Old thread: >>2081938 → →
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
bumping with post from old thread.
what soil are you guys using?
Just picked up a bag of this for a 3 gallon planted shrimp tank, moving from gravel
>>2086333
I just used some soil from a local hardware store with some eco complete gravel on top
It's easy and works well
>>2086340
>>2086342
>>2086367
Samefag: Why are you always so butthurt you never get to make a thread? We don't want your dead fish.
I bought a bamboo shrimp a week ago without realising how fast they need the water flow to feed.
I thought my small hob would be enough but apparently not as it's taken to scavenging off the floor which I hear is a bad sign.
Because I can't make the entire tank fast as it's a shrimp tank, I've bought the smallest nano powerhead I can find and I've placed it right at the bottom of the tank at the back. Creating a narrow stream of fast running water surrounded by slow moving water. I've also aimed this "stream" into an open spot for viewing.
Do you think he'll go for it?
>>2086374
The last thread was actually made by me... But good try.
hello /aq/
Im thinking about getting some shrimp for the first time for my planted aquarium for a bit of added life.
I've seen mixed reports as to whether they will live in the same tank as assassin snails.. has anyone had any experience with this?
Other tank mates should be fine as they are neons, corys, otos, a pair of rams and 3 x platys that i foolishly let me sister pick out. I will move these into another tank if need be but I dont know if they'll be a problem with shrimpies
Gonna try again because fuckit
Recently got another arowana, he's in my growout 500litre just wanna know if he's a particular colour morph or not, all my other arows when young had a green tinge but this one is almost snow white with red on the edge of his fins. All my other arows where relocated because I do business like that.
>>2086401
some larger shrimps would surely be ok though?
>>2086388
You could possibly have ammano shrimp that will survive all the fish and the assassin snails fine. I have lots of assassin snails mixed with ammano shrimp in my community tank.
However I feel that Assasin snails pose a risk to molting RCS and RCS shrimplets. And your fish will certainly eat all those.
I keep RCS in their own shrimp only 90L with only ammano shrimp and one Bamboo shrimp
whats everyone's favourite shoaling fish?
I like neons even though they are top meme fish. Also like leopard danios for activity
>Had at least 5 fish die in my tank
>Never find the bodies
>Never get an ammonia spike
>>2086463
is your tank covered? they probably jumped off
>>2086469
Yes.
I have a massive amount of Assassin snails and I think they eat them before they decompose.
>>2086388
Been keeping shrimp for years, assassin snails only eat dead shrimp, trust me
Corys and rams will mumch them or at the very least stress them out
Does using chemical filtration effect the bacteria cycle? I'm using filter bags with charcoal inside on my HOB filter and just wondering if this would effect the cycle process.
>>2086461
Favourite and imo best actual real shoaling fish are rummynose tetras
My other favourite lesser known shoaling fish are dwarf corys
>>2086461
I don't seem them often implemented in tanks but otos school if you have 4 or more in very interesting ways.
I have a shoal of otos in my tank.
>>2086373
It doesn't seem to have gone for it. It knows the current is there. But it instead decided to go for some pick some algae wafer off the ground with the other shrimp.
I've seen people warning that if a bamboo shrimp shows scavenging behaviour it's close to starving to death, but could it just be that mine has found an easier food source it prefers?
>>2086461
White Cloud Mountain Minnows, first fish I ever got and I still love them. I'm hoping to start a Hillstream setup soon, and these guys without a doubt will be the first ones in there.
>>2086481
the only way it can affect the cycle is by reducing flow or acting as a substrate for more bacteria.
so no, it doesn't as long as it's new carbon and not blocking flow. But after a few months it will be part of your biofilter,and changing it can reduce nitrifying capacity.
>>2086328
Anyone have terracotta in their tanks? I'm think of adding some small ones for my kuhlis.
>drop an algae wafer
>new amano shrimp discovers what it tastes like
>ghost shrimp wait for the amano shrimp to drop parts or segments
>betta 'protects' amano and shares the algae wafer
A M A N O P O W E R
>>2086538
Nice, I just picked up 3 more Amanos today.
So, I'm going to try to make my own LED lighting, but I don't know what color LEDs to use.
It's only a 5 gallon planted shrimp tank, so I'm only going to try 5 3w leds for now.
Should I go with something like my diagram or something different?
I figure warm white should have some reds, and cool white should have some blues for my plants, but honestly I have no fuckin' clue here...
>>2086551
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grow_light#LEDs_.28Light_Emitting_Diodes.29
There ya go. This info is pretty easy to find if you google around. Just mind that aquatic plants use the same spectrum as land plants.
I've noticed that one of my emerald Corie's is a darker color than my others, in fact its more of a reddish brown color. Is it sick or is it a different species of Cory?
>>2086624
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_corydoras
here you go coryfriend
>>2086624
>corys
>no sand substrate
>>2086538
Fuck Amanos, I got like 8 in my 40 breeder and they literally steal all the food I drop for my kuhlis and gouramis
I'm seriously considering netting like 3-4 Amanos and trading them in for more RCS or a nice Bamboo shrimp
>>2086405
>>2086408
Looks like white tank treatment, they keep them in white painted tanks with white light, they lose that colour eventually.
>>2086737
Same. Now for punishment I breed them for my puffer to eat
>>2086743
You breed Amanos? Kind of a lot of trouble to feed your puffer no?
