# DIY Filter Journal



## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

*The Built-in DIY Filter*
_Disclamer: the following was written almost a month ago. As I was waiting for the aquarium I needed to come into stock I didn't want to post anything as there was a risk it could take weeks, I didn't want to find that this topic was left seemingly abandoned while I waited to be able to make progress._

I wanted to start this journal to document a mini DIY project I’m attempting. The project is to modify an aquarium and build a filter into it; by doing this I hope to maximize swimming room for the aquarium’s future inhabitants and keep things as aesthetically pleasing as possible. The manner of filter I’m creating will offer minimal amounts of suction and water agitation whilst still offering superb filtration and so it is, in my opinion, ideal for a betta tank.

The entire project is somewhat more complicated than it honestly needs to be but complication keeps my mind occupied for longer, it also allows me to check for flaws better (in my opinion at least) should I ever reattempt the project on a larger scale. My planning allows room for mistakes but should this entire project fall through the aquarium I use will still be functional.

This project is centred on a 30 x 30 x 30cm glass cube that holds approximately 27 litres (5.5 gallons) of water, it will be Kaze’s future home. The cube is the exact same size as Echo’s (my other betta) and is a very attractive tank, it is also much larger than I originally thought (I believed it to be between 21 and 24 litres but this has since been proven false) and is at a size I am completely comfortable with. Once this project is over I will be planting the aquarium and will continue the journal for a brief time to study how well the filter functions.

The filter I’m looking to build is known as a moving bed filter, it’s an extremely simple design that works off the principle of survival of the fittest. The most basic design for a moving bed filter (and perhaps the easiest example used to explain how it works) is a plastic bottle with tiny holes drilled in the bottom and larger holes drilled into the top. Through the cap of the bottle an airline is fed and on the end of the airline is an air stone or an airline “T” junction. Air is then pumped through this; the invading and released oxygen encourages water to be sucked into the bottom of the bottle where it then escapes out the top (similarily to a sponge filter).

Before this can be an effective filter the bottle needs to be filled part way with filter media, many people use ceramic balls or serrated plastic pieces – the more surface area the better. Once the air is flowing freely through the bottle it juggles the lightweight media around, causing each piece to bump into each other. These collisions are believed to force the beneficial bacteria that will form on the filter media to re-establish itself regularly so only the strongest survive. This strong bacteria is then believed to be more effective at consuming ammonia and nitrite than your standardized static bacteria found in non-moving filters with filter sponges.

These filters are often found to be used with koi ponds and fish farms.

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_I made this random diagram in an attempt to show how these things work… I er… hope it doesn’t confuse anyone._

While the project itself seems complicated the actual design is very simple. I intend to use a small sheet of plastic (perhaps styrene or Perspex, depending on what is available) cut to an appropriate size and drilled as required, I will be siliconing this into the back corner of the aforementioned aquarium with the airline and relevant accessories. I suppose the fun is in the planning and taking photos.

I will be using:

* A 27 litre/7 gallon glass cube aquarium
* A sheet of plastic cut to size with appropriate holes
* Geocel brand aquarium sealant/silicone
* Silicone airline tubing
* An airline “T” junction
* Airline tubing grip suction cups
* A random drill

My filter media of choice is known as HEL-X, it is a serrated plastic wheel. I prefer plastic media over ceramic as ceramic will likely break down due to the continuous movement and collisions it would be subjected to.










*I am not, nor will I ever claim to be the one who came up with the moving bed filter idea. I simply think it’s a wonderful filter and wish to utilize it in an efficient and space-saving way. I discovered a video regarding making a moving bed filter on YouTube and thus my curiosity was peaked – you can search for moving bed filters on YouTube to find various videos on how to make your own in a very quick, simple and cheap way.*

One question I may be asked is “why build the filter into the aquarium and not use the bottle method but hide it behind some plants?”, this question is a very good one. My reason for wanting to use a thin sheet of plastic in the corner of the aquarium is to make a narrow corridor leading directly upwards, my hope is that due to this smaller space the oxygen released by the airline “T” junction is spread more evenly thus giving better movement of the filter media. I would also find this corridor a lot easier to maintain should I need to add or remove media as it would lead directly up towards the lid of the aquarium whereas a bottle would need to be completely removed and the cap undone.

_Please be aware that the main "journal" part of this topic was started last month, I decided to hold off on uploading what I'd done so far as I was unsure when I would be able to acquire the second aquarium and didn't want to find I had no updates for weeks after starting._


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

*14th August 2012*
I’ve had the airline and airline “T” junction prepared for ages… as it’s not really that hard to do. I decided to put a small seal of aquarium silicone around where the airline and the “T” fit together just for a bit of extra stability.


























Hooray for critical update!

*5th September 2012*
I never received a phone call from my favoured fish store regarding another cube aquarium for Kaze… but it doesn’t matter anymore.

Today Echo died. He became sick very suddenly, I tried to treat him but it simply wasn’t enough.

I’ve made the decision to bring in the old 54 litre (14 gallon) aquarium for Kaze as I now have space for it. Excuse me if that sounds cold-hearted, that’s not the intention -- I miss Echo already but I try to pull something positive out of a bad situation and in this case it is giving Kaze more room. Focusing on him is helping me through a lot of grief right now, not only due to Echo’s passing; we’ve had a family bereavement as well as other things happening so having a project to focus on keeps my mind off the frustration and pain.

I’m still going to build the filter into the corner; I’ve ordered a piece of acrylic and have everything else I’ll need. As for decoration, Kaze’s 54 litre will be planted. I still have Echo’s old tank set up but I will be reusing his substrate and plants, I’ll sanitize them as best as I can (considering the plants are live); I’ll also be getting some more plants. I’ve got an idea that involves a large Amazon Sword and some driftwood… also going to need more substrate.

