Old thread: >>2078664 →
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
How many people here use bare bottom tanks? Just wondering..
Sand or gravel cap for Walstad?
There's a thread before this one. Delete this.
>>2081956
No delete that one you faggot.
It doesn't even have /aq/ in the post title so you can't easily search it.
think ill post in the one without a dead fish aye, other thread can fuck off.
--
how long should i wait before adding more fish
have 5 barbs now, they have been in there for 4 days now, planning on getting more on saturday.
Im wondering if its worth getting them earlier so that theres not so many fights when they arrive as the current bunch seem to have sorted a pecking order out.
All water peramiters are looking fine, havent done a water change since the new fish went in
>>2081956
also this thread already has relevant questions, that one just has your pathetic self-bump in a general
>>2081954
Coarse sand
>>2081964
Never used sand as substrate. What constitutes coarse vs fine and how do I differentiate them?
>>2081967
Coarse is anywhere from 0.5-1.0 mm while fine is anything under 250 micrometers. You can tell if a sand is fine if the grains are smaller than granulated white sugar.
>>2081974
thanks anon
>>2081956
If I'm not mistaken...that one also has a dead fish. Fuck that one. Let's use this one. This one is better. This one will always be better.
How are those water changes going?
>>2081903
No, but you might want to keep the light a few inches above the water. Pic related, though it's a PC, not CFL.
>>2081960
General recommendation is a week.
>>2081987
>How are those water changes going?
Yes.
>tfw you watch one of your tiny assassin snails cradling an empty, huge MTS shell
>>2082046
What do they swarm their prey?
>>2082089
Nah, they dig into the substrate during the days, and during the nights they move around and eat any smaller snails than themselves they come across. They've left my nerites alone, but I find empty MTS shells almost every day now. I think they just attach their foot to the prey's foot, and then start eating them, but I've never seen it actually happen. Think this guy had just finished his meal when I saw him,
Introduced 3 new fish to my tank and now ick is spreading... Is treating with heat enough? Ive got it at around 33 degrees Celsius and got myself a UV sterilizier. Been running like this for 2 days now and there has been zero casualties.
>>2082089
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmhneZL9IKM
>>2082156
I've seen a video where one tries to eat a cherry shrimp, but most of the time the shrimp will just zip away when the snail comes close, and I think they only go after shrimp if they're starving to begin with. I keep mine with a pair of amanos and they get along just fine.
Sage goes in all fields since I don't like thread image and gonna be a bitch about it
How many fish have you killed /aq/?
>>2082184
We talking childhood or after we have become responsible adults?
>>2082184
I've euthanised three fish, and accidentally killed a shrimp who had hidden inside a piece of driftwood that I was replacing.
>>2082028
>WAHH DELETE THIS THREAD THAT ONE WAS FIRST WE HAVE TO USE IT
>calling other people autistic
>>2082205
I don't like this threads image so I'm going to make a new one. How can you autist not not understand? Go back to being a homosexual
>>2082218
nigga you didn't even put the title so nobody can see that it's a general or search for the thread. You fucked up. Stop being a butthurt autist. You can make another thread when this one hits 300.
>>2082118
I've done the heat method, temp of 83 and vacuum every other day. After 2 weeks you should be good but I held the temp at 83 for an extra week.
Some people say to also blackout the tank because ick goes after shadows
>trying to get picture of rainbow shark
>she chases light on camera, moves half out of frame every time
>turn on "discreet" mode, no light
>she starts swimming up to the lens, too close, pictures come out as yellowish blobs
>give up, see kuhli loach in good pose, try to snap pic
>fucking rainbow shark photobombs, startles the loach, get a picture of a yellowish blur on top of a brown blur
I just want some pretty pictures.
How can I get my guppy to eat? I put food in front of him and he doesn't eat it. If another fish eats food in front of him, he freaks out and swims away
>>2080881
Anyone able to answer this?
Has anyone had experience keeping an octopus? I'm not really considering one myself right now, but I am curious what the experience is like.
'Mirin those odontodes.
just moved my pleco into his new tank today. he went from a 180L where he was too big to a 400L where he's now got loads of space.
Feelsgoodman.jpg to see how much space he has in there- im wondering what to put in there with him though.
So what would you do /aq/? With a 400 litre tank containing sandy substrate, a few plants, driftwood and an 18 inch pleco
>>2082279
They will kill everything you love, torment your cat and steal all your food.
>>2082314
Were you looking at a school, or a handful of individuals?
>>2082279
honestly its going to outsmart you, especially if you post on 4chan lol
>>2082234
I haven't made a thread here yet. What are you talking about? Having a seizure?
>>2082279
they have short lifespans. other then that typical care of any marine invert, likely even more so when it comes to water quality.
>>2082424
Also that they are escape masters. If you are able to properly feed it and take care of it, it's still very possible you'll come home some day, with a water trail leading from your tank, to god knows where, and at the end you'll find your octopus, maybe dead.
