Biorb questions

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

They're piggies, big bioload, as well...

LOL, not even an hour ago, I referred to mollies as "greedy" in this comment...
I love em, great algae eaters, and my trio (photo in that linked comment) used to come and eat bloodworms from my hands, but man, they really are piggies. Hard to get food down to the bottom feeders sometimes!

Clearly, you've kept 'em too

 

[Slaphppy7]

LOL, not even an hour ago, I referred to mollies as "greedy" in this comment...
I love em, great algae eaters, and my trio (photo in that linked comment) used to come and eat bloodworms from my hands, but man, they really are piggies. Hard to get food down to the bottom feeders sometimes!

Clearly, you've kept 'em too

Yep, long ago, before I knew better, lol

 

[Sgooosh]

Yep, long ago, before I knew better, lol

i am a little hesitant to keeping them because it might breed with the guppies.......

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

i am a little hesitant to keeping them because it might breed with the guppies.......

It's not super common that they do that. If they have females of their own species around, they'll go for those over another species every time.

They can even be picky with their own species... when my dad got a lemon yellow male molly for his tank, I was amazed that he completely ignored the black female mollies. Acted like they weren't even there. Bought another yellow molly, but a female, and he was all over her!

Now, mollies aren't racist, lol. The store staff and my hobbyist friends suspect he'd only ever seen other yellow mollies his entire life. Bred in huge tanks with only yellow mollies, he didn't recognise the black mollies as females he could mate with.

So it's unlikely your mollies and guppies will interbreed.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Yep, long ago, before I knew better, lol

I know better, but will probably always have a couple of mollies around still. Soft spot in my heart for 'em

 

[Sgooosh]

It's not super common that they do that. If they have females of their own species around, they'll go for those over another species every time.

They can even be picky with their own species... when my dad got a lemon yellow male molly for his tank, I was amazed that he completely ignored the black female mollies. Acted like they weren't even there. Bought another yellow molly, but a female, and he was all over her!

Now, mollies aren't racist, lol. The store staff and my hobbyist friends suspect he'd only ever seen other yellow mollies his entire life. Bred in huge tanks with only yellow mollies, he didn't recognise the black mollies as females he could mate with.

So it's unlikely your mollies and guppies will interbreed.

thanks so much

 

[Georgia 2021]

Live plants are tricky with a biorb as the rocks on the bottom - part of the filter - are a bit too big for plant roots. However, there are plants which can be grown attached to decor - a small rock or a small piece of wood. There are several small species of anubias which would work - read up on them as some species can grow large. One of the smaller varieties of java fern would also work, or any species of bucephalandra. These are all slow growing plants but shrimps would be more than happy with them.
Because your biorb is the rectangular type rather than the spherical type, a small species of floating plant should work, though the outflow from the filter will keep it pushed to the edges. Look at Salvinia.

How cold does the room get in the middle of the coldest winter night? If it drops below 20 deg C you will need a heater for amano shrimps and nerite snails should decide to get one.

It’s in my lounge and quite warm. I hate the cold too. Where would I put a heater though? Remembering back to my tropical one it would be way too big. Do biorb make little heaters? I shall look into those plants thanks.

 

[Georgia 2021]

i'm surprised that poor thing is even surviving, either give it away to a local fish store, or just get a 15gallon with a lot more mollies...

I can’t afford to get another tank. The people who gave it to me were advised which fish to get when they bought the tank. I expect from pet’s at home. I’m in the UK. Not the most reputable but most accessible. It seems fine to be honest, feeds well and swims and rests. Would it be active if too cold? The room it’s in is quite warm.

 

[Sgooosh]

I can’t afford to get another tank. The people who gave it to me were advised which fish to get when they bought the tank. I expect from pet’s at home. I’m in the UK. Not the most reputable but most accessible. It seems fine to be honest, feeds well and swims and rests. Would it be active if too cold? The room it’s in is quite warm.

i think it will be kinda stressed if its cold... your room may be warm enough... some of the pet stores get wrong info... the owners care about stocks, not hapiness for fish

 

[Essjay]

A 15 litre tank wouldn't need a big heater. I know that biorb do make heaters with special brackets designed for the spherical models but a normal heater would work in the Biorb Life, which you have. Search on Amazon or Ebay for 25 watt heater - but ignore the cheap Chinese ones and those which have a fixed temperature.

The problem with a 15 litre tank of any type is there are virtually no fish which are suitable. It's a bit on the small side for even a betta. It is way too small for a molly. But it is perfect as a home for a colony of shrimps and a snail.
Most branches of Pets at Home have a terrible reputation for advice on fish. I would not believe anything they say.

 

[Sgooosh]

A 15 litre tank wouldn't need a big heater. I know that biorb do make heaters with special brackets designed for the spherical models but a normal heater would work in the Biorb Life, which you have. Search on Amazon or Ebay for 25 watt heater - but ignore the cheap Chinese ones and those which have a fixed temperature.

The problem with a 15 litre tank of any type is there are virtually no fish which are suitable. It's a bit on the small side for even a betta. It is way too small for a molly. But it is perfect as a home for a colony of shrimps and a snail.
Most branches of Pets at Home have a terrible reputation for advice on fish. I would not believe anything they say.

even though some chinese ones work, there are different wattage and electrical things in china...

 

[mbsqw1d]

even though some chinese ones work, there are different wattage and electrical things in china...

Pretty sure electricity works the same way in China as it does anywhere else in the world..? Chinese models are often cheaper for more than one reason; design wise they skimp on quality of materials and so they just don't last. Or they lack the quality that allow them to function correctly which means not keeping water at the correct temp

 

[Sgooosh]

Pretty sure electricity works the same way in China as it does anywhere else in the world..? Chinese models are often cheaper for more than one reason; design wise they skimp on quality of materials and so they just don't last. Or they lack the quality that allow them to function correctly which means not keeping water at the correct temp

the watts in china are diffreent than in america, you neeed an adapter.
not all are trash tho
i am in the us, some european countries are the same as china

 

[mbsqw1d]

the watts in china are diffreent than in america, you neeed an adapter.
not all are trash tho
i am in the us, some european countries are the same as china

Sorry, i read it that you were saying China has different electrical things, like, electricity has its own set of physical laws in China lol. But generally, no.. they'll likely also follow suit with 1 watt per litre.
They'll have slightly different voltage and frequency (Hz) .. I think they're compatible with the UK (50Hz) but not US (60Hz)

 

[Essjay]

Watts are the same everywhere but the number of volts supplied by the electric mains varies from country to country. The UK has a 230volt, 50 Hz system, the US has a 110 volt, 60 Hz system.