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Aquarium Buffs

Discussion in 'Hobbies and Interests' started by wildwest, Feb 24, 2015.

  1. buzz-saw

    buzz-saw

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    Just stumbled across this thread and haven't had time to go through it all.

    I currently have two tanks going , down from 5 at one point and had to cut back.
    90 gallon freshwater in the kitchen/dining room and 55gallon saltwater in my office/den area.
    Right now that's enough.
     
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  2. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    Can I buy those cysts like brine?
     
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  3. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    Bummer, #4 is beat up pretty bad despite rearranging the landscape :confused: I have an old live bearer hang on kiddo wants to put it in, but, we'll see in the morning. I just don't remember things I used to know, thinking of adding some extra salt for his injuries but I don't have a quarantine tank. Advice?
     
  4. Lousyweather

    Lousyweather

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    no, you cant. They carry their eggs, and if they drop them, the eggs fungus and die.....I guess I might go out on a limb and say they are livebearers. Also, their water parameters are VERY demanding. The Neos arent so bad...easy(er) tpo breed and keep, but the Caridena are quite picky....low pH (6.0), low TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) make it a challenge to keep them. I have to use RO water and supplement that water with additives for them. Their dirty aquarium water is quite literally cleaner than the water from my tap. If you manage to raise top end shrimp, they can fetch thousands of dollars a piece. I dont have any of those.
     
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  5. Stlshrk

    Stlshrk

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    I was pleasantly surprised to find this thread here on FHC and will be going back over it to check it all out!

    My aqua-hobby...

    About 20 years ago I got into the hobby with a 10 gallon and some various tropical freshwater species. I was fresh out of the Navy and had started at Virginia Tech. For research, I used to frequent the forums on badmanstropicalfish.com. Over the course of the next 4 years I ended up with 5 tanks running. I got into some planted set ups and did the yeast style DIY Co2 injection. After a couple of moves, getting married, a couple of kids, we slowly shut down all of our tanks and were out of the hobby for the next 15 years or so.

    Fast forward a few years when I was given a free / used 55 gallon & stand. It sat, dry, in my unfinished basement for a few years.

    Another fast forward to 2020. Our basement project(s) are almost wrapped up. I had been slowly gathering the things needed to set up the tank. In March, I purchased a Fluval FX4 canister filter for a steal of a deal. At that point, we repurposed the old stand for an entertainment center. It was open in the front and the canister filter was going to be an eyesore to my wife. So, instead of having a huge Fluval sitting in the floor beside the stand, I built my first stand. Well, overbuilt I should say as it is large enough to take on a 90 gal footprint if *when* we upgrade. And, it could hold 10 times more weight than I could ever place upon it!

    As for the tank, it is now a freshwater community low tech planted set up. Now that she is cycled and stocking has commenced over the last few months, I am looking forward to the plant growth.

    Here are the vital statistics & assorted paraphernalia:
    55 gallon glass 48" long.
    Low tech planted.
    We are on well water.
    Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 10ppm, Ph 7.4. Very hard water.
    Light: 48" Finnex 24/7 Planted+ ALC (this one has the adjustable program for a custom 24/7 light cycle)
    Substrate: Mix of gravel, black eco-complete, and red laterite
    Heater: 200W submersible ViaAqua
    Heater controller: Inkbird ITC-306T set to turn off 76 F and cuts on at 74 F (if you have ever had a heater fail in the "on" position, then you know that this is a must to avoid cooking the livestock!)
    Filter: Fluval FX4 with red lava rock as the bio media.
    Background: 6 mil "clear" plastic (4 layers) for a slate gray look. I had tried the frosted and it was far too white for such a narrow tank.
    Plants: 4 Java Ferns (and 4 babies so far), 3 Anubias Nana, 2 Anubias Nana Petite, 5 Corkscrew Val., 8 Dwarf Sag. (plus 6 offshoots so far), and 4 Cryptocorynes (unk exact variety as the store had them listed as various *local grown and sold to the shop*).
    Livestock: 8 Zebra Danios, 6 Cherry Barbs, 6 Odessa Barbs, 6 Peppered Corys, 3 Otocinclus, 25 Olive Nerite Snails.

    For fertilizers, I have only added some DIY Osmocoat root tabs 2 1/2 weeks ago, and just got a shipment of "Thrive C" that had it's first dose on Friday! Already doing great!

