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. =)

Overcrowding Fish

What's the most overcrowded condition you've ever seen fish kept in?


It was Tuesday, so new fish stock were arriving. Here's what else I saw: (each species was crammed into a bag big enough to fit 4 small apples)

~ 50 zebra danios /bag
~150 feeder goldfish /bag
~5 medium sized KOI GOLDFISH /bag
~50 neon tetras / bag
~25 female guppies / bag


All the fish were pale and devoid of color because the trip was probably terribly long for them and they were kept in sealed bags with COLD WATER and little air. Some were already dead in the bag (no surprising there!) I'm surprised any of the fish were still alive! They were so crowded in that tiny little bag that all they could do was "wiggle around".

Still No Comments...?

I've steadily been getting more and more page views...last month, I had 72 views. Thanks guys! Still no comments though...let me know what you think! Comments, experiences, advice, anything really.

So a quick update...

I recently purchased two adorable baby panda corydora catfish and 5 more ghost shrimp. 2 of the "jumbo" ghost shrimp have eggs! Did you know that they carry their eggs using their swimmerets and that the eggs are actually OUTSIDE their body? Must be tiring work! I doubt I'll see any of the baby ghost shrimp because they will undoubtedly get eaten.

I bought 2 more panda cories thinking that with a total of 6 corydoras they'd school together and play more often. Sadly, they're still fairly individualistic and keeping to themselves. Maybe I should give them a little more time to get to know each other?

I was really excited to get the Top Fin 55 tank but it's been sitting there, empty this whole time! I guess I just didn't have the time to really set it up. I'm thinking of possibly transferring the inhabitants of the 29 gallon tank into the 55, but that could take quite a lot of work. Another concern of mine is that the large wood dresser table might not be an adequate stand for the 55 g tank....

I also read recently that you should test for leaks first before setting up such a large tank. Apparently you should fill it up a quarter of the way with water, leave it for a day, and then fill up another quarter etc etc. until you've waited 4-7 days and confirmed that the tank is leakproof. Since I bought my brand new tank second-hand (sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it) I can't return it for an exchange or anything...I'm wondering if I should just sell it?


That's it for now. Hopefully I will have more exciting news soon.


By the way, my PLATY gave birth!! I could only find one teeny little fry though. I'm assuming the other fish ate the rest of the babies. Oh well. She already looks like she's getting pregnant again. ;)

Sick Gourami

My Pearl Gourami got sick this past week so I've sequestered him into a small 3 gallon bowl with only a heater, no filter. I felt terrible for not being able to provide a filtered environment for him but at the moment, it's all I can do.

I started treating him for Ich (I saw white spots on his body) with Quick Cure and added 2 drops of Melafix as a precaution. It wasn't until much later that I realized the old bottle of Quick Cure I'd been using is like 98% formaldehyde and 2% Methylene Blue?! Isn't that poisonous? I heard it causes cancer....

I think he's almost all better now but he's acting really lethargic and barely moves. No external symptoms or deep breathing or anything like that though.....I'm reluctant to release him back into the main tank for fear of him potentially spreading internal parasites....!?

I may have to return him to the fish store, which guaranteed healthy specimens. *Sigh*


******Edit

I ended up returning the Pearl Gourami back to the store because it did not improve with treatment, most likely due to lack of a filter!!

AQADVISOR

www.aqadvisor.com

If you ever want to check stocking levels, go to this site! It's awesome. Just enter your tank specifications, filter type and what fish you have and how many. It'll tell you compatibility, schooling info as well as how efficient your filter is. It'll also tell you how far you're stocked (I.e. 80% full)

Check it out!

Buying Cheap Gravel & Fluorescent Bulbs

Someone gave me a good tip today for getting cheap gravel: buy it from a hardware store. It never occurred to me before but, if I cleaned it really well and it was inert gravel, there shouldn't be a problem in using it! A quick lookup revealed that 30kg of gravel (60lbs??) only cost $6. For real??

To think, poor newbies like me dish out $2/lb for aquarium pea gravel. Now I know better!

Bought a new POWER-GLO fluorescent light bulb for my 29G. The old Aqua-Glo was really, dreadfully dim. I plugged in the new bulb and WOW what a difference! The new, brighter light made my old 29G look like a BRAND NEW tank. And remember how I was saying my water seemed cloudy when I looked at it from the side (despite having perfect water readings)?? It was because the light was too dim!! The new light bulb was worth every penny!!

Power Glo is good for fish color AND plants. It cost me $27 for a 20Watt, 24" bulb. Not bad I suppose.

Guy at the store told me that fluorescent bulbs lose 10% of its light intensity every month, and that's why you should replace bulbs every 6-8 months! Makes sense.

NEW TOPFIN 55 GALLON TANK

I have a new 55 Gallon fish tank sitting in my living room right now. It looks amazing. Black canopy (x2 with fluorescent lighting), sleek black rims, base, black silicone finish.

123cm L x 53cm H x 32 W

209 Litres or 55 Gallons of water.

BRAND NEW.

I've had it for 2 days now and I must say it's a bit intimidating. I can't bear to put gravel or water in it because it seems too perfect to disturb. I feel like I could just stare at the empty, clean tank and feel satisfied.

I do have a problem though and that is the Top Fin filter is VERY LOUD. It has an external power motor that whirs in a very irritating fashion. So I'm going to sell it hopefully and buy myself a nice Hagen filter.

I do have a pretty nice 200W Elite heater already. Just waiting to get more gravel.....I've decided to sell all my other tanks so I only have to support this one massive one. We'll see how that goes!



