My Managerie of Tanks

[CassCats]

I'll be back as soon as I reasonably can to admire and ask questions, I've known since we met that your tanks are always gorgeous, with a lot of thought and work put into them, to make them the best possible habitat for the fish you love! It's always inspiring to see your tank and fish photos! As I did a quick scan, I remembered some of the tanks from when you set them up! Evolved of course, but recognisable.

Likely a big part of why they breed so well for you

But mainly, just wanted to say thank you coming back and sharing!!


I know we've still been in contact elsewhere, but not as often and as in depth as we used to here! You brought so much to the forum, and you're appreciated by so many people! I know I wouldn't have been able to raise my first cory spawn without your amazing help and support! Calming me down when I was freaking out, and telling me how to do it, with clear photo instructions!

I've said before and will say it loud and proud every time - I'm convinced you can breed anything you turn your hand to!


The macro shots you took of your cory eggs developing, hatching into wriggers and growing on were epic, and with your sparkling gourami laying spawn after spawn!

I also feel old, since I remember when those goldfish were wee little nippers, and now they're huge, healthy and stunning in the tank with the plec and hoplos! Or whatever they're called now - I am really trying to learn the new classifications.

Mainly just wanted to say how good it is to see your name here again!I

Considering the size of Neowise when I caught him in 2020 vs now, 2024

I'm hoping an easier time being back, didn't exactly leave on happy terms, but hopefully the past is in the past.


And nah, I can't breed everything, some fish just don't wanna, but that's alright (looking at you, osteogaster eques!) I don't collect eggs all the time these days, only if there's a request for a certain species or I have space in the nursery. Otherwise they're left to their own chances. My most recent babies were brochis splendens. They've all gone on to their new home all together so they should be a happy bunch. I certainly cannot keep any more of those, since I kept babies from my original spawn lol

Now would be cool if my apistos spawned, but no biggie if they didn't either. They're just neat to watch and they're quite personable.

Oh, and a gif of one of my pangios and their carpet of sußwassertang lol

 

[Fishmanic]

WB @CassCats. You are a Trifecta winner having won all 3 types of contests. I know you won 2 TOTM contests a few years ago. I will see that you get a banner for those 2 wins. Hope you enter again if you have a different tank.

 

[CassCats]

WB @CassCats. You are a Trifecta winner having won all 3 types of contests. I know you won 2 TOTM contests a few years ago. I will see that you get a banner for those 2 wins. Hope you enter again if you have a different tank.

Thank you, though it's not a priority.

As I get my footing back here, I'll look to join back in another contest!

 

[Sparx]

Hi @CassCats welcome back to the forum
I’ve only been on here for a few months, and have been inspired since I arrived with natural looking tanks that I have completely changed the layout of my tank.
And now looking at yours, my mind is blown absolutely beautiful tanks and beautiful fish to go in them! I truly hope I get to this level one day!!
What an inspiration.
I will be following your posts, glad to have you here

 

[GaryE]

When I first joined, way back when, I had some problems with individuals who weren't welcoming, so I lurked in the weeds more than I posted. Your posts stuck out and made me want to be a member.
When I returned a couple of years later and started posting, the gatekeeper guys got themselves banned soon after, but I noticed a decided lack of Casscat posts. I really hope you return, as I really enjoyed your perspective on these little fish we love. I was really happy when I saw you'd posted again. People come and go for good reasons on forums, but it's more fun for the rest of us when they're coming and not going.

 

[MaloK]

You should bump your threads more often

Now I have a lot of catching back to do !

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Hiya Cass.

Now we just need to get fishorama over here.

BTW those gate keepers were real A-holes. If you look at my history on this site you will see a several year hole with no posts by me.

 

[CassCats]

Hi @CassCats welcome back to the forum
I’ve only been on here for a few months, and have been inspired since I arrived with natural looking tanks that I have completely changed the layout of my tank.
And now looking at yours, my mind is blown absolutely beautiful tanks and beautiful fish to go in them! I truly hope I get to this level one day!!
What an inspiration.
I will be following your posts, glad to have you here

There's so many styles for aquariums, and it always depends what people like, but I absolutely love natural style as well. Even biotope or just natural appearance.

