Starting over w my 125

[HeyNow]

For those if you who were following my other thread- I had a disease rip through my 125g tank and kill all but two common plecos and one large snail. Thread here- http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=63787

The 125 and the 29g that will be the QT tank are disinfected and ready to go.

The surviving plecos are back in their 125 and thriving.

I bought a Betta to "test the waters" in the 29g. I figured if I killed a betta in there I would have problems, but so far so good and the Betta is doing very well
Here is the new Betta- his name is Blanket

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0147.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0137.jpg

And here is his home/ the QT tank. I will get dividers if I ever need to QT a fish that isn't compatible w a Betta plus I have a few other tanks he can move to if need be- but when not in use as a QT tank this will be his home. I have never seen a black and white Betta like him before and I just couldn't pass him up at the store.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0132.jpg

[HeyNow]

And here is my 125g ready to go- the plecos are in it now

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0149.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0150.jpg

I haven't decided what my first new fish will be...I want to have Angels so it will have to be something compatible with them.

[rhonin]

Looking at your pics - nice!

One observation: is the 29g cloudy (assuming that the small is the 29g)?

:22:

[HeyNow]

Yeah its a little cloudy still from my decorating it. It hasn't settled yet.

Also the 125 has that low-iron starfire or sapphire glass (whatever its called) so anything looks cloudy next to it.

[megastealer]

Cool looking tanks thumbs2:

More importantly, I have the same 29g tank stand as you. Lol!

[tanks4thememories]

Welcome Back HeyNow!! First let me say those betta pics are awesome. Blanket has unique markings and the photography is so clear...nice!!

Tanks look great!! I would maybe suggest no gravel in the quarantine tank though. If you ever have to medicate it it is really hard to clean, also when medicated the bacteria in the tank usually dies off making immediate ammonia more bacteria more ammonia. so a qt tank is the only time I suggest less BB in the actual tank is more...lol If you are totally against bare bottom then you might also consider marbles or those oval shaped glass beads (look like squashed marbles..lol) either of those have a lot less surface area than the common gravel which = less bacteria and easier disinfection between meds.

Everything looks great Im glad to see ya back in action and thanx for sharing the pics (makes it so much more fun when there are pics...lol)

[HeyNow]

I had the tank bare bottom for a while but I really didn't like it....I know what you are saying though about keeping it clean and the bb...I will see how it works for now and if I start having issues I will remove it altogether or change it out for marbles as you suggested.

I went to Absolutely Fish in NJ last night and got 6 Harlequin Rasboras, and 6 head and tail light tetras. I love that store- a bit pricey, but the staff is so helpful. They listened to my tale of woe about my 125, asked what my ultimate stocking plan was, and then made appropriate suggestions for my first new fish for restocking. I went there wanting some green barbs, but since I really want angel fish again they talked me out of those.

The rasboras and tetras are in the 29g now. So far so good. This betta is totally non-aggressive and doesn't seem to care about the new tank mates. (I've had some before that would kill any thing I put in with them)

I was SO tempted to get a lot of other fish too but I stuck to my plan of small inexpensive fish. There were some really nice angels though...and the most adorable tiny pictus.

I'll get some pictures of the newbies when I get my butt in gear this morning.

[Bristley]

Keep us posted about what you eventually decide to restock with, and post some pics when you start putting 'em in. Awesome looking tanks btw.

[HeyNow]

:22:
Cool looking tanks thumbs2:

More importantly, I have the same 29g tank stand as you. Lol!

Lol- that tank was actually given to me by my neighbor. He had it in his garage forever and didn't want it. According to him it is 20+ years old.

It leaked when he gave it to us but my BF was able to reseal it. Its not the prettiest tank- the glass has a lot of scratches and the silicone is a bit messy, but its water tight.

[Ashley]

that betta is just beautiful!

[tanks4thememories]

I had the tank bare bottom for a while but I really didn't like it....I know what you are saying though about keeping it clean and the bb...I will see how it works for now and if I start having issues I will remove it altogether or change it out for marbles as you suggested.

I went to Absolutely Fish in NJ last night and got 6 Harlequin Rasboras, and 6 head and tail light tetras. I love that store- a bit pricey, but the staff is so helpful. They listened to my tale of woe about my 125, asked what my ultimate stocking plan was, and then made appropriate suggestions for my first new fish for restocking. I went there wanting some green barbs, but since I really want angel fish again they talked me out of those.