>>2082279
They create a lot of ammonia and need an essentially airtight tank. Like the one anon said, they don't live long. Also you have to be careful when doing anything in the tank, because they will ink when startled and you'll have to immediately change most of the water if that happens or it will die.
Also they bite.
Just checked my 2 gallon tank and found a bunch of fry clinging to the sides. This tank has no filtration or heat and just has dirt, snails, driftwood, and riccia. It's been set up for 3 weeks now. Do fry really take that long to hatch?
I just ordered 16 piranhas, any other fish that can live with em?
>>2082488
Have you looked into armored catfish?
I have a pond outside which has koi and goldfish where I put out fishes which have outgrown my tank. I recently saw a tinfoil which grew to 4 inches and he's swimming with the kois. I recently placed some tetras and barbs which I occasionally found hiding by the rocks.
will these tiny fishes be able to establish their own community?
>>2082557
Are you still buttmangled about your shitty thread dying?
Jesus christ, let it go.
>>2082567
>avatar fag
I just set up like 4 gallon freshwater tank and it's almost done its cycling process. What do you guys think of it?
The soil is a fluvial sediment that supposedly promotes plant and shrimp health, which I got since I was mostly interested in some sort of shrimp with live plants.
Should I stick with shrimp only or could I add some small fish to the tank of this size? I know it's probably too small for schooling fish, but I'm open to suggestions even if it's a single slightly larger fish.
Also if you can see my plants have been developing some holes along their edges and have been browning a bit? Could this be fixed by a better light? I know the current one is a low wattage and I want to replace it.
thanks for any helps famalam
>>2082586
Throw a desk or shop light with a 13w, 5000k~6500k CFL on that bitch. It'll run you like 10 bucks.
>>2082586
>Should I stick with shrimp only or could I add some small fish to the tank of this size? I know it's probably too small for schooling fish, but I'm open to suggestions even if it's a single slightly larger fish.
Get either some cherry shrimp or a betta.
>Also if you can see my plants have been developing some holes along their edges and have been browning a bit? Could this be fixed by a better light? I know the current one is a low wattage and I want to replace it.
Your LED looks fine for low light plants. That large fern in the back is non-aquatic and will slowly deteriorate underwater. The sword plant on the right is gonna shed its emersed grown leaves and produce aquatic leaves. However it will eventually outgrow your tank. Try some easy plants like aquatic mosses, java ferns, and anubias. Eventually you will need to use some ferts to keep the plants growing.
>>2082586
Just stick to shrimp in a 4gal. They'll scale better with the tank and the bioload of neocaridina is tiny. Make sure you cover your intake or drop the HOB and throw a sponge filter in for them to graze on.
>>2082567
Avatar fagging is against the rules
>>2082517
The tetras will die they're not cold water fish.
Just got a couple of red eared sliders. they're babies and barely over an inch long.
anyways, one of the turtles spends his entire time basking, barely moving. he'll move towards the edge of his floating basking spot, but that's it. however, when i take him outside in a smaller tank just to get sun, he's the exact opposite. how can i get him to relax while in his primary tank?
specs:
-Ten gallon tank that he shares with one other baby res, will upgrade soon
-filter
-water heater
-heat lamp
-floating dock
-minnow for food/ atmosphere
-thermometer
-conditioned water
I've done just about everything, yet he was happier outside in his unfiltered container of conditioned water and a couple of large rocks.
any help will be greatly appreciated.
>>2082624
I should also add that the other RES is fine, and remained just as happy when he joined the other turtle in the smaller outside-tank.
>>2082586
El Niño fern rarely does well when kept underwater. The sword may just need higher light, or you might want to consider dosing liquid carbon supplements (Excel).
>Should I stick with shrimp only or could I add some small fish to the tank of this size?
There are several fish that could fit (scarlet badis, pea puffer, pair of killifish), but most of them are considered "advanced" fish. A betta would be okay. You could do a dwarf crayfish or micro crabs.
>>2082584
>>2082610
>avatar fagging
A single reaction image is not avatar fagging.
Please stick your head in your aquarium and breathe deeply until you drown.
>>2082588
Cool, I'll look it that, thanks man
>>2082589
>>2082590
>>2082628
Alright I'll stick to just shrimp. Would a Betta in addition to the shrimp be too much? I'd assume it would eat the hatching, but would leave the adults alone.
Also I had no idea that that large fern wasn't actually aquatic, I'll look into a better, similarly sized replacement. I'll look into some flourish excel too.
wife really wants a cherry shrimp or a little shrimp or something in the tank.
Will they go well with my 10 barbs?
We have heard they will try to climb out of the tank too...
>>2082184
2 cories via overfeeding. Feelsbadman
>>2082632
I could drink enough in one breath that I will have air. Me 1 you 0 avatar fag
>>2082624
Everyone says they'll upgrade but they never have plans to.
