Old thread: >>2111594
Autism edition
Discuss anything aquarium related here, including inhabitants, decor and issues.
Google is your friend.
Feel free to ask questions but know that there are a lot of resources out there that could answer your question a lot faster and accurately than /an/.
Make sure to include these things in your post before asking because we can't help you if we don't have the full picture:
-tank size
-parameters
-any and all inhabitants + how long you've had them
Links:
>How to cycle your tank: http://pastebin.com/x4WnB0Ah (embed) (embed)
>General aquarium care sheets - http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/
>Livestock and plants for sale - http://www.petsolutions.com/ http://www.aquabid.com
>FUCKING GOOGLE
how do I get my dwarf cory catfish to not run and hide in the java moss when i go by the tank to feed them/watch them? Is this normal behavior?
>>2115749
I imagine those went straight into a toilet after her few hours of amusement. What a waste.
>>2115860
Sooooo you're getting upset over something that may, or may not have happened?
>>2115882
I think you're trying a little too hard.
Baiting needs to feel less forced if you want it to work.
>>2115885
Lol thats not baiting. It seems silly to get upset over cynical assumptions.
>>2115889
What's wrong with being upset over the commoner just gets rid of living things and flushes them when they no longer like it?
For whoever has the dwarf cories, mine do the same thing, just sit still for five minutes and they will forget you are there.
Hey an, while walking my dogs along a pond next to my home I noticed schools of tiny little fry swimming away from the shore when we'd come by. Today I went out and caught some. I'm wondering if I can put them in a containment fry net in my 20gal, in my quarantine 1.5gal, or if they're better off being released and I should just stop playing with wildlife.
To give you some background I live in South Carolina, these fish are from a relatively stagnant pond, I pulled out some driftwood the other day only to find mosquitoe larvae and worms everywhere and tossed it back. I also tried pulling some plants from it out of curiosity, some were actually lively and flourishing, others had tons of black baby snails on them. There's some algae in this pond, but not so much. There's also something moving crazy fast in this water that I must've netted in with the fry, it's a tiny little thing like a beetle darting back and forth.
What I'm worried about is introducing disease to my tank. I also want to know if there's any way to identify such small fry :/ a friend suggested sunfish, bass, or gambusia.
>>2115907
Upon further inspection there's a lot of unknown tiny little things zipping around this water. They're all in a plastic container with conditioned water. I also managed to catch one mosquito larvae :| If /an/ tells me its kewl to keep these fish, I'll definitely filter any bad shit out of it. If there's any suggestions on how to do so they're always welcome.
Also on a sidenote before /an/yone freaks out about the aforementioned snails on the pond plants, no, I didn't take any of those. I know what a snail invasion looks like and I wouldn't like to have one.
![IMG_0490[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/xCISVo0.jpg "IMG_0490[1].jpg")
>>2115555
>nice quads
Also, I have three colonies of red montipora growing on the back wall of the tank, just about 3 inchs from the surface of the water. They actually experience 'low tide' daily when I turn off the pumps to feed, and the water level drops below them. I make my frag rack out of egg crate. You can buy it at lowes or home depot near the ceiling tiles IIRC, they're sold as the filter type things people put under overhead fluorescent lights, so the light doesn't glare into your eyes. Very easy to cut up and piece together however you want. This is a frag rack that I made specifically for a 4g tank that I used as a frag tank for a few months. There was a removable shelf that goes in the middle and make a very large area to place 20+ frags just on one shelf. That little frag rack can hold over 40 frags
after an incident with the tank i have 1 remaining corycat after the rest of the school died. i know they belong in schools, but i dont really want to get more cories. would the last lonely one be okay?
>>2115907
Put them back
>>2115940
Yeah. He'll just be constantly scared and won't do much out of fear.
>>2115907
It's impossible to tell what they are right now. If they end up being Gambusia, you're stuck with some bland, angry fish. If they end up being bass, you'd need a huge tank to keep them properly. Sunfish would probably be the best case scenario, since they might end pretty and manageable.
Whatever they end up being, if you put them with other fish you risk spreading disease, and if you raise them, decide you don't want them, and release them later, they'll almost surely die due to not being properly adapted to the environment anymore.
If you're willing to get bigger and bigger setups in the event that they end up getting huge, by all means keep them, but otherwise it would be best to let them go now.
The little bugs, on the other hand, can probably be kept fairly easily in a small, cycled tank and they could be just as entertaining as the fish.
>>2115949
I have 16 emeralds and a cute little panda that always follows them around in my 75 gallon tank and they still get spooked by any sudden movement or shadow.
If me or my sister walk by the tank they will jolt for 1/2 a second or so and even more so if our dog runs into the room.
If you see them or watch videos on them in the wild you will see they are just skittish fish in general. The only real noticeable difference between a single corcat and a school of them is their neutral fright factor.
We have seen a school of 2 or 3 of them, if you want to call that a school, and they seem to be doing fine sifting through the sand and sticks on the river bed. Than again we have seen schools of 100 or more that freak out the moment you put a foot over the water.
So I honestly don't think have a single corcat will be of any real harm for them so long as they have bottom and top cover, but it would be at the very least a little inconsiderate.
>>2115956
I am willing to get bigger and bigger setups since that's the whole point of aquarium keeping imo. Right now I'm cleaning up a space for an insert I have for an outdoor pond that I'm working on as well. Maybe it would be best to grow them there? What are the little bugs? And will any disease they have ever leave them once they have been in clean conditioned water for a few weeks?
alright im digging a small pon d in my backyard, How do i increase water clarity? most of the water in it is rain runoff from the stormdrain
>>2115974
fogot to take my trip off, Its a dirt pond, top foot or so is mostly decomposed leaf litter, The bottom 2-3 ft is mostly clay so it holds water well No fish in it yet, but il eventually have some fish in it , But id like to increase water clarity if possible
>>2115979
an i forgot to take it off again, forgive me for my mild autisim
>>2115829
Have had them for a long time? Dwarf corys like otos often take some time to adjust to the tank. How big is your dwarf cory group? Have any bigger fish in the tank, that might scare them? What often helped is some kind of dither fish, like dwarf rasboras or endlers, that show them that they are safe.
