# andakin's aquarium



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Welcome to my journal.

I used to be an aquarium enthusiast. Lately, I've lost the passion for the hobby. I hope creating a journal will help bring the interest back.

A little bit about myself. I got into this hobby probably 10 years ago. Like many, I started off with keeping bettas in small jars. The addiction grew on me really quick. I'm sure many of you can relate. My bedroom soon became my fish room. I had more tanks and jars than I had time for. I was somewhat successful at breeding but the time commitment was too much for me to handle. I eventually downsized and gave up on keeping bettas all together.

At this point, I had moved onto keeping community fish. My first community tank was a used 90 gallon. I took the advice of many and looked for a used set-up and buy the largest tank I could afford. This certainly paid off as I am still using the tank today.

My first community fish were that of the typical beginner, guppies and tetras. I would go to the stores almost daily and buy lots and lots of guppies and tetras. I was such a lousy fish keeper. Most of my fish would die within a few days. That didn't stop me from buying more and more fish. At the time, I had no idea what the cycling process is.

In addition to having a overstocked and un-cycled tank, I was faced with ick. At the time, it was the most stressful thing ever. I tried medication, I tried salt, I tried raising the temperature, nothing worked. I lost all but a few fish. This has caused me to once again quit the hobby. Now that I look back, having ick is not the end of the world. It can be easily treated.

About five years ago, I got the urge to start up my tank again. This time I am armed with new information and learned from my past mistakes. I missed owning a tankful of guppies and tetras, so I started off with that again. I was really happy to learn I was able to keep them alive. After a while, my tank was stocked/overstocked and I found myself with nothing to do. Like a video game, I was finished. 

Not wanting to lose interest, I ventured into keeping a planted tank. This is probably one of the most challenging aspects of the aquarium hobby. There is so much to learn and so much to do. After a long learning curve and many bumps along the way, I am very content with my planted tank.

Sorry to bore you with my history. I will start posting photos and updates to this journal as new things happen.


----------



## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

cant wait to see some pictures of your pretty fish!


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Thanks. My tank is no where as nice as it used to be.

As mentioned in the original post, I am going through a phase of losing interest for the hobby. It's quite sad. My regiment of multiple water changes weekly and daily nutrient dosage became non-existence. In the last three months, I have not done a single water change, I just topped it up every other week. I have stopped dosing my tank entirely and my co2 system has been empty for months. I went from feeding twice daily to once every other day. My filter has not been maintained in several months.

I understand this behavior is unacceptable. It's just so hard to keep up with the maintenance when I've lost the passion for the hobby. I hope this self-public-shaming will get my act back together.

I think I have lost about 10% of my stock from the neglect. I am surprised it wasn't worst. 

I used to get excited and looked forward to plant maintenance. Watching them grow to the top and hacking it back down was a lot of fun. Needless to say, I just stopped maintaining the plants as well. Even with no ferts or co2, my hygrophila continued to grow, and eventually it took over the entire tank. It grew so dense that it looked like a rainforest. The fish were choked out with no room to swim. The hygrophila blocked out a lot of light causing the rest of my plants to suffer. I lost all my staurogynes, pogostemon, vals, limnophila, and ludwigia. My remaining plants managed to stay alive. I still had lots of new growth, but the leaves were ugly and was nutrient deficient.

This confession is kinda therapeutic. I hope I can find that spark again.


----------



## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

I feel you!...as much as I hate to say it, my life doesnt really have time for my 8 bettas...I can luckily still manage weekly water changes, but its much harder to keep my 2.5s since they are more demanding.

thats a bummer about your plants, sounds like you lost quite alot.....I really hope youre able to re-find the spark that your needing.


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Aww Andakin  So sorry to hear about that. I've dealt with that horrible feeling before of just letting things burn around you, its not fun and it's definitely one of the hardest battles to wage with yourself. I hope you can find that spark again and get out of this rut.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I was determined to take on the challenge of doing a planted tank. My tank started off looking scraggly. It was tough just trying to keep the plants alive. I remember almost pulling out my hair because of the constant algae battles I had to go through. It took a long time before I got the hang of things.

I used to take lots and lots of photos. Here is a mini timeline of what my tank used to look like:


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

What was that tall, crimply plant in the back corner?


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

The name of that plant is aponogeton longiplumulosus. I don't think it has a common name. It comes in a bulb form, almost resembling tulip bulbs.

I had a cool experience with this plant. Within the first few days, it sprouted a stem-thing for flowers. That piece took less than 24 hours to grow 2 feet tall; I'm not exaggerating. Foolishly, I tried to raise it above the water and provide it with support so it can bloom a flower above the surface. But it dried up and snapped off. I could see the premature purple flower inside the bud. It hasn't tried to produce anymore stems for flowers since.


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Oh wow, that's really cool. I may have to look into that plant sometime.


----------



## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

I love aponogeton, they really do grow that fast its crazy ....I wish mine had been krinkley like that though...mine has only flowerd once aswell :-/ it was climbing up the hood of my 5gal lol


----------



## Axeria (Feb 6, 2015)

Amazing tank! Really green and pretty  *Subbing* ^_^


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Here's to more self-shaming.

I also have a 29 gallon tank that's been neglected. It's a planted-low-tech set up. I originally got this tank for my lone betta but he has since passed. Right now it's housing Peacock Gudgeons and Bristlenose Plecos, and Nerite Snails.

I can't remember the last time I did any kind of maintenance to this tank. My last water change must have been three months ago. I've only been topping up the water. I am surprisingly lucky that not a single fish died.

Anyways, I finally got around to doing some maintenance today. There was gross beard algae growing on the glass and green-blue algae near the surface. The java moss had taken over the entire tank. I threw it all out because it didn't match the layout of the tank. The moss was also trapping a lot of fish waste.

See below for a photo of the amount of fish waste that had accumulated. I know it's a lot. But before anyone freaks out, the Plecos in there have always produced a lot of waste. Most of it is from the digestion of the driftwood.


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Love how you set up the driftwood in that tank, I'm sure it will look great again after some work. I also remember why I don't want a pleco xD

Really wish I could come down and help you out, you helped me out so much when I needed it. Plus I really like scaping and maintaining tanks lol


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Thank you for the offer of helping out with my tanks. I'm sure you're not being serious.

I hope I didn't deter anyone from getting plecos. These BN Plecos are not all bad. They are the best cleaners I have ever owned.

Plecos producing a lot of waste is an understatement. If I only knew how true that was, I would've limited myself to just a few. These guys are rapidly eating away at the driftwood. It wont be long til the driftwood needs replacing.

