/aq/ - Aquarium General

So...nothings for sure yet, but I might be moving to Oregon in the next month and be living in an RV.

The RVs are going tobe parked on just land I believe, I'm not sure if there will be power out there that can run 24/7

Anyone know of people who have fish in their RVs? ;_;

>>2387552
I don't know cleetus maybe a goldfish in a bowl

>>2387552
My friend kept a 10 gallon in her grandmother's mobile home with a betta and two female guppies. No issues until her grandmother overfed them while she was away one weekend.

>>2387552
I've known plenty of people to have tanks in trailer houses, just make sure to install extra support underneath the floor and have the aquarium stand spread its weight over a wide area instead of little legs.

If a generator isn't an option for a reliable source of power, there are plenty of battery powered pumps meant for livewells. Just hook them up to a sponge filter.
You will also want to get an insulating cover for your fridge/freezer. Trust me.

t. Trailer trash who used to have a waterbed and a 60gal tank in a doublewide

How do I move my tanks? I am moving in a few months and want to make a plan.

My idea so far is to keep the gravel and plants in and lower the water level to the lowest level possible to support the plants long enough for the trip. Fish will be taken out and placed in buckets filled with aquarium water and whatever people put in to ship them (since I cant keep a filter going).

Will this work?

>>2387690
That's how I did it. Just be careful not to slosh the tank around while moving, and wrap the top of the tank in plastic wrap to keep the humidity in.
I also put some some plants in the buckets just for the sake of it, and I put all of my filter media in there, too. I was only moving across town, so I didn't bother with an air pump or anything, but if it's going to be a while before you can set the tank up again, you might want to grab a battery powered air pump.

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Can someone identify this snail in one if my tanks? There is only one other snail in the tank (Mystery Snail), so I am leaning towards it being that. Haven't introduced any new live plants, aside from an Anubias that I moved over from my 5g Betta tank (Snail was eating every leaf). The snail was in the tank prior to the plant being moved.

Thanks in advance Anons.

>>2387725
Bladder/pond snail.

>there are even ads in user posts now
>thanks hiroshimoot

Thanks. There's only the one, so it lives for now. That ad is just from MX Player on my phone. Ads will pop up when a video is paused.

>>2386882
>>2386898
People have done is successfully, but that can be said for a lot of things. It's just a terrible idea all the way around IMO. Honestly, they were probably just trying to sell me the 30 dollar koi betta they had anyway.
I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt because most "freshwater" puffers are actually brackish, so I explained to them that dwarf puffers live in rivers and that there's no way they could possibly be saltwater fish. They just brushed it off.

Anyways, I live about an hour north of tampa, florida. I'll look on facebook and see if I can find any local groups. I'm honestly not even after anything rare or even uncommon; I'd just like somebody I can trust for fish and advice.

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my betta is laying on her coconut tunnel and it looks funny

>>2387821
What plants have you got anchored to the coconut tunnel?

>>2387850
java fern

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>>2387536
What the hell is this? It's been coming off my driftwood since I got it. I keep thinking I got all of it off, but it keeps coming. Very slimy to the touch and I noticed it as soon as I put it in a bucket to soak. The fish are fine so far, thankfully. I got two pieces and the other one doesn't have anything on it.

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>>2387862
Ignore the tacky plastic plants. Just trying to make the fish more comfortable till my light comes in and I can actually plant the tank.

>>2387862
probably some fungus, but it could be bacteria.

>>2387862
it's a fungus that grows on "ripe" driftwood. usually it spreads to plants and kills them off. it's harmless to fish but it's nasty.

>>2387874
>>2387875
How do I get rid of it? I could try and boil it, but i don't have a pot big enough. I'm assuming I can't plant the tank until it's gone. Also, is it only in the driftwood or do I have to clean the whole tank?

>>2387862
I had it on my mopani wood when I first got it, it is just bacteria eating the wood, just keep doing WC as normal and it will clear up

>>2387879
the thing about bacteria and fungi is they're everywhere. They're in the air and under your fingernails and on your skin and falling off your ceiling and drifting on the wind.

you can't get rid of things that are everywhere. Not for long anyways. This anon has the right idea:
>>2387891
let them do their thing until they run out of food.

>>2387897
I know that bacteria and fungi are omnipresent, but but one anon said it's fuck my plants up. I think I'll just look into it a little more and see what comes up.

>>2387907
It usually doesn't do shit.
But in aquariums? Yes, it does shit, and sounds ten times harder to conquer than free air mold.

>>2387915
You conquer it my ignoring it and doing water changes normally

>>2387915
>>2387917
You can get a head start on it though by boiling it. Yes, we all know you don't have a pot big enough. But is your wood a suitable size that you could boil one end at a time?

>>2387879
i took the driftwood out because i was tired of dealing with my new plants i'd buy getting coated in fungus and slowly dying off. the fungus went away with regular water changes after a few weeks but it was really annoying to get rid of. yours looks thicker than mine so maybe that's a different kind, but i left the driftwood out to dry for like a year before putting it back in and the wood is fine now since it's "dead".

boiling would probably be the fastest way to get stuff off of it.

I wanna breed amano shrimp and nerites but I don't have enough room for another tank maybe another 5 gallon but what's the smallest tank I can house both and breed them in. I know they need brackish water but will it be fine without a heater

>>2387679
>>2387681
Well that's comforting at least, I didn't even think about battery powered stuff.
The heat is my main concern...

They have solar charging small battery packs. I'm sure it wouldn't take much to run a spongefilter.

>>2387944
Get a fishing license and go with native fish/inverts? Or coldwater?

>>2387941
One thing I always wondered is if I could just take the eggs from the nerites and transfer them to a small, temporary brackish tank and hatch them.

They're pretty easy to get since mine tend to prefer laying them on chollo logs.

>>2387954
I'd do that if I knew where they lay their eggs. Although I'm sure I only have 1 surviving amano so no eggs from them

>>2387949
I have three bettas. One of which I really don't want to get rid of, but might be able to possibly re-home the other two.

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>>2387975
Also,

>that moment when your song comes on so you start dancing

>newer betta that isn't used to your shenanigans thinks it's a challenge

>goes full flare and starts going crazy on the other side of the glass

So betta wants nothing to do with me, one wants to fight me, and one only ever wants food from me.

I might as well have cats.

>>2387975
How big are their tanks? Could put a seedling mat under/on there to keep things warm. Shouldn't draw much power and tend to be more reliable than the small in-tank heaters.
I've never lived where it snows, however, so I can't vouch for temps below freezing.

>>2387995
5, 10, and 8 to 9 gallon vase

>>2387919
When I was in that situation I just put the wood in a big storage bin, got two big pots of water boiling, and poured them over the wood.

>>2387944
Bettas can deal with drops down to about 72 short term. They make 24 and 48 hour heat packs you could shove next to the buckets in a box the way online sellers do when they ship fish.

>>2388001
you can just bake the wood at low temp in the oven for an hour or two. does the same thing.

>>2388003
I'm sure I can figure something out. I'm thinking some kind of solar batteries are going to be my best bet.

Dammit /aq/

rate my new light

>>2387356
>>2387356
>>2387356

>>2388026
Did you read the customer reviews and look at the pictures that the customers took?

I try and do that before buying anything. Let someone else play guinea pig first..mostly because I'm a broke ass hoe and don't want to waste my money.

>>2388026
>>2388034
I've bought a few Green Element stuff, and yes this EVO. Cory did some measurements on a couple of the Green Element lights with an actual PAR meter.

The PAR is ridiculous. Get a dimmer. Not joking, unless you like algae.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMgc-3cMVYI&t=1s

This is very overkill if you are not running CO2 and ferts.

The shimmering effect Cory describes in the video is far more subtle in real life. It's exacerbated in the video like how if you film a CRT, it'll look choppy as shit. But the shimmer is certainly there though, especially if you get the blue + white variety (but I believe you got the pure white?).

>>2388026
I'm fairly sure that's the same thing I had on my old tank. My tank was a tall one, and the light didn't penetrate to the bottom all that well, but for a long tank it should be fine.

>>2388037
You definitely did not get the same thing then. My tank is with the EVO is 20" high and it blasts the shit out of the bottom enough that I still put a dimmer on it.

You most likely got the 1W LED version.

>>2388039
this.
I'm running 3w LED's on my 60 wide mixed reef.

they burn the fuck out of everything. Dimmer is definitely needed.