Anyone have experience with kuhli loaches? They look like they would be fun to take care of
>>2115979
Go back to /out/ you're drunk ;p
Hello I think he outgrew his tank. What size would you recommend?
>>2116038
i was just doing a bunch of other cooking and cleaning at the same time and forgot
>>2116039
He's fine in that tank, anon.
I would get a suckermouth catfish to eat the algae and poop though.
>>2115907
Let them grow out in the quarantine, then decide on what you'll do
>>2116005
I have, keep 6 or 10 of them, they're more active in groups and will hide more often if the population is low, they can't harm anything(aka won't harm snails or baby shrimplets), and must go into a tank that's 20g+, 10g minimum but never recommended.
>>2116039
If it fits he must be fine anon, those pet store people just want you to buy a bigger tank to take your money honestly
t. I kept a koi in a jar and it lived for 60 years so I'm an expert
>>2115897
>What's wrong with being upset over the commoner just gets rid of living things and flushes them when they no longer like it?
it's not generally true, so you're just getting upset about your own pessimistic fantasy.
that's just as neurotic as being super happy that you might one day win the lottery.
>>2116118
It's more common than you think. Step out of your safe space.
>>2116130
common isn't the same as generally true.
one is subjective and all in your head, the other isn't.
>>2116146
It's common. Again step out of your safe space. Face the real world.
>>2116215
common is subjective and ultimately doesn't matter.
winning the lottery jackpot is common but you'll never do it or meet anyone that has.
>>2116217
I've met several who have won and won 80,000
>>2116218
and I've met several people that have flushed live goldfish.
would you say flushing live fish is as common as winning $80,000 in the lottery?
>>2116220
Yes. Flushing live fish is very common. People don't understand responsibility or simply don't want it anymore. This is how a lot end up in rivers and grow to monstrous sizes while destroying ecosystems.
>>2116222
>Yes. Flushing live fish is very common.
do you actually have any factual basis for thinking this?
>This is how a lot end up in rivers and grow to monstrous sizes while destroying ecosystems.
so you think they live through the sewage treatment process?
>>2116224
Yes this is how some actually end up in rivers. Can you not back up your own post with facts instead of butthurt? Are you guilty of flushing fish?
>>2116224
This is how non native plants have also made it in rivers because some retard flushing them down toilets.
Holy shit OP I havent seen that picture in like 8+ years I love you
>>2116281
>Yes this is how some actually end up in rivers.
well you're funny anyways.
are bettas /aQ/ or are they pleb fish?
>>2116291
Depends who you ask.
They can be pretty af so im game.
>>2116288
Yes. If you can't look up something simple and see what the commoners are doing to the environment there's no hope for you. Look at south Florida. Home of the irresponsible fish and reptile owners.
>>2116314
>Look at south Florida.
so you're saying South Florida allows solid waste, raw sewage into its lakes and rivers?
You seriously think anything you flush down your toilet is going to show up in a lake or river?
seriously?
so in your world these films are actually serious documentaries?
>>2116357
Are you actually retarded? I can't tell if this is bait anymore or you're this dense.
>>2116357
Yes. Some aquatic animals make it through the the process or find a different route. Also aquatic plants make it through. This is why we have warnings here to not flush plants and most are invasive and taking over rivers and lakes and making quality of life for fish bad. You must be one of those people who don't give a shit because it's only one more invasive species what's it gonna do.
>>2116362
no, seriously, do you believe fish you flush down the toilet will wind up in lakes or rivers?
so how do the sewage plant operators get the fish into the rivers but keep the turds and tampons out?
I'm trying to understand your magical world here. Is there a plant operator in charge of picking fish out of the shit and throwing them into the river or do they have a machine for that?
>>2116367
>Yes. Some aquatic animals make it through the the process or find a different route
citation very much needed.
>>2116368
Same way small plants makes it through and take over rivers and lakes.
>>2116370
>Autism edition
at least OP can spell....
>>2116372
that's what I said.
they don't.
you should tour a water treatment plant someday, you'll see what happens to the fish you flush.
>>2116373
Yes. You are extremely autistic. Stop cluttering up the thread you fuckwits. Or just kill yourselves. You both can't even look shit up and see you're both wrong and right. Let it go so people will post.
>>2116375
>thinks plants can't make it through
The small plants can. Do you know nothing how some aquatic plants reproduce and the young plants easily get through. Fish can't but plants can.
>>2116375
How the duck do you think duck weed has been introduced in some places? It's microsopic at one point of its life and easily slips past. We have a problem with it here because if retarded aquarium owners like you who don't give a fuck.
>>2116379
I'm just here to laugh at you thinking fish people flush go on to invade rivers and lakes.
that's some funny shit.
>>2116376
>Let it go so people will post.
people weren't posting well before I got here.
If you want to blame someone, blame OP for posting a pic that's not really /aq/ related at all.
every time he does this the thread tanks.
>>2116380
I didn't say that you idiot. I said plants. PLANTS. P L A N T S. I know for a fact you have released invasive species into the wild.
>>2116382
Were not here for the last thread? That lasted longer than any /Aq/ thread these past few months. Also I see a feeler in an aquarium. It's /Aq/ related.
>>2116383
yes, anon first claimed fish survive.
when he realized how retarded that idea was he started throwing plants in.
that's called moving the goalposts.
it doesn't make you any less retarded, but it doesn't matter. You're anonymous here, nobody knows you're retarded until you open your mouth again and tell them.
>>2116386
>That lasted longer than any /Aq/ thread these past few months
that's because saltwater was running its own thread at the time.
>>2116379
>How the duck do you think duck weed has been introduced in some places?
because people toss it straight into the river.
the same way hydrocotyle ended up everywhere.
