http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/ Friendly and active Tropical fish and aquarium forum en Sat, 25 May 2013 15:37:32 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/images/misc/rss.png http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112467&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 14:26:10 GMT Hi all, Been reading here the last few days and loving the wealth of info, so thought I should introduce myself. New to the hobby as of the end... Hi all,

Been reading here the last few days and loving the wealth of info, so thought I should introduce myself.

New to the hobby as of the end of March. My 8 year old son wanted fish so I went to the LFS and picked up a kit for him as a gift and got some advice from the staff there on setting it up. Unfortunately that led to a fish in cycle which we are working thru with almost daily 50% PWC.

Not long after starting the 20 gallon kit up we were offered and accepted a 37 gallon tank so that one is also cycling right now, fish less this time. And based on the info from this site as well as others I decided we should also have a QT/hospital tank, so I have another 20 gallon tank cycling in the garage for that purpose.

So what started as a gift for my son has become a new hobby for me. I am already planning a 75 gallon in my head, and the resistance from my wife is wearing :hmm3grin2orange: ]]> Introduce yourself Bruno72 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112467 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112466&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 13:19:05 GMT Hey i wonder what size on PVC are large enough to have as a breeding cave for adult BN plecos?

i have 1.2" pvc pipes home but they look a bit to tight for an adult BN but im not sure ]]> Plecos Kazumi http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112466 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112465&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 12:44:22 GMT I am looking for parts for my aquaclear 110, if anyone has one they don't use or that the motor or something is shot on it please PM me.

Parts I need:
Case, lid, and intake adapter (black circle)

Thank you ]]> Classifieds Hardy85 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112465 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112464&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 12:02:47 GMT Hey all,

I'm redesigning an aquarium for my dad since all his old fish died off age and he really wants an overhaul with it.
he had clown loaches angelfish and kardinal tetras in it before with a light mixture gravel, lava stones with javaplants.( so very open and boring)
the tank is currently cleaned out and rinsed and will be cycled after its filled for a month or 2 before we get the angelfish.
the tank is 200cm by 80cm by 80cm so thats 1280Liter (correct me if im wrong) not sure what that makes in ft and gallon but i'm sure you can work that out.

He has a wishlist that is very small.
So far his must have list: 5-6 angelfish and clown loaches.
Im in love with corys and i heard the loaches and panda corys get along very well, so i want to add the panda corys and perhaps another species off cory?
Maybe a group off otocinclus or should i go with bristlenose? because off its size it gets alot off light.
We have had some algea problems in the past so we love species that can help manage it but who wont eat chunks out off the angelfish's sides.

I would love to know how big the groups off cory and loaches and oto's are good for the size off this tank.
It is a living room centrepiece tank so fish that stress easy are not suitable, also kardinal tetra's got eaten in the past and we've seen those for years so thats not an option.
i'm told that he wants the tank to be planted with lots off rocks and wood, maybe some caves? and some open space as swim area. so i figured an amazon theme!
He really wants a colourful lively community tank with a lot too look at for the neighbourhood kids and my little cousin.

So please toss your ideas for tank mates and the size off the groups at me; and if they need some shelter or advice about sand or a dark gravel or a mix if fish prefer it.
also ideas for plants? i do want a species off vallisneria so suggestions on that or other plants within the theme are very welcome. ]]> Angelfish Midi http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112464 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112463&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 11:57:04 GMT Hi there. I'm a longtime FW person who's now trying SW. I have two biocube setups - one 29g, one 14g, both with live rock and live sand, fully cycled. My water parameters are great and have been stable from week to week for about a month. SG is at 1.024, temp 76. pH is about 8.3 in both tanks.

I've got a lot of algae, so I've got two turbos in the bigger tank, a scarlet and a blue hermit, a handful of smaller hermits, and a nassarius who I don't see much of. Smaller tank - one turbo, blue hermit, and a handful of little hermits.

Corals are doing okay - leather and paly in the bigger tank, mushroom in the smaller.

Questions:
- my emerald crab died. At first I thought it was molting, but when the white stuff started to get stringy, I figured out it wasn't a molt. What kills emeralds? He was nibbling on the paly a day or two before he died - could that have killed him?

- I got a feather duster worm last week. He did not make it, sadly (he was SO cool!) - he came out of his sheath in the bag on the way home and only lived a couple days after that. LFS guy said they're easy to care for. I do want to try again - any tips? (I'm dosing with Phytofeast right now. The leather and paly seem to like it, too.)

- I've got hair algae on my live sand, and the hermit crabs aren't keeping up with it. Any recommendations?