>Be at the LFS looking for sponge filter attachment to Aqua Clear 70.
>Start talking about aquariums with guy who runs the place.
>Mention I have java moss growing in multiple tanks and in a 1/2g critter keeper on my bookshelf.
>Tells me once I get extra to bring it in, he'd buy it for $2 a portion.
>Portion is a ball that fits in a 3oz dipping cup.
Figure I can make like $20 a month. Pays for my fish food and my water.

>>2388047
Damn that dude pays top dollar for java moss. Nice job.

>>2388058
You can't find it readily anywhere around my area. If you want it, you have to get on email lists and stare at their facebook page for an update.

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r8?

aqueon 10gal
x1 betta
x2 cpds
x2 pygmy cories (getting 6 more soon)
x5 albino glow-lights
x6 ember tetras

>>2388058
How fast does Java moss usually grow? I've had some for over a month now and it looks like it's barely grown at all, where as all my other plants took off and have been growing like crazy.

Threadly reminder if you're not keeping your betta fish in at least a 75 gallong tank you are no better than a serial killer.

>>2388082
You need to apply the background better, actually plant your plants, and seriously reconsider your stocking.

reallynotverygood/10

>>2388091
It can grow pretty fast in the right conditions. Do you have them mostly on the bottom of the tank? The PAR down there might not be intense enough for it to grow (be wary of cranking up the light though as you could get an algae bloom).

It also seems to benefit from high circulation too, but since you have a betta obviously this is not an option.

The thing with java moss and other moss is that the more of it you have, sometimes the faster it grows. E.g. if you have just a tiny patch somewhere, it's probably going to take forever to see noticeable growth. However if you had like 1/4th of your gravel already covered, it's not going to take very long to carpet the rest of it.

>>2388100
You tried anon.

It's time to pack up and try again tomorrow.

>>2388132
I have about a small handful amount in each tank. Varying degrees of light. One gets direct sun for a good chunk couple hours, one gets natural lightbut is in the shade, and the other is in my bath room with pretty low light.

Maybe it's the flow and I should just be patient.

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wondering how this thing gets primed. found it on taiwan 4chan and google translate makes to sense

lift the small prefilter above the eheim ?

>>2388269
Why would it not just prime like a normal canister filter?

>>2388105
disagree on these minus the bg needing to be fixed. i like it

>>2388047
>$2 a portion
>3oz
what a god damn rip off, you can probably make $60 a month if you just sell it off on ebay

>>2388387
But then I have to account for shipping, dealing with DOA claims, packaging the stuff. Or I can just drive 2 minutes and unload it on a guy that I see regularly and plan to sell other things to in the future.

>>2388082
>10g
>all those fucking fish in a tiny goddamn tank
>all those fucking fish in a tiny goddamn tank with a betta
>not even proper schools
Awful. Just awful. You need to get a much bigger tank and seriously reconsider your stocking.

>>2387919
I did actually boil a good portion of it it for about 15 minutes before putting it in the tank originally, which apparently wasn't enough. I think I may try what >>2388005 suggested and bake it at a low temp for a few hours. If the fungus is on it because it's not "dead" yet, wouldn't it just come back though? I guess worst case scenario is that it sits in the oven for no reason.

>>2388393
Man /aq/ has gotten anal lately. I have heavier stocking than that guy and my fish have been fine for years. Not everyone wants a 50 gallon with 100 of the same species together to perfectly mimic their natural environment. Tank life is almost always better than the wild anyway.

>>2388419
Bait

Anyone have any experience with scarlet badis?
I CANNOT get them to eat. Been offering pellet to frozen bloodworms, nothing.
Any ideas ?

Hey /aq/

I think a south east asian community tank would be nice. Looking at mostly warm-colored fish.

Is this stock retarded or good for a planted 55 gallon?

6 Kuhli loaches
10+ Cherry barbs
10+ Harlequin Raspboras
??? Cherry shrimp

I'm not sure how many barbs or raspboras would be healthy and happy in a 55. I also don't know how many shrimp it takes to start a sustainable colony.

Any ideas? Suggestions?

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>set up tank
>LFS clerk practically begs me buy a bottle of that "instant start" shit
>fine, I'll add it to my new tank
>tells me not to change water for 2 weeks after adding and to get fish immediately
>decide to chuck in some pond snails so I don't end up killing fish
>check water parameters today
>nitrites are at 1.5
>ammonia at 0.25
>this just from pond snails

What the fuck, man? How did I get memed this hard? So glad I didn't buy fish.

>>2388477
That quick start stuff requires a fairly full load of fish to work.

You dumped in bacteria for a whole tank, then provided 2 pond snails worth of good for that bacteria.

I used that stuff and loaded in 9 platy, 6 danios, and a piece. It worked well and the tank is solid as a rock now.

I bought a new 20 gallon tank a few months ago and haven't taken it out of the box after reading the basics of setting up an aquarium, cycling etc. I've never had an aquarium before. How do you guys spend so much time on this hobby? I can't even get past picking out all the stuff that you need to set up a tank, not to mention getting pure amonia and doing all the tests on the water before even getting fish etc etc.

>>2388442
do you have anything else in the tank with them?

>>2388490
That doesn't make sense though, the bacteria can't generate nitrites spontaneously, they need waste to do so. And clearly they're not coping with the waste load from the pond snails.

Also it's not 2, it's 10 at the very least.

>>2388492
once the tank is all set up it's nothing. people here are autistic about tank setups but so long as you have live plants and do weekly partial water changes, maintenance is easy as fuck and you can do just about anything you want, barring something retarded like an oscar in a 10 gallon. i've broken all kinds of "aquarium rules". the thing is, you have to make sure the tank is 100% established, and that can take anywhere from a month to five months depending on what you do.

fucking up the setup and experiencing problems because of it is what stops most people from continuing the hobby, but i've made lots of mistakes that my tanks recovered from and went on to be great.

>>2388399
It's really much ado about nothing. I think it looks cool, but my wood doesn't get it anymore

>>2388442
feed them live food. No anabantoid can resist a moving target

guppy/platy fry would go quick. Scuds may work as well

>>2388468
Buy around 10 shrimp and use aqadvisor

>>2388468
I'm >>2388504
Im trying to do the same thing a South East Asian bio tape bit I think it looks like crap now. I have:
1 red tailed black shark
10 tiger barbs
2 pearl gouramis
5 bosemanI rainbow fish
And 3 siamese algea eaters but I might take these back to my lfs since they're getting big

And for plants I have hygrophila corymbosa, some vallisneria, and some other plant I can't remember it's name. Named after an onion I think

Will also dump any shrimp reject cull from my fire red shrimp tank once they grow a bit bigger

>>2388468
http://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/southeast-asian-tank.115480/

I used this site for reference

>>2388495
The mixture you dump in has ammonia and nitrite to start it off. You put fish in to maintain it.

>>2388492
My first tank was waiting a whole year before I finally decided to get it done for exactly the same reason.
The whole cycling sounds scary as fuck but it really is just waiting while chemistry does its magic. Fill it with treated water, throw some fish food in and let it rest for about two months. Once the cycle is done, just put the fishes and plants in. All that's left is to change some water once a week.

>>2388477
>two weeks
That is objectively wrong. You should have read the bottle, they almost always have a little instruction slip. No dosage advice though, which is frustrating.

How mine worked was that you were supposed to add "one cap" (no mention of tank size whatsoever), and then add half your fish the day after, and the other half after a week. That's what I did. I had a slight nitrite spike, but the tank was stable on day four.

>>2388492
You don't really need the ammonia, just do daily water tests and add a tiny tiny amount of fish food to the tank, this will create ammonia when it breaks down and decomposes in the water. Just wait for the magical day when your ammonia drops and your nitrate spikes then your golden. But try not to add a lot of fish at once or you will overwhelm your filter

>>2388361
It's not a matter of "liking it," it's a matter of allowing plants to grow properly and intending to shove 20 fucking fish into something the size of a damn puddle.

>>2388419
Bait.

>>2388586
If I put fish in now they'll surely die though. What do I do? Add them now or wait until nitrite levels drop?
>>2388604
That's what the bottle said too. It's a lesser known local product from what I gathered

>>2388615
You can do a fish-in cycle. It's not optimal, but hardy fish like, say, zebra danios aren't really going to take much harm from it if you're careful. Start with a school of six (the minimum size school), then add six more after your test says you have nitrate, but no nitrite or ammonia. When the test reads nitrate but none of the others again, you're good to add the rest of your fish. Getting the bacteria to establish takes some time, but after they're established they'll catch up to increases in stock pretty quickly.