I will admit, Amanos are way better at keeping tanks clean than other shrimp. but I'm getting genuinely concerned my kuhlis aren't getting fed enough, they seem to be fine though
>>2086737
I apply an ample enough for everyone to feast, divided wafers and what not
>>2086743
How are you breeding amanos? I've always heard that they don't breed in captivity at all, due to special processes, like needing saltwater at certain times and stuff
This is like the tenth time my betta's fins are fucked up for no discernible reason. Just when they look like they're healing up and about to be good again he somehow manages to fuck them up.
Ammonia 0. Nitrates 0. Planted tank, nothing sharp or plastic, substrate is sand.
I thought he might be stressed by the lighting and overall openness of the tank, so I added dwarf water lettuce. I also added indian almond leaves a couple of weeks ago to address potential infection.
No other livestock except malawa shrimp.
My best guess is he's biting himself although I've never seen him do it and his fins were pristine when I bought him. It's always the same parts of his fins that are fucked up.
I do have a 10g I am not using, maybe if he had some tankmates like microrasboras he would be more distracted and less prone to fuck himself up. He's in a 7.5 gallon cube right now.
>>2086795
They do breed in captivity but you get about 5 shrimp that survive to adulthood out of hundreds of larvae so it's not economically viable.
Does anyone here keep Red Crystal Shrimp? And Fire Red shrimp?
They seem to be a complete waste of time.
I bought 5 CRS about 3 months ago and they've all slowly died.
At the same time I bought 5 Fire reds females, all but one has died who wont get pregnant.
A week before that I bought some cherry shrimp of a random guy on craigslist. 3 females and 2 males. The females have been constantly pregnant since I've had them and non have died.
Never had any water parameter problems and the tank is at a constant 24 degrees.
>>2086924
Your anecdote seems common. I see "all my shrimp died despite adequate conditions" a lot. I experienced it too, and then later had great success, without ever figuring out what went wrong the first attempt.
I feel like RCS survivability correlates negatively with redness. Probably from artificial selection.
>tfw watching a Danio slowly lose all it's body mass and starve to death
Why the fuck wont it eat?
>>2086768
Don't reproduce
>>2086333
I just ordered some of that Fluval shrimp stratum stuff for my 5 gallon.
>>2087024
A lot of people have had issues with it being too light and hard to plant in. I use Aquasolum's Black Humate which is similar in my 2.5 and haven't really had problems. It helps to not wash it. Just pour your water slowly and you won't get a lot of clouding.
>>2087024
i have pic related, it it was pretty good for rooted plants but not sure about things like java moss and carpets.
I ended up just cutting a marimo moss ball down the middle and laying it on the substrate on a portion of my tank to get the carpet look. i wont root but just laying on the bottom of the aquarium it gets light so im assuming its still alive/growing
>pic related is what i did, any thoughts?
my Green Terror. He is a dick. He tries to eat me every time I am in the room. It's awesome.
>>2087098
Have you put your hand in there and let him bite? Does it hurt?
>>2087132
Not him but I've been bitten by kribensis, mollies, tiger barbs, and an axolotl. Never hurt in the least, just surprising sometimes.
I love these little fuckers. Can't get enough of em.
>constantly worrying that my water isn't perfect for shrimp
>0,0, <20 nitrates and cycled
>do daily count
>see one amano shrimp missing
>quadruple check
>"holy shit he's gone"
>inspect to see any dead corpses
>shine a light around my aquarium seeing if it jumped out
>turns out the fucker was hiding under layers of cabomba leaves
someone please calm me down
i just want a red cherry shrimp population already
>>2087165
are you me? I just bought 5 of these little shits and I love them. they've got so much energy and character for such little guys. plus their barbels are hella cute
>>2087169
shoulda bought berried females. You would've had a max capacity shrimp population in two months
Who here makes or collects their own aquarium decorations?
>>2087169
>adding gravel to an established tank
>just want to spot check to root some plants
>8 RCS scavanging
>say fuck it and just dump the solvent on top
>water cloudy af think i bury some shrimp under new gravel
>they all survive
these guys are a lot hardier than you think.
>>2087189
I pick up rocks and driftwood at the lake by my house.
Anyone got experience with killifish?
Ordered some Nothobranchius eggersi eggs and hope to raise them up
Would love to hear about your experiences
(Image is one of my African dwarfs poking out of some water lettuce I have )
>>2087246
Yeah. I had two golden killies. One of my fish killed the male. Beat him up really bad. And the female jumped out during tank maintenance while I was taking a shit and my son couldn't reach the 55 gallon top so he hurried and put him in the puffer tank. In less than a second I had half a killifish.
Will a red lobster crayfish fuck up all my plants?
Please god, I hope someone is on.
My lyretail angelfish got his tail stuck in the filter. I have no idea how long he was stuck like that, I just woke up. I managed to get him out, but he's lethargic and his back is bent oddly. Is there anything I can do for him? I'll euthanize if necessary, but I want to give him a chance to recover.
>>2087269
It's a crayfish, what do you expect?
>>2087269
Like...an already cooked one?
>>2087269
No, it would rot.
If you're going to add a lobster to your tank, you probably shouldn't cook it first.
>>2087317
There is no need to be upset.
>>2087319
heh.
>>2087326
Cute, how big is he?
I forgot to plug my hob filter back in after I clean my tank last night, so it was off for like 12 hours
Does that mean all my beneficial bacteria is dead and my tank has to cycle over?
>>2087316
Yeah, I'm probably going to have to euthanize him, it looks like. He's not really moving and his respiration is very slow. Breaks my heart, he was paired up and his girlfriend is hovering around him. Hopefully no one else is sick, he looked absolutely fine last night.
