Littlefish4's 29g community

[littlefish4]

Hey everyone!

I'm relatively new here and to the hobby so I thought it would be prudent of me to start a thread.

I recognize that I need advice on pretty much everything so let's get started.


Here's the tank!



My current stock is.

Plants:

El Niño fern (more about this later)

Java fern

Anubis nana

Fish:

Opaline gourami

Sunset angelfish (still a little guy)


Autumnsky (shout out for the help!) recently told me I shouldn't have my fern's rhizomes buried so I tried moving them around a bit. They smell really bad and I'm wondering if it's rot. Should I toss them or not?


Thanks in advance to all contributors! Gonna use this thread for all my questions so any support is appreciated.

 

[Mebbid]

I would just keep the smelly plants. At best they recover. At worst they add a couple ppm of nitrate into the water.

 

[littlefish4]

Okay, thanks, I'll give it a shot.

I'm looking to add 4-6 otocinclus catfish later this week. My understanding is they should fit with my current stock. Opinions?

 

[jessipanda]

Nice looking tank & fish! I'm interested in this el niño fern!

Also, I don't see an issue as far as bioload goes with adding some otos, and I don't believe your current fish will bother them either.

 

[littlefish4]

Nice looking tank & fish! I'm interested in this el niño fern!

Also, I don't see an issue as far as bioload goes with adding some otos, and I don't believe your current fish will bother them either.

Thanks! Really excited about the otos. They seem like fun fish!

 

[littlefish4]

Nice looking tank & fish! I'm interested in this el niño fern!

Also, I don't see an issue as far as bioload goes with adding some otos, and I don't believe your current fish will bother them either.

Also, is 4 otos enough?

 

[Fresh2o]

How long has the tank been running? Otos have better success in mature tanks with a good amount of biofilm. I waited several months before adding them to my tank.


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[littlefish4]

Pretty young tank. Will be 6 weeks when I would add them. Currently 5 and a half. Newbie question, what's biofilm?

 

[littlefish4]

Also, planning on supplementing their diet with algae wafers to make sure they eat enough

 

[Fresh2o]

Biofilm is a coating that develops on surfaces as a result of bacterial colonization.
I have seen Otos in my tank gnaw on algae pellets and wafers and, on occasion, flake foods. They consume algae as well.


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[Fresh2o]

Here is a current thread on feeding Otos:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=345878


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[littlefish4]

Biofilm is a coating that develops on surfaces as a result of bacterial colonization.
I have seen Otos in my tank gnaw on algae pellets and wafers and, on occasion, flake foods. They consume algae as well.


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Thanks I appreciate the info ??

As a 6 week old tank though. Should I still be waiting longer to add them?

 

[littlefish4]

Question alert!

I run a penguin 200 filter on my tank and it says to change the filter cartridge every 2-4 weeks.

On the contrary, I have seen people suggest on this forum that they should just be rinsed and reused because they home good bacteria.

So should I consistently change the cartridge or just occasionally rinse?

 

[jessipanda]

I just rinse it in old tank water once a month during a water change. Don't rinse in tap water as it may contain chlorines that will kill you BB. If the filter media starts looking worn, only replace one at a time, then wait a month or 2 before replacing another. If you only have one filter pad, add the new one, then remove the old one after a month or 2.

 

[littlefish4]

I just rinse it in old tank water once a month during a water change. Don't rinse in tap water as it may contain chlorines that will kill you BB. If the filter media starts looking worn, only replace one at a time, then wait a month or 2 before replacing another. If you only have one filter pad, add the new one, then remove the old one after a month or 2.

Okay, all my filter has is the pad and the bio-wheel. So when changing the filter pad I should leave both old and new in there together?

 

[jessipanda]

Yeah, I would. At least for a few weeks.

 

[mambee]

Java fern (and anubias) grow best when tied to driftwood.

 

[littlefish4]

Yeah, I would. At least for a few weeks.

Awesome. Thanks!

 

[littlefish4]

Java fern (and anubias) grow best when tied to driftwood.

Yeah I was told that recently. Planning on making that my next purchase.

How much would a pair of 6-8" pieces of driftwood cost me do you think?

 

[Fresh2o]

Yeah I was told that recently. Planning on making that my next purchase.

How much would a pair of 6-8" pieces of driftwood cost me do you think?

Hopefully between $5-10 a piece. Depends on the LFS and what types of DW they have in stock (Malaysian, mopani, manzanita, spider wood). My LFS carries Malaysian and spider wood. Malaysian typically sinks after boiling.


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