29 + 10 planted

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nirbhao

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Sep 28, 2016
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Michigan, Metro Detroit
East facing window, whose blinds stay shut until the sun is high enough that it's not streaming in on them directly.

Everybody's names are written on the tanks right now in glass markers because of recent additions.

I use ceramic buttons to propagate new plants.

My daughter and I sit on the floor and just stare at the fish. It is really wonderful.

the tiny computer is full of delicion!
 

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Nice :)


How do you not get algae like that :) I can get more algae on one side of tank closest to window and it is in the centre of the room :(
 
Thank you!

We have lots of snails (four nerites and one mystery in the 10 gallon, a mystery, Japanese trapdoor, and three brand new rabbit snails in the 29 gallon), and it's possible that they just do their jobs well enough that I never even see a speck. I have to feed them extra algae!

the tiny computer is full of delicion!
 
I see other people posting journal type stuff in this thread, so I'm joining in. I have so much to say!

First of all, I have no idea how our guppy is still pregnant. Anytime I go to the tank, she comes over to me as if she's excited to see me. I always feel like she's trying to get me to do something but I don't know what. I feed her tiny bits all the time, so maybe she's just excited for a snack.

I'm seeing if we can hatch some of our nerite eggs. I had put together a 1 gallon bowl with decorative rocks for growing algae, and so I'm making it brackish, since the snails lay eggs on those very rocks. 90ish% water changes every day.

I'm starting to worry about Coral's quality of life. Parapalegic fish only survive when big hearts intervene, and I don't know how I'll know if she's in too much pain.

Big tank!
The water is still cloudy from the sand, and I'm so ready to be able to see through it again. I'm hoping tomorrow's water change helps a lot.

I'm nervous about the water change, though, because I don't want to hurt the baby trapdoors. They are so wonderful.

The rabbit snails continue to make me happy, although they hide! I usually do a head count in the morning and before bed, and it really freaks me out to not be able to find everyone!

The main decor in each tank is a ceramic fairy house, and I'm definitely concerned that I'll Wicked Witch of the East a burrowed snail.

They love their houses, though. If they had floors, I wouldn't have to take them out to clean under them!

I'm still grumpy with the rams. I know it's not their fault for getting sick, but they seem to be really good at it. But then they flash their amazing iridescent blue scales at me and I'm enchanted all over again.

Oh! And Maxime is just amazing. I'm so happy at how he is recovering. Just wonderful.

the tiny computer is full of delicion!
 
I'm the same, always stress out if I can't get the right head count :)

You breed snails, right? How do you keep babies safe? We have baby Japanese trapdoors right now, and their mother is my absolute favorite. I've had a really hard time finding others, and so I would love for them to grow and be healthy.

the tiny computer is full of delicion!
 
You breed snails, right? How do you keep babies safe? We have baby Japanese trapdoors right now, and their mother is my absolute favorite. I've had a really hard time finding others, and so I would love for them to grow and be healthy.

the tiny computer is full of delicion!


Sorry, no on the snail breeding except by accident. Most of my good ones have been gifts from store (not the pond snails though lol) or purchase at local auction. Used to be great seeing them get about. Now I'm running co2 I've found I can't keep them in the main tank, only small tanks.
 
That's really neat about the store!

What is it about the CO2 that they don't like? I only recently started using Flourish Excel, and, if anything, my snails are more active.

the tiny computer is full of delicion!
 
Let it be known: using quilt batting to scrub your water is a really good way to crash your cycle. We'll get through it, though!

Starfish (female ram) responded to Prazi Pro by partially ejecting her internal parasites. Silvery and Stubby were picking at them, so she's isolated for a bit.

Maxime is doing okay. I keep thinking that we've reached the final straw, but he just keeps going. Pattern, on the other hand, has been hiding in the corner for the past two weeks. I was optimistic when we moved her to the 29 gallon so Maxime could be in the 10 gallon because she climbed up the bamboo, but no. Back up in the corner.

I haven't seen the baby Japanese trapdoor snails yet today. They are *so* cute.

Also, I haven't been able to find anyone locally who sells trapdoor snails. I think she got mixed in with mysteries, because I asked the guy where I got her in the first place if they were getting any more, and he scoffed!

It occurred to me that I've taken over with decor, even though we started with the fish for our daughter. Her birthday is early November, so I'm thinking I'll get her a decoration she'll really like.

the tiny computer is full of delicion!
 

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Let it be known: using quilt batting to scrub your water is a really good way to crash your cycle. We'll get through it, though!


How did you come to this conclusion? Poly-fil (polyester quilt batting material) is a popular and effective mechanical filter material. I've used it for years in my tanks. Regarding this material, be sure to select a product that is free of flame retardants.
 
That's really neat about the store!

What is it about the CO2 that they don't like? I only recently started using Flourish Excel, and, if anything, my snails are more active.

the tiny computer is full of delicion!


With injected CO2 there is a ph drop (which isn't noticeable with liquid CO2 like excel) and I was finding that larger snails got cracks and chips on their shells appearing. Probably didn't help that my water is soft to start with but previously snails had been fine before I started CO2 injection. In some spare tanks they gradually improved but very slow even with cuttlebone added.
 
How did you come to this conclusion? Poly-fil (polyester quilt batting material) is a popular and effective mechanical filter material. I've used it for years in my tanks. Regarding this material, be sure to select a product that is free of flame retardants.

Well, I feel a little better knowing that it wasn't a completely stupid idea.

In the list of things that could have affected the cycle are a week-previois substrate change, treating with API General Cure, using a lot of hand sanitizer in the process of the change thanks to a 5 year-old who decided to get things out of the freezer by herself, and the batting.

General Cure isn't supposed to cause problems with the cycle, and my hands were never wet with sanitizer when I put my hands in the water or on equipment.

The substrate is the most likely cause, but it had happened several days before. I removed a lot (but not all) of the substrate last week Saturday but still had nitrates. I do levels checks on Wednesdays, and I had zero ammonia and 5 nitrates, so I'm pretty sure it's not an issue with the substrate. That was the big change.

I also test levels after water changes, and my ammonia was .5ppm and nitrates 0! A 17% water change wouldn't have made that much of a difference.would it?

I used JoAnn's off the batt batting, so I have no idea whether it's treated with flame retardant chemicals. It made the water SO CLEAR!

So maybe it was the substrate?

the tiny computer is full of delicion!
 
We were actually having issues with the lack of carbon increasing the pH. I'm learning a lot about water chemistry.

the tiny computer is full of delicion!


Fish-keeping such a peaceful art! (then the research, biology, chemistry starts... :) )
 
10 gallon change on the 29 gallon. I think things are improving.

In the 10 gallon, I took out the fairy house. I told our daughter that she's in charge of decorating, and so we moved her neon skull and Dory.

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The nerites are on it cleaning them up.

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Our daughter also picked out a bubbler on amazon for an early birthday present.

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Maxime is doing awesomely well! I think his shell is growing back. When I first looked at him this morning he pulled back in, but now he's cruising and even parasnailing.

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Edited to add: as you can see, someone ate the roots off of that bamboo stalk. (glares at rabbit snails)
 
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Vanilla Snail joined the crew. Maybe she'll eat some of the mysterious clear algae that bloomed recently.

Snaily had another baby. I love her babies.
 
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