Bud's 55g dirted tank journal thread!

[bud29]

Did the rainbows come yet?

No, not yet. The seller doesnt ship priority July 1-6 due to the postal holiday on the 4th, it resumes Monday the 8th. The rainbows should go out then (weather permitting) so should come around Wednesday.

Thinking about adding driftwood to my tank myself. Problem is though, is that I have a small tank so i don't know how big of a piece I can add without ruining my ph. For that matter , how do you even add driftwood then manage to keep your ph stable? Nice tank by the way. Waaay better than mine

Thanks! I really have not had any issues with tannins dangerously harming pH. I know that there are some tannin heavy woods out there (mopani) but if you soak or boil for long periods of time you really should be OK. I did not boil or soak the driftwood in here, just due to size. There is a light tea stain but nothing else. I do recommend boiling or soaking if possible, though. If your tank is small, the wood piece should be small enough to fit in a big bucket for soaking or a big soup pot for boiling. Some people put large pieces in the dishwasher if too big to fit in a pot (no soap of course). Many new dishwashers have automatic rinsing agents as well though that you would want to take out.

I love the tank!

Sorry about the trouble with those Rainbows!

Thanks! I am thinking they'll get here any day now.

It's looking good. Like the new scape.

Thanks! Scaping is definitely not my thing, this is definitely the first tank Ive received compliments on, haha




also, an update:

I was looking around aquabid last night (nothing good for your wallet ever comes from looking around there) and I saw some super red x calico bristlenose pleco crosses. I ended up bidding on them, and winning them Including shipping, they were a touch under $5 each (a good price as they can easily be $10-$20).

I plan on getting a breeding pair out of them and rehoming the rest. The angelfish breeder I am buying from said that after I get a pair, he would be interested in trading the angels for the extra plecos. So not only did I get some neat plecs, I also basically paid for the angels as well

 

[cgthebeast]

Nice good deal

 

[redsea]

Congrats on the new fish, I can't wait to see them!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Random Fishy]

No, not yet. The seller doesnt ship priority July 1-6 due to the postal holiday on the 4th, it resumes Monday the 8th. The rainbows should go out then (weather permitting) so should come around Wednesday.

Thanks! I really have not had any issues with tannins dangerously harming pH. I know that there are some tannin heavy woods out there (mopani) but if you soak or boil for long periods of time you really should be OK. I did not boil or soak the driftwood in here, just due to size. There is a light tea stain but nothing else. I do recommend boiling or soaking if possible, though. If your tank is small, the wood piece should be small enough to fit in a big bucket for soaking or a big soup pot for boiling. Some people put large pieces in the dishwasher if too big to fit in a pot (no soap of course). Many new dishwashers have automatic rinsing agents as well though that you would want to take out.

Thanks! I am thinking they'll get here any day now.

Thanks! Scaping is definitely not my thing, this is definitely the first tank Ive received compliments on, haha

also, an update:

I was looking around aquabid last night (nothing good for your wallet ever comes from looking around there) and I saw some super red x calico bristlenose pleco crosses. I ended up bidding on them, and winning them Including shipping, they were a touch under $5 each (a good price as they can easily be $10-$20).

I plan on getting a breeding pair out of them and rehoming the rest. The angelfish breeder I am buying from said that after I get a pair, he would be interested in trading the angels for the extra plecos. So not only did I get some neat plecs, I also basically paid for the angels as well

So wait, you just boil them in water and it gets rid of germs and doesn't ruin your ph, correct? If so, how long should I boil it? And can you post a pic of the new plecos?

 

[bud29]

So wait, you just boil them in water and it gets rid of germs and doesn't ruin your ph, correct? If so, how long should I boil it? And can you post a pic of the new plecos?

You boil it to remove tannins. This also will probably kill germs but that isn't a big issue IMO. Boil it until you don't see near as many tannins being released by the wood. Sometimes that takes a very long time, especially if you have a tannin-heavy wood like mopani.

I'll post a pic of the plecos once they get here They were shipped today, should arrive wednesday.

Also, MY RAINBOWS SHIPPED!!!!! Super stoked about that. I really didn't think they were going to be shipped yet today, but they did They should get here Wednesday along with the plecos.

