School of Neon Tetras - FINALLY!

I'm back.

Since my last post, I've started up a 5 gallon Cherry Shrimp breeding tank with java moss and a small internal heater. I've bleached and re-setup my 29 gallon. It is in the process of cycling right now and my water is very cloudy (bacteria bloom?). I put a clump of bacopa and a giant anubias in the tank for now along with driftwood and a few rocks. I'm not sure what fish to add to my 29 gallon now. I wanted to give guppies another shot but it hurts to see them.

My 55 gallon looks fabulous now. The plants are all established and THRIVING! I doubled my dose of DIY CO2 (1 tsp. yeast + 2 cups sugar + 1.75 L water = miracle). I use an AquaClear 70 powerhead as a CO2 diffuser as well as water circulator and mini internal filter.

Current stocking level:

16 x neon tetras
5 x kuhli loaches

>>Algae cleanup crew <<

3 x (Giant) Amano shrimp
1 x Otocinclus (will be adding more soon)
2 x Siamese Flying Foxes (will be adding more soon)
2 x (Giant) Zebra Nerite snails
3 (or more) Red Ramshorn snails


My algae cleanup crew is awesome. Together they make my tank virtually spotless. The only thing they are not eating is green spot algae, but that's been diminishing since I added more CO2.

What they do eat: hair/thread algae, brown/red algae, green fuzz/beard algae, microorganisms...hydra???

My dream of keeping a large school of neon tetras has finally come true. And boy does it look magnificient. I love it when they are schooling together and swish back and forth across the tank. It's so peaceful watching them....

PS. Turns out my 10 gallon was NOT infested with velvet. Corydoras catfish NATURALLY have a golden "glimmer" around their fins/gills/body. I bought another False Julii Cory cat today. He seems healthy and energetic. Hopefully he'll stay that way!! :)


PPS. I FIGURED OUT HOW TO FEED BOTTOM FEEDERS WITHOUT OTHER FISH STEALING ALL THE FOOD FIRST!


The solution is simple really: tie the algae wafer or shrimp pellet or other "sinking" food onto a flat rock with a small elastic band. Make sure it's secure and there's no "wiggle room". Works like a charm. My betta is so angry he can't steal any food!!

*Remove any uneaten food*

Life Sucks

All my guppies are dead now. In fact, all the fish in the 29 gallon tank are dead. Medicine, heat, salt and melafix did not work. I'm at a loss for words.

What's worse, I only now realize that the cory catfish and my betta in the 10 gallon are infected with Velvet disease. Their bodies/scales are coated with the very indicative "gold dust" and they've become lethargic. I will pick up medicine soon. Thing is, the catfish can't tolerate the copper based medicines...I suspect all my other catfish died from velvet too...Argh, this is so frustrating. I'm no fish doctor...diagnosing diseases = almost impossible.

Now I fear that I've spread the disease to my newly set up 55 gallon tank. It's hard to tell. I added 6 neon tetras last night, but only noticed 5 this morning. Until I looked in the bucket I'd used to transfer them...the lone neon had accidentally fallen out of the net and survived in about 1/2 cup of ice cold, chlorinated water! What a survivor!

Algae & CO2

My new 55 gallon tank has been struck by an onslaught of at least 3-4 different species of algae.
I have (as far as I can tell), green spot algae, beard algae, fuzz algae, thread algae...blech.

But I found a cool website that talks about algae control. Check it out:

http://www.rexgrigg.com/Algae1.html

Tragedy and Triumph

I've been unexpectedly hit by an onslaught of fish deaths. Yesterday alone I was forced to bury 5 fish. I'm afraid my guppies won't make it and it's really taking a toll on my self-esteem. I introduced a powerhead to help circulate the water in my 55 gallon tank (which I've decided to go low-light low-tech on) and the powerhead sucked up and killed 2 of my neon tetras. (I knew I should have added a sponge prefilter to block the intake!)

More on my 55 gallon though...it is fully planted and therefore I've decided to cut the filter and let nature work its magic. So far so good. The reasoning is this: I cover the top of the tank at night so when fish & plants respire and emit CO2 that gets trapped inside the tank during the night. Then, during daytime when I turn on the lights, the plants will use the CO2 they emitted throughout the night to support growth. So far, it's working. My pH has lowered to 6.2 due to the CO2 and my fish are doing fine. (pH is down to 7.0 due to the Florabase, and CO2 lowers pH further). The good news is that ammonia is not toxic at all since the pH is low..even if I had a lot of it, it is in its non-toxic form, and plus plants love that stuff! No more yeast and sugar DIY CO2 for me! (It was a hassle anyways...bleck)

My only concern is that there are many suspended dirt/dust particles in the tank that's making the water unattractively cloudy. I tried introducing a powerhead but that turned out terribly...the idea is that it will eventually sink to the bottom of the tank to create "mulm" or fertilizer for the plants.

My hope is that the plants will thrive off the nutrient rich FloraBase layer and I won't get too bad of an algae problem because hopefully there won't be too many nutrients floating about in the water column.

--I read an interesting idea which was that to reduce algae, add floating plants such as duckweed or salvinia..their roots will absorb excess nutrients in the water, thus depriving the algae...hmm. Since my lighting is technically considered "low" for a 55 gallon tank, I'm praying I won't get large ugly brown patches of algae. I do have slight dots of brown algae on the leaves and small hair algae strands, but hopefully that will go away eventually.

My lighting is thus: 2x 32 watt Philips aquarium bulbs (8400 k total) and a Coralife Colormax light bulb (28 watts, 6700 k) This total of 92 watts for a 55 gallon tank is pretty low, but the effect is quite pleasing and still looks pretty bright to me. (I SHOULD be opting for around 110 watts in case you're interested)

I will keep you posted and hopefully take photos soon!!


I highly suggest reading this article for anyone interested in doing a low-light no filter (natural) setup...

http://www.malloftheworld.com/aquarium/part1.htm

Eck!

My 29 gallon tank has been completely infested by a single sick guppy I introduced last week. As a result, that guppy died and infected 3 of my other guppies (so far). I believe it's fungus rot of some sort. Eck. Dealing with sick fish all day is a major downer. I am treating a hospital tank with fungus cure right now. Hopefully I won't have to use this green stuff in my 29 gallon tank.

edit--

Now ALL my guppies have been affected. I've opted to use 3x the regular dose of aquarium salt instead to treat this undiagnosed disease. I heard that randomly giving all sorts of harsh medicines will just make the fish weaker.

On a brighter note, my 55 gallon tank is now setup and everything is looking good. I've added tons of plants - I think I want this tank to be my planted masterpiece. So far I have: Amazon sword plants, giant anubias, jungle vals, water wisteria, water sprite, bacopa, ludwigia repens and Java moss & Java fern. It's looking absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I'll post pictures once I find my darn camera...

My DIY CO2 supplement is NOT WORKING for some reason and all the sugar I used for the setup is attracting tons of ants into my house. Not cool.

edit--

I used newly bought yeast and now co2 bubbles are being produced. The bubble ladder is not flowing smoothly though...hmm.

My betta is recovering from fin rot...So far he's doing well.

6 Neon Tetras

So, I haven't been keeping up with my updates. Shame. Anyways, in case you're interested, here's some exciting (and not so exciting) news:

- I have cycled my 40 gallon tank and it is currently housing 6 big fat neon tetras and 2 Amano shrimp. Fully planted.

-My betta + one guppy both got fin rot so they are in a hospital tank being treated with Melafix. Hopefully they'll heal quickly.

-Sadly my other honey gourami and one of my catfish died yesterday. They were struggling for reasons unknown, but I suspect internal parasites. All my other fish seem fine though....

-I have acquired 6 Kuhli loaches in total now, and they are adorable but shy. They hide in the driftwood all day long and only come out to eat at night..but their cute little mouths nibbling is a sight to see!

Update

- Guppies STILL gasping for breath at tank surface even after Maracyn treatment.
- One of my Gouramis died after using Maracyn
- Bought 2 used 55 gallon tank
- Bought 2 used Fluval canister filters & an Eheim filter (more on that later)
- Tons of used equipment...that I will sell

- Bought 7 new species of aquatic plants (including Cabomba, Jungle Val, Amazon Swordplant, Water Wisteria and 2 other ones...)