>>2388502
Scarlet badis aren't anabantoids, they're percoid.

>>2388442
Try frozen cyclops. If they won't eat anything frozen, you might want to start looking at grindal worms on eBay.

>>2388468
Go for a dozen each of the loaches, barbs, and rasboras.
I'd also opt for a centerpiece, or a pair/trio of larger fish. Probably some kind of gourami, like pearl or thick lip.

>>2388492
Like others said, if you set everything up correctly, maintenance afterward is almost negligible.
The only work I have to put into my 125 gallon is daily feeding and 90 minutes once every 6-8 weeks for a water change and filter service.
I've also already filled it to the brim and no longer have anything to spend money on. First world problems.

I always used fish food to cycle tanks, not ammonia.

Lads my pleco appears to have a dick

do plecos have external genitalia or is it a pleco flesh-colored worm?

>>2388620
T.cia torturer

Does anyone in /aq/ actually keep large fish or even larger aquariums? (I'm talking far beyond +6" and well towards a foot long)

Seems like everyone only has the tiniest things; even in shit like 55g+ it's the same thing but more of them

>>2388662
What's the appeal of a large fish?

>>2388667
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkPw1VQ9A90

>>2388671
Too bad they were fucking up his arowana but the silver dollar school looked rad as fuck

>>2388671
>I actually want a dog/cat but reee normies

>I actually want small schooling fish but reee normies and also penis replacement

A Bird is supposed to fly in the sky

A Snake is supposed to slither on a tree

A Fish is supposed to swim in the ocean

Threadly reminder if you're not keeping your betta fish in at least a 75 gallong tank you are no better than a serial killer.

>>2388662
>>2388667
>>2388685
not everyone wants a massively oversized tank full of a giant school of a single species like /aq/ faps over for whatever reason. different people want different things in their tanks shockingly enough. personally i prefer smaller fish but i'd definitely consider a large fish if i had the space, it'd be cool to see their behavior. has nothing to do with "penis replacement" esp since i don't have one.

>>2388662
I have a 90gal with an 8" turtle, if that counts (more towards /herp/ territory though)

But if I had the room, I'd love to have another tank with oscars, an arowana, or a birchir

>>2388701
An 8" turtle in a 90 gallon tank?

The rule of thumb is 50 gallon for 1" inch carapace

Evaluate your husbandry and your life anon

>>2388686
>keeping animals at all

get a load of this faggot

GUYS one of my white cloud minnows is swimming retardedly to the side, like they can't balance them selves? how long till dead? I don't see any frayed scales, but they are small and quick

>>2388662
Big fish don't do it for me unless they're living in a pond or aquarium with a huge footprint. I don't have the space for such, so I stick with small fish.

I totally want bichirs and a leopard ctenopoma though or maybe a pond with archer fish.

>>2387690
just buy a cooler with a lid. it will keep the temps slightly more stable. and best part is that it has a lid.

Should I try a single dwarf gourami with my betta? Will the gourami nip the betta or eat cherry shrimp?

>>2388750
Do a water change. And again tomorrow.

>>2388932
usually doesn't work because they're too closely related and both territorial.

>>2388938
>Frustration intensifies

There are no other solitary fish that don't get fucking huge

>>2388943
You can try it and see. Yours might do ok. Fish are individuals, sometimes you get a really mellow one, sometimes they're really violent. No way to know til you try.

>>2388944
Only problem is whatever fish I get I can't take back.

So no re-homing, and no more tanks for me.

My odds need to be higher than normal, otherwise getting rid of it is going to be a pain in the ass.

>>2388947
one of them will get rid of the other for you.

>>2388943
Platy, female swordtail/guppy/molly.

There are better options than risking or with a dwarf gourami.

What size tank?

where do I get a thick sponge that I can put in my sump for cheap?

I have a tank that I want to breed shrimp in but it has a built-in filter/sump that could easily suck up shrimplets. It has vents on 2 sides and there's no easy way to cover them so I figure jamming a sponge in there should do the trick. But where the fuck do I find a 6 x 4 x 4 inch sponge?

>>2389126
castorama

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>tfw added four African dwarf frogs to the tank

These little guys are great. I'm kinda bummed they're harder to find. Hell, Wal Mart sold them when I was younger

>>2389235
Every chain and lfs I've been to carries those goofy bastards. Dunno where you live.

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planted one of the anubias i had floating at /an/ons suggestion (also fixed the bg which i forgot was peeling but it's cheap and already peeling off again lol). holy hell the leaves are so bent from being in that container i got it out of.

i'm keeping some other anubias floating to try to hide the heater, but i think my tank is too bright and want a nice floating plant to cover the surface. any suggestions?

What's the best way to divide a tank that doesn't look like shit? Really want to pick up a 40g and stock it with bettas, but dividers are so fucking ugly. Lifewithpets on YT sells dividers that look nice, but she doesn't make dividers for 40s.

>>2389265
Amazon Frogbit.

Hey /aq/ I kept an arowana when I was living in SEAsia. I've been reading that Asian arowanas are illegal in the US. Is this for all Asian varieties, and will it matter if the fish is captive-bred and chipped? Google has not been helpful

>>2389279
i like the look of that. thanks for the idea!

>>2389280
https://www.fws.gov/permits/faqs/faqb.html
>What are the permit requirements to import an Asian bonytongue or arowana?
>These fish may not be imported for commercial or personal pet purposes.
Well fuck me, its a jardini then

>>2389280
IIRC all Asians are still illegal. You can get blacks, silvers and jardini though.

>>2389286
gonna try a planted setup this time around. Might take a while to raise dem funds tho, hopefully by then by some miracle they will allow the sale of Asian aros in the US
>canvas for 6x3x2 GLASS tank
>$1600-2400
>easily double for acrylic

>>2389269
>Rigid plastic grid/dotboard with trimming in a color that matches your aquarium's trim
>clear acrylic with drilled holes installed like false tank walls (bettas will flare but can't kill each other at least)
>mattenfilter material braced with glass or acrylic

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My snail is reclining on its side and holding an entire algae water with its foot as it eats it.

>>2389335
Monster Fish Keepers used to have the info of congresspeople you could badger.

Why not build your own tank? Still expensive, but you can put what you save into better filtration, lighting, and some cool floating plants.

Do pet stores normally take fish? I recently moved home from college and half my fish didn't make the move, even after I did everything i could for them. Now I'm moving to a place that is three days of travel and I don't think any of them would live. I only have a couple neon terras and zebra danios left. I don't even know if people would want them.

>>2389373
Don't wanna risk two tons of aquarium stuff getting everywhere senpai

>>2389411
petco will take them

>>2389415
You risk that no matter what. Especially a glass tank if it isn't set perfectly level.

>>2388662
i have koi in a pond. i had aquariums for at least 20 years before that. But 95% large aquarium fish aren't particularly beautiful. Even 90% of koi are ugly. If you don't have a lot of experience you just have a large ugly fish. Salt water is a different matter but somewhere some culture is eating for lunch what some people consider beautiful fish. for ease of maintenance 55 gallons isn't a crazy amount of water. maybe a couple 8 inch fish if you know what you are doing.
>>2389411
bag them have a local store put oxygen in the bag and put them in a cooler. and they should live

>>2388391
The hassle seems to be worth the weight for me, if anything I would also be skeptical about the fish store selling it for more than you're selling it to them.

>>2389461
>Especially a glass tank if it isn't set perfectly level.
one of my favorite myths.

>>2389461
speaking of this, anyone ever have contingency plans in the event of a leak or if it straight up explodes?

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>>2389493
this is mine.

I also have a few spare tanks sitting around in case I need to move animals fast.

Why are shrimps so fucking expensive here in SEAsia? It's 9$ for a single fucking cherry shrimp

>>2389567
Because they are breeding them in aquariums made from 10000 times folded steel and family honor.

I got one of those fluval chi things
I was going to move my betta into it after it was established. Is there anything else I could put with him like some shrimp? Or is it not a good idea?

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>tfw blue-green algae
What do? I have a 10gal planted freshwater aquarium with a persistent case of this shitty bacteria problem. I have done water changes, water treatment and medications, no light/blackout periods (which are only making the plants droopy), physical removal, and even a full tank cleaning once. All my other tanks eventually where rid of it but this one tank is very stubborn. It always seems to come back immediately. Same substrate as my other tanks and the chemistry parameters are okay enough with nothing in the extreme. Is there anything I can do that I may have not already tried?

>>2389645
Really depends on the temperament of your Betta. Try a few shrimp in there and see what happens.