>>2082184
As a child, probably like 2 personally, my cats killed 11 or 12 by getting on the hood of the tank and fucking with the heater. As an adult, I bought a guppy that brought something nasty with it from the pet store, it wiped out my entire tank. If that counts, then 14. I was depressed as hell.
I'm trying fishless cycling, and have been at it for about a week in my 20 gallon. I put a few algae wafers in there and they're breaking down
The issue is that I've seen no increase in ammonia. I put two or three gallons of water from a cycled tank in it, so could it already be cycled?
>>2082763
Check nitrites and nitrates
It's happening fish senpai
>>2082635
Aggressive male betta's will eat even the largest adult RCS
>>2082635
I tried this with RCS and the shrimp were faster than the betta, but over time he managed to kill most of the adult males. They took to hiding in the filter outtake to avoid him. If you had a big clump of java moss or something you could probably make it work, and some bettas have better temperaments I've heard, but you'd never see your shrimp doing fun shrimp stuff. 5gal is really the limit for bettas if you aren't experienced with them and gonna do water changes all the time.
If you must have fish, I think you could do 2 male Endlers but you'd have to be on top of water changes.
To the Anon I sent a frag to. Can you please upload a pic of it and most importantly before you put it in your tank, dip it with a strong iodine or bayer based dip for 3 mins.
>>2082586
i feel it
![IMG_0340[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/9pFt8Dp.jpg "IMG_0340[1].jpg")
>>2082801
Dipped it, and it's in the tank. Not looking good though...... quite pale, and it looks like it took some good hits during transport..... wet paper towels in the container definitely would've helped.... It was just barely wet still.
No polyp extension, but it's only been 15 minutes or so..... Idk, I don't have much hope for it, but it's going to stay in the tank until it's either a white skeleton, or back to being healthy.
>>2082812
>he didn't even bother to put wet paper towels in the bag
tripfags, everyone.
>>2082813
yea...... hopefully I won't be just out 25 bucks. And caused a nice piece of coral to die..
>>2082739
i'm looking to buy a house, and i'm waiting to see if the property we get will have room for a pond in the back. if not, i have an old 55 gallon tank, i just have to get stronger filters and all that.
Now, as for my original problem, I'm hoping the turtle is just stressed about the new habitat.
as of right now, i don't use a UVB bulb. only the heat lamp. I prefer to take them outside a few hours a day. will this pose a problem?
>>2082738
Enjoy your infections from all that great bacteria/parasites
>>2082840
stop memeing
>tfw you plant a new tank and you're afraid everything is just going to melt but some of your plants have new growth after not even a full photoperiod
>>2082867
This is one of the best feelings.
>>2082610
>>2082584
>this guy again
Eww, are you still assmad over the soil too?
>>2082771
>fully stocked with plants
Dose heavy with ammonia
>>2082768
Fuuuck my friend just paid $120 for a 40B with a versa top and strip light.
>>2082835
>I prefer to take them outside a few hours a day. will this pose a problem?
As long as you consistently take them out for 4-6 hours a day and keep them in the sun, it should be fine.
From what I've seen basking forever is pretty normal for turtles.
>>2082876
alright, sounds good. i'll keep an eye on him, and might schedule an appointment with a vet when i find one around here.
>>2082813
It was in a sealed Tupper ware container with tank water.
And it looks good just give it time bro. Thanks for taking the frag. Tank looks nice.
>>2082913
Ment to say when I clipped it it got kinda mangled. But I've broken that particularl colony dozen of times, the tips grow back fast.
I have a couple of very tiny things like this growing on the glass of my aquarium. What are they?
>>2082932
Hydra
>>2082933
Thanks.
I guess they piggy backed on the plants I bought months ago (plants which promptly died).
Speaking of plants, the aquarium I have is in a corner office that receives a fair amount of indirect light during the summer. What are some plants that would thrive in low light conditions? Am I able to order these online (Canada)? The closest place that has plants is over two hours away and they're not the best quality.
Currently 5 gal tank looking to upgrade to 10. Has five glowlite tetras.
>>2082936
>What are some plants that would thrive in low light conditions?
java fern is your only worthwhile option
>>2082950
Would this be appropriate? Any feedback ordering online?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Narrow-Leaf-Java-Fern-Aquarium-Plant-Ornament-Moss-SD-/250447682552?hash=item3a4fd85bf8:m:mJ7jgw6d9oINsuffdbfZSiQ
>>2082962
ive never had a narrow leaf. not sure if it's same genus or whatever
ordering plants/fish/shrimp etc online is normal and a large volume of business is done this way.
>>2082967
Thank you.
I'll give it a try and order it. I'll get some driftwood too as it says not to put the roots in gravel. Is there anything I should do to the driftwood (and plant) before putting it in my tank? I had driftwood before and it got this white film on it and the tank got incredibly dirty, I couldn't keep up. (I didn't want to change the water every day because I didn't want to shock the fish.)