That is one of the stores I go to as well...lol They are pricey but as you say they are also very nice and well informed on fish. They can get just about anything for a price of course...lol

[HeyNow]

That is one of the stores I go to as well...lol They are pricey but as you say they are also very nice and well informed on fish. They can get just about anything for a price of course...lol

Ah I didn't know you were in this area- that is an awesome store. I really wanted to walk out of there with 20 bags of fish but I behaved myself.

I was in there once and filled out a request card for pygmy corys. I figured "yeah right- I will never hear from them- they probably file these cards and never look at them"

About a week later my cell rings and it was Abs Fish telling me that they had just gotten some pygmy corys in- did I want any?

I can't wait to go back to get some more fish.

Hey question- how long should QT last? A week? 2 weeks?

[HeyNow]

Ok the first "new" fish went into the 125 last night (in addition to the Plecos that are already in there)

I say "new" as I already had this school of 5 Balas in my 224g, 6x2x2.5, tank. The 224g is also home to 1 Black asian upside down cat, two small Red Tail Cats and two small Redtail/TSN Hybrids.

**Note- before anyone has kittens over the RTCs and Hybrids in that tank- yes I KNOW that tank will be too small for them eventually and I have plans for either an indoor heated pond or an even bigger tank for them. I bought them knowing what I was getting into and making the decision to buy/build huge tanks in which to keep them. Right now they are still small enough to live in there comfortably**

Knowing that the Bala's would eventually be snacks for the big cats,I decided to move them to the 125.

Here are some pics of them in the tank- I moved them there last night.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0163.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0156.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0164.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0162.jpg

More pics to follow of the other fish in the QT tank

[HeyNow]

Here are some shots of the fish that are currently in QT.

With the addition of the Bala's to the 125 I may or may not move these H. Rasboras and Tetras to that tank...I read conflicting things on Balas, that they are peaceful and wont prey on other fish vs they will eat other fish if they fit in their mouths.

If they don't move to the 125 they will probably just stay in the QT tank or move to one of my smaller planted tanks.

I also picked up some sort of Synodontis catfish. I don't think they are true upside downs, although that is how they were marked at the store. I bought 4 of these. They are definitely going into the 125.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0169_0001.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0173.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0170.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0167_0001.jpg

[HeyNow]

Just a few more...I have no idea what is on the glass here in this first one- it wont come off either...

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0171.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0168.jpg

And one more of Blanket cause I just :1luvu: him

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0174.jpg

[rothenb1]

I went to Absolutely Fish in NJ last night

OMG! I just went down to NJ to visit my parents and went there yesterday to pick up some fish I had on hold (they let me hold them for a WEEK with only a 50% down payment!). They were SO beautiful and I had been looking all over for them around here but alas, nowhere to be found.

So when I saw them there I just had to get them! I got two cupid cichlids, two Geophagus pindare and a black betta (my current one, though very sick, is white and they are both crowntail, I had to have him! He's in QT with the other guys right now).

The staff was so helpful. They packaged them up in big bags with lots of air and water and put them in a styrofoam box and then in a cardboard box and sealed it really well. Took 7 hours to get back to Buffalo and they were all in great condition. I was meaning to call them and tell them how wonderful they were.

Anyway I read your thread about your 125-- so sorry to hear that!! I hope that your new fish fare well :)

[tanks4thememories]

Ah I didn't know you were in this area- that is an awesome store. I really wanted to walk out of there with 20 bags of fish but I behaved myself.

I was in there once and filled out a request card for pygmy corys. I figured "yeah right- I will never hear from them- they probably file these cards and never look at them"

About a week later my cell rings and it was Abs Fish telling me that they had just gotten some pygmy corys in- did I want any?

I can't wait to go back to get some more fish.

Hey question- how long should QT last? A week? 2 weeks?

Its not the closest store to me, but I find it worth the trip..lol

I would suggest a minimum of 4 Weeks for QT Personally I do 6 Weeks

[HeyNow]

I would suggest a minimum of 4 Weeks for QT Personally I do 6 Weeks

Wow- ok this will be a test of patience for me, as I typically have none, except when it comes to my horses.