****Edit

By the way, the package also includes: sample packets of fish flakes, stress zyme/water conditioner, bacterial supplement, thermometer and some instruction booklets.

New Tanks!

Selling my 10 gallon now. Transferred my Betta fish into a 25 gallon tank I just bought. What I don't like about it is that it's VERY tall and not long at all. But I got it for $10 plus a black background and a load of substrate, so I'm happy. It didn't have a lid or lights so I just took the canopy from the 10 G I bought and put it on there.

I bought a 10 G that looked disgusting at first but after I scrubbed it for 20 minutes, it turned out to be almost new. No scratches or anything. It came with lots of extra stuff that I'm going to resell because I don't need it. Sweet!

I decorated it with the "tacky" deco I still had lying around after I took it out from my 29 gallon. So now I have a 25 G that looks like a fairytale, a 29 G that looks like the wild, and tomorrow I'm getting a 40G that will look freaking awesome. It'll take some prep work though.

I'm patient. I'll hunt around for bargains until I can put together a decent assembly.

School of Neon Tetras

I've always dreamed of having a long fish tank filled with a large school of neon tetras (20+). I have seen them swim in a large group and it is absolutely beautiful! They shoal very tightly, creating lots of visual appeal.

If I decide to set up the 25G tank I'm buying tomorrow, I will consider buying a large school of neon tetras. I used to have 6 but 2 of them got eaten so I had to give the remaining 4 away. I really miss those guys...so I've decided to buy new neon tetras.

This weekend will be pretty big for me as I am buying a used 10G tank full setup, a 25 G bare tank, as well as a 40G full set up. My suite will be very crowded indeed! I will definitely update on how I plan to rearrange and stock these tanks. It'll be awesome!

Naming Your Fish

Nobody wants to repeatedly refer to their beloved guppy as "Poecilia reticulata"...."Oh, Poecilia reticulata, time for dinner!" Quite a tongue twister that is. So I've written up a nice list of Fishy Names you can pick through if you're having trouble naming your new fish.

Before I begin "the list", here are the names of my fish: Neptune, Flora, Flame, Pearl, Eenie, Meenie, Minnie, Moe, The Three Musketeers (My frogs), The Mom, The Pop, Sundrop (Corny names, I know. ;))...and I haven't thought of names for my more recent fish yet.

I'm excited because I will be buying a secondhand 40 Gallon aquarium this Sunday (if all works out), fully set up with undergravel filter, HOB filter, heater and decorations, all for $80. I'm also buying a 25 G bare tank that I may or may not use as a hospital tank for $10. It's all a bit confusing, but if it works out, I will move all my 29G stuff into the 40 G, and move my betta into the 29 G and sell the tiny 10 G tank. We'll see.

Today I purchased a midnight blue fancy guppy and a Golden Honey Gourami. Both are extraordinarily lively and well fed from the mom and pop store near my university, which makes me happy.

Without further ado, the list! (Only the best names will be included here! Some came from my imagination, others came from some websites. I will try not to include too many silly human names in here, unless they sound good.)

• Superhero names: Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain America, The Hulk, Spider-man etc.
  
  
• Super Mario Brawl characters: Zelda, Mario, Snake, Yoshi, Link, Kirby, Pitt, Fox etc. ;)
  

• Flowery names: Flora, Daisy, Sundrop (=D), Honey, Rosie, Strawberry, Daffodil,
  
  
• Weird/Funny names: Moo Moo, Gills, Humpty Dumpty, Wonka, Tonks, Rolly Polly, Art, BRO, Oboe, Tipsy, Elmo, Gurgle, Edible, Chubby, Chubs, Lunch, Squishable, Slippery, Slidy, Swishy-Swashy, Swashbuckler, Sharky, Salty, Spicy, Wiggle, Giggles, Bibs, Squeaker, Itchy & Scratchy, Nada, Zip, Zilch, BOOM, Ahoy, Hitler, Flipper, Floppy, ZOOM,
  
  
• "Pretty Names": Angel, Lemon, Ginger, Jewel, Isis, Jade, Orchid, Venus, Love, Apollo, Indigo, Midnight, Sparkle, Flotsam, Raindrop, Sunrise, Sunset, Snowy, Meadow, Radiance,
  
  
• No-Nonsense Names: King, Ursula, Zephr, Duke, Duchess, Knight, Prince/Princess,
  
  
• Cute Names: Bubbles, Cleo, Caramel, Chocolate, Flo, Nemo, Goldie, Queenie, Cupcake, Ariel, Muriel, Tapioca, Piglet, Holiday, Luna, Bonnie & Clyde, Whisper,
  

• Solid Names: Bosco, Floyd, Gandalf, Kissinger, Maestro, Zero, Viva, Geronimo, Mesmer, Triton, Thor
  
  
• Body Parts: Elbow, Kneecap, Ankle, Toe, Cheeks, Uvula (just kidding)
  
  
• Scary Names: Jaws, Lucifer, Screamer, Trick-or-Treat, Mr. Eats You, Hydra, Kamikaze, Tsunami, Tornado, Monsoon, Bite-Me,
  

If you can think of some other ones, comment! I'd love to have a comment on my blog! =D Thanks for reading!

I Bought a Pearl Gourami!

It's always been a dream of mine to raise an elegant and gorgeous looking Pearl Gourami. Today, I decided to go for it. I purchased a juvenile Pearl Gourami at my local fish store for only $4.

