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Enos Cabell
Nov 3, 2004


Every now and then I'm tempted to tear down my african tank and get another oscar. I really like having one of those messy fuckers around.


e: I was at PetCo yesterday, and was informed that their $1/g tank sale starts on the 29th. Not sure if the dates are regional or nation wide, but if you need a tank I'd wait a week.

Enos Cabell fucked around with this message at 14:26 on Sep 23, 2014

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demonR6
Sep 4, 2012

There are too many stupid people in the world. I'm not saying we should kill them all or anything. Just take the warning labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself.

Lipstick Apathy
I threw a handful of Bacopa Molinari clippings into a bucket outside.. I think they are doing well.

SSJ_naruto_2003
Oct 12, 2012



I need more plants for my 20g long tank. I bought 4 plants from petsmart and everything but the Amazon Sword died, it is doing well though.

married but discreet
May 7, 2005


Taco Defender
I figured out the reason for my previous hornwort and cabomba holocaust - it wasn't too much Flourish Excel, it was actually a complete lack of micronutrients. I started dosing Flourish Seachem and everything stopped melting and is in fact growing again!

SocketWrench
Jul 8, 2012

by Fritz the Horse
Congrats! Get that tank nice and green again. I'm thinking about ringing the top of mine with Pothos since I guess you can grow that poo poo underwater too. Last one I had grew awesome, vines were near 24 foot long. Had the bright idea to put it in the iguana cage once I was running out of space. Bad idea, he ate that sucker down till it died (the pothos, not the lizard) in two weeks.

w00tmonger
Mar 9, 2011

F-F-FRIDAY NIGHT MOTHERFUCKERS

One of the Cory's in my new tank looks like it has ick. What's the best route here given that it's a new planted 55 gallon?

Chichevache
Feb 17, 2010

One of the funniest posters in GIP.

Just not intentionally.

GreyPowerVan posted:

I need more plants for my 20g long tank. I bought 4 plants from petsmart and everything but the Amazon Sword died, it is doing well though.

There is a chance the plants that died were not aquatic. Apparently some of the crap at petsmart is amphibious, so submerging it will kill it. I did get one sword there, though. It is doing well.

Slugworth
Feb 18, 2001

If two grown men can't make a pervert happy for a few minutes in order to watch a film about zombies, then maybe we should all just move to Iran!

Chichevache posted:

There is a chance the plants that died were not aquatic. Apparently some of the crap at petsmart is amphibious, so submerging it will kill it. I did get one sword there, though. It is doing well.

Most plants are an emersed form when purchased, even from quality stores. They're much easier to grow that way in the nurseries. They will slowly and hopefully without too much drama transition to a submerged form when put in a tank. Sometimes this works better in theory than practice of course.

demonR6
Sep 4, 2012

There are too many stupid people in the world. I'm not saying we should kill them all or anything. Just take the warning labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself.

Lipstick Apathy
But, it is a known fact that a lot of these stores like PetSmart and PetCo will sell plants that are not intended for aquatic use i.e. fully under water 24/7 as otherwise.

Git Mah Belt Son
Apr 26, 2003

Happy Happy Gators

demonR6 posted:

But, it is a known fact that a lot of these stores like PetSmart and PetCo will sell plants that are not intended for aquatic use i.e. fully under water 24/7 as otherwise.

This is true for their "tube" plants. If you buy them out of tanks they tend to do alright, but the plastic tube plants are not only sometimes not aquatic, they're not even labelled correctly. Last time I was there I saw a tube labelled as water wisteria that I have no idea what it was, but wisteria it definitely was not.

SSJ_naruto_2003
Oct 12, 2012



Git Mah Belt Son posted:

This is true for their "tube" plants. If you buy them out of tanks they tend to do alright, but the plastic tube plants are not only sometimes not aquatic, they're not even labelled correctly. Last time I was there I saw a tube labelled as water wisteria that I have no idea what it was, but wisteria it definitely was not.

Yeah, I got a java fern, and two anubias in tubes and all three died a few days after I got them into the tank. I planted/tied them down as recommended for each species, but didn't work. The Amazon Sword is like twice as big after a week, though.

Synthbuttrange
May 6, 2007

GreyPowerVan posted:

Yeah, I got a java fern, and two anubias in tubes and all three died a few days after I got them into the tank. I planted/tied them down as recommended for each species, but didn't work. The Amazon Sword is like twice as big after a week, though.

