Anyone a Fishkeeper?

[BettaPonic]

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.

[GrinningYMIR]

I used to keep guppies mollies and neons! I loved them

[Mr.Obvious]

Just gonna Check in and follow this thread. Gf and I are thinking of taking an aquarium.

[SGOS]

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.

[BettaPonic]

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?

[_Xenu_]

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.

[_Xenu_]

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.

[_Xenu_]

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.

[SGOS]

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, 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.

Valesenaria 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.

[SGOS]

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.

[_Xenu_]

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.

[SGOS]

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.

[Mermaid]

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.

[chill98]

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. 

[SGOS]

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.