Lidless edition
Anyone here go lidless?
Do you get jumpers?
is there a reason to? i shudder to think about all the dust and animal fur and crap that'd get in there, my tanks seem dusty enough as it is
im also a smoker and would not want that to get in my tank anymore than it probably already does
>>2128575
It's purely aesthetics.
I don't think dust would bother anything unless you live in a dusty ass house
>>2128571
did for a while.
evaporation was fucking with my salinity daily, and I began to suspect the cat of fishing in my tank.
I put a clear Plexiglas lid on, it immediately cut evaporation by more than half. You can't really see through it though because condensation on one side and dust on the other. But light goes through.
>>2128584
Are you not using an ATO? All the lidless tanks ive seen need ATO so the salinity doesnt get fucked
>>2128587
No, my house has a huge range of temperatures, so evaporation isn't some constant predictable thing. In the winter I lose about a gallon a day without a lid. In the summer it might be a quart. And I live in a cold climate where weather doesn't go according to the seasons.
>>2128597
But auto top off just replaces water since the salt doesnt leave the water, its the easiest way to dose your tank as well.
>Heater showing some brown and orange discoloration of the glass
>Still works
Is this bad?
>>2128603
yes, but it works either with a dosing pump that provides a set amount of water to the tank at a certain time period - which doesn't work since my evaporation varies- or it uses typically a float switch or level sensor which if it fails will wipe out the whole tank with fresh water while simultaneously flooding your house very slowly.
One approach is useless in my case and I've seen the other fail too often to care for it.
not that it really matters since my RO unit is in the basement and my tank is on the second floor clear on the other end of the house so an ATO would be an expensive bitch to set up. It'd probably cost more than the tank's worth. And if I didn't plumb it then I'd still be hauling buckets of water up stairs so the ATO would be pointless.
How the fuck do we have two retarded threads in a row? For the next person who makes a thread, the format is
Old thread:
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
Feel free to change it to put different editions and all that, but just try to have all of this info in it
>>2128612
nobody reads or follows those directions anyways.
OP did fine.
>>2128612
lol @ you fucking nerd
Why is RO water needed in marine aquariums but not fresh water?
>>2128616
a lot of tap water has nitrates and phosphates in it. In a reef tank these will feed algae that will block the light to your corals killing them.
in a freshwater tank these are just plant fertilizers.
>>2128616
also forgot, a lot of the animals in marine tanks won't survive any nitrates. They just fall over dead. Not really a problem in fresh water.
>>2128619
>New people look at the OP and use the links
maybe sometimes.
I can't recall the last time I saw a virgin poster listing params. A lot of the people we get here probably don't own a test kit. It'd be weird if they did.
>>2128620
>a lot of the animals in marine tanks won't survive any nitrates
But all tanks have nitrates?
It's the end result of the nitrogen cycle.
>>2128621
For newer posters, it's a good reminder too. People who have posted a few times, and lurk. It can't hurt to have it in the OP
>Read that Dutch style aquariums started in the 1930s
>Before Takeshi Amano invented Co2 injection and before Tom Barr invented dosing which make dutch style planting possible.
Err...
Would it be ok to keep a stock of crickets and archerfish together in a paludarium with a few Geckos? will the Geckos be in any danger?
>>2128626
You don't need dosing to make a nice looking aquarium. People here just fall for the memes
>>2128633
You don't need dosing or co2 to make a good NATURE or BIOTOPE aquarium.
But I literally have no idea how someone would do a dutch style without either, seeing as stem plants grow like crap without ferts and co2.
>>2128571
can you do something like this in a ten gallon?
>>2128613
OP did shit, it's not a general without guidelines.
>>2126284
I'm back
This is what I came up with, how is it?
The glass things on the left are filter input/outputs and I'm a little concerned because on their product page it says they're for 20+ gallons and the 60p is 17 gallons, but it should be fine right?
Will the inline heater cause any problems with the inline co2 thing?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QVGH7CG
Thats the light. Probably good.
http://greenleafaquariums.com/products/gla-gro-co2-system-advanced.html
The co2 regulator comes with a bubble checker and a ph monitor so I don't think I have to get test kits?
I was looking for a stand and found out theres a meme ikea cabinet everyone uses for the 60p. It has to be reinforced and raised but it should look good. Probably 150$ altogether for the stand
http://imgur.com/a/dDmUB
Kinda lidless as it has no top to cover it.
Fish:
3x Laetacara Dorsigera
10x Danio Margaritatus
2x Panaque Sp.L-191
1x Squaliforma emarginata (L011)
2x L200 Bary
2x L201
2x Ancistrus Sp.
As the panaques get bigger I'm gonna try to sell them since they're gonna get pretty territorial. I want more dorsigeras but I'm debating switching them out with some apistos. The L201's are going in their own tank as i wanna try to breed them, hopefully I'm gonna be able to get them out of the tank without destroying it lol.
>>2128631
You'd need a big-ass stank for that, considering archerfish get 6-12", are shoaling, and you won't even get half of the tank for acrual.water volume.
Also all archerfish are low-end brackish iirc, which could probably fuck the gecko up.
>>2128651
What part of it wouldn't be doable in a ten gallon?
>>2128691
I saw that in captivity they only get up to 7 inches, I think a 60 gallon could work. I might not do a paludarium or geckos, but instead have a planted tank with some overhanging branches and release some feeder crickets into a cage ontop of the tank for feedings
>>2128638
Did your research give any indication of what the Dutch style actually looked like in the 1930's? It might have been a bit different than it is now.
>>2128678
pls someone hold my hand through this purchase
>>2128726
It's gonna' be alright, girl. I've made larger purchases far more impulsively.
>>2128623
Reef tanks use a number of special techniques to keep nitrates at or near 0.
Skimmers, turf scrubbers, extremely light feeding, denitrifying bacteria in plenums or coils, extremely large amounts of detrivores, large water changes, macroalgae growth, etc.