What the hell! How are they selling java ferns and anubiases that can actually die?!

w00tmonger posted:

One of the Cory's in my new tank looks like it has ick. What's the best route here given that it's a new planted 55 gallon?

Sadly the best route would have been isolation tank first before putting them in the new tank. Here's a guide to ich.http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ich.php

JuffoWup
Mar 28, 2012

GreyPowerVan posted:

Yeah, I got a java fern, and two anubias in tubes and all three died a few days after I got them into the tank. I planted/tied them down as recommended for each species, but didn't work. The Amazon Sword is like twice as big after a week, though.

You are a master at killing the green things sir. I assume by following instructions, you didn't bury the rhizome right?

SSJ_naruto_2003
Oct 12, 2012



JuffoWup posted:

You are a master at killing the green things sir. I assume by following instructions, you didn't bury the rhizome right?

Right, I tied the fern to a rock a d sank it and buried the two anubias, then pulled them up until the rhizome was above the sand completely

Synthbuttrange
May 6, 2007

Did the rhizomes go mushy or did just the leaves fall off? Because if the rhizome is still hard, it's viable and the leaves might just be enmersed growths.

demonR6
Sep 4, 2012

There are too many stupid people in the world. I'm not saying we should kill them all or anything. Just take the warning labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself.

Lipstick Apathy
Leaves on the Anubias can completely melt and so long as the rhizome is not mushy you should get it to come back. Same as most varieties of crypts, they turn to goo but always come back strong.

Look at that pic of the Bacopa I posted up a few, those had been underwater for over two years. Threw the clippings in a bucket and its a damned forest.. I can throw them back into the 55 and they will melt but come back just like nothing happened. Some plants fare better than others though and ymmv.

SSJ_naruto_2003
Oct 12, 2012



The rhizomes were brown and rotting lol

SocketWrench
Jul 8, 2012

by Fritz the Horse
So I saw people talking about Pothos in aquariums, so I'm giving it a shot. Bought one from the store, broke the clump up into individuals, cleaned the roots and popped two small pieces under water, the rest are in a hanger on the side so the roots are just in the water. So far the ones one the hanger have perked up quite a bit, I may thin them in a strip along one side. The two under water look okish. Gonna keep an eye on them a bit longer. I'm hoping it does, I want to fill in that bare patch under the filter box.

Synthbuttrange
May 6, 2007

Any submerged pothos leaves eventually just die off. The main point of growing pothos in your tank is that they're not restricted by gas levels in water so they can grow really fast and soak up nutrients better than aquatic plants. The downside is that only the roots grow below the water line, which is why I tuck mine into the filter area or behind the driftwood. They do a great job but if you're looking for decorative aquatic plants you'll want something else.

SocketWrench
Jul 8, 2012

by Fritz the Horse
Well then I'll just bring them back up. It's ok to have them along the top, I like having the roots exposed so the shrimp have plenty of places to go.

Pilsner
Nov 23, 2002

Here's our work aquarium's pride and joy, a Cherax quadricarinatus. He (I think) molded a few weeks ago, and became monster huge, and a fresh beautiful blue color.

We have him in a 54 L tank. Nothing else survives in the tank (dozens of fish have just died or mysteriously disappeared eventually), but the Red Cherry Shrimp swarm we have lives in perfect harmony with the crayfish. Sometimes the shrimp even land on the crayfish and seem to clean him. :)

demonR6
Sep 4, 2012

There are too many stupid people in the world. I'm not saying we should kill them all or anything. Just take the warning labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself.

Lipstick Apathy
He is protecting his own kind.. J/K they are likely to become a snack if you aren't careful and he's hungry.

SSJ_naruto_2003
Oct 12, 2012



Pilsner posted:

Here's our work aquarium's pride and joy, a Cherax quadricarinatus. He (I think) molded a few weeks ago, and became monster huge, and a fresh beautiful blue color.

We have him in a 54 L tank. Nothing else survives in the tank (dozens of fish have just died or mysteriously disappeared eventually), but the Red Cherry Shrimp swarm we have lives in perfect harmony with the crayfish. Sometimes the shrimp even land on the crayfish and seem to clean him. :)



That's a beautiful color.