I have a jewel cichlid and a large synodontis in a 38gal. What kinda fish, cichlid preferably, can stand up to a jewel? Syno is pretty chill and stays in his cave most of the time.
>>2087331
You'll be fine. Beneficial bacteria on your walls, substrate, and decorations is probably more then enough
Bumping with snail pics
>>2086333
fuckin walstad method all the way bitch
Fishless Cycle or Fish-In Cycle?
>>2087363
Nope. The cat is around 8".
>>2087394
Benefits of walstad over fancy soil?
>>2087444
He's around 4", so it's been tough finding fish of similar size. A lfs near me has a Polleni that's about the same length, I'm curious if that would work.
>>2086716
This is a silly meme. Corys lose their barbels because of skin flukes and bacterial infections, as well as high nitrates/organics, but not gravel. The problem with gravel is that it tends to trap uneaten food and detritus, which leads to the conditions that cause barbel erosion. If you keep your gravel clean, your corys will be just fine.
>>2087246
I love killis, but I've never bred them or hatched them from eggs. Seems like too much work, especially getting them to lay eggs in the right place if you aren't doing a bare-bottom tank.
Mine always went crazy for live foods and looked better when I fed them live, but I never kept nothobranchius species.
>>2087331
Most of the bacteria in the filter is probably dead, but there should be enough on the surfaces within the tank. Just don't feed very heavily for a few days, or at all if you're really worried.
>>2087310
So that's a yes then
Went to the national aquarium today. Just had to share this dopey face. I love it.
>>2087487
I want a long horned cowfish so bad :(
>>2087498
so get one.
they're pretty cheap.
>>2087269
There really dirty even if you keep them fed with lettuce or zucchini they tear it up and it gets everywhere. It then begins to spoil
Plus some species get fairly large
I wouldn't advise putting one in a tank
Maybe a pond
It's where I have mine
>3ft by 3ft with a sloped decline about 20 gallons
>>2087098
My oscar was a complete ass and used to bite me every time I had to put my hand in the tank.
Still he seems peaceful compared to this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5INdyThTlWY
>>2087522
>splashes everywhere after getting food
fukkin sav
>>2086461
Botia kubotai
>mfw i call the board cancerous and get banned by the butthurt mods
wew
>>2087446
Well, if you touch your sand cap at all, it can cause the soil underneath to erupt up through it and make your water messy. I'm taking mine apart just because I don't like having to tiptoe around every time I have to touch anything in the tank.
It can also become anaerobic fairly easily.
>>2086928
Worms m8
>>2087326
What is that?
>>2086737
Weird, mine are too scared of my fish to actually go near the algae wafers, they just survive off of algae growths.
>>2087541
>want to do Walstad tank
>have loaches
>need sand
(CAN'T WAKE UP)
>>2087493
I've never had a problem with my cories on gravel.
>>2087546
Any clean substrate is perfect for cories. People have this belief that sand is better, but sand is just easier to keep clean.
hey i want to set up a planted Red Cherry Shrimp
tank but im scared of them breeding too much, what should i do if the tank starts to fill up too much?
>>2087603
>scared of them breeding too much
You sell them and get $$$ back.
>what should i do if the tank starts to fill up too much
Use the spare ones as feeders, give them away, or place them in a community/predatory tank.
>>2087603
Sell them
Use them as feeders, gouramis love them
Or you could add a predator that will eat babies, maybe a small chiclid species such as rams, or apistos. Maybe even a goby species if you can find them
>>2087609
the only other tank that i will have is a tank with 2 6 inch comet goldfish, will they eat them?
I can't tell if my Ghost Shrimp are shrinking or my Amanos are fucking huge. I'm pretty sure every shrimp I bought was more than 2.5cm.
>>2086328
>mfw I started /aq/
Feels good to see it still up.
>>2087636
I made one before you, remember?
>>2087637
No? I'm pretty sure I made the first general.
>>2087641
you're just lucky I convinced moot to make 4chan.
Does anyone else not even have aquariums, but just come here to look at pictures of them? I find them really calming.
>>2087651
Having your own aquarium is even more calming, Anon.
>>2087644
yeah but that would never have worked if my dad hadn't created the internet
>>2087651
here, have an early pic of my community tank before all the plants grew slimy brown shit on them
>>2087664
anutha one of my faggot ass gourami that hides in the corner all fucking day until feeding time
>>2087665
reminds me of this
>>2087666
Ha pretty much an- oh god the gourami has left his corner and has been staring at me creepily through the glass for the past 15 minutes
Anyone here have playful bettas? Mine seems to be more interested in his reflection than me.
>>2087657
It really is. Petco dollar per gallon sale is coming up soon, think about having a planted tank of your own Anon!
So i got a 3 months old axolotl, and i've read everywhere that they just wont over eat and that i should feed it every other day, still i feed him twice a day like i do my goldfish, and hes not getting any fatter and is in fact getting more voracious.
Also, in the 2 weeks i got it, its branchia almost doubled in size.
Can anyone share some experience with axies and tell me if im doing any harm?