Here is an older photo of the BN plecos. I have a variety of Albino, Super Reds, and Long-fin Super Reds. I have since re-homed some and will probably look to re-homing more.


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

If I had a way to get down for a visit I would. Lol I'm pretty bored here. Wow that is a lot of plecs xD


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Went to a local fish auction today. I didn't buy as much as I would've liked. I came home with:

4 Peacock Gudgeons. I already have some but I couldn't resist getting more.
2 Large Crypt plants
2 Hiding caves

I also took a few photos of a few fish that were competing in the show.


----------



## Axeria (Feb 6, 2015)

Congrats on new fish! they are cute!  I *LOVE* Axolotls! I really wish they where legal here! ^_^


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Nice! I really want to go to an auction some day.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

My aquariums have been uneventful lately. This is just a quick update for anyone that is interested.

The new Peacock Gudgeons have settled in just fine. They have since colored up nicely. I highly recommend these fish for anyone looking to stock their community tanks.


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Such pretty fish. Looks like you did some cleaning, how is your other tank looking?


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Thanks. The 29 gallon is starting to come together. I've been keeping up with the maintenance. My tanks are actually getting water changes instead of just being topped off.

The 90 still needs work. Although a bit bare, the plants are starting to recover. The fish probably appreciates the extra open space for swimming. I will post a update real soon.


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Great to hear! I'm still being lazy about taking the dirt/sand and ten tons of snails out of the 15g. Actually its probably a good thing because then I can't use it as an excuse to get more bettas. Going to be weird enough trying to get through the border with 8...


----------



## SiameseFightingArt (Jun 17, 2014)

Subbing.


----------



## DaytonBetta (Feb 4, 2014)

Interesting fish! How big will they get?


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

The peacock gudgeons you see there are at full size. I would say they are larger than a neon tetra but smaller than a guppy.


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

that small? I thought they were like betta size if not bigger.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I've been slowly working at my 90 gallon. It's still not where I like it to be but it's starting to come together.

I accidentally stumbled onto something. During my months of neglect, the water level would at times dip 6" below the top. But that didn't stop the hygrophila from growing. It continued to grow above water. The immersed growth produced leafs much larger than the submersed growth. What shocked me most was that it even bloomed flowers!

I started a project several months back to see how tall I can grow rotala. I stretched it out today, and I would approximate it to be 8ft. The bottom half has lost all of its leafs and was covered in aglae. Although it would continue to grow, I made the choice to toss it out.

I still had a huge wall of rotala in my tank. I spent hours and hours combing it and picking out the scraggly parts to discard. Some of the stems are reaching 4ft long. I'm undecided if I want to hack down the entire wall and wait for fresh new growth.


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Wow that is so cool  Glad to hear things are starting to come together for you


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Ya. Growing immersed is neat. You should give it a try with your hygrophila.


----------



## DaytonBetta (Feb 4, 2014)

Wow! That is a wild tank. The fish look quite happy!


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

I'll have to, first I need it to start growing better lol.


----------



## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

your plants all look so lush!


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Thanks.
The photos are a bit deceiving. If I zoom in on some of the plants, you'd see obvious signs of deficiency and some are covered in algae. I hope to correct this in the near future.


----------



## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

hey, alteast your tank isnt covered in blue/green "algea" -__- im really hoping I can get this situation dealt with soon!

I bet yours will look 100% better in no time! just gotta keep up the hard work right!? haha


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

It's been a very long time since my last visit to the LFS - probably 6 months ago. I was in the area today and figured I'd stop in.

My food supply was running low, and to my surprise, the exact food I was after was on sale. They had a massive 2.5kg bag (5.5lbs) on sale. The unit price was too good for me to pass up. I have enough food to last a very very long time.

I also picked up three Bamboo Shrimps for the 29 gallon. These are some of the coolest freshwater shrimps. They are dull/brown right now but will color up green in good conditions. I will post more photos of these guys after they've settled in.


----------



## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

I love all your tanks. They look so lush!

And lucky about the sale. I usually have the opposite happen... Go in the day after. -_-


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I've been MIA for quite a while. Well, I still lurk around the forums here and there.

Since my last update, about a dozen peacock gudgeons have died. I dont have an explanation for what happened. It's such a bummer because they were the centerpiece in my small planted tank. I've been on the hunt for replacements for quite some time now.

I went for a new theme in the 29 gallon low tech planted. For the most part, it's housing veggie-algae-detrius eaters. With the exception to a single clown loach for snail control. Right now, I have lots of bristlenose plecos, otocinclus, flower shrimps, ghost shrimps, and a few nerite snails.

My opinions of otocats have changed. I used to think they were very over-rated and fragile. But, that's because I never provided them with the right environment. They are doing much better in the small planted tank without any aggressors.


----------



## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

great photos!


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I love otos, have a love-hate relationship with nerites-love the male hate the female STOP EGG LAYING ON MY NICE DRIFTWOOD!!! Wish the girls were smart enough to know eggs won;'t hatch in fresh water so don't bother laying them... 
How many otos do you have? 8-10?
What is you filtration/flow rate for that tank? I know bamboo and their shrimp that feed via water column filtering with their little 'hairs' like a lot of flow.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Same here aqua! I had an olive nerite once. She covered any surface she can find with eggs! In the end I switched her out for a little horned nerite.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I used to hate the look of nerite eggs. After a while, I just accepted it. Although my tank is completely covered with eggs, my eyes just filter them out. I hardly notice them anymore.

I put in 18 otos in this tank. I think one or two is unaccounted for. When they were in my 90 gallon, they were never active. They just stayed in one spot, usually on the glass. But in this tank, they are very active and swimming all over the place. They even attach themselves onto the shrimps and snails.

I am running a somewhat overrated canister. It's an older 305 Fluval. Some of my shrimps camp in front of the outflow, while others scavenge the ground for food. It's a nice mix.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I decided to try something new today. I fed my fish mushrooms. I'm not sure if it's common or even safe as I haven't done any research.

The plecos don't seem to like it very much. Maybe if I give them more time, they might give the mushrooms a try.

The otos on the other hand seem to love the mushrooms.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I enjoy shooting photos of this tank. Especially at night. The tank is right next to my bed.

I didnt find any information about feeding mushroom to fish. Please let me know if there are any concerns. I woke up this morning and all of the food have been consumed.

I caught the plecos giving the mushroom a try. They don't enjoy it as much as the otos though.