She's only 2 inches long. You can tell it's a girl because her dorsal fin is small and rounded. Everyone is welcoming her as I write. She is getting along perfectly with my Fire Honey Gourami, and so far, no one's bothered her. In the near future I may decide to get a male Pearl Gourami and see if they mate! They'd be King and Queen of the 29G.

I'd like to buy some floating plants for my gouramis, as they are mainly top-level swimmers, but I can't think of any that would be low-maintenance. I'm leaning towards some floating cabomba, but I haven't decided yet.

This is my new complete stocking goal for my 29 G:

7 Male Fancy Guppies (2 Flamingo, 2 Blonde Tuxedo, 1 Yellow, 2 Turquoise/Midnight)
2 Mickey Mouse Platy (mating pair)
2 Pearl Gourami (mating pair)
1 Fire Honey Gourami
6 Spotted Cory Catfish
2 Ghost Shrimp

Pregnant Platy

My pregnant Platy mom looks like she's about to BURST (which is what females are supposed to look like a few days before giving birth). But she's looked this fat for almost 3 weeks now - still no sign of new fry.

I hope it's not because she's stressed due to all the "attention" she's been getting from the male guppies. They occasionally chase her around, but she doesn't seem super bothered by it. Then again, she is the only female fish in the tank. Hmm.

I'm a bit worried that I will have too many fry when she does decide to give birth. I have a ton of cover and plants in my large tank, which equates to high fry survival rates. Right now I'm just excited that I'll have new fry soon...but I'm not sure how I will deal with them. It may sound cruel but I might have to feed the babies to my betta fish (if he'll eat 'em). Or I could give them away I guess...but Platies are too common of a fish to warrant a lot of adoptee's attentions.

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

On another note. Buy good quality aquarium plants from a reputable, nice and clean looking tank! I bought a cluster of plants from a slightly shady store with some sick Oto cats. The plants are dying as I type and they've only been in the tank for 2 weeks. And the Oto catfish I bought that came from the same tank died 2 days later. It was terrible, but somehow I expected it to happen..... *sighs*

As opposed to some Ludwigia I bought from a reputable fish store, which has been alive for 1.5 months under extremely low light. Yup.

Buying a Small Cichlid

As a newcomer to the hobby, I always feel as if I'm not worthy/prepared enough to keep Cichlids. (Pronounced "sick-lid" or "cyclid"). But I figured sooner or later I'll need to try something new, so I am beginning my research on Dwarf/Small Cichlids (My 29 G couldn't possibly house a regular sized one that grows up to 15inches!)

Here's some info I've gathered for myself, and may be useful to you too! Check out pics of these cichlids! I don't have time to post any but they do look beautiful.

Relatively Small-ish Cichlids that are Beautiful at the Same Time
(what a terrible title. :P Anyways.)

1. Jewel Cichlid

- Origins: Shallow rivers in forests of West Africa (cool!)
- Max Size: 4 inches
- Difficulty: Medium
- Compatibility: ** NO SMALL FISH (i.e. tetras), only MEDIUM SIZED fish (i.e. Rainbowfish, Barbs. Territorial and Aggressive when laying eggs.
-Neutral-Low pH, soft, acidic water

2. Ram/Butterfly Cichlid

- Max Size: 2.5-3 inches
- 6-7 pH; Soft, acidic water
- Origins: Colombia & Venezuela rivers in South America
- Compatibility: **** Ok with small fish
- Difficulty: Medium-Hard (needs established tank, lots of cover, sensitive to poor water conditions)


3. Kribensis

- Max Size : 4 inches
- pH 6-7; Soft, acidic water
- Compatibility: **** Can be kept with almost all fish. Aggressive when spawning
- Difficulty: Medium (needs lots of cover, territory dividers)



4. Angelfish

- Max Size: 6 inches (Very tall, vertically, not lengthwise)
- pH 6-7; soft acidic water
- Origins: Amazon River
- Compatibility: *** (eats smaller fish and fry)
- Difficulty: Medium (needs tall, large tank with territorial markers)

List of Freshwater Community Tropical Fish Part II

The list continued...I didn't want an overly long post. But I guess it's unavoidable since I blab on forever...

1. Endler's Livebearers

Compatibility: **** (Don't stock with large fish that may eat them or Guppies because they will breed with Guppies, producing weird hybrids)

Difficulty: Easy


2. Marbled Hatchetfish

Compatibility: *** (Requires mature aquarium, kept in groups of 6+, may not get along with other fish depending on personality, NO BIG/AGGRESSIVE FISH)

Difficulty: Medium (Susceptible to disease as many are wild-caught)


3. Silver Dollar

Compatibility: **** (Best kept with large fish, in a large tank; will get to be quite large (6 inches +) and need space to "dither"

Difficulty: Easy

4. Barbs (Rosy, Cherry, Black Ruby)

Compatibility: **** (Most Barbs are peaceful with the exception of Tiger Barbs and Tinfoil Barbs. Can be mixed with small-medium sized fish. Very hardy.

Difficulty: Easy


5. Rasboras

Compatibility: **** (No big/aggressive fish. Groups of 6+. Very peaceful. )

Difficulty: Medium


6. Neon Dwarf Rainbowfish

Compatibility: **** (small enough to mix with most fish, max size: 2.5in. Peaceful.)

Difficulty: Medium


7. Bristlenose Pleco

Compatibility: ****** (Peaceful bottom dweller. Max 7 inches. Can be kept with small-large fish; gentle-aggressive fish)

Difficulty: Medium (Must be kept in large-ish tank)


8. Glass Catfish

Compatibility: *** (Peaceful, quiet tank mates is a must. )

Difficulty: Hard (Needs low light, mature tank, gentle current, good water parameters. Very delicate and sensitive.)