>>2116391
also tends to stick to boats and waders and fishing nets when they're moved from one body of water to another.
but no, it must be all the people flushing duckweed and Asian carp and zebra mussels and snakeheads and such.
>>2116407
>That thread is dead and still is.
about half of your posts in any /aq/ thread were saltwater fish keepers. Even the posts about freshwater and planted tanks are at least sometimes made by people that also keep reefs.
splitting the two out- even briefly- confuses people on where to post. Personally I think it's funny, but then I'm just here to talk about fish, I don't give a fuck about OP's feelings or if a general thread dies for lack of interest.
>>2116391
Speaking of duckweed, I'm starting to understand why most aquarium hobbyists don't use it for their tanks, even if some random youtube jackass recommends it.
Are there any other good reasons why people don't use duckweed in tanks?
>>2116415
>Are there any other good reasons why people don't use duckweed in tanks?
I don't think so.
the one is good enough.
>>2116407
He's not a "Name fag"
we just don't correct you because how else would we spot newfags?
>>2116419
Name fag=trip fag
>>2116412
Half my post? What the fuck are you talking about?
>>2116412
I'm OP. I don't care what happens in this thread. The mods can be the judge of that.
Jesus fucking Christ. All of you shut the fuck up. You cry baby niggers.
>>2116427
Notice his trip? He's tripfagging aka namefagging new kid
Hey guys if you could shut the fuck up for a minute and help me here
My betta has recently been acting retarded when I feed him. He can't seem to get the pellet in his mouth, he keeps missing. He's never had this problem before and it's been going on for more than a week now.
What is happening and is there some way to make my fish eat 3 pellets in less than 15 minutes?
>>2116431
could be he's gone blind in one eye.
could be he had a tiny little stroke that affected coordination.
could be he's constipated and not interested in eating.
One of these problems causes bloating, the other two should affect how and where he swims.
>is there some way to make my fish eat 3 pellets in less than 15 minutes?
um, why?
>/aq/ being this autistic
everyday we stray from memeball's light
So set up a new planted tank for guppies, people are saying they use guppies for a fish in cycle. tanks been sitting for a few days. should i just buy the guppies now?
>0-0.25/0/0
what am i doing wrong anons, i have a planted tank so nitrates are being pulled out, do i let the bacteria eat the rest of the ammonia?
>>2116465
Depends, do you want the risk of fish loss during a cycle or not? A tank doesn't cycle until you add a source of ammonia.
How common is it for Amano Shrimp to hide for long periods of time?
I have a newly cycled 5gallon that I put 5 shrimp in and they were very active for the first two days, but now I maybe see only one or two at a time.
The shrimp are clear colored and my small tank is heavily planted, so maybe they are just very camouflaged. I only have two snails in with them so I know they didn't get eaten, I have a filter guard so I don't think they got sucked up and I have a lid so I doubt they jumped out.
Also, how many shrimp could you realistically put into a 5 gallon. I had a man tell me that I could house nearly 2 dozen, especially since amanos don't breed in freshwater, but I wasn't sure.
Thanks guys.
>>2116039
I have this exact same tank...found it on the side of the road years ago. I had never seen another one like it until I saw this picture a couple of months ago.
>>2116455
Give it some hours and it's going to kick right back up.
>>2116601
They use to be common back in the day.
ok so I got some driftwood from my lfs, it's too big to boil. It wasn't submerged when I got it & I assume it's safe since I didn't just get it from outside, so if just soak it in a bucket with some dechlorinator for a few hours will it be ok to put in the tank?
>>2116594
They're probably not hiding, they've just located a patch of food that isn't in view.
Once they finish it they will come out again.
My shrimp tank has become completely algae free because of the amount of shrimp in it so I feed them wafers and they always come to the front of the tank to eat.
Been a while since I posted, update on the rainbowfish rank with homemade background.
>>2116667
Tank* autocorrect
>>2116667
Thats a great tank bro. Whats the background made of?
Today one of my buyers of plants/moss gave me some vesicularia moss. Really like how it contrasts with the java moss in my tank as seen in the picture.
>>2116594
They'll explore for a while and then find an area to hang out at, Amanos are large so you can only keep 5-6.
>>2116466
How long has the tank been set up? It sounds like it just hasn't cycled yet.
>>2116624
If it sinks on it's own that's fine. If you're worried about bugs in it you can boil some water in a pot and pour it over the wood to let it soak. If it floats after soaking for a couple hours you'll have to use rocks to weigh it down (they could come loose and send the wood flying), silicone it to some slate/shale to weigh it down (could be hard to hide the stone), or let it soak in a bathtub until it's waterlogged.
Or you can just let it soak in your tank and let it look stupid for a bit.
>>2115979
>>2115974
Depending on size, you can keep the water clear by simply laying down a non toxic black/grey/brown tarp that is water proof. Then simply place some kind of bucket or such under the storm drain, with a pipe/hose in the base leading to the pond. Place aquarium safe filter material in the bucket.
The tarp will prevent the soil underneath from raising up and mixing with the pond water whenever there is a heavy rain or whatnot. And the filter underneath the storm drain will prevent any dirt/dust that collects on your roof from being rinsed down into the pond whenever it rains.
Once your finished doing all this the only maintenance you will have to do is periodically checking the bucket to make sure it isn't clogged.
>>2116594
For cherry shrimp people suggest upwards of 10 per gallon. Amano are a lot bugger and more competitive. You probably *could* keep two dozen in there, but it might get a bit crazy. 8-12 should be fairly easy to manage.
When the females "go in heat" it's hilarious to see the males bolting around the tank like madmen.
>>2116667
Is that on the inside? Or is it strapped to the outside of the tank?
>>2115748
So, in regards to my ongoing dilemma with keeping ramshorn snails, I've perhaps decided on a final solution, which incidentally also involves rounding up one group and forcing them to live (and probably die) separately from everyone else. I was thinking about placing them in their own tank.
It'd be a small 3 gallon tank, and I have about half a dozen ready to be transferred already. There they would breed endlessly, and they'd suffer massive losses over a period of time.
