Ginaekdal's Tanks

[ginaekdal]

An update is definitely overdue, as things have progressed on the tank front.

I am now housing a group of eleven P. titteya in the big tank; my initial surprise fry thriving among them.

The group is fairly new and I am observing keenly. It appears there are five males and six females; there are a couple I am uncertain of.

Two of the males are a deep, rich red and I wonder if perhaps they are from the super red strain? In any case these two are frequently observed sparring lightly; I am prepared to separate the fish into two smaller groups if needed but hopefully it will not come to that.

Two recent videos can be found below; the particles in the water are due to the removal of a couple plants just before. The tank is not yet properly planted and, I feel, looks bare. Hopefully local plant selection will be better this time of year as I had to give up buying online.

My local fish store is actually carrying a decent stock selection at present and I dearly wish I had the space and means to keep more tanks. As it is I only have the small tank left to stock and I whilst I would love a Betta splendens it would, of course, rule out every other species that I wish to keep. Am I prepared to make that sacrifice? I do not know yet

 

[HarpyFishLover]

I would get what you are planning on, then get like a 10 gallon for a Betta. That's just me though.

 

[ginaekdal]

Two of the males are a deep, rich red and I wonder if perhaps they are from the super red strain? In any case these two are frequently observed sparring lightly; I am prepared to separate the fish into two smaller groups if needed but hopefully it will not come to that.

 
No, having checked reference pictures they are not from that ornamental strain but simply coloured up very nicely. I am presuming these two are the dominant males as the others are less rich in colour.
 
Additionally a couple of the females appear gravid and whilst I do not expect eggs and fry to make it in a lightly planted setup it would be fascinating to see them spawn.

 

[ginaekdal]

I got up this morning and they were spawning.
 
It appears I might have less females than I thought as I have observed the tank-raised fry engaging in spawning behaviour with a definite female. I might go back and acquire a couple more females but looking at how active these are, and considering the restricted size of the tank, I feel no need to add more fish from a visual perspective and it will only be done to get a better gender ratio if I find it is needed.
 
They are all frequently darting in and out of the plants and whilst I have no ambition in the way of advanced planted tanks I imagine they will do very well indeed in a heavily planted setting and so I will make sure to look for undemanding plants to achieve something akin to that.

 

[ginaekdal]

I know I recently said I had given up buying plants online, but I found two new suppliers and I have placed an order with each to give them a try. Each order was made with both tanks in mind and I await shipments of background plants such as two species of Vallisneria as well as swords, and a long-awaited Limnobium laevigatum. I want visually heavily planted tanks without having to maintain several species with odd requirements and so I went for "easy" plants that grow large. Since the big tank is fully stocked and currently only waiting for more plants to be added, I have turned my attention to the small one.
 
Today I removed the internal Juwel filter, which was a bigger bother than the guides I looked at suggested!, and I can honestly say this is the last time I purchase a tank with a filter box siliconed to the inside. As a beginner it seemed like a safe option not to have to navigate the world of filters upon tank purchase, but after months of use I much prefer the ease of the internal Eheim in the big tank.
 
The additional space now that the box is gone makes a huge difference. Granted the tank is only 63 litres but it looks like a completely different tank space-wise.
 
My reasons for removing the filter were a few. 1, removing it clears up space I need for plants and fish. 2, the internal Juwel filters are virtually impossible to fry-, fish-, and snail-proof. There is no way to get a stocking around them, for instance, and things gather inside the filter box. 3, I found the filter maintenance a bother compared to the Eheim where you can easily remove both the filter and the sponge as needed. I find quick and easy access is everything when it comes to maintaining a tank. 4, the initial tank inhabitant will be a Betta splendens and as such I want a filter I can both move around and adjust the current on better to make it appropriate for a Betta.
 
So as per above, I will get a small internal Eheim similar to the one I have and love. In the event of future stocking changes I can always upgrade with ease. Between the Eheim and the plants I foresee no trouble given the tank is intended for a single Betta.
 
As far as Bettas go, my local store seems to only carry veiltails, and males at that. I presume these are the ones that sell. I much prefer plakats, and hardier fish with short fins, but given that I doubt my ability to source one (I would rather not order from abroad) I will set the tank up with long flowing fins in mind and, I guess, give a veiltail a try. In any case this tank should be wonderful for a Betta.