My 10 Gallon Fish Tank Photos

Here's a photo of my 10 gallon tank (before & after)

1. The "Before" Photo taken 2-3 months ago. Fake plants. Poor upkeep. Betta + 3 frogs. Small
riverbed stones for substrate, 2 fake plastic plants, moss and anarcharis.




2. The "After" Photo I took 5 minutes ago. All live plants, 5 species, Betta + 5 cory cats + 3 shrimp. Large decorative stones + nice driftwood piece. Ultra fine pea gravel substrate + fertilizer.

DIY CO2 Diffuser

My plants aren't thriving as well as I'd like.

My KH is 20ppm, which should be okay considering my pH is at 7.4. But it needs a boost of CO2 so it can reach 30ppm. (The only reason I just wrote that was to sound nerdy. I really still don't understand what KH/GH is all about...something about hardness of the water...All I know is I need to raise CO2 levels in the tank to get better plant growth!)

So I decided to try my hand at a Do-It-Yourself CO2 diffuser. I'm cheap and CO2 canisters cost a lot! I watched a YouTube instruction video and assembled the following things:

- Empty 2L Soda bottle (or you can use any other plastic container/jug)
- Rubber cork/stopper
- Airline tubing
-Check valve
- Airstone
- Yeast
-Sugar
-Water


What you do:

1. Rinse plastic bottle.
2. Drill a hole through the stopper, which should fit snugly into opening of bottle.
3. Insert airline tubing (used for air pumps) into the coke bottle for fitting.
4. Combine some sugar, yeast, and water in the coke bottle.
5. Stopper the bottle and shake.
6. Attach the receiving end of the airline onto an airstone (if desired).
7. CO2 bubbles will then be released.
8. Check valve turns CO2 on and off.
9. Do not use an air pump simultaneously as that will drive the CO2 out of the tank.
10. Replace as needed.


I will assemble this in the next few days and report my findings. After my fish tank is done with its Maracyn regime, I will start CO2 fertilizers and see if my plants thrive better.

Funny/Weird/Stupid Looking Fish Tanks

Here's some pics of really ugly/weird/stupid/funny looking tanks and my nicknames for them.

1. Beer Tank. What a waste of a perfectly beautiful fish tank.




2. The Office. Goldfish busy at work.





3. Did someone say "dirty"?




4. Cichlids Say They Wanna Puke





5. What a Jolly Pink Buddha!





6. "Scarlet Fever" It's like looking at a fishy massacre crime scene.



7. Tacky Much? The Gravel Looks Delightful. *Wink*




8. Rainbow Colors. Is that a plastic cactus growing in the corner??


Some I found on google, others from the following link:

http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14592

Setting Up New 40 gallon Tank

So I bought a used 40 gallon breeder tank and decided to set it up! Today I rinsed about 50 lbs of gravel for almost 2 hours and then added it to the tank. I will start planning a design and plant additions RIGHT NOW, and I am extremely excited. The tank came with a heavy-duty 48" long lighting fixture which is longer than my tank. The tank will probably not be super pretty at first but I'll upgrade as I go. As of now, I intend to use a cheap Tetra 200w heater and an Aqua-Tech 20-40 filter. We'll see where it goes from there.

