55 Gallon Freshwater Tank

[McLumpy]

I've missed you, AA! lol

Hey, everyone! Well, it's been awhile since I've logged in and shared an update, so here we go...

After dosing Excel for a few months, the plants in my 10g took off! I can't believe how full it's getting in there! lol The plants in my 55g is another story though. No matter how careful I was w/ dosing the Excel, it still managed to melt my Anacharis. They're starting to bounce back now that I've decreased the dosage, but they still look thin and bleh. I'm also having an issue w/ my Amazon Swords losing their gerth. The last Sword I bought was around a foot tall and, after removing dead leaves, it's maybe 4" tall now. lol I'm not too impressed.

As far as my fishies... 2 of my Neon Tetras went MIA. My guess is they died and my Betta ate them. Another Neon has strange growths on his lip and on his sides. I also noticed tonight that his tail is bent. I can honestly say that I will NEVER get another Neon Tetra! They're beautiful, but I have had very little luck w/ them. /sigh

All of my fishies in my 55g are still doing great! Mini Mimi is as healthy, (and feisty), as can be and I couldn't be happier! It does appear though that I'm missing a Bamboo Shrimp. I have yet to see the 2 together, so my guess is something happened to 1 of them. I even checked my HOB filters, and lifted all of the decor... nothing. The search will continue though.

Other than that, not much has happened over the past month or so. I did some rescaping to both of the tanks and will upload pics once I get around to it. I just can't keep my hands out of the water! lol I haven't added anymore fishies since my Silvertips and Rasboras, but I plan on getting a few Swordtails soon.

Anyway, that is all for now. Hope everyone is doing well!

 

[ejaramillo01]

Hey, everyone! Well, it's been awhile since I've logged in and shared an update, so here we go...

After dosing Excel for a few months, the plants in my 10g took off! I can't believe how full it's getting in there! lol The plants in my 55g is another story though. No matter how careful I was w/ dosing the Excel, it still managed to melt my Anacharis. They're starting to bounce back now that I've decreased the dosage, but they still look thin and bleh. I'm also having an issue w/ my Amazon Swords losing their gerth. The last Sword I bought was around a foot tall and, after removing dead leaves, it's maybe 4" tall now. lol I'm not too impressed.

As far as my fishies... 2 of my Neon Tetras went MIA. My guess is they died and my Betta ate them. Another Neon has strange growths on his lip and on his sides. I also noticed tonight that his tail is bent. I can honestly say that I will NEVER get another Neon Tetra! They're beautiful, but I have had very little luck w/ them. /sigh

All of my fishies in my 55g are still doing great! Mini Mimi is as healthy, (and feisty), as can be and I couldn't be happier! It does appear though that I'm missing a Bamboo Shrimp. I have yet to see the 2 together, so my guess is something happened to 1 of them. I even checked my HOB filters, and lifted all of the decor... nothing. The search will continue though.

Other than that, not much has happened over the past month or so. I did some rescaping to both of the tanks and will upload pics once I get around to it. I just can't keep my hands out of the water! lol I haven't added anymore fishies since my Silvertips and Rasboras, but I plan on getting a few Swordtails soon.

Anyway, that is all for now. Hope everyone is doing well!

Woow !! Nice to see you back!
Neon tetras MIA is always a possibility in my tank also, looks like they get train to do so...lol

How much excel are you adding to your tanks? You said that you reduced the amount.... What was your initial dosis and what is your new one?
I just started to add excel also, my swords look good... But I'm concern, based on your comments, because I just added two Anacharis to my tank...-
I'm following the directions from the bottle. By he way, I'm adding flourish comprehensive too.

 

[DrConnie]

Looking forward to pictures

 

[daileene]

amazon swords are heavy root feeders and won't benefit the liquid ferts. they need root tabs to really take off.

hello dear...nice to see you again...

