What did you do with your tank(s) today?

[DMD123]

Busy weekend of tank cleanings! Not just simple water changes but hardcore scrubbing down decor, plants and did heavy gravel vacs. Was sick with a cold a while back so I kind of let the water changes slip a bit and then the algae growth increased due to that and the extra light coming in. It really is amazing how the weekly water changes with a light gravel vac and cleaning off the glass with a mag-float really keep the tanks looking very crystal clear and sparkling.

Thinking about going to Wet Spot next Saturday. No plans to come home with any fish but just maybe look around a little.

 

[DMD123]

Nothing exciting but I did put a new UV bulb in my sterilizer on the 300. I really should replace this out more frequently than I do. I do notice a reduction in algae growth using it and the water stays crystal clear. The unit I use is nice in that I can change out the bulb without completely dismantling the unit. So no issue with having to turn water off on filter or anything. I also had shortened the power cord and added a plug so the bulb changes are extremely fast.

 

[sir_keith]

...I really should replace this out more frequently than I do...

My research lab had a bank of six 72" laminar flow hoods that we used for working with biohazardous materials, and each hood had four full-length UV-C germicidal bulbs that we were obliged to replace every six months. Your application is less demanding, so this is just ballpark...

 

[DMD123]

My research lab had a bank of six 72" laminar flow hoods that we used for working with biohazardous materials, and each hood had four full-length UV-C germicidal bulbs that we were obliged to replace every six months. Your application is less demanding, so this is just ballpark...

I have went for a year. I noticed the drop off in performance probably around 9 months. With the new bulb, the water looks extra crispy. I likey should be trying for a 6 to 8 month change out.

 

[John58Ford]

Today before work, I made a mess.



Filled one 55 with fish, plants and clean water, the other with some of that good hard earned nitrate and mineral enriched water and pretty much buckets of plants. Should be able to move the rack away from the wall tonight and get the big tank running. I can already tell I'm going to need more fish lol.

The task is a little daunting but there are upsides; It turns out allot of my lily clones grew full on bulbs, so there likely will be a bunch of those available. I'm already trying to scheme up a double or quad bloom in the big tank. I've also decided to end my line of endler, without at least 3 of these tanks I can't keep the crosses separated enough to produce the fish I like to see. I'll keep some of the females with the snake until he passes but I think I'm ok moving away from that side of the hobby a little, the demand for designer nano fish has dropped(now that people have to go to work again lol) and it's not worth my time to cull, pull, and transport them at this point so I don't need to produce 50-75 per month. I kept about 75 of the little guys and they should last a few years I'm sure. The big tank will be endler fry free. If it's not too late when I finish up tonight I'll try and post some shots of the new unit filled and running.

 

[John58Ford]

Bubbles haven't cleared yet, still coming to the right temperature so it's just the snails in here but this seems about right. I didn't want to over plant since the sand isn't soiled yet, if this all grows in it should be pretty dense anyhow.

I have about 4 times this many plants floating in a tank right no;w mostly crypt, quite a bit of windelov and near a dozen lily clones, most with bulb so they should be pretty hardy. I'll try and update my free/sell list in the morning

 

[sir_keith]

Looks great, but is there some kind of trick photography going on here? The tank appears to have a much higher aspect ratio than a standard 72" x 18" x 21" 125. It's going to be fantastic once fully planted!

I'm always interested in more Crypts.

 

[John58Ford]

Looks great, but is there some kind of trick photography going on here? The tank appears to have a much higher aspect ratio than a standard 72" x 18" x 21" 125. It's going to be fantastic once fully planted!

I'm always interested in more Crypts.

That aspect ratio appearance*I think* is coming from a combination of things. The acrylic nature (super thick top bracing) and weir slots force the water level to run lower than I would run a glass tank. The stand has ample recess trim boards across the bottom of the tank, I'm sure for non-planted shallow substrate it would cover the sand or gravel in it's entirety but I run 3"-5" deep in 10 gallon tanks and 5"-7" deep in everything larger, this one got an average of about 6". The lights on this tank are very low profile (though not good enough, they are very neat fluval aquasky 2.0).

21" less 1/2" bracing, less ~1" weir effective height, less 2"+4" trim and sand leaves a ~13" effective display height.

In my 29s,(only 18" tall) I would run 1/4-1/2" from overflow, rake the sand back at a slope to pile deeper in the rear, shallow in the front, ~4 at the front. The apparent height in one of those would be about 13" as well. The difference in width makes this tank look "low boy" wide compared to how I would arrange it's glass counterpart. A true 125, I would have about 15" of display height. Having a shallow height means all good things to me as a planted tank fan, less quality light required, less PAR, less money.

This thing amazes me, when moving it empty, I could pretty much move the whole tank+sump+stand as one unit easier than I can carry a glass 55 gallon. None of you wiser gentlemen told me I could save 100-150lbs across the tanks footprint by switching to acrylic. Funny part is I had no idea, when I showed up to pick it up from the gentlemen selling it to me, a nice guy, older, not so huge, I was initially taken back when he told me he could probably put the 6 foot tank in and out of a truck by himself. Then we did it. It was amazing.

 

[John58Ford]

Finally a watch and feed, and change filter pad kinda day. Got the new twilight mode setup last night. Here it is on its first automated run.

 

[sir_keith]

Nothing: it's too damn hot to do anything!

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[fishguy1978]

Traded some crypt wendetii bronze and c parva for 6 c spiralus that are 24in long and really nice looking.

