied by the danios and tetras? I'd like to do one of them if he would jive with a community tank
>>2073685
yeah hes pretty entertaining when hes awake and in one of his moods
>>2073846
Cuttlebone is really the best way to go. Drop it in the tank and forget about it. That way each individual can munch on it as much or as little as they want/need.
>>2073851
Thanks for the advice. I'll grab some in the morning.
What kind of filtration would be the most efficient to run and cheapest on a 16ftx6ftx5ft tank? What about heating it?
>>2073853
Not cheapest as in the cheapest filter as in cheapest on electricity
