Just curious if any of you all are fishkeepers out there? I keep Guppies crossed with a little endler. A Betta. I also keep a North American oddball, the Least Killifish. I use planted tanks and grow plants out of the lid. Tell me your stories.
I used to keep guppies mollies and neons! I loved them
Just gonna Check in and follow this thread. Gf and I are thinking of taking an aquarium.
I like the neons. I put a matt black backing on the tank, which really sets off the greenery and the fish, especially the neons. Black sounds like an odd choice until you actually see it. It will increase the ambiance of the tank by a factor of two.
Quote from: SGOS on January 15, 2017, 08:43:02 AM
I like the neons. I put a matt black backing on the tank, which really sets off the greenery and the fish, especially the neons. Black sounds like an odd choice until you actually see it. It will increase the ambiance of the tank by a factor of two.
Do you grow aquatic plants too? If so what plants do you grow?
Quote from: GrinningYMIR on January 15, 2017, 12:58:15 AM
I used to keep guppies mollies and neons! I loved them
Yep. You have to be careful of those Angelfish though, they're mean as hell.
Quote from: SGOS on January 15, 2017, 08:43:02 AM
I like the neons. I put a matt black backing on the tank, which really sets off the greenery and the fish, especially the neons. Black sounds like an odd choice until you actually see it. It will increase the ambiance of the tank by a factor of two.
Did you know that if you mix different kinds of tetras they will school? For example, neons and glowlights.
Quote from: GrinningYMIR on January 15, 2017, 12:58:15 AM
I used to keep guppies mollies and neons! I loved them
Guppies are awesome, I remember breeding them. Anything that gives live birth is much easier to breed. Mollies are the same way.
Quote from: BettaPonic on January 15, 2017, 08:44:35 AM
Do you grow aquatic plants too? If so what plants do you grow?
I haven't had a fish tank for 50 years, but I actually remember the name my most prevalent plant, VALESENARIA (https://dogencyclopedia.net/thread/13274-how-do-you-reduce-the-nitrite-in-an-aquarium/?s=49268d8411e5c79d1cee85f4e61665aa1d3a144f), which roots in the gravel and grows into a heavy bladed sea grass that the fish can swim through. It grows very long and eventually lies on the surface of the water. I planted it mostly at the back of the fifteen gallon tank, but not so dense as to obstruct the view of the fish. I also harvested some shale rock from the side of the road on a trip out west with my parents and built little cliff like layers of shale to create some topographic relief. I used natural colored gravel, but I thought the bright iridescent colors were attractive too. I also wanted something of interest in addition to the fish. Some people like to put a ceramic castle at the bottom of the tank, but that looks fake to me, but I found a model of a decayed hulk of a rotting ship's hull and half buried it in the gravel. Looking at the tank, I could imagine that I was scuba diving.
QuoteValesenaria is another one that is great at filtering the nitrites out of the tank.. Brighter lights could help if you have LIVING plants in the water, it stimulates growth and that takes food, the food comes out of the water.
Quote from: _Xenu_ on January 15, 2017, 08:58:02 AM
Did you know that if you mix different kinds of tetras they will school? For example, neons and glowlights.
I think all of my tetras were neons, but they most definitely schooled, and I liked that behavior, which created an interesting contrast with the other fish.
Quote from: SGOS on January 15, 2017, 10:23:30 AM
I think all of my tetras were neons, but they most definitely schooled, and I liked that behavior, which created an interesting contrast with the other fish.
I would be interested in hearing the details about that.
Quote from: _Xenu_ on January 15, 2017, 10:29:07 AM
I would be interested in hearing the details about that.
Not much more to say about that. I had maybe 10 tetras that swam around together, over here, then over there, constantly cruising around in a group, while the rest of the fish, which I bought in pairs, acted independent of each other. I had rasboras, zebras, angel fish, swordtails, some ugly critter that stayed at the bottom, supposedly cleaning the gravel, and I can't remember what else. There were no guppies.
Edit: And black mollies.
Used to be. Brackish species were my thing at home but I also kept some freshwater species, too. I used to manage the fish section at a feedstore, so I got to choose, buy and maintain all the freshwater fish stock, it was really fun. I loved building tank displays, and used neons and cardinal tetras a lot. They are so pretty when they live in big schools.