I have seen some other scapes that were neat, but not practical for swim space for community setups, like example, some of those cool forest type artistic scapes are pretty, but they tend to only accommodate a single school of fish because the scape takes a lot of space in the tank and it's not the most usable material for the fish themselves.

I will admit many of my old setups weren't up to my "today's standards" but that just means I've pushed myself to keep improving. One day, maybe I'll look back on these ones and say the same thing as I do about my old ones now.

I am flattered if any of my tanks inspire others, I can be really critical of my own work and always find things that need to be "fixed" or "changed".

When I first joined, way back when, I had some problems with individuals who weren't welcoming, so I lurked in the weeds more than I posted. Your posts stuck out and made me want to be a member.
When I returned a couple of years later and started posting, the gatekeeper guys got themselves banned soon after, but I noticed a decided lack of Casscat posts. I really hope you return, as I really enjoyed your perspective on these little fish we love. I was really happy when I saw you'd posted again. People come and go for good reasons on forums, but it's more fun for the rest of us when they're coming and not going.

I think I probably know who it was, I can't say I didn't leave thanks to a couple of them.

I'm glad if my posts have been able to provide any help or anything for you, that's humbling to hear.

You should bump your threads more often

Now I have a lot of catching back to do !

I'll try to keep regular updates!

Hiya Cass.

Now we just need to get fishorama over here.

BTW those gate keepers were real A-holes. If you look at my history on this site you will see a several year hole with no posts by me.

here's to hoping to many chats

 

[CassCats]

Well, here's a couple more fish photos.

Pangio Oblonga

Earl, my current betta

One of 18 Hyphessobrycon amandae

Hoplisoma sterbai spawning

Osteogaster aenea

Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae

Hyphessobrycon elachys

Hoplosternum punctatum

Moenkhausia forestii/sanctaefilomenae stealing pleco pellets

Panaqolus sp L448

Osteogaster eques

Pseudomugil gertrudae

Gastrodermus pygmaeus

Mikrogeophagus altispinosus

 

[GaryE]

The Osteogaster (ex Corydoras) eques are extremely nice. Wow.

 

[CassCats]

The Osteogaster (ex Corydoras) eques are extremely nice. Wow.

Very! Easily are my favourite corydoras that I own. They're outgoing and active.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I so want to catch up more on this thread (and chat more in pm!) but also have been busy and side-tracked today, I'm sorry love! Will return for more ASAP, but had to do large water changes on all the tanks, check on and do stuff for all the new fish in three QT tanks. and I'm now still organising things with new fish, plants, tanks and stuff, listing what I need to buy tomorrow, and organising/unearthing all the fish equipment, hardscape, substrate, plastic bits and dohickeys we all wind up with loads of in this hobby!

But taking photos and checking in here now and then when I take a break.

Your return and photos are hugely inspiring! Motivated me a lot to step up my game, so my tanks and fish can one day, hopefully, be as beautiful as yours are! And on a personal note- Squee!!! I can't express how happy I am that you started to post here again!! You're my friend, as well as a wonderful and talented fish keeper, and bring so many wonderful qualities to the hobby, and the forum! Desperately needed, and so appreciated!

For anyone else reading who doesn't know Casscats, she's too humble and sweet to brag, so I'll do it, because she's amazing, and you can see the evidence for that in the photos of her tanks and fish above! And throughout this thread, which is well worth reading!

Long term regulars will remember how knowledgeable and helpful she is, especially with bottom dwelling fish like Corydoras and closely related species - and may not know just how talented she is at not only building these wonderful aquariums to suit the fish she keeps, but also being able to spawn them and raise fry... the list of fish she's successfully bred is long, impressive, and not limited to catfish either!

She's also just a lovely person with a huge heart, wealth of experience and research in the hobby, and an ethical and brilliant mind. That's both my opinion, and a fact

I'm so delighted that she's back not just for me, but for everything she brings to the forum. So as a forum member who Casscats patiently guided both myself and several other forum members through how to spawn and raise Corydoras fry (since reclassified, and a few different species covered in the thread) way back in 2020:

Help! My cories spawned! What do I do??

