29 + 10 planted

[nirbhao]

Looking good! Did you have to do anything special for these going into the aquarium? Dumb question but can you just use normal glaze, etc?

Thank you for your kind words!

It's high fire stoneware (i.e. cooked at about 1200° C), and the glaze is food safe. Any food safe glaze is okay. If it's not leaching chemicals into your food, it's not leaching chemicals into your aquarium water.

Not a dumb question at all. Chemistry is amazing.

 

[nirbhao]

Any ideas why BioMax might turn grey? Probably mold?

I just took apart the filter on the 10 gallon because the flow was very restricted. I'm not sure why, even after taking it apart, but it's better. While it was apart, though, I noticed that a couple of the ceramic cylinder dealies are turning grey. They aren't dark. It's more like a color temperature shift or desaturation. Instead of a warm, yellowish white, they are... Not. They are just not warm yellowish white.

I took those few out (it wasn't many) and am bleaching them with the Purigen. Obviously that will kill any beneficial bacteria, but hopefully they go back to the cream porcelain color.

 

[Fresh2o]

I've seen ceramic media turn grey and brown while other pieces stayed white or yellow. Never really questioned it and left it alone.

 

[Barliman]

I've seen ceramic media turn grey and brown while other pieces stayed white or yellow. Never really questioned it and left it alone.

Yeah, I wouldn't touch it, myself. Probably just a bacterial build up that will pass in a few days/weeks.

 

[nirbhao]

Yeah, I wouldn't touch it, myself. Probably just a bacterial build up that will pass in a few days/weeks.

Weird.

So the 29 gallon is down to 0s. The 10 gallon still has .5 nitrite, but now it has 0 nitrates. I have added new plants, so that could be where the nitrates went, right?

The CO2 ran out again. This is what happens when you get a cheap, used regulator on eBay. My husband will leak check as repair once the tank is refilled.

Last night, Fast Sparkles (female ram) started hanging out at the surface looking like she's breathing air. She was way in the corner, and so I tried to move her a bit so I could look at her gills. She swam into the net. She ate this morning, but I'm worried about her.

I have been keeping up with Prime because of the nitrites, and she just laid eggs a couple of days ago. She was totally fine until last night. Could the CO2 being off have caused enough of a change, or do you think nitrites are finally getting to her? Either way, water change right?

 

[nirbhao]

@fishenthusiast 's plants finally came. I can't help but thinking about that time I worked for DHL and the packet with ManPower's paychecks fell between two conveyers...


Java fern is slightly annoyed.


Echinodorus parviflorus leaves are fine. The rhizomes are stressed.



The crypts aren't speaking to me.

Everyone has white roots, which is encouraging.

 

[nirbhao]

Fast Sparkles loves it.

 

[fishenthusiast]

USPS got me for the first time. I guess everyone has to be hit with the USPS bug at least once. Luckily the plants are still alive, and in better condition that I thought they'd be in after sitting in a box for a week. I'm glad I still don't ship hard-to-care-for stem plants like I used to. That would've been a nightmare. Hopefully everything makes a nice recovery and does well in your tank.

 

[nirbhao]

USPS got me for the first time. I guess everyone has to be hit with the USPS bug at least once. Luckily the plants are still alive, and in better condition that I thought they'd be in after sitting in a box for a week. I'm glad I still don't ship hard-to-care-for stem plants like I used to. That would've been a nightmare. Hopefully everything makes a nice recovery and does well in your tank.

Watching the tracking was torture. WHY IS IT GOING FURTHER AWAY!?

I put a temporary background up.

 

[nirbhao]

The CO2 leak was in the hose, not the regulator. All new PVC hose installed.

 

[Fresh2o]

The CO2 leak was in the hose, not the regulator. All new PVC hose installed.

That's good to hear. I bought CO2 tubing (not sure what it is made of) but it is thicker and much stiffer compared to vinyl or silicone airline tubing.

 

[nirbhao]

That's good to hear. I bought CO2 tubing (not sure what it is made of) but it is thicker and much stiffer compared to vinyl or silicone airline tubing.

I'd be curious to know.

Nitrites are 0 across the board!

I made my second batch of gel food. The first was sardines and spinach. This one is oysters, apple, and banana. It smells *terrible.* Spoiled fish.

 

[coralbandit]

I think what you can get as refrigerator ice maker line is CO2 proof.it is much thicker sidewalled then all others in compare.

Congrats on ZEROS!

 

[nirbhao]

I think what you can get as refrigerator ice maker line is CO2 proof.it is much thicker sidewalled then all others in compare.

Congrats on ZEROS!

Great. I'll look into that. And thank you!

 

[nirbhao]

I corralled the oldest fry (born December 3rd), to the dismay of my daughter. Can we PLEEEEEEZEEEE keep them?

I told her that, if it's too sad to give up the fry, we can trade the guppies for a fish that lays eggs. NOT SUNNY! I LOVE SUNNY! SUNNY IS MY FAVORITE!

We had already talked about how people will take them to their homes and love them just like we love our fish that we took home from the aquarium shop. I told her about how we couldn't give dozens of guppies a good life in our current setup. But I do understand that it's a loss.

I'm going to see if I can get some ramshorns or trumpet snails for the ram tank.

I feel like, when we got Fast Sparkles, she dictated some changes in behavior in Stubby. *ahem* We do not eat fry anymore.

I really want to get a 20 long at Petco's $1 per gallon sale, but I would need a new stand and more substrate. I think that would make my husband very grumpy. But then I would have a quarantine tank....

And the 10 gallon stand is a tiny bit bent....

?

 

[nirbhao]

I put six decent sized (dime to nickel) ramshorn snails in with the rams. One has already been eaten. ?

One hasn't come out of its shell. The other four are working on melting plants.

The LFS guy wants babies. Hopefully I'll be able to help him out!

 

[nirbhao]

Rearranged a bit.


No major changes, but pictures are wonderful.


We got a new crystal yesterday. You can barely see it. I mean, as long as Bubbles the dinosaur is there, he's going to be the focal point. ?

 

[Delapool]

Well, I can understand that - he's a cool dude. Many crystals in the tank?

 

[nirbhao]

Well, I can understand that - he's a cool dude. Many crystals in the tank?

A handful of plastic blobs. This crystal was the first actual gemstone. The fish nerd place has this shelf full of decorative rocks. I might go back for another piece this coming week.

I miss the fish! Being away from them is harder than seems reasonable.

 

[nirbhao]

Okay. If I get a 20 long, I need a new stand. I'm having a really hard time finding something for a price I'm willing to pay.

However, I can fit a 15 gallon on my current stand. This is a decently planted tank. 15 is the same depth as a 20 long. Is there any reason that upgrading to a 15 wouldn't be worth it? I don't plan on changing the stock, and there are currently only the two blue rams.

Also, I would love to add some kuhli loaches, but I am concerned for their safety. These rams eat snails heartily, and they defended their eggs from the dwarf gourami viciously. However, they ignore guppy fry and were otherwise totally fine in the community. Would I be setting up a disaster?