So yeah, nitrates are produced in a reef tank, but the idea is to have them consumed or exported as fast as they show up.
>>2128673
>it's not a general without guidelines.
sorry, I've never been on reddit so I don't know your rules about generals.
>>2128737
You should start
It's a great news aggregator
>>2128745
Get lost
>>2128745
as I said to my Mexican neighbors, if it's so great what are you doing here?
>>2128571
I've had a total of 4 siamese algae eaters jump out, they're the only jumpers, strange enough.
>>2128580
I live in Nevada. our desert is not made of sand, it's made of hardpan. Which is a colossal misnomer because hardpan is a type of very fine dry dust. This shit gets EVERYWHERE.
Does /aq/ think it'd be possible to Frankenstein a pair of 5 gallon tanks into a 10 gallon tall? I was thinking if the bottom was removed and the frames were slightly altered, it might be a neat way to keep a 10 gal in a smaller space.
I was lidless but the cat keeps wanting to drink the water. She stopped but now sometimes she dips her paw in the back opening
>>2128824
no.
at the middle seam you'd have about 40lbs pressure on the glass, your average frame can't hold that much in that configuration.
glass is dirt cheap, if you want a double tall ten gallon get on an aquarium glass calculator and figure up how thick it needs to be.
for glass thickness the depth of the tank matters a lot since the bottom part of the tank side needs to be able to hold the weight of all the water above it. A 10g will hold something like 80lbs of water.
buy custom cut glass of the required thickness and glue it into a box. It won't really double the carrying capacity of the tank though since surface area is what usually limits bioload, not volume.
![GloFish-Danio-Group_1024x1024[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/aKepIJO.jpg "GloFish-Danio-Group_1024x1024[1].jpg")
I'm going to set up a 20 gallon long aquarium filled about 10 of pic related, but have a few questions.
Do these guys live as long as "vanilla" zebrafish? I think because they are genetically modified they might have shortened lifespans.
What plants should I put in the aquarium with them? The plants need to be able to handle strong currents.
>>2128908
>I think because they are genetically modified they might have shortened lifespans.
what an interesting thing to think.
>>2128914
Well do they? I expect them to live for about 5 years with good care.
>>2128908
If I were you, I wouldn't support bio-engineered fish like glofish, not only because it looks unnatural, but also gives away a wrong kind of signal in the hobby, that if a certain colour morph cannot be bred, we could just splice away or inject/tattoo/cut on a living being. It's sort of disrespectful and arrogant imho.
I'm glad that in most of europe such 'doctored' fish cannot be sold due to regulations.
In terms of lifespan, I cannot comment, but heard both stories of it affecting them and them being fine.
Anyways, for strong currents, just get java ferns, anubias, echinodorus for example. Basically anything that's not stem-based.
>>2128678
If this is your first tank, even if you have the disposable income, I would advise against spending that much money on brand-equipment.
Chances are you, even if you pull off the best scape, you will get massive algae in the beginning or somehow kill your fish after cycling due to some minor error and will get frustrated with the hobby.
You should rather take over someone elses tank or start with something more basic like tetras in a normal planted tank or small rasboras. Imho that would ease you in much better.
Still, if any question comes up, we do have many experienced aquarists and scapers here, that sure are willing to help out someone that's new.
>>2128926
Thanks for the reply.
Honestly I think that as long as the genetic changes don't make life painful/difficult for the fish, it's fine.
I think that breeding fancy goldfish is more cruel than glofish, they have giant unwieldly fins that aren't natural and make life difficult for them. Not to mention the poor telescope goldfish.
What kind of plants would I be able to do in a 90 gallon Piranha and tiger barb tank? I really like the look of something like this, I like lots of driftwood and natural rock
>>2128921
>Well do they?
no.
Are eheim jager heaters still the best? It's been a while since I've been heavily into aquariums and I'm slowly falling into it again.
>>2128939
giant val's, echinodorus and basically anything sturdy. As for piranhas in 90g - I wouldn't keep them in such a small tank unless they juveniles- Think of 130g/150g+ if you intend to keep a group of 6 or more as adults. What's the most important in piranhas is, is how much area you can provide, not necessary space, thus the bigger your bottom-layout, the better. About tiger barbs, I cannot comment.
>>2128933
I agree with you fully on the goldfish. In terms of the glofish, they per se don't suffer, I just didn't like it in general as a first step into a direction of splicing/bio-engineering your fish, where possibilities could be endless in a negative way.
>>2128939
RBP's are absurdly shy, they don't really mess with plants or the substrate. They mostly hide all day so any plants should be fine.
They might eat each other. they'll definitely eat your barbs.
>>2128983
Ill keep it in mind but ive seen alot of stuff that said barbs would be fine in large enough numbers
>>2129002
Yeah, you'll find a lot of those stories online. They're undoubtedly true.
what you won't see is that for every person that keeps X fish with piranhas there's about a hundred that try and fail.
it mostly comes down to tank size, feeding schedule and menu.
I can tell you from personal experience the people keeping RBP's with other smaller fish are either very lucky and their luck WILL run out, or they've set up an ideal tank for the things. Probably after years of trial and error.
not that it matters, tiger barbs are cheap. Just don't expect much. About the only fish I've seen that almost never gets eaten by RBP's is the pleco.
Hey guys, so I have a 20gal tank with 5 marimo and a bunch of dwarf hairgrass that I put in 2 days ago. Is it possible for them all to be kept together seeing as the marimo like lower light and cooler water and I'm assuming the dwarf hairgrass needs more light than marimo? I'm using API's co2 every day 2ml and their plant food weekly as well. I want to have a nice, cycled, planted tank before I stick anything in there.