    I'm enjoying the return to the hobby, looking forward to my plants growing in, and really would like to add a 125+ gallon tank at some point. Something in the 6 ft long footprint.

    In the short term, I am trying to decide if I would like to add a few more Odessas and corys to the #'s of the current fish I have, or add some dwarf neon rainbows to the mix. Who knows. At this point I am just trying to be methodical and patient with things while the plants get established. The good news is that they are all already putting out new growth.

    So, since it didn't happen without pix, I'll attach a couple here for everyone. One day I hope to do a really "wow" aquascape!

    26 May 20.jpg IMG_9563.jpg IMG_9564.jpg

    Carry on fish people!
     
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  6. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    What a nice tank and spoiled fish/plants! I've always admired planted tanks!

    I forgot to add Stlshrk , we'll see what this Christmas brings but for several years either Petsmart or Petco have done a 70 gal combo, tank, lid, stand, light for a only a couple hundred dollars. They are 70H vs 70L, so more vertical than horizontal but a good deal for tanks that size.
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2020
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  7. Lousyweather

    Lousyweather

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    very cool setup! I will take some pics of my 75 planted later tonight and my caridena tank. My story is much the same as your own.....have kept fish for about 45 years, with a hiatus in between because of college and work. Got married, had kids, no money. kids got older, did a 125 reef setup.....too expensive, and felt guilty with corals being harvested from healthy reefs, so got rid of the 125.

    Then, got divorced, but got all 4 kids in the divorce. So, with paying alimony and feeding 4 kids, their college, etc, no money. Kids moved out....more money....did a 75 gallon planted which has changed quite a bit through the few years Ive been doing it. Its high tech......punching major light in with 3 LED fixtures, I autodose fertilizers with a peristaltic pump, and inject CO2 with a canister and 30 # CO2 tank. Controlled with a pH probe and solenoid.

    In order to better grow those plants, youll need more light AND ferts....I see youre doing it with tabs, which is good, but hard to control. I had HUGE java ferns, balansae crypts.....I had to, and still do, viciously trim each week. Also got into growing mosses.....they can be tricky and slow to start, but man, they take off!

    Livestock is pygmy cories, endlers mainly. I did have galaxy rasboras (celestial pearl danois) as well, but they didnt reproduce (egg scatterers). Plus, injecting CO2 isnt exactly fish friendly. Currently battling snail infestation with assassin snails.
     
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  8. Stlshrk

    Stlshrk

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    wildwest , I'll have to keep a look out for that! :thumbs: Never know what could follow one home on Black Friday, eh? Aquarium or another chainsaw? Decisions, decisions!...

    Lousyweather , I'd love to see some pix! Amazing how life happens, isn't it?

    You mentioned a snail infestation. If you're not adverse to adding a member to your tank, a small loach will take care of any that are not too large. I am trying to recall what I used once. I think it was a "Yoyo loach" that doesn't get nearly as large as a clown loach. Don't hold me to it, as that was a while ago. But, mine was a very entertaining addition to that tank. I miss that fish!

    I am also dosing liquid ferts into the water column now. In fact, the liquid fertilizers are only 1 week in, as of tomorrow. I'm dosing a product put out by Nilocg called "Thrive-C" and so far things are looking good. Most everything is putting out new growth. Likely, once this tank is more well established, I'll switch over to mixing dry ferts due to cost savings. What is involved with the pump system you mentioned? Are you mixing your own? Also, it that incorporated with an auto water change set up or not? That is an interesting concept as well!

    As far as the lights go, the adjustable nature is what I really like about these LED's. The Finnex Planted + ALC a lot to offer. LED's were not a viable option when I was in the hobby years ago. There is plenty of 'Par' at the substrate on the 55 gal height tank (don't remember the specific figure). Back when I was doing a planted tank before, I was ordering power compact florescent lights and German made reflectors from AHSupply. Then building my own DIY enclosures and hoods. I think they are out of business now. It is kind of sad to see some of the businesses come and go. Especially the ones that were such a great resource for the hobby.

    I hear you on the CO2, and it really did make a real difference before. But, for now, I don't want to get into pressurized injection. And, I know that I don't have the time to commit to a DIY set up again.

    All in all, the biggest thing I remember about doing planted aquariums before was the need for patience. So, I am keeping the light programmed on a set photo-period and will see how this level of liquid fertilizer dosing does before I change either of those variables. The patience is the hardest part of the whole thing! At least for me.
     