The other solution is to just leave them be. I have several mystery snails, which have a track record of eating ram eggs, in my community already. As long as I don't overfeed the tank, in theory it should be fine.
Which do I do, /an/? To Hitler or not to Hitler?
>>2116902
when's the next national shrimp racing contest
>>2116433
>um, why?
Because that's how long it takes to feed him now. On another note, it seems like he has no trouble eating the pellets when they start to float toward the bottom and are no longer on the surface.
Also thanks for your input, I don't think he has constipation though, he's very eager to eat, he just can't seem to get the pellets in his mouth.
>>2116919
if it's only a problem at the surface then either he's aiming wrong because refraction of the light or he's pushing the food away when he strikes because of surface tension.
either way it's easy to fix, just sink the pellets. If they're floating pellets, buy him some sinking ones.
>>2116921
I'll try that, thanks
Man, I've been wanting some sort of creature/s to have in my room for a while, these aquariums are really cool but unfortunately I don't have the room. So just wanted to stop by and say these threads are neat, or something, and I'm jelly.
I'd probably fuck it up anyways, I'm sure stuff like crabs are hard to raise.
>>2116688
Insulation foam and tinted drylok, nice plants do you run co2?
>>2116905
It's a 3d background siliconed to the inside of the tank
>>2116925
Get shrimp. Easy to raise and can fit in small tanks.
>>2116936
I'm not really a fan of shrimp, sadly. I like crabs or other crustaceans, just not shrimp, even if they're similar.
>>2116949
Mexican orange dwarf lobster
>>2116956
Are they made from real oranges?
>>2116956
Aw, he's cute.
I was thinking hermit crabs though. Can anyone recommend good videos?
>>2116961
Or, just crustaceans in general I suppose. I was thinking about it and the display for hermit crabs seem like they'd be boring.
what the FUCK is this supposed to read
>>2117132
That something is either fucked up with your tank or test kit... Unless the tank is brand new. In that case, congrats you have a long way to go. A cycled tank shouldn't have any readable ammonia, the exact numerical value is irrelevant.
>>2117133
Tank isn't brand new, did my autism crash the cycling process
if so, is it possible to transfer bacteria from an uncycled tank into another one?
Setting up a new nano.
It's going to be 100% dwarf baby tears.
Don't know what lifestock to put in yet.
>>2116960
Surprisingly enough, cantaloupe.
>>2116925
You can do it. I setup a little 10g tank for my roommate. It's half filled, with a tall sand mound 'beach' on one side, above the water, with about 3 inchs of water in it. It houses 3 fiddler crabs, an oto, betta, and a handful of ghost shrimp. It's been extremely low maintenance. Pretty sure he doesn't even feed them half the time. I've only ever done one water change on it cuz he's to lazy and can't be bothered to buy reef salt to make brackish water for the fiddlers
>>2117217
>an oto and a betta in 3 inches of brackish water with crabs
>spend ages and lots of money getting everything I need to make sure marine fish are happy and healthy in my new startup
>let the tank rimless a few times
>bought a blue reef Chromis as part of slowly stocking my marine tank
>last minute, shopkeeper warms me that it's a shoaling fish and seems hesitant but then sells me the lone one (store only had one)
>oh well, I'll let this one settle and buy more soon
>seems a bit timid in the tank of the two other clownfish but otherwise healthy
>slowly looks much more bold and happy but still a little timid
>find it today when got back from work
>it jumped out of the tank and died
>it never shoaled
>I never realised it could jump from a rimless
I'm a terrible owner
>>2117244
You've learned your lesson, better luck next time.
>mfw amanos getting slaughtered by gouramis and severums
Also, my severums have started to dig down to the glass, hopefully I'll have babby cichlids soon.
>>2117244
Don't worry about it. It happens. I've lost a very expensive clown to carpet surfing. Just get a nice little glass lid for your tank, and it'll be fine. Chromis aren't a good option for your tank either, likely. Chromis need a very large tank, so they can have a large shoal of 7-10 of them, otherwise their aggression will eventually kill all but the most dominant chromis, who will then be the only chromis in the tank. So don't worry, it would've been a loner eventually anyways, only after killing all of it's friends.
>>2117242
his stocking choices. Not much I can do, senpai. I've stopped maintaining it, so hopefully the tank will get ugly (its getting there) and he loses interest
>>2117132
Looks like my ammonia test tubes when I've left the water in there for a few days (loses its colour).
No idea what that indicates for a fresh read.
>>2116949
Thai micro crabs are pretty easy. They hide a lot, though.
This is my cherry fish tank 3 gals about 4 or 5 shrimp with 2 fish and 1 snail
>My LFS is selling a 25L nano reef tank for £100
Should I buy it out and try marine? It's got an integrated skimmer, heater and filter.
>>2117320
That's not a bad deal. Is it a biocube? Check craigslist too, they're almost always on there and dirt cheap. Give marine a shot. If you do your homework, it's sure to be just as rewarding freshwater has been for you. I know it has been for me.
Anyone here try Tetra SafeStart? I need some advice, mainly on how to use it as efficiently as possible.
>>2117289
aaaaa they're so cute ;_;
>>2117320
starting off with a 6.6 gallon "reef" isn't ideal in any way.
it's like having your first fish be a betta in a thimble.
a very expensive betta in a thimble.
>>2117217
That's the main thing I'm worried about, is me being lazy about care and maintenance. I just went to petsmart across the street, they only had these little red ones and hermits. They had these interesting fish called "ghost knifefish" though, and lots of tetras that were cute. It seems like it would be hard to make a habitat for the knifefish, they seem to like to hide in tubes. I'm assuming there's a better place to get fish though.
>>2117367
ghost knifes get about 2 feet long. I'd guess a 55g is probably the smallest tank you'd want to keep one in.
>>2117374
That's the other thing too, they only had setups at the pet store for things and not just straight aquariums. I mean, it might be useful to have everything in one package, but I feel like it'd be cheaper/and or more efficient to get the parts for an aquarium separately. Do you have ghost knifes? Could I ask you about them? They're really pretty and unique looking.
