Well, my first inhabits are now in! I'm really excited! All seem fine and are already eating! I have 3 clown plecos and 1 Repheal cat! At first they seemed really stressed but when I turned off the lights and the moonlights came on, everything seemed fine! No rapid gill movement, normal swimming patterns, and no gulping for air! Thank you everyone for your help! Especially you, Rivercats!
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- Thread starter KPhilly
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You cycled remarkably fast and did a great job. Glad to have helped. Are you going to start using a QT tank for anymore new additions so as not to introduce any parasites or pathogens into your tank and existing stock? It's a really good idea to do this and will save you a ton of problems.
Besides the tank all you need is a sponge or small HOB in which you can keep the media in your regular tanks filter so you always have seeded media handy for the QT tank. Plus get a small heater. It's not that big of a deal and what little it costs will be nothing compared to if you get parasites or a disease in your main tank and have to treat them in it. That is a royal pain in the butt.
I have a 20L which is better than a 10g especially if you get any larger fish.
Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
20L ? Typo?
20L = 20 gal long
I thought I would give an update this morning. Everyone is alive and happy. My Raphael cat was determined to swim the entire tank forth times over but now he found a spot in the DW where he can climb up into and stow away. The Plecos were territorial until they found out that the tank they are in now is much bigger than the one they used to live in. All are eating algae wafers. Except the Raphael cat. He picked for a bit last night but he looks a bit over fed. I'll let them finish whats in the tank and tonight I'll suck up what's left. I'm going to fast them for a day or two.
Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks for decoding 20L.. appreciate it.
Oohitsae
Aquarium Advice Addict
Woohoo!
Btw: your pm box is full
Btw: your pm box is full
I don't keep catfish but there is nothing that eats other fish waste so get out your vacuum... lol!
Also check into Repashy Superfoods, they make a Meat Pie Carnivore that your catfish might really like. It comes in a powder but you mix with boiling water to make a gel. Only make a little, not the whole container like it gives the directions for. I do a half of a teaspoon powder and mix with the right amount of water (which would be 1-1/2 teaspoon) and pour to in a tiny and I mean tiny container for it to gel (which is within about 15 seconds or less). You can cut off chunks and drop them in the bottom. It doesn't dissolve for many hours and all my fish go nuts over this stuff. I have several of the different types. If you mix it in small amounts you just store it in the refrigerator and it keeps in there for 10 days (I think).
Also check into Repashy Superfoods, they make a Meat Pie Carnivore that your catfish might really like. It comes in a powder but you mix with boiling water to make a gel. Only make a little, not the whole container like it gives the directions for. I do a half of a teaspoon powder and mix with the right amount of water (which would be 1-1/2 teaspoon) and pour to in a tiny and I mean tiny container for it to gel (which is within about 15 seconds or less). You can cut off chunks and drop them in the bottom. It doesn't dissolve for many hours and all my fish go nuts over this stuff. I have several of the different types. If you mix it in small amounts you just store it in the refrigerator and it keeps in there for 10 days (I think).
That sounds like a good idea. I got some oto cats today and a giant blue wood shrimp. The shrimp us hiding but the otos seem to be fine. They aren't all shoaling yet.
Update:
In our 90G bowfront we now have 3 Clown plecos, 5 oto catfish, 1 Giant blue wood shrimp, and 1 Raphael catfish. Everybody seems well. I noticed that the otos have red gill and I'm thinking this is from the bag they were shipped in. But I haven't seen any abnormal behavior. They don't seem to be doing what I would call "typical shoaling" behavior but are never far apart ! If I see one, there's another one close by. The plecos seem to be in heaven. I haven't even seen any aggression between them now. Raphael cats behavior seems normal. Hides in the day and is active at night. I think he's eating the shrimp pellets now. The wood shrimp is an excellent hider but he actually came out today! I like watching him fan the aquarium floor. I think I'm gonna get him two other wood shrimp buddies. (Shrimp are faster than I though!) I had a good size algae bloom but all these inhabits seem to be cutting it down significantly! Still have plenty of room to add fish too!