Slugworth
Feb 18, 2001

If two grown men can't make a pervert happy for a few minutes in order to watch a film about zombies, then maybe we should all just move to Iran!
So frustrated. All of my tanks have been stable and happy for about a year now. A couple weeks ago I moved them around to accommodate the 125 gallon we just got, and apparently the stress of the moving has wrought havoc. Got a fungus outbreak in my 29 that ended up killing a couple Rio tetras, and now my 55 has an ick outbreak. Looks as though I may have successfully treated it, but now one of my angels' fins are just completely shredded. Not sure if it's fin rot, sick fish being crabby with each other, or some sort of sequela from the ick.

Boo.

TastyLemonDrops
Aug 6, 2008

you said "drop kick" fyi
I know a turtle's not a fish, but I was wondering if any of you could shed some light on the Fluval U2 filter I have. How exactly does the filter work? I put it in my turtle's tank yesterday and noticed that it doesn't really have any suction that I can feel; it spits out the water just fine and the motor is running, but there's still particulate accumulating at the bottom of my tank.

SocketWrench
Jul 8, 2012

by Fritz the Horse
Your filter, like most, is just gonna pick up stuff nearby unless it floats freely in the water. If it had enough suction to suck everything up you'd have a hell of a current your turtle likely wouldn't enjoy. After all, your filter's main job is to treat the water.

Enos Cabell
Nov 3, 2004


Slugworth posted:

So frustrated. All of my tanks have been stable and happy for about a year now. A couple weeks ago I moved them around to accommodate the 125 gallon we just got, and apparently the stress of the moving has wrought havoc. Got a fungus outbreak in my 29 that ended up killing a couple Rio tetras, and now my 55 has an ick outbreak. Looks as though I may have successfully treated it, but now one of my angels' fins are just completely shredded. Not sure if it's fin rot, sick fish being crabby with each other, or some sort of sequela from the ick.

Boo.

Melafix should patch your angel right up. I'd swear they bottle that stuff at the fountain of youth. I've seen fish that I thought were for sure goners come back within a week looking good as new.

SocketWrench
Jul 8, 2012

by Fritz the Horse
So, uh.....

Nazis invaded my aquarium the other night.
I don't wanna use depth charges, they'll hurt the fish.

Fish Noise
Jul 25, 2012

IT'S ME, BURROWS!

IT WAS ME ALL ALONG, BURROWS!

TastyLemonDrops posted:

I know a turtle's not a fish, but I was wondering if any of you could shed some light on the Fluval U2 filter I have. How exactly does the filter work? I put it in my turtle's tank yesterday and noticed that it doesn't really have any suction that I can feel; it spits out the water just fine and the motor is running, but there's still particulate accumulating at the bottom of my tank.
Fluval U's have a relatively large intake area for the suction to be distributed over, and combined with the 2 being on the small side, you probably won't feel a whole lot of it by just holding your hands along the sides. You can always shove it lower in the tank and it should be able to use its lower output only.

How big are the tank and turtle, actually?

Synthbuttrange
May 6, 2007

You'll have to start using a aquarium vacuum to suck up all the accumulated stuff on the bottom. Or if you dont want to handle it... snails?

SSJ_naruto_2003
Oct 12, 2012



I had a really bad nematode problem in my 20g long over the last 2 weeks after I got it set up with 7 otos. I went to get a pair of Dwarf Gourami about a week ago and they never ate their food, then I looked and I noticed less nematodes. Today my tank is pretty much nematode free and the Gourami are absolutely fat. I'll take pics if I ever find my camera.

Plavski
Feb 1, 2006

I could be a revolutionary
I'm getting started in the aquarium game and am looking at a 140l (37g) tank. I want to have a centre-piece fish like a Betta, but I'm really eyeing up a red-tailed shark. I have done a bunch of research and think I have a good idea as to its requirements, but I need some concrete advice: is this tank too small for a red-tailed shark?

If it isn't (and I hope it isn't!) what recommendations have you guys got for tankmates?

Bulky Bartokomous
Nov 3, 2006

In Mypos, only the strong survive.

So my juvenile firemouth has become a cult leader for black tetras. I added three black tetras to try to coax the firemouth out of a pvc pipe it hid in 24/7 and at first they did the typical black tetra thing and just chased each other around the tank.

The firemouth has vacated the pipe and dug out a bowl shaped area in the gravel in the back of the tank. He just sits in the middle and the black tetras hover around him in the bowl area, almost like in formation. :stare:

Not Your Senorita
May 25, 2007

Don't you recognize me? It's-a me, Mario!
Nap Ghost

Plavski posted:

I'm getting started in the aquarium game and am looking at a 140l (37g) tank. I want to have a centre-piece fish like a Betta, but I'm really eyeing up a red-tailed shark. I have done a bunch of research and think I have a good idea as to its requirements, but I need some concrete advice: is this tank too small for a red-tailed shark?