9. Larger Gouramis (Pearl, Moonlight, Three-Spot, Kissing)

Compatibility: **** (Will get territorial/semi-aggressive if too many are kept in a small tank. )

Difficulty: Easy (But needs a large aquarium as they can get 6 inches +)




10. Loaches (Clown, Coolie)

Compatibility: *** (Peaceful but need to be get in a group 6+)

Difficulty: Medium (Need LARGE TANKS. LARGE. They grow 10 inches +. Sensitive to water conditions)

List of Freshwater Tropical Community Fish Part I

This will be a brief list of Freshwater Tropical Fish + Compatibility Level (0-5 (5 = gets along with all fish)) + Difficulty Level (Easy, Medium, Difficult). Hopefully this list will help me decide how to stock your tank. The following info is not 100% guaranteed accurate. Just based on some of my readings.

Format: Name - Compatibility Rating - Difficulty Level

1. Common Betta Fish (Male)

Compatibility: ** (depends on individual fish's aggressiveness, aggressiveness of tank mates, tank mate's colors, swimming speed, size of tank etc.) Given the right conditions, Betta fish make excellent community fish. Keep only one Labyrinth fish per tank or else they'll fight. Especially avoid keeping another male Betta - they will fight until one of them dies!

Difficulty Level: Easy



2. Fancy Guppies

Compatibility: **** (Make sure tank mates won't nip their colorful tails! Also, if kept in schools of less than 6, Guppies MAY get jittery and harass other fish. He won't fight them though, as guppies are peaceful fish.)

Difficulty Level: Extremely Easy

3. Platies

Compatibility: ***** (EXTREMELY peaceful, docile fish, but they don't like overly rowdy fish. Like to be kept in small groups - at least a pair)

Difficulty Level: Extremely Easy

4. Mollies

Compatibility: *** (May be incompatible with some fish as Mollies often need aquarium salt to thrive.)
Difficulty Level: Easy


5. Swordtails

Compatibility: *** (Needs to be kept in groups in a large aquarium in order to maintain their long sword-like tails. Gets along great with other fish.)

Difficulty Level: Easy


6. Neon Tetras, Cardinal Tetras, MOST of the other Tetras (some exceptions)

Compatibility: ** (Needs to be in large schools of 6+ or they'll nip fins. Cannot be tanks with large fish that might eat them. Prone to Neon Tetra Disease. Sensitive to poor water conditions.
Peaceful if kept with similar sized fish and lots of cover)

Difficulty Level: Medium


7. Otocinclus Catfish

Compatibility: ***** (Gets along with absolutely everybody. Quiet, peaceful, slow swimming and inconspicuous)

Difficulty Level: Hard (They're almost always starving because they pretty much only eat soft green algae, which is rare in a clean aquarium. You could wean them off algae and train them to eat veggies, but it's tough. Most ignore algae wafers (which contain fish meal that other fish will eat) They suffer from poor immune systems due to suspected poisoning methods during capture from the wild. Very sensitive to changing water parameters, poor water conditions. Thrives only in groups of 6+. I had two and both of them died within a month. =(

8. Corydoras Catfish (Panda, Dwarf, Spotted, Julii, Bronze)

Compatibility:***** (Very shy, peaceful species. Gets along with all fish and never gets in anybody's way. Excellent bottom cleaner.)


Difficulty Level: Easy (a sensible alternative to the Oto Catfish if you want to keep healthy catfish)


9. Zebra Danios, Pearl Danios

Compatibility: *** (Needs large tank (20g +) to dither around in...AND must be kept in groups 6+ (EMPHASIS ON THE MUST) or they will be AGGRESSIVE FIN NIPPERS. Very hardy but will be virtually impossible to catch once you introduce them to a tank as they swim impossibly fast. (I once spent a whole hour trying to catch a SINGLE Zebra Danio from my 10 G tank. Literally)

Difficulty Level: Extremely Easy


10. Dwarf Gouramis

Compatibility: *** (Avoid overly boisterous tank mates, fin nippers, other Labyrinth fish (i.e. Betta fish), aggressive fish, extremely large fish. Friendly fish.)

Difficulty Level: Easy

Used Filter Problems

I recently got a used Top Fin HOB filter (10g) for free. I was extremely excited to test it out...but when I plugged in the power, nothing happened! I was ready to toss it in the trash....Until something peculiar happened.

I was cleaning my 30 g filter. When I plugged it back in, the filter motor would not run! Oh no, I thought, now I have to go and exchange it. What a hassle! However, I decided to see if submerging the motor (which is on the inside of the tank) helped. Lo and behold, submerging just 1/2 of the motor did the trick. Before I could say "ta-da", the tank was splishing and splashing again.

A little lightbulb lit up in my head! What if I primed this used HOB filter first? It hadn't occurred to me before, but I decided to give it a go. And what do ya know, the motor started humming! But there was still one problem. The intake tube didn't suck up water! Sure, the primed box had water swirling around in it, but without the intake tube working, there wasn't any flow!

I haven't figured out how to fix the intake tube yet, but there are a few lessons to be learned from my experience:

1. If your HOB filter's motor is SUPPOSED TO be submerged on the inside (noise reduction), make sure it's submerged before plugging it in.