>>2129106
Here's a pic
>>2128926
>gives away a wrong kind of signal in the hobby, that if a certain colour morph cannot be bred, we could just splice away or inject/tattoo/cut on a living being
But they weren't originally intended to be fish for retail consumption. When scientists put these color genes in then, the goal was to make a fish who's color reflected pollution in water. Now, when people buy glofish, the proceeds go to the original goal
Don't get me wrong, I think they're stupid. But there is nothing wrong with selling them and nothing wrong with the technology
>>2129106
I've never kept moss balls, but I've heard they're pretty much indestructible. That being said, I hope you have really high light and a quality substrate for the hairgrass
>>2129155
tfw my moss ball is dying but my dhg is sending off runners and really healthy.
>>2129154
I know they been actually bred with the jellyfish gene for the water quality control. I was just afraid that their 'success' would encourage more people either inking their fish up/tattooing them or do some gene splicing that turns out the same or worse than some unhealthy breeds. Maybe I was too concerned - I cannot blame someone that finds them more appealing than regular danios or black skirt tetras, especially children.
>>2129217
Get a big amazon sword, like echinodorus bleheri, depending on your tank. Use the created shadows for your marimos and the bright spots for hair grass.
>>2128571
Can you stop making threads?
If you're going to do such a terrible job you might as well let other people do it.
This might seem like a dumb question, but how exactly do you know what lights go in your tank? any indications and stickers have worn off and i'm wondering what size lights i need to get. Is there anything else i need to look out for, like voltage?
>>2129299
Post pictures
Sorry if this isn't a super clear pic.
I recently had to take out a large plant that was honestly too big for my 5 gallon and had began to decay and produce this sort of green slime at the surface of the water.
I took it out and did my best to do some water changes and what not and now my tank is pretty filled with this brown algae (diatoms?). This pic shows it after being disturbed a bit, so it's all free-floating in the water, but after a while it simply settles on my plants and makes the tank look very dirty. My sediment is intended for shrimp/live plants and seems to get dirtied very quickly.
I currently only have 5 amano shrimp, 2 gold inca snails, and 2 zebra nerite snails and I was going to try to introduce a pair of australe killifish to the tank later this week.
Is that too large of a load for this small tank and would there be better options to combat the brown algae? I assume having what I currently have, plus the two killifish, plus maybe two oto catfish for algae would be an overload.
My light is a Eshopps Curve Refugium LED Light and my filter is a AZOO Mignon Filter 60.
thanks for any tips regarding that or the layout of the tank itself guys
>>2129316
Can't take any pictures right now but i did find some old packaging. Last ones were 20w 26'' lights but i remember them dying in months, wonder if that could've been because of crappy quality or wrong wattage. Guessing it's the former, otherwise they would've popped faster than a few months. Also, it's a 110l juwel tank.
>>2129330
24'' even
>>2129329
why did you plant java fern.
rhizome death incoming.
>>2129334
Oh sorry I didn't know, are those the top in the front left? When I was researching plants it seemed that java ferns were always recommended for beginners. Do you have any suggestions?
>tank is ick'd
>only effects platy juvies and one pleco
>raise temps and begin treatment
>pleco doesnt make it to the next morning
>one tetra dies
>silver molly starting to shimmy
>rest of the platys/mollies start a tankwide gangbang/orgy whenever I do a water change
>>2129468
No idea how people even manage to get ick. I'm sitting on 20-40ppm nitrates constantly and have never had ick.
>>2128597
Canadian prairies? because you just described my situation exactly.
>>2129571
I have no idea
I THOUGHT all my tanks were clean, quarantined by juvies anyway and STILL got shit in the community tank
How opposed are you guys to using fake plants in a small 5 gallon aquarium? Are they truly a bad idea other than the obvious reduction in maintenance? Will it harm shrimp and fish?
>>2128970
Yeah, definitely. A bio-engineered super-fish would be pretty terrible for the whole planets ecosystem.
I'm certain if there was a fish (decorative or not) that had a ridiculous advantage over non-engineered fish they'd be illegalized and exterminated.
>>2129622
Nothing wrong with artificial plants. Real plants help consume ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, which can be helpful in a small tank that can be prone to ammonia spikes. But there isn't any inherent problem with fake plants, provided they have no sharp edges.
>>2129622
I won't call the cops if you use fake plants.
I think they're generally pretty ugly though.
Ive had my new tank set up for a little over a week now. Im wanting to get some cherry shrimp to help keep it clean but, the question is do i wait a little longer for the tank to really settle in and develop before i go buy some. And how many should I buy? Its a 75G pic related ( sorry its a shitty picture)
>>2129775
RCS are pretty sensitive, so I'd wait until the tank cycled
When it comes to shrimp, you can have as many as you can fit in and feed
r8 my crab
Who here /featherfin/
I keep hearing about how aggressive these guys are but in the 6-7 years Ive had mine he hasn't hurt anything (to my knowledge)
In fact i set up my first hospital tank because something in his tank turned on him overnight and nearly killed him, now i get him in a new 55g and he still wont defend himself.
>>2128575
You smoke indoors? That's genuinely barbaric.
>>2129798
>feeding freshwater creatures to saltwater life
you deserve a swift kick in the shin
>>2129775
Wait about 2 weeks to a month, which is how long it'll take for your tank to get cycled. At the same time, some yummy microbes will start to grow on the surface of everything inside for your RCS to munch
Put more plants in if you can, especially moss. More plants = more biomatter for them to eat, and hiding spots from fish you'll eventually introduce
>>2129845
Also, don't forget to feed your RCS directly. When you have fish, feed extra so they can have the crumbs
My RCS colony used to have like 1-3 deaths every week, until I actually fed them once every 2 days and their population exploded while they were in the tank by themselves. They still show themselves occasionally in a 40b community tank with fish and some predation, but the fish seem to ignore them right now. And I'm pretty sure I have dozens and dozens of RCS chilling inside all nooks and crannies in my planted tank, and they are constantly berried
What are ideal parameters for salt and freshwater, I eventually want to have one of each
>>2129798
crab/crab + extra furry and bright
>>2129844
They're $0.29 goldfish.. cry me a river faggot.