In our 90G bowfront we now have 3 Clown plecos, 5 oto catfish, 1 Giant blue wood shrimp, and 1 Raphael catfish. Everybody seems well. I noticed that the otos have red gill and I'm thinking this is from the bag they were shipped in. But I haven't seen any abnormal behavior. They don't seem to be doing what I would call "typical shoaling" behavior but are never far apart ! If I see one, there's another one close by. The plecos seem to be in heaven. I haven't even seen any aggression between them now. Raphael cats behavior seems normal. Hides in the day and is active at night. I think he's eating the shrimp pellets now. The wood shrimp is an excellent hider but he actually came out today! I like watching him fan the aquarium floor. I think I'm gonna get him two other wood shrimp buddies. (Shrimp are faster than I though!) I had a good size algae bloom but all these inhabits seem to be cutting it down significantly! Still have plenty of room to add fish too!
Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
If the 'wood' shrimp is doing most of his feeding by picking at the substrate, he is probably very, very hungry. I would think this is an Atya gabonensis shrimp. Being filter feeders, they need a water current to feed in and a place to perch so they can sit in the water current. Mine sit on a sponge tied to the side wall in the pump's flow path, also on wood and plants in the flow path. I feed them microworms at least once a week, cultured green water and Golden Pearls in the 5-50 micron size, all of which they can filter out of water with their fans. Sometimes I have used powdered fry food, but it does not sink very well, and thus is not as much use to them.
I usually turn the filter off for a half hour when I feed them, about 3 times a week, and leave the pump running to circulate the food. I have had very good success at keeping them alive and growing this way. If the tank is very mature, they can find enough to eat in the water column for some of the time, but if I don't supplement their diet, they don't live very long. Learned this the hard way, of course.
Charming shrimp, I currently have 3 different species of fan shrimp. Gabonensis, aka Vampire shrimp, Atyopsis moluccensis, Wood or Bamboo shrimp, and Atyopsis spinipes, miniature fan shrimp. I used to have a variant of this last species called Golden Fan shrimp, same species but body colour identical to Bamboo shrimp, to the point they appear to be juvenile bamboos. But they never get grow larger than about 1.25 inches.
Your shrimp really needs a perching spot where he can sit in the water current and filter feed, which is very much what they prefer. That's why they have those 'fans' on their feet. If I see mine picking at the bottom, I increase the number of feedings I give them until they stop doing it.
I usually turn the filter off for a half hour when I feed them, about 3 times a week, and leave the pump running to circulate the food. I have had very good success at keeping them alive and growing this way. If the tank is very mature, they can find enough to eat in the water column for some of the time, but if I don't supplement their diet, they don't live very long. Learned this the hard way, of course.
Charming shrimp, I currently have 3 different species of fan shrimp. Gabonensis, aka Vampire shrimp, Atyopsis moluccensis, Wood or Bamboo shrimp, and Atyopsis spinipes, miniature fan shrimp. I used to have a variant of this last species called Golden Fan shrimp, same species but body colour identical to Bamboo shrimp, to the point they appear to be juvenile bamboos. But they never get grow larger than about 1.25 inches.
Your shrimp really needs a perching spot where he can sit in the water current and filter feed, which is very much what they prefer. That's why they have those 'fans' on their feet. If I see mine picking at the bottom, I increase the number of feedings I give them until they stop doing it.
I actually saw him like out between two huge root parts of the stump and was feeding. I think I read somewhere that this particular type of shrimp likes to hide. I can crush up some algae wafer for him. Or if I shake the java moss, algae goes all in the water column.
Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you crush algae wafers, it needs to be to powder consistency.
They can filter feed on the bottom, so long as current reaches the bottom to feed in. They are shy, much more so than the Bamboo shrimp, but I keep both species together and of three, two feed hanging out with the Bamboos, one tends to hide a lot.
That sponge I have hanging is an old sponge filter, with a hole in the middle. Often the Vampire shrimp is in the hole, only the fans showing, while the Bamboos are on the front of it in plain sight. The sponge is only 1.5 inches thick, tied to a suction cup and while I left it there originally to have a spare sponge, now it's the shrimp feeding station.
These are all immature shrimp, none are anywhere near adult size yet. Once he grows, the shy guy won't even fit in that hole.
They can filter feed on the bottom, so long as current reaches the bottom to feed in. They are shy, much more so than the Bamboo shrimp, but I keep both species together and of three, two feed hanging out with the Bamboos, one tends to hide a lot.
That sponge I have hanging is an old sponge filter, with a hole in the middle. Often the Vampire shrimp is in the hole, only the fans showing, while the Bamboos are on the front of it in plain sight. The sponge is only 1.5 inches thick, tied to a suction cup and while I left it there originally to have a spare sponge, now it's the shrimp feeding station.
These are all immature shrimp, none are anywhere near adult size yet. Once he grows, the shy guy won't even fit in that hole.
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