This is exciting. I didn't occur to me to order online.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Small-Driftwood-Natural-Wood-Fish-Tank-Aquarium-Landscaping-Plants-Tied-Decor-/400900062852?hash=item5d57817e84:g:4UkAAOSwk5FUwFBz
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Tree-Trunk-Driftwood-Aquarium-Fish-Tank-DIY-Decoration-Ornament-14x13-3x13-1cm-/281618221206?hash=item4191c10896:g:m3IAAOSwPhdU9n9o
>>2082974
driftwood should be boiled. i've never done it, google for how long to boil
java fern can be easily tied with string to the driftwood to encourage it to attach. it will proliferate into little fernlets even in low light conditions. you could also probably grow water sprite, but it honestly isn't worth it in my opinion. it's the type of plant that grows 80 offshoots and half of them are melting at all times
>>2083002
Thanks! I'll purchase the driftwood and java fern. I also came across this from the same eBay seller:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Anubias-barteri-Golden-Live-Tropical-Aquarium-Plant/280508730474
It also says low light.
I'm very excited. I purchased two pieces of driftwood and some brine shrimp food for the cost of gas to get to the city to buy from the store there.
>>2082913
There was no tank water in the container at all when I got it :(. Still got some hope for it though. I'll make sure to keep to updated on how it goes.
Even if it doesn't work out, I do really appreciate the effort man, thanks again.
>>2082974
>http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Small-Driftwood-Natural-Wood-Fish-Tank-Aquarium-Landscaping-Plants-Tied-Decor-/400900062852?hash=item5d57817e84:g:4UkAAOSwk5FUwFBz
Just an FYI that is Malaysian Driftwood and it will bleed tannin for months no matter how long you boil or soak it. It's nothing bad or dangerous, but your water will have a tint to it no matter what you do. If you use a HOB filter you will notice that it will become stained too.
>>2083064
Thanks. The last driftwood I had did this so I thought all driftwood would change the colour. Both pieces are small so I may just soak them in a container for a bit before adding them to the aquarium.
Back to the hydra, I used a scrubbie to get them off the glass. I've taken out most of the decorations. I read they eat very small things, will having a few in the tank be harmful to the glowlights? (Will the hydra's tentacles be able to pierce their skin?)
>>2082870
Soil what?
>>2082839
Ha the only thing I'll get is some bad diarrhea
I want to catch some cray fish for my puffer to eat. Should I be good if I treat them for worms and disease beforehand? Where's s good place with a large selection of freshwater inverts?
What are some good fast growing plants Anons?
Plants I have so far:
Hornwort
Elodea(anacharis)
Cabomba
Glossostigma
Duckweed
>>2083130
Cryptocorn wendys
>>2083130
Amazon sworrds
>>2083130
Forgot to mention Guppy Grass.
Looking for stem, floating, and carpeting.
>>2083010
shit it must of leaked then,
>>2083127
If you still feel up to it after the diarrhea, I'll be happy to send you some of my reefs tank water. I'll be sure to piss of my zoanthids before, so the water has a healthy dose of palytoxin too.
>>2083170
yea, I'm sure it did. Although the shipping box didn't seem to have water damage. Still no polyps after about 10 hours, although it does kinda look better, but that's probably because my hermits and cleaner shrimp went to town on it, cleaning it up. Still no color, but the pits around where the polyps should be have gotten a bit darker in color.. So I suppose thats a good thing. Most positive thing I've seen from it so far.
>>2083183
That sucks, however it the polyps should be kinda whitish/powder blue. There isn't really a lot of fluorescent glow with that frag so that's normal. As long as its pastel blue and not white then its still alive.
Also my tank has very low nutrients in it so the color may change in yours. I have a system of very high (500ppm Calcium) and a dkh of around 8 and 7 which is closer to natural seawater with redsea pro salt.
>>2083170
Also, is there a reason you stressed me dipping the coral so much? I usually never dip any of my corals, and I really attribute a lot of my success to that. Not for coral survivabilty, but for the sake of biodiversity in the tank, and introducing new life/species. I do pretty much always dip when I get coral from another reefer though, ever since I got a ricordea that was laden with vermitid snails, which have since colonized the tank (easily several thousand of them). I actually really appreciate having them... But they have sharp ass shells, and cuts my hand all the time when I lift up rocks, which is something I'm always very worried about due to all my Zoas and palys.
Do you have some kind of coral predator?
I've had coral eating nudis and snails, but my tank has so much biodiversity that all of these pests have natural predators in the tank, and they've always taken care of the problem for me.
Only invasive/dangerous species I've had to personally deal with are aptasia. Fuckin jack wagon that sold me my live rock (at a LFS) told me the aptasia was a harmless coral, and was a cool hitchhiker. 9 months later and I still want to punch the guy in the throat.
>>2083197
I always keep my calcium fairly high, but no reactor or anything, so it isn't stable, especially with my ever expanding stony collection. My vermitid snails also seem to take up a fairly large amount.
It's still a paleish blue. Some areas are totally white, but some tissue loss is expected..