*********************************************************************

I want to set up a low-maintenance tank with hardy but attractive plants, but knowing me, I probably won't stick to the plan. I wish I was cool enough to do a minimalist design and add like 20 schooling tetras in there and leave it at that but I absolutely LOVE trying out all sorts of complicated designs so I'll probably be overdoing it again.

~~~~Tentative Plants to Buy/Add List ~~~~

- Java Fern (definitely)
- Water Wisteria?
- Java Moss (definitely)
- Crypt
- Anubias (seems to grow REALLY slowly in my other tank...ehh)
-Sagittaria

I am definitely going to consider adding like 20 cardinal tetras to a simple aquascaped tank though... ;)

Air Pump

So turns out my fish may not have gill disease...Instead, they may be suffering from lack of oxygen or ammonia/nitrite burns. I checked my water parameters and they are all at "0" so that just leaves lack of oxygen as the cause for their rapid breathing at the water surface and red/inflamed gills? I may have also created an ammonia/nitrite spike when I added 8 fish within 2 days due to over excitement. Oh what a newbie mistake!

I have since aquired an Elite air pump to increase aeration in my 29 gallon tank. All I did was connect it to a long airline tube with shut off valve and stick the other end in the tank. It's creating monstrous bubbles and I think that's giving my fish some relief. They aren't gasping anymore so I take it that's a good sign. ;) Air pumps displace air, shifting stagnant air laden with CO2 towards the surface, where gas exchange occurs and the CO2 leaves the tank and Oxygen enters.

I am rehoming my 2 Mickey Mouse Platy today (finally). They have been tortured by my guppies for months. The male guppies take it upon themselves to chase the platy around to near exhaustion. I feel so sorry for them! Especially the female, who was receiving way too much unwanted attention.

Now my tank feels so empty without those overexcited orange fish! I may setup a 40 gallon fish tank today...

Cory Catfish Babies

My 10 gallon betta + cory tank has recently been giving me some worry because 2 of my cory catfish died last month and I was afraid it might be due to poor water quality?! But I tested my water and it was fine....But yesterday I discovered some cause for celebration - my cory catfish mated and hatched some babies! Sadly, I only caught sight of one or two because I think I accidentally destroyed the rest of the eggs. I'd removed them thinking they were snail eggs...but turns out they were cory eggs!! Oh well, I know better now. The betta must've eaten the rest of the babies....I was uber excited to find cory fry. They look like livebearer fry but with slightly grey bands/markings.

I've also recently made several additions to my 29 gallon tank, which is now a tad overstocked.

I added:

5 female guppies (2 with flaming orange/yellow tails, 1 with a turquoise tail, 2 reg. yellow ones)
2 Kuhli loaches (4cm each)
1 Butterfly Hillstream Loach

2 of the female guppies are already pregnant, the 3 other ones are still juveniles. The Kuhli loaches are amazing and adorable...but they are so shy they just burrow and hide so I rarely see them. They are small still and have beautiful markings. The butterfly loach (which looks like a tiny pleco) is also really shy but adorable. Apparently he's a coolwater fish though so I may have to make new arrangements for him......Sad news is I think my guppies all have gill flukes because they have inflamed gills and gasp for breath all the time...I may need to buy Maracyn-2 really soon.

Here is my final stocking for the 29 gallon tank. I don't think I can add any more fish...but I may startup a 40 gallon tank soon...

6 fancy male guppies
5 fancy female guppies
2 Platy fish (being bullied so I will rehome them soon)
3 Ghost Shrimp
1 Amano Shrimp (LARGE)
2 Kuhli Loaches
1 Butterfly Hillstream Loach
2 Honey Golden Dwarf Gouramis
some Trumpet Snails


Yup.

Fish Nutrition & Feeding

If you really want to get down to the nitty-gritty details...here are some fishy nutrition facts and some interesting food choices for your aquarium fish!

A month ago I wrote up a list of possible food choices for your fishy friends. Here's a recap of the aforementioned dietary selections along with a few new options.

- Mussels, raw beef heart, daphnia, bloodworms, white worms, small insects
- Glass worms, brine shrimp, fish fry, plankton, earthworms, snails
- Basil (herb), Angelica (herb), Paprika peppers, Carrots,
-Wheat bran, spinach, nettle, borage, spirulina algae, seaweed, soybeans
- Zucchini, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, fine leaved plants, wood (for catfish)



***FEEDING TIPS***

- Feed only a small amount 2-3x daily.
- Feed only the amount that can be consumed within 2 minutes
- Distribute food evening across water surface to ensure all fish can eat their share
- Do not feed anything to fish 1-2x a week to allow them to "fast" and get rid of waste
- Feed a variety of different foods to ensure maximum health and brilliant colors
- Do not feed expired or very old food because it most likely will have no nutrients left.
- Do not keep food in clear plastic bags because when food comes in contact with light, air, water, the vitamins, minerals and nutrients are destroyed.
- Use a gravel vacuum to suck up uneaten food at the bottom


*** Nutrition Chart ***

Vitamin A: benefits vision, growth, protects slime coat, increases fertility// deficiency could result in bleeding eyes or ulcers

Vitamin B1: essential for nervous system functioning // deficiency could result in odd swimming patterns and brain damage

Vitamin B2: digestion, muscle growth, protects slime coat// deficiency could result in ulcers and nervous sytem problems

Vitamin B5: enzyme synthesis //deficiency = gill damage

Vitamin B6: nervous system functioning

Vitamin B12: digestion, red blood cells // deficiency = anemia, growth problems

Vitamin C: immune system, bone growth, body growth

Vitamin D3: regulates calcium & phosphorus, skeletal growth

Vitamin E: fertility hormones, liver functioning

Vitamin H: growth hormones

Vitamin K: heals injuries

Choline: digests fat










Based on the SERA GUIDE "How to Feed your Tropical Fish Naturally"

Guppys + Gill Disease?

Recently I've noticed a few of my guppies breathing rapidly at the water surface. Their gills appear slightly swollen and reddish. Could this be gill disease caused by internal bacteria? I do not want to misdiagnose them and give them the wrong medicine because I heard that if you give a healthy guppy antibiotics or other meds, it might kill him!!! The last thing I want is to make a mistake!

The only other reason I can think of for their labored breathing would be insufficient aeration but I figure since I have so many plants, oxygen shouldn't be a problem....

I will most likely put them in a hospital tank and dose them with a week of Maracyn that I have lying around (I was going to use it to treat my cyanobacteria, but found it unnecessary when I took down the tank and bleached it). Maracyn-2 might be better for internal diseases though..........Funny thing is, only the guppies are affected! The platy and gouramis are a-okay. Hmmm

Standard Aquarium Sizes

Basic Aquarium Sizes (US Units of Weight & Measure)

Note: Weights are for glass aquariums, acrylic will weigh less

SMALL AQUARIUMS (not recommended for beginners)
Tank Size	L x W x H	Filled Weight
2 1/2 gallon	12" x 6" x 8"	27 lbs
5 gallon	16" x 8" x 10"	62 lbs
10 gallon "Leader"	20" x 10" x 12"	111 lbs
15 gallon	24" x 12" x 12"	170 lbs
15 gallon High	20" x 10" x 18"	170 lbs
MID-SIZED AQUARIUMS
Tank Size	L x W x H	Filled Weight
20 gallon High	24" x 12" x 16"	225 lbs
20 gallon Long	30" x 12" x 12"	225 lbs
25 gallon	24" x 12" x 20"	282 lbs
29 gallon	30" x 12" x 18"	330 lbs
30 gallon Breeder	36" x 18" x 12"	348 lbs
40 gallon Breeder	36" x 18" x 16"	458 lbs
40 gallon Long	48" x 12" x 16"	455 lbs
LARGE AQUARIUMS
Tank Size	L x W x H	Filled Weight
50 gallon	36" x 18" x 19"	600 lbs
55 gallon	48" x 13" x 21"	625 lbs
65 gallon	36" x 18" x 24"	772 lbs
75 gallon	48" x 18" x 21"	850 lbs
90 gallon	48" x 18" x 24"	1050 lbs
125 gallon	72" x 18" x 21"	1400 lbs
150 gallon	72" x 18" x 28"	1800 lbs
180 Gallon	72" x 24" x 25"	2100 lbs

copied directly from:

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/aquariumsandstands/a/tanksizesweights.htm

Aquarium Heater Size Guide

You should choose the appropriate heater wattage for your tank to ensure that the water is sufficiently heated and that the temperature remains constant throughout the entire tank. According to this chart below, I need a 50 watt heater for my 10 gallon tank (which I do have!) and a 75 watt heater for my 30 gallon tank (I have a 200 watt heater!!). The temperatures refer to the # of degrees of difference between your room temperature and the desired fish tank temperature. For example, my room temperature is 68 F, and my desired water temperature is 78 F. The difference is 10 F, so I look in the first column to see the required heater wattage.

Liters/Gallons (std tank size)	5ºC/9ºF	10ºC/18ºF	15ºC/27ºF
25 L/5 gal (1ft)	25 watt	50 watt	75 watt
50 L/10 gal (2ft)	50 watt	75 watt	75 watt
75 L/20 gal (3ft)	50 watt	75 watt	150 watt
100 L/30 gal (4ft)	75 watt	100 watt	200 watt
150 L/40 gal (6ft)	100 watt	150 watt	300 watt
200 L/50 gal(8ft)	150 watt	200 watt	two 200 watt
250 L/65 gal (10ft)	200 watt	250 watt	two 250 watt
300 L/75 gal	250 watt	300 watt	two 300 watt

Update on my "Disaster" .....((600 views!!))

Luckily I managed to give the huge pleco away to a man with a 100 gallon fish tank. Awesome! I sincerely hope the big guy does well in his huge new home. Hopefully someone will adopt the other fish soon...I've currently been cramming the 5 inch gourami and 6 inch shark in a tiny 10 gallon hospital tank...it's terrible I know but it's the only tank I can find with a suitable heater!!

