Marg
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hi Y'All!
I'm glad to have found you as I'm always interested in learning more about aquariums, freshwater in particular.
I got my first aquarium, 10 gal. freshwater, for my 10th birthday back in North Carolina. Long, long ago, and far away!
I learned alot from that first tank, including, but not limited to:
1.Red-tailed sharks will find even the smallest hole to jump out of the tank.
2. Wild caught mud minnows are really bad 'fin biters'.
3. Aquariums are addicting!
Anyway, went many years without a tank while I helped my first husband run a sheep farm and raise two wonderful daughters.
Divorced, remarried in 2005.
Had a stroke in 2007 at age 47(from a car wreck) which paralyzed my left side.
Forced retirement from selling insurance.
My youngest daughter left me her fish when she went off to junior college.
I think that was about 2009. That's when I bought the 14 gal. tank.
Since then, her fish grew too large (angels and bala shark).
Since she didn't want them back, I traded them to my LFS for plants and assorted critters.
Plants and shrimp died, but pleco and angelfish again grew too large.
I really love raising mosquito larvae in season and watching my 'Fish Gone Wild"!
Now I have 1 very beautiful male Betta splendens, Sir Arthur Corbett, Esquire.
And lots of green algae.
I have had brown slime problems in the past so the green algae is a welcome change.
However, I'd much rather have a planted tank, so that's what I'm striving towards.
I have full spectrum low light with high pH well water and about 3" of natural gravel substrate.
We've got to keep this really low cost and low tech since my husband is OK with this, but not as passionate about it as I am.
I have some frogbit, java moss, and ramshorn snails ordered and am eager to 'make it purty'!
Can I just vacuum the gravel and wash off the driftwood and lava rocks before installing the new plants.
I'm hoping they will out compete the algae.
Any advice would be welcome.
Margaret
I'm glad to have found you as I'm always interested in learning more about aquariums, freshwater in particular.
I got my first aquarium, 10 gal. freshwater, for my 10th birthday back in North Carolina. Long, long ago, and far away!
I learned alot from that first tank, including, but not limited to:
1.Red-tailed sharks will find even the smallest hole to jump out of the tank.
2. Wild caught mud minnows are really bad 'fin biters'.
3. Aquariums are addicting!
Anyway, went many years without a tank while I helped my first husband run a sheep farm and raise two wonderful daughters.
Divorced, remarried in 2005.
Had a stroke in 2007 at age 47(from a car wreck) which paralyzed my left side.
Forced retirement from selling insurance.
My youngest daughter left me her fish when she went off to junior college.
I think that was about 2009. That's when I bought the 14 gal. tank.
Since then, her fish grew too large (angels and bala shark).
Since she didn't want them back, I traded them to my LFS for plants and assorted critters.
Plants and shrimp died, but pleco and angelfish again grew too large.
I really love raising mosquito larvae in season and watching my 'Fish Gone Wild"!
Now I have 1 very beautiful male Betta splendens, Sir Arthur Corbett, Esquire.
And lots of green algae.
I have had brown slime problems in the past so the green algae is a welcome change.
However, I'd much rather have a planted tank, so that's what I'm striving towards.
I have full spectrum low light with high pH well water and about 3" of natural gravel substrate.
We've got to keep this really low cost and low tech since my husband is OK with this, but not as passionate about it as I am.
I have some frogbit, java moss, and ramshorn snails ordered and am eager to 'make it purty'!
Can I just vacuum the gravel and wash off the driftwood and lava rocks before installing the new plants.
I'm hoping they will out compete the algae.
Any advice would be welcome.
Margaret
to AA!