For now I can’t do anything else. I’m taking some time to get my head around everything that’s happened today and will need to make some plans. Next time I update I will hopefully have some positive news and new photos.

*9th September 2012*
Finally got the piece of acrylic for the filter front, it's been drilled but needs to be cut down about a centimetre. No photos of it yet.

Last night I started work on the tank itself; I gave it a really good clean out using a high concentration of aquarium salt in hot water then a second scrub using just hot water. Once everything is done I'll need to rinse the tank again very thoroughly with hot water to ensure all salt is gone, that won't be a problem.










After I'd cleaned it (and removed old sticky tape marks from the background I used to use) I dried the back corner and siliconed the air line in, I was careful to make sure that the T-junction was in the right place and at the right height. I used an airline suction cup to attach the T-junction to the back of the piece of plastic mentioned earlier and then fitted this where I wanted it, this gave me a great opportunity to ensure stability and to make sure that the air released by the T would cover the corridor the plastic created.










I should be able to proceed a bit more in a day or two. I'm hoping to get the acrylic cut down just a little more then I can get that put in. All I'll have to do then is let it dry and cure, fill 'er up and test her out. If everything works well it'll then be the fun process of draining the tank, moving all plants and such from my two tanks and scaping.

Kaze is wiggling around like a mad man this morning, maybe he knows.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Oh, wow! Spooks, this is an _AWESOME_ project! Thanks for posting this for those of us who aren't so slick at DIY, lol! I really can't wait to see how this comes out. Kaze is going to LOVE it! Please keep us posted on your progress!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Thank you Chesh :-D Things are gradually coming together! I will definitely update, probably tomorrow (the piece of plastic is the right size now)!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

*10th September 2012*
The piece of acrylic has been cut and is good to go, it now slots perfectly into place! I have four 6mm holes in the top for air to escape out of and six 4mm holes in the bottom for water to be drawn into, I’ll be covering the inside of the holes in thin sponge just to reduce chances of Malaysian trumpet snails getting stuck in there (as the babies tend to go… everywhere).

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I’ve been trying to figure out how to attach the airline T to the back of the acrylic, luckily the airline grips I use have a little clip that detaches from the main suction cup so I will be utilizing that to make the process a lot easier. I’ll silicone the suction cup onto the back of the acrylic, I’ll then be able to carefully manoeuvre the airline clip into the hole.

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I’ll be fitting the whole thing together later today.

_Later today…_
Decided against the sponge along the holes in the plastic as if anything _had_ somehow gotten in it wouldn’t be able to get out, I’d rather the snails be able to get in and leave than get in and get stuck.

So, I siliconed the acrylic into place and all is well. It took a little fiddling, some messing up and some sticky fingers but when all is said and done I don’t think I did too badly considering this is my first time doing a major job using sealant.










It looks a little scruffy but that adds to its charm *cough*. Next up: waiting for sealant to cure (am giving it three days rather than two) and testing the air flow.

My cat was very impressed.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Heehee, I'm with kitty! Impressive job! You've never seen _ME_ try to do anything that involves straight lines and/or sticky substances. . . I _PROMISE_ you - this is a beautiful piece of work! None of the *charm* will really show once everything is all set up and operational, anyway. _ESPECIALLY_ not when we've all got gorgeous little Kaze to look at instead!

Crossing my fingers for the test in 3 days time! I'm sure all will be perfection. . . can't wait for the next step, this is really a cool project!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Hehehe thank you Chesh! Not sure why one of the photos has suddenly stopped working, that's bizarre... it was fine earlier. Hrm, maybe it'll work again later.

I'm trying to figure out how to rearrange all the plants I currently have so I can move them over to this aquarium when everything is ready -- two tanks, loads of plants, one fish and lots of microfauna. Whew.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

All of the images are working just fine for me! Arranging plants - that's the FUN part!








I can't WAIT to see how it all comes out - it's going to be a really nice tank, I think!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

*11th September 2012*
When it comes down to the aquascaping of this aquarium I've had some difficulties visualizing how I want it to be. I have various pieces of driftwood, lots of plants and such but really couldn't figure out how to put it all together.

I went to the aquatics store today to look for more substrate as I wasn't sure if I'd have enough; after a look through the bettas (something I have a habit of doing funnily enough) and discovering their tank full of African dwarf frogs as well as one that housed sea horses I browsed around the plants and the driftwood. I immediately saw a piece of wood that wouldn't be suitable for an aquarium but that was ideal for one of my other animals: my stick insects. I'm looking to see if I can trigger a camouflage reflex in baby _Extatosoma tiaratum_ by filling their enclosure with bark covered in lichen -- that's another story for another time, though.

After picking out the small chunk of bark I discovered a large piece of driftwood with lots of branches, it had no price tag so we asked the gentleman present (who had been helping us with reverse osmosis water), he weighed it but just shrugged and said it was a fiver. £5. There were smaller pieces of driftwood for £15 but I was so taken aback I didn't think to comment, I just accepted -- he threw in the piece of bark for free. I'm in that store regularly and the staff are always so friendly and accepting of me and my tendancies to ramble, I always have at least a brief chat with members of staff about general fish stuff and really feel at home in that store.

I hadn't really realized the scale of this piece of wood until I got home and tried to put it in the 54 litre aquarium. I had to ask my father to saw off a couple of small branches but after I got it to fit we all stood back and were utterly blown away.



























_(Please excuse the state of this room, we've been moving stuff around and it's become a bit of a temporary storage space)_

£5. I just couldn't believe it, it's like this piece of wood was made specifically for Kaze's tank -- I have so many ideas now and can't wait to