Another one of my catfish died last night. He was half-dead when I pulled him out...and I had to euthanize him by pouring him into a little cup and drowning him in bleach. I heard that's the fastest way to kill a sick fish that's just not going to make it....Thankfully he did not suffer and died instantly (within 2 seconds, literally!). I buried him along with the other dead catfish. I thought he was responding to medication but apparently he wasnt....*sigh* Worst part is I didn't even know what was wrong with him....I suspect it was internal parasites though.

My 2 honey gouramis are PAINFULLY SHY and will not approach my fingers when I'm feeding everyone. As a result, they hardly eat, if at all because the guppies and platy just steal the food! Even the shrimp are better eaters than them! I'm very worried for their health but no matter how hard I try, it darts away when I stick my hands in the water! I even tried enticing them with worms, but they did not eat from my fingers.

Disaster...?!

Today I adopted 8 fish and the 40 gallon tank etc. they came with. It was a good deal but the tank is extremely, extremely dirty. It housed a 10 inch sailfin pleco, 2 cherry barbs, 1 giant red gourami, 3 panda cory catfish and a 6 inch red tail black shark. The poor fish were swimming in muddy filth and I thought it'd be a good idea to rescue them. However, when I arrived to pick them up, I was told that the heater shattered! The tank is now sitting in my room, so dirty and mucky that I don't want it anymore. The edges were resealed poorly with sloppy silicone and there's rotting debris floating everywhere.

The filter is loud and doesn't seem to be working very well. I have managed to relocate the panda cories to my 10 gallon betta tank (where my false julii cories are);; I put the big red "dwarf" gourami (6 inches big, almost like a juvenile oscar) in my 29 gallon tank with my honey gouramis, guppies etc. and I put the shark & the 2 barbs in my temporary hospital tank. Lastly, I kept the massive pleco in the 40 gallon tank all by himself.

The shark is very stressed and his fins are torn, possibly by the barbs? The pleco was injured when I tried to catch him in my big net. He's almost 25 cm long so as you can imagine, it was quite difficult to scoop him up without him thrashing and resisting the whole time. He is now staying in one spot and barely moving...but then again plecos naturally don't move a lot. I really do hope this group of hardy fish will survive....I mean they managed to live in a filthy tank for so long.......

The panda cories are by far the least stressed. They are extremely active and are moving around like crazy!! I know the shark is very very weak though because she keeps gasping for breath and barely moves anymore. (Earlier she was thrashing!)

I feel sorry for these poor fish...but I'm trying to find the shark and pleco and barbs a good home...as they cannot get along with my other fish - they are massive and territorial and aggressive.

*Sigh*

How to Feed Corydoras Catfish

I have 3 lonely souls scrounging for food in my 10 gallon Betta tank. The poor spotted corydoras catfish have to compete with my betta - imagine that! As a result, they are often hungry. Here's what to do if you find yourself in a similar situation:

****TIE FOOD TO A FLAT ROCK USING AN ELASTIC BAND. WORKS LIKE A CHARM. ****

- Feed pellets or tablets after lights out at night. Catfish rely on sense of touch & smell, not sight, unlike other regular fish.

- Feed sinking catfish pellets CRUSHED INTO TEENY PIECES and spread them all over the gravel. The filter won't suck it up, and it'll minimize stealing as there are so many pieces!! And you can use it during the day and watch 'em eat!

- Sprinkle tropical flakes over the gravel - helps if your gravel is brown & white like mine - the flakes blend right in. If you do this though you have to turn off the filter for 30 minutes or else the circulating water will stir up the light flakes where the catfish can't reach.

- Feed them vegetables. A medium sized slice of cucumber can satisfy all herbivores and omnivores simultaneously - no need to push and shove and steal food. Also, if you have carnivorous fish, they won't touch veggies!

- Separate aggressive and/or greedy eaters by keeping them to one side of the tank with a net (more effortful but worth it to prevent overfeeding)

- Hand feed. If you have extremely brave cories who will approach your hand (rare, since they are so shy usually), you can selectively feed them by hand.

Driftwood (407 pageviews!!)

*above: Large manzanita driftwood pieces interweaved with crypts? Check out the Java Moss lattice work in the back of the tank! It's like a moss carpet wall hanging. Interesting eh?

A month or two ago I tried to "cure" my own driftwood with some success. I found 4 pieces of driftwood from the beach, soaked them, boiled them in salt water (kill bacteria), soaked them in boiling hot water, changing water daily until the pieces sunk. 2 of the small pieces sunk, but the 1 of the larger pieces never did so I gave up after about 2 weeks. The other piece was stylin' but it had a rotting core which can't be used for aquascaping because it just rots in the tank and kills your fish/plants.

Today whilst visiting one of my favorite aquarium stores, I decided to buy 2 pieces of sandblasted driftwood from the store. The first piece is about 20 cm (medium size) and has a nice shape to it. It's made of MALAYSIAN WOOD and created by GeoSystem ($13).

The second is a 60 cm long, thin MANZANITA WOOD branch with very unique patterns ($8).

I will be soaking them for the next few days - weeks to get the tannins (brown coloring) out after a good scrubbing, hopefully they will sink properly and add some character to my tank?! I might consider weighing them down with a stone if I have to. I'll keep you updated!


--edit

As expected, the woods turned my tank water a nice tannin brown color. I actually rather like it. The water is still crystal clear, just tinted in a more natural way so it isn't glaringly white & pristine anymore. The effect is wonderful. My shrimp seem especially attached to the wood...

A Feast of Fry

My Platy momma gave birth to 20+ fry tonight. I sat there watching for about 2 hours. (This was at the same time as my gouramis were mating). This is the very first time I've ever seen her give birth - she always does it at night so I never see it. She just weaves into the vallisnerias and tilts until her head is upside down and kinda shimmies a bit until live babies swim out of her.

It was sickening but fascinating at the same time. The teeny peach-colored platy fry would pop out of the female platy and be instantly chewed to bits by a guppy or gourami, or even the platy herself! Most of the fry did not survive for longer than 5 seconds (literally!).

The poor things were cornered and devoured with great gusto by my guppies, who only get the chance to eat live prey (fry) once a month. I even saw a teeny ghost shrimp snatch up an unsuspecting fry that was camouflaged into the gravel! It was ridiculous how the ghost shrimp swiped its pincers and shoved the baby into its mouth.

The female platy has been giving birth for the past 2 hours. Every 15-20 minutes, 2-3 babies would slide out of her at once. She's considerably thinner now (earlier she looked like she was about to blow up). You can tell she's about to give birth when her belly "squares up" and looks like a rectagular box.

She eats ferociously when she gives birth because laboring wastes so much energy. Poor her...everyone chases her tail hoping to snatch up freshly born fry. My tank is literally floating with dead bits of fry everywhere and poop. There's quite a few decapitated heads floatin' about...kinda gross. After watching the massacre for about an hour, I decided to salvage what fry I could find left and put it into my betta's tank in hopes of saving them. I know, I know, it's not that much better, but I'm hoping that since my betta moves so slowly, it won't be able to catch the fry. Plus there's a large clump of Java moss in my betta's 10 gallon tank....I managed to salvage 4 frail lives from the wreckage. I don't know if they'll even last til morning though! :|

I mean, I knew what I was getting into by letting the fry be born free, but still, watching them get eaten like that by the other fish made me a little bit, just a little bit teary. Poor things...didn't even know what hit 'em.

I once had a fry survive for a whole month and she was really starting to show her colors when WHAM, she got eaten too when I introduced my first gourami. *Sigh* I really should've saved her - she was a survivor! She survived 2 moves and dodged 10 hungry fish, scrounging off bits of leftover food and algae (I never could feed her because she was always hiding)

Uh oh...I think my betta JUST realized that I put fry in the tank. It's dark, but I think he can still see them.......


By the way - you can sex a platy by looking at its anal fin. Females have a triangle "flag" shaped fin, while males have a long thin gonopodium that looks like a stick.

Some people prefer to plop their pregnant fish into a breeder net, which hooks onto the side of the fish tank. When the babies come out, they slide into a lower compartment and are protected. But I believe this severely stresses out the mother AND the babies because they are so cramped in such a tiny space.

I don't have a separate tank to spare just for fry....my policy is: survival of the fittest. There's plenty of plants in the tank - if the fry is smart and crafty as well as resourceful it'll live. Yeeks!

Gouramis Mating

I've just spent two hours watching one of the most interesting phenomenon I've thus witnessed since I began fishkeeping 4 months ago: Gouramis having sex. It's by far one of the most fascinating and beautiful exchanges I've ever seen.