 

[zach103]

amazon swords are heavy root feeders and won't benefit the liquid ferts. they need root tabs to really take off.

hello dear...nice to see you again...

im glad you said that.. i was wondering why my swords weren't responding to the liquid fert but all the other plants took off

 

[McLumpy]

Woow !! Nice to see you back!
Neon tetras MIA is always a possibility in my tank also, looks like they get train to do so...lol

How much excel are you adding to your tanks? You said that you reduced the amount.... What was your initial dosis and what is your new one?
I just started to add excel also, my swords look good... But I'm concern, based on your comments, because I just added two Anacharis to my tank...-
I'm following the directions from the bottle. By he way, I'm adding flourish comprehensive too.

Thanks! It's good to be back! Of course, I have been busy over the past few days so I didn't have a chance to login. lol

In my 55g, I was dosing 5 capfuls every 40-50% pwc. I have since, backed that down to 3 capfuls. I also dose 1 capful every other day, but I haven't been efficient in that schedule, so I miss a few doses here and there. I'm using Mr. Limpet's method by adding the Excel to tank water in a container then pouring it in, (as opposed to pouring Excel directly into the tank). I'm optimistic that they'll bounce back as they're already looking better.

Looking forward to pictures

Yeah, me too! No worries, they will be posted sometime this week. I was going to take some tonight, but didn't get around to it. Thanks for following along!

amazon swords are heavy root feeders and won't benefit the liquid ferts. they need root tabs to really take off.

hello dear...nice to see you again...

Hey now, lady, I'm using Root Tabs... just like you suggested! Actually, I think my Swords are failing due to my lighting issue. I'm working on that though and we'll see what happens.

Nice to see you again too!!

 

[McLumpy]

No More 10G

I finally got around to taking pics of my 55g. Of course, these were taken before I tore down my 10g and moved everything over, (including my fish, of course). Yep, my 10g is no more.

Over the past few weeks, I have had nothing but bad luck w/ the 10g. First, we had our power go out, and the filter died b/c, when the power came back on, it ran dry. UGH!! Then, the power switch to my light fixture broke and I was not about to pay another $20 or $30 for yet another fixture. So, I decided to setup my 5g and move everything to that tank.

Well, that was full of fail too. After I got all of the gravel, decor, and plants moved over, I added water and proceeded to prime the filter. After a few seconds of priming the filter, IT DIED!! At that time, my 10g was in shambles and I had already placed my Betta and Neons in a bag to get them acclimated. I had no choice but to put them in my 55g and cross my fingers.

After acclimating them, I added the Neons first. No problem at all. Then, I added Max, (my Betta), but I kept him in the breeder box for a few hours to see how the others would react. Sure enough, everyone was leaving him alone. But there I sat, watching my poor Betta swim around in the cramped, little box and I decided that I was go to release him and see what happens. To my surprise, everyone got along w/ him! WHEW!! lol

There was an issue though w/ too much current and poor Max was getting pushed all over the place. Oops! So, I decided to shut off my extra HOB filter and reduce the flow to my main HOB filter... problem solved. As far as the plants... my 55g looks like a jungle now! It looks awesome though and I should have some "after" pics posted on here, (and maybe another video), eh, one of these days.

Anyway, it's been a crazy couple of weeks, but it all worked out for the best! Now, if I can just keep Tony my Pleco from knocking all of my pretty plants out of the gravel!

 

[ejaramillo01]

Lot of action regarding your tanks!!! Well now tank.
The 55 G looks really nice, your plants are definitely growing and showing beautiful colors. And yes !! a video, coming from you, it's a MUST..... The last video that I remember seeing from you was a blast and real funny , lol,

Sorry to hear the adventures that you went with the 10 & 5 G, but it's all about loving our fish and this hobby,

 

[George9]

Lot of action regarding your tanks!!! Well now tank.
The 55 G looks really nice, your plants are definitely growing and showing beautiful colors. And yes !! a video, coming from you, it's a MUST..... The last video that I remember seeing from you was a blast and real funny , lol,

Sorry to hear the adventures that you went with the 10 & 5 G, but it's all about loving our fish and this hobby,

Where can I find the last video.... I wanna see it

 

[daileene]

Hi girl. I am also sorry to hear about your mishap in the 10G and the 5G. Anything can always happen when it comes to this hobby, I could definitely say that now. But all things went well, which is what we want. Your 55G is taking off. I LOVE IT! Yes, a video is definitely a must like Edgar said. Am excited.