![IMG_0373[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/BgSUtmk.jpg "IMG_0373[1].jpg")
So I've been doing this little experiment for the last two months, and the results are finally good enough to show you guys. This is a little vase (maybe, maybe a half gallon. Probably closer to a quarter) that I filled with a small ball of java moss, and 15 baby (maybe 2 weeks old) red cherry shrimp. I had a surplus of them, so it was either they go to the reef as feeders, or I try something new. So I put them in the vase, with no cycle at all (shrimp went in with the water, it was tank water though), placed them under a 50w incandescent desk lamp just far enough away that it didnt heat up the vase to much, and sat back. I only ever topped it off with RO water, never doing a single water change. Now it is two months later, all the shrimp have survived (only 10 in there though, removed some for a friend), and have grown a lot. Although they have grown significantly less (maybe 20%) than their brothers and sisters from the same litter. I feed half a mini algae wafer a day. Tested water today, and 0 nitrates, after two months of no water changes, in a super nano bowl.
Just an interesting technique for someone to try if they'd like a little bowl of shrimp next to the bedstand or something. It seems to be working out pretty well so far. Although time will see if they breed or not, but they really don't have to. It would seriously overcrowd the vase. But more feeders for the reef i guess..
Didn't think i'd get a crayfish, but saw this guy and couldn't resist.
>>2087792
Woah, what kind is that?
>>2087792
Crayfish are awesome horrible pets though
>>2087803
Looks like Procambarus clarkii sp. white
>>2087812
Yeah, thats my guess. He was just labeled as "white crayfish".
Fucking diatoms everywhere in my newish freshwater tank. Killing all of my needle leaf and dwarf hair grass plants that my Otocinclus's can't graze off of.
what do I do to stop it from covering my plants? Just get more plants to compete with the diatoms or what?
>>2087877
Get more plants to compete and Nerite Snails, possibly Amano Shrimp as well.
Alright, now that the tragedy of my fish dying is done, has anyone here ever set up a jellyfish tank? I feel like jellies are really soothing to watch, but the kickstarter tanks look terrible to me. I'd love to have some moon jellies one day.
Pic not really related, just one of my kuhli loaches, I love their little faces.
>>2087306
RIP in peace Trident. You were a cool fish.
>>2087877
I've had a diatom problem for many months and I don't know what to do. 70% of the plants in my semi planted tank are covered in the stuff.
Anybody now what causes this? And how I can make it go away?
>>2087895
"It" being the kuhli loach, or "it" being the jellyfish? Because the loaches are doing great, as far as I can tell. Big, active, and bolder than they probably should be.
If you mean the jellyfish, are they particularly difficult to keep? I've heard of people getting the kickstarter tanks having issues with the jellyfish getting damaged.
>>2087899
Yeah, reading up on them, I'm going to have to up my game a lot before I can keep them. But I'm just so fascinated by the way they move, it's very soothing to watch them. I take a lot of videos of the jellyfish whenever I go to the aquarium, just because their movement is so relaxing. Might be worth it when I have more spare time to devote to keeping a perfectly clean and gentle tank.
With these types of sponge filters, do you guys think it makes a difference if the water output is below or above the water line? Or maybe even half in and half out.
In terms of oxygenation and how much water it pulls through the sponges
>>2087877
>>2087891
Its not you that causing the dia bloom. I would almost bet my money that its coming from your source water. Its also possible from your substrate but that is unlikely.
The culprit is almost always dissolved silicates in the water. The only way to really effectively remove them is with a Reverse osmosis filter with de-ionization stage. You can use that but if you have plants you need to add a water buffer and some kind of nutrient additive since that purified water is going to devoid of anything for plants.
That feel when you realize keeping plants in a FWPT is harder then growing corals.
>>2086852
fin rot. Get some anti-bacterial drops for your tank.
>>2087974
was it you I was arguing about with RO/DI and silicates?
anyways, google around, you'll find plenty of info showing that RO/DI isn't effective at removing large amounts of silicates. It stays in.
>>2087169
Calm down anon, everything is going to be ok. Your a great pet owner.
>>2087974
>That feel when you realize keeping plants in a FWPT is harder then growing corals.
Completely agree... I spend more time on my 4g planted tank than on my 30g reef easily. The reef has actually turned out to be extremely low maintenance...
>>2087062
Use some clear nylon fishing line to tie the clumps onto some slate chips (you know, the landscaping mulch stuff - cheap as fuck and totally inert) to give them weight and form.
>>2087613
Goldfish are coldwater
Shrimp are tropical
>>2088047
That's not the point. The point is that people assume looking after corals makes you some sort of extremely intelligent aquarium expert and think that corals are impossible to look after.
>>2087169
In my experience with shrimp, ammanos seem to be the hardiest.
RCS seem to have a high die off when you introduce them into a tank and then once the surviving females start getting berried they wont stop breeding.
After 2 weeks of owning this guy is the best shrimp i have.
At first I thought it would be boring as all it did was hide. But now it's everywhere, coming to the front of the tank, I can hand feed it with a pipette and poke it with ny finger and it doesn't give a single fuck.
Why does it take so fucking long for moss to adapt to a tank?
I've experienced some species take 6 months before they even start showing signs of growth.
Hey guys I could use some help identifying this shrimp. I bought a second-hand tank with a backdrop still in it. It had been dry for a few days but three shrimp survived it and when I found them while cleaning the tank I set them aside and put them back in afterwards. They are pretty hardy since they survived the tank cycling.
Two of the shrimp just seem basic ghost shrimp and breed like crazy but the third is a tad bigger and as the pic shows darkish brown with a slightly lighter brown stripe running across the back. The behavior is mostly hiding in the moss but I got a rare chance to get a pretty decent picture of it now.
TL;DR: The fuck is this shrimp in pic related?
>>2088124
It's some species of RCS they come in all colours.