As far as I can tell, it began 2 hours ago when the male and female honey gouramis were sharing a snack: a newly born Platy fry :(. After that, their colors became amazingly bright - especially the male, whose orange fins and tails grew exceptionally beautiful. The female grew a little bit paler. Then they began chasing each others tails around the tank.

After playing around for a few minutes, they began wagging their tails furiously, approaching each other cautiously, as if to kiss. But instead of touching lips, they started pressing their bodies together, and then "hugging". The female lies flat against the gravel while the male curves his body towards her and almost has a seizure.

I can tell it's exhausting work because both of them are panting and out of breath, and they "take a break" from each other every 10 minutes or so - staying at opposite sides of the tank until they're ready to meet again.

I've heard many people call it a "courtship dance". Dance indeed! The female will swim 2 strokes back, the male one stroke forward and then vice versa like salsa or tango...It looks quite complicated and intricate...almost aggressive - they nip each other...but in a tender, almost playful way - not in a harmful manner. They also nip and chase away any of the other fish that get too close to them.

It's funny; I didn't expect them to start mating so soon. After all, it's only been one full day since I introduced the male. Speaking of him...he's adorable - he has a birthmark running along his chin like a slim beard. I upset me at first but the blemish is becoming endearing now. I've also learned that the female honey gold (dwarf) gourami will only mate with a male THE SAME COLOR...I had a male fire honey (dwarf) gourami and they didn't even get close to one another. They looked the same except the fire honey was a bit redder. But I guess they were different species?!

The Bossy Wife

I have had the pleasure of observing my mating pair of Platys for 3-3.5 months now, and I just realized that my female platy is REALLY...BOSSY.

She always scarfs down food like there's no tomorrow (even more so than the other fish), and will push and shove other fish away to get more food even if she looks like she's about to explode. Always hungry and always pregnant, this little mickey is not to be messed with.

She's like a bossy wife, always "ordering" her husband around...I see the male platy always trailing by her fins, and whenever they both find food together, he ALWAYS gives her the food. It's kind of sweet actually...he nudges bits of food with his mouth towards the female platy almost like a peace offering, and the female platy just snatches it and tears it apart. The female also has a small posse of red guppies at her beck and call, but the guppies aren't as whipped as the male platy.


I know male platties are supposed to be skinnier and smaller but mine never looks full at all and I rarely see him eat anything because he's so shy and always gives up his food to his wife. She's already give birth twice to batches of his fry...but I suspect she ate most of her babies (too bossy to be responsible for the upbringing of her kids? ;) just kidding)

Ahh...I still remember it like it was yesterday...when I brought both of them home from the pet store. They cowered behind plants for 2 days, refusing to swim around. Now look at 'em! Lording over the entire tank....haha


******edit

My female platy gave birth again today...but I only caught sight of one fry...which got eaten by a voracious guppy about 5 minutes later. I was shocked for a moment when I saw the little thing dart up to the surface of the water...and the guppy lunged for it...and then munched on it for like 20 seconds. Harsh fish eat fish world!

Japonic Shrimp

Call me crazy but there's somethin' about a Japonic shrimp that makes it look well...Asian. I bought just one of them to eat the small patches of soft green algae growing on my plants - can't really scrub 'em off. These little critters cost ~$3.20 a pop! Luckily I bought a really big one that's about 1.5 inches long. It's very handsome.

***Quick Facts ***

- aka Amano Shrimp or Yamato Shrimp (found in Japan)
- Will eat frozen food, flakes, bits n' pieces, algae etc.
- Very hardy, tolerant of a variety of water conditions.
- Good for small aquariums
- Peaceful creatures


After only 10 minutes of swimming around the tank, my new Japonic shrimp has enthusiastically eaten a ton of algae! His body went from clear to BROWN, and I can see all the algae chugging in there...He's adorable! So much cuter than my Ghost Shrimp, which look weak and flimsy. This guy, I think he was like the boss of the fish store tank.... ;)

The Price of Fish These Days...

I live in Canada, in case you didn't already know. Up here, fish prices are roughly:

(according to an average of all my local fish stores// prices in CAD $$)

Algae Eaters: $4

Angelfish: $6-$10

Barbs: $4

Betta fish: $5-$20 (depending on type, colors, health)

Cherry Shrimp: $3

Cichlids: $6-$15

Corydoras Catfish: $6

Danios: $1.00

Endler's Livebearers: $3

Feeder Goldfish: 30 cents
Koi: $7-$20


Ghost Shrimp: $1

Gouramis: $5-$10

Fancy Male Guppies : $3.50-$6 (depending on color)
Regular Female Guppies: $2
Guppy Fry: $0.50

Hatchetfish: $4

Kribensis: $5

Loaches: $4-$7

Mollies: $4

Platy: $3

Pleco: $6-$10

Rams: $6

Rasboras: $3

Sharks: $6-$10

Silver Dollars: $4

Snails: $2

Swordtails: $4

Tetras: $2-$4

Upside-Down or Pictus Catfish: $7- $10

White Cloud: $2

Good Aquarium Websites

For my own reference as much as it is for you! =) Enjoy.

FishLore/////// http://www.fishlore.com/


- Lots of in-depth, easy to read articles, guides
- Simple, no-nonsense layout, easy to navigate
- Covers issues from breeding to diseases to plants
- Awesome fishy forum for your Q&As

**Brownie Pts: - Has a nifty aquarium calculator to do those tough math conversions!


MongaBay /////http://fish.mongabay.com/

- Simple no-nonsense layout, easy to navigate
- Little to NO PHOTOS though =(
- Detailed articles on a variety of topics
- A tad boring though, but thorough

*** Brownie pts: - Different language options


To be Continued...

RIP Panda Catfish

One of my newly aquired juvenile panda cories died today. Reason, unknown, but it may have been due to bullying from other fish? Also, my ghost shrimp have been popping off one at a time...I had 7 of 'em 2 weeks ago, now I only have 3 left. *Sigh*


On a happier note, I'm averaging 30 views a day now! =) Thanks guys...and gals.


**edit

2 of my other catfish are dying...I'm afraid they won't live to see the morning. The other panda cory hasn't moved in a while and one of my false julii catfish was swimming upside down...I put him in a separate bowl but I don't think he'll last the night. I have absolutely NO IDEA what's happening...they don't have any external symptoms. This is so upsetting and frustrating!!

Future Posts to Look Forward to...

• Fish Tail Shapes (i.e. lyretail, fantail, veil tail etc.)

• Classification of Fish Diseases

• Weird looking fish
  

Aquarium A to Z: a brief encyclopedia of terms

(a work in progress...)

* No fish in this list because then the post would get too long...haha...and no saltwater tank related stuff sorry*
A

Acidity: lower than 7.0 on the pH scale.

Acrylic: some tanks are made of acrylic plastic; lightweight but scratches REALLY easily. No suggested for display aquariums.

Activated Carbon: you know those black rocks you see stuffed into filter cartridges? Once you rinse them in water, they'll sizzle. This is activated carbon - and it removes discoloration in water, harmful toxins as well as medicine and fertilizers. Remove new carbon when dosing chemicals or else it'll all be for nought. (haha, I never use the word "nought"....)

"Aha": What you say when you FINALLY solve your newest aquarium dilemma. (I know...lame joke)

Air Pump: a small, usually rectangular box that pumps air into the aquarium using electricity. You must connect the pump to an airline tubing and airstone. Really cheap to buy but can be quite noisy.

Airstone: a round stone that emits air bubbles underwater when connected to tubing and an electrical air pump. Disturbing the water surface with bubbles aids in gas in exchange, aka more oxygen.

Algae: it's a pest officially, but though you may be reluctant to call it so, it is a type of aquarium plant. Caused by excess nutrients and lighting. Appears as large patches of green/brown fuzz over tank glass, ornaments, gravel. Fish fry and catfish love to munch on soft algae. Or you can just scrape it off with an algae scrubber/wool pad and/or use algaecide. Conversely, you can buy algae tablets/wafers to feed to your catfish once they've eaten all the natural algae in the aquarium!

Alkalinity: Above 7.0 on the pH scale.

Amano: Some famous dude who crafts the most wicked aquascapes ever. Check it out - srsly. His designs are really detailed, artistic and legen - wait for it - dary. He holds aquarium design competitions and everything! :)

Amazon Swordplant: blade like broad leaves, almost like a vegetable

Ammonia (NH3): A toxin that results from too much fish poop, dead stuff or nutrients. Can be tested for using a chemical test kit. Even a tiny trace amount may kill fish. The higher your pH level & temperature, the more ammonia there is dissolved in the water. It spikes during beginning portion of the Nitrogen Cycle

Anarachis: leafy plant that many omnivorous/herbivorous fish will eat, grows tall under right circumstances. Caution: leaves may decay and scatter everywhere.

Anchor Worm: See flukes (anchor worms are parasites that may require you to physically remove them from fish's body with tweezers. Difficulty: 100/100. Ouch!)

Aqueon HOB filters: Good price. Very quiet. Biggest size filters a 75 gallon tank? Nice, sleek design.

AquaClear HOB filters: Little expensive. Quiet. High filtration capacity apparently. Clear plastic, design isn't super awesome, but it works well I hear.