I also captured a photo of a oto riding a shrimp. This is the biggest and nicest shrimp in my tank. He has colored up really green when compared to the other ones.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

As long as its well rinsed before going in the tank I don't see an issue. Onions, leeks cabbage, and some other veggies foul the water if left over night, my old leopard pleco loved brucelsprouts but they made the water nasty, had to do a huge water change after feeding.
Also cute oto on shrimp photo ([censor] thats a big shrimp!), I have an old photo of a baby snail on a shrimp's head (from last year spring)
Entitled "I has a hat":


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Cool photo. I wanted to try cherry shrimp in my tank but they'll either get sucked into the filter or eaten.

I'm not a fan of 'pest' snails. It's one of those things that we learn to accept in the planted hobby.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

andakin said:


> Cool photo. I wanted to try cherry shrimp in my tank but they'll either get sucked into the filter or eaten.
> 
> I'm not a fan of 'pest' snails. It's one of those things that we learn to accept in the planted hobby.


I don't mind them they clean up dead plant matter, missed food, and algae. 
You can make a filter 'sock' for your intake to protect shrimp
DIY:
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=245289&page=34
Have this on the canister intake pipe of my husband's 12g long (has a large unintentional cherry shrimp colony-they were tossed in as food (5 originally) and the dwarf puffer would not eat them.. was probably near 200 counting all the babies last chem I gutted and replanted the tank. Anyways never found any in the canister filter with that sock on the intake.

As for getting eaten: super densely planted tanks help,large blobs of moss also are good (shrimp hide in and forage for micro fauna that grows on it easily). Aside from that it depends on how badly your fish want to eat the shrimp.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I have a nice looking porous sponge designed for the filter intake. I guess I just don't want cherry shrimps bad enough. I also can't justify the pricing for the shrimps. They are cost the same as a oto, maybe even slightly more.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I noticed one of the flower shrimps is holding eggs. I'm doubtful they'll hatch though. I read somewhere that they need brackish water. 

I just wanted to share a couple photos.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Well at least they are comfortable eiught to want to breed, so that's good^^


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Thanks. I've really been babying the 29 gallon. Lately, it's been getting 5 to 10 gallons water change daily. 

I'd be ecstatic if 100s of babies hatched. I can dream.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I'm finally gonna try to get my 90 gallon back into shape. I've really been neglecting this tank. My co2 is back up and running. My lights are back on at full strength. I'm gonna start dosing again.

During my time of neglect, I've lost a lot of plants. I miss my aponogeton longiplumosus most.

I've been doing a lot of thinning of plants lately, mainly to get rid of unhealthy leaves. Dam, were my plants unhealthy.

I hacked down the hygrophila that's in the center because it's way overgrown with unhealthy leaves. The immersed growth has been troublesome and not that appealing.

Here is a photo of what it currently looks like.


----------



## ThisDragonisNerdy (Mar 28, 2015)

I'm glad your tanks are doing better! They look really pretty now. What do you think the otos like in the 29? Because I want to have them someday. I think the algae-eating theme is cool! ^.^


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I think I'm at 24 otos in my tank, maybe 30 with a few MIA. 

My opinions of otos keep flip flopping. One day, I'll say they are boring, and the next, I think they're the best. You should give them a try and see how you like them.

The algae-eating theme in my tank isn't meant to be functional. I still clean my tank and remove algae covered leaves. 

Fish that aggressively eat algae, in my opinion, are starving. I made this mistake with my BN plecos. I hardly ever fed them when they were young, and as a result, they're probably stunted. I now feed, community pellets, cichlid pellets, kelp wafers, and a variety of real veggies. Both the otos and plecos enjoy the variety.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

It's been a long time since I introduced any fish into the 90 gallon. I used to have a nice school of congo tetras, all but three died. I picked up a couple of small congo males today.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

No quarantining?! Hope you trust the lfs you bought them from.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I don't trust the lfs or anyone's fish to be disease free. Blatantly speaking, I'm just a lazy person. 

I''ve gotten tetras that develop funky bumps, and otos that develop fuzzy fungus. But sometimes that stuff doesn't show up for a month. I'm just not patient enough to leave them in a QT tank for that long.

There was a period when I was losing up to 3 fish a day. I've always managed to bounce back, even with the worst of outbreaks. I'm pretty lucky in that sense.


----------



## ThisDragonisNerdy (Mar 28, 2015)

Woah. :shock: Thats alot of otos. They seem pretty adorable to me, and when I get the chance I'm defnatly trying them out.
I figured; I just liked how you did all bottem-feeders.
Wow! They have a whole buffet! I just drop in algae wafers and sometimes zuchini for my single BN pleco. :roll:
Oo! I love congo tetras- I really want to try them out someday.
Yeah... I don't quarentine either.  I should but... I kinda feel like my mom wouldn't let me. Plus, I'm not exactly sure _how_ to go about it. Do you just leave a tank running all the time for when you need it? What I want to do is have a sponge filter in my 29 and be able to transfer it to a quarentine tank when I need it. Do you need a big tank? Or would, like, a 2.5 work??


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I don't have much to offer as I've never quarantined. It sounds like you got the jist of it. In its simplest form, it's bare bottom, cycled, heater, filter. Leave the fish in there for a couple of weeks and observe for sickness before introducing to the main tank.

I think decor and gravel is kept to a minimal or non-existent. I feel that an environment like that will stress out the fish, especially for fish that are skittish.

Now, I have a question for those that quarantine. Let's say a fish in the qt brings in something nasty like columnaris or other fungus and parasites, do you have to rip the qt tank apart and disinfect everything?


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I started using qt tanks after a suspected columnaris outbreak from un-quarentined fish. The tank they went in was left fauna-less for over a month (as I've read it can live that long without a hose). Refused to scrap and clean as I has a few hundred $ worth of plants on/in it. For qt tank is one brings in disease that kills all after everything gets bleach cleaned, filter media tossed ad new meida cycled (harvest partial media from a few cycled filters). If a fish died from disease or unknown the qt timer is reset-4 week minimum without death). But this is just how I do things, its not a "must follow" protocol. I was very sad when I lost my betta Arist'oto' to columnaris form new fish added un-quarantined, so I don't want to loose a favored fish again.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

A quarantine tank sounds like it can be just as much work as a regular set-up. We are talking worst case scenario of course.

Another problem I see with qt tanks is if I buy fish periodically (which I used to do). Say, I buy a new fish and put it in jail. The next week, I see something I like, I buy that too. If I put the recently purchased fish into the qt, wouldn't that reset the duration of the original fish?

Although quarantining can drastically reduce chances of transmitting diseases, it's still not 100% fool proof. Fish will get sick. Bad things will happen in the aquarium. It's just a part of the hobby I've learn to accept and deal with.