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  9. Lousyweather

    Lousyweather

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    Cant do loaches......the only thing they like better than snails is shrimp! They'd kill the shrimp, then get the snails......thinking about Pea Puffers though....even they are a gamble. I hear they can be picky eaters, but they are cool little dudes!
    I also use NilocG for ferts, but I use their self-mixed system: DIY EI Liquid Fertilizer| Premium Aquarium Fertilizer | NilocG Aquatics
    I have looked at Thrive....but would need Thrive-S (lower copper, for shrimp).....but I am so used to the Estimative Index method of dosing, it may mess me up!
    I change about 40 gallons a week in there.....just siphon it out the window, catching some for houseplants and garden. Then, ive got a heavy recycling container in the basement where I put my water with an aerator and heater, and Ive plumbed that upstairs so all i need to do is plug in an old Iwaki pump from my reef days, and it goes right into the tank. Endlers aren't all that picky.....
    My lights...ah, forget the brand at the moment, but I spent too much on them.
    Some like CO2, some don't......things can go haywire in a hurry though if you're not careful!
     
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  10. Lousyweather

    Lousyweather

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    as promised, some quick cell snaps!
    IMG_4320.JPG IMG_4320.JPG IMG_4321.JPG IMG_4322.JPG IMG_4323.JPG IMG_4324.JPG IMG_4325.JPG IMG_4326.JPG IMG_4328.JPG IMG_4329.JPG
     
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  11. Stlshrk

    Stlshrk

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    Lousyweather the pix are great!

    Isn't it crazy to think how far digital photography has come in a very short time? My daughter came across some of my 35mm film containers that were in my aquarium stuff boxes the other day. She had no idea what they were. LOL We didn't even mention 110 when explaining it to her.

    Puffers are cool, and have so much personality. They seem almost like having a puppy in the tank! There are some YouTubers that have some very large ones. Off of the top of my head, Cory from Aquarium Co-op (in fact his is named Murphy), and Joey King of DIY come to mind.
     
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  12. Lousyweather

    Lousyweather

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    thanks....as I said, quick cell snaps....tonight is my cleaning and trimming night. The holes in the tiger lillies are those dang snails! they don't seem to eat the moss....I just majorly trimmed it last week.....THAT stuff grows pretty well once it gets going.
    I looked at puffers, but then read they can be somewhat picky food-wise, and can be bullies.....but if you've ever seen a baby, oh, wow! very cute!

    Yea, digital photography is another thing of mine, which I never seem to find the time for. I didnt take the pics with my Sony a6100, because then I need to download them, etc....the cellphone was fast.

    110 huh? remember the 4 sided flash cubes on the instamatics? Fotomat? Polaroids?
     
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  13. Stlshrk

    Stlshrk

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    Oh yes, I do. The funny thing about Polaroid is that they are making a novelty comeback now for the preteen kids age group. The cameras put out some tiny (maybe 1"x2" or something) prints.
     
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  14. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    How do you get the hard water stains off your aquariums? I was told the water was "very good" when I moved here but it obviously has more content than Colorado front range. It's similar to the evaporated water lines one might see in a salt tank.
     
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  15. Stlshrk

    Stlshrk

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    wildwest I've had luck with white vinegar and elbow grease. I have also heard that a product called "bar keeper's friend" does very well.

    Also, here is an update on my tank. I upgraded to a 75 gal a few months back.

    75 Gal Nov 2020.jpg
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2020
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  16. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    Thanks :) I should have mentioned I wanted to scrub it with fish and substrate still in it. And I dig using Bar Keeper's Friend around the house! I've been using a green scouring pad with just water from the aquarium.
     
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  17. Ohio dave

    Ohio dave

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    Bar keepers friend is abrasive it may scratch
     
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  18. Mitch Newton

    Mitch Newton

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    Anyone know where to get a new tall 30 gallon aquarium with filtration and light system? I've found the ones with a curved front but I just want a tall rectangle. Trying to replace one that had an eclipse hood and filter.
     
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  19. Ohio dave

    Ohio dave

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    You mean like the standard 29? Thats 12 inches front to back 20 inches deep and 24 inches long? You can find those at almost any pet store
     
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  20. billb3

    billb3

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    damm, 29 tall used to be fairly common. WTF.
     
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