>>2129798
Blueleg? is it part of your CUC? lets see the whole tank
Has anyone heard of the Twinstar Nano?
It's supposed to inhibit algae growth but I have no idea how it's supposed to work.
If you watch videos it looks like a co2 diffuser, but it's not connected to any co2 source. It seems to just make a fine mist of air bubbles.
>>2129871
It's a 30g tall tank that I was going to turn into a poor attempt at a reef tank. Bought her thinking it was a CUC crab but after seeing how aggressive it was and doing some reasearch I realized I had bought a white-spotted hermit. It's just the boss of the tank now. Once I move into a bigger place I'd like to get it a more wide tank so it has more crawling space. Kinda feel bad it likes to crawl so much but has nothing to crawl on.
>>2129844
>>2129868
So I did some googling and apparently feeding freshwater to marine water can cause liver damage.. but I can't seem to find any actual studies that show this. Just people saying it's true. I don't even think my LFS sells anything besides shrimp brine.. and I doubt anything they would sell me as, "feeder fish" would be as cheap as goldfish from petsmart. It's a crab, I'm sure it'll be fine.
>>2129884
Holy shit how big is she?
>>2129895
About the size of a baseball. Probably a good 6-8 inches depending on how you measured her. Smaller shell is the one I bought her in. Green one is the one she's in now. Only had her for about a year. So I'm expecting her to grow a lot more. Not sure where I'm gonna keep finding bigger shells.
>>2129904
I used to have one that was about softball size. They get big.
I never provided new shells for mine. He'd molt and get back in the same shell over and over. Kept him a few years before a heater went out and froze him.
>>2129335
your ferns will do fine, if you get them out of the substrate and bind them to a piece of driftwood.
Any plant that has a rhyzome, like anubias or java fern should not be submerged, because the fouling rhyzome may release toxins.
its the 2-3 on the left - the right one seems to be an amazon sword/echinodorus
But don't get discouraged - many years ago, when I started out, I made the same mistake.
>>2129883
it seems to be a cash grab. I have not seen or heard of it's use by any professional or hobbyist aquascaper.
Rather invest in good lighting, co2 and put some amanos shrimp or crossocheilus species like siamensis or reticulatus in there (depending on tank size, crossos need tanks of 200-300l + to feel comfy)
>>2129910
Oh cool, thanks for the info.
It's hard to see, but in the back I have a piece of driftwood that I found pre-planted with an anubias and java moss. I was thinking of maybe getting rid of the planted java ferns and buying like 2 more pieces of the planted wood and stacking them to give the shrimp a mossy climbing area. Though if I want a pair of killifish I think I'd need some larger plants to give light coverage since I read they dislike that and my light is pretty strong.
>>2128705
Captivity is probably less healthy for them if it limits their size.
+ I doubt a 60 gallon wouldn't be enough for a healthy group, let alone geckos.
Feeding the fish and geckos, keeping the plants healthy and dosing the water (brackish, keep in mind) would be a ridiculous balancing act
Its a good theoretical, might be cool in a zoo or something... Not something the average guy should bother attempting.
>>2129914
I'd advise you to get a medium sized echinodorus species like jungle star. I have one in my 10 gallon and its allows to give some nice shade and doesnt get too big for such a small tank.
>>2128638
Homes used to have wood burning stones/ no electricity.
Co2 was easier to dose back then, It just happened when you stirred it. and really held itself, unlike with our airstones.
>>2129630
Goldfish would like a word.
So would guppies.
The only ones we have banned in the USA are channas and they can't even handle that.
>>2129155
Thanks for the reply, kind anon. Doing more research on it now. Gonna go get another bulb today and definitely staying on top of that co2 err day.
Any idea why my monte carlo at the back is turning yellow and wilting while the Cuba at the front is thriving?
They're both getting the same light and water spray.
finally, it's qarm enough to put the juvenile Lepisosteus in my pond.
Anyone else here keeping gar outside during the summer months?
>>2130132
Because the water collects at the bottom and give the roots a chance to absorb it.
>Dat rock
Where do you get rocks this big?
>>2128623
Well, it's a cycle, so there're technically no ends to the nitrogen cycle. As well as that, marine plants, as well as freshwater plants from streams and drainages will convert the nitrate in the ocean to nitrogen which is literally over 3/4 of the atmospheric composition of air and water, which is processed out as organic ammonia, and the cycle continues. This is why the walstad aquariums are so self sufficient.
>>2130166
>As far as feeding them directly, what do i feed them and how?
They'll eat anything. Algae wafers, shrimp pellets, shrinking pellets, flake food, frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, etc. Just make sure you have food falling to the substrate so they can get it.
>>2130166
every Corydoras species needs zo be kept in a group of at least 6 individuals
Making a lighting rig for a nano tank. Paid about $10 for the parts.
I checked store bought setups and they ran way into the hundreds of dollars. Why wouldn't you just make one?
>>2130234
Do you have any preferred any links for a DIY? I'm thinking about building a light when I upgrade my mudskipper tank.
>>2130194
hey i saw that tank
>>2130234
Just realised this would be a bit silly since LEDs heat up, so redesigning so they're stuck on a heatsink
>>2130194
The ground?
>>2130234
Many of the expensive lights have an array of colors and built-in timers. For planted tanks, they make sure to include LEDs that are in the proper spectrum.
For example, the smallest Finnex Planted+, at 12", contains 44 7000K diodes and 24 660 nm reds, plus moonlights. Your $10 LEDs are about 1/5 the price, but would your light grow plants like the Planted+?
