20g long build: "JJ&J's Seafood Buffet"

[fishenthusiast]

20g long build: "JJ&J's Seafood Buffet"

Nice tank! I've found that hair algae can be killed by glut via syringe--like BBA. I bet that Marsilea will grow much faster for you than me. In my low light tank it has taken around 3 months for it to start spreading.


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[Barliman]

Nice tank! I've found that hair algae can be killed by glut via syringe--like BBA. I bet that Marsilea will grow much faster for you than me. In my low light tank it has taken around 3 months for it to start spreading.

Thanks for the compliment.

The plants have only been in for two weeks, and the Marsilea is spreading like a little maniac.

 

[camilleee]

What a lovely tank. I like the driftwood you used!

 

[Barliman]

What a lovely tank. I like the driftwood you used!

Thank you! Much appreciated.

 

[Barliman]

At long last... FISH!

Finally. At long last, after several years without an aquarium, after weeks of cycling and letting plants take root, after going fish shopping last weekend and being disappointed, we have fish.

Meet the first new inhabitants of JJ&J's Seafood Buffet:

(Letting the temperature adjust for 30 minutes, then in they go.)

These are from one of my local Petcos where, frankly, the fish looked better and the staff were friendlier than my local LFS. These were labeled "Sunset Fire Platies," and I bought one male and four females.

They're out of the bag, now, and exploring their new home. After some initial signs of stress, they're swimming around and snacking on algae. The male seemed to take the longest to adjust, hiding in the Cardamine, but he seems to be doing fine now. I'll give them and the tank a week to adjust, then go shopping for another species next week.

On the plant front, there's good news and bad news.

The good news is that I'm still getting good new growth. Here's a snap of the Cardamine and the Hygrophila Stricta:

And the Echinodorus Tenellus is sending runners. Both plants have several "daughters." In fact, I may have to "harvest some, soon. They're invading other plants' spaces.

That bad news is that my lovely Marsilea Hirsuta, which had been growing like wildfire, has had a major die-off in the central portion. Here's a recent "before" picture:

Here's how it is today:

This makes me sad.

At first I thought it was just old leaves dying during the transition, but even new leaves are rotting. I'm really not sure what's happened here. I started dosing the full Seachem liquid nutrients regime last weekend, including Excel. I've heard of other plants that have a problem with Excel, but I've not read of Marsilea being one of them. Maybe they're unrelated. Regardless, I think this weekend I'm going to rip out the dead plant portions, snip off the runners that still seem good and replant them.

Speaking of Seachem products, as I mentioned, I started the full regime last weekend, including Iron. I think most of the plants like it, especially the Cardamine. Even the Alternanthera is getting redder and showing new leaves. I've also noticed the algae that had been bugging me (hair and the beginnings of brush algae) looks like it has vanished. Frankly, I'm surprised.

I'll be starting CO2, soon (DIY with citric acid), and I've decided to add a 2nd AC20 to the tank at the other end, to increase flow there. And the extra biological filtration couldn't hurt.

That's it for now, more when developments warrant.

 

[Fresh2o]

Congrats on the new additions. Very colorful! You may want to consider setting up a QT for future acquisitions.
I think it's just the previously emersed growth of the marsilea that has died off ( the multi lobed leaves). The runners look healthy.
Get that CO2 going!


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[Barliman]

Congrats on the new additions. Very colorful! You may want to consider setting up a QT for future acquisitions.
I think it's just the previously emersed growth of the marsilea that has died off ( the multi lobed leaves). The runners look healthy.
Get that CO2 going!

Thanks. Yeah, a QT tank is in the future.. Just have to figure out where to put it.

Among the dead portion of that plant were batches of new leaves, too. That's what surprised me. Something amusing: the platies think dead marsilea leaves taste great -- they've been munching on it since I put them in the tank. "Hmm! A salad bar!"

Worrisome sign: After spending the last day swimming around happily, the male has in the last few hours taken to hiding in the plants, resting on the ground. This was a couple of hours after I gave them their first feeding. Water signs are good: Ph ~7.2, 0 ppm ammonia, .25 nitrite (I expected a little spike after adding the fish), nitrates under 30. So I don't think it's a sign of some sort of poisoning.

I run my lights noon-8PM. Maybe he just wants to go to bed?

 

[Fresh2o]

I'd be patient with the new plant (and fish). I once had a similar type of "clover". There were instructions to cut it down to 1/2" inch prior to planting. The emersed growth (it was obviously growth above water) was cut away and the remaining plant was planted. Within two weeks there was numerous shoots appearing. The plant only survived a few months as this was under low light (dual T5 normal output), minimal ferts, no CO2.
As for the male platy, it's hard to say what the issue is. Perhaps this tank is much more relaxing than the display tank it was in and it is finding time recover. Fish illness is not my forte. ?


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[Barliman]

I'd be patient with the new plant (and fish). I once had a similar type of "clover". There were instructions to cut it down to 1/2" inch prior to planting. The emersed growth (it was obviously growth above water) was cut away and the remaining plant was planted. Within two weeks there was numerous shoots appearing. The plant only survived a few months as this was under low light (dual T5 normal output), minimal ferts, no CO2.

There's definitely new leaves among the dead, and even some dead rhizome. Right now, the Platies enjoy snacking on the rotted leaves, so they're actually cleaning things up for me.

As for the male platy, it's hard to say what the issue is. Perhaps this tank is much more relaxing than the display tank it was in and it is finding time recover. Fish illness is not my forte.

I'm beginning to think it's just insecurity on his part, since he's out swimming around with the others right now.

Slight update: Finally added the AC 20, running it at low with just a sponge and biomedia. So far, so good.