Aquascaping: the art of landscaping underwater designs.

B
Bacterial Bloom: if you're just setting up a new aquarium and the water goes really cloudy, it may be due to a sudden spike in bacteria. This is a natural part of the nitrogen cycle and should disappear with 1-3 days.
Ballast: the little plastic cylindrical knob-like thinymabob that transforms regular electricity into a form that's usable by fluorescent bulbs - allowing the bulb to "shoot out" rays of light and energy everywhere.

Barbel: the little pairs of whiskers you see on catfish. They use 'em for smell and touch.

Biotope design: a natural form of aquascaping that mimics the fish's natural environment.

Bloodworms: High fat, low nutrient, "junk food" for fish. AKA Red Mosquito Larva. Comes in blister packs of 12 or more. Each cube yields about 100 of 'em. Defrost and serve. Usually you should dump uneaten portions instead of re-freezing them to prevent bacterial contamination.

Brackish water: water that is partly fresh, partly salty and partly muddy too. Some fish can only live in this type of "in-between" environment.

Breeder Tank: A tank set up for breeding purposes and fish fry. Functional but not intended to be beautiful or aesthetically pleasing.

Brine Shrimp: Teeny salty shrimp. You can buy a blister package of 24 and each frozen cube yields about 200 of 'em. Defrost the cube and feed 'em.

Bubble Nest: if you've got a betta fish or a gourami or something related to them, you know what I'm talkin' about. Bubble nests are exactly that: large bubbles fish will blow around plants or edges of tanks in preparation for mating. The males make 'em and then put their babies into the the nests to hatch. It's quite cute really.


C

Cabomba: fine-needled plant that grows in bunches, light green to dark red. Very soft looking and makes for a nice background plant. Very HIGH LIGHT required, or else the needles will shed like mad and ruin your display.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2): just like you and me, fish exhale CO2. Plants inhale CO2 during the day, and exhale CO2 at night. Sometimes plants can't get enough CO2 especially if its a heavily planted aquarium. In this case, you'll need to supplement CO2 using a DIY diffuser or buy it in cans. CO2 promotes plant growth, but too much will kill everything!

Carnivorous Fish: Meat? Where?

Copper: Trace amounts = good. Too much = death. Found in some medicines, copper pipes and some rocks. Can be tested using chemical test kit. Invertebrates and snails = very sensitive to this.

Constipation: If your fish has a bulging behind and hasn't pooped in a while, chances are, there's some clogging goin' on. Feed peas to add some "roughage"

Cellophane Plant

Characins:

Chill/Cold: Just like how you may catch the sniffles on a cold day, if you shock your fish with cold water or a drastically different water condition, their immune systems will suck and they'll get sick.

Community fish: fish that will get along with other species (but this varies depending on the fish's personality really - some "community fish" may grow large and hostile as they age!)

Crypt (plant)

Culling: Like euthanasia for fish who suffer from an incurable disease

Cyprinidae: a taxonomic classification denoting a family of "carp-like fish" i.e. goldfish, danios, barbs, rasboras, minnows etc.

D

Daphnia: Insect. Food. Yum.

Dragonfly Larva: food for some big fish, predators to other small fry

Declorinator: a chemical that removes chlorines and other chemicals making tap water safe for fish. This is essential to prevent chlorine/chloramine poisoning.

Dither Fish: really fast, manic fish that distract aggressive fish from smaller, slower, weaker fish. Aggressive fish will spend a lot of time chasing "dither fish" such as silver dollars or danios.

Driftwood: collect your own and soak it for a month or two, disinfect with salt and boil it, or buy it in stores. Looks really natural and your fish will love you for it. May dye your water brown as it leaches tannins.

Dropsy: Even the name sounds yucky. Fish's body becomes EXTREMELY bloated and scales protrude like a pine cone.

Duckweed: a weed to some, a nice surface aquatic plant for others. Teeny little "lily pads" that float on the surface. Breaks apart light so it isn't as intense (which may be good or bad). ABSOLUTELY UNSUITABLE FOR HOB FILTERS: any kind of filter that creates a "waterfall effect" will push the duckweed deep into the tank and it will then proceed to stick to EVERYTHING and ROT. Duckweed is a hit or miss - either looks awesome or is a total flop. Try it in a tank with an internal filter or undergravel filter.


E

Earthworm..dig in your garden, find one, chop it up and serve with a side of lettuce.

Egg: tiny round capsules that hold baby fish about to be hatched.

Eheim canister filter: one of the best canister filters out there. Contains a basket that you can load up with all sorts of goodies - carbon, filter floss, peat etc. So quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Top notch & durable.


F

Fairy Moss

Fake Plants: easy to maintain, but may look tacky...more expensive than live plants sometimes. Silk is better than plastic, which may be rough on fins.

Feeders: usually goldfish, fry, or plain guppies. Feeders are fed to other big fish like oscars, discus, eels or angelfish.

Filter: your fish's best friend

Fin Rot: pretty self-explanatory don't you think. Treat with antibacterial meds.

Fish Flakes: multi-colored dried flakes that absorb water quickly and fed as the predominant diet of most tropical fish. Easier to ingest for fish if you crush 'em up and sprinkle just below surface of water. Can be color-enhancing and may have extra vitamins your fish need.

Flukes: parasites that hang on your fish's body, from gills, mouth, or anus, needs meds asap.

Fluorescent lights

Fluval Canister Filters

Fry: baby fish

Fungus: cotton-y patches of slimy goop. Requires anti-fungal meds.


G

Glassworms: white mosquito larvae; can be fed as awesome fish treats!

Gonopodium: a male fish's sexual reproductive organ

Gravel: small pebbles that act as substrate for plants

Gravid: preggers

Gravid spot: a white or dark spot on females indicating their gender as well as their pregnancy.

Grindal worms: good for fry, can be cultured/grown at home

H

Heater: your fish's 2nd best friend.

Halogen lights: REALLY BRIGHT LIGHTS, awesome for planted aquariums.

Humpback Disease: the poor fish has a humped back, most likely born that way. No cure.

Hybrid Fish

Hydra: tiny dandelion seed-like creatures that may shock fry, and hangs in clumps on tank glass. Just wipe it away and make sure you feed less food.




I

Ich: fish disease indicated by tiny white spots all over fish's body; it makes fish really itchy, so they'll scratch themselves. High temperature & meds can cure it easily.

Infusoria: teeny microorganisms that you can't see. Can be fed to fry.


J

Java Fern: hardy, hardy, hardy. Spear-shaped leaves, attach to wood or rocks and the roots will cling to it until the 2 are inseparable.

Java Moss: Give it lots of light and it'll spread like wildfire. Attach to wood/rocks/deco or just let it float around. Awesome baby-saver - no fish can find a fry in a clump that dense!



K

K (Potassium): a mineral micronutrient commonly found in plant fertilizer. Aquatic plants require potassium in trace amounts in order to thrive.

KH/GH: measures the hardness of your water or how much Calcium is dissolved in it. Some fish prefer soft, others prefer hard water. Can be tested using chemicals. You can increase hardness by adding coral substrate or hard gravel. This may be necessary if you're keeping cichlids for example.


L

Labyrinth Organ: an organ that lets fish breathe oxygen directly from air

Livebearer: a fish that produces live, free swimming babies (i.e. guppies and platies)

Ludwigia: red, leafy plant, moderately easy to keep but needs lots of light.

Lyretail



M

Madagascar Lace Plant: translucent, leafy plant with a lace pattern that looks like rectangular holes; very delicate plant that enters "hibernation" and dies back for a few months periodically.

Magnum Canister Filter

Melafix: common preventative antibacterial medicine used to prevent mostly, but also treat a little bit common bacterial problems like fin rot, pop-eye, wounds, bleeding. Smells...natural. Contains tea tree oil. Safe for plants and inverts!

Methylene Blue: anti-fungus, anti-bacteria, anti-parasite. Very commonly used medicine. Will dye water blue. May damage plants, inverts, bacteria.

Microworms: good for fry, can be cultured/grown at home with oatmeal, yeast, water and heat.

Mosquito larvae: see Bloodworms/White worms

N

Nematode: aka flatworm parasite

Neutral: 7.0 on the pH scale. Not acidic or basic.

New Tank Syndrome: when your best intentions go awry - caused by trying to rush the nitrogen cycle and adding too many fish at once. Bacteria/toxins spike and kill fish. Remember, setting up a new tank from scratch takes LOTS OF PATIENCE and the nitrogen cycle could take 1-3 months to establish! Don't stock to you limit right away.

Nitrate: harmless end product of nitrogen cycle. Absorbed by plants and removed via water changes.

Nitrite: bacteria convert ammonia into nitrites in stage 2 of the nitrogen cycle. Nitrites can poison fish...luckily they are further converted into Nitrates (with an "a")

Nitrogen cycle: a cycle crucial to the survival of your fish. Read my nitrogen cycle post.

O

Oxygen: you need it to survive...so do the fish. Gas exchange can be improved with an airstone.

P

Parasites: internal or external, won't necessarily kill your fish, but will definitely weaken their immune systems, making them susceptible to other diseases. May be visible, in which case you need to pluck 'em off with tweezers (don't ask me how?!) and treat with anti-parasite meds.