>>2088129
Oh okay very cool! With that information I found pictures of the breed. Apparently its the "chocolate" variety. Thanks a lot!
>>2088025
You are correct in that yes RO is pretty bad at removing soluble silicates and that last 10 or 5ppm out from the membrane stage of tds is mostly silicates. A final DI stage or even better duel DI cartridges will remove 99.9% of silicates. If your reading 0 TDS you don't have a silicates issue on your source water.
It's besides the point, a rodi filter is impractical for a planted tank unless you resuplement and buffer the water especially for plants.
>>2088052
>>2088047
There are corals that are pretty hard to care for but ultimately if you keep a very clean system and do basic water changes and supplement 2-part even keeping sps corals is just a matter of routine upkeep.
Your not constantly fiddling with co2 and substrates not to mention balancing that out with your fish, that takes alot of skill and there's no real standard for planted tanks vs reef tanks you have to get a feel for it.
>>2088138
yeah, it might have been you I was arguing with.
silicic acid doesn't show up on TDS meters and isn't removed by standard DI cartridges.
if you want to remove silicates you have to buy a special DI cartridge and even then you can't tell if it worked without some special water tests.
>>2087660
Your dad is Al Gore?
>>2088144
That special DI cartridge is simply another DI cartridge stage (which should be using anyway. If your reading TDS at 0 you can be pretty confident that you don't have silicates in that water at any meaningful concentration.
>>2088158
Yeah, it was you I argued with.
you haven't bothered to learn a damn thing since. Still lying about water like it makes you look smart to say wrong things.
>>2088160
I would bet you $100 that if you took rodi water that measured 0ppm on tds that if you took a titration of it in a lab using whatever methods they have available to measure silicates they would read under 0.001ppm.
There's a reason why you don't get diatom blooms with Ro/dI water at the same scale when you use untreated water for SW aquariums.
tl;dr you're effectively full of shit unless you are just using Reverse Osmosis or woefully inadequate DI resins.
>>2088169
Last time we had this discussion I posted a link to a TDS manufacturer's page that explicitly said meters don't detect silicic acid.
This fact is easily found on google as well.
Your "bet" is as worthless as your knowledge, friend.
Hey guys I have one question. Is a filter needed? I got hold of my ten year old sister's Betta. I took it becuase she didn't care for it, I went to clean the tank and the water smelled awful like rotten eggs. I removed the gravel and replaced it with a large marbles. The only problem I have is getting fresh water for it. I use a mix of 3/4 tap water and 1/4 fresh water (aka filtered distilled water). According to my sister it would take 3-4 days before the water got a yellow color. Right now, I replaced the water cleaned it the tank, it's been 6 days and the water is still clear but it developing some sort of thin clear film on the surface. The fish always seems to go to the top for air, tried to solve it by adding a bubbler but the fish is still doing it even after I just clean the tank. It has some white-gray patches right below its mouth and Google tells me some sort of Ich infection but I am not sure how to treat it if it is.
Thanks
>>2088189
>Is a filter needed?
Almost always
>The fish always seems to go to the top for air, tried to solve it by adding a bubbler but the fish is still doing it even after I just clean the tank.
That's what bettas naturally do, they're labryinth fish. Google for more info on this
>It has some white-gray patches right below its mouth and Google tells me some sort of Ich infection but I am not sure how to treat it if it is.
Just get him a healthy tank (5 gallons minimum) with the proper equipment, make sure to start the cycling process, and most likely your betta will recover
>>2088192
Thanks
Do you know where to find cheap aquariums? It currently has one of those typical globe-like aquarium (just one gallon). I am looked in my local store but gallons are hella of expensive, a 5 gallon is roughly $80 (filter and shit included) and I was thinking of buying it a 1.5 gallon tank (only $25, +filter & water oxygenizer).
Is this a good deal!?
>>2088206
I would buy all 4 and shrimp them out.
go for it.
>>2088199
>5 gallon for $80
where do you even live, that price is for atleast a 25-30gal + stuff
>>2088206
very good deal if they don't leak. brand new aquariums are fucking pricy m8
If youre in the US Petco and Petsmart do $1 a gallon sales a few times a year. The Petsmart tanks are better glass.
>Get asked why I don't clean my tank
>Explain to them that it is clean
>They point out the murky tan water and green shit growing everywhere
Here I was under the impression a clean tank meant a good water balance, but in actuality it means making a habitat that is pleasing for humans and stressful for fish.
I do weekly 1/4th water changes and monthly 1/3 gravel siphons. I've been doing this for about 3 months.
Is this a good routine?
>>2088281
If it's working for you, keep doing it
If plants die or you see excessive poop on the gravel, change it up
Are sharks, loaches, catfish & plecos good tankmates?
>>2088292
>If it's working for you, keep doing it
This is the best advice. There is no "one size fits all" approach to tank maintenance. If your fish are healthy, your plants are growing (if applicable), and your parameters are stable, then your maintenance schedule is the right one.
>>2088316
Hope this helps fishfriend
>>2088212
I never buy a used tank for more then a dollar a gallon. It's too much work most of the time movin fuck huge tanks, if anything they should be paying you to haul it out.
That and it's anyone's bet how much abuse it's gotten.
Not that I am knocking used I got my 110g oceanic tank and that is fucking soild.
>>2088330
Caution all around.
Does this have to do with tank size or water temperature ect.?
>>2088341
Pretty sure that's general fish temperment.