>>2117377
>Do you have ghost knifes?
no, I never.
ask what you want to know though, I'm sure someone here has kept them.
Does anyone know of any really realistic-looking silk plants? I'm having a cyanobacteria problem in my live tank and after months of dealing with it and wasting lots of money, I'm saying fuck it for now.
I'd really appreciate any recommendations.
>>2117378
Well you mentioned tank size already, but I guess I don't have enough information about them in general. The lady at the store seemed to know a little bit and also mentioned they'd grow larger. I guess I'd be asking how best to keep them or what to plant or use for a tank for stuff like that, and if they got along with other fish.
>>2117377
Ghost knifes are amazing. One of my favorite fish ever since I saw them in a freshwater book I got as a child. They are very interesting fish to keep as well. They can be extremely shy, and some have better personalities than others. They are prone to skin illnesses due to their scaleless flesh, and ease of stress. A 55g will be minimum for a knife, especially if you plane on having lots of other fish. They can be tricky to feed sometimes, and most of the ones I've own have always switched over to flakes eventually. I did have one that I unfortunately spoiled with RCS when I had a huge surplus, and he refused to eat anything but them, or ghost shrimp (my substitute when the RCS population got lower than I liked). It was fun though, you could put the shrimp in at any time of day, and he wouldn't hunt them until night time, when he would use his powerful central line and electrostatic fields. You could hear and see him stalking around the tank slowly 'clicking', trying to detect the shrimp. Then suddenly you'd hear a splash of gravel getting thrown around, and you'd know he got his shrimp.
>>2117381
He will need a cave for sure. Which he will spend 90% of his time in, except when he decides to go on a leisure cruise, eating, or hunting at night. Not an exciting fish for the most part, but i fuckin love them.
>>2117384
How many ghost knifes would be applicable for a single 55 gallon tank? Would they try and hunt other fish? Do you have any pictures of your tank at all or was this story from a while ago?
And how long do they live for if they're taken care of?
>>2117392
Not even 1. But anyway one ghost knife per tank. They release a weak electricial signal when looking for prey since they have bad eye site. Two in a tank would disorient them bad. They like to hide a lot.
>>2117394
What size tank would be best then? 55's the minimum, I'd want it to be comfy instead of "liveable"
>>2117398
55 is fine for a little while till you upgrade. These fish can get 20 inches but 18 is more realistic. A 55 is only 13 inches wide.
>>2117401
Oh, I see. What would be best then, 75?
>>2117398
If you really looking for a tank that will be comfortable, you'll need something in the 120 range. A 55 will be more then enough for the early life of the knife, as most of them are imported as just little babies. My LFS often gets them in the 2-3 inch range. If you want a knife that will grow large, and quick, get a clown knife fish. The look funkier, and get much larger, much faster, and I believe they are more sociable for the most part.
>>2115907
those are minnows i had one in a fishbowl with no filter and fed him regular fish flakes until he died like 6 years later
>>2117403
I'm not interested in the size of the fish, it was just the main fish that caught my eye at the pet store. It's movement and the dark coloration are things I found appealing about it. Looking stuff up, it looks like they'll attempt to eat other fish or creatures like the shrimp that were mentioned, so I suppose shrimp would also be a good addition if only to keep the knifefish fed?
I'd feel bad though for the shrimp. It's why I'd never own a snake either, I can't deal with live feedings. But If I were to get a knifefish I'd want it to feel at home and in a natural state of mind instead of giving it processed stuff. So 120 gallons for a single knifefish?
>>2117410
Yeah. Or if you don't feel like fucking around with a ghost knife you can get a African brown knife fish. They don't get very large. Mine would steal entire carnivore pellets and run away with them.
>>2117422
>>2117410
Brown knifes are fun, but not nearly as attractive as ghosts. You won't be able to keep shrimp in the same tank with him, he would devour the population too fast, unless maybe you had a 300 gallon and you stocked it with like 50+ RCS and waited a few months until theres tens of thousands of them. Otherwise, you'll be best off making a 120 gallon for the knife, and a 20-30 that you use to breed shrimp. They will eat mysis and flake foods, but live food is great for them. It makes them hunt, gives them something to do, and is all around enriching.
African knifes only get like a foot or so, so they can probably be kept in a 55g their whole life if they are by themselves, but that would be a little cramped still.
>>2117436
Are there types of fish that a ghost knife wouldn't bother if it was living with it? Or is a ghost knife a fish that you'd only have the singular tank for?
>>2117467
I kept my african knife in a community tank with over 20 other fish, of all species. From neons, to big ol' angels, and it never bothered any of them. This was in a 55g as well. Eventually sold all the fish in the tank when I setup my reef, because I started neglecting the freshwater community tank.
>>2117481
Huh, interesting.
Does anybody have video recomemnds for general aquariums, or channels to stay away from?
>>2117486
Forums will be more helpful then videos. At least they are for me.
>>2117486
ADU Aquatics does some amazing aquascaping, Dustin's Fuckboy Tanks is your average aquarist, doesn't know everything, bases things on experience, and has a lot of advice.
>>2117486
Some anon a thread or two bac recommended The Green Machine's videos.
It's pretty comfy.
If you want a giggle, Dustin's Fuccboi Tanks is hilarious.
If you can, get a book on Freshwater/Saltwater Aquaria. I have a dusty old tome from 1998 and it's still relevant today.
>>2117304
I have no idea what the fuck's going on with the marimo on the ground but other than that it looks good.
>>2117304
Why is there a seagull in the tank?
>>2117367
Red claw crabs aren't too hard to take care of. They're brackish, but other than that they're pretty straightforward.
>>2117132
I still need help, and I'm thinking of resorting to bacterial additives to kickstart the cycle in hopes of instant-cycling.
i have no clue what to do anymore
My dumbass betta does this thing where he chews and spits out his food (hikari pellets) several times before finally eating it. Any idea what he's doing? I think he might be trying to soften the pellets before he eats it, or that they might be too big for him, even though he's a fully grown adult. I feel like I have to wait and watch him eat his food to make sure he's actually eating.
