Larkspur
Fish Crazy
I just wanted to let everyone know that so far the 2 walmart cichlids my boyfriend and I purchased on a whim are doing excellent. We're watching the water stats of their 10 gallon quarantine tank well as it goes through the cycling process, especially now that the quarantine tank is stocked with 7 smaller cichlids, but that's another story.
Here are some photos! My bf has moved into his house now so he had to transfer the 10 gallon, his 37 gallon, and his 55 which isn't set up yet. He wants to build the stand first which may take about a month.
Pirate and Wally. Fairly certain Pirate is a female, but she developed egg spots like a boy.
They don't hold still well. Isn't Pirate's face precious? She reminds me of a jack russell terrier...my fave breed (and off topic, but we are bringing a JRT pup home in late June!)
Pirate with a Synodontis. My bf went out and bought 2 synodontis catfish when I had planned to surprise him with one later after he sets up the 55. Silly boy. So much for that plan.
Wish I had a better/more recent photo of Wally. He/she has darkened up and is actually very nice looking. The stripes on his/her side are very neat as if painted on delicately.
He's much prettier now and not so much here
Here's my boyfriends 37 gallon tank right after we set it back up. I can't stand the gaudy colorful plants. His friend bought the decorations for him a couple months ago. At least I was able to rearrange them after the move to a slightly more tasteful arrangement. Looks 10 times better here than before.
His blue and his blue/orange cichlid swimming through the decoration.
When we first started dating we got this guy. He was so small and everyone picked on him and like a villain he turned around and beat up the others when he outgrew them. He's got quite the attitude, but we love Bumblebee nonetheless!
Another tank shot
His yellow lab (RIP) and the blue/orange guy.
Well, we went through an ordeal after moving the 37 gallon tank. I put hand sanitizer on in the car before we got to the house to unload everything. I ended up filling the tank back up with its water (we put all the water in totes to save it) and adding the original fish to the tank and everything. A day later my bf told me the yellow lab was being attacked and beaten to a pulp. He ended up removing the yellow lab and putting it in the quarantine, but he died later. He moved his other yellow lab to the quarantine too after it appeared to not be doing so well.
Come to find out, I had completely destroyed the water levels and the nitrates were through the roof. We had to take a water sample to the local fish store and he told us we were probably spraying aerosols (nope, just moved in) even hand sanitizer will do that (Wait...OH no!!! I killed the fish!!!) Luckily out of the original 6 fish only the one died. He was having trouble breathing in the bad water and the bumblebee and red zebra decided to "help" him die. Mean cichlids!
Water stats have mostly leveled back out. Nitrates are still a bit high, but no longer in the danger zone. We added a double dose of prime to help settle it a little. We're going to be taking another water sample in soon to see what the fish store owner says and then go from there.
Well, after losing one fish and having to place the other more docile cichlid in the quarantine tank we realized we NEEDED to get more cichlids. 4 cichlids in a 37 gallon is just not enough. All they do is argue and there are not enough to distract a single fish from being beaten on and one fish becomes the head honcho. So we didn't pick any up at the fish store, but we will later on. We did end up getting some at PETCO. They're all smaller so we need to wait until they get larger to place them with the others. We purchased an albino despite being told by the fish store not to until we understand cichlids better. (Albinos are the more inbred not as healthy cichlids he said) The one we got is not a true albino. It's white with red eyes, but with orange on its fins.
I'll have to take photos of the new guys! Always something to photograph! We now have 9 cichlids (one petco one died and is being replaced later in the week. Told my bf not to get that one because all it did was hide at the store. Was not a healthy fish to begin with I think) All the fish are doing great. Will update everyone later and with more photos of the newer fish too.
Here are some photos! My bf has moved into his house now so he had to transfer the 10 gallon, his 37 gallon, and his 55 which isn't set up yet. He wants to build the stand first which may take about a month.
Pirate and Wally. Fairly certain Pirate is a female, but she developed egg spots like a boy.
They don't hold still well. Isn't Pirate's face precious? She reminds me of a jack russell terrier...my fave breed (and off topic, but we are bringing a JRT pup home in late June!)
Pirate with a Synodontis. My bf went out and bought 2 synodontis catfish when I had planned to surprise him with one later after he sets up the 55. Silly boy. So much for that plan.
Wish I had a better/more recent photo of Wally. He/she has darkened up and is actually very nice looking. The stripes on his/her side are very neat as if painted on delicately.
He's much prettier now and not so much here
Here's my boyfriends 37 gallon tank right after we set it back up. I can't stand the gaudy colorful plants. His friend bought the decorations for him a couple months ago. At least I was able to rearrange them after the move to a slightly more tasteful arrangement. Looks 10 times better here than before.
His blue and his blue/orange cichlid swimming through the decoration.
When we first started dating we got this guy. He was so small and everyone picked on him and like a villain he turned around and beat up the others when he outgrew them. He's got quite the attitude, but we love Bumblebee nonetheless!
Another tank shot
His yellow lab (RIP) and the blue/orange guy.
Well, we went through an ordeal after moving the 37 gallon tank. I put hand sanitizer on in the car before we got to the house to unload everything. I ended up filling the tank back up with its water (we put all the water in totes to save it) and adding the original fish to the tank and everything. A day later my bf told me the yellow lab was being attacked and beaten to a pulp. He ended up removing the yellow lab and putting it in the quarantine, but he died later. He moved his other yellow lab to the quarantine too after it appeared to not be doing so well.
Come to find out, I had completely destroyed the water levels and the nitrates were through the roof. We had to take a water sample to the local fish store and he told us we were probably spraying aerosols (nope, just moved in) even hand sanitizer will do that (Wait...OH no!!! I killed the fish!!!) Luckily out of the original 6 fish only the one died. He was having trouble breathing in the bad water and the bumblebee and red zebra decided to "help" him die. Mean cichlids!
Water stats have mostly leveled back out. Nitrates are still a bit high, but no longer in the danger zone. We added a double dose of prime to help settle it a little. We're going to be taking another water sample in soon to see what the fish store owner says and then go from there.
Well, after losing one fish and having to place the other more docile cichlid in the quarantine tank we realized we NEEDED to get more cichlids. 4 cichlids in a 37 gallon is just not enough. All they do is argue and there are not enough to distract a single fish from being beaten on and one fish becomes the head honcho. So we didn't pick any up at the fish store, but we will later on. We did end up getting some at PETCO. They're all smaller so we need to wait until they get larger to place them with the others. We purchased an albino despite being told by the fish store not to until we understand cichlids better. (Albinos are the more inbred not as healthy cichlids he said) The one we got is not a true albino. It's white with red eyes, but with orange on its fins.
I'll have to take photos of the new guys! Always something to photograph! We now have 9 cichlids (one petco one died and is being replaced later in the week. Told my bf not to get that one because all it did was hide at the store. Was not a healthy fish to begin with I think) All the fish are doing great. Will update everyone later and with more photos of the newer fish too.