So I filled up my new 60 gallon and the water is absolutely filthy. Is there a way to make it clear up faster or do I just have to wait on the filter?
>>2088415
Water changes and patience.
>>2088124
Chocolate Sakura Shrimp are pretty high grade which means inbred and poor genetics. I'm surprised it survived that
>red cherry shrimp package is here
>all of them are still fry
>can't even count 12
JUST
>>2088526
any suggestions to ensure survival rate
i have guppy fry and my tank isn't densely planted
>>2088530
They do best in a well-established tank. How long has yours been running?
More cover = better success. If your tank isn't densely planted, throw in plenty of fake plants, leaf litter, etc.
Got a new golden spotted rabbit fish in my tank, saved him from a tank tear down. Poor guy is pretty shook up his orginal owner died.
My douchbag kole tang is pissed and having autistic fits over the new fish but he can't do shit because the rabbit fish is more then twice his size.
Guess who's Anubias Nana decided to bloom?
>>2088546
Your RCS should do great, then.
Is there any way to actually get rid of copepods in my RCS tank?
Good god, they're everywhere in there...
>>2088588
Do you have a lot of baby shrimp? If not, least killifish or guppy fry will take care of a lot of them. Fish them out when they're done.
My black kuhlii loaches arrived guys!
>tank I bought came with rainbow shark
>was about to buy a rainbow shark anyway
>put it in my tank
>eats all my algae
>look up keeping an octopus as a pet
>all those ways it can die if you screw up
>all those ways it can escape the tank
>the only thing that can be in the tank with it are starfish and urchins, otherwise the octopus will eat it
>those expensive food costs
>that short lifespan
Jesus. Anyone here ever had an octopus?
>>2088703
I feel as if it's cruel to keep an octopus in anything less that 1000s of gallons
>>2088707
The octopus care guide I was reading said that bimaculoides only need a 50 gallon tank but that it's advisable to get something larger.
>>2088703
I could if I want I guess.
I just don't really see why I'd want a $30 predator that will eat my hundreds of dollars worth of CUC before knocking over my additional hundreds of dollars worth of live rock, busting my $10 tank and then dying on the floor.
they're right up there with mantis shrimp for things that seem cool to newbs but are really irritating pests.
>>2087542
Bury a shallow tray of dirt pebbles containing your root plants.
>>2088209
one sponge filter, barely bubbling to each one through a big seashell.
>>2088703
Are you the same guy that asks this in every thread?
>>2088626
Looks like a kissing gourami....
>>2087904
I went to Mission Bay here in San Diego the other day to dial in the weight for my new wetsuit and the bay was swarming with moon jellies. It was after sundown so they were lighting up in my light and they kept freaking me out. I looked em up later after I got home though and apparently these jellies can't even sting you unless they get in your eyes or an open wound.
>>2088206
I'd offer him $25-30 for all 4. 10g standards are a dime a dozen.
>>2087098
>green terror
>is actually blue and orange
What.
>>2087306
>>2087316
Why the fuck don't you idiots shove a sponge in your filter intake?
How bad is using tapwater to get my 30gal reef tank started? Assuming I dechlorinate it.
>>2088703
Never really took care of them outside of a retail or public aquaria. They aren't really any harder to keep alive then any other marine invert with the same water perameters. If you can maintain a basic saltwater aquarium then you already have that knowledge.
However I think it's important not to view them as "ornamentals" as your typical fish. They are really intelegent creatures that need mental stimulation and interactive care. I would almost say it's like keeping the underwater equivalent to a large parrot. Also they are messy eaters, and predatory to pretty much everything including clean up crew animals and they have a knack to escape their tanks.
>>2088919
I wouldn't do it, you wouldn't fuck your system up persay but it would take longer to cycle and you would have to deal with constant diatom and cyano/micro algae blooms.
>>2088933
That's what I've mostly heard..damn.
My local fish store sells saltwater it at 0.99/gallon..I guess maybe I'll start out with that.
Hey guys how many fish can I have in an aquarium? I currently have 1 Siamese-fighting fish in a 1-gallon non-filtered globe aquarium but I think he is lonely. I am thinking of getting him a 5 or 10 gallon aquarium and adding one or two his species. Also what kind of plants can I add?
>>2088936
you can get an RO/DI unit on ebay for about $120.
it's worth it.
>>2088908
Because it isn't needed unless you have fry. Unless you like slowing your filter down and letting that sponge gunk up.
>>2088904
Andinoacar rivulatus that one is
>>2088880
Close hehe it's a albino giant gourami. Gonna be a 24 inch monster
>>2088936
If you get an RO DI system, you can get a small pressurized drinking water tank that you can put under your sink then up to a faucet. That way you can T-off the RO part and have purified drinking so at least you get two uses for the filters.
Also if your city uses chloromines then make sure you have the proper pre filters and two DI stages.
What's a carpeting plant that doesn't require CO2 or high lights to grow fast?
>>2088694
>keeping two species of shark together
Also, why is no-one using the /AQ/ general? There are so many threads popping up on the board with questions that could easily be asked here instead. Have people reached a new level of stupidity and are no longer capable of searching the catalog?
>>2088891
I actually pet some moon jellies at the aquarium. I think I have thin skin or something, because I did get some stinging pain in my hand, but it was negligible and probably coincidental. Supposedly they can't sting humans.
As a diver, though, swimming through an average jellyfish swarm is butts. Just butts.
When should one use methylene blue, and what are the reasons not to use it all the time?