Light distribution is also important. Using Finnex again as an example, their lights are set to spread the light at 120 degrees, which allows for even lighting in nearly all tank dimensions. THat might not matter for a 5 gallon tank, but it definitely matters for larger tanks.
That said, DIY lights would be my preferred option if I had cichlids in non-planted tanks. It just isn't as simple as slapping a few LEDs on a piece of wood, though, as you seem to be realizing already.
>>2130256
>44 7000K diodes and 24 660 nm reds
Why would anyone use multiple low powered LEDs when we have high powered LEDs now?
It made sense when the small diodes were all you could get, but nowadays we have 3W 5W and 10W LED single units.
>>2130258
I think it's mostly about light distribution. You get more even coverage with ten 0.3W lights than you do with one 3W. Not really a concern in a very small or very simple tank.
Decided that my next aquarium will be dutch
Does algae have to get into a tank or is it always there?
Like if I just use in-virtro plants so I never introduce algae do I even need to worry about it?
>>2128571
Ahh the death of the aquarium general. Fuck the template am I right?
>>2130194
WHY would you want a rock that big to begin with? They take up so much space that could house water instead, you might as well be keeping a koi in a bowl.
>>2130292
Algae is in everything. Including the water you are adding into your tank. And on the scales of any fish/inverts you will have. One way or another, it's eventually going to find a way to hitchhike into your tank.
>>2130312
Anon, the aquarium generals did fine for years without the template.
How new do you have to be? Or are you just plain autistic enough that not having the template anymore is making you piss yourself?
>>2130194
Just Google "gravel (your location)". Gravel yards tend to carry a variety of rock in different sizes to deal with landscaping needs.
>>2130408
My bad, that would be way to heavy at that size. You can find a variety of options on Amazon under faux rock
So first time fish keeper, just putting together a 10 and have a few questions
How do I keep all that shit off the bottom of the tank? If I agitate it some gets sucked up into the filter, but the majority of it just settles
Second, what is appropriate to add to the tank both in terms of tank mates and additional decorations?
My girlfriend made me promise to add this plaster Dino skull which is on its way, but other than that...?
Please excuse the fake plant, I had to throw something together on pretty short notice
>>2130482
you're about to get a shitload of hate from /aq/.
just wanted to encourage you to ignore it.
Decorate any way you want.
>>2130482
Get a small siphon. Vacuum the bottom of the tank every time you do a water change.
>tank mates
hahahahahahahahahahahaha
>additional decorations
Silk plants, especially ones with broad leaves that come up just under the surface. Bettas love that shit. They'll use them as beds so they don't have to swim up to the surface to breathe as they sleep.
If you want a live plant or something of the sort, get something slow growing with low light needs that doesn't need a substrate. You're looking at things like anubias (my first and only real recommendation) and Java fern.
Way to get cucked on the dino skull, btw.
Just make sure not to get any plastic shit with edges that could tear the fish's fins.
>>2130482
>tank mates
None, bettas are very aggressive. Remember, they are literally bred to fight each other to death. You might get away with a few small fish that DO NOT resemble a betta in any way. Like cory fish, khuli loaches, shrimp, snails, etc. But with that bare bottom tank you have cut yourself off of a lot of options. (maybe neon tetras or something else very small and very fast?)
>decorations
First of all, make absolutely sure that anything you add (like the dino skull) isn't made of any harmful chemicals that could leak out into the water and kill your fish. Second of all, you absolutely need a betta hammock, or better yet, a real live aquatic plant with thick sturdy leaves. Bettas are small fish, and those fins get damn large and heavy to drag around. They need something soft to rest on otherwise they get stressed out and start nipping their own fins off. Which could pose a serious health risk due to infection and such.
Live plants are super easy, lots of them do not require being buried at all due to being fully aquatic. All you really need is a clump of java moss, or a marimo moss ball that you sliced open. Then simply use some cotton string and tie them to that wood up top near the surface. Bettas rest fine on mosses just as easily as they rest on broad leaves.
As for the shit on the bottom, well, you're going to have to manually clean it. Sorry anon, but that's the way it is.
>>2130482
you can house a betta with non-flashy, non-nippy fish. No mollies. Neon tetras are a good choice but you need like 5 of them or they die from stress
my betta is housed with several shrimp and mostly leaves them alone unless they take his food. At which point he snatches it back. You can put like 40 of the fuckers in a tank that size too and they're interesting to watch
>>2130515
The log doesn't seem like it has ready access to the air, though. Just a thought.
>>2130519
bettas are airbreathers anyway
>>2130519
>>2130524
There's a hole in the top
>>2130529
Huh. Very neat.
The silk plants that reach just under the surface is still a good idea - males like to build bubble nests under leaves.
>>2130398
Forgot your trip ila
>>2130495
>bettas are very aggressive. Remember, they are literally bred to fight each other to death
Literally incorrect.
The ones people buy in a store are bred to have vivid color and long flowing fins. Not murder each other, that's just a temperament they have. I used to do maintenance on a 40 gallon that had 2 male bettas in it among other fish and they did fine. I currently have a betta with 5 harlequin rasboras, 5 otocinclus, and 10 amano shrimp with no issues.
You can keep them with anything that doesn't have bright flowy fins. Smaller or larger, though too large and they will stress.
Suggestions on my rock placement?
>>2128571
I would but I have cats.... so lid less is a no go
>>2130601
you dont like catfish?
>>2130610
Bah dum tiss*
No but in all seriousness my cats are dicks, the female likes water like full blown playing in her water bowl and jumping in the shower to drink the water, and the male likes to knock shit over
>Hurr durr use dry start method it's better for HC because HC actually PREFERS to be grown out of water
>The best growth is at the front where a puddle has formed that is immersing the roots.
>The HC at the back is wilting and yellow
Should I just flood?