If it isn't (and I hope it isn't!) what recommendations have you guys got for tankmates?

I have one in a 36 gallon tank. It's definitely doable, but to be honest, after seeing how big they get and how they behave, I think they need more space than that. They're incredibly active and territorial and would probably do best in at least a 55. I also just don't think they make a great centerpiece fish since they tend to hang out near the middle/bottom and spend a lot of time chasing other fish around. When I think of a centerpiece fish, I think of something that's going to be visible nearly all of the time and not something that's going to be constantly zooming around the tank, chasing and disrupting the other fish (which will happen much more often than not in a smaller space) more than it would be visible or interactive. That's my personal preference, though, and maybe you/others don't share the same view on that, which is fine! They are really beautiful and definitely stand out in a tank, at least, so if that's what you're after then you'll get that for sure.

I actually really love them for their personality and behavior which is why I still have one, but if I had the space to get a bigger tank I absolutely would. Here's an older photo of my tank so you can see about how big they get compared to the tank space (though expect them to get a little bigger than this):



Given the fish I have, corys, angelfish, and loaches are fish they tolerate well, though I have heard of people occasionally getting super rear end in a top hat red tailed sharks that will go after anything. Most of the time they tend to pick on flashier fish and may or may not harass them to death depending on how territorial they are and how much area they've claimed as theirs (another reason why bigger tanks are better with these guys). Slower-moving fish that hang out near the middle/top of the tank like bettas are also bad choices. Depending on the shark's personality, a school of barbs or tetras could also work since they tend to move pretty fast and there won't be a single target for the shark to pick on. No matter what you choose, plant the tank well and add lots of decorations to give all of the fish in it plenty of hiding places. It'll keep stress levels lower for fish being chased and give the shark some space to claim as its own where it won't be bothered.

Something else to note is these guys are extremely sensitive to temperature changes/other changes in the water and will attempt to jump if anything seems off to them. Make sure the tank is covered well because even a full-grown fish can and will escape from a tiny space if it's determined enough.

Plavski
Feb 1, 2006

I could be a revolutionary

Thanks man! Awesome info. Going by the photo, I think I'll put a redtail off for a few years until I get a bigger tank. It's a good point about a bottom feeder being a poor center-piece. Maybe I'll work back from a good male Betta; one of my local petshops has a few lovely ones.

Sostratos
Jun 28, 2004
That's probably too small for a red-tailed shark. They need a 4' long tank from what I've read. In a 37g tank you could house a single angelfish with a small group of cories, and perhaps a bristlenose pleco. You could also go for a pearl gourami and a school of harlequin rasboras, and have room left over for some bottom-dwellers like kuhli loaches.

SocketWrench
Jul 8, 2012

by Fritz the Horse

Dantu posted:

So my juvenile firemouth has become a cult leader for black tetras. I added three black tetras to try to coax the firemouth out of a pvc pipe it hid in 24/7 and at first they did the typical black tetra thing and just chased each other around the tank.

The firemouth has vacated the pipe and dug out a bowl shaped area in the gravel in the back of the tank. He just sits in the middle and the black tetras hover around him in the bowl area, almost like in formation. :stare:

The illuminati got to your fish! Time to make fishy tin foil hats...and I'd suggest you take some precautions

SkaAndScreenplays
Dec 11, 2013

by Pragmatica

Dantu posted:

So my juvenile firemouth has become a cult leader for black tetras. I added three black tetras to try to coax the firemouth out of a pvc pipe it hid in 24/7 and at first they did the typical black tetra thing and just chased each other around the tank.

The firemouth has vacated the pipe and dug out a bowl shaped area in the gravel in the back of the tank. He just sits in the middle and the black tetras hover around him in the bowl area, almost like in formation. :stare:

This is awesome.

I want to see pictures of this.

What size is the tank? I will totally make a cult inspired background/ship carve some slate into an altar...whatever is needed to help these fish find their god.

SkaAndScreenplays
Dec 11, 2013

by Pragmatica
Question.

Obviously...freshwater aquarium.

I have a purple moss growing on the edges of some of my slate in my 40g.

Looks just like the moss that comes in moss balls but is a deep dark purple.

I'm just not sure what to make of it.

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Synthbuttrange
May 6, 2007

Congratulations, you've begun a long and antagonistic relationship with black beard algae.

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