Newbie Taking on a Doozy

[finnafish]

Yea I just did some research and Jordanella floridae is a killifish. I can catch hundreds of them any day. Their everywhere around my neighborhood!

 

[bullyboy]

Errrrrmagerrrd send me eggs when ya get yer set up goin

 

[finnafish]

Still cycling the tank... I have high nitrite readings still so I guess the cycle isn't done. Just an update.

 

[finnafish]

Finally got around to boiling my wood. I boiled the first of two for hours at every angle. It's now floating in my tank barkless. I'm assuming it will get waterlogged and sink soon enough. The water is beginning to get a bit murky again. I assume its the leftover tannins from the wood. I also assume water changes will remove the majority of the tannins. I have yet to do a water change. There's still no fish or plants.

 

[finnafish]

I'm not sure if anyone is still following this but I'm still working on this tank. I need help sinking my wood, I also need help collecting plants. I've found plants I want in my tank but im not sure how to rid them of critters and algea that might spread into my tank. I live in an apartment so all of this has to be done inside. I found the right elodia and bladderwart. I've also found pretty much every species of fish I want in the tank. So close yet so far away. Please help!

 

[nirbhao]

I've heard some people screw bolts into driftwood to sink it.

 

[finnafish]

Okay so it's been forever, not sure if I should start a new thread but yesterday I finally found a bluespotted sunfish to put in my tank. I found her (I'm pretty sure it's a female) last night while netting for grass shrimp in a ditch behind where I live. I accimated her for 4 hours and she's not breathing hard so thats good. She's not moving much and hugging the bottom of the tank. I didnt test the PH of the water she came from but I've collected some golden topminnows from the same water are they did just fine. I'm crossing my fingers she'll be okay. I really need some cover for her! I have the sunken wood but Im not sure if that will suffice. Some bladderwart I collected died and all the elodia I find is invasive so no progress with plants. I may go buy a clay pot to put in the tank for now. Not sure what to do!

 

[flitabout]

No need to start a new thread. She is pretty! Give her a while to adjust to life in captivity. I don'y know much about plants but I have heard cabomba is native to that area. That might be a good one for you because you can get that from aquariumplants.com
Cabomba Green (Cabomba carolina)
Hornwort also known as coontail
Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum)
Duckweed
Duckweed (Lemna minor) 4 oz Portion
lemon bacopa
https://pondplantsrus.com/collections/submerged-plants/products/lemon-bacopa
Also this valisneria
Vallisneria "Dark Red Jungle Val" (sold 10 plants per order)
If you can find it in the wild, you can definitely find some of them online to buy!

 

[finnafish]

I found 3 plants today. One of my friends says the first one is chara algea the other says its hornwort. The middle one I believe to be hydrilla, Im not too worried If its native for the time being just so I can get some cover in the tank. Im cleaning the plants I took as we speak

 

[finnafish]

I found a second bluespotted which I think is a male! He was in quarentine for a week and has been in my main tank for two days now. The new one is much smaller and the bogger one shows a tad of aggression. Most of the plants I collected didnt make it through the cleaning process but I have some established plant growth. I want to collect the rest of the fish for my tank and add them all at the same time. Hopefully the bluespots dont do too much damage when that time comes. I need a ton more plants and fish but things are going well. Updates soon!

 

[bullyboy]

I found a second bluespotted which I think is a male! He was in quarentine for a week and has been in my main tank for two days now. The new one is much smaller and the bogger one shows a tad of aggression. Most of the plants I collected didnt make it through the cleaning process but I have some established plant growth. I want to collect the rest of the fish for my tank and add them all at the same time. Hopefully the bluespots dont do too much damage when that time comes. I need a ton more plants and fish but things are going well. Updates soon!View attachment 308638View attachment 308639

Hey Finnafish good to see yer project is still on.

 

[bullyboy]

I found 3 plants today. One of my friends says the first one is chara algea the other says its hornwort. The middle one I believe to be hydrilla, Im not too worried If its native for the time being just so I can get some cover in the tank. Im cleaning the plants I took as we speakView attachment 308318View attachment 308320View attachment 308323

Rotala florida is an awesome plant too

 

[finnafish]

Rotala florida is an awesome plant too

Its so pretty! Added to the list thank you. The tank was at a stand still for a while but I'm back on the build. Ive been filming the whole process with the new fish, I'll put a video together soon.

 

[finnafish]

New finds! Collected four Okeefenokee pygmy sunfish, 2 new bluespotted sunfish, a tadpole madtom, blackbanded darter, and a swamp darter! All from the little Econ river. Theyre in quarentine for now. Super excited about these finds!

 

[bullyboy]

New finds! Collected four Okeefenokee pygmy sunfish, 2 new bluespotted sunfish, a tadpole madtom, blackbanded darter, and a swamp darter! All from the little Econ river. Theyre in quarentine for now. Super excited about these finds!View attachment 308792View attachment 308793View attachment 308794

I just started keeping Gilberti and im hooked.
Check out the NANFA

 

[CoreySheli]

I just read through this entire thread and loved it. I have some experience with what you're doing but never fully dedicated a tank to it, just collected some plants and fish. If you're still looking for plants that will provide shade why you don't try some of the lilies? I live in the panhandle and there are lilies all over that I used to collect and use in my tanks. I just soak them in a little bleach solution, 1:20 solution. For example if you use one cup of bleach then you put it in 20 cups of water to dilute it. Once you let them soak for about 15 minutes you just give them a good rinse under warm water and they should be good to go. Keep us updated! I've always been interested to see how the Okeefenokee Pygmy will do in the aquarium

 

[finnafish]

I just read through this entire thread and loved it. I have some experience with what you're doing but never fully dedicated a tank to it, just collected some plants and fish. If you're still looking for plants that will provide shade why you don't try some of the lilies? I live in the panhandle and there are lilies all over that I used to collect and use in my tanks. I just soak them in a little bleach solution, 1:20 solution. For example if you use one cup of bleach then you put it in 20 cups of water to dilute it. Once you let them soak for about 15 minutes you just give them a good rinse under warm water and they should be good to go. Keep us updated! I've always been interested to see how the Okeefenokee Pygmy will do in the aquarium

I will keep it updated. The pygmy sunfish didnt make it sadly. I think I'll get a 10 gallon and try to build a better environment for them. I also have no live food culture so I couldn't feed them but I don't think thats what killed them. Cool idea on pads, I need more substrate to plant something like that. I'm about to take a step to collect the rest of the plants and fish for my tank. I have located the real hornwort, some edodias and giant duckweed. Still trying to remember where I saw water lettuce but I'll find some sooner or later