 

[ginaekdal]

I have found a reliable online aquatic plant supplier here at long last. I picked both shipments up today, and whilst a few of the plants in one of them were a bit worse for wear after two days in the mail there was no major disasters. The plants in the second however arrived in a better state that any of my locally purchased plants have been in! I have added a "wall" of Vallisneria americana "Gigantea" to the big tank along a short side, along with Limnobium laevigatum. I am aware the former species grows very large indeed but until they grow unmanageable they can stay. The fish seem to appreciate it.
 
I also made a start planting my Betta tank. Species are Vallisneria americana "Gigantea"; these were leftovers from the big tank that will do the job until I can order more plants online, as well as Vallisneria americana "Asiatica", Echinodorus cordifolius "Fluitans", Limnobium laevigatum and two unspecified sword plants that I have yet to identify. There is also duckweed in both tanks, and the big tank has the old plants that were sold as Cabomba but are probably not and a tiny foreground grass-like plant that came with the tank which I have also yet to identify.
 
I am now only waiting for the Eheim filter for the Betta tank and once that gets here I will be going swiftly to the store to look at Bettas.

 

[ginaekdal]

The barbs are thriving and doing well. They recognise me whenever I move outside the tank and are quick to come up to the glass and beg for food. I do have a slight algae issue with the tank and I hope this will be resolved with altered lighting; my timer is currently not hooked up and I will look into this first.
 
I am picking up a shipment of ten Vallisneria americana "Asiatica" tomorrow. These are mainly intended for the Betta tank. The replacement filter mentioned previously has still not arrived and to say I am underwhelmed with the service would be putting it mildly. Suppliers are few and far between as it is, so you would think the ones that do exist would be interested in running a viable business and securing return customers.
 
"Underwhelmed" is a bit of a key word with my experience with the hobby in general. I find the art of fishkeeping fascinating and I have had very little trouble personally, as I was careful to avoid the common beginner traps, but to constantly encounter the sorry state of practices that exist out there is demoralising. I have had to stop keeping an eye on local advertisements as being met with awful stocking lists more often than not became downright depressing. Similarly I now mostly smile and nod and mind my own business when being engaged in conversation about fishkeeping. Politely giving correct advice when asked only to watch said advice get ignored is very tiresome. I do think acquiring fish is way too easy and should be better regulated, but looking at how ridiculously easy it is for anyone to go and buy, say, a horse or a dog I realise better control in this hobby is even more unrealistic. Pet stores have a lot to answer for; there should be a suitability check before any livestock sale!, but ultimately the responsibility has to be on the individual buyer to make sure they do thorough research before acquiring an animal of any kind.
 
Apart from the above I take a lot of joy in the hobby and I find arranging the Betta tank particularly giving. I hope it will be a source of relaxation for both myself and the fish once he moves in.

 

[ginaekdal]

The Betta tank is now fully planted. I want the plants to fill in a little, of course, but there is already new growth on the Echinodorus cordifolius "Fluitans" and the two swords.
 
I did make the unfortunate discovery of not one but three, possibly four, small pond snails whilst hands deep in the tank. They were swiftly removed but I can only assume there are more. They must have hitched a ride in with a plant after all; should I order more in the future I will know to be extremely careful.
 
Depending on how this develops I might look around for a few Assassin snails for that tank. There is hardly a chance of excess feeding causing a pond snail invasion with a single Betta to feed, particularly as the Betta has yet to move in, but I know little about other contributing factors that might lead to large numbers here. I would of course also lose the Malaysian trumpets should I add Assassins but these should be easy to restock from my big tank in the future.
 
Finally I did add a couple more Vallisneria americana "Asiatica" to the P. titteya tank. The fish love them. I might not have a massive interest in this particular species as such, but they are lovely little fish and full of character. I find them inquisitive and rather bold now that they have settled in as a group.
 
As a sidenote I had to sit on my hands earlier today when a small tank, at only 25 litres, was advertised very locally to me. I do want a tank that can double as a quarantine, fry kind of setup in an emergency but as always my mind wanders to the larger tank I can get for the same amount and I think "better not". Of course after discovering the awful pond snails I wonder whether such a tiny tank might be worth running with say Assassins in it to have them on hand without risking my trumpet snails. I will give it a think without rushing into anything.