2. If you're not sure about whether the filter requires priming or not, just prime it anyways.

3. If filter seems "broken", before you chuck it, check that isn't because a small, replaceable part is clogged or broken. In many cases, the impeller (spinning wheel type thingy) is clogged or broken. You could easily replace it at a fish store for like $5.


I'll update more if I manage to fix this used filter. On a lighter note, since I know the powerhead motor works, I might decide to just take that and make a sponge filter out of it instead since I need to use it for my 3 gallon QT/Hospital tank. Hmmmm

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


Update

I decided to make my own sponge filter! Or something similar anyways. I have an old unused filter box...so my idea is this for my QT/Sick tank: if I need to use it, I will take one small filter pad from my 10gallon tank's filter. That way, the QT instantly cycles. Next, I will just plop this filter pad into my filter box and throw the powerhead into the tank. The water movement from the powerhead should be able to clean the water. It's actually more like a makeshift internal filter. But it should work splendidly.

How a Filter Works

We've all heard of different filter designs that serve various purposes. There are undergravel filters, sponge filters, power filters, internal filters, HOB filters.....but as far as I know, all of them have more or less the same three basic functions:

1. Biological Filtration: storage of beneficial bacteria necessary to maintain a proper Nitrogen Cycle.

2. Mechanical Filtration: removes physical debris (rotting plants, dust, specks of this and that)

3. Chemical Filtration: removes discoloration of water, harmful & beneficial chemicals such as medicine and heavy metals using activated carbon (black looking "rocks")

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

1. HOB (Hang on Back) Filters

- This is the most commonly used filter in my experience. It hangs onto the back of your tank because there's a curved gap between the intake tubes and the filter media box. Usually on aquarium lids there's a perforated space that you snap off so you can fit your filter into a space on the backside of the aquarium.

- Price range: $20-$50

Setup and How it Works

1. Assemble the parts according to the instructions. Make sure everything fits snugly. Check that you have all the pieces. Rinse filter cartridges to get rid of carbon dust (black dust)

2. Plug it in, make sure there's a drip loop so trickling water won't damage your electrical sockets and the machinery. (If your model needs priming, pour water over the top of the box to get it the pump started and the water flowing. Other models should be self-starting)

3. Check that water is flowing at the correct rate and is constant. Adjust flow rate (if possible) with the adjusting valve. You turn it right or left to increase/decrease water flow. It's usually found at the top of the intake tube where it empties into the box.


Basically, the motor will spin a rotating object called the impeller, forcing water up the intake tube. It empties straight into the "box" containing the filter media, water runs through the filter media (which traps debris, eats up waste, removes chemicals etc.), and comes out clean the other end.


2. Air Powered/ Sponge Filter

- Simple design powered by an air pump on the outside of the tank.
- Usually used for fry tanks or hospital tanks because it produces very little current
- Low filtering capacity, can't handle too many fish.
- Extremely cheap and a common DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Project!! (Price: $10-$15)

How it Works

- A plastic box containing filter media (a sponge or something similar) is suctioned onto the tank in a corner. It connects to air tubing that leads to the air pump outside. The air pump pushes air into the water, forcing the tank water to move into and through the box, which will filter the water and then spit it back out again -clean....ish.



3. Internal Filters

- Works in the same way as the HOB filter except internal filters, well, fit INSIDE your tank.
- Small size, compact; thus designed for small tanks (MAX 10G I'd say). (Some fit into your palm)
- Quiet (depending on brand) with a steady current
- Poor filtration capacity, doesn't cycle a lot of water and clogs easily.
- Requires frequent cleaning. If it only has one filter cartridge, your tank will often be sent into a mini-Nitrogen Cycle all over again because you're removing a lot, (if not all O_O) the bacteria!!

- Price range: $20-$30


4. Undergravel Filters

- Cheap, simple design, quite effective IF you maintain it properly
- Great filtration tool if properly used.
- Difficult to clean THOROUGHLY; requires constant maintenance.
- Bad idea if you want to grow plants - the roots will get very tangled with the grate.
- Gravel gets dirty real quick. Lots of debris gets trapped in the gravel using this method.
- If you fail to clean gravel thoroughly, it may "get stuck" or clumped so oxygen won't aerate it properly and bacteria will die this way.


-Price range: $20

How it Works

- A plastic grate with slits or holes in it is fitted at the bottom of the tank.
- Gravel covers over this grate.
- The grate is connected to a tube that goes up to the top of the tank.
- A powerhead motor at the top will suck up dirty water from beneath and within the gravel. It will oxygenate the water, and push this water full of oxygen back into the gravel, where all the beneficial bacteria are housed.
-An attached bag of activated carbon near the powerhead can add chemical filtration.***(This method is not ideal since the carbon will get used up really fast and you'll need to replace it like every week)

-An air stone powered by an air pump can also push water up using its little bubbles.

- Gravel becomes main biological AND mechanical filtration house.
- As long as oxygen goes into the gravel, bacteria can eat waste and clean water.



5. Canister Filters

- Extremely expensive
- Very high filtration capacity for large tanks (50 gallons +)
- Very good quality filters (hence the price!!)
- Minimal maintenance required (once every few months)
- Requires a lot of space (probably a cabinet stand) to store because they can be big.
- Looks cyclindrical in shape
- Can by noisy or super quiet depending on brand.


Price range: $100- $400


How it Works (as far as I understand....it's pretty complicated)

1. One tube draws dirty water from aquarium into one side of the filter. It goes down and through the filter media (bio/mech/chem filtration) and out the other tube as clean water into the tank again through a spray bar (diffuse spraying = less disturbance)

2. Powered by a heavy duty water pump, built into system or external.

3. Locked lids and sealed container = no spills!

4. Your choice of filter media - countless varieties to choose from!

Fire Honey Gourami

This morning I went and bought a Fire Honey Gourami. He happened to be on sale! (Original price: $6.99. Sale price: $2.47.)