>>2117605
The pellets are not soaked and softened when they come through the water, completely normal behavior.
>>2117546
Brackish meaning I'd have to mix the water with that salt stuff you can buy at the petstore, right?
Oh, this is probably a dumb question, but freshwater tanks just use tapwater, and saltwater uses that special salt stuff mixed with tap water, right?
>>2117608
Yup. Gunna wanna use reef salt, and mix to like 1.008 or something.
>>2117607
I see. Should I presoak them? Would be a bit of a pain but I just want to make sure he's getting his food.
>>2117608
>salt stuff mixed with tap water
We usually use RO/DI water.
tap water is ass.
>>2117629
Ro/DI?
>>2117632
reverse osmosis and deionization.
it's a water treatment regimen involving an RO filter followed by a DI resin.
>>2117635
Is that a process to achieve at home, or is it something you buy?
Also looks like a ghost knife fish would be a no go,120 gallon tanks are way too pricey. Should probably figure out cheaper fish to keep. Granted I don't want to stint them or anything, but stuff that'd live in a smaller tank would be more cost efficient I suppose
>>2117639
>Is that a process to achieve at home, or is it something you buy?
either one.
the filtration unit costs about $120 to use at home, or you can buy the water from a fish store for a buck or two a gallon.
it's probably only useful if your tapwater is terrible or if you're keeping delicate animals though.
it's just what saltwater aquarists use because we keep delicate animals.
>>2117640
I wasn't considering salt water fish since I'm brand new and just absorbing information about this hobby, but don't all aquariums need filters anyways? Or is it different then the standard filter?
>>2117643
it's not an aquarium filter, it's a filter to treat your water before you put it in the tank.
brackish fish are usually at least as delicate as saltwater.
>>2117648
ah, I see. I'm supposing a filter is recommended in the long run then.
>>2117651
for brackish or saltwater, yes.
or for delicate animals like discus. otherwise it probably doesn't matter,
I only mention it because brackish is dangerously close to saltwater and in those tanks you need the cleanest water you can get. Tap water is pretty terrible.
Shrimp Jesus just hold me over until I can get a breeding rack set up this summer.
>>2117583
API QuickStart works pretty well, if you end up going that route. They make a little 1oz bottle of it, so you don't have to spend a fortune.
If you have another tank you can borrow some sponge or a filter pad from it to help cycle this tank.
>>2117583
>in hopes of instant-cycling.
this isn't a thing.
do what you like, but understand that nothing you do will speed up the cycle.
>>2117652
What is used in place of tap water in general for basic stuff like goldfish?
>>2117659
nothing
most people that keep cheap fish use tapwater.
the only time you need to go with RO/DI is if your fish are both very delicate and fairly expensive.
most fish you can buy aren't very delicate or expensive.
>>2117608
Freshwater tanks use tap water, but you have to treat it with conditioner to remove chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals.
Saltwater uses RO/DI water mixed with reef salt.
Fortunately, brackish water animals are adapted to a huge range of water parameters (tides alone cause rapid changes in nature), so dechlorinated tap water with pic related would be sufficient. You want to make sure it DOESN'T have iodide (you can see the little text warning near the bottom). Use 1.5-2 Tbsp per gallon.
Does anyone here collect and keep native plants in their tanks?
>>2117662
>pic related would be sufficient
>said no brackish water aquarist ever.
>>2117664
Why?
>>2117663
WAIT! How the fuck can you keep a cray cray fish and live plants together in one tank without the whole thing being demolished?!
>>2117677
because a number of the chemicals in real sea salt are poisonous to humans or get lost in the evaporation and purification processes.
also natural sea salt for human consumption contains pollutants that are fine for people but will poison an aquarium.
>>2117686
I've never heard such a thing, and I've used Morton salt to hatch brine shrimp before without issue, but I'll take your word for it.
>>2117684
That's a crayfish? I forgot about those, but judging by your reaction they're pretty hard to keep as pets.
>>2117691
yeah, brine shrimp aren't at all related to marine or brackish species and their needs aren't at all similar.
likewise aquarium salt that is used in freshwater tanks isn't sufficient for use in saltwater tanks.
the types of salt are completely different. Sea salt has a number of different salts in it as well as tons of other minerals and compounds not found in salt for eating.
>>2117652
I think you're overstating the level of care needed for a red claw crab. Archer fish or monks, maybe, but people straight up abuse those crabs and get away with it.
>>2117707
>I think you're overstating the level of care needed for a red claw crab
true.
those suckers can take tapwater just fine.
>>2116907
Get some assassin snails/anetome helena - they eat your rams or keep them in control and dont bother other tankmates.
>>2116932
I do run bio co2, selfmade, fits my 10gallon and is cheap.
What type of stone is this?
My lfs doesn't sell any of the proper Japanese stones and this is the only type of stone I've found looks OK in an aquarium.
>>2117304
>>2117618
He's alright.
>>2117796
How much did those rocks cost you? I need some cool as rocks for my tank but can't find any
>>2117796
https://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/seiryu-mini-landscape-rock-per-kg-p-1437.html
Just bought some recently, looks very nice.
>>2115748
i want to goto the seattle aquarium but i'm too autistic for friends.. is it weird to go alone?
>>2116922
Okay, so it seems I was incorrect. He has as much difficulty eating sinking pellets as he does with pellets that float on the surface.
Is there any way I can get him to eat more? He only managed to eat 1 pellet this morning before he gave up.
I would really like it if he didn't slowly starve to death, I don't want that to happen but it seems like it might.
>>2117989
No, aquariums are good places to spend some time with yourself.
Don't be a pussy.
My betta made a bubble nest, does this indicate that he's positive and happy in the tank?
>>2118008
Usually, yeah. Was it after you changed the water?