Yo /aq/ does anyone with a professional opinion know if this is a try festae or a mayan cichlid? Have him in a black water tank
>>2130734
True*
>>2130734
Mayan.
>>2130740
Thanks anon I had a feeling
>>2130726
flood it
I started my Micranthemum Monte Carlo normally
The HCC too, because I am too stupid apparently to drystart..
I almost killed it while dry starting
And now it's growing fine with high light and high CO2
>>2130726
If you think flooding it will work, then do it
Only take what others say about the hobby as suggestions and don't be afraid to make your own path. If something works for you, do it
>>2130237
Here's what I used:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/diy-aquarium-projects/83180-i-did-myself-cree-led.html#/forumsite/20597/topics/83180?page=1
I got a nice little heatsink from heatsinkusa.com
They cut it for me
Was thinking of getting some fish, would be a first time owner
Anyone know which fish are easy to take care of and fairly active?
I wouldn't really care for fish that spend most of their time hiding in the vegetation or just floats around until it's time to eat
>>2130237
King of DIY on YouTube has tons of fish related projects
>>2130896
No matter what, don't listen to these guys talking about neon tetras. They're high activity, but they're also the most boring fucks ever.
Try show guppies. Or a betta. Or anything else really.
Fuck neon tetras.
Gonna start my 29 gallon saltwater fish and live rock only tank soon. Has anyone used the Fluval Aquasky yet?
>>2130896
White cloud mountain minnows are hardy and active.
>>2130896
zebra danios never sit still.
>>2130915
>29 gallon saltwater
every time
>>2130980
I've had a ten gallon fish with live rock for about a year now. Im just moving up in size. Chill senpai
>>2130482
I keep a shit-ton of Bettas.
Corydoras are your friends. Particularly the smaller ones. I keep corydoras habrosus in groups of 3-6 in each of my tanks with my male bettas as a clean up crew, along with 1 or 2 mystery snails. I've noticed the yellow mysteries get picked on, while the blue or purple varieties tend to go unmolested by even my most aggressive Betta. I've also keep groups of ghost shrimp without much issue - just expect one to go missing once in a while.
As for decor, I know lots of folks hate it, but a few stands of pennywort wrapped around that branch will bloom into a floating mat your Betta will love. Mine sleep and lounge in it all day, and my sorority tank has pretty much carved out apartments in the flotsam.
Turn the flow on your HOB filter down, that's way too much for a Betta. Those're low current/low oxygen fish, and their rins make it difficult to manage a strong water flow. If the flow is making bubbles, its too strong.
>>2130482
>How do I keep all that shit off the bottom of the tank?
Bottomfeeders, specifically shrimp/snails. They won't eat all of it, just get a gravel vacuum and clean it yourself during a water change.
>what can i add to this tank?
Fake silk plant decorations and real plants are your best bet.
For rocks, you need to pour some vinegar on it to see if it leaches minerals into the water, if it doesn't fizz, it's good.
For driftwood, you have to boil it until the tannins go away, know the difference between softwood and hardwood as well.
>tankmates
Don't fall for the "bettas kill everything they see meme", it depends on their personality, you can have a gay betta pair if the chances are right(which is highly low but possible). I would get some casual dwarf cories or ghost shrimp.
>>2130495
>None, bettas are very aggressive.
how wrong could you be
>>2130598
That tiny rock in the front is bothering me, tilt the largest rock a little bit more to the right and make the rock that's in between the other rocks more centered.
>>2130896
Livebearers are usually social and fun to take care of.
>>2131001
ok, my apologies then.
we see that size a lot.
Are there any tips to be able to not have to clean out the tank as often?
I heard that snails eat fish shit so that helps
>>2129622
real plants are just as cheap generally and have good benefits.
>>2129622
They don't really reduce matainennce because the fish cover them in shit.
Also my fish never liked the silk plants and stayed away from them, but once I got live plants they perked up and brush on the leafs
Check it out
>>2131369
>>2131307
Planted tanks, snails and shrimp will consume the excess nutrients in poop for themselves, you still have to do maintenance regardless since the poop will go nowhere. It'll depend on how much bioload is going in your tank as well.
>>2128612
This. I didn't spend time writing it up for nothing.
I'm a new owner, forgive my ignorance, but is a dead fish going to help cylce my 10g aquarium? Ive done research on the general process but are there any tips or shortcuts that have worked for you personally?
These Asian Rummynoses are cool fish. Constantly having "flash" battles with each other, but thankfully they're not aggressive enough to kill each other or disturb my Honey Gouramis. Would recommend if you got a heavily planted tank with lots of space, and your tapwater is liquid rock like in the American Southwest
>>2131534
Well, a dead fish is a source of ammonia so yes I guess? I wouldn't use one regardless, just because of the risks involved when you finally introduce healthy fish to your cycled tank. Don't want them catching any shit from your dead fish
>>2130597
You are so fucking stupid. Just because you got lucky and have an unusually passive betta doesn't mean your anecdotal evidence applies to everyone.
There are anons in this general with bettas so damn aggressive that they murder even shrimp and snails.
Betta splendens are domesticated from betta imbellis, and via that domestication process they were bred to be incredibly aggressive. They literally have thousands of years of breeding in them to make them violent.
The more recent generations may be bred purely for aesthetics, but nothing will ever remove the sheer aggression via the domestication process. Any more than you can turn a pomeranian back into a wolf.
>>2131550
Wow, forgot to attach image. Anyways, I think I still would've went with Harley Quinn or Espei/Lambchop Rasboras, but these Rummynoses were too pretty to pass up
I just bring this bad boy to home.
Something I have to know?
>>2131814
get him some sort of plants or cover, they like blood worms a lot or frozen food in general. they dont like strong currents
>>2131814
Those look like those "self-cleaning tanks" from Petco that aren't even a quarter gallon aren't they?
They're deathtraps for bettas, get him a 10 gallon tank with a proper filter
DIY planted tank lighting is coming along.