Mr. Mango is the boss of his tank. Keeps his pimp fin strong over his two bitches (he was getting so aggressive I was actually thinking about giving him a timeout in the quarantine tank), and gets a constant buffet of baby shrimplets that are cocky enough to swim in front of him
I just saw him chasing down a shrimplet for the first time. You can see him with a mouthful of shrimp, and the antennas barely visible outside the mouth
>>2083180
Shit send some my way. down to try an exotic drink
>>2083205
Mr. Mango would make a great snack for my fish
>>2083200
>believing anything you are ever told at a fish store
got a dead freshwater bumblebee goby to attest to that
>>2082332
either really. I was considering a shoal of angel fish or a big school of barbs
Im not looking at cichlids really
>>2083237
My main LFS is actually excellent. I Trust everything they say. But it's the only LFS in my area (out of probably 12 or so) that I trust. All the others have told me bullshit at some point
>>2083226
I wouldn't doubt it, he looks very tasty all the time in that Sunkist orange yellow color
>>2083200
>I got a ricordea that was laden with vermitid snails, which have since colonized the tank (easily several thousand of them). I actually really appreciate having them... But they have sharp ass shells, and cuts my hand all the time when I lift up rocks, which is something I'm always very worried about due to all my Zoas and palys. Do you have some kind of coral predator? I've had coral eating nudis and snails, but my tank has so much biodiversity that all of these pests have natural predators in the tank, and they've always taken care of the problem for me. Only invasive/dangerous species I've had to personally deal with are aptasia. Fuckin jack wagon that sold me my live rock (at a LFS) told me the aptasia was a harmless coral, and was a cool hitchhiker. 9 months later and I still want to punch the guy in the throat
>Not dipping even once.
You should ALWAYS dip. Trust me you aren't hurting biodiversity by not dipping. The exception is if you have a symbiotic coral crab or something similar, then do your best to take out the crab without hurting it.
There are too many things that can be introduced that can and will fuck up your tank. flatworms, AEFW, Red Bugs, bacterial infections the list goes on. I had a terrible red bug infestation in my tank that I had to deal with a final solution type treatment that while worked, killed all my pods and crabs in my tank. I still have alage issues from it to recover.
$10 dip vs $1,000 loss in corals, don't chance it. I don't even use aquarium dips, I use 10ml Bayer complete insecticide which kills everything but the coral.
>>2083451
That's why I always dip from another reefers tank. But not my my main LFS. I honestly probably know they're tanks better then everyone that works there, except the owner. They always dip every coral and fish before putting them in their tanks, and have never seen any pest in they're tanks, save for a few aptasia, but that shits rampant. I wouldnt have my asterinas, baby brittles, feather dusters, stomatellas, chitons, limpets, and a dozen others that came in on various stony corals. And all of those are very valuable to me. It is worth noting I always, regardless of where I got it, put coral in a 1 gallon spherical vase I have, where I thoroughly inspect every bit with a magnifying glass. Never had to remove something yet, during those inspections
>>2083451
Btw pretty sure that acro is toast :/ it's more white today then it was yesterday. Basically solid white. It's a shame. Still going to keep it in the tank for another month at least, cuz who knows... I microscopic piece of zooanthelle algae could've survived.
![IMG_0348[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/M9QsIkJ.jpg "IMG_0348[1].jpg")
>>2083451
Updated pic of the acro
My 10 gallon tank seems to cycle between 0 to 100 PPM GH and the PH is sitting around 6.5. I don't understand this shit
why is this happening? I have acid buffer, alkaline buffer, ph up, ph down, all that shit, but it seems like a nightmare to actually try to buffer/improve your water. There aren't convenient calculators for this shit it seems like
why isn't there an electtronic thing that I can just dip into the water and it tells me what to do? whoever invents this will be a de facto millionaire as every aquarist will own the product.
it seems that some hatchet fish i just bought have developed ich after being in my tank for a week. what would be the best way to tackle this problem? i keep a bamboo shrimp so im trying to steer away from medications with copper. i added aquarium salt to the tank a couple days ago but it seems to have gotten worse. any help would be appreciated.
>>2083489
you have to choose between the fish or shrimp. and if it's your first time dealing with ich you might as well choose the shrimp
you can do a methylene blue dip for the fish possibly? I don't know if that's done for ich
>>2083486
>I have acid buffer, alkaline buffer, ph up, ph down, all that shit
Throw all that shit away. Those products are band-aids for real issues.
Why are you trying to tinker with your tank water so much? In 90% of cases, you'll be better off just using your regular tap water and leaving the parameters alone. By adding a zillion products to the water in order to find some "perfect" parameters, all you're really doing is creating instability.
>>2083489
Don't listen to >>2083491.
Freshwater Ich can easily be beaten by raising your tanks temperature to 84-85 degrees, feeding heavily (with Ich, I highly recommend using frozen foods like blood worms, things fish really love to eat). Finally, patience. Ich is unable to reproduce at 85 degrees, and they have a relatively short lifespan, so you just need to keep them from reproducing, and eventually the mature ich will die off (at an even faster rate to because the temperature increases their metabolism, making their lifespan shorter).