 

[McLumpy]

Lot of action regarding your tanks!!! Well now tank.
The 55 G looks really nice, your plants are definitely growing and showing beautiful colors. And yes !! a video, coming from you, it's a MUST..... The last video that I remember seeing from you was a blast and real funny , lol,

Sorry to hear the adventures that you went with the 10 & 5 G, but it's all about loving our fish and this hobby,

Thanks! Yeah, the plants are doing pretty well. I added my old light fixtures to the tank to help bring out their colors and, hopefully, help w/ growth. They're just basic fixtures w/ 1-15w fluorescent bulb though, so I don't know how well they'll do w/ growth. But I'm diggin' the look of my fishies and plants.

Oh, yes, a video is in the works. Glad you got a giggle out of the last one!

Where can I find the last video.... I wanna see it

It was a few pages back. I couldn't embed for some reason, (and still can't UGH!!). Here it is again...

AA-Vid001.avi - YouTube

If anyone can help me w/ the embed, that would be awesome! I've never had a problem before w/ a copy/paste of the embed code. But for some reason, the embed code I get from YouTube looks incomplete. Grrrr! lol TIA to anyone that can help.

Hi girl. I am also sorry to hear about your mishap in the 10G and the 5G. Anything can always happen when it comes to this hobby, I could definitely say that now. But all things went well, which is what we want. Your 55G is taking off. I LOVE IT! Yes, a video is definitely a must like Edgar said. Am excited.

Thanks, Daileene! That is very true about this hobby. Did you see the Wisteria that you sent me? Imagine that x10... they went crazy in my 10g, so now my 55g is full of them! So far nobody is eating them, like they did the first bunch you sent me. lol I do have a few floating in the left side of the tank. My frogs LOVE lounging in them and a few of my fishies like hiding in them. You'll see how they look now when I upload the pics... and yes, the video. I may stick w/ a natural vid w/ no music this time... I haven't decided yet.

 

[absolutangel04]

I am very glad you got the new 55 gallon set up! That sounds like a very stressful adventure!

 

[McLumpy]

I am very glad you got the new 55 gallon set up! That sounds like a very stressful adventure!

Thanks! It has been a bit stressful, but there's nothing better than sitting down after a hard day at work and watching the enjoy their home. I just wish that stuff would stop breaking down on me! lol In fact, tonight I noticed that my powerhead stopped working. No big deal though because I plan on taking it out tomorrow, along w/ the UGF plate.

 

[daileene]

Thanks! Yeah, the plants are doing pretty well. I added my old light fixtures to the tank to help bring out their colors and, hopefully, help w/ growth. They're just basic fixtures w/ 1-15w fluorescent bulb though, so I don't know how well they'll do w/ growth. But I'm diggin' the look of my fishies and plants.

Oh, yes, a video is in the works. Glad you got a giggle out of the last one!



It was a few pages back. I couldn't embed for some reason, (and still can't UGH!!). Here it is again...

AA-Vid001.avi - YouTube

If anyone can help me w/ the embed, that would be awesome! I've never had a problem before w/ a copy/paste of the embed code. But for some reason, the embed code I get from YouTube looks incomplete. Grrrr! lol TIA to anyone that can help.



Thanks, Daileene! That is very true about this hobby. Did you see the Wisteria that you sent me? Imagine that x10... they went crazy in my 10g, so now my 55g is full of them! So far nobody is eating them, like they did the first bunch you sent me. lol I do have a few floating in the left side of the tank. My frogs LOVE lounging in them and a few of my fishies like hiding in them. You'll see how they look now when I upload the pics... and yes, the video. I may stick w/ a natural vid w/ no music this time... I haven't decided yet.

Hi dear. With the you tube embed, don't copy the embed code, just copy the direct link, then paste it in the reply post, and when you submit the post, the video will automatically show.

And no, i haven't seen the wisteria yet. I am so glad it is taking off. That's so cool. I lost all of mine. But it's okay..I will try it again next time. No worries. Do a natural vid with your voice in it . We wanna hear your voice.