I never realized their common name was "Asian rummynose." Cool.
Their natural habitat, Lake Inle, is really interesting. There are floating mats of vegetation that the locals use as gardens, and the tangled roots underneath form a neat habitat for a variety of endemic species. The mats rise and fall with the tide.
>>2131837
Yeah I was planning to getting him a better place to live.
>>2131814
He needs a heater he is a tropical fish and needs to betweeb 72 and 78
So I woke up this morning to a missing ghost shrimp and a really fat betta
im assuming the thing keeled over last night and my Dragon did free clean-up. Anything I should do besides not feed my fish for a few days?
>>2131944
When you do feed him, feed him a shelled pea that you boiled and is mixed up with a little bit of garlic.
Hey, I'm about to leave for this long weekend and it's the first time leaving my 5 gallon tank.
I don't really have time to buy and set up a timer and was wondering what is better: leave the lights on for 3 days or leave them off?
The light I have is pretty powerful I should say.
The tank only has a few snails and amano shrimp and some live plants such as anubias and java fern/moss
Thanks for any feedback guys
>>2132103
Leave the lights off dude. You dont want the algea growing
>>2131873
Good. Both you and your betta will be happy for it!
Nothing is more cheerful to see than a happy betta zooming around the tank and getting comfy near the surface on a hammock of plants
Why does my goldfish seem kinda down in the dumps? He never raises his dorsal find any more, and I see him just kinda sitting around more than usual. He had ick, but I just cured him of it early last week. He shows no other signs of sickness, he's eating well, isn't swimming upside down or anything. He just seems sad he's been like this ever since he had ick, but like I said, he doesn't have it any more but still seems overly reserved.
I plan on putting him in an outside pond in the coming weeks, with some buddies and all, but I don't want to put him through that seeing as how he's obviously a little upset, not moving as much as he did when I got him.
I had a few thoughts on what his promble might be:
>he might be constipated from not enough fiber, but he won't eat any of the greens I put in there, just his sinking goldfish pellets
>aren't goldfish at least semi-social creatures?
Is he just lonely from having no fish buddies?
>not enough hiding spots?
I dunno, there's a big clump of hornwort in there and I've seen healthy goldfish with completely bare tanks before. I didn't think goldfish needed any hiding spots
I dunno, I would really appreciate any input you guys have. I really like this guy and want him to pull through for me.
Btw he's a young panda telescope goldfish, I just checked the water today and all of the parameters are good, alkalinity is still a tad high but I heard that hardly matters with goldfish.
I'm having a heck of a time finding a solid wood cabinet to put my tank on
>>2132199
why is his head so slimy?
>>2132210
You know, I just now noticed that he does seem to have a dull overcoat on his head. Is this possibly a fungus? Could that be what's bringing him down?
Is a 50 gal + stand w/hood and filter for $55 a steal? Used though, and no decor and shit which is okay with me.
>>2132349
that's pretty good, Be sure to look it over real well though
>>2132349
it's definitely a steal, just you might wanna double check if the stuff still works and the tank doesn't leak
Anyone know what's wrong with my custom lighting setup?
The circled LED doesn't light up and the rest of the LEDs constantly flash instead of being on constant.
The wiring is different around the circled LED because I noticed when I was using my multimeter it wouldn't light up with the positive end stuck on the positive side of the LED, but it would for the reverse. I figured the positive and negative label just got switched around when printing.
>>2132393
nvm, I don't know why but when I tried it in a different plug socket it worked fine.
The lady at petsmart told me dwarf hairgrass grew in any substrate and gave me two 15w bulbs to go with it. I use co2 every day and leaf zone but they seem to be dying. They're in quite thick regular gravel and I'd hate to change it. I don't mind losing the plants, but what plants would do better with that lighting and regular gravel? Also, should I go smack the lady at petsmart?
>>2132406
Any plant will grow in any substrate with enough fertilisation.
You need really high light to carpet
>>2132407
Any recommendations?
Doesn't high light stress fish out?
I don't have any fish in there right now, but I'm planning to, just 5 shrimp.
>>2132409
Depends on the fish
DIY lighting finished.
Might be too bright if anything.
Do you guys prefer not to have backgrounds? And if so, why? Just curious.
Ours is diy, but can't get a good picture this time of day...
>>2132146
Thats what I want for my betta.
The reason for purchasing him too early its becuse I conmectes with the betta and I have the need for bring him to home ^.^
Today when I arrive from work the betta look at me an he started making bubbles he was kawaii
my shitty little 5gal was doing great with a pleco and a beta for the first 6 months, then the algae just overgrew the tank faster than the pleco could eat it and the betta died
i think im just gonna keep it as is
>>2132482
>5gal
>Pleco
>>2132447
>Not having enough vegetation that you don't require a background.
>>2132485
he's on the bottom right. the fact that he outlived the betta and ate his corpse is a testament to his strength
>>2132482
>plecos
>eating algae
That's a pretty common misconception.
They eat algae in the same sense that a pig eats literal shit.
They eat certain types, but more often than not, not the kind that grows without abandon in home tanks. They prefer rotting wood and spirulina over that close-growing green shit on the glass.
>>2132505
what eats that shit on the glass then?
>>2132508
Otocinclus catfish.
>>2132508
plecos.
>>2132508
don't spend too much time seriously considering the "knowledge" of someone that says "without abandon."
this isn't a genius we're dealing with here.
and quite predictably he's wrong.
>>2132540
I didn't say plecos stay small
I didn't say plecos can survive entirely on algae in your tank.
I said plecos will eat algae off your glass.
and you're a retard for saying they don't.
and you're a retard for saying "without abandon."
those are my salient points.
>>2132549
What's wrong with the phrase, anon? Enlighten me. And after a certain size, they'll ignore algae in favor of other fishes' sides.