- There's a thick slab of something neon green on one of my rocks. It's turning purple/black and I see small bubbles forming now. Could this be bubble algae, and if so, what can I get to eat it? Or should I just take the rock out and scrape it off?

- How many hours a day should I have the T5s on versus the standard tank lights?

Sorry to dump a bunch of questions, but I feel like a failure because things keep randomly dying, even though the water tests perfect. Thanks! ]]> General Saltwater (Beginner section) LauraL http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112463 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112462&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 11:40:16 GMT I was thinking of raiding the small pond behind my friends house for some plants and soaking them in dechlorinated water with 20ml/10gallons solution... I was thinking of raiding the small pond behind my friends house for some plants and soaking them in dechlorinated water with 20ml/10gallons solution of Flourish excel to rid the plants of algae and funk. I also plan on some low light plants such as java fern and moss, hornwort, dwarf anubias and wendtii in my 150 gallon. For lighting I have a 36" dual light t5 ho fixture with 2 x 6700K bulbs (39 watts each), good for 1.9 watts/ gallon. Water depth of 24". I'm not sure what kind of plants the natives are- one is a fully aquatic grass, one looks kind of like cabomba and I want to use some lilly pad looking things. As always thoughts and comments are appreciated.
BTW- I was thinking of getting some shallow plastic containers, filling it with black diamond sand, putting the plants in them and burying the whole deal under my gravel (?). ]]> Plants Longshot http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112462 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112461&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 11:27:30 GMT Hi, I'm Laura. I've had FW tanks for about 30 years, and am now trying a couple of small SW tanks for the first time. I've done a lot of research, but there's a ton that I don't know - hoping to find some tips from SW folks here!

Meantime, I've got a lot of experience with FW fish (especially bettas, which I love and have had most of my life), and am happy to help if I can! ]]> Introduce yourself LauraL http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112461 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112460&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 09:22:40 GMT More fish News

Cookiecutter: The Most Terrifying Description Of Ocean Swimming I've Ever Read ]]> Fishy News William http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112460 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112459&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 05:20:01 GMT Did some work with Arrow's tank yesterday while I was cleaning it. The gravel was a mess; I think he'd been storing uneaten pellets behind the tank ornament, judging from the pile of crud back there...

Arrow is a double tail who thinks he's a crowntail, judging from how spiky his fins have gotten.

This is his original tank setup (he's hiding behind the larger plant; just look for the red blotch):


That anemone ornament came down with a nasty case of grey slime. No matter how much I scrubbed it off it would be back within a few days. An equally nasty black stuff that wouldn't come off at all also appeared, so I decided it was time to switch his ornaments.

This is his new tank setup (he's up by the filter, just to the left of the white tube):


I like the new ornament; I think it fits. The larger plant on the right could almost be a Japanese red maple or something, next to a temple structure.


It's got the "fin of approval" from Arrow XD He's sleeping under it.

Also...


"I'm a leaf, I'm a leaf, I'm a leaf..." XD ]]> Betta fish Cyberra http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112459 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112458&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 01:42:42 GMT Okay, so I'm getting a 15 gallon column tank set up (This one in the link) for a community tank with, for certain, 1 male Betta and 1 Oto. I was originally planning on 2 albino cory cats and 2 upside down catfish, but after doing more research and thinking about the size of my tank (with 7 live plants and 2 decorations that double as hidey holes) I decided to change this to 3 of one or the other. I'm not really sure which one would work best however and I would like some well informed opinions and suggestions. ]]> Fish Compatibility Fluffy http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112458 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112457&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 00:34:41 GMT :11:

Don't these little emoticons look like bacteria in the collective imagination?

Well, hello!

I am a firm believer that every solution is provided by nature. I am particularly interested in using microbes (natural ones, not reengineered) for natural cleansing application, in soil and water.

I have often come to AF during my research (some people's issues with water quality ...) and thought that it's time to give back. I don't know if I will be able to be a regular, but will try my best and I hope to offer new perspectives on how one can build a thriving water ecosystem without the use of synthetic chemicals and avoid resulting to water change to alleviate their troubled aquariums.

I'll probably be asking many questions and still, don't even know why I am asking them (sorry).

I have two salt water 10g aquariums i am running my trials and tests on. I had two casualties in the process (:grayalien:), a crab and a green chromis (more on this if you ask), but completely unintentional and more as a result of attempting to find the right equilibrium between food and diatoms and microbes and (bla bla bla).

Anyway, I have started a 75g FW that will host discuss.