>>2388633
Sure it's not poop?

>>2389654
He has done fine with other fish before. I think I used to have cory cats and some mollies in a 10 gallon with him

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>ordered shrimp
>gonna be delivered today
>no knock on door all day usually knock at door when theirs a delivery
>go check apartment mailbox
>usps slip sorry we missed you shit
>shrimp are in apartment office
>office is closed till tomorrow
I really hope none die ill post tomorrow when i get them

Guys I'm getting the itch to do a complete rescape again...this aquascaping shit doesn't come naturally at all. Post pics of your tanks for inspiration? Also, are there any "golden rules" to follow to make sure it's gonna looked balanced/not terrible?

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>>2389709
Well i just got them from the office and sure enough ones dead. I ordered these off the shrimp farm (same anon from above) and they included some free almond leaves which is cool but theres was also a letter stating doa claims can only be done 2 hours from delivery time. The shrimp look black im not liking this but ill update if theyre color improves

>>2389666
Try adding the shrimp before the betta and have places for them to hide.

As long as they aren't tiny, you should be fine.

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My loach is sick. Please help if you have experience with pic related.

I noticed one morning that he had these tiny spots all over that I swear weren't there the day before. I got some ich-x and started treating him right away. My nitrates are usually at 5 ppm, but that day they were at 20 ppm. I'm doing daily water changes during treatment like it recommends on the ich-x bottle now. I'm on day 3 of ich-x and he is still the only fish in the tank with ich. Some have gone away, but he is getting new spots all over the place.

Why is he the only fish in the tank with ich?

Does anyone have experience treating loaches for ich?

I bought him when he was already 7 inches years ago, so I know he is an old guy. I hope it's not his time though. Thanks for any advice you can give.

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I fucking hate weed smokers

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>>2389918
why were you browsing a weed subreddit

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Is this allowed in the thread? It's not exactly an aquarium...

>>2389941
Nice Paludarium m8

>>2387725
Pest snail.

>>2387865
>>2387862
Normal bacterial bloom. I let it be and my shrimp and snails had a party all over that shit.

>>2389655
it was an asshole oddly enough

/aq/ help me out. I bought cherry shrimp with the intent to breed them eventually so I bought a nice 40 gallon. Well I just got my shrimp yesterday and they are a LOT damn smaller than I thought they'd be. I knew they were small but compared to the ghost shrimp I just dumped into my community tank, they are manlets. So i'm just going to keep the shrimp in the 10 gallon with the kuhlis but now what do I put into the 40?

The 40 is currently cycling and planted with a kleiner prinz, gianthairgras, dwarf sag and pearlweed when it comes in the mail today. What can I get the wont tear these up? Contrary to that, i'm looking hard at dojo loach. My kuhli's are fucking adorable and awesome. GIANT kuhli's sound like a dream come true. Is it possible? I'm a bit concerned about my footprint. The tank is 36 x 16 but there's a built-in sump so only about 36 x 12 is usable floor space

If Dojos are a no-go, what similar fish could I get?

I don't know anything about lighting.
Would 2 18 inch t8 bulbs be enough to grow anything in a 55gal tank?

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>>2387862
I know y'all are all saying it's just normal and to leave it alone, so I am. but some even weirder shit just grew on it. Still normal?

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I have a bit of experience with Bettas and Guppies. Looking at getting one of those garden filtered aquariums. Can someone give me a quick rundown on them? Assume I know absolutely nothing.

>>2389918
>>2389919
Caught red fuckin' handed.
I can tell you from experience that potheads can't be trusted to maintain aquariums, though. I spilled bong water in my tank once.

>>2390157
Dunno what garden filtered aquariums are, but if you mean a fishtank that's supported solely by a few plants filtering the water I can tell you it's really nothing but a pinterest mom's wet dream. They're bullshit. Invest in an actual aquarium and a filter instead.
Also, did you actually take good care of the bettas and guppies or did you just throw them in a bowl and clean their water once every three weeks?

When i first got my betta tank, I bought some water sprite and managed to kill all but one piece i left floating. It thrived there and started sprouting some offshoots.

If I cut off a few longer pieces, would they establish in the tank easily?

>>2390166
>potheads in charge of anything

>>2389884
Say your prayers anon, he's gonna die.

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Saw this today and thought it was a really neat idea, especially for bettas like rosetails and such who are terrible swimmers and like to rest. Pretty ugly to be honest, but I can see fish being really into it. Maybe one near the surface to allow the fish to rest and still breathe from the air. Anyways, there's a lot of betta people, so I thought i'd share.

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>>2390212

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>People at Petco tell me just to feed my fish cheap flakes and they'll be happy.
>Do so for first two weeks.
>Platys stay mild orange, pearl danios just kind of grey.
>Every website/forum says to feed live/fresh/frozen stuff for maximum health and color.
>decide to give it a try, even if I get meme'd on for a few bucks.
>Start feeding omnivore drops and baby brine shrimp.
>After a few days think I've been meme'd hard.
>Around 2 weeks in, notice all the platy fry are growing fast suddenly.
>My light orange wags are now a deep orange.
>Pearl danios flash blues and violets when they turn under the light.

I never knew this frozen/live shit is so fucking awesome for my wet pets!

>>2390236
been thinking of farming scuds for just this purposem but I REALLY dont need another goddamn tank sitting around

Is there any good reason why no one breeds ghost shimp for color?

>>2390271
Most likely because they haven't found any with a gene for anything other then see-through. You're welcome to try though.

>>2390212
>>2390217
You could do the same with those tiny fish bowls from the dollar tree if you want something more aesthetic.

>>2390236
"2017 not making your own frozen food from organic veggies and livestock and bulk vitamins"

>>2390305
That's kind of my next step. I plan to pick up some beef hearts, freeze them, and shave it to get food for my guppy fry. They're currently getting a bunch of baby brines in the morning and evening, then 4 small flake/pellet feeds through out the day. They're growing insanely fast.

>>2390307
i was half joking. i do it maybe a couple times a year and freeze a big batch. keep an eye on your water quality though. i don't think really much wrong with flake but the protein boost will help growth.

>>2390307
Most people suggest being careful with bed heart, as the amino avid ratios of mammal protein are going to be very different compared to fish or bugs.

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Getting back into the aquarium hobby after a 3 year haitus. Just picked up this pet Co brand 6.6 gallon bookshelf aquarium with some flora max black substrate.

Tank is 24 inches long, 8 inches deep, and 10 inches high.

Stocking plan:
1 betta
2 African dwarf frogs
10 ish red cherries
A few zebra nerites for algae

This will be my first serious attempt at a planted tank as I haven't had much success in the past using sand and weak lighting. Stock lighting was a bluish 15 watt t8 and I replaced it with a 2x14w t5, is this too much light? It's a shallow tank.

Also first post to /an/ cheers

I got a cycled, planted 10g tank that's currently housing two nerite snails, some trumpet snails, and a few pond snails. Need to either...
>Get occupant(s) for it
>Make it into the hospital tank for my guppy tank.
>turn it into a turbo greenhouse.

What should I stock it with anons?

>>2390338
90 cherry shrimp

>>2390340
I already have cherries in my 40g with the guppies

>>2390341
get different color cherries

Two of my bronze corys have missing eyes. One has one missing and the other has both missing. They both had all their eyes going to bed last night. Water quality is fine, and nothing new has been introduced to the tank in months and the rest of the fish have been adult size (besides the ghost knives) for around two years. Nothing in their diet has changed, so I'm not sure why they'd suddenly be after their eyes. Can you help me decide who the culprit is that's eaten their eyes?
>750L/~200 gal
>10 bronze corys
>6 albino corys
>8 Red Rainbows
>2 Albino Sharks
>2 Ghost Knives
>6 ottos
>5 black veil tetras
>5 clown loaches
>a couple of different rainbows from local streams/rivers
I'm leaning towards the sharks or ottos

>>2390371
Knives, sharks, or loaches are my guess.

>>2388036

>>2388026 here

and holy shit is this thing bright. My god. I looked indirectly into the LEDs earlier and realizing that Ive gone alittle sunblind

I did get the pure white one. The night mode seems to be just the lights are on in all the places the blue lights would have been.

I'm wondering though, with just 6 LEDs going it should be significantly less PAR right? I could just use the night mode to grow shit

>>2390373
Any suggestions on what to do? I know my way around the hobby, but I've never had this problem before, so I'm at a loss of how to help, or who to move to a new home.