I'm sorry you're having a bad day. No need to take it out on others, though.
>>2132562
>What's wrong with the phrase, anon?
nothing, it means the opposite of "with abandon" which is what you actually meant.
unless you meant the algae grows very slowly and in a limited manner.
>after a certain size, they'll ignore algae in favor of other fishes' sides.
they suck on both.
>No need to take it out on others, though.
your stupidity is offensive, I think you should know that. Go, do better.
>>2132571
My God, you're a pedant.
It's not like I gave wrong or harmful information.
>>2132447
I just let the algae grow on the back of the tank.
is it weird my GW killi fish never jumps out even though no lid?
>See some ferts in shop
>Ingredients Potassium Nitrate (KNO3), Urea ( (NH2)2CO ), water
Those are the ingredients of piss why can't I piss in my tank?
>>2132583
>It's not like I gave wrong or harmful information
you are demonstrably wrong.
plecos do eat algae. All kinds.
including the algae that grows on the glass.
eating other things as well doesn't mean they don't eat algae. They can eat more than one thing. It's weird.
>>2131995
I tried this and this morning there was shit everywhere
thanks for the advice! I didnt trhink he'd take to a vegetable so readily but he went after that pea like it was the most delicious of meats. Shook it like a terrier with a rabbit
>>2132640
Because there is a lot more than just that in your piss
That being said, I'm not going to stop you
>>2132446
Lookin good!
>>2132446
What are the specs on the LEDs?
What do you all think can't find a background will this flag work and does itlook bad wth the cow head?
>>2132746
lel
What does one do when goldfish get too big for their container? Will the pet shop take them back?
![image[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/8Iizwd4.jpg "image[1].jpg")
Has anyone here ever bred long fin zebra danio with normal zebra danio? Do they come out with long fins or is the trait lost? I have a bunch of zebra danio and wanted to just breed my own school of long fin for a few bucks rather than spending $24 and buying a small school (the pet shop near me charges $2 per long fin).
>>2132782
You can buy a big enough tank for it, which is the most humane thing to do assuming you treat it right
Some pet stores will take them, others won't
>>2132662
I'm glad to hear it anon! I bet your little buddy is feeling ten times better now.
>>2132789
You will get a mixture of both. What you want to do is keep the fry in their own tank, and as they get older cull off the ones with undesirable traits (short fins, ugly colors, etc. etc. etc.)
Keep this up, and eventually you can remove the original generation of short fins because you will have a breeding school of long fins.
Just make sure that every now and then you toss in a fresh long fin, for the sake of genetic diversity.
>>2132746
i made my own background
big piece of paper, pastels and some tape. Boom. Background that isnt $6+
Hey tree hugging, hippie phaggots.
I'm thinking about getting an aquarium and gift card for ani-mals for my gf soon. She really likes seahorses and octopi (octopuses?), so maybe two aquariums since I hear octopus are assholes, but what can go with seahorses for an all around aesthetic and diverse rig?
>>2132878
enjoy spending a shit ton of money you cunt
>>2132878
No. No. And no.
All seahorse species are marine species. Meaning saltwater.
And marine tanks are ridiculously expensive. Not to mention they are so expensive because they are so incredibly complicated.
Just get her a ten gallon freshwater aquarium with a betta instead.
>>2132894
>a few betas
NO. NO. AND NO.
Bettas are literally the fish equivalent of pitbulls and fighting roosters.
They are a domesticated species (the wild species is called betta "imbellis" the ones you see in stores are betta "splendens") that have been bred for thousands of years for the sole purpose of killing each other so people can make money betting off of who will win.
You can have a single betta, and eight to ten smaller fish that don't have long flowing fins, such as white (or gold) cloud mountain minnows. Or neon tetras. I think cherry barbs might be good too. Basically any fish that isn't nippy so they won't tear up your bettas fins. And they need to be smaller and fast so they can out swim the betta if he gets angry and tries to kill them.
Any idea how to clean rocks for aquarium use? Managed to find some excellent looking seiryu stone lookalikes but some sides are pretty heavily coated in dirt and shit. Google says the brown shit is iron oxide (rust)?
Google also suggests using acid for mineral samples but I'm not sure that's such a good idea for aquarium rock. Would there be any issues if I used organic acids like vinegar or citric acid?
>>2132721
They are 5 3W LEDs
They are stuck onto a heatsink with thermal paste and then glues on with beads of epoxy.
The heatsink gets hot to the touch (but not unbearably hot). So I'm not sure what the lifespan on this thing will be.
>>2132961
Just pour vinegar over the rock.
If it's fine and doesn't fizz, hose it down or boil it in distilled water or some shit and go to town.
>>2133049
Even if it fizzes it doesn't mean it's not aquarium safe. Just that it will make your water hard.
If you're going for that it's a good thing.
>>2133049
I want to clean all the dirt off so that it looks better though. Any aquarium safe way of doing this?
Fluval spec 6g here
Big momma guppy
10 baby guppies
Siamese Algae Eater
Male scarlet badis
American flag fish
Thinking of going from moderately planted to dense to handle the bioload and for the flagfish/badis.
>>2133057
Do we have to hold your hand through the whole process? Do you not own some water and a rag?
>>2133271
I've already done that you fuck. Even used a brass brush but the fuckign brown dirt shit is still there
I'm trying to rehab my parents fish tank, it's really gross looking. I vacuumed the gravel and am putting some clean water in. The gravel still looks really dirty though and the water is all dark now from all the stuff that got stirred up.
Have you ever tried to fix a filthy aquarium? What helped the most?
>>2133295
Literally stick it in a pot of boiling water for a good solid ten minutes. If that doesn't help it come clean, nothing will.
Of course, it could just be the natural color of the rock.
>>2133384
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4CnMWfQfc0
This may help. Good luck!
>>2133521
>boiling water is the ultimate cleaner
