When the sleeper wakes...

[thrujenseyes]

I'm wondering at what point it'll realise that the air is more than just a little 'thick'! I don't think that this is a true aquatic spider, as it hasn't been accumulating a bubble of air. What was amazing was that it had managed to lay webs between plants.

wait...that's actually inside the tank?!?!

 

[FishHobby99]

I'm wondering at what point it'll realise that the air is more than just a little 'thick'! I don't think that this is a true aquatic spider, as it hasn't been accumulating a bubble of air. What was amazing was that it had managed to lay webs between plants.

Probably not, but stunning nonetheless

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

wait...that's actually inside the tank?!?!

Yes.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Given the lack of the smaller dwarf chain loach in the area, I think I'm going to have to revise my 'lower' fish.
Kuhlis are an option, especially if I get enough of them that they'll consider showing themselves during daylight hours, but I've also started to consider shrimp!
I'm being drawn to the Dark Side!

I even found myself staring a Rabbit Snails, but was saved by the small detail that they like to munch on Java Fern.

 

[itiwhetu]

Given the lack of the smaller dwarf chain loach in the area, I think I'm going to have to revise my 'lower' fish.
Kuhlis are an option, especially if I get enough of them that they'll consider showing themselves during daylight hours, but I've also started to consider shrimp!
I'm being drawn to the Dark Side!

I even found myself staring a Rabbit Snails, but was saved by the small detail that they like to munch on Java Fern.

I would be getting a pair of whiptail catfish, they will spawn in there and the babies are the coolest fry on earth.

 

[FishHobby99]

Given the lack of the smaller dwarf chain loach in the area, I think I'm going to have to revise my 'lower' fish.
Kuhlis are an option, especially if I get enough of them that they'll consider showing themselves during daylight hours, but I've also started to consider shrimp!
I'm being drawn to the Dark Side!

I even found myself staring a Rabbit Snails, but was saved by the small detail that they like to munch on Java Fern.

Don‘t know what a Rabbit Snail is, will google. My pink and purple Ramhorns came in today’s mail. Think they will be ok in the 10 G I‘m using for rooting plant clippings? Room temp. LED light. Seller says to feed them and they’ll grow quickly, but he doesn’t say what.
Messaged him through eBay. No reply yet.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I would be getting a pair of whiptail catfish, they will spawn in there and the babies are the coolest fry on earth.

Thing is, this tank will be SE Asian-themed, so I'm probably limited to loaches if I'm thinking fish. That said, my intended Cherry Barbs will be getting on down, leaving mid-waters to Harlequin.
(-ish! )

 

[FishHobby99]

Saw some Rabbit Snails. Wow!

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Don‘t know what a Rabbit Snail is, will google. My pink and purple Ramhorns came in today’s mail. Think they will be ok in the 10 G I‘m using for rooting plant clippings? Room temp. LED light. Seller says to feed them and they’ll grow quickly, but he doesn’t say what.
Messaged him through eBay. No reply yet.

The Ramshorn Snails sold to you are simply larger varieties of the small ramshorn that fill up many aquaria. They eat almost anything, preferring detritus and mulm and will even munch on your algae. The bigger guys will thrive on veg, raw if it's relatively soft, or blanched. If you have soft aquarium plants, then there's a very real risk that your snails will tuck in. Your biggest problem will be dealing with their extremely active reproductive capabilities.
Normally, we control our snail populations by minimising organic matter/waste...but you'll be feeding your big ones, to stop them turning on your plants.

All of this is why I'll be sticking to nerites.

 

[FishHobby99]

The Ramshorn Snails sold to you are simply larger varieties of the small ramshorn that fill up many aquaria. They eat almost anything, preferring detritus and mulm and will even munch on your algae. The bigger guys will thrive on veg, raw if it's relatively soft, or blanched. If you have soft aquarium plants, then there's a very real risk that your snails will tuck in. Your biggest problem will be dealing with their extremely active reproductive capabilities.
Normally, we control our snail populations by minimising organic matter/waste...but you'll be feeding your big ones, to stop them turning on your plants.

All of this is why I'll be sticking to nerites.

Great info, as always. Many thanks!

 

[itiwhetu]

Thing is, this tank will be SE Asian-themed, so I'm probably limited to loaches if I'm thinking fish. That said, my intended Cherry Barbs will be getting on down, leaving mid-waters to Harlequin.
(-ish! )

Cool, Look at Espei Rasboras better color and stronger fish that Harlequins.
These are my favorite loaches

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Cool, Look at Espei Rasboras better color and stronger fish that Harlequins.

We call those Espei's Copper Harlequins around here and they've been the ones I've had my eye on.
As for the loaches, I'm a long while off the tank being loach-ready.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Today, before a water change;
Ammonia at <0.25mg/l
GH 60mg/l
KH 40mg/l
pH 7.0
NO2 Nitrite 0.25mg/l
NO3 Nitrate 10.0mg/l
Temperature 26°C

So...a slight decrease in the ammonia.

Plants are doing fine, meaning no 'melt'. Snails appear okay, with that 'toilet', down at the front of the tank seemingly popular.
Paying close attention to movement, I spotted a bloodworm a-wriggling and a small rotifer-type creature, swimming around.

The creatures will have come from the wood, which had been soaking in a large water butt outside. Although the pieces were rinsed thoroughly in clean water, before insertion into the tank, there weren't bleached.
Bleaching may clean everything in the wood, but I know that said bleach is very difficult to remove for the porous wood afterwards.
(I was once advised to leave the bleached wood soaking, outside, to dilute and finally remove the bleach! Guess what happened, once the bleach had gone and was safe enough for the tank once more?)

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

So I changed 16l of water and now, after 8 hours;

Ammonia at <0.25mg/l
GH 60mg/l
KH 40mg/l
pH 7.0
NO2 Nitrite <0.25mg/l
NO3 Nitrate 10.0mg/l
Temperature 26°C

The levels of ammonia and nitrite may be slowly falling, but they aren't zero yet.
Remember, I have moss balls and plants from my established tank, plus some media from my established filter and the water would still be uncomfortable, if not toxic, to any fish or shrimp added. I've also got a whole bunch of new plants, that are clearly photosynthesising, as seen by the bubbles of gas on their leaves.

And then there were those who were adamant that, with living plants, fish could be added almost immediately.
Yeah.
Right.

 

[FishHobby99]

Today, before a water change;
Ammonia at <0.25mg/l
GH 60mg/l
KH 40mg/l
pH 7.0
NO2 Nitrite 0.25mg/l
NO3 Nitrate 10.0mg/l
Temperature 26°C

So...a slight decrease in the ammonia.

Plants are doing fine, meaning no 'melt'. Snails appear okay, with that 'toilet', down at the front of the tank seemingly popular.
Paying close attention to movement, I spotted a bloodworm a-wriggling and a small rotifer-type creature, swimming around.

The creatures will have come from the wood, which had been soaking in a large water butt outside. Although the pieces were rinsed thoroughly in clean water, before insertion into the tank, there weren't bleached.
Bleaching may clean everything in the wood, but I know that said bleach is very difficult to remove for the porous wood afterwards.
(I was once advised to leave the bleached wood soaking, outside, to dilute and finally remove the bleach! Guess what happened, once the bleach had gone and was safe enough for the tank once more?)

I shudder to think. Do tell.