For me, a better application of a qt tank would be to separate sick fish from the main tank for medication. I really should practice what I preach. The fish in my tank are too dam fast and there are too many plants in the way.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from quarantining. It's a great preventative measure.


edit: I should really gather all my thoughts before posting. I just thought of another reason why quarantining would be ineffective for me.

I'm really into plants. Can plants also carry disease?


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Anubias plants can carry a disease commonly called "rhizome rot" I've lost 2 batches of a couple hundred $ worth of anubias to the disease (and refuse to buy from certain people/sites because of this now). The disease typically shows itself with in a moth if not sooner. Buce is a close relative of anubias and rhizome based so theoretically it could have the disease too but I've not hear of a report of that yet.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

There is a vampire shrimp in the 90 gallon that's I've been trying to fish out for quite some time. I was finally able to do it today and moved it to the 29 gallon tank with the rest of the shrimps.

This shrimp is huge; even larger than the flower shrimps I own. It's quite mean looking too. Too bad it's skittish and never comes out of hiding.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

The 90 gallon is beginning to come together. It's been a week now that I started to use both light fixtures and added co2. I haven't seen my plants stream/pearl in a long long time. It's a nice feeling. I know it's not an indicator of much, but it's a start. The stream of bubbles normally escape through damaged leafs.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I was just at a fish store and saw that white cloud minnows were sold as feeders. 100 fish for only 20$. It's a bit upsetting cuz these are great fish. I guess that's why they call them the poor man's tetra. I personally find these to be better looking than the traditional neon tetras. What a shame.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

The fish store had a couple of large clown loaches at about 6" each. I've seen very large ones in person, but never ones for sale. I immediately took pictures and messaged my friend. She has an obsession with this fish. She told me to pick them up for her, regardless of price.

Anyways, the fish had no prices written on the tank, so I asked a worker. He went and checked with the manager and came back with a price that was very cheap. I was expecting and willing to pay a lot more. What a deal.


This fish is much bigger in person.








Everything looks smaller in photos. The fish were packaged in bags bigger than anything I've seen. The bag must've weighed at least 20lbs.








Safety first!


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

It's a bonus that they look so heathy. I want big fish, but first I need a big house. i get so envious when those people who keep big friendly fish start petting them in the water. 
bettas are cute, but I don't really get any satisfaction from petting a betta, petting a larger fish is just so much more substantial feeling. lol!


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Large community tanks are lots of fun. Every betta-only keeper should try it at least once. I used to have the mentality of bettas, bettas, bettas. I didn't care for anything that was not a betta. After making the jump, I enjoy both sides of this hobby.

Petting a fish sounds weird, but I'll admit to this guilty pleasure. I had a RTBS that would not leave me alone during tank maintenance. Not to sound perverted, but this fish liked to be stroked. I would curl my fingers into a tight tunnel, and he loved swimming through it. Anyways, enough of that.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Aww! Nom Nom!


My dream 55gal Aquarium will have panda garras. Lots of panda garras...


----------



## SiameseFightingArt (Jun 17, 2014)

Ahhh~All my favorite fish <3 I dream of having a large aquarium so I can keep a Red tailed shark! Love how your boy is nibbling you :3


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Glad they didn't cram the loaches in those tiny bags. I love wcmm, I have a dozen in my 20g long, plan to buy more when they're on sale (would be cheaper to buy from you/your store (my store charged $2.89 each! wtf?!) and pay shipping though.. but don't like priority mail fish in summer with the heat). I love watching the males display ('flare') at each other and they always come to the front when I'm near. Wish I could find a cold water centerpiece fish that wasn't a jumper (open top riparium) for their tank.
I enjoy petting bettas but you have to be so gentle so you don't push them around. I've had my otos land on my arm and cherry shrimp 'clean' my hands before.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I still don't fully understand how to tell the different fish apart. I've seen variations of WCM, WCMM, Royal WC, Longfin WC. They all look the same to me.

That was my second time seeing WCM sold as feeders. It annoys me so much. I'm somewhat okay with guppies sold as feeders. I can, to some extent, understand the use of betta culls as well. Perhaps I'm a fish-ist.

Are there any fish that actually REQUIRE live feeder as their staple? I've never kept any predator/monster fish. Perhaps there are.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

they're generally called white cloud mountain minnows (WCMM) because they are minnows originating from the white cloud mountains in Guangzhou China  Sadly there's not much left there.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Perhaps they all originated from WCMM, but I've seen stores label the different varieties as Royal, and Longfin. That would explain the prices ranging from 0.20$ to 4.00$.

I used to have a school of about 20. Two years later, I'm left with 4. If my tank wasn't already so overstocked, I'd get more. I wish all of my tetras would just die. I know it's not a nice thing to say but I'm getting so bored of them.

I had no idea that they were endangered in the wild until you mentioned it.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

They're extinct in the wild  And very under appreciated in this hobby!


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Not quite extinct. But then again, this article was written in 2009.
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=2022


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

well, they certainly wont go extinct in this hobby! They're so prolific. We have them in a small outdoor pond in Australia and they practically thrive on neglect.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

What temp where you keeping the tank at when you had the minnows? They like very cold water (57f to a max of 72f) and thier lifespans are shortened when kept in warmer waters.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

The WCMs go right into my community tanks at 78 degrees. I treat them just like any regular community fish. Unethical? Perhaps.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Just a quick update on the new congo I got last week. This little guy is gonna eat himself to death. Look at the size of his belly.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Slowly but surely.

I just wanted to show the new growth of the hygrophila. This entire section was hacked down and completely removed. I saved a few stems and kept re-planting since. Here is what it looks like in less than two weeks. Lots and lots of healthy new growth.










I bought a bunch of crypt balansae recently. It's become one of my new favorite plants. I hope I can grow this nice and straight.








Here is a overview of the tank. Once the hygrophila grows in, I plan on hacking the entire wall of rotala on the right to get new healthy growth as well. I'm hoping to do this in two weeks.


----------



## ThisDragonisNerdy (Mar 28, 2015)

Yes! It's looking good! See what some work can do?
Jesse.That congo is HUGE! :O


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Thanks. It's actually been a lot of work; but it's the enjoyable kind.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I picked up more otos at the fish store today. There wasn't anything I particularly wanted. It feels awkward leaving empty-handed, so what the heck, more otos it is. With the new additions, I think I'm at a total of 28 otos now. I'm notorious for overstocking. I go through phases.

Doesn't it suck when you pay for six fish, but only receive five? This isn't the first time it's happened.