 

[Barliman]

Tank update: the aquarium goes "neon"

Hi all,

Haven't done a tank update in a while, but I just added some new fish, so I guess it's a good time.

Picked up a small school of seven neon tetras at Petco today. Pricier than the nearby LFS, but, to be honest, these looked healthier. Anyway, here they are enjoying their new home:

One of them tried to end it all by leaping out of the net as I was putting them in the tank. I didn't notice he was missing for about a minute. Found him on the mat in front of the tank, quickly realized my fingers were too clumsy to pick him up, so I slipped him onto an envelope. So far, he and buddies all seem to be doing fine: good color, hungry, active.

One weird note: one of the platys decided she didn't like these new guys, and so kept chasing them. In all my years of fishkeeping, I'd never seen an aggressive platy. I finally distracted them with some crushed flake food, and now everyone seems to play well.

Here's the latest full tank shot:

I honestly did not realize how dirty that front glass was until I took the photo.

The plants are mostly doing well. The alternanthera is developing a good red color at its top now that I've started dosing iron, and the ludwigia repens is putting out new plants. Both may need trimming soon. Here's a shot of the alternanthera:

It's actually redder than the pic indicates: I think the glare washed it out.

I'm a little concerned about the E. Tenellus. Both original plants have put out runners with several daughter plants, but the mother plants are looking kind of pale, even yellowing a bit:

Some sort of deficiency? Also, I trimmed the algae-laden leaves after this shot.

The plants doing best are the cardamine lyrata. Lots of new growth, good color. In fact, their trying to take over the area held by the hygrophila stricta:

I regularly have to trim it back so the hygrophila gets some light. (You see some of it floating in the full tank shot. I hope to use the clippings in a new tank.)

And speaking of the h. stricta, while it has good color and lots of new leaves, I'm surprised it hasn't grown. I had expected it to reach to 4-6 inches. Instead, it's staying low and getting bushy. But it's also putting out new plants.

That's it for now. Fingers crossed the neons adapt well to their new home.

 

[Barliman]

Decided to try the video function on my smart phone for the first time. Actually, not half bad: https://youtu.be/Kn8gmfDcZH8

 

[guppygourami]

I've been reading this thread for a while and have to say I love it!

BTW, how's your Aquaclear 50? I have one in my 23 gallon long and I haven't had any problems with it yet (2 years running)!

Keep up the great work


<g.m.t.a>

 

[Barliman]

I've been reading this thread for a while and have to say I love it!

Thanks!

BTW, how's your Aquaclear 50? I have one in my 23 gallon long and I haven't had any problems with it yet (2 years running)!

It's running great. I love Aquaclears. I had to move it to one end because the flow was beating up some plants, so I put an AC20 at the other end to make sure that side got some flow. Both are working like champs with nothing more than a low hum.

Keep up the great work

I plan to.

 

[Barliman]

Apparently Neon Tetras are indeed delicate

Well, shoot. Of the seven neons I brought home yesterday, I can't find three of them... except maybe for the minimal remains of one. Looks like three deaths overnight.

I had expected one casualty (the one that I found on the floor when I added them to the tank), but three in one night is annoying.

I think I recall reading somewhere that neons can be delicate and that, if one can get through the first month with them, then they should be hardy. Let's hope these other four make it.

Meanwhile, I guess I'll get 3-5 more next weekend, though perhaps from a different source.

PS: FWIW, I just did an ammonia test - zero ppm, so I don't think there's anything wrong with the water. The remaining tetras and the platys aren't showing any distress.

Edit: And just like that, there were five. While showing the tank to a friend, a fifth tetra swam out looking for food. So it looks like I may have lost only two.

 

[KingKoopa512]

Yea i have heard the same about them being sensitive

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[Barliman]

Yea i have heard the same about them being sensitive

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They sure are. Just found another dead. That makes three out of seven, and I haven't even had them a week. Sigh.

 

[KingKoopa512]

Yea love em but they are to sensy lol jus a nano tank yestersya set up today

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[Barliman]

Cigars for everyone!

So, I came home tonight, went to feed my fish, and discovered this little guy dashing out for food!

Sorry the video isn't better, but he's still in the "hide in the plants" stage.

Apparently someone has been busy in my tank. Never would have expected this of livebearers.

I've only found one, and from his size I'd say he's a few days old, so I suspect there were others that didn't make it. (Looks suspiciously at the plump neon... )

I'd say he has a good chance of making it to full size. What's a good food for newborn platys? Tonight I just crushed the usual flake extra fine so he could get some.

And here I was thinking I'd had nothing new to report for a while...

 

[Wy Renegade]

Tank is looking nice, did you end up running CO2? Good luck with the neons, I've personally never had much luck with them, and so don't buy them much any more. I find other tetras do much better. crushed up flake food should be fine for the platys, but I'm not to up on my tropical fish.

 

[Barliman]

Tank is looking nice, did you end up running CO2?

Thanks. I haven't started the CO2 yet, as I seem to be doing well enough with Excel. My main concern has been turning it on again when the lights come on, as I'm not home during the day. I don't know if a solenoid would work (or is needed?) on a DIY set up.

Good luck with the neons, I've personally never had much luck with them, and so don't buy them much any more. I find other tetras do much better.

I'm going to give them another go, this time with fish from a reputable LFS, as opposed to Petco. I don't wholly blame Petco (They might have gotten a bad lot, or I added the fish too soon, or they were wild caught and too stressed...), but I want to try another source. The one little Petco neon that's left is still hanging in there.

... crushed up flake food should be fine for the platys, but I'm not to up on my tropical fish.

Thanks. That's what I thought. He seemed to get what he needed when I fed them, then went back to picking among the plants. Still laughing at how surprised I was when I discovered him