In order to understand disease and parasites you have to understand the disease triangle. In order for a disease/parasite to take root, there must be the disease present, a host present, and a suitable environment for the disease to thrive. By taking out one of these things, the triangle collapses, and the disease will go away. In the case of Ich, the disease is always present (test literally any aquarium for ich, and I can almost guarantee you'll find it), and the carrier is always present (fish). So the only other variable is the enviroment, which is causing the fish stress, which lowers their immune response, which allows the disease/parasite to invade.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuubFdsrfpE
What do you think about my reeftank?
Are Neocaridina usually pregnant constantly in the wild?
I've recently got a small colony with one female, it took her a few months to start but once she had her first batch of shrimplets she's been pregnant the very next day after laying.
This has happened 3 times so far with each pregnancy lasting a month.
>>2083493
>Throw all that shit away. Those products are band-aids for real issues.
that's honestly awful advice. they're not band-aids whatsoever, because if you know how to use them you can have discrete control of your tank properties
i just don't know how to use them. proper use of those products allows you to have stable, buffered water-- the opposite of a "band aid"
Any acuascape tips?
>>2083612
Forgot pic
>>2083476
Dam that sucks no polpys? The polyps are white.
>>2083614
whenever I try this the water just falls out
What is this I'm so confused!
>>2083614
are the tall ones in front and the small ones at back?
>>2083642
Nope... Just dark pits where the polyps should be
>>2083535
The only time you will ever want to adjust your tank's pH is if the pH is harming your fish. In nearly every case, it is better to avoid using those products and simply acclimate fish to your pH.
In your case, a pH of 6.5 would be adequate for virtually anything that you would keep in a 10 gallon tank, assuming it's just the hardness that swings and not the pH.
>>2083668
nobody has yet answered the question about why my gh fluctuates or what to do, and i've been lectured twice now about things i know.
can people focus on answering the question that was asked? thanks. why is my gh swinging?
>>2083671
Stop being a nigger.
GH naturally drops as solids settle out of the water column. What are you testing with?
>>2083678
it's not *dropping* it's fluctuating. I said BETWEEN 0 and 120. It appears to be random. I cannot understand why
>>2083614
i would probably start with turning ur tank right side up. it just doesn't look natural
>>2083702
What are you testing with?
>>2083722
api strips
>>2083733
There's your problem
>>2083614
Place tall plants at the back + far sides, and place plants in a tall-to-medium sized fashion until you reach the middle, then place the smaller plants at the front.
Clean up the sand that's mixing as well, looks terrible.
>>2083671
Not only are you asking really stupid questions, but you're acting like a little bitch
>>2083614
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuGmmNwd0yM
Offers some neat tips, especially about balance.
>>2083733
pH Up, pH Down, and test strips. He's trolling us now.
Nice to see all those Caridinas in this thread.
Does anyone here keep crabs? I only have some old pics from my 7 tanks, but I'm planning a new 80 cm Pseudosesarma tank for this year.
I'd love to find Pseudosesarma bocourti too...
The male P. bocourti I had, wonderful and big.
>>2083815
I'm pretty interested in crabs, but I'm not entirely sure how to care for one, any fully aquatic ones?
Also I had hundreds of shrimps in that tank, unfortunately most of them died in summer 2012, the crabs survived because they could leave the water.
>>2083821
These are all semi-terrestric, you could look up Limnophilos.
Also, Cardisoma armatum.
Unknown Pseudosesarma species I got from a German crab forum, this could be P. johorensis.
It has been pretty dirty inside there, next time I'll buy the biggest external filtration I can get.
These crabs love to dig.
Blue-ish Caridinas someone gifted me.
How long should I wait after setting up the tank to start dosing excel?
Red tiger shrimps I got out of nowhere.
A white tiger shrimp. This is the only one like this I've ever seen.
is it normal when a kuhli loach is hiding inside my filter?
>>2083870
There is no "normal" with those little goofballs, but you shouldn't be worried. Just keep it from getting in there again, since it might get injured.
>>2083644
>>2083721
Would it be a bad idea to make lighting with several low-watt gu-10 leds? I have a glass top to my tank that it could sit on and stay dry, and I'd use a vent fan so they shouldn't overheat. Plus, this way I can wire it straight into the wall without needing to figure out what drivers to use.
Will neon tetras school with green neon tetras and cardinal tetras?
Also I kinda want my tank to look like a cool jarasic park zoo or something.
My t-Rex would be my betta Hilburt
Some neon tetras being the food Dino's, and so on, anything else come to mind? Nice and shiny.
Does anyone know where to get red koi anglefish in a Ontario, Canada region without shipping them? I really want the anglefish to have a deep red colour throughout the whole body
>>2084024
I think neon tetras will school with any other tetra. Experiment with at least 4 and if they coincide add more
>>2084024
So what's your i-Rex gonna be?