 

[Random Fishy]

You boil it to remove tannins. This also will probably kill germs but that isn't a big issue IMO. Boil it until you don't see near as many tannins being released by the wood. Sometimes that takes a very long time, especially if you have a tannin-heavy wood like mopani.

I'll post a pic of the plecos once they get here They were shipped today, should arrive wednesday.

Also, MY RAINBOWS SHIPPED!!!!! Super stoked about that. I really didn't think they were going to be shipped yet today, but they did They should get here Wednesday along with the plecos.

finally! Thanks for the advice by the way.

 

[redsea]

Congrats on the fish shipping! We will anxiously be awaiting on their arrival!

 

[redsea]

Tomorrow is the big day!

I can't wait to see them!

 

[bud29]

I hope! The plecos don't have a USPS projection, but the seller did say they would get here tomorrow. The rainbows do have a projected delivery date, but it's Friday I find it hard to believe, since the only time I've had priority take that long is close to Christmas. Looking at the given tracking information though, I really think they'll get here tomorrow, and if not, definitely Thursday.

 

[redsea]

I hope! The plecos don't have a USPS projection, but the seller did say they would get here tomorrow. The rainbows do have a projected delivery date, but it's Friday I find it hard to believe, since the only time I've had priority take that long is close to Christmas. Looking at the given tracking information though, I really think they'll get here tomorrow, and if not, definitely Thursday.

I will keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow. We shall see! Either way it will be fun when they arrive!

 

[bud29]

Well, they both came today! They are currently acclimating, pictures to come when they're in the tank. Both the rainbow seller and pleco seller included 1 extra, everyone looks healthy and very active

 

[bud29]

They're all in the tank, so PICTURES!

Plecos:










Rainbows (I apologize in advance for the BAD BAD BAD quality - they will NOT sit still for one second)







And, just because, I got some new shots of the apistos:

 

[redsea]

Everybody looks great, thanks for posting the pictures. The tank is definitely an inspiration!

 

[bud29]

Everybody looks great, thanks for posting the pictures. The tank is definitely an inspiration!

Thanks so much! I also made a video on the tank, the plecos are going nuts

 

[MyanRan]

Wow, those Plecos are too cool! I love the colouring in them. I have a Bristlenose myself, but that red colouring is sweet! I imagine you're going to have to do a lot of maintenance to keep up with the amount those plecos poop. I mean, I only have one, and it seems ridiculous how much of a mess it makes!

 

[redsea]

Very awesome! I really like the Rainbows, maybe they will be a candidate for my next build.

 

[bud29]

Wow, those Plecos are too cool! I love the colouring in them. I have a Bristlenose myself, but that red colouring is sweet! I imagine you're going to have to do a lot of maintenance to keep up with the amount those plecos poop. I mean, I only have one, and it seems ridiculous how much of a mess it makes!

Yeah, I'm definitely going to be testing lots and staying on top of water changes, until I get a pair and rehome the others. And yeah, the things are poop machines.

Very awesome! I really like the Rainbows, maybe they will be a candidate for my next build.

They are really cool. I can't wait until they are fully grown and are more colorful Threadfin rainbows and spotted blue eye rainbows are also pretty cool, and work for smaller tanks. The furcatas also have blue eyes, when I'm zoomed out on the camera it looks like their entire heads are neon blue I like bosemani rainbows as well but they get large and really active so not a great option for tanks shorter than 4'.

I have noticed that all the plecos' stomachs are dark. Not caved in, but dark. I'm looking to see if it's bad and if so what I can do about it. I know that if it's dark and caved in that's really bad news, but they don't look caved in at all. If anyone has any thoughts I'm glad to hear - I haven't had the best luck with BNPs in the past, don't want to lose these too

 

[Random Fishy]

Love the plecs! They got nice coloring as said before. The rainbows look awesome too!

 

[MyanRan]

I think as long as you feed them an algae wafer or some vegetables every now and then they should be fine. I feed my guy an algae wafer every second or third day.

 

[bud29]

I think as long as you feed them an algae wafer or some vegetables every now and then they should be fine. I feed my guy an algae wafer every second or third day.

I did put in an algae wafer yesterday, nobody seemed to touch it - I'm not sure if it got eaten during the night though, as the lights haven't come on yet. I'm going to try zucchini or cucumber today.