He's still a bit shy and adjusting to the tank and his new tank mates. I rescued him from a severely overcrowded tank. The tank at the fish store was about 5 or 6 gallons big and housed over 15 GOURAMIS!! I was a bit infuriated by the severely overcrowded conditions, but didn't say anything because I doubt the employees could do much about it. A lot of the other tanks were way too crowded too, including the one with about 30 Black Skirt Tetras in a 5 gallon tank....*sigh*

The Fire Honey Gourami is almost adult size, approx 2 inches, and is pretty timid. He is not aggressive at all with his tank mates. I want to buy him a Gourami friend but I'm afraid they'll fight. Unlikely, but you never know...

...Truth be told, I've been neglecting the upkeep of my 10 gallon tank a little bit because I've been so absorbed with building up my 29G. My betta "seems" lonely, but I know he probably relishes the idea of having the entire 10G to himself. ;)


I've heard that some Gouramis love to nibble on plants. Hopefully my new pet won't destroy my carefully planted aquarium! He seems innocent enough haha. :D

Some Pretty Expensive Fish

Based on some quick research on the web, here are some shocking numbers enthusiasts are willing to dish out for fish.

1. 15'' Platinum Arowana owned by Aro Dynasty - highest offer to buy: $400,000 US dollars (2008)
2. Giant Golden Tigerfish - EATEN - est. $75,000 US dollars (2008) (It's ferocious really.)
3. Giant Blue Fin Tuna - EATEN for SUSHI - est. $173,600 (2001, Tokyo)
4. Conspicuous Angelfish up to $3000
5. Hawaiian Dragon Moray Eel ~$1000
6. A Candy Basslet ~$1000.
7. Eagle Ray ~$2000?
8. Snake-Skin Discus - $800 USD
9. Show-quality Emperor Angelfish - $400 USD
10. Japanese Spotted Anthias $300


There's probably more or less expensive fish but this was just I read in about half an hour worth of browsing. Still, it gives you an idea about the lengths people would go to for this hobby!

Funny Fishy Movie Titles

This post is totally lame but I'd like to find as many movies as I can about fish or with the word "Fish" in the title. (Just goes to show you how much free time I have on my hands: too much...*sigh*...too much) On another note, my pageviews are climbing! Yay! I now average 6 views a day. Not bad considering I've done zero advertising and I haven't mentioned this blog to anyone I know. :) If you like what you read, leave a comment or tell your friends! Thanks~

Number of asterisks represent how funny I think the movie title is just by itself.

A Fish Called Wanda *
Scaring the Fish **
Walking on Dead Fish (poor fish!) ***
Juliana and the Medicine Fish
Kettle of Fish **
Fish Dreams *
The Fish Fall in Love ***
Fish in a Barrel ***
Smiling Fish and Goat on Fire *****
Fish Without a Bicycle *****
The Annihilation of Fish **
Some Fishy Can Fly (oh reeally?) ***
A Fish in the Bathtub ****
Shooting Fish (a romantic comedy) **
The Favor, the Watch and the Very Big Fish (say what?)***
The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh *




*Ok. Some of these titles are like...huh? >:)
Hopefully something in this post put a smirk n' smile on your face.

Gross Habits of My Fish

You know how some people do really gross things that irk you? Like picking their nose in public or spitting on the sidewalk? Well fish do them too. Bleurgk! Just like how among humans there are a few "refined" individuals (some people label them as pompous or pretentious ;), there is a hierarchy amongst my various fish too!

Take my Betta fish. When I first got him, he wouldn't even eat regular fish flakes. I'd sprinkle them near his mouth and he'd just turn his nose and swim away as if to say, "you're trying to buy me off with this low grade stuff? I'll take my bloodworms now thank you very much." As opposed to my peasant-like catfish who scrounge for morsels day and night, barely "getting by".

But refinement aside, there are some gross habits of fish that appear incurable and unavoidable I suppose:

- They'll try to eat their own poo. And other fishes' poo. And dead leaves. And floating dirt specks. They'll put whatever they see into their mouths. Sigh. Totally uncultured.

- They have long stringy poop that trails for miles. Ok not miles. But their poop definitely trails from their butts far longer than it should trail. And they can't seem to just "shake it off". Bleh.

- They eat their own babies for crying out loud! Well, not all fish. But mine do! Why I ask? Shouldn't they have a motherly/fatherly/neighborly/friendly instinct? Apparently not. They'll eat teeny fry even if they're not hungry. Sheesh. Deplorable and completely un-gentleman-like.

- My ghost shrimp munch on their molted/shed skin. EWW. They scrape and munch on the outer crust they shed every few days? weeks?

- One of my male guppies has terrible manners. He's constantly "in your face" with my female Platy. He'll swim up casually, and then chase her incessantly, all the while millimeters away from her eyes and mouth. Almost like he's constantly asking her for a smooch. Even when the female tries to avoid his "amorous advances", he continues to pester her. Jeez, they're not even the same species! =P

- Stealing. The worst aquarium crime. No matter how fat and full the fish are, they will still steal food from one another any chance they get. I guess they never really learn that there will never be a shortage of food because I'll always be feeding them. Either that or they're just plain mean. They'll swim around playing with each other, all friendly......but the moment I walk up with some food....oooh, me, me! They'll start chasing and pushing each other away, pretending to "nip" any fish that stands in his way.