 

[ginaekdal]

I added some sand to the big tank, in reality to replace what was removed a while back. I used the bottle method which does indeed work wonderfully.
 
I expect to pick the package with the replacement filter for the small tank up tomorrow, which only leaves moving cycled filter material over and hopefully choosing a Betta this weekend. Theorethically I could place an order for a specific fish... but their supplier does not carry plakats, and so picking one up that has been there a while might be more rewarding. I will have a look and see what state they are in.

 

[ginaekdal]

What has become apparent over the last week is just how... destructive these fish can be. They actively pick at, and therefore tear up and uproot, the Vallisneria in their tank. They have also done a good job of picking at the Limnobium laevigatum; the roots that had grown in so nicely are mostly gone and the number of plants seems to have sunk. The duckweed has also practically disappeared... I have now moved the floating plants over to the small tank in the hope of salvaging what is left. I am a little sad about this as the plants looked so incredibly nice before the barbs did a number on them.
 
I am wondering whether a plant such as Ceratopteris cornuta might be a safer bet in this tank? I have been thinking about buying some for the small tank anyway, if I can source it, and I hope what is left of the floating species will recover there which means the big tank needs something else for cover.

 

[ginaekdal]

A lovely little Betta splendens moved in with me today.

Originally I had wanted a sturdy plakat male with no red colouring but these are impossible to find here. My local store only takes in Bettas with flowing fins and typically they are blue and red with the odd purely blue fish thrown in. There were no blue ones in today which is what I would have otherwise gone for.

I could have ordered, I suppose, but because I am dealing with some health issues at the moment and also rely on having someone to drive me I had to make the trip today count, which meant picking a fish from the selection they had in. I spent a good twenty minutes observing the various Bettas as best I could with children running around the store and in front of the tanks. The Bettas all looked quite pitiful... one in particular was kept in a tiny quarantine container and looking quite beaten up. I assume it had gotten a beating as they occasionally jump between tanks... this tells you a lot about the store set-up. I do wish I had the means to pick that one up and give him a chance but I am unfortunately not in the position financially to take a gamble and buy a fish that looks like it might not last the week, poor thing.

Eventually I identified the male that, to my relatively untrained eye, looked the healthiest, although that is not saying much. He was in with a bunch of guppies(!) and kept himself to the one plant in the tank, but of the stock they had in he looked the best with fins in an alright state. I paid for the fish and a couple of extra plants and also picked up some designated Betta food. I waved off the "helpful" suggestion that "because my Betta had been in with guppies he would be okay with guppies and would I not want to buy some...", explaining I was not personally prepared to risk that and that my water is entirely too soft for livebearers. The girl did look like she was going to argue that point which was when I left.

(As a sidenote, they had the most amazing looking Epiplatys annulatus in stock. This is the first time I have gotten a look at live ones and I am quite smitten. They would as it happens be really well suited to my soft water and should I be in the position to have a third tank these would be on the shortlist.)

Once home I acclimated the Betta and planted the extra plants, and fitted a piece of stocking around the filter to make it safer for flowing fins. I have also made sure to cover the cord gap in the lid to make it impossible for him to jump out. The gap is small, but going by the thumb rule I assume he could fit.

Once in the tank he set about exploring his new surroundings. He has gone from the aforementioned small holding tank with guppies in to having 63 litres all to himself. That is, he shares the tank with Malaysian trumpets and so far he takes great exception to that! He flares and picks at the ones who dare venture onto the glass. They must be a new thing to him, after all, but I expect it will calm down a little.

He has eaten a small amount of food that I dropped into the tank and has a healthy appetite so I have no worries on that score. It remains to be seen how well he handles the move but he already seems a character and I hope he settles in well. I have tried my best to ensure the tank will make a nice home for him.

He is as of yet without a name but he might be a Clark or a Gable (can you tell I am watching Gone with the Wind as I type?). He is primarily blue with red accents; I wonder whether these will show better once he is less stressed. I think he is a veiltail but to be fair I am bad at identifying the different tail types and strains.