>>2089191
>When should one use methylene blue
Use it as a bath to treat a variety of fungal and bacterial issues. It can also be used to treat fish who have ammonia/nitrite poisoning. It's also great for hatching eggs, because of its antifungal properties.
>what are the reasons not to use it all the time
It can kill the bacteria in your filter, for one. I believe it is also harmful to plants.
>>2089195
thanks
>>2088908
>sponge in filter intake
>for cichlids
Of all the unnecessary things, this should be the most unnecessary. If a big fish gets weak enough to get stuck in a filter, it's probably a goner already.
If it were very young, that's another matter, of course you should fix your filter up with a sponge or cover if you're breeding fish. But larger adult fish? Nah.
>>2089172
>why is no-one using the /AQ/ general?
generals are cancer. or at least chronic appendicitis.
if you want generals go to reddit.
>>2089260
Right, there should be a new thread made whenever someone has a question, however insignificant. That way you can get fifty of the same answer to your question, and be 100% certain that you shouldn't put a betta in your saltwater tank.
>>2089263
this is an extremely slow board, there will never be fifty of the same answer and even if there were it wouldn't knock off anything anyone could remember.
also bettas do fine in saltwater.
both of your imaginary complaints show more OCD than experience. Which is really what generals are about. Your autistic OCD makes you want to sort things into neat piles by category. You're mentally retarded so you have to berate people for messing up your only way of understanding the world.
>>2089266
>liking generals is autistic retarded OCD
Whoa, there. Calm that bug up your butt, slugger, you're getting agitated over nothing. We don't need a new thread for every stocking question, lighting question, fish picture, etc. If you want to make a new thread for every question you have, be my guest, but I don't need a thread devoted to my angelfish.
Also,
>there are 79 posters in this thread
I was using hyperbole, but slow board or not, that's a lot of people gathering to talk about fish. But you're right, it probably wouldn't all be the same answer; it would probably be 20 of the same answer, then 50 responses of bickering. I'm not going to even bother explaining rhetorical language to you.
And marine betta can live in saltwater, but don't toss a freshwater betta into your reef tank, please.
>>2089275
>don't toss a freshwater betta into your reef tank, please.
can if I want.
they'll live longer there than they would in your planted tank.
>>2089279
I reject that bait, the quality is too low. Come back with something tasty or don't come back.
>>2089282
that's the main reason I hand out on /aq/.
you guys have so little experience and believe in myths so hard that you reject facts and assume they're bait.
bettas survive just fine for years in saltwater. So do guppies and mollies and most freshwater fish with scales.
Conversely most reef fish can survive years in freshwater. Probably longer than you've kept a fish alive in your entire miserable career keeping fish.
you know nothing about fish.
>>2089285
Okay. Do it, post timestamped pics, keep us all updated. Have fun!
>>2089286
it's been done.
>>2089288
Spoonfeed me then, senpai, because I'm coming up with nothing on putting freshwater bettas in saltwater tanks, other than "no" and "no, please."
>>2089291
you're the reason I come here, why would I want to change you?
If you stop being a complete ignoramus who am I going to feel superior to?
>>2089296
Translation: "I ain't got jack shit."
Just like the translation to your previous post is, "I couldn't make a freshwater betta live ten minutes in a saltwater tank, and my mother didn't give me enough affection."
Good game, anon. Maybe start posting evidence of literally anything you claim, people will actually take you seriously. Take care
>>2089301
>people will actually take you seriously
my name is exactly the same as yours. How will they know which is the expert and which is the idiot?
hmm?
you take yourself seriously, nobody else does. We don't even know who you are. To me you're just another idiot in a general full of idiots.
>>2089302
Different poster, but c'mon
No one is taking you seriously
>>2089310
that's kinda my point.
I troll you with facts.
I used to troll /aq/ by saying you can keep guppies in saltwater.
that was considered some gr8 b8 until one of you jackasses looked it up and found I wasn't lying.
bettas, yes? those can't survive in saltwater. Nobody is taking me seriously!
you guys are retards.
>>2089310
how do you treat fw ich?
heat and salt?
how much salt can you add before your fish dies?
I know the answer to that. do you?
How do we kill ich in saltwater? We stick it in freshwater.
how little salt can a saltwater fish survive?
again, the answer would surprise you.
I doubt you'd even take it seriously!
but that's why /an/ is so fun. You know nothing and don't believe anything even when told.
>>2089315
>but that's why /an/ is so fun. You know nothing and don't believe anything even when told.
Then leave
>>2089321
I enjoy correcting you and being called a troll for doing it. It's surreal and amusing.
it's hard to tell if /aq/ is legitimately stupid or just trolling people, but it doesn't really matter, does it? The results are the same.
>>2089285
There's alot of mis information out there there's nothung that you can do about it. Trolling aside I think a big issue with the hobby and industry as a whole is that there aren't alot of set concrete standards on methods and setups. Alot of that has to do with different foke sucessfully keeping stable systems under very different perameters. The other half is that it's still a very novel hobby and there tons of stuff that isn't really known.
As far as the question of keeping SW in hypo salinity goes. I know you can "keep" most fish in brackish to near/fully fresh water conditions as long as you slowly acalmate them. Long term I think would not be so good for the animal. From what I understand purely SW fish in FW eventually get renal failure and in hyper salinity conditions they pretty much die of dehydration becuase the amount of energy they spend to expell thst excess salt.
I know alot of LFS will keep alot of SW fish in low salinity (1.016-1.018sg) to de stress them and in more unscrupulous ways make sick fish look more healthy then the my really are.