Oh fish.

Aquarium Decorations

There are a myriad of potential objects you could use to decorate your aquarium. You can look online, in books, magazines, pet stores, or in nature for inspiration. Keep in mind that not everything will be aquarium safe. These items may release dangerous chemical toxins, affect water chemistry, be too sharp, too tacky (just kidding!), or they may contain diseases/pathogens. That warning said, here is a list of items you can use to style up your aquarium. Adding decorations help reduce territoriality, stress, and makes your fish feel more at home.

Part I: Rocks

-Slate/Slate chips (inert)
- Lava Rock (inert)
- Large, smooth river stones (inert)
- Round Granite boulders (inert)
- Coal, Basalt, Flint, Sandstone, Quartz (inert)
- Chalk, Limestone, Marble, Tufa, Ocean Rock (Calcareous; raises PH; used for marine/brackish aquariums)
- Crushed or intact shells

Part II: Wood

- Driftwood (natural or store bought) (I.e. Mopani, Jati)
- Bogwood
- Cork Bark
- Dried Tree branches aka Brushwood
- Bamboo
- Twisted tree roots

Part II: Shelter

- Artificial wood caves
- Rock caves (bound by silicone sealant)
- Castles, coliseums, temples
- Huts/Houses/Cabins
- Terracotta pot on its side
- Terracotta saucer
- Plant thickets

Part III: Plants

- See article on Beginner Aquatic Plants (live)
- Plastic plants
- Silk plants
- Aquarium plastic sheet background of plants.


And of course there's the hundreds of "other" decorations ranging from plastic dinosaurs to rocket ships.

Types of Aquarium Substrate

In this post, I will be listing different types of substrate and a few points about each.

*Some substrates will be inert. Others will change water quality.
*You can mix and match different substrate types, colors and sizes for a more realistic look!
*You must rinse all substrates thoroughly as they have a lot of dust and debris that will make your water dirty


1. Pea Gravel (Fine, Med, Large::: 1-10mm diameter)
- most commonly used form of substrate.
- tiny to medium sized, rounded gravel, usually pale gray, white, brown
- fine grade pea gravel makes rooting and planting aquatic plants a breeze.
- resembles mountain riverbed scenery

2. Sand
- preferred medium of some bottom dwellers
- special care is required to prevent it from clumping together and releasing noxious gases.
- needs constant disturbances (moving it around with your hand) to aerate the sand
-not so great for rooting plants
- comes in nice silver, white, gold colors
- resembles brackish waterways, riverbeds


3. Artificially colored Gravel
- unnatural colors = unnatural environment
- be careful: dyes may wear off and pollute water
- comes in fluorescent/neon colors
- terrible rooting medium for plants due to large, odd sizes
- preferred by children for their aquariums

4. Aquarium Soil
- difficult to manage, causes lots of pollution
- clouds water, not aesthetically pleasing
- contains nutrients essential for plant growth
- is usually placed under a top layer of gravel
- regular potting soil may be OK, make sure it doesn't have added chemicals or pesticides!

5. Quartz/Lime-Free Gravel
- inert, won't change water conditions
- fine grade = good planting medium
- comes in nice golden brown, black, white colors
- resembles riverbeds

Future Posts to Look Forward To...

Here are some topics I will be covering in the near future. Get ready! ;)

• How an aquarium filter works.
• Aqua Landscaping masters and design styles.
• How to make your fish do tricks.
• Funny Things Fish Do
• Anatomy of a Fish
• Photos of My Fish Tanks
• History of Fish Keeping
• Rare and Expensive Fish

Beginner's Tips for a Planted Aquarium

• Make sure you have a fluorescent light that will provide at least 1.5-3 watts per gallon. (Some hardy low-light plants can do with less though, but will not thrive)
  
  
• Give each individual plant space to grow. Avoid over-planting when you first start out.
  
  
• Remove dead/yellow leaves before you plant and any that you notice after planting.
  
  
• Group same-species plants together for a more natural appearance.
  
  
• Contrast shades of green, brown and red using different plants as well as choosing different shapes and sizes.
  
  
• Make sure your fish are plant-friendly and you don't have too many snails.
  
  
• Make sure your plants are fish-friendly and will not be eaten as food.
  
  
• Buy fully aquatic plants, not ones that grow out of the water.
  
  
• Choose a few foregrand, midground and background plants.
  
  
• Buy healthy green plants with robust growth and nice looking leaves.
  
  
• Choose easy plants that don't require much care and constant maintenance (O2, CO2 injections, trimming, dividing) when you first start out.
  
  
• Don't buy plants that will overrun your aquarium (especially if your tank is small)
  
  
• Floating plants tend to be a hassle in my experience. They get stuck to everything and rot quickly, creating unnecessary debris.
  
  
• Choose plants that will all have similar water requirements as each other and your fish.
  
  
• Carefully and thoroughly rinse plants from the fish store to get rid of snail eggs and possible infections. You may choose to quarantine them in a separate tank.
  
  
• Don't buy plants grown in a tank filled with algae, dead fish, poor lighting and/or damaged specimens.
  

Good luck plant-scavenging!

How to Use a Gravel Vacuum

*Side Note* I was super excited to see that I'd gotten 20 page views since the start up of this blog 2 days ago. That is, until I realized that probably 75% of that was my own doing. I'm new to Blogspot, so of course I'm still learning the ropes. I figured out that you can disable tracking of your own pageviews. So I'm doing that.

