My Managerie of Tanks

[CassCats]

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.

Ironically this scape actually *does* go with the flow of the water, only instead of the main flow, it goes with the backflow.

I've noticed with the wavemaker, the background plants flow towards the wavemaker instead of away. So I played around with that instead.

All my larger tanks have wavemakers now, since I lost some fish dependant on oxygen levels back in the nasty heatwave a couple years back (lost a couple ancistrus and farlowella) when my tank temps sat at 90F+ for 2 weeks even without a heater running and air conditioning! We were cooking in our own apartment! So now I run wavemakers because airstones and filter outlets were not enough to keep up the oxygen in the tanks.

We have also since got a new air conditioner, which works great and tanks rarely get above 82F during heat waves now. Summer time is when my heaters get unplugged here lol

This was one of the tanks temp readings, I checked with the digital as well and it read at 93F at several points.

So now, I am paranoid over that happening again, and preventing it by making sure I have a ton of surface agitation.

 

[Sparx]

For anyone curious, this was the progression of my Paraguay setup
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It was started up early 2024

How long between each picture??

 

[CassCats]

How long between each picture??

Uhhh.. maybe like a month or so, it's been setup since like Jan? I can't remember haha

 

[CassCats]

So if anyone remembers the 55g that broke the centerbrace back in 2020 when I got it used and had to do a rough fix on it...

There was a separate thread on it:

Blackwater 55g Build

Gotta move 87 fish, 3 shrimp, and several snails today... Because as an early birthday gift, my husband got me another tank to upgrade my blackwater tank to! So plans as follows: My tote pond fish: will be moved to the old 46g once its prepared for them. My 46g fish: to the new 55! My...

www.fishforums.net

This was the repair job

I had also cut my thumb when I did it, which left a scar to this day lol

BUT!

I'd like to make an update regarding that crude fix.


It's 2024 now and it is still holding strong!

 

[CassCats]

Added some pool filter sand to the goldfish tank, since they dug some spots bare so time for a refresher.

10 gallon is an overgrown mess, I really need to decide what to do with it lol

Paraguay 55g is also getting overgrown, due for another trim soon.

Mr Apistogramma Borelli

Hyphessobrycon elachys displaying

Derpy goldfish pics

Ceratogarra cambodgiensis, named Bruce the Brute

Ugg the Pterygoplichthys pardalis

Hallow, ancistrus cf cirrhosis (aka domestic bristlenose). I raised this guy from a tiny fry and now he's a moody little turd.

 

[Sparx]

Do your fish actually pose for the camera? I can never get a pic that good!

 

[CassCats]

Do your fish actually pose for the camera? I can never get a pic that good!

The secret is taking many many many failure photos for the few good ones lol

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

The secret is taking many many many failure photos for the few good ones lol
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I was just trying to get photos of my fish too, and went through the same process! Now have to do the scroll through my camera roll to delete all the ones that are just a blur of a tail, massively out of focus, or ruined by water spots on the glass (I didn't wash and dry the outer glass after their last water change, and usually try to do that after messing with a tank, and especially before trying to get photos. Glass, water, and active fish are a photography challenge! Only have to look at old fish books to see that. Glad tech has advanced enough so better photographers can get amazing photos and video of fish now!

 

[Sparx]

The secret is taking many many many failure photos for the few good ones lol
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Makes sense!

 

[CassCats]

Took down my little 5 gallon and moved fish from my 10 gallon to other tanks. Earl the betta is now living in my 10 gallon all to himself.

I still have some plants I don't know what I'm doing with, may move them into this one, may do another. But for now this is the 10g.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Took down my little 5 gallon and moved fish from my 10 gallon to other tanks. Earl the betta is now living in my 10 gallon all to himself.
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I still have some plants I don't know what I'm doing with, may move them into this one, may do another. But for now this is the 10g.

It's stunning! Earl looks pretty contented there, if I can read emotion from a fish!

None of your tanks have CO2 running either, do they? Is that dark plant in the middle a buce? Sorta looks like a much larger amount and established growth of a buce I bought at the sale, but forgetting the Latin name for now, K something...?

 

[CassCats]

It's stunning! Earl looks pretty contented there, if I can read emotion from a fish!

None of your tanks have CO2 running either, do they? Is that dark plant in the middle a buce? Sorta looks like a much larger amount and established growth of a buce I bought at the sale, but forgetting the Latin name for now, K something...?

The middle plant is Bucephalandra kedagang, my favourite of the buce varieties! It grows like a weed too, I've sold quite a few already. I split that pot with someone else when I bought it too, and then the half I kept grew so much and new offshoots... it's a really good one. I've got a few Bucephalandra varieties in there, but Kedagang is my favourite.

No CO2, I can't get my head around it to bother with it. I mostly pick plants that don't absolutely need it. Many do better with it, bit most plants still grow without it. Albeit a bit slower.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

The middle plant is Bucephalandra kedagang, my favourite of the buce varieties! It grows like a weed too, I've sold quite a few already. I split that pot with someone else when I bought it too, and then the half I kept grew so much and new offshoots... it's a really good one. I've got a few Bucephalandra varieties in there, but Kedagang is my favourite.

No CO2, I can't get my head around it to bother with it. I mostly pick plants that don't absolutely need it. Many do better with it, bit most plants still grow without it. Albeit a bit slower.

That's the one!! Knew I recognised it why I knew it began with a k, just blanked on the name and didn't have my list handy, but that it was one of the plants I got at the fish club event last month

The most expensive one too... Shush! It's a secret.

It came attached to this pebble of hardscape that weighs it down, how should I propagate it to form a lovely shrub like amount, as you have?

Ps, love the tiny dwarf frogs and the video! I empathise with you, Sherbet, we all have days like that!

 

[CassCats]

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That's the one!! Knew I recognised it why I knew it began with a k, just blanked on the name and didn't have my list handy, but that it was one of the plants I got at the fish club event last month

The most expensive one too... Shush! It's a secret.

It came attached to this pebble of hardscape that weighs it down, how should I propagate it to form a lovely shrub like amount, as you have?

Ps, love the tiny dwarf frogs and the video! I empathise with you, Sherbet, we all have days like that!

If you trim that one right below the root, it should propagate well, and should send out new shoots where you cut it.

Some just spread on their own. The kedagang randomly sends out new stems from the main stem too.

I know I've got lamadau red, sp red, wavy green, dark biblis, and the kedagang in there.

 

[CassCats]

Interestingly noticed lately one of my "lady" emperor tetras has been developing more of a male appearance.

She's about 4-5+ years old at this point, proven originally female as she is the mother of the ladies I bred (my original batch of emperors came with only 2 females and the other female passed at some point before I bred for more females to keep).

Her eye is turning half blue (males have blue eyes, females have green eyes) and she's developed the central caudal extension that males have.

Have to wonder if it's just an old age hormonal thing, or what. But, it is interesting to see.

Oh, @AdoraBelle Dearheart I took a close up photo of the Bucephalandra bunch for you