The plan is to source more floating plants for cover (there is already Limnobium laevigatum and duckweed) and to add some foreground plants but apart from that the existing plants need a little space to grow in as well. I do love a heavily planted tank but I am new to that side of things so I will learn as I go along.

Money and health permitting this tank is not too far from being considered finished; what I want now is a much more densely planted look.

 

[ginaekdal]

I am already in love with looking at him. It will be really interesting to see if he changes any in appearance.

 

[ginaekdal]

I took a few pictures as he was feeding this morning. It is very hard to take proper pictures with the bright tank lighting getting in the way, and the pictures really do not do the nuances in his colouration justice. There might be just a touch more red showing today, or it might be wishful thinking on my part.

And as for the barbs; they are doing really well and continue to be rather rough on the plants in their tank. Whilst I hope some plants will make it I have resigned myself to replacing a few every now and then to keep them happy and the tank nice to look at. It is rather funny that a fighting fish should be so much more sedate in appearance and behaviour. From an observer point of view the latter makes for more comfortable viewing which is something for me to keep in mind when stocking in the future, even if the barbs were an entirely accidental acquisition. Perhaps most people are less bothered about the visual movement aspect of a tank but I think it is something to keep in mind, after stocking to match your tank size and water parameters. I expect many pick fish purely based on their looks and not their behaviour. I do, for example, love many of the tetra species but having looked at videos there are a few I would discount purely based on activity level and way of swimming. I need fish to match my own levels of energy.

 

[ginaekdal]

Taken today.

The big plants floating are temporary; they came with a bundle of aquatic plants but having gotten a close look and feel I doubt these in particular are aquatic. They do however illustrate the vibe I would love to achieve with this tank.

The Buddha figurines are jade which I understand should be safe in tanks. I also have tumbled clear and rose quartz stones outside the frame; this tank is intended to have a calming "zen" vibe to it. Again, I understand quartz to be safe in tanks.

I do know the shell however can affect the water. Having monitored and tested over time prior to stocking the tank I found the hardness rose from 1 degree German to 2. I assume this is due to the shell.

As a matter of interest the pH in this tank is steadily slightly higher than in my barb tank. I believe I have mentioned this before, but my source water has a pH of 6.4 after sitting for 24 hours. The barb tanks lies a little lower at just over 6.0. Meanwhile the small tank has tested at 6.8; I monitor pH in both tanks regularly since my water lacks buffering capacity with gH and KH at 1 degree German. Both tanks have weekly water changes which keeps the values fairly steady but it goes to show no two tanks are ever alike.

The small tank did have a different substrate to start out with, with plant specific substrate under a layer of gravel; the higher pH might be due to traces from this. In fact this tank tested the same for pH prior to adding the shell, as it does now. The substrate in the two tanks is also different although there is a thin layer of the small tank substrate in the big tank. The substrate should be inert. I continue to monitor readings.

What I do miss having in either tank is a nice piece of wood; obviously the one in the Betta tank would have to be smooth. Since giving up on the Redmoor due to fungus I have been unable to find suitable pieces but I do keep an eye out locally. I do wonder whether I, with my water, need more factors to lower the pH in a tank which wood would obviously contribute to...

Should I set up a third tank I might put wood in that one and monitor before adding any to the other tanks. I would be stocking soft water fish but sometimes I think about how wonderful it would be to have water with better buffering capacity so as to not worry so much about pH crashes.

On the subject of a third tank, I am currently about to paint the big tank stand (the three visible sides, anyway) and I am very aware there is a 45 cm x 45 cm space at the end where a third tank with dimensions within these could go. I could fit a nice little tank there.

 

[ginaekdal]

The Betta is proving to be a character. He loves sleeping on his little floating plants and he loves resting on top of the filter. I had my hands in the tank to trim a few leaves and he is very inquisitive. At one point he swam through my open fingers and over my palm while I was trying to get hold of a leaf. He swims towards the glass when he sees me but he does not yet beg for food like the barbs do. You have got to love the constant look of attitude on a Betta. Their faces are very expressive. This little guy is my first Betta but he will definitely not be my last.

I absolutely love having this tank in my living room. The vibrant greens really do make the room come alive. I hope in time the barb tank will be this presentable but getting the plants in that tank right is proving to be a case of trial and error. I wonder whether buying fully grown, big plants might be the way to go.