 

[Metalheadx]

Your tank gives a nice calming feel ! Keep the good work up !

 

[McLumpy]

Update (Way Overdue!)

Hey, guys! Sorry for being absent over the past few weeks. I had injured my lower back and couldn't make my way online. I'm doing much better now, but it's still a chore to do strenuous activities.

Anyway, a lot has happened since my last post...

I did make a video and was going to upload it when I felt better. However, I have since had to euthanize one of my Neon Tetras and I found my youngest Clown Loach, Leo, deceased. The Neon was in pretty bad shape, (he had a bent back), but Leo's death came as a complete shock.

And now, my Dwarf Gourami is swimming vertically, (head-up), and it's not looking good. When he's not trying to swim, he spends the majority of the time in the Water Wisteria that I have floating for my frogs. I have yet to see any aggressive behavior since I added my Betta, so I doubt he was injured. I'm going out tomorrow to buy a new filter for my 5g so I can get it setup and try to help the poor guy. But my fear is that it may be too late as he's been like this for over a week.

As far as the video... I guess I just can't bring myself to post it. I will make a new one though. (once I know my fish are ok), and try the whole embed thing again.

Oh and I must have been jinxed because not but a week after I mailed Daileene my extra HOB filter, my main filter died. lol I bought a new one, (of course), and I've been really impressed with it thus far! It's a Tetra Whisper EX70. I was a bit hesitant to get this model due to the online reviews, (others have had issues w/ theirs making loud, grinding noises). But, much to my surprise, it's extremely quiet!

Anyway, I hope to login more now that I'm mobile. lol

 

[ejaramillo01]

Hey, guys! Sorry for being absent over the past few weeks. I had injured my lower back and couldn't make my way online. I'm doing much better now, but it's still a chore to do strenuous activities.

Anyway, a lot has happened since my last post...

I did make a video and was going to upload it when I felt better. However, I have since had to euthanize one of my Neon Tetras and I found my youngest Clown Loach, Leo, deceased. The Neon was in pretty bad shape, (he had a bent back), but Leo's death came as a complete shock.

And now, my Dwarf Gourami is swimming vertically, (head-up), and it's not looking good. When he's not trying to swim, he spends the majority of the time in the Water Wisteria that I have floating for my frogs. I have yet to see any aggressive behavior since I added my Betta, so I doubt he was injured. I'm going out tomorrow to buy a new filter for my 5g so I can get it setup and try to help the poor guy. But my fear is that it may be too late as he's been like this for over a week.

As far as the video... I guess I just can't bring myself to post it. I will make a new one though. (once I know my fish are ok), and try the whole embed thing again.

Oh and I must have been jinxed because not but a week after I mailed Daileene my extra HOB filter, my main filter died. lol I bought a new one, (of course), and I've been really impressed with it thus far! It's a Tetra Whisper EX70. I was a bit hesitant to get this model due to the online reviews, (others have had issues w/ theirs making loud, grinding noises). But, much to my surprise, it's extremely quiet!

Anyway, I hope to login more now that I'm mobile. lol

I'm sorry to hear about it. I've been there, and it's horrible that kind of injury. Made me useless, and with a lot of pain.... On top you know, we men are bad dealing with pain (we are chickens). Lol
I learned also, that doesn't matter how hard I work in my tank and the well being of my fish, some deaths are unavoidable, sad but true. I also lost some of my friends in the last 2 months, with no explainable reasons ( 2 rummynose, 2 corys, 1 Kerri tetra) :-(. :-((
Take care of your back, get well soon, and I will be waiting for that, too much expected, video!!

 

[daileene]

Hey, guys! Sorry for being absent over the past few weeks. I had injured my lower back and couldn't make my way online. I'm doing much better now, but it's still a chore to do strenuous activities.

Anyway, a lot has happened since my last post...

I did make a video and was going to upload it when I felt better. However, I have since had to euthanize one of my Neon Tetras and I found my youngest Clown Loach, Leo, deceased. The Neon was in pretty bad shape, (he had a bent back), but Leo's death came as a complete shock.