I should also add that I've moved all the corys into a smaller tank for the moment which just has a few small sword tails and small tetras

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this is one of my fave aquarium pics ever. anyone know what kind of wood that is?

>>2390170
Yeah they sound too good. Both were in a filtered tank that I cleaned. Real plants, a cave etc :(

>>2388135

place it over a bubbler/airstone if there's one in there, moss loves to be bubbled, usually I keep mine on top of the corner box filter and it grows pretty fast.

>>2389648

have you tried Excel or similar CO2 boosters? usually only takes 1/4-1/2 the recommended dose to keep algae down. Melts anacharis even at low doses if you have any of that, though. Also recommend to get some potassium permanganate and read up on dipping plants in it, dip ALL new plants (maybe even existing ones, hell) in it and it cuts down on algae a lot as well as eliminates snails and other pests.

>>2389884

stressed fish are more susceptible to ich outbreaks, it will infect other fish but lie semi-dormant and not be visible. I've had the best luck using salt + heat (>86 F) for a couple weeks although I've read that loaches can be sensitive to salt and some medications, so I dunno, I've only tested that for gouramis, guppies, and cory cats.

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>>2389749
It's a mess, but it's my mess.

>"golden rules"
There's the rule of thirds.

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>>2387536
>Synodontis
Mine never hold still long enough for me to take a picture. Still cool.

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>>2390157
>>2390399
Tank kits that claim a small plant will eliminate the need to change the water are a con, but others like pic related, come with a fully functioning filter in addition to the grow bed, and the clay growing medium serves as additional bio media, which works really well.

Emersed plants will be much more effective than submersed ones at removing ammonia and nitrates from the water, but they're not going to eliminate them completely, and there are other trace elements that will build up in the tank over time, so you still need to do regular water changes to maintain good water quality.

You can also DIY a grow bed for plants out of shower caddies or a HOB breeder box pretty easily, or even just grow plants in your filter.

These "fire red" shrimp are still black should i contact the seller

>>2390423
no. Send them to me

>>2390431
Where do you live and why do you want them

>>2390413
Nah it's got a good natural look to it. How bright is the light you've got? I'm trying to find one similar with a decent light output

>>2390376
Yes, but with so few LEDs you may have some uneven lighting.

I have one of these for a dimmer on an EVO:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N2M6T22/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works quite well and is surprisingly the exact same size barrel connector, but it really has no frills. No timer. Upside is it's cheap as fuck if it doesn't work out for you.

>>2390419
Its just a dream even in that drawing.

>>2388442
>scarlet badis
cool as fuck

What I do with fish that don't eat is stick them with fish that do eat (and hopefully similar diets). When one fish sees other fish of even a different species eat something, they are more inclined to try.

Which is kind of bad. My American/Florida Flagfish were bought specifically to help control algae, which they did the first day, then when they saw everyone else eating flakes/pellets, they started eating flakes/pellets and leaving the algae alone. Fuckers.

(I've read it's also not that great for them to have a high protein diet.)

>>2389483
>>2389461
This is correct. THe tank does not have to be LEVEL, it just has to have a flat surface. E.g. no dips/bends. Joey Mullen has stated in numerous videos that zero of his tanks are perfectly level, and the only time he's had a tank explode was due to him doing really dumb stuff (like the time he was super sleepy and tried to re-cement a tank while it was full).

>>2389493
Yeah, spare tank plus I have several stores nearby for either a real tank or a plastic bin. My biggest concern really is the mess.

If your tank is not super huge, just get a spare tank and store it somewhere you cannot see during Petco's $1/gal sale or buy something from craigslist (although you should test a used one).

Key here is to store it somewhere you cannot see, otherwise you're just going to end up with another full tank, heh.

>>2389749
>>2390413
What kind of style are you going with? Dutch? Iwagumi?

With Iwagumi there are a LOT of (easy) rules and if you stick to them all you'll probably come out with something at least okay, however it's a pretty sparse tank and if you start adding extra shit and breaking rules, you circle back around to having to figure out what the fuck to do to not look like crap.

Dutch style you just plant the shit out of everything really. Just try to have the shortest plants up front and the tallest in back.

But yes, rule of thirds is a great thing to go by. Treat it like a photograph.

Start off thinking about the hardscape and don't even think about your plants. If your hardscape looks good, your stuff will have an easier time growing into something that looks good.

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Just bought 4 dwarf rasboras an hour ago. They seem to be happy with my tank but they're predominantly staying in the corner of my tank closest to the filter and I have a feeling the water movement is too much for them.

What can I do to reduce water movement when the filter is already on its lowest setting? Also my filter has an aeration function, can I switch it off or will they need it? There are some plants in the tank but it's not heavily planted.

>>2390610
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Awesome-ize-Your-HOB-Power-Filter-with-Just/

+

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002567N2/ref=asc_df_B0002567N25001553/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B0002567N2&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167149786275&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7517722745329671948&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007768&hvtargid=pla-310436994199

>>2390610
>>2390613
BTW that was just the first google hit on pre-filters. 100% sure there are cheap Chinese generic prefilters. Or you could just cut one out of something else, although with how cheap some of the chinese shit is, might as well get something that will fit snuggly and is black.

>>2390613
>>2390616
Thanks anon!

I lifted the filter up so high that I can see no water movement at all in the bottom half of the tank, the plants aren't even moving. They occasionally venture into the middle of the tank but they're mainly staying in that one corner. I'm not sure if they just like it there or if they actually can't go anywhere else. I like this cup idea though, I'll try it out.

>>2390618
Same anon here, they moved to the other side of the tank so I think they're happy. I've never had tropical fish before and these are so small and delicate, I'm naturally getting a bit paranoid.

>>2390519
I'm like 90% sure it's this one. Beamswork makes so many lights it's hard to keep track.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FVNPZMI

>>2390567
>>2390567
>What kind of style are you going with?
I just threw a bunch of shit together and didn't realize how uneven the growth would be without very regular trimming

>Dutch style you just plant the shit out of everything really
That's what Americans think Dutch style is. Actual Dutch or Belgian style aquascapes have a lot of rules you have to follow to be considered good and proper, including number of plant species, leaf shape, placement, color, types of fish, background color, tank stand, etc.
There's actually an agency you can pay to come out to your house and judge your tank in the Netherlands. They take it very seriously.

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>>2390551
How so?
It's a photoshop, sure, but I get pretty good growth in the grow bed I have on >>2390413, and I didn't really do anything special with it.

I need a piece of driftwood/some other kind of smooth wood for my new freshwater tank, where's a good place to get one? Can I get a large branch from outside and sand it down so it's smooth?

>>2390550
wow that is cheap. I was preparing to shell another 20 so that's a nice surprise. Thanks

>>2390335
I'm a beginner myself and though i've been researching lights for a few months, I hardly understand shit about them. I suggest joining or perusing a planted tank forum, though. Good luck anon.

>>2390338
Go get yourself a betta.

Are snails pretty heavy bio-load wise?

>>2390728
Depends on the species and how much it has available to eat.

>>2390728
Yes, they basically poop whatever they eat right back out instantly. Having them in tropical temps speeds up their metabolism too, so that means more eating and more pooping.

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>heater breaks, run out and blow 40 bucks on a new one right away
>come home to this after less than 24 hrs in the tank
God damn it. The fucks with these things?

>Be keeping a small common brown toad in a comfortably arranged 1 gallon tank
>Caught him a bunch of earthworms and slugs earlier, dropped the live feed in
>Tfw toadbro gobbled them up and has been burping for minutes

This is how fulfilling it is to be a father right?

>>2390560
>THe tank does not have to be LEVEL, it just has to have a flat surface
I run all my tanks several inches off level.

I use corner box overflows and siphon breaks on the return pump nozzles. To keep the siphon brakes spraying below the rim but above the water line I have to raise one side of the tank an inch or two above the other. I could just lower the water line via the overflow but then the tank isn't full.

but anyways, my tanks are never level, I've never had one break because of that in the couple of decades of doing it.

>>2389918
>>2390166
>>2390201
Judgmental fags.
I smoke all the time and help maintain numerous aquariums for a local zoo. No problems.

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> Sister's fish died a month ago and I got her tank

Really don't know about fish but I've always wanted to take care of a betta properly. Would neon tetras and some kind of bottom feeder do well? Do I need plants or would fake ones be enough?

Also how do I prep the tank before I dump in fish?

>>2390335
>>2390695

That's a shit-ton of light for a fairly shallow tank, I would raise that light up to about 10" above the top of the tank or else you'll get a lot of algae. You also wanna make sure you have 6500k light, which that looks like. 5000k+ will work too but most people prefer 6500k.

