29 gallon journey/journal/build

[Homedog98]

If your other tank is stable, you could always donate 15- 20% or so of the filter. Just break out a pair of scissors if you need to cut it.

Lol, I have the entire filter pad in there. I'm just doing daily 50% PWC's on my 10 gallon to keep ammo down. I'll put it back in after I finish stocking the 29.

 

[eco23]

Lol, I have the entire filter pad in there. I'm just doing daily 50% PWC's on my 10 gallon to keep ammo down. I'll put it back in after I finish stocking the 29.

Impatient little thing aren't you? Haha. I'd just be careful trying to balance things like that.
Problem is once the 29 cycles if you pull the entire pad out to put back in the 10, you're gonna end up mini-cycling in the 29. Personally I'd just keep doing what you are in the 10 gallon until it stabilizes (which shouldn't be too long) and keep the seeded media in the 29 once it cycles.

 

[agwats]

java fern also grows very easily in low light and looks great on drift wood

sorry if some one already mentioned that i didn't really go thru the whole thread :/

 

[Homedog98]

java fern also grows very easily in low light and looks great on drift wood

sorry if some one already mentioned that i didn't really go thru the whole thread :/

Lol, ya, I'm going to get some some time next week.

 

[Homedog98]

Ok... I'm still trying to decide lol... Black Molly or male betta? So this:
6 black skirt tetra
6 rummy nose tetra
6 orange laser cories
2 Bolivian rams
1 black Molly
1 starlight bristlenose pleco

Or this:
6 black skirt tetra
6 rummy nose tetra
6 orange laser cories
2 Bolivian rams
1 male betta
1 starlight bristlenose pleco

Which would you prefer?

 

[eco23]

Betta compatibility is something I'm not familiar with (that's your department ), but I say save a fish from a life in a cup if you can.

 

[Homedog98]

Betta compatibility is something I'm not familiar with (that's your department ), but I say save a fish from a life in a cup if you can.

Ya, but saving a fish that belongs in a 30 gallon from winding up in a 5 gallon is nice too! I'm so tied! Lol. I think I have a plan. I'm going to go out to petsmart, and look at the bettas and the black mollies. If I see a black molly and fall in love, I'll take it home, but if I see a betta I fall in love with, I'll take him home. it'll just depend on who looks more pathetic I guess lol. I'm definitely still looking for opinions on which is better.

 

[jetajockey]

Male bettas are hit and miss when it comes to community settings. Mollies are pretty much community friendly, especially compared to a male betta.

And buying a fish from a pet store isn't a rescue.

 

[allaboutfish]

i think the betta would be cooler but you better test it out first. maybe ask if you can put the bettas cup in a tank of theirs and see how it reacts.

 

[severum mama]

I wouldn't add a male betta to that setup. IMO it would be stressful for the betta and the skirt tetras will probably nip him.

"Rescuing" a betta from a cup only makes a profit for the store keeping them in such conditions, and ensures that more will be brought in to replace the one that sold.

 

[allaboutfish]

but if you leave that betta someone could take it and put it in a half gallon bowl. plus people will never stop buying bettas and putting them in horrible conditions so the store will never stop ordering. therefor saving a betta is good bc if you didnt buy it, it would either die or end up in a bowl.

 

[jetajockey]

That ideology misses the forest for the trees.

You have to realize that when you buy one, they replace it with another, if not twice as many, since they are making money off of it. That means by your actions of 'saving' one betta, you are also encouraging them to sell even more cup bettas.

As consumers, we DO have the power to dictate what the stores do and do not sell. A look at walmart's fish department over the past few years is an example of that. They've reduced or completely eliminated live fish from many stores already.

If people stop buying them and express a strong opinion against it and the stores ethics in general, then something will be done. The stores are in it for the money (it's a business), after all.

The only solution is to boycott it and to educate everyone you know.

 

[severum mama]

That ideology misses the forest for the trees.

You have to realize that when you buy one, they replace it with another, if not twice as many, since they are making money off of it. That means by your actions of 'saving' one betta, you are also encouraging them to sell even more cup bettas.

As consumers, we DO have the power to dictate what the stores do and do not sell. A look at walmart's fish department over the past few years is an example of that. They've reduced or completely eliminated live fish from many stores already.

If people stop buying them and express a strong opinion against it and the stores ethics in general, then something will be done. The stores are in it for the money (it's a business), after all.

The only solution is to boycott it and to educate everyone you know.

I could not agree more. Your purchase equals tacit approval of a store's husbandry practices. Buying bettas in cups does nothing but ensure that the practice of keeping them in cups continues.

*edit* My apologies for the hijack. This is just a topic I feel strongly about. Let's keep this thread on topic.

 

[allaboutfish]

yea but most people do not care one bit for the lives of the fish and not buying them results in dead fish. and your not going to be able to stop people from buying bettas from fish stores bc where else are they going to buy them? most people wont pay 20.00 for a betta when they can buy one for 4.00. i totally agree with what your saying but that doesnt mean that anything will happen. walmart has started to get rid of fish bc of the costs for the fish with not as much profit, but i dont think petco or petsmart will ever stop selling fish.

 

[severum mama]

Opinions have been stated. We can agree to disagree. Back on topic please.

 

[Homedog98]

Ok, well, I guess I'll go with the molly then lol. Here's the parameters for the day
Ph: 6.4
Ammonia: 2-4
Nitrite: .5-1
Nitrate: 80-160
What's up with the ammonia? I dosed it up yesterday. It's been constantly falling... Until today. Do you think it's the nitrates? No water change or anything. Do you think I stalled or something?

 

[eco23]

Ok, well, I guess I'll go with the molly then lol. Here's the parameters for the day
Ph: 6.4
Ammonia: 2-4
Nitrite: .5-1
Nitrate: 80-160
What's up with the ammonia? I dosed it up yesterday. It's been constantly falling... Until today. Do you think it's the nitrates? No water change or anything. Do you think I stalled or something?

Did the no2 drop from 2-5 on their own, or did you do a pwc today?

 

[Homedog98]

Did the no2 drop from 2-5 on their own, or did you do a pwc today?

The no2 dropped on it's own, but in the process, it seems to have stopped eating ammonia lol.

 

[eco23]

The no2 dropped on it's own, but in the process, it seems to have stopped eating ammonia lol.

Fantastic news . Did you do a pwc today before checking pH? When the bacteria eats up the no2 all of a sudden it basically let's out a giant acidic burp that can lower the pH and slow the ammo to no2 conversion. If you did a pwc, you restored the things the bacteria need to get going again, and it'll start moving pretty quick. At 6.5 and below the beneficial bacteria conversion slows, too far below 6 and it can stop completely. If you haven't done a pwc since the no2 dropped and things slowed, I'd go ahead and do a 50% one and wait it out. You're so close to being done!

 

[Homedog98]

Fantastic news . Did you do a pwc today before checking pH? When the bacteria eats up the no2 all of a sudden it basically let's out a giant acidic burp that can lower the pH and slow the ammo to no2 conversion. If you did a pwc, you restored the things the bacteria need to get going again, and it'll start moving pretty quick. At 6.5 and below the beneficial bacteria conversion slows, too far below 6 and it can stop completely. If you haven't done a pwc since the no2 dropped and things slowed, I'd go ahead and do a 50% one and wait it out. You're so close to being done!

Whoops! Lol So I need to do a 50% PWC today?