Does anyone know any species of aquatic animal (Fish, mollusk or crustaceans) that would live well with neon tetras (11), sail fin pleco, 5 anglefish, 3 fire and ice gouramis, 3 gold gourami, a pear gourami, 6 red tailed black sharks, some purple tailed white bodied tetras (It would help if someone could tell the species), 6 turquoise guppies, 3 sunburst platties, 3 mickey mouse platties and 3 orange platties
>>2084036
Holy smorgasbord of bumblefuck.
>>2084024
Maybe, but most likely as a result of stress from insufficient numbers, not because they actually see the others as "the same."
In other words, it's not a good thing to do.
>>2084037
What? I have a huge tank. Around 150 gallons
>>2084040
betta. in my experience they do well in big tanks like that, you can even have multiple males.
>>2084041
I messed up. I need a species that eats other fish waste. The fish I listed live in the tank. I suggested freshwater shrimp or crabs but my dad co-owns the tank with me and he said no because they would pinch the fins of the other fish. So any ideas?
>>2084042
There are no species that eat fish waste. That is a myth.
your dad is incorrect about shrimp. freshwater crabs in aquaria isn't a common thing.
>>2084042
>I need a species that eats other fish waste
Najas guadalupensis
>>2084036
>I need a species that eats others fish waste
A plant, any detritivore, some scavenging shrimp, or a gravel vacuum.
>>2082517
your yard is beautiful and im jellin
koi are a classic. do you feed your pond fish or do you just let them eat the green bits in your pond?
One of my otos got under the bottomfeeder swarm during the feeding frenzy, and got a chunk of scales from his head ripped off. He has a big bald spot now. He's acting fine, maybe a little more withdrawn than before, but I'm wondering how well that bald spot will heal.
anyone still use these bad boys?
>>2084113
So it's like an enclosed sponge filter?
>>2084020
Go for it.
Can't be as stupid as some of the stuff people try.
>>2084113
I have one packed with ceramic media in my orange shrimp tank. It gets the job done.
>Bamboo shrimp just sits on the back of the heater all day and never comes out
What is the point of these?
When my class went to Monte Carlo the only thing we did was go to the aquarium. It was pretty.
>>2084024
They school with cardinals, or maybe cardinals just school with them.
I have mine with black neons (which aren't that closely related). They get along and they sort of mingle but generally still cluster with their own kind.
>>2084234
>organism doesn't live for my personal enjoyment
i dunno bro
>>2084187
That absolutely can't work.... right? I mean.. There's no ballasts or anything... Granted my electrical knowledge is basically nill.... Also wooden board with no heat sinks or fans.... sounds like a good idea.
>>2082517
I'm jealous as fuck
I'm so far off from home ownership baka
>>2084245
I mean what is the point of having them in an aquarium, not their existence.
I left the tank lid open one night and found my apple snail outside of it, dried out. Put him back on the off-chance he'd revive and he did. However, he won't come out of his shell like he used to, though he still moves around the tank. Is his 'brain' all fucked up now? I miss seeing his cute antennaes.
>>2084335
Just give him time. If he's still moving and eating, he could get better. Probably not permanent
>>2084338
Thanks, he's definitely still eating so I'll keep hoping.
>>2084362
Make sure to give him ample algae wafers, and whatever special treats you may feed him. Maybe do more often water changes since you have a recovering animal, especially if your overfeeding to help the healing process.
>>2084328
They're pretty cute and the fans are interesting. Have you tried aiming your filter outflow somewhere more visible or putting something where he can hang out in the flow and still be more visible?
Just got some Rummynose Rasboras aka sawbwa resplendens. Guy from the pet store sold me on these for my SEA cplanted community tank, it was either them or the really colorful but less hardy small rainbowfish species.
They look nothing like this right now, but hopefully after quarantine and when they get plopped into the main tank, the males turn steel blue like this. I'm just worried these might be wild caught stock, so I have to extra careful with them even though they're rasboras
>>2084478
They're scaleless, so be especially careful of ich.
>>2084550
Saved this guy from a tank teardown.
>fry ate all the bacteria built up off the sponge filter
Thanks i guess
>>2084579
I think you mean algae?
>>2081938
I've seen nautiluses (nautili?) at the aquarium in the tank with the dim red light but can they really be kept in tanks? Don't they need to rise and fall in the water column by thousands of feet in the wild? The ones I saw didn't look so hot but maybe they're just a low energy species.
>>2084610
They do need very tall tanks (four feet or so), and width/floor space isn't much of an issue, so you really just need a column. They are also a coldwater species, so a chiller is necessary, otherwise they will die quickly.
It's a marine animal that for for most people, is just better left in the ocean.
>>2084550
Some kind of elegance? Or carpet nem? Btw, Acro is totally bleached white today.
>>2084643
They're being wiped out for the shell trade.