Can I put broken pieces of concrete in my tank? Don't wanna poison the fish
>>2117989
There's gonna be so many people there no one will pay any attention to you or be able to tell if you're alone or not. Go have fun
>>2117989
Fish are your friends.
>>2117990
Give him a single day fast, no food whatsoever. Then feed him shelled peas (that you boiled before hand to make soft) mixed up with a pinch of garlic powder. Moosh the green pea goop up into itty bitty bite sized pieces and feed him that on the day after his fast.
>>2118023
>Can I put broken pieces of concrete in my tank?
I've put concrete in a tank before, along with cinder blocks. It didn't seem to have any effect in saltwater anyways.
I'd watch pH if you put it in freshwater, that stuff is pretty alkaline. It would probably help if it's chunks that have been sitting outside for years.
>>2118128
Sounds weird, but okay. I'm pretty willing to try anything at this point.
>>2118149
it doesn't actually do anything, but the fish like peas and it keeps you busy waiting for it to pass its shit which will eventually happen whether you feed it peas or not.
>>2118157
You're an idiot, both garlic, and shelled peas, help treat many illnesses in fish. Peas, for instance, can help treat and even cure bloat.
None of us here is a vet that specializes in fish. For all anyone knows, the root cause of the odd behavior in anons betta can be cured with something simple.
At the least, it won't hurt him. At the most, it could end up saving the little fellas life.
When you consider that, then it's obvious you are an ignorant pleb who knows fucking nothing about fish. And should shut the fuck up instead of throwing out false information like that.
>>2118163
>You're an idiot... Peas, for instance, can help treat and even cure bloat
said no scientific article ever.
look, you believe in the chicken-bone cross, that's fine.
don't spread your stupid to other people though.
there's nothing wrong with feeding fish peas. It doesn't cure a damn thing though. Unless they happen to be starving, it might cure that.
>>2118164
It "cures" constipation. Yes, scientifically.
I'm not saying peas are magical, as anything fiber-rich will do the job, but peas are common to have on hand and tend to be palatable to less herbivorous fish when you don't have daphina or something to feed instead.
>>2118188
>Yes, scientifically.
so let's see the science.
I haven't read anything saying fiber cures constipation in fish.
>daphnia
I assume you mean daphnia.
you know daphnia isn't a vegetable, right?
>>2118163
>>2118164
http://www.talkfishy.com/resources/fish-health-a-nutrition/466-aquarium-fish-health-what-you-may-not-know-about-garlic
Garlic helps stimulate appetite and can help somewhat with parasitic infections.
You can just roll the pellets in garlic oil. I've never heard of someone suggesting garlic powder. That seems questionable.
>>2118207
>you know daphnia isn't a vegetable, right?
>look, everyone! look at how good I can't read!
Peas aren't good for bettas; they can cause gastrointestinal damage as they are carnivores and their digestive systems aren't designed for processing large amounts of fiber. Peas do relieve constipation in betas, but they do do by irritating them and possibly causing damage.
>>2118021
No, I did a water change two days ago though.
>>2118232
Peas relieve constipation in other fish (carnivorous or otherwise) because they're high in soluble fiber. Daphnia are suggested for the same reason. So I find it hard to believe when you're saying that Betta are some special exception here. Do you have any sources?
>>2118264
Most fish are omnivores, bettas are strict insectivores.
Look at the anatomy for proof, bettas have a shorter digestive track.
>>2118207
I'm glad you are keeping your trip off. Good job.
>>2118277
That doesn't answer anything.
>>2118280
the only people that don't confuse me with bugguy are bugguy.
>>2118312
Pretty sure he's confusing you for a different trip.
>>2117780
I also have mystery snails. Won't they be at risk?
>>2116907
If you don't mind the rams don't bother them, but if you want to separate them 3 gallons is more than enough to keep ramshorn snails permanently. I doubt it'll make much difference, though. You probably already have more in your tank than you'll ever see.
You could also use traps if they ever get out of control.
>>2118332
Anecdotal accounts go either way. Some say larger snails are fine, others say they've seen assassin snails gang up on them to take them down.
>>2118321
oh.
that's fine.
all I asked for is some science showing peas relieve constipation in fish.
google scholar didn't turn up anything that I could find. I suspect the idea may be a myth, albeit a very popular one. I'm curious how it got started.
>>2118339
I don't mind the rams but I'm petrified of an infestation taking my tank down.
>>2118369
All you have to do is peel a long thick slice of broccoli or zuchini then blanch it and attach it to a weight with a string leading out of the tank. Drop it in the tank. Then come back in a couple hours/next morning and it will be smothered in snails.
Pull it out, remove the snails you want to keep and toss them back in, then kill the snails you want gone by popping the whole thing in a freezer/more boiling water.
>>2118372
There's no way to keep them without killing them, is there?
>>2118376
Well, yes, it all depends on how clean you keep your tank. Basically, as a rule of thumb, the more left over food and such laying on the bottom of the tank, the more food for snails to reproduce.
So basically as long as your fish aren't being overfed, and you regularly siphon the bottom of your tank, then the infestation will never be truly severe. Because they simply won't have enough food to keep popping out hordes of babies.
Of course, how severe it actually is depends on the individual tank owner. Some people don't mind hordes of snails the same way they don't mind hordes of shrimp. Others see two or three snails and hate it.
If all else fails, instead of throwing away your trimmed java moss and such, you can instead keep it and buy cute little vases and bowls. Put the live plants in the vases, and fill/top off with aquarium water. Then whenever the population gets too large, use the broccoli/zucchini trick to transfer them to the vases.
Hell, you can even go the full nine yards and make Walstad bowls/vases. I've even seen other anons here talk about how their shrimp love the little things that they started breeding in them despite not having any heater/filter/or artificial light source.
You could probably even go one step further and sell these online or gift them to your friends/relatives for special occasions.
And this way if anything bad happens to your tank, then you have a back up source of your favorite snails on hand to restock it.
>>2118351
I wouldn't expect there to be a scientific study regarding it, but it's a popular remedy that people commonly have success with. The same way there aren't any scientific studies regarding carrots and hiccups.