>>2089329
correct on all counts. Well except for the speed of acclimation. I assume you've heard of a freshwater dip. As long as you match pH and temp you can dunk saltwater fish in freshwater just fine
do you know how long a betta will survive in SG 1.024 before it succumbs?
or how long a clownfish will survive in straight fw?
>>2089334
I honestly don't know, but I can't tell you how many times the manager at the wholesale fish room has been pranked by having FW guppies in SW tanks.
We stopped doing it becuase the feeder fish intended for FW actually bred in the SW tanks and caused huge issues in removing them.
>>2089343
as I said, they live longer in a reef tank than they will in the average /aq/ planted hell with elevated co2, ammonia, nitrate and phosphate.
>>2089346
the answers you'll find online vary from several months to several years.
some people on reefcentral have tried both versions of that experiment. Success varies, but a few years doesn't seem unlikely.
>>2089346
Also I wanted to add you can't keep/aclimate sharks, rays and pretty much all non bony fish to FW. They are pretty intolerant in the same way inverts are to salinity.
>>2089351
truth.
scaleless fishes don't survive those shenanigans.
>>2089347
Anon please tell me you're not thinking of MARINE bettas...
>>2089347
Betta mahachaiensis is actually a brackish betta species btw
>>2089353
we already covered that.
why would I be thinking marine bettas when I'm talking about how much salt a freshwater fish can tolerate?
or how much freshwater a reef fish can survive?
>>2089354
I didn't know that, but I assumed they could survive a fair amount of salt just based on their survival in rice paddies and ditches.
similar to how most reef fish are actually estuarine as well, so at least somewhat brackish.
>>2089285
>"I-If they don't bite the first time around, I'll just keep fishing"
Horrible b8 m8
Thanks for contributing to the bump limit, really appreciate it.
>>2089358
I didn't bring up putting bettas in reef tanks.
so it's not my bait. It's funny that you think I'm trolling when I correct a troll though.
speaking of trolls, isn't your avatarfagging ass about due for another ban?
>>2089359
>"I-I'm correct guys... Y-You're all just ignorant."
k m8
>'le reaction images are avatarfagging' meymey
Oh, hello again, just as cancerous as ever I see.
Are these both Bolivian Rams? The middle fish I originally had, and the two on either side I just purchased today
>PetSmart said they are Bolivian Rams
>>2089366
Is the difference in color due to what I feed mine?
>>2089365
Great meme, my friend!
>>2089364
Yeah, the one in the background and the one in the foreground are both Bolivians. Watch out though, I used to keep both and they showed mating behaviour to each other, but no hybrids were born, but it's a possibility.
>>2089356
Rice paddies generally aren't salty, most rice varieties are fucked by salinity. It's actually become a problem in Japan after the tsunami. Some group or another is working on creating a salt-resistant rice variety. Generally speaking, a rice paddy is going to be pretty fresh.
>>2089367
If younger Bolivians start turning dark, almost black, instead of the expected yellows and reds, then it's ill or dying, just a warning in case. I originally thought it was just 'colouring up', but I was wrong. Young rams are meant to be rather pale.
>>2089364
The one in the back is a German Blue Ram female, the one in the front is a Bolivian Ram, again most likely a female
>>2089364
Disregard that previous post anon, I'm an idiot and wasn't looking behind the GBR, yeah looks like you have a pair of Bolivians but I would need a better pic of the background one to sex it better
Alright, I mentioned earlier in the thread that my angel died. His mate is left behind. Since he passed, the remaining female has become a good bit less active. She's still eating and everything, but she's spending a lot of time hanging out in a bottom corner of the tank, which is very uncharacteristic of her. Usually she's very active and friendly.
Are they smart enough to miss their mates? Should I give her a few days, or should I try finding a new mate for her? I know finding a new one would be a pain in the ass and include rearranging the tank and returning fish that don't work out.
>>2089381
That was easy.
>>2089384
>Imagine what it feels like to lose someone you love but you're a fish.
Love it.
So should I give her a little while and see if she perks up, or should I go ahead and play matchmaker? I'm not really interested in having fry, I just want to do what will make her happiest.
>>2089389
Have you tried maker a Tinder profile for her?
>>2089391
Yeah, but all she got was a bunch of Chads when she's looking more for a Percy, or a Francis.
>>2088977
You're sponge won't gunk up if you're not a lazy slob and gently squeeze it out with every water change. And obviously it is needed if it fucking kills your fish. That's like leaving an open bag of antifreeze laying on the kitchen floor and then going, "Hurrrr durrrrr, why is muh doge ded?"
>>2089115
Buy a large marimo moss ball, split it down the center, then attach it to something flat, place it moss side up on bottom of aquarium. Repeat as many times as needed until you have a full carpet look. Or you could use java moss. Any kind of moss would work, really.
>>2089230
That's the most stupid excuse I've ever heard, if anon had a sponge in their filter then maybe the fish would have lived long enough for the owner to notice it's change in behavior and use the proper treatment to save it's life.
>>2088947
Get the 10 gallon, don't listen to any retards say get a 5 gallon. If its a male you can only have 1. Buy a filter and prime
>>2089437
It's more like leaving a bowl of soup, which should absolutely not kill a dog, on the kitchen floor. Then the dog gets sick, wobbles over to it, dunks its face in, and fucking drowns. Did it assist in the killing of the dog? Yes. Was it predictable/likely? No. Should you henceforth put lids on all of your floor-soup? That's up to you.