Since then, I figured I probably at least got 3 pageviews that weren't my own. (I'm hoping!) Please, if you're out there...someone...anyone...give me a sign! (comment!) *End Side Note*


*******************************************************
Now for the meaty stuff.

If you're like me - a total beginner - you probably thought at first you didn't even need a silly gravel vac. In fact, I'm starting to suspect that many of my LFS (Local Fish Stores) don't even use them! The tanks are chronically dirty with black debris everywhere. Yesterday, I visited my local pet store chain (pet chain store?) and I saw a lady employee swishing her hand around in the tank and digging / mixing the gravel. As a result, a disgusting CLOUD of DEBRIS was expelled and covered the entire tank. It was disgusting. Rotting chunks of food and feces flying everywhere. Poor fishies. I'm actually surprised that they would do that in the middle of the afternoon when there were customers visiting. I'm assuming that she reasoned: "oh I'll just free up the debris and once it's waterborne, the filter will take care of the rest".

What's so bad about this? Well, first, it's completely insanitary! I'll bet she does this "shakedown" every month or so, maybe more, judging by the sheer amount of waste. In the meantime, think of all the disgusting filth building up in that little bit of gravel! It's a total breeding ground for disease. Hence why I see dead fish every time I go.

Secondly, the filter(s) there don't seem to work well at all. I see cloudy/debris-filled water in a couple tanks, all the time. When I entered the store last night to buy some tasty treats (see previous post), a couple tanks were already swarmed with gunk. By the time I left half an hour later, they were STILL completely covered in debris. Srsly. So much gunk I could barely see through the glass and find fish.

This rant is meant to convince you that gravel vacs are essential to tank maintenance! You don't want your tank absolutely crawling with nasty stuff do you?

How to Use a Gravel Vacuum

1. Buy a gravel vacuum ($8-$15) that suits your cleaning needs. Some are skinny for small tanks, others are big and fat for larger tanks. Obviously. I use the smallest size gravel vac for both my tanks so I can "spot clean" without removing too much water. As mentioned before, I like to clean. A lot. I'm obsessive about keeping my tanks as pristine as possible.

2. Remove all tank decorations. I have a self-starting vac. Basically, just plunge the entire thicker tube end (the one that does the suctioning) into the tank and give it 2-3 good tugs. You'll hear a little burbling and water will start flowing.

3. Before you even do that, put the other end of the tube into a large, TALL bucket. This prevents spills. Trust me, you need a tall bucket/container. I used to use a shallow tupperware container. It totally backfired. The end of the tube curved up and out, aimed for the furniture. Water. Everywhere. Since then, I gotten a 10g bucket.

4. As soon as water starts flowing, shove the vacuum end into gravel and you should see debris flying up the tube. Small bits of gravel will go up partially into the tube too. Don't worry, its' too big to get sucked up. Just shake the gravel vac a little and the gravel will fall out.

5. Tip: if you have a small tank like my 10G, then you'll want to start cleaning the dirtiest areas first. After a few cleanings, you'll notice a few areas get especially dirty. For me, it's the bottom left corners of the tank and under/around cave areas. Do this because you only have about 3-5 minutes to clean. I find that after 5 minutes, so much water (30%) is already removed that it'd be unwise/unsafe to remove more.


6. If you have a larger tank like my 29G, you don't need to worry about time. After about 10 minutes, I find that only about 10% of the water is removed. Just do a thorough job, as there are likely to be more nooks and crannies.

7. If you have a planted tank like I do, carefully vacuum around the plants, making sure you don't disturb the roots. Sounds tough, but it's actually not that hard. This is, however, assuming that you have at least 1.5-3 inches of gravel in your tank: enough to firmly bury and root plants with, and that the gravel is fine-grade pea gravel designed for ease of planting. I know this would never have worked with the old gravel I had which was neon blue and each piece was jagged and gigantic. It made planting a nightmare.

Nudge the plants around a bit because food bits and debris tend to get trapped in the fine leaves. Especially moss and fine needled plants like hornwort or cabomba.

Plants need fine gravel! Some people even add nutrient layers before they add gravel to promote growth.

8. Once you are satisfied, just lift up the gravel vac, point it to the ceiling so the rest of the water comes out, and dump the dirty tank water. You can also use this time to rinse off filter pads in the tank water.

9. Fill up the bucket with as much water as you just dumped, and a little more to account for evaporation. Add dechlorinator. Make sure the newly added tap water is roughly the same temperature as the tank water. Some people go as far as using specific heaters and thermometers. I just use my hand. I feel the tank. I feel the water. Feels about the same. We're good to go!

10. Gently and slowly add water to the tank. Some people prefer to pour the water over a plate or bowl so the disruption to the water/gravel/plants is minimal. I just pour it REALLY SLOWLY and a little trickle at a time. It makes as much disruption as my filter. Which isn't much.

11. Rinse off gravel vac and bucket. Store away for later use.

*Even if you don't have gravel for some reason in your tank, a gravel vac can be an easy and efficient way to do water changes. Just stick it in the tank, clip it to the side so it doesn't float, and it'll remove as much water as you need. This way you don't need to do what I used to do: water changes using large tupperware containers and REPEATED TRIPS to the sink. It was tiring to say the least.


*Please, save yourself the trouble and buy a self-starting gravel vac. Do not buy the kind where you have to suck on the other end with your mouth. It's absolutely DISGUSTING and puts you at risk for loads of diseases. Also you could end up swallowing some of the water. Yuck.