I have a 55 gallon tank.
I like little fish - and more of them.
Tetras - Lemon, Black Phantom, Head & tail light, Ember
clown pleco (10 years old and last survivor from 1st group)
Bettas and dwarf gourmi do not do well in my tank.
Would like to get rasboras again but they will feel threatened by the bigger fish. Had 4 lemon tetras that have turned into 15 now... but none of the others have successfully reproduced (thankfully).
Cherry shrimp do not do well in my tank. Bamboo shrimp have been a struggle so I gave up - 3 years was longest lived. Typically a year.
Amano shrimp are 5 years old and doing well.
One lily that has split into two (approx 7 years old).
Aponogeton do well, have sent off plenty of starters (original plant gone now but chain is part of original planting).
Java moss, fern, moss ball, some other type of floating grass type (came with my shrimp as a teeny piece). Dreaded duck weed that I mistakenly let stay and have been trying to get rid of.
Want to get a 75 gallon. Need more light for more plants.
The singular fish that didn't school just kind of hung out, but the schooling tetras always seemed like they were on a mission with some definite purpose.
I used to have a pond in Texas full of goldfish that grew to about a foot long each. The koi got even bigger, about 2 feet.. They're all in fishy heaven now..
I keep thinking about digging a new pond here except it's a lot of fucking work.. I dunno..I might do it again and use lake water to resupply the water source..pump lake water up and let it trickle back down with a small waterfall.. Well, not so small being it would probably be about 15 feet up from the surface of the lake..
I use to be, but my new place doesn't allow them. I miss it. I had a 25 gallon tank with live plants (floating and planted in substrate), UVA/UVB light, good filter, and supernaturals sand. I had 5 female veil tail beta (females veil tail are okay with each other with lots of plants to break up line of sight and plenty of hides), 6 kuli loaches, and 1 albino dojo loach (gotten by mistake but she was a happy little thing and hung out with the beta instead of the loaches. She would flip on her back and eat beta pellets instead of eating with the kuli XD).
I have bettas, barbs, tetras, gouramis, and corys. I've bred and raised bettas, gouramis, tetras and barbs. I've bred fancy guppies to 5 generations before I got bored. I raised a plecostomus to 12".
But these days, I just keep a few of those in a community tank. More interested in veggies and flowers now.
I admit I've got a bad case of the fishkeeping bug. Seven aquariums up and running, plus a bunch of fancy goldfish whose temporary home is a 35 gallon plastic storage tote on the garage floor while I get the interior of their permanent tank built. (I wanted to decorate it with bamboo canes, but real bamboo rots underwater, so I had to make faux bamboo out of PVC pipe, which has been a long, laborious process.)
It's a lot of fun, though.
I am more of a cat person.
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f158/popeyespappy/goldie.jpg)
Quote from: onyx on April 04, 2017, 10:18:29 PM
(I wanted to decorate it with bamboo canes, but real bamboo rots underwater, so I had to make faux bamboo out of PVC pipe, which has been a long, laborious process.)
It's a lot of fun, though.
A few years ago, I met an artist whose craft took him in a very interesting direction. He became one of those guys that creates the simulated "natural" environments for animals in the zoo. He made things like jungle vines out of latex and heavy duty chain, so the gorilla's could swing around their environment and not destroy it. If they needed a huge rock over in the corner, he would make one. I thought it was fascinating. I wish I had that job.
Quote from: SGOS on April 05, 2017, 08:32:31 AM
A few years ago, I met an artist whose craft took him in a very interesting direction. He became one of those guys that creates the simulated "natural" environments for animals in the zoo. He made things like jungle vines out of latex and heavy duty chain, so the gorilla's could swing around their environment and not destroy it. If they needed a huge rock over in the corner, he would make one. I thought it was fascinating. I wish I had that job.
It's funny you should mention that. When I was trying to figure out how to make faux bamboo, I found a "how-to" article by a guy who did that for a living, but ironically, I didn't think his bamboo looked realistic enough, so I moved on to a different technique. Sometimes I'm too much of a perfectionist.