>>2084596
no it's bacteria colonized on the sponges.
I have a UV sterilizer and literally zero algae anywhere.
I've seen them eat a chunk of bacteria knocked loose from the lip of the filter return, they seem to like it.
>>2084645
It's a nem and I'm sorry to hear that, I'm not sure what killed it becuase it was a very Robust frag. It was likey the water leaking out.
>>2084673
That gunk you see is really more or less the waste products of the bacteria. It's not really a physical macro colony of it.
>>2084679
Correct myself ment to say that stuff you see is really bio film/mats of dead bacteria and waste
>>2084684
It looks like the same stuff that grows on my bio media in my filter, nonetheless they like to eat it, is that weird?
>>2084273
The way I understand it, gu10 sockets work like their own ballast or something. I don't fuckin' know.
I don't know the heat output, but the sockets I've seen are made of ceramic, and I've seen multiple people connect them straight to wood...
is it safe to use a 100 gph hob filter for my 5 gallon tank?
>>2084684
>Correct myself ment to say
you can't "mean to say" something different. You said something different. Did you know what a biofilm was before that comment? curious
>>2084712
Might want to stifle the flow a little bit...
What are you keeping in it?
>>2084708
This might be a better alternative.
Looks simple enough.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/diy-aquarium-projects/83180-i-did-myself-cree-led.html#/forumsite/20597/topics/83180?page=1
>>2083353
>shoal of angelfish
Top fucking kek
>not looking at cichlids really
Angelfish are cichlids. Keking my ass off.
>>2084042
>I need a species that eats other fish waste
Common pleco
Rescape my 29 community with sand and some new plants, what do you guys think? Stock is 10 ember tetras, 10 neons, 10 hengeli rasbora, 1 female betta, 5 Pygmy corys and a metric fuckton of cherry shrimp. My stocking and plants are done aside from the fact I STILL can't find anywhere with them (I live in Australia)
>>2084800
Sorry by "them" I mean ottocinculus
>>2084803
why do you need more otos you already have a cory and shrimp
>>2084782
No fish eat fish shit. None.
>>2084805
My shrimp and corys do fuck all about my algae, also aesthetics, I like how otos look.
She finally came out!
I think it was just because the lights were out, I just turned them on and she was there. She's gone back into hiding now. Are they nocturnal?
>>2084851
Also first time this has happened. Every species of shrimp in my tank in one photo.
>>2084806
It's common sense that the common pleco eats shit and will do well in any size tank
>>2084891
You also don't have to feed them because of all the algae and shit they eat
>>2084892
>>2084901
I believe they're making fun of the average fish keeper who goes to petco to overstock there big 10 gallon tank
Anyone else ever try this?
It must be shrimp crack because I can wave it infront of my amano shrimp on my hand they'll jump right on it.
>>2084927
Here is everyone fighting for a piece
If my rcs and this orange shrimp keep molting does that mean everything is good in my tank?
>>2084800
I'd say you are at your stock limit my staryan friend
Looks sweet though
My white skirt tetra died this week. . .
Hey /aq/ look what I got for 37 bucks on Amazon!
It's going replace my quietflow 30
>>2084780
you know perfectly well what i mean. im not interested in a rocky cichlid tank which is what im most often suggested
>>2085177
Fuck African cichlids. They're the fedoras of the fish world. Angelfish look nice though. I have a acara and rivulatus and they're alright. I just can never put anything small in the tank or its seen as food.
>>2085005
big upgrade. look at tutorials online about putting vaseline etc on the impeller motor. this stops the impeller from churning grooves into itself and becoming imbalanced/making vibrating sounds.
it's the only flaw of the unit. new impellers can also be ordered from hagan.
I keep rescuing rosy red minnows from my lfs and they will not stop bringing them in!! Are these fish native in USA? If so I'm gonna release them as I have over 135 in a 20 long and some keep dying. They're to beautiful to be used as feeders
>>2085191
The one problem I've had with that filter is that the sponge keeps floating up and pushing my ceramic media above the water line. At first I thought it was because the sponge was clogged, but it still happens immediately after thorough cleanings. I MacGyvered a solution using wooden skewers, but something to be aware of.
>>2085187
yeah thats basically my thoughts on african cichlid tanks - just not that interesting.
Angelfish im quite keen for because theyre big enough and they are interesting enough and will leave the pleco alone.
Im wondering if anything else could go in there too or if i should just leave it as a big pleco and some angels. any ideas /aq/?
Thoughts on sponge filters?
Anyone use them exclusively?
I'm currently in the process of transitioning my 20 gallon tank from a HOB to a Sponge. Just wanted to know what /aq/'s experiences are.
>>2085289
I use a few HOBs and canisters, but only because I got them cheap. In my experience, sponge filters are the perfect filter. No moving parts that can break, they can't leak, and they provide excellent mechanical/biological filtration.
The downside is that they don't have the ability to include chemical filtration, but chemical filtration isn't needed in the vast majority of applications.