[hari-goshi]

Very nice looking bettathumbs2: .

[HeyNow]

The prospect of QT'ing fish for around 6 weeks, then starting over to add my next fish was a bit daunting, so I decided to get a bunch of fish now and start their QT as soon as the last one was in the 29g.

I picked up 2 really pretty angels, 2 flagtail porthole catfish, 4 small true SAE's, and I mail ordered some purple passion danios and more head and tail light tetras. My friend also picked me up 2 small real upside down cats.

Here are the angels- This one is my favorite
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0194_0001.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0204_0001.jpg

I really like this one too

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0200.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0208.jpg

More pics to follow

[HeyNow]

Here is one of the flag tails

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0197.jpg

The SAE's-

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0198_0001.jpg

One of the "fake" upside down cats- not sure what they are exactly but they aren't like the true upside down cats I have

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0202.jpg

And a shot of the danios

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa79/lscozzare/Fish%20tank/dsc_0210.jpg

So far everyone is looking great. They are eating really well, skin and eyes are clear, everyone is very active...basically they look very healthy.

I have the 29g tank they are in very well filtered with filters borrowed from already cycled tanks so the water quality is remaining consistent. Despite that I do changes every other day cause I know the tank is overstocked.

I can't wait to add these to my 125!

The balas in the 125 are doing well. They have settled down a lot- they used to dash madly all over the tank knocking into everything as soon as one entered the room, but they are starting to mellow. Now they look to be fed instead of running away.

[Lady Hobbs]

You got a lot of fish right now but did you cycle those tanks? I know the cycle was lost when you tore it down.

[HeyNow]

Yeah- I took two filters off of two other, not sick tanks, and used those to jump start the cycle. I have been testing every day (sometimes twice a day) and so far so good- but I am still doing water changes every other day to be safe.

I also added two Marimo moss balls from a cycled tank, figuring they would harbor lots of bb.


I have a lot of extra filters running on my tanks so I can take them off and borrow them as needed if I have problems and need cycled filters. Haven't ever needed them, until now, but they are coming in handy.

[HeyNow]

Update-

I had an outbreak of something in the QT tank- it looked like some form of mouth fungus/rot. I treated it but still lost most of the tetras and all of the synodontis cats. The other fish were unaffected. After all the sick ones died off my losses in there ended and the QT tank was thriving

Token- my black asian upside down catfish in my 224g got attacked by the redtails (knew that was coming I was just hoping I could rehome him before it did) and I needed a treatment tank for him so I moved the QT fish into the 125g and put Token in the 29g for treatment.

He was SO bad I didn't think he would make it- I was on the verge of euthing him in the freezer, but he has pulled through beautifully and is fully recovered. I am giving bio bandage a big thumbs up. During his treatment he also spent time hovering at the top of the tank right above the bubbles from the air stone- I am not sure if the constant flow of oxygen had anything to do with his recovery but maybe it helped.

I didn't want to move the QT fish to the 125 as soon as I did but due to tank space and needing to treat Token I had no choice. Once in the 125 about half of my danio's died, and I am down to 1 head and tail light tetra, and 2 H. Rasboras. No signs of sickness, they just died.

All other fish are thriving- the angels, balas, SAEs', porthole-flag tail cats, and plecos- they are all doing really well.

I was just away for 5 days on a camping trip w the horses and all of the fish did just fine in my absence.

Now I am debating on what to do with Token. I can't add him back to the 224, I don't have another big tank (besides the 125) to put him in...I think I might add him to the 125 move the few small fish that are still alive to some of my smaller tanks.

I haven't had much luck trying to find him a new home- one person wanted him but lives 4 hours away and we can't seem to hook up.

I am leaning towards adding him to the 125- if I remove the smaller fish, everything else is too big for him to eat.

One of these days when its too hot to think about riding my horse, I am going to make a trek out to That Fish Place in PA. I'd like to add some loaches to my tank, and maybe try the Synodontis cats again. My friend who also boards her horses with mine, and who is also into keeping fish, wants to make the drive with me. We need a day where we wont mind sacrificing barn time so we are waiting for another really hot and humid weekend. I am sure the weather wont disappoint us