pH scale: a scale running from 0-14. Neutral water is 7.0, below 7.0 is acidic, higher than 7.0 is basic. Chemical pH test kits can help you identify the pH based on the color of the water after you add the reagent. Certain fish have specific pH requirements. pH also affects ammonia levels.

Pimafix: works similarly to Melafix. Treats fungal and bacterial infections. Safe for fish, inverts, bacteria, plants.

Plankton: tiny organisms that fish will eat, found in saltwater

Pop-Eye Disease: ugly bacterial infection requires anti-bacterial meds.

Pygmy Chain Sword Plant

Q

Quarantine Tank: a separate tank with individual heater, filter, cave for sick/new fish. Usually 5-10 gallons will suffice, bigger if you have big fish.


R

Reverse Osmosis Water (RO water):


S

Salvinia (frogbits): they look like small lily pads (size of your fingertips)

Salinity: how salty the water is =P

Sand: very very fine particles that act as smooth substrate for plants and fish.

Shock: how your fish feels about your new pink sweater...just kidding. Shock is when fish get sick due to sudden fluctuations in water conditions/temperatures, usually when you're transporting them.

Show-quality Fish: expensive, rare, beautiful fish bred for special color strains and competitions

Snails: pains in the butt

Stand: you need a very sturdy stand to support your tank, which can weigh up to several hundred pounds when filled with water, substrate, fish, decorations etc!!

Swim Bladder: a little lump near the rear end of a fish that allows fish to swim properly and remain buoyant.

T

Tank: your pets' home: glass or acrylic. Varies from 1-200 gallons+

Temperature: tropical fish require temperatures of 23-28 C aka 73-82 F

Thermometer: check readings to make sure your fish are swimming at a comfy temperature

Top Fin: a brand developed by PetSmart, cheap products, usually not that great quality.

Tuberculosis: incurable disease- if your fish gets this, you will need to cull him/her to put them out of their misery. Very long lasting, traumatic, painful disease! =(

Tubifex worms: freeze-dried worms that will make your fish grow fat. Don't overfeed!!


U

Undergravel Filter: a grate that sits under the gravel... it houses beneficial bacteria but requires air lines and an air pump to operate.

V

Vallisnaria: hardy grass-like background plant, med lighting, proprogates naturally without your interference.Grows really tall under the right circumstances.

Veil Tail: See my future post on tail shapes

Velvet Disease: small gold specks on your fish's body, requires antibacterial meds.


W

Wafers: Sinking pellets of food for bottom feeders such as catfish, loaches, shrimp, snails, plecos etc. Yumm!

Water: H20. Fish need it. You need it too!

Water changes: something you should be doing at least once every 1-2 weeks. Save yourself time - buy a gravel vacuum so you can remove water and waste at the same time.

Water conditioner: removes harmful chloramines and chlorine from regular tap water.

White Spot Disease: see ICH

White worms: yummy fish treats

X
xx: how your fish's eyes look after they've passed away (I'm struggling here okay? It's tough finding terms that start with "x")

xxx: the label on a bottle of poison you should never use near your fish tank. Even diffused particles in the air can find their way into the tank...

Y

"Yay!": What I'll say when my blog has reached 200 views.

Yellow water: an indicator of excess rotting plants/nutrients/bacteria/algae

Z

ZZZ: what your fish do at night...

Briefly referred to:

"The Dell Encyclopedia of Tropical Fish" by T.W. Julian

Aquarium Wiki: "http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Main_Page"

List of Non-Fish Aquarium Tank Mates

So you've got a bunch of lively fish swimming about...but you'd like a little more diversity in your tank. Do keep in mind that some of these tankmates require brackish water and or land areas. Here are some interesting tankmate options for you to consider:

1. African Dwarf or Clawed Frogs

2. Shrimp: Ghost, Cherry, Amano, Tiger, Penguin

3. Snails (eww, I personally wouldn't): Trumpet, Ramshorn, Mystery, Wandering, Bladder, Malaysian, Nerite, Apple

4. Mudskippers (fish that skip in and out of water?!)

5. Turtles: Red-Ear slider

6. Tadpoles

7. Crabs: Fiddler, Red-Claw, Caribbean,

8. Axolotls (Aquatic Salamander)

9. Newts (i.e. Fire Belly Newt)



Check out Aquarium Wiki for a more extensive list:

Invertebrates

http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Category:Invertebrates_-_Common_names_%28Freshwater%29

Amphibians

http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Category:Amphibians_-_Common_names

Aquarium Nuisances

We're all bound to have experiences involving pests at some point. Whether it's due to poor upkeep, new fish/plants, or buying used equipment, pests abound and are always ready to sneak up on you. If you've been keeping up, I've been battling with/battled with: cyanobacteria, algae, snails, hydra, ich...No one's perfect, and these pests are just waiting for you to make a mistake...

1. Snails.

If you buy live plants, you're bound to encounter snail eggs at some point. I discovered baby snails crawling along my tank glass a month ago...at first I thought it was algae or a speck of dirt...but nope, they were moving little sluggers. Some people like snails. Snails clean up uneaten food and algae. But boy do they multiply! One snail can turn into two, then four, then...hundreds of little babies everywhere. Beware!

Suggestion: bleach dip new plants and rinse them well to remove snail eggs. Don't be stupid like me and rinse plants under really hot water: it'll shock the plants and kill 'em!! Remove snail babies as soon as you see them so they don't multiply. Keep your gravel vacuumed and clean so potential snails have less to feed on.

Some fish like loaches LOVE to munch on snails....or you can buy pesticide for snail control, but chemicals may harm fish/bacteria/plants..




2. Hydras

These little critters are almost impossible to spot since they are so tiny and white/clear. They basically hook onto your tank glass and sway with the current. Hydras kind of look like tiny dandelion seeds about the size of a pen tip. They congregate in patches/masses and if you pay close attention, you can seem them. They have teeny little tentacles that'll give your fish a teeny little shock. I think they eat fish fry?

Suggestion: lower your lighting, feeding, and scrub your tank glass more often! I scrubbed my glass really well just once, and they never reappeared again. Apparently some fish eat hydras. Hmm.



3. Planaria

Again, teeny little pesty worms. They are very thin and white and sometimes you seem them inch along the tank glass. Fish will eat them, so it's not really that much of a pest I guess...BUT, they are indicators of poor water conditions with too much uneaten food...so lower your feeding amounts! Some say they might attempt to eat fish eggs/fry....



4. Cyanobacteria


I'm battling with this right now! Some people call it smear algae/blue-green algae/red-black algae...but it's really a type of bacteria! It multiples at an insane rate and is VERY hard to get under control. It will suffocate plants and coat leaves so the plants will rot and die back. Too much of it will also be toxic to fish. It'll stink and ruin your tank's pristine appearance. It also will cover absolutely EVERYTHING. Yikes! It looks like blue/green/red/brown algae patches, but you know it can't be algae because it grows SO DARN FAST. Also, it's super slimy and slippery to the touch, and takes a bit more scraping action to remove.


Suggestions: Maracyn/ Erythromycin antibiotics will cure it in about a week. Or you can do it the old fashioned way: TONS of scubbing and daily water changes, lower feedings.



5. Diatoms


Brown or yellow/gold "algae". Again, diatoms are really microorganisms that photosynthesize. Sometimes you only see patches here and there, other times, it dominates the tank. Diatoms appear due to poor, unstable water conditions and excess nutrients/waste.


Suggestions: algae eating catfish, snails will eat diatoms. Introducing other live plants as competition reduces spreading of diatoms. Complete the nitrogen cycle and do more frequent water changes!



6. Rotting Plants

If you've ever tried keeping live plants, you'll have experienced the horror of constantly cleaning filter intakes and netting out rotting plants. Usually, plants die from temperature shock, poor water conditions or insufficient lighting. It's all fine and dandy for beginner plants, but plants that have fine needles are a total nightmare. I used to have cabomba and hornwort. Fine needles = disaster. Unless specific conditions are met, these needles coat everything and fall and rot everywhere. It's nasty. I made the mistake of rinsing hornwort under very HOT water to rid snail eggs....I plopped it into the tank and the needles just shed and shed and shed...until I just had to chuck it. I love cabomba but its needles too, shed like mad. You'd think it was a pine tree after Christmas.. Rotting creates a ton of waste and pollutes the water. Sucks really.

Signs of a Healthy Fish

Here's what to look for in a healthy tropical fish:

- Swims effortlessly and is as active as it should be.

- Fins are straight and intact (not frayed, clamped close to the body or rotting etc.)

- Clear, smooth eyes that are a normal size


- Bright colors (if it's supposed to be colorful) on body and no discoloration

- Smooth skin/scales, no weird blisters or bumps or scales that protrude like a pinecone

- No ugly white/red/yellow/gray "blemishes" or "specks" on body

- Gills are NOT red/inflamed/protruding

- Belly is full but not about to explode (unless fish is pregnant)

- New fish will actively avoid capture, not be completely lifeless as if it's "giving up"

- Fish should be breathing easily and not gasping through mouth

- Body is straight and spine is not curved