The amount you need is mainly determined by how deep the tank is and how far the light is from the top. I use a pair of 17 watt T8 bulbs mounted 6" above my 20 gallon high (16" from top of water to sand, so 22" total from light to floor of tank) and that works well enough to grow sword plants vigorously and carpet Monte carlo reasonably well. One of my other 20 acrylic tanks that's a little taller has a pair of 27 watt compact fluorescent lamps and those work really well too.

For general reference: in a 10 gallon tank with a hood that takes 2 screw-in bulbs, I've found that a pair of 10 watt LED bulbs or similar CFL bulbs is a good setup and will grow damn near anything including grass and carpeting plants. For 5 gallon tanks, I use a single 10 or 14 watt LED bulb in a desk lamp and those have been good for everything.

>>2390921
How big is your tank? Did it come with a filter?
For a betta, neon tetras and a bottom feeder you'll also want a heater.
You don't need live plants, but the fish you listed would be happier with them. Plastic ones will suffice, but be aware that bettas may cut their fins on plastic plants.
Before you toss in fish, follow this guide.
http://www.oscarfishlover.com/cycle-aquarium-without-fish

Today one of my zebra danios got so excited about eating that he leapt out of the tank. I was so surprised by this tiny fish jumping right past my face I dropped the jar of fish flakes.

>>2390921
How big is the tank? If it's less than 5 gallons you can't really put much in there except for a betta, and you would have to keep a close eye on it.
If it's 10 gallons or larger neon tetras are okay. Ghost shrimp or mystery snails will work fine to clean up after them.

>>2390728
The only snails I've heard of actually dirtying up a tank are mystery snails. Nerite and pest snails also shit constantly, but it seems like their shit has a different makeup and doesn't really affect anything.
I had 10 or so nerites and umpteen MTS in a 15 gallon tank and never had any trouble with it.

>>2390818
I mean, it's not like Top Fin is exactly regarded as top of the line.
Trade the one you bought in for an Eheim Hager. It should even be cheaper.

>>2390921
Neon tetras are good if the tank is at least 10 gallons.
The only bottom feeders that are okay in something smaller than 20 gallons are inverts and possibly habrosus/pygmy/dwarf cories. If you want the cories you should skip the tetras, though.

>>2390931
f

So, my 10 gallon tank sprung a leak. Petsmart is letting me exchange it but wtf should I do with all the inhabitants while I wait. I have a gallon and 5 gallon bucket. I'm thinking of putting the filter, my four ADFs, the betta, and mystery snail into that with the filter running. If the lid fits, I'll just stick that on top

I have no fucking idea how I'll fit all of this shit into the bucket. The substrate alone will take up a lot of space.

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One gourami

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>>2390977
Two gourami

So far so good.

90 day return policy, so if Sinbad absolutely hates it, at least one is getting returned immediately.

Punk seems to be ok with it so far, but this is only day one.

Sinbad is in another bowl because I want to re-introduce himto the tank and because I accidentally ripped a piece of fin off when I was doing a water change. He got too close to the tubing I use for a vacuum and I tried to nudge him away.

Had no clue their fins were THAT fucking sensative.

>>2390973
Keep the substrate dry. Most of your bacteria will be in the filter. Keep that, the heater and your fish in the bucket. When you get a new tank, put the gravel and filter in there, have the fish in the unfiltered bucket for a day, then move them into the tank.

>>2390973
none of those animals will suffer for a day in small space. Put the betta in a jar/cup with a lid for the time being and put everyone else in the 1 gallon bucket

Put as much water as you can save into the 5 gallon with the filter running to keep your bacteria alive

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Been a long time since I posted. Tank has been running on autopilot for months. I'm going post progression shots.

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Just been toping off water when I notice the hob pump section is low on water.

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This was a couple of weeks ago. Right before summer heat hit.

>>2391052
I love your work with different levels.

>>2390895
>I,one person out of who knows how many pot heads, can take care of animals
Not everyone is like you. They get an animal because oh its so pretty and cute and then forget about it once their high wears off. Now would you take care of those animals if they belonged to you instead of the state

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Hadn't checked in on it in a week or so, there was a massive massive algae outbreak. I forgot to adjust the light cycles for summer time. Wish I had taken pictures. It sucked up all the nutrients, blocked out the light, and killed some of the plants. The watersprite was almost completely killed off and a lot of the red leaf plants died or lost most leaves. When I started pulling it out it uprooted that big chunk of moss. Decided to use it as a carpet since the Monte Carlo failed miserably.

>>2390895
Do you have so few hardships in your life that you feel the need to defend fucking potheads from harmless jabs on 4chan?
>judgmental fag
I'm literally a pothead and so is my entire family. You're really going to accuse me of being what... cannaphobic?

>>2391056
Thanks! Biggest issue I've had with the tank being self sufficient is that I don't really spend time on maintenance, so the sand kind of levels out after a while and I lose definition between the different levels. Kind of annoying, but nothing a few minute of scooping every couple of months can't fix.

>>2390970
I got it in the hopes that it would last at LEAST long enough for me to order a better heater and return the Topfin. Christ, I'd heard people talk shit on them but less than 24 hours of functional time is awful.
Also, would suggest more than 10g for neons. They're pretty active and they really weren't happy in the 10g when I had them in with my betta.

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Current rock placement to hold down moss until it roots again. Not permanent, I hate the rocks up against the glass. The algae is starting to come loose from the moss now that I've got the pumps unclogged and moving the water around.

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How do I propagate growth on these red leaf plants (I forget what they're called, repens I think) they've just developed these really long stalks with tiny leafs and it's hideous. Also, how to I trim the other plants that are getting really tall.

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Last questions: what's the best way to untangle the rest of this algea from the moss? Is there a low load critter I should get for dealing with this stuff?

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And WTF is this stuck to my rocks?

>>2391085
Nerite snail eggs. They'll be there until you scrape them off.

>>2391095
Oh neat! Is there anything in particular I need to do to ensure they hatch properly? Oh wait NVM I just remembered they only breed in saltwater. Nerites are the brackish water ones right?

>>2391099
You'd need to convert your tank into a brackish one to get the eggs to hatch. I just use an old razor blade to scrape mine off.

>>2391105
Sounds good. Too much effort for a few snails.

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Are there any good catfish that have the generic catfish look that would fit in a 40g tank? I mean the big fat stupid :0 face with the big whiskers like pic related. Preferably temp compatible with my other fish, so around 75-80 degrees.

What would you use a spare 10 gallon tank for, assuming you didn't want to keep two concurrent tanks? Just leave it planted with some small bioload like snails to keep it cycled as an emergency hospital tank?

>>2391142
just make a nice planted tank without fish, or add a single betta fish or maybe a couple pea puffers (after the tank is properly cycled and mature).

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My tank isn't overstocked is it?
I have;
15 Neon Tetras
6 Tiger Barb
6 Gold Barb
4 Corydoras
2 Angelfish
A Molly (had to be separated because it was bullying the others)
A mystery Goirami
A False Flying Fox
And a large Sucking Catfish.

I want to introduce a small same sex group of Pepper-and-Salt Platies (around about 5-6) and maybe a few Rasboras, I need a professional opinion, is my tank crowded???

>>2391149
No fish is kind of what I was going for. I'm upgrading to a 40gal and never really did proper quarantining even when I had a bigger tank when I was younger. I'd keep shrimp but they're not allowed in my country. An aquascape with good lighting might be a nice project though.

>>2391156
Don't add any more. Just enjoy the tank and let the plants fill out. What is your filtration and water parameters like?

It's easy to get too into adding and manipulating a tank, but just enjoy it and keep it healthy for a while. More is often less.

>>2391156
it's hard to judge the size just from the photo, but it's probably getting close. Especially with Angelfish I'd be reluctant to put anything more in just to be sure I had good water quality.

>>2390927
>>2390932
>>2390970

20 gallons. Nothing much other than the tank itself. Thanks for the recommendations and guides, time for some research.

>>2391161
>An aquascape with good lighting might be a nice project though.
Go for this. When I settle down I'm going to get another tank strictly for aquascaping.

>>2391164
Okay, cool. I see your point.

>>2391167
Well the tank is 4 foot long, one foot wide and one and a bit feet high I guess

>>2391177
I should try and grow a proper carpet, I've never done that before and they always look super impressive. And maybe something tall and leafy to have a natural background instead of some stick on petstore poster.