----------



## ThisDragonisNerdy (Mar 28, 2015)

"It feels awkward leaving empty handed" EXCUSES!! XD Lol
Sheesh, that would be annoying. That's never happened to me, but that's probably because I'm breathing down their necks when they're getting the fish. XD Plus the guy at the store I go to nowadays is actually into fish-keeping. So he pays attention.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

otos! I feel like doing the same with my pygmy cories, need to curb my overstocking itch. I know my tank can handle a lot more but this summer heat makes for some really unhappy catfish.

I came into this hobby experimenting with what I could fit into a 1 gallon, planted, no filter, non heated, 2700k 25watt cfl... Gosh what was I thinking back then. But thanks to that i know full well the capabilities of a planted tank. 


I go between phases too. sometimes I'm just happy keeping snails and shrimps. Sometimes one betta, and other times I just want to go all out and stock with a stash of micro fish. Soooo bad... When I get bored I give my fish away and start over with the stocking. It helps to know locals who have big tanks!


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I need to limit my visits to the fish store. I feel obligated to buy everytime.

For most community fish, I don't care for 'picks'. I just tell them the number and let them do their thing. For instance, it's weird asking for individual picks on tetras when they all look the same.

I don't believe in the fish per gallon rule. The relationship is definitely not linear (an increase of one gallon should allow for the increase of more than one fish). There are many other factors to consider as well, with the main ones being water change and filtration.

I made a thread of the different species of fish in my tank last year. At its peak, I think I had in excess of 200 fish. Most of them were small tetras mind you.
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=484042


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

What size was that tank?


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

That's a 90 gallon. In my opinion, a 90 gallon is the optimal size for 'large' aquariums. If there is one advice I can give to someone looking for a 55 gallon, is to skip it, and go for a 75 or 90.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

My friend made a video of the loaches I helped pick out last week. She has a youtube channel with a fair amount of subscribers. Please subscribe to her channel.

The larger, plumper, (better looking one) didn't get showcased in the video. I think it just recovered from a case of cloudy eyes. I'm sure she can nurse both fish into shape in no time. They could use a lot more meat on their bodies.

Ohh, if you watch the video, you'll notice a small clown loach with 4 stripes. I was lucky enough to find it at a store and gifted it to her.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQKg_XiLaXZ23lxQzOKegwg


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

It bothers me when people exaggerate the size of their fish. They say it's 6 inches, and when I go and see it in person, its barely 5. I guess it all depends if you count the tail or not. This just happened to me when I bought a few roseline sharks from someone online.

Ayways, here is a photo of the largest clown loach in my tank. I would say it's conservatively just over 3". It has a really thick body with lots of potential. It has more black than it does yellow, which is not very common. Any more black, and I'll be calling it a RTBS.








Here is my four stripe loach. Finding one is like finding a four leaf clover. I have so far been able to find three at the local fish stores. One was gifted away, and other died.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I visited a fish store today that carries mainly high end fish. They had lots of discus, arowanas, plecos, and cichlids. Many of those fish cost more than my entire set up. I clearly don't know fish as well as I thought. I wanted to take more photos but I hear the owner doesn't allow it.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

A photo of my BN pleco hard at work. This is a must-have for any community tank.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I've been wanting to start a shrimp tank for quite sometime now. Just been too lazy and cheap to get around to buying a set up. I'm undecided on the filtration.

Anyways, I have a bunch of spare fish equipment stored away. Just as a test, I put together a 2.5 gallon tank with a large hob that's rated for up to 70 gallons. I'm surprised that it somewhat works. The flow is a bit strong, but it's not terrible. The only downside is that the noise. I remember now why I hate hob filters so much.

I've considered underwater/internal filters. I'm just not sure if the shrimp will get stuck.

As much as I hate it, my only other option might be a sponge filter. It will definitely have to be powered by a powerhead -and not a airline pump. I can't stand any amount of noise. If someone can recommend another type of filter, please share.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

As per my friend's advice, I wrapped a mesh filter around my internal filter's in take and secured it with rubber bands 









I'm not sure how well it works yet 

I love how giant that HOB is compared to the little tank. lolol


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

The jumbo hob on that little tank is amusing, must almost double your water volume! You can put foam/sponge media over the outflow to reduce current and put foam under it where it makes contact with the tank to muffle the sound a bit. Cleaning out the impeller and where it inserts into the filter can also help reduce noise.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Thanks to both for the tips on filtration.

I'm still so undecided! Now I'm debating on getting a ADA tank and a small canister filter. This project is starting to sound expensive. I haven't even considered lighting and substrate yet.

http://angelfins.ca/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=28215&products_id=144

Current Satellite fixtures cost almost twice in Canada. Finnex was the only affordable lighting, but it's no longer available in Canada. If someone is nice enough to order one and ship it to me, I'll pay you back via paypal. Please please please.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

did you contact finnex directly and ask? or... ebay?


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Finnex can't sell their lighting units to Canada (I know why). I'm not sure if they disclosed it publicly or not.

I was unable to find the new 24/7 model on ebay. Even if it was, the third party vendors charge a premium, and in addition, I might have to deal with the hassle of paying duty fees.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Oh 

do you just need someone to order it on amazon for you and send it to Canada at the check out?


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I'm looking for someone to order it off amazon, have it shipped to their address. Once received, ship it to Canada. I understand trust is a two way street. I'm even willing to put the money upfront so that the person helping will not be exposed to any risk.

That said, I still haven't made up my mind on what I want to do. I have a almost brand new 65 gallon tank and stand sitting around unused. I could always transfer everything from the existing 29 gallon into that. I'll still need a new lighting fixture though. I can then use the 29 gallon for a shrimp tank.

I can never make up my mind. I was hoping to one day use the 65 gallon and turn that to a saltwater setup.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I can probably do it for you? I think shipping option at the check out will allow me to ship to your address...? If it's possible, that will probably make things a whole lot easier.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Some products will not deliver to Canadian address. Else, I would've taken that route. It's nice to know the offer is there. 
As mentioned, I'm just throwing some ideas around on what I want to do with the tank situation. I change my mind every day. But if you're serious about helping, I'll get back to you once I make up my mind.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I see, Well I got right up to the button to place an order using my friend's Canadian address, and it didn't stop me. Does the warning come up later? 

I know you haven't decided on tje lighting just yet, this is just for my own curiosity really. The information might be useful somewhere down the road


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Ignore everything.