And now, my Dwarf Gourami is swimming vertically, (head-up), and it's not looking good. When he's not trying to swim, he spends the majority of the time in the Water Wisteria that I have floating for my frogs. I have yet to see any aggressive behavior since I added my Betta, so I doubt he was injured. I'm going out tomorrow to buy a new filter for my 5g so I can get it setup and try to help the poor guy. But my fear is that it may be too late as he's been like this for over a week.

As far as the video... I guess I just can't bring myself to post it. I will make a new one though. (once I know my fish are ok), and try the whole embed thing again.

Oh and I must have been jinxed because not but a week after I mailed Daileene my extra HOB filter, my main filter died. lol I bought a new one, (of course), and I've been really impressed with it thus far! It's a Tetra Whisper EX70. I was a bit hesitant to get this model due to the online reviews, (others have had issues w/ theirs making loud, grinding noises). But, much to my surprise, it's extremely quiet!

Anyway, I hope to login more now that I'm mobile. lol

I am so sorry to hear about your back. And I am glad that you are much better. I am so sorry about your fishes as well. I had the similar experience with you. My halfmoon doubletail betta is sick right now, the one in my kitchen. He has an open wound and I have been treating my tank with the API melafix but didn't work it seems like. He still have the wound. My other bettas are fine. I also lost 5 dwarf cory cats, 5 long fin leopard danios, 2 long fin zebra danios, and 1 cherry barb. But just like edgar said, no matter how much we kept up with our tanks, I guess deaths are unavoidable at all.

I am so sorry to hear about your filter as well. Oh, I felt so bad now. I hope I can help you in any way. Please do let me know.

I have not been online lately as well, so I hope to catch you one day. No problem with your video. I felt the same way with mine. With all the deaths and my plants are still trying to come back, it is not looking pretty. But the rest are looking okay. (((hugs))) Hope to talk to you later! Miss yah!

 

[Pecktec]

Hey just checking in. Sorry to hear about your back and fish issues. I hope you make a speedy recovery.

 

[McLumpy]

Thank you for the kind words, guys! I truly appreciate it! And, yes, I went MIA again. My wifi was messed up for awhile, but after buying a new router, I'm back on, (although I'm experiencing some "blips" that are uber annoying! grrrr!).

As far as my back, I went to a chiropractor and the x-rays showed a decreased space between my vertebrae and tailbone. In order to correct this, I will be going in for adjustments 3x a week for a full month, (or longer). After a few sessions, my back feels great and I'm optimistic about the outcome!

Anyway, back on topic...
Al, my DG, got worse to the point where his tail was bent and one side of his body was bulging outward. I had a choice to either try to treat him, (not knowing what to treat him for), or euthanize him. I just couldn't continue to see him in pain, and extend his time not knowing if he would get better w/ medication. So, needless to say, I euthanized him.

Aside from that, everything else has been going well. I did continue the set-up on the 5g and checked the parameters a few days ago. The water was perfect so I decided to add a few Pond Snails and my 2 ADF's to the tank. My ADF's are having a blast now that they have their own little home!

Earlier today I purchased a couple of large bunches of Cryptocoryne and 5 Cherry Shrimp from a guy on CL. The Crypts were placed in my 55g and they look awesome! The Shrimp were released in my 5g and they immediately began scavaging for food. I must have spent an hour watching the little guys running around the tank!

I plan on stopping by the LFS tomorrow to pick up a few fish. I'm thinking about adding a male and another female Swordtail to my 55g. Originally I was thinking about acclimating them to my 5g first, (to make sure they were disease free-yeah, my 10g is not an option atm), but that would be a bad idea. I just researched that RCS, (especially babies), will get gobbled up by fishes. DOH! Well, ya know, that makes sense.

Anyway, that is all for now. Once I get a chance to remake the video of my 55g, I may also include a brief glimpse of my 5g. I'm hoping to have something posted in a week or so. Hopefully!

Oh, and Daileene, no worries about the filter. Seriiously. I'm glad I got my new filter! My old one was an eye-sore and didn't filter very well anyway. Why am I not seeing an update on your 20g? Have you found a light fixture for it yet?