Have a nice weekend. ]]> Introduce yourself Big Blue http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112457 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112456&goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 00:06:03 GMT After a few years keeping a reef tank, I got the itch to set up a small freshwater tank again. I used an old 20 tall I had lying around and removed... After a few years keeping a reef tank, I got the itch to set up a small freshwater tank again. I used an old 20 tall I had lying around and removed the top trim from it. Built a stand with lumber I had in the backyard, and scaped it with some driftwood I found.

Tank is finished cycling, but I moved a couple things around today so the water is a little cloudy.





Tomorrow I'm going to go look for a few plants to add in. ]]> Introduce yourself ggrillo http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112456 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112455&goto=newpost Fri, 24 May 2013 23:16:59 GMT I'm working on building my first large aquarium. I currently have a betta fish in a 4g lightly planted tank. I am currently looking around on craigslist at a 36g tank. I had a couple of questions about equipment as well as stocking. I'll just list them off here, and hopefully I can get some guidance.

1. For Stocking I was thinking the following: 6 False Julii Cory Cat, 10 Zebra Danio, 1 neon blue dwarf Gouramis. Originally I was thinking of having a school of Celestial Pearl Danios, but they are a little expensive for my first tank. aqadvisor.com puts me at ~75% stocked, do you think I should add another small school fish, any other possible suggestions?

2. I would like to have a decently planted tank. What would be a good set of plants for the tank? assuming 2W/gal; but I don't want to mess with any CO2 for the first year or so. Some moss and low plants for carpeting and some high plants for the back would be nice. I'll almost certainly have some driftwood and rocks in there as well,

3. I'm really not sure on what sort of lightning I should be going for. I know I want to have ~2W/g and I know that the 6700K bulbs are good, but as for actual good quality fixtures that fit on a Bow Front, I have no idea. Any help in that area would be nice.

I'll update this thread once I actually buy some of the equipment, which should start this weekend hopefully. But it'll be a couple months before I can afford the start up costs of everything. ]]> Beginner Freshwater aja31 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112455 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112454&goto=newpost Fri, 24 May 2013 20:48:06 GMT Just asking. Jeff Just asking.

Jeff ]]> Plants reef12 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112454 http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112453&goto=newpost Fri, 24 May 2013 20:34:17 GMT So, I have a relatively new tank (about 8 weeks old), and I'm experiencing some fish death. When I first got the tank up and running, I used some of the Dr. Tim's Aquatics bacteria in a bottle to help the tank get cycling, and began stocking. Here are the fish I stocked, in the order I stocked them (all species were introduced separately, roughly a week or two apart):

6 variatus platies (2 males, 4 females)
8 zebra danios
6 corydoras elegans
2 dwarf gourami (both male)
6 lemon tetras

These are in a 50 gallon aquarium with an AquaClear 110 filter (no carbon filtration). I keep the tank at 78.4 degrees fahrenheit. The tank is heavily planted; I don't use any fertilizer, but I do use Seachem Flourish Excel (a carbon supplement). I'm using conditioned tap water with a pH somewhere between 7.4 and 7.6 according to my API test kit. During the first few weeks of the tanks life, I tested once or twice daily for my cycling parameters, and never saw the ammonia rise above 0.25 ppm or the nitrite rise above 0 ppm. I have high nitrate levels out of the tap; I'll bring that up later in the thread. I do a 40% water change every week.

I feed twice daily, usually a small pinch of flake food and 4 or 5 shrimp pellets. I feed them freeze dried bloodworms about twice a week.

A few weeks ago, one of the corys died. I'm not sure why; all fish seemed healthy and active, then I found him dead, stuck to the filter intake. I gave the tank a couple weeks, during which I tested the water parameters daily (again, never saw any of the water parameters spike). I chalked the death up to random chance and added the lemon tetras about a week ago.

After a couple days, one of the tetras got sick. He swam around the tank in a spiral motion, and eventually ended upside down in the plants, dead. I removed him from the tank, tested water params (nitrite was high, about 5.0 ppm!) and performed a 50% water change, followed by another 50% water change the next day. Finally, earlier today I found a cory dead. I removed him, tested params (nitrite at 0.25 ppm), and did a 50% water change.

The biggest potential problem I can see is that, out of the tap, I have very high nitrate levels. I tested the tap water today and it shows nitrates somewhere between 40 and 80 ppm. Once in the tank, the nitrates drop a bit from the plants, but it's difficult to keep them low even with big weekly water changes. Any advice on what to do? I'm not positive my problem is related to my tap water quality, but it seems possible. I don't think I'm overfeeding, but I'm new at this; they consume the flakes very quickly, usually in about 30 seconds or so, but it takes them a while longer to eat up the shrimp pellets. ]]> Beginner Freshwater roliel http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=112453