I just tried to order a the 24/7 from american amazon. It does work. For a 90.53$ fixture, they only want 16.75$ in shipping and 12.13$ in duty fees, bringing it to a total of 119.23$ which is not too unreasonable. It sucks that the Canadian dollar is not worth anything right now. 

I just hope there's no hidden fees upon delivery. I remember having to pay 40$ in addition to shipping for a phone I ordered online.

I already submitted the order. Time to cancel until I can make up my mind on what I want. =D

Thanks for the offer again.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Yay! glad it works! 
*dances*


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

andakin said:


> Ignore everything.
> 
> I just tried to order a the 24/7 from american amazon. It does work. For a 90.53$ fixture, they only want 16.75$ in shipping and 12.13$ in duty fees, bringing it to a total of 119.23$ which is not too unreasonable. It sucks that the Canadian dollar is not worth anything right now.
> 
> ...


Enjoy the multi months of waiting for a new shipment to come in to go out to the buyers


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

It's in stock and available for shipping right now. When I submitted my order, it provided me with estimated shipping date, which wasn't too long.

edit: I was ordering the 30" or 36" fixture. The smaller ones are out of stock.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

andakin said:


> It's in stock and available for shipping right now. When I submitted my order, it provided me with estimated shipping date, which wasn't too long.
> 
> edit: I was ordering the 30" or 36" fixture. The smaller ones are out of stock.


Ahhh kk I thought they were all out of stock.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Back to daydreaming about my next potential tank...

Does anyone have experience with using ikea cabinets as aquarium stands? The employees at the fish store always warn that ikea products can't support the weight in the long run and encourage you to buy their stands. Sales tactic? Perhaps. Their stands are always overpriced and for the most part, ugly.

I understand that 1 gallon of water is roughly 8lbs. The tank I'm looking at a 17 gallon tank, weighing about 150 lbs, give or take.

I have in the past placed a 10 gallon tank on my bedroom drawer without any noticeable bowing.

This is the stand I'm looking at. It's nice and sleek with nice big doors. Awesome dimensions too.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I've been wanting to replace my large red tail black shark that died a few months ago. He was definitely my most personable fish.

I picked up a very small red tail black shark a few days ago. I tried acclimating it, but he jumped out of the bag and into the tank a few minutes in. Oh well. 

He was not the best looking fish when I first got him. His colors have really perked up since. I was really hoping to get a female because I like the larger, plumper look. I think I ended up with a male. He always swim around with his dorsal fin erect like he's gonna attack. So far he's been really friendly.

Anyways, last week I saw a large RTBS at the store that was nearing 6 inches! He was super cheap too, only 10$. I wanted to buy him so badly, but I'm afraid of its temperament. No one drops off a mature RTBS if it was docile. My friend's RTBS even kills cichlids. If he's still there next week, I might bring him home. I know two RTBS shouldn't be housed together. I hope no one calls the fish police on me.


----------



## ThisDragonisNerdy (Mar 28, 2015)

Oh, he's cute! I like RTBS, but my current tank isn't vary suitable for them.. someday, someday..


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I woke up this morning with a surprise at my door. My amazon package arrived! 

I was fed up with paying for expensive root tabs. I ordered some Osmocote Plus and gel capsules. I hear this stuff is probably just as good as the commercial ones by seachem and API. Time to go all out and root tab my tanks away! Is possible to over do it? I've always been very conservative with root tabs. But if it's cheap, why not?

In addition, I bought a breeder box. I have no idea why though; it was just an impulse buy. It might come in handy one day.

Some of my fish are in the 5 to 6 inch range. The tiny net I have at home can't catch anything. I decided to buy a big 10 inch net. It's perfect for catching small fish too.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

The tedious work is done! I feel like such a drug dealer assembling the capsules. I made the mistake of ordering too much fertilizer or not enough gel capsules. I used less than a quarter of the 2lb bottle to fill 250 size 0 capsules. I should've order the size 00 but that wasn't available for free shipping.








Anyways, another photo of the otos pigging away. I fed them just regular community pellets this time.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Ooh! May your plants grow lush and green haha.

The humidity got to my capsules and made the gel casing warp. I ended up tossing them out *cries*


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

My bn plecos have been acting strange all day and now I know why. Eggs! This guy has been guarding and fanning them all day. Sorry I couldn't get a better photo. It's shaded and he normally covers the eggs completely.

I've provided caves for them to breed in, but of course, they choose to do it on the driftwood where I can't get to. Normally, they breed in caves and you just transfer the entire cave along with the father to another tank. Oh well. 

I don't expect the eggs to hatch. However, if they do hatch, I won't be putting in any additional effort to raise them. The small 29 gallon is overstocked as is. It's not even supposed to house the amount of fish I have in there now.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

After repositioning the light fixture, I was able to capture better photos. The eggs are much larger than I thought they would be.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

mmmm caviar!!!

was what I though, lolol!

it looks like you have some super red BNPlecs? do they breed?


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Caviar, or mini grapes.

The plecos have been in my tank for just under a year now. Most were just the size of tetras when I first got them. It's neat that these guys can breed at just a year old.

I do have Super Reds. I much prefer those. I hope they will someday breed for me too. Then again, what the hell am I gonna do with a bunch of plecos? If I'm successful, I'll most likely give them away locally.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I think I would breed just for the sake of seeing irresistible cute fishy babies wriggling their fishy butts around 

Congratulations on the eggs! I think it's so exciting!


----------



## SiameseFightingArt (Jun 17, 2014)

Hmm apparently the parents thought you weren't overstocked XD. Eggs are always interesting ^^ Maybe you can get a few bucks out of them? Who knows. Lol.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

The 29 gallon is definitely overstocked. I have close to 30 otocats, over a dozen plecos, and alot of shrimps. The biobload in that tank is probably just as much as my 90 gallon tank that's overstocked as well.
I'm just happy I got eggs. I hope they hatch just for the fun of it. I can't wait to get home and check on them.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

andakin said:


> The 29 gallon is definitely overstocked*. I have close to 30 otocats,* over a dozen plecos, and alot of shrimps. The biobload in that tank is probably just as much as my 90 gallon tank that's overstocked as well.
> I'm just happy I got eggs. I hope they hatch just for the fun of it. I can't wait to get home and check on them.


Do you sit and watch them periodically school/swim as a group? I love it when my 5 do that. I saw a video on youtube of a huge tank with a HUGE oto count, they all swam around as a mass it was quite interesting to watch! Very different dynamic from having just a few otos. Sadly I can't find the video now though :c


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I some times see three or four swimming around playfully together. For the most part, they just lay on the bottom of the tank or hide in the plants.