@NCaquatics @mbsqw1d what do I do?? I didn't even know they were spawning, just turned the tank lights on and found these!! They're quite high up near the surface. I didn't even water change yesterday or anything, maybe the water change the day before spurred them on? What do I do??

www.fishforums.net

I hope other forum members will be able to embrace and learn from her as much as I have. And that you're willing to keep popping in, and sharing your amazing tanks and fish with us, @CassCats !!

I'll also be fiercely protective of her...! Sorry but not sorry. I'm biased because she's a friend, I'll admit! But it's also because of how much value she, and others like her, bring to the forum and to the hobby! We've lost an incredible member and person, after Byron passed away. We need members like Cass here, and new people to join the hobby, be welcomed to the forum, helped when they have questions or problems, and encouraged to stay and learn and expand their own hobby in the ways they want to.

So I'll be guarding her like a British Bulldog, and we never surrender!

 

[CassCats]

I so want to catch up more on this thread (and chat more in pm!) but also have been busy and side-tracked today, I'm sorry love! Will return for more ASAP, but had to do large water changes on all the tanks, check on and do stuff for all the new fish in three QT tanks. and I'm now still organising things with new fish, plants, tanks and stuff, listing what I need to buy tomorrow, and organising/unearthing all the fish equipment, hardscape, substrate, plastic bits and dohickeys we all wind up with loads of in this hobby!

But taking photos and checking in here now and then when I take a break.

Your return and photos are hugely inspiring! Motivated me a lot to step up my game, so my tanks and fish can one day, hopefully, be as beautiful as yours are! And on a personal note- Squee!!! I can't express how happy I am that you started to post here again!! You're my friend, as well as a wonderful and talented fish keeper, and bring so many wonderful qualities to the hobby, and the forum! Desperately needed, and so appreciated!

For anyone else reading who doesn't know Casscats, she's too humble and sweet to brag, so I'll do it, because she's amazing, and you can see the evidence for that in the photos of her tanks and fish above! And throughout this thread, which is well worth reading!

Long term regulars will remember how knowledgeable and helpful she is, especially with bottom dwelling fish like Corydoras and closely related species - and may not know just how talented she is at not only building these wonderful aquariums to suit the fish she keeps, but also being able to spawn them and raise fry... the list of fish she's successfully bred is long, impressive, and not limited to catfish either!

She's also just a lovely person with a huge heart, wealth of experience and research in the hobby, and an ethical and brilliant mind. That's both my opinion, and a fact

I'm so delighted that she's back not just for me, but for everything she brings to the forum. So as a forum member who Casscats patiently guided both myself and several other forum members through how to spawn and raise Corydoras fry (since reclassified, and a few different species covered in the thread) way back in 2020:

Help! My cories spawned! What do I do??

@NCaquatics @mbsqw1d what do I do?? I didn't even know they were spawning, just turned the tank lights on and found these!! They're quite high up near the surface. I didn't even water change yesterday or anything, maybe the water change the day before spurred them on? What do I do??

www.fishforums.net

I hope other forum members will be able to embrace and learn from her as much as I have. And that you're willing to keep popping in, and sharing your amazing tanks and fish with us, @CassCats !!

I'll also be fiercely protective of her...! Sorry but not sorry. I'm biased because she's a friend, I'll admit! But it's also because of how much value she, and others like her, bring to the forum and to the hobby! We've lost an incredible member and person, after Byron passed away. We need members like Cass here, and new people to join the hobby, be welcomed to the forum, helped when they have questions or problems, and encouraged to stay and learn and expand their own hobby in the ways they want to.

So I'll be guarding her like a British Bulldog, and we never surrender!

They need an embarrassed or blushing react emoji haha

I remember Byron, one of the most wonderful people I've had the privilege to talk to. I still can't believe he's no longer here.

I am glad my advice helped with your cory fry, and I'm glad it's made some impact.

 

[CassCats]

For anyone curious, this was the progression of my Paraguay setup

It was started up early 2024

 

[GaryE]

Forget video games, I'm going to challenge myself, choose a tank and play Grand Theft Ideas with it.

I've always angled decor to go with the flow of water, but come to think of it, I don't have a clear reason for that. I like what you did with that. Once I have enough eggs and fry, I will boot my Platopochilus into another tank. I'll strip the tank down, change the gravel and will have something to play with. Older established tanks get grimy, no matter what.