>>2118390
>it's a popular remedy that people commonly have success with.
yes, but people also commonly have success without it.
indicating the success has nothing to do with the remedy.
It's just not as exciting to go online and tell people "my betta was bloated and I did nothing and it got better."
>>2117653
It cleared up some.
>>2118431
Man, I missed having otos.
New to /an/ so I'm hoping i could get some info. Are there ever Buying/selling threads in threads like this?
>>2118382
What I do to get rid of rams is just sell them via our country's version of craigslist.
Especially the red, blue and white ones can fetch a good price - otherwise people buy them in high quantity to start a tank or use them as food for puffers or loaches.
I use the method with boiled cucumber to get them out.
>>2118440
Is that microsword you use for carpeting?
>>2118382
I deliberately grow snails. In a separate tank. Just for fish food. I'm always running out of snails. Stupid bastards are delicious or something.
>>2118455
Nope, the whole point of 4chan is to be anonymous, after all.
However, I am sure some other anons have websites they could recommend strictly for buying/selling/trading.
>>2118207
You really need an article to prove that fiber helps with constipation? Spend two minutes on google. If you want an article to prove that fiber helps fish specifically, that's silly. Scientists have better things to do. Do we need an article to prove that antibiotics help reptiles dealing with bacterial infections, too? We know what antibiotics do. We know what fiber does. Some fish need more fiber than others. It won't cure shit, but it might help them shit.
And daphnia isn't a plant, but it is a good source of fiber.
Not even who you're arguing with, but c'mon. You're being goofy about this. Quit that.
>>2118519
>If you want an article to prove that fiber helps fish specifically, that's silly.
well humans don't soak everything they eat in tons of water, so just maybe there's a difference between the two.
>Scientists have better things to do.
you really don't read any science, do you?
What is the easiest thing I can breed and make money off? Plants, shrimp, etc???
>>2118533
>read any science
Senpai, pls.
It's well-known that fiber can help keep living things regular, and some fish (plecos, for instance) absolutely need high fiber diets. They're shit machines for a couple of reasons, and that's one of them. It doesn't help with the consistency of the stool, won't cure infections, and won't make pooping less painful if it is causing pain. But it increases the frequency of having a poo.
Generally, it's recommended that bettas and goldfish get occasional veggies to help them get enough fiber, because a high protein + low fiber diet ain't great for staying regular.
Hey /an/, I had an ammonia spike due to me being a newbie and keeping goldfish with tropical fish. I took the goldfish out a while ago and one of my dalmatian mollies seems to be lethargic, floating at the bottom, not doing much, still wanting to eat, but decreased appetite as well. Will she recover?
The day it peaked I did a 50% water change, added conditioned water back, put a little ammonia remover, but nobody told me not to feed, so I kept on feeding. Today I did a 25% and will stop feeding for a couple of days because http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/healthy-aquariums/controlling-ammonia.aspx said to. I have a 10-20 filter in a 20gal tank and I'm about to go buy a 20-40 because I think it really can't keep up at all.
Will adding ghost shrimp help with ammonia?
Any other advice?
>>2118440
Otos are the best.
>>2118541
>Will adding ghost shrimp help with ammonia?
wtf? Just sell back your fish and stop.... Ghost shrimp might eat some leftover food from you overfeeding, but it will be turned into ammonia regardless, and adding more living things won't help. Your problem is that your tank is probably way to small for the number and size of fish you have, and you never cycled your tank, so you don't have a sustained population of beneficial bacteria to deal with the ammonia.
>>2118462
Dwarf sag.
>>2118541
What fish do you have in there and what are the levels at right now?
>>2118537
Probably snails. There are tons of exotic snails (like assassin snails) or just plain old fashioned cute snails (like bumble bee snails) or as other anons said, red, gold, and blue ramhorn snails.
But easiest plant to sell would probably be java moss.
>>2118533
>substance does X in species A, B, C...
>"but maybe it's different in species Z because things"
>"there's no evidence that shows things should make it different, but anyone who thinks otherwise is shortsighted and wrong"
That's basically every argument you make on this board.
>>2118537
Neocaridina shrimp and mosses, but you won't make a whole lot, it'll take a while for things to grow, and you might have trouble finding buyers.
So /an/, I'm normally a /herp/ guy but a few days ago I adopted an ~8 year old Oscar from the widow of one of my vet tech teachers who died a couple months ago (she's getting rid of his animals because of emotional reasons). I did my research and looked into care and feeding and whatnot. I went to the petstore and bought a better brand of food than what she gave me along with some ick medication because he looks like he has ick.
That's all fine and everything, he's acting normal and healthy from what I can tell. However, I just put a new rock into his tank and he immediately started gaping, is having little bouts of shuddering, and then attacks the rock. At least, it looks like he's attacking it, like I said I'm normally a herp guy so fish aren't exactly in my comfort zone when it comes to reading body language. He'll gape at it and then swim at it and it looks like he tries to bite it. Is this normal? Is he just autistic and throwing a fit because SOMETHING DIFFERENT OH MY WORD?
>>2118609
I cycled for a month before putting anything in there. I'm currently preparing a 45 gal so I can transfer in a couple of months. Like I said, my mistake was not knowing goldfish were shit fish and I got rid of them immediately after shit hit the fan. Fuck off, /an/gry fishfag. I'm learning, big whoop.
>>2118618
My ammonia level was 2 last time I checked, everything else was at a normal level. I have 3 ghost shrimp, 4 mollies and a tiny albino bristlenose pleco in a 20 gallon.
>>2118723
That last part is exactly right. He's having a shit for over a change in his environment and if you take it out he'll have another shit fit.
>>2118731
Okay, so he'll just get used to it and I can continue adding stuff to his tank? I don't want him to end up hurting himself because of a temper tantrum.
>>2118723 is the rock from the pet store or just a random rock? It's possible there's unwashed chemicals on it that it might be having an adverse reaction to