>>2391058
Well yeah, I have always kept pet aquariums my whole life. Whether they are publicly owned by a zoo or privately owned by me doesn't matter I just enjoy the practice.

>>2391062
What do the harships in my life have to do with anything? Such an irrelevant thing to even bring up. It seemed like a stereotype that potheads are lazy retards who can't even maintain an aquarium had come up so I was weighing in. Clearly if you and I are stoners who can take care of animals then that stereotype is false yeah?

Obviously there are weed smokers who can't take care of animals but there are sober people who can't either.

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Also can y'all help me find out what type of gourami mine is?? It's been plaguing my mind ever since I got her.

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>>2391183
Obvious some guesses and I don't know your filtration, but you're probably already a little over. Always take aqadvisor with a pinch of salt though.

>>2391195
Sure. I was actually thinking of getting rid of my algae eaters and gold barb (and maybe just getting a small Pleco)

>>2391195
Also when I said sucking catfish, I meant Chinese algae eater catfish, not Pleco

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>>2391192
Trichogaster trichopterus maybe?

>>2391202
It's just a rough guess, I'd never heard anyone call it a sucking catfish and google showed me a generic pleco. They'd have similar bioloads anyway. It's just a rough rule of thumb saying you probably have enough as is. I wouldn't say it's bad as is, just keep on top of your water changes. A lot of the warnings about temperament vary fish to fish as well, especially with things like tiger barbs.

>>2391203
Well, she's pretty big (nearly 6 inches!) and she doesn't appear to have stripes??? (At leased not any I can see..)

>>2391205
I always had it in the back of my mind that my tank was kind of a clusterfuck ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

>>2391209
As long as stuff isn't dying it can always be worse :^)

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>>2391205
This guy right here

>>2391210
Well, nobody has died and it's been around 9 months!

>>2390984
I don't mind keeping it dry. I just have no idea where the to put the sand. I think I'll buy a tank first and return the tank to Petsmart another day.

I'm more worried about the plants and sand than the animals honestly. I already fucked up some of their roots by rearranging the tank not long ago and it's showing in some of their leaves. Some of the moneywort I bought still aren't fully adapted to my water parameters.

>>2391003
I can put the betta in the cup he came in. Would the frogs and snail be okay if I put the bucket lid on loosely? I'm fucking horrified of finding out one of the frogs jumped. I'll run the air stone in it.

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>>2390419
Can confirm plants help immensely with filtration. i built a hob filter/plant box out of one of those cricket/hermit crab plastic cages and the tank pretty much runs itself plus delicious mint whenever I want. Have since added a light and bubbler with plastic grid for algea scrubbing action. Plants are much bigger since pics were taken, and upgraded the pump and return/intake pipes.

>>2391221
Seriously. I added Pothos hanging on all my tanks, in addition to my tanks being completely planted. Water stays cleaner much longer, fry grow quickly because infusoria naturally occur, and the aquariums smell wonderfully and keep the air in my apartment clean. Fish are also way happier.

>>2391184
I started getting a nice carpet but recently moved, so the grass has to settle and fill out again.

CO2 made all the difference.

What are retard tier easy plants?

>>2391265
Aquatic mosses and Anubis or Java ferns

>>2391265
Anacharis, Water Wisteria, Java Moss, Java Fern, anubias, duck weed.

Anacharis and Wisteria can be either weighted down, buried in substrate, or floated. They feed from the water column.
Java Fern and Anubias can be weighted down or attached to decorations. THey feed from the water column too.
Java Moss and Duckweed are literally weed plants. Duckweed just keeps growing and growing. If you get it in your tank, expect to have to clear it constantly, but it makes great cover for fry, and great gold fish food.
Java Moss you can glue to decorations, rocks. You can get a pack of plastic canvas mesh

Why are women so insistent in proving how awful they are at taking care of animals?

>>2391265
Anubis is damn near impossible to kill.

>>2391354
Very true. Hair algea fucked up nearly all of my plants but the anubias came out looking better than ever. Just drop it in your tank and forget about it.

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>>2391133
I feel like my Synodontis lucipinnis kind of have that look. They get about 4 inches and do best in a shoal, so 40 is okay for them. They come from Lake Tanganyika, which is very hot and hard, but they're known for being very adaptable in regards to pH and hardness.

The next best one I can think of is pictus catfish, but they're a bit bigger and a lot more active, so a lot of people suggest at least a 4 foot tank for them.

>>2391192
Different anon, but I agree that she looks like a Trichopodus trichopterus.

>>2391208
>Well, she's pretty big (nearly 6 inches!)
That's how big Trichopodus trichopterus get.

>and she doesn't appear to have stripes???
Maybe she's an ugly Trichopodus trichopterus.

>>2391202
CAE aren't catfish. They're closer to loaches. They also have a bit of a reputation for getting very nasty when they get older, so you might want to keep an eye on yours.

So fucking shrimp farm sent me those black shrimp when i ordered fire red and when i emailed them about it they told me to send a picture. I did and now they wont reply to me

>>2391185
So just because you and that other guy can do stuff while high the stereotype is now wrong and i should tryst potheads with anything? Ebin

>>2391221
How was this done? Havr you tried growing other thing beside mint?

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>>2388943
if it makes you feel any better, I'm currently keeping a betta and a (juvenile) two spot gourami together in my 25 gal and they seem to get along
>>2390212
>>2390217
I imagine it will look better when the plants grow out

>Want to house a predatory fish.
>Currently at 3 tanks.
>Don't have a place to set up a 4th tank for something like that.
Why am I in this hobby?

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>>2391306
>tfw managed to kill off all my duckweed

I think the shitty tank I had released too much current for any them to acclimate. At least the pennywort and water sprite I'm floating are doing fine. I would love to try other floaters again one day.

>>2391173
No wonder her fish died, then. All fish require a filter. For a 20 gallon tank, you'll want a 40gallon/hour filter. Tropical fish like bettas and tetras will also want a water temperature of 25C/77F, so to keep that stable you'll also want to buy a heater.

http://www.aqadvisor.com/AqAdvisor.php?AquTankName=&AquListBoxTank=Choose&AquTankLength=30&AquTankDepth=12&AquTankHeight=12&AquListBoxFilter=Aqua+El+Fan+Filter+Plus+Fan-2&AquTextFilterRate=39.6&AquListBoxFilter2=Choose&AquTextFilterRate2=N%2FA+&FormSubmit=Update&AquFilterString=cory&AquListBoxChooser=Albino+Cory+%28Corydoras+aeneus%29&AquTextBoxQuantity=&AquTextBoxRemoveQuantity=&AlreadySelected=200909300017%3A1%3A%3A%2C200909300039%3A10%3A%3A%2C200909300005%3A4%3A%3A&FilterMode=Display+all+species&AqTempUnit=C&AqVolUnit=gUS&AqLengthUnit=inch&AqSortType=cname&FilterQuantity=2&AqJuvMode=&AqSpeciesWindowSize=short&AqSearchMode=simple is an example of how you could stock your tank. I replaced the neon tetras with cardinals because they tend to be a bit hardier, get a bit bigger, and imo are prettier. You wanted a bottom feeder, so I added a shoal of cory cats, which are usually pretty good for beginners. You could also go for something like otos or a bristlenose pleco, but otos are rather sensitive to water conditions, and even bristlenose plecos get a bit too big for a 20 gallon tank. You should get your betta first, and figure out how aggressive he is. Some bettas will fight anything else you put in the tank, while some are very calm and good with tankmates. If you get an aggressive betta, you may find that he'll bully the other fish.
To a tank like that, I'd also go for a gravel substrate, a bit of driftwood and a few amazon sword plants. Your catfish will love the driftwood for cover and to chew on, and all your fish will love having some environment to swim/hide around.

>>2391215
When I was moving my tank I just put it in a bunch of thick plastic shopping bags. Double-pack if you want to be extra sure.
Just don't put too much in each bag, or the bag will be so heavy the handles will rip.

>>2391445
>tfw managed to kill off all my duckweed
Well done! I wish I could manage to kill of my duckweed, I hate it.

>>2391215
Get one of those huge blue IKEA bags. You could probably fill it to the brim with rocks and wet sand and it still wouldn't break or leak.

>>2391449
I wouldn't really recommend gravel with cories and plants. Try Black Diamond blasting sand. Shit's ridiculously cheap compared to gravel and your cories will thank you.
Also, aqadvisor is garbage.

What's your quarantine procedure? Do you keep a cycled tank, or use an uncycled tank to quarantine? If you use an uncycled tank, how often do you do water changes?
Stocking a 40 right now and my impulse purchase betta took up the cycled 10g I was planning on using, so I need a plan B.

