48L Betta/community Tank Journal

[Joshwainwright]

In other news, I have made another decision that I'm a little nervous about (eee when will I stop!) I ordered 5 Malaysian trumpet snails off ebay to help keep my sand pristine. I know that snails are something that have gone very wrong for a lot of people but I am obsessive about a clean tank! So watch this space for the ever predictable "I Have Been Overrun!" post in a couple of months' time Oh and then there's the fact that my betta may just demolish them!

You've actually just made me have a look on eBay... think I might buy 10 myself

 

[Biulu]

Thanks Biulu I don't have the 125L yet but I will eventually! That's a good point about asking at the LFS but since we are all in the same town will it not be the same?

That's right, unless they have something in their filters like peat or make their pH go down with other means. That's why it is worth asking.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

That was your 3000th post Biulu! Congrats

 

[Biulu]

Thanks! Hadn't noticed that!

 

[FishFanatic04]

Turkey basters are great! lol I use it for everything. Sucking up poops or platy fry are the top 2. lol Malaysian snails overunning a tank will look much better then nasty pond snails. I was overfeeding for the platy fry and next thing I knew there were about 300 snails everywhere. I spend an hour every water change sucking them up.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I spend an hour every water change sucking them up.

Oh my goodness don't tell me that! Oh well I hear a slice of cucumber or piece of lettuce is a good way to get them out.

 

[FishFanatic04]

I spend an hour every water change sucking them up.

Oh my goodness don't tell me that! Oh well I hear a slice of cucumber or piece of lettuce is a good way to get them out.

lol sorry. Yeah the veg works good too...alot of times I see a bunch on my driftwood and I just pull the piece out and spray them off outside. You probably wont have a problem if you don't overfeed. I need these pesky fry to grow out so I can take the to my lfs.

 

[Biulu]

I have loaches and they love the snails. I let them grow in another tank and then transfer them; a big bunch of proteins!

 

[Joshwainwright]

You've actually just made me have a look on eBay... think I might buy 10 myself

Job done.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Just a tiny update! As I mentioned before I've added two more espei rasbora to the tank and my initial thought was that the tank was looking far too busy. But now that the newbies have settled in the dynamic has changed, it's difficult to explain but I think what happened was they scattered a bit when I added 2 more fish, maybe because their pecking order got messed up and the school wasn't sure what to do so it was just a bit everywhere. Today though, they are moving around the tank in a lovely, flowing group and everything has a much calmer feel to it so I'm really pleased to say the least!

I can still pick the two new ones out from the group as they look paler than the others. Maybe this will change over time but I also wonder if they will always look slightly different because odds are they came from a completely different lot of fish.

The same goes for the cory I added. As you can see in the pictures I've put up of my guys before they are a lovely chocolate colour with lighter markings and of course the orange fins. The new guy is a much lighter colour and I kind of doubt that he will darken to the level of the other three - probably because he's got a different mommy and daddy! I'll try and get a picture up of him later tonight as his tail fin is a bit wonky and I'd like to hear your views on it - whether that's just the way his tail is or if it's been damaged. Should be fun trying to get a picture of it!

 

[Joshwainwright]

Sounds good I guess there will be slight differences but maybe they're a bit paler at the minute due to stress of being moved, they should settle down though

We want more pics!

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Sounds good I guess there will be slight differences but maybe they're a bit paler at the minute due to stress of being moved, they should settle down though

We want more pics!

More pictures coming up!

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Okie dokie - these pics are a bit rough and ready because my camera was dying (excuses, excuses)

So! Here's the new cory. You can see his colour difference but also note his tail. It clearly has some damage on it, I'm not too worried about that. The thing that's bothering me is I think it's "clamped" but I've never seen a clamped fin before so, what do I know!? He arrived this way and the girl who scooped him out for me kind of manhandled him because some tetras or something were practically begging to come home with me by continually getting in the net!

So please give me your diagnosis on his wonky tail

Here's a picture of a "normal" tail for comparison - see how it's all big and opened up?

And the new kid in town...

This one is good for comparing their colours:

And now because I never know when to stop...more pictures lol

The camera whore, honestly it's a good thing I like taking pictures of him... tonight when I was trying to get some of the other fish he wouldn't get out of the stinking way! The number I had to delete because he was doing the equivalent of sticking his fingers into the frame...

The focus is all weird on this one but check out those scales - too cool

I got this kind of creepy front on picture of a rasbora (to the left of the one that is side on)

And to wrap up this insanity, a FTS

 

[Joshwainwright]

Yayyy, photos

And spotless substrate!

Loving the Betta Not too sure what's wrong with the cory's tail though but I hope it fixes soon enough and if not, he can just be special I reckon you were right about the colour difference being because of him being from different parents, the whole 'pattern' seems to be different

 

[Biulu]

Yes, the pattern IS different. I think it has more to do with the origin, local varieties of the same beast. The lower part of the tailfin looks clamped, but it could also be a born deformity. Just keep observing him.