- There's no external injuries, visible parasites/worms, bleeding

- Fish will eagerly seek and DEVOUR food like a little piggy



At the Fish Store...

- Try not to buy fish from tanks where the fish look sluggish and there are dead bodies in them

- If you buy fish of different species, keep them in separate bags so they do not resort to aggression while they crammed into such a tiny bag.

- Observe to see if different nets are used for each tank, or that the net is disinfected after use to prevent cross-contamination.

- Make sure there's plenty of air in the transport bag, and that the air is from the room, not blown through the salesperson's mouth (the air he/she respires has little oxygen)

- Check all fish for signs of illness (see above) before taking them home.

- Inquire about the store's return policy regarding fish/equipment.

- Keep the bag(s) of fish in a dark bag to calm them down (they'll think it's night time)

Java Fern

I bought a big clump of Java Fern from a local fish store about 3 months ago, and separated it into 3 separate plants (as they grow bigger, they produce plantlets with individual root systems that you can remove from the main plant and attach somewhere else).

I love looking at the pictures of Java Fern attached to driftwood, especially magnificently large displays.

Java Fern are extremely hardy and virtually impossible to kill. They are an excellent beginner's plant as they can survive in many water conditions, temperatures, and low light.

I wrapped my Java Ferns around three large stones, hoping they'd attach their roots soon...but so far it's been 3 months and the roots still haven't stuck. I only see one small root tentatively clutching at the rock...the theory is that once all the roots have stuck onto the rock/wood almost like glue, you can remove the cotton thread binding the two together....or just leave the thread to disintegrate by itself...

My Java Ferns have been growing slowly but steadily...Not as quickly as I'd hoped, but still, they're making plantlets. I also got really excited when I saw a strand of Java Moss accidentally stick onto a piece of my driftwood. Hopefully I can get more of it to stick. It makes the scenery look much more natural.


Thanks to all my readers out there!! According to my stats, there are readers from all over the world!! Who'd have guessed? =) Leave me a comment...any day now...


Cheers.

Cyanobacteria Infestation!!

Almost reached 100 views in a month...Sweet!

Still NO COMMENTS though... :/

***Update ***

Turns out my algae problem is actually a bacteria problem! The green-blue-red slime I found on the 10 gallon was CYANOBACTERIA, which is TERRIBLE NEWS. I researched a bunch on this so called "algae", which is really a type of micro-organism that feeds off excess nutrients, lights and waste in the fish tank. Some quick info based on what I read...

CYANOBACTERIA

- will reproduce rapidly and infect the entire tank within days.
- can thrive in almost any type of conditions, usually brought on by poor water conditions
- appears as large smears/sheets of green/blue/or spots of red spots
- apparently smells terrible, but my tank still smells okay ...FOR NOW!
- can make fish sluggish and unwell (no wonder my Betta seems so incredibly lazy)


My Options..

- Black-out the tank to prevent photosynthesis
- Antibiotic treatment - Erythromycin aka Maracyn for a week
- LOTS of water changes + daily scrubbing + less feeding
- Tear down the tank, bleach EVERYTHING and start over

BUT

Based on reading forums, though many people suggest dosing Maracyn for a week, there are many drawbacks (I'm not sure if there's any truth to this advice?!! Which makes everything all the more frustrating):

- destroying the beneficial bacteria?!
- harmful to fish!?
- may end up creating super-bacteria that's resistant to antibiotics
- leaves fish susceptible to medicine-resistant bacteria.....TB?!
- doesn't always work


Infinitely discouraged, I just sat there staring at my poor Betta. Then, a drastic idea struck me: what if I just chucked away this infected 10 gallon tank and relocated my Betta into my 29 gallon tank.

It's quite risky, but that's indeed what I JUST DID. OMG.

I'm still not really sure if that was the right thing to do...now my Betta is in my 29 gallon tank with: a dwarf honey gourami (yikes!), 6 fancy guppies, 2 mickey platies, 6 cories and 5 ghost shrimp.

There's so many things that could go wrong:

- Betta might attack other fish, especially the bright red tails of fancy guppies
- Guppies and platy might nip betta's long fins
- Gourami and Betta are from the same group of Labyrinth fish, and should never be kept together....?!


My Betta has been braving the new environment for 1.5 hours now. So far...

- He tried biting my fire gourami so I put the fire gourami in the 10 gallon tank.
- He flared furiously and chased at the gold honey gourami, but I'm guessing since that one's always been SUPER docile and shy, she always avoids confrontation and just swims away.
- One of the platy tried biting him...but he swam away.
- He's stolen pretty much all the food I put in for the cories (as usual)
- He's no longer flaring at the guppies or platies.


Dare I leave him in the 29 gallon overnight?


If he ends up getting along with the 29 gallon inhabitants, life would be perfect. I would only tend to one tank FOR NOW, and I could just get rid of that stupid cyano-infected 10 gallon tank. Yeah, I think I'll leave my betta in there overnight....if all goes well (crossed fingers), then...great!

Ghost Shrimp

I've read from tons of places that you can cram 8-10 Ghost Shrimp in a tiny bowl 3-5 gallons. Here's my experience:

I put 3 large Ghost Shrimp (2 inches) in my 10 gallon with my Betta. 12 hours later, everyone was snacking on one of the dead shrimp.

I put the remaining 2 Ghost Shrimp with my 4 other Ghost Shrimp in the 29 gallon. 12 hours later, I only have 5 Ghost Shrimp and I can't even find the last one.

Ghost shrimp get quite aggressive towards one another and a tad territorial. Especially the larger ones. But you need to buy large ones or else the small ones will just be eaten as food. I don't recommend keeping them in small tanks...especially unfiltered ones.

Transporting Fish (Home or to a New Tank)

New fish are usually kept in one of those tiny plastic bags half full of water, and half full of air. Bring them home asap before they suffocate! (Yes, fish can suffocate!)

**Side note: I've wondered for the LONGEST time how they can tie up those bags so perfectly that there's a nice bulge of air in the bag. I kept practicing it at home and finally figured it out: you fill it half with water and then start rolling the opening edges of plastic DOWNWARDS (like packing a lunch bag)until you push all the air in, then bring the ends together and tie with an elastic. ***

1. Make sure the fish bag is secure and either someone else is holding it or it's sitting in a container of some sort. This reduces stress and ensures your fish don't die from the bumpy ride.

2. Float the bag of fish in your tank with the top OPEN to allow oxygen to enter. The bag will attempt to float away or empty itself into the main tank. Clip it to the side of the tank to prevent mixing water (which is gross and not a good idea) I use a pair of tiny tongs or one of those big veggie clips

3. Every 5 minutes, add a little bit of mature tank water into the bag.

4. Wait 20 minutes for temperature and water conditions to equalize.


5. Prepare a bucket and place a large fish net over the top.

6. Gently squeeze the opening of the bag so you only let out a little bit of water at a time.

7. Let go of the opening to drain the rest of the water and the fish will fall into the fish net.

8. Don't panic as they will flop about and attempt to escape.

9. Gently wrap your fingers around or cover the top of the net to prevent escapes.

10. Place the net into the main tank right side up and allow fish to swim out when they are ready.

11. Turn off the lights to reduce stress if you want.

12. Observe the fish. Do they get along with the other tank mates? This is an important step! Spotting and stopping aggression can prevent future injuries/deaths!


Enjoy your fish!

An Algae Problem

My newly acquired 10 gallon tank has a really bright Aqua-Glo bulb that is made even brighter due to a metal reflector on the hood. As a result, I have been suffering from major green algae breakouts all over the tank. I've been scrubbing the tank walls a lot and all the fake and real plants need to be scubbed/rinsed too. So much algae all over my anarcharis that it's hindering its growth.

I used to have an otocinclus catfish which did an excellent job cleaning but both of them died due to poor health/starvation?! So I will no longer resort to buying algae eating catfish. =(

Here's some of the things I've tried to do in order to reduce the algae:

- Turn on the lights for only 8 hours instead of 12 hours. (Still too much light! O_O)
- Reduce feeding amount so there's less waste that algae can use to grow.
- More water changes to remove nitrates that algae needs to grow.
- Introduce Ghost Shrimp to eat algae (DOES NOT WORK, they don't eat algae)


I was considering getting some CHERRY SHRIMP but they are quite expensive and way too tiny. They will most likely just get sucked onto the filter intake tube. I DO however, have a sponge covering the intake tube so if I did choose to get them, the shrimp wouldn't enter the filter. Little red shrimp would disappear amongst the neon blue gravel though....

Neon blue wouldn't be my first color choice, but it's the only kind of gravel I've got at the moment. Besides, it looks nice as it matches my Betta's colors. However, the dye has been coming off, staining my filter pads blue. This is some cause for concern, but I'm hoping the carbon will take care of it??


I've almost been keeping fish for 4 months now. =)