Nearly new to aquarium life

[FishHobby99]

I already have a Cat Cam setup. Maybe I need a Fish Cam?

 

[Avel1896]

Fish-cam........... interesting !

 

[FishHobby99]

Fish-cam........... interesting !

LOL. All began when I used cat cam for feral outside. Befriended him sufficiently to take into house. Took 2 years! He’s a spoiled little pussy cat now.

 

[Avel1896]

2 years...... cats are definitely............ special LOL !

 

[FishHobby99]

Many moments of despair, but he slowly came around. Kept 2 heated cat houses outside & spied on him from my iPad.

 

[Avel1896]

I easily imagine him laughing up his......... sleeve

 

[FishHobby99]

Proud of himself for training me!

 

[BLK]

Hey
The only way to suggest cause(s) is to know all this past or present :

Setup :
Pics of the tank/pond
Liters/gallons
Live plants
Nitrogen cycle
Filter capacity
Temp.

Parameters :
pH
GH (hardness)
KH (alkalinity)
Ammonia
Nitrites
Nitrates
Water changes
Tests
Livestock number and species

Hi Avel, I'm Responding to your post directly, instead of at the end of the thread. Is this the preferred way?
Set up:
30 Gallons
2 Anubius plants and 1 small water sprite
Tank is cycled - I seeded it and added my fish of interest 4 weeks later when tank read cycled
Sea Chem Tidal 55 Filter
78-79 dgrees

Parameters: taken within the last hour. I bought a GH/KH test kit today. Readings including here. Looks like i need to make some changes in this area - would love your advice.
pH: 8.2
GH: 12, 200ppm
KH: 7, 120 ppm
Ammonia - canary yellow - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 20 when i look through test tube.
Water changes - 8/30 25% water change
Livestock:
2 Zebra Danios
3 Glowlight Danios
2 Pearl Gouramis
4 Celebes Rainbow.

Just read on my test kit when having a community tank of a variety of fish GH and KH should be kept at 50-100. Need to bring both down, especially GH. Read I do partial water changes with deionized water - does this need to be a gradual process. Heard when switching from tap to RO, process should be gradual

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Myraan]

Females too?

Cory females like to have several husbands I believe.

And I'm not certain discussion of Cory reproduction is necessarily SFW

I've come to believe my only female cories were the only members of shoal who didn't survive my first 8 months of fishkeeping, so I often wonder whether the play they engage in when they know it will be dark soon is not their version of a gay orgy.

 

[Essjay]

Just read on my test kit when having a community tank of a variety of fish GH and KH should be kept at 50-100.

Ignore what the test kit says, read up on the species of fish you have. The best place for research is https://www.seriouslyfish.com/knowledge-base/ Ideally you should keep fish which all need the same GH.
Of the fish in your list, the rainbowfish will be happy in your GH but it is a bit too high for the other species.

When changing to a tap/RO mix, yes change slowly. But if you do this, the rainbows won't be happy as they need hard water.


The glowlight danios - do you mean zebra danio glofish or the species with the common name glowlight danio (Celestichthys choprae)? If they are the two different species, they really need to be in groups of at least 6 each. But if you mean glofish danios, they are the same species.

 

[BLK]

Ignore what the test kit says, read up on the species of fish you have. The best place for research is https://www.seriouslyfish.com/knowledge-base/ Ideally you should keep fish which all need the same GH.
Of the fish in your list, the rainbowfish will be happy in your GH but it is a bit too high for the other species.

When changing to a tap/RO mix, yes change slowly. But if you do this, the rainbows won't be happy as they need hard water.


The glowlight danios - do you mean zebra danio glofish or the species with the common name glowlight danio (Celestichthys choprae)? If they are the two different species, they really need to be in groups of at least 6 each. But if you mean glofish danios, they are the same specie

Thanks for your reply Essjay.

Ignore what the test kit says, read up on the species of fish you have. The best place for research is https://www.seriouslyfish.com/knowledge-base/ Ideally you should keep fish which all need the same GH.
Of the fish in your list, the rainbowfish will be happy in your GH but it is a bit too high for the other species.

When changing to a tap/RO mix, yes change slowly. But if you do this, the rainbows won't be happy as they need hard water.


The glowlight danios - do you mean zebra danio glofish or the species with the common name glowlight danio (Celestichthys choprae)? If they are the two different species, they really need to be in groups of at least 6 each. But if you mean glofish danios, they are the same species.

Thanks Essjay. In your opinion, Is there a GH happy medium I could strive for to avoid having to rehome some of my fish? I don’t believe my my Gouramis were caught in the wild. Curious if this affects their ability to adapt to harder water?
Thanks everyone!

 

[Metalman]

What temps do you like? I‘m hearing different things. My cichlid tank seller used his thermostatically home controlled of 70F.
My guppy breeder does 62F. Both I know, lower than the norm, but working for these experienced fish keepers.

Hi Jenny,
We keep both tanks 25-26c

 

[Metalman]

Hello


Mollies are hard alkaline water fishes that have nothing to do with your other fishes thar are soft acidic water ones.

Yes I agree if taking them from the wild, however they are bred in captivity and as such have adapted to differing water conditions. If they were not happy and content then they wouldn’t be breeding so prolifically lol.

 

[Metalman]

Thanks, so that’s like 50 and 10 gallons? Have to double check.
You’re doing a terrific job! Tanks are sized by gallons here in the US.
we do have liters of winel

Yes pretty close , we’re back off to states for a fortnight next year staying with friends in Pittsburgh.
Everyone has their own ideas on how a tank should be kept and ok some things as a basic rule need to be adhered to. We don’t overstock so tank is never on a knife edge and needs all parameters checking every other day. If that is how people want to run their tanks that is fine. To put it in layman’s terms, a car will run at 100% easily, however it will wear out much quicker than if you run it at 60 or 70% .........food for thought.

 

[Avel1896]

Yes I agree if taking them from the wild, however they are bred in captivity and as such have adapted to differing water conditions. If they were not happy and content then they wouldn’t be breeding so prolifically lol.

Hmm there's something that is over adapted to differing water conditions : it is atavism.
To be happy and thrive livebearers' water should be pH 7.5-8.5 with a 15-30 dGH water hardness.