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>tfw youve posted on /aq/ numerous times yet i only get very few replies if not none and people would rather answer idiots basic questions that could have fucking used google

>>2391482
No gravel with plants? What are you on about? Plants root a lot better in gravel. I like to do a 2:1 ratio of larger gravel:finer gravel by volume. My plants root immediately, and the smaller gravel will sink between the larger gravel and be pretty much invisible. Gravel also hides fish shit a lot better than sand, and you're not going to get the deadly gas pockets.

>>2391485
Go to a real forum, then. Quit bitching like a petulant child because you aren't getting enough attention.

>>2391486
If your tank is well-planted, you won't have to worry about gas pockets. Most planted tank people seem to agree pea gravel isn't the best option for plants, so I'm not sure what you're on about. Anyways, sand is still better for the cories.

>>2391494
I'm not saying just pea gravel. Two parts pea gravel and one part finer gravel. I've literally never heard anyone say that sand is better than this combination for plants.

My cories seem pretty happy with this type of setup, but it depends on how coarse your gravel is. Proper aquarium gravel is fairly soft, but if you're just using gardening gravel you absolutely should keep cories away from it.

>>2391485
/aq/ is where idiots go to give out advice.

If you don't need advice from some idiots you're in the wrong place.

>>2391482
Black Diamond is pretty sharp for cories.

>>2391486
>Plants root a lot better in gravel.
They don't.

>Gravel also hides fish shit a lot better than sand
Which means there's extra rotting fish shit in your tank.

>deadly gas pockets.
This is a meme.

>>2391498
Gravel won't hurt cories, but it means they can't dig around like they like to do.

>>2391498
In your original post, you just said gravel. A beginner like the person you were suggesting it to is probably just going to run out and grab a bunch of rainbow pea gravel, not a mix of gravels.

>>2391520
The black diamond sand I have is very, very soft. I can't imagine it hurting a cory.

>>2391520
>Which means there's extra rotting fish shit in your tank
Which you remove with a gravel vaccuum whenever you do your water changes.

>>2391526
Which also removes what little nutrients from the gravel that the plants could be using.

>>2391512
/aq/: For idiots, by idiots.™

>>2391537
we should get t-shirts made!

>>2391576
I can do it just send me your money and ill send it to you

Any ideas why my albino corys are never swimming on the bottom? They are nonstop swimming at the top of the tank from side to side.

Is this something they do? The only time they calm down and go down to the substrate is during feeding time. Then a few moments later back to the top.

>>2391633
Sounds like swim bladder disease.

What do y'all use to anchor plants down until they have established root systems? What about ones that don't seem to grow roots? Thought about leaving them in pots but I don't like how it looks.

>>2391637
Ive seen that before and it doesn't look like it. They have complete control over their swimming but they are constantly swimming quickly at the top, only calming down to eat.

Unless swim bladder issue is different in corys.

>>2391639
I got root weights. They're bendable metal that you can wrap around the base of the plant and keep it on the bottom.
My swords i just buried and they took root on their own

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What breed of fish is this anon?

>>2391800
>breed
lol. a gupppy with a color filter over it

>>2391639
fishing line
>>2391633
How much cover do they have? what are their tank mates? they might be avoiding someone.

>>2391391
I'm trying two paradise gouramis at the moment, each in a separate tank. One of them already isn't working, but the other is much more submissive and I am going to try with my other two bettas. If neither of them work, then I'm going to put them in a bucket and send them back to walmart with a friend next time they go down.

I wanted to try just regular neons but they didn't have any.

>>2391482
Be careful with that. Some of that sand, it can be pretty Sharp and the corys can get cut up. Use pool filter sand. It's really smooth stuff and looks great. Unless you hate light colored substrate.

>Get 10 guppies for colony.
>1 male dies, 5 females die.
>4 guppies left.
>Pick up a male and 3 females.
>all 2 females from new batch die, female from old batch die.
>Pick up 6 more females to bring it back up to 4:1 f:m.
>Female is dead when I get home.

The fuck is wrong with these fish? I tested my water and its perfectly fucking dandy for these. The only female from the original batch was a freebie I got from the fish shop because a knife fish went after her, so she only has one eye.

>>2391525
Perhaps the stuff I had was different, or a different brand. It even ended up killing my Malaysian trumpet snails.

>>2391633
Are they new? Cories often get really excitable when they're in a new environment.
Otherwise maybe it has to do with flow in the tank. Try baffling or redirecting the filter output and see if that changes the way they behave.

>>2391639
Plants that don't grow roots are probably better off just left floating. If you look up "aquarium plant weights" on eBay or Amazon you'll find what >>2391657 is talking about. They work well as long as they're not too tight around the plant's stems.
Personally I've always been able to use tweezers to bury the plants deep enough in the substrate that they stay put.

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Hey /aq/, tomorrow my uncle and I are going on a road trip to see the "king of shrimp" who sells pretty much every species of freshwater shrimp available in the hobby.

What are some good species for a complete noob who's doing his first ever tropical tank (but has kept goldfish alive for years before)? Anything that's easy but more exotic than cherry shrimp?

>>2391874
Amano, Ghost, and Cherries. But remember to put shrimp into a cycled, matured tank. They eat mostly biofilm, and it doesn't form over night.

>>2391879
Thanks anon. The tank is cycled and matured. There are 4 dwarf rasboras in there at the moment.

The rasboras are very small. The shrimp won't hurt them, will they?

>>2391886
Amanos and Cherries are pretty small and not aggressive. Ghosts have been known to go after weak fish, and fry.
Just a heads up, Cherries and Ghosts can breed in fresh water, so watch out for that. Amanos need brackish to hatch their eggs.

>>2391889
Thank you. I'd like them to breed. Think I'll go with cherries because amano shrimp just don't look all that attractive to me.

Is it true that crystal shrimp are very hard to keep alive by the way?

>>2391869
Stop buying shitty diseased fish

>>2391893
Crystals are expensive, and require really tight water parameters. They don't do well when their water quality dips at all, don't like even minor temperature swing, and they want slightly acidic water.(6.6 to 6.9 ph) Definitely not a beginner shrimp, although they are WAY prettier.

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>>2391904
I think I interrupted their secret meeting

>>2391899
Thanks again. My water is acidic anyway, one of the main reasons I got the rasboras. I'll start with cherries then.

>>2391800
That is a fake fish from skyrim

But it resembles a guppy

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It's feeding time in the Guppy Colony. babies are about a week old and already about 1/2" to 3/4" long. Baby brine and daphnia really do the trick.

>>2391950
Where did you get that deku tree deco

>>2391874
>more exotic than cherry shrimp
Neocaridina shrimp come in different colors than red, and the others are nearly as hardy as cherries.
Yellow and blue neos are pretty popular, but there are also black, brown, orange, and rili shrimp that come in all of those same colors.

>>2391960
Not him, but it's from PetSmart.
petsmart.com/38219.html

>>2391960
Like >>2391965 said. I got it from PetSmart.
I glued java moss to the eyebrows, mustache, and head. It gives my friends a scare when they come over and see the face before anything else.

>>2391874
>who's kept goldfish alive for years before
kek

>>2391873
There's different grades of black diamond sand, so you might've had a grade that was larger. Mine was like very fine sand.

>>2391867
Yep, I hate light colored substrates. Fish shit shows up so easily on it. I have white sand in one of my tanks and I have to meticulously gravel vac it or it drives me nuts.
Anyway, I'll take a closer look when I can, but it's always felt really soft to me.

>>2391867
I swapped from gravel to black sand and my cory cats couldn't be happier. I outright see them digging deep into the sand looking for snails and bits of whatever. When I had the gravel, they wouldn't rummage much.

>>2391800
If you mix it with an egg you can breathe underwater.

Hey guys, I unplugged my filter so I could clean it, and when I plugged it back it it didn't turn on, what's the deal?? It's a Fluval Power Filter, and it was running just fine before I cleaned it.

>>2392019
>>2391867
How would you tell if sand did have sharp edges?

>>2392530
Run your hand through it. If it's smooth, it doesn't have sharp edges. If it's rough, it has sharp edges.
Think of it like comparing beaches. Some beaches are nice to walk on, and some are a bit less comfy.

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Just bought a heater for my neon tetras. What should I do so that I don't shock them with sudden temperature changes?

>>2392463
Take the U-shaped intake tube off and poke at the impeller with some tweezers or a stick or something. Fluval always have that issue.