Quote from: onyx on April 05, 2017, 06:21:30 PM
It's funny you should mention that. When I was trying to figure out how to make faux bamboo, I found a "how-to" article by a guy who did that for a living, but ironically, I didn't think his bamboo looked realistic enough, so I moved on to a different technique. Sometimes I'm too much of a perfectionist.
I applaud that kind of perfectionism. How the Hell else to you make things better? Furthermore, there is still room to perfect your perfectionism. There always is. If I ever need to make fake bamboo, I'll contact you.
Yes, but not for too long.
I keep them in the freezer until it is time to cook them.
Then I buy more.
Quote from: pr126 on April 06, 2017, 12:59:15 PM
Yes, but not for too long.
I keep them in the freezer until it is time to cook them.
Then I buy more.
Who cooks guppies?
I'm resurecting this thread because I lost 2 bettas in the past week. I bought 2 special betta tanks a few years ago. They have a plastic base at the bottom, you put gravel on the top, and (theoretically) an air tube in the center pulls the water through the gravel and aerobic bacteria live there and eat the waste.
Yeah, like THAT happens. So I've had to take them apart every month and clean the containers thoroughly. Ok, cleaning is good. The bettas need water not full of their own pee.
But I had a slight problem with the bettas swimming down the air tubes, and dying. Yeah, they are bored maybe.
So I wrapped some plastic mesh around the top of the air bubble tube to keep them out.
It comes loose sometimes. And they go right for the tube and die.
My question is "Is it just me or is that a routine problem?
I took the whole plastic assembly out of both containers today and just left the airstones bubbling slightly. That should end the problem.
And BTW, does anyone know how to raise brine shrimp to adult size? I do great with the hatchlings and the main aquarium fish love them. But the bettas don't seem to see them until they are adult size (the brine shrimp, not the bettas). They seem to prefer larger slow moving food (like full grown brine shrimp).
And yes, I know not to put the brine shrimp into the betta tanks in salty water...
Sorry to hear. Are your cats in mourning too?
Quote from: Baruch on December 26, 2017, 09:46:54 AM
Sorry to hear. Are your cats in mourning too?
The Mews never found the Betta tanks on the bookshelves. And had they, the tops would have prevented any exploration.
Quote from: Cavebear on December 26, 2017, 09:56:17 AM
The Mews never found the Betta tanks on the bookshelves. And had they, the tops would have prevented any exploration.
I have never heard of betas needing filters. Bigger tanks than they are often sold in, yes.
This will be an interesting thread. I am currently looking into making an aquaponic fish farm... maybe a few months to get a handle on the legal aspect. and a whole lot of months for seed money;-)
I haven’t had any tank yet. But I got bored one day in Jr H.S. and started perusing the book shelf. Some of the books belonged to my dad, but there were a lot of my grandpa’s books on the shelf. I found a 1940ish book giving detailed instructions on how to set up a fish tank without electricity [no air pump, no water pump to filter poop]. It never crossed my mind that people were making fish tanks before electricity was commonplace. I quickly realized that today this would be a challenge for the most advanced fish-keeper and I wanted to take it on. .... maybe someday.
If any of you have interesting websites on fish supplies, let’s see them
This is an internet aquarium supply based in Florida
https://aquariumdepot.com
another aquarium supply
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/product-sea-lettuce-aquacultured
This is some boring stuff I’m trying to understand about CA aquaculture law
https://permits.aquaculturematters.ca.gov/Permit-Guide
Quote from: _Xenu_ on December 26, 2017, 02:24:43 PM
I have never heard of betas needing filters. Bigger tanks than they are often sold in, yes.
I attached onion bag mesh over the filters.
But the main tank has gotten worse. Cyanobacterial infection. Looks like algae but it isn't. I empties the tank and bleached it twice. Now I have "Chem Clean" I hope I have that right. It isn't erythomycin; that would be a last resort.
I've successfully treated a tank for cyanobacterium with tetracycline. It wasn't really that bad, but I had to re-cycle the whole thing.
I am glad to report that the cyanobacteria SEEMS to have been utterly removed! Now I want some live plants like anacharis...