 

[DMD123]

Day trip to Portland and a stop at Wet Spot. Really nothing caught my eye enough to bring home. Well no fish but did pick up a small cave to see if it might trigger some apisto spawn

 

[John58Ford]

Yesterday I did water changes on all 3 (not 9 anymore) tanks. Used my new drain rig end that's set to dump about 60 gallons into the front yard in one shot, and good thing the plants needed it.



This morning I dosed some iron, waters a little cloudy after that every time. Issue is I just discovered a beautiful new friend:


Pretty sure this is a baby bristlenose, the waters too cloudy for a macro shot though so hopefully I can find it again later. Sadly I have low hopes of fry surviving, even a couple adult rummynose have found their way through the weir and not been able to wiggle to the side of the filter pad and survive in the sump. Dozens of Endlers have taken the ride and survived it though, it's like their new water park or something, then I have the fun of fishing them out once a week lol.


Maybe today I'll dream up a guard for the thing.

 

[John58Ford]

Watching the artificial sunrise in my fish tank this morning and spotted maybe the same fry today, doubled in size in 24 hours, so maybe not the same.




I don't actually know what this little fry is. I have had otocinclus breed in my tanks before but they look more slimline usually, and my planting isn't very dense currently so I wouldn't think they'd make it. The tail pattern and overall color is different than any of my BNP, and I've never seen the wood cats stick to the glass so I wouldn't think fry would. Still pretty early to call it I suppose.

Speaking of woodcat, I have been trying to figure out how to shoot a photo of them when the night backlight is on. Two of them have been coming out just after "sunset" and swimming around like schooling fish. They stay 6-10" above the bottom and pace the tank like it's a running track. It's been pretty cool to watch such unusual shaped fish swim freely at mid level. So far all I can get is the blur in the middle lol.


Hiding behind the rock where that fry is hanging out is the pair of woodcats that hang out, this is their usual spot when the lights are on.


The third still spends most of her time in the log.

 

[fishguy1978]

Watching the artificial sunrise in my fish tank this morning and spotted maybe the same fry today, doubled in size in 24 hours, so maybe not the same.
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I don't actually know what this little fry is. I have had otocinclus breed in my tanks before but they look more slimline usually, and my planting isn't very dense currently so I wouldn't think they'd make it. The tail pattern and overall color is different than any of my BNP, and I've never seen the wood cats stick to the glass so I wouldn't think fry would. Still pretty early to call it I suppose.

Speaking of woodcat, I have been trying to figure out how to shoot a photo of them when the night backlight is on. Two of them have been coming out just after "sunset" and swimming around like schooling fish. They stay 6-10" above the bottom and pace the tank like it's a running track. It's been pretty cool to watch such unusual shaped fish swim freely at mid level. So far all I can get is the blur in the middle lol.

View attachment 12846
Hiding behind the rock where that fry is hanging out is the pair of woodcats that hang out, this is their usual spot when the lights are on.
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View attachment 12847
The third still spends most of her time in the log.

Fry looks like a BNP to me.

 

[John58Ford]

Definitely BNP fry, today I fed, watched, and rescued about a dozen out of the sump lol. Got a few shots of course, there are a couple albino mixed in the group, I'm curious to see how many, of the ones that make it, have long fins.

 

[DMD123]

Morning water changes.

Still not seeing any breeding activity from the sajica… might need some ‘magic water’ from @fishguy1978. These guys are essentially covict cichlids but just cant get them to breed. Ive tried cold water changes on maintenance, added clay pots, dimmed lights, put on romantic music, yet nothing.

The red wolf fish still has eye issues but since taking out the large plastic log, it seems I might be seeing some improvement. Could be my imagination, but hopefully cloudiness is clearing.

Thinking to remove swordtails out of 46 bowfront and put them in with the Sajica. They are surprisingly pretty aggressive with the apisto. Likely due to a very similar coloring. I would have thought the apisto would be meaner but they are super peaceful.

 

[DMD123]

The summertime quiet on the forum.... spooky

Not much has been changing in the fish room/living room, just feeding, water changes and patience watching the Pearsei grow, and hoping the eyes heal up on the red wolf fish. Otherwise just been working on the yard.

Anything new with you guys? Some call outs...

@lloyd378, you still need to come by and get the heater and gravel vac that Ive been holding for you... Did you end up rehoming the Oscar? What do you have going on now? Interested in some monk tetras? I am considering changing them out in my tank to some rainbows... let me know

@fishguy1978, How goes the change over to the hard water fishes?

@John58Ford, loved the pics of the baby plecos. If we do another POTM your picture taking would be a challenge to beat! Hows the new larger tank treating you?

@sir_keith, Any new species you have acquired lately?

@Madness, How's the "fishroom" doing? Any new plecos or other fishes?

 

[sir_keith]

@sir_keith, Any new species you have acquired lately?

No new species, as I have been concentrating on expanding my existing colonies, mostly through breeding and fry-rearing. One exception was Cyprichromis leptostoma Mpimbwe 'Black Bee,' as I was able to obtain eight more of these from the Wet Spot a few weeks ago. You don't see these very often, so I grabbed them when they were listed. I already have a small colony (6) of young adults plus ~15 or so of their fry, so this has the makings of a really nice group. It takes a while to raise these in sufficient numbers because the average brood size for young fishes is only ~4-5 fry. These fishes occur in huge schools in the lake, and you really need colonies of >20 individuals for them to show at their best.

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[fishguy1978]

@fishguy1978, How goes the change over to the hard water fishes?

So, so. I swapped colonies between tanks. Looking to siphon the sand out of the 115g and replace with aragonite.