I'm not sure if you're referring to this video. It's in a foreign language though. During the first minute of the video, you can see a tons of oto cats, along with a ton of everything else.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

andakin said:


> I some times see three or four swimming around playfully together. For the most part, they just lay on the bottom of the tank or hide in the plants.
> 
> I'm not sure if you're referring to this video. It's in a foreign language though. During the first minute of the video, you can see a tons of oto cats, along with a ton of everything else.


you forgot to link the video ^^


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

... because I'm an idiot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaODCvXlBuM


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

andakin said:


> ... because I'm an idiot.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaODCvXlBuM


No worried, I brain fart plenty.
That's not the video I saw but its interesting.. watching it all I can do is think just how much $$ was thrown into making that happen x.x


----------



## ThisDragonisNerdy (Mar 28, 2015)

Ha ha, I can tell your getting attatched to those BN eggs. How are they doing?


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Just providing a quick update...

I've been trying to do some research but I'm having a tough time finding anything detailed. Much of the information online is very general. I read that the adults do not cannibalize the eggs or the youngs. This is great news because I won't have to set up another tank.

The first time father has been hard at work guarding and fanning the eggs. He's been fending off other female plecos that keeps checking up on the eggs. I think they're looking to breed as well.

During feeding, the male is very hesitant to leave the nest. He swims out briefly, changes his mind, and goes back to guarding. Poor guy. Good thing the eggs are housed in the driftwood. He can eat that if he chooses.



He refuses to move aside for me to capture a better photo.








I suspect this is the mother. She is the only female that's no longer plump.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I'm so confused as to what just happened. I just came home from a late night out and saw this in my tank:








The male let a female into the nest. Not sure if it's the mother or another female. I was repositioning the light fixture to capture the photo better and spooked her away. Stupid me.

I've read that it's not uncommon for a male pleco to breed with several females, even days apart. Good news is that the original eggs are still there. I'll check for any additional eggs whenever the male moves aside. It's right now day 4 into the original batch of eggs. If he just fertilized another batch, it would mean an additional 4 days of work.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Some of the eggs have hatched! I'm so excited. I really hope I can keep them alive.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

This update is going to be heavy on photos. My apologies if the photos are repetitive or if this is becoming too much of a spawn log. This being my first experience with plecos, I'm a bit excited.

The eggs took five days to hatch. Here is a time lapse of them:





































Here is a zoomed in lapse from day 2 to 5. You can see that a few of the babies have broken out of their eggs on the 5th day:






























I was watching my tank as I normally do when I'm bored and saw an egg fall out of the nest. Upon closer inspection, I was able to see a tail wiggly around. I was surprised that they had hatched.

From the information I was able to gather, the father normally traps the newly hatched babies in the nest until they've consumed their egg sacks. This normally takes up to another 5 days. Since this spawn didn't take place on the ground and in a breeding cave, the father will probably not bring the babies back up to the nest.

I'm nervous about leaving the newly hatched babies lying on the ground. I watched one get trampled by a large flower shrimp. What I'm afraid of more is the ghost shrimps in the tank. I've seen them eat up to 5 pellets of food in one feeding. They can easily eat the newly fallen babies.










I'm so glad I bought a breeding box a week before the spawn. I had no idea why I bought it but I'm glad I have one now. The newly fallen babies have been transferred into the box. I'm still very undecided whether I want to disturb the nest and transfer all of the eggs/babies over.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

*ignore this


----------



## ThisDragonisNerdy (Mar 28, 2015)

Wow, this is exciting! I hope you manage to successfully raise some babies! I wonder what they'll look like, so young..


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

awwww! look at that little egg sac! I'm soo glad you're going to try and raise them


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

It is indeed an exciting time. It looks like I'll have my hands full with raising the fry. 

I witnessed the same male spawning with one or two other females last night. There are two new clutches of eggs in his nest. The father is gonna work himself to death if he doesn't eat soon.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Photos of the babies. They are so cool looking!















This photo is my favorite.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

*dies of cuteness* i think it's unfair that baby animals get to be so darn cute!


----------



## ThisDragonisNerdy (Mar 28, 2015)

OMG!!! They're SOO cute!!!


----------



## SiameseFightingArt (Jun 17, 2014)

They're so cute  Are you planning to successfully raise them?


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

They are indeed very cute.

I'm not sure if I'll be successful, but I'm gonna raise them to the best of my efforts. It would be cruel otherwise.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

If you are concerned about the male consider secluding him to a separate tank with no females for a few weeks/months to recoop before letting him get back to starving himself fanning eggs.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

It's probably a good idea to lock away that promiscuous male. I'll figure something out after the two new batches of eggs hatch. I was thinking of throwing him in the 90 gallon but am afraid that I won't be able to fish him out after.

I think I might buy another breeder box off amazon and jail him in there to recoup. I can't speak highly enough of this box. It hangs on the side of the tank and the tank water is circulated by an airline.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

that's the marina breeder box right? I love those, but apparently they don't hold in shrimp very well  hope the little ones don't find an escape route once they start navigating on their own!


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I've always use mesh boxes in the past and I don't like them.

The breeding box I'm using now is indeed by Marina. For those that don't know, the set-up is very similar to a hob filter. Water gets drawn up from an intake and overflows back to the tank at the other end. It comes with two grates of different sizes. At first I had no idea what to do with them as I never read instructions. They fit on the outflow to prevent small fish from sneaking through. Maybe some shrimps are too small or that they climb over the grate.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

It turns out that I have a mix of albino and non-albino plecos from the original batch(es) of eggs. This has me scratching my head.

I don't know the first thing about genetics, but I remember doing some research about betta dominant/recessive genes many years back. I'm not sure how this translate to albino genes with plecos. Maybe someone can shed some light. Either way, I'm happy with whatever I get.

The male albino is housed with albino females and "Super Red" females.

I think, but I don't know:

Albino x Albino = Albino
Albino x Super Red = ?
Maybe it will bring out the dominant gene of the original brown bristlenose pleco?


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Maybe the albinos don't breed true? I don't lnow anything about genetics either... just throwing the possibility out there


----------



## ThisDragonisNerdy (Mar 28, 2015)

I know nothing about genetics; just popped in here to say, yet again, how ADORABLE those little squirts are.
~mumbles Almost makes me want to get a male BN Pleco to "see what happens"- No! I can't think such thoughts! ;-) :lol:


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I've been focusing too much time on the 29 gallon pleco tank.

Today was all about making love to the 90 gallon. The tank is long overdue for an algae scrub. The algae problem in that tank is giving me a headache. I can't keep it under control. I'm gonna try cut the lighting intensity by half to see if that will help.

My crypts are completely covered with algae. Lots of leaf pruning to do over the next few days.

The hygrophila has really taken off. I was a bit optimistic and thought they would grow to the top of the tank by now; maybe, next week. I still can't wait to hack down the rotala. It's looking ugly and growing weird.

















Water changes on this tank is a lot of work. I still do it the manual way and run back and forth with buckets. I really need to invest in a python or a garden hose.
















My tank is already overstocked, probably to max. In addition to Siamese Algae Eaters, and the True Flying Foxes, I picked up 4 Reticulated Flying Foxes to complete the collection. I won't be buying any more fish for a long long time.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

andakin said:


> Albino x Albino = Albino
> Albino x Super Red = ?
> Maybe it will bring out the dominant gene of the original brown bristlenose pleco?


I just did some more research and confirmed my guess to be true.

[Albino x Albino] will produce Albino offspring.

[Albino x Super Red] will produce the regular Brown variety, but they are carriers of both recessive genes. Depending on how the next generation is bred, they have the potential to produce Albino and Super Red offspring. That said, the brown variety isn't very popular. I don't know if I want to raise them anymore. The dilemma.

Worst of all, I will now have to set up a new tank to separate the two types of plecos in the current tank. I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to that. Why is life so hard?


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

andakin said:


> I just did some more research and confirmed my guess to be true.
> 
> [Albino x Albino] will produce Albino offspring.
> 
> ...


You could re-home instead of doing a new tank. Less $ and time taken on your part. If you don't want to raise the undesirable fry they should still be small enough to be food for the 90g big fish (or do they have the hard hide and spikes already?). Sorry if it sounds cruel but just saying you don't have to do things the hard (and expensive) way.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Aqua Aurora said:


> You could re-home instead of doing a new tank. Less $ and time taken on your part. If you don't want to raise the undesirable fry they should still be small enough to be food for the 90g big fish (or do they have the hard hide and spikes already?). Sorry if it sounds cruel but just saying you don't have to do things the hard (and expensive) way.


I really like both the Albinos and Super Reds. I hope the Reds will breed for me one day. The two varieties need to be separated because I don't want any more Brown offspring. Not to sound fish-ist, but the common Brown plecos are just meh.

There is still a few Brown plecos swimming around the tank and a few still left in the nest. I won't be transferring them to the breeder box. If they survive in the tank, then great. I don't think it's cruel to feed them away, especially when they're still young. What will most likely happen is that I'll raise the batch this time and rehome them later on.

Just as a side rant, there are no shortages of people on my facebook group that will accept free fish. If it's free, they will accept it with open arms even if they can't provide the proper care.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

So, this just happened again. It's a never ending cycle. I was debating on temporarily removing him from the tank after the last batch hatches. I even have a second breeding box prepared for him. Now, I'm thinking of just leaving him in there and let him do his thing, even if it means non-stop nest tending. Will he work himself to death?


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I want to say he's stop and find food before he die of starvation but I'm not so sure...


----------



## SiameseFightingArt (Jun 17, 2014)

Yeah I would remove him to make him stop breeding...


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I swear, the females are just throwing themselves at him. They force their way into the nest and just lay their eggs and expect them to get fertilized. It's almost equivalent to male rape.

So, I finally did it. I moved him to the 90 gallon. I feel so bad about it though. He's just moping around in the new tank. It's probably for the better.

I moved as many babies as I could to the holding box. The grate separation is an awesome feature. The first and second batches of babies are separted.

The free swimmer are kept tightly together. They should have no problem finding food.






















The younger babies that are still consuming their egg sac are kept separate for now.








There is still a handful of babies left in the tank that I'm just gonna leave in. I want to compare their development. So far, the ones that are left in tank appear to be slightly larger.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Long story short; I now effectively have two Fluval FX6's. I got a hold of a used FX5 and replaced it with a new FX6 motor. The extra filtration is awesome!

Here is a look under my tank:


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

for the 90g right? Did you pull some media from the running filter to put in the new one t speed up BB spread? Or just letting it build up on its own over time?


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

This is indeed for the 90; temporarily at least. I still haven't decided if I want to set up a third tank even though I have everything. I'm gonna have to make up my mind soon as I have about 70 pleco babies that are quickly outgrowing the 29.

As for the new filter, I'm undecided on what media to use. It might stay with the 90 permanently. Right now, it only has sponges with three empty compartments. Should I fill it with ceramic rings or just add more sponges? I feel I might have enough biological media in the first filter. I'll save about 40$ if I cheap out and use more sponges.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

IMO sponge media is good for BB and catching gunk BUT it does clog/reduce flow over time (how long depends no bioload/decomping food and plant matter sucked into the filter). My HOB was all sponge/foam media for a while and I forgot to clean it.. and had quite mess as water spilled over it and I lost 5+ gallons to the floor before my husband caught it. Bio balls/ceramic media is great for BB and doesn't kill flow with 'clogging' (doesn't clog like a filter jam packed full of sponge) and cost more... If you want to get cheap but effectives get (non detergent infused) mesh scrubber (obviously not the metal ones) usually come in multi packs for $1:









I see these used a lot in sump systems.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

There's just something about pot scrubbers that I don't like.

Anyways, I decided to buy some proper bio media for the filter. I have a coupon for 25$ off on a 100$ purchase. After the 4 boxes of media, I still needed more stuff to reach the total. So, what did I end up doing? More fish. I know it's a terrible idea as my tank is already overstocked to the max. I ended up picking up 6 roseline sharks that I didn't really want. They were on sale for a really good price.










There was a new worker that gave a customer some false info. The customer wanted to buy 3 Flying Fox that were less than 2 inches. 

Customer: I don't want big fish. How big do these grow?
Staff: They don't grow much bigger than what they are now.

I normally keep the myself at the fish store but I turned my head and spoke up. 
I told him that the ones in my tank are probably 3x that size. He didn't believe me and questioned if what I have was the same species. To which I replied, regardless of species, all Flying Fox can potentially grow very large.


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I finally got around to hacking down the rotala in the 90 gallon. It's always so much fun.

















This is what I threw away after replanting a few stems.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

andakin said:


> This is what I threw away after replanting a few stems.
> View attachment 619361


What the...You could have sold that! Made a few gallon size bag packages and gotten some decent $!


----------



## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Not to sound like a snob, but the hassle of wheeling and dealing plant clippings isn't worth the effort. I normally give the clippings away free to whoever wants them on facebook. This batch of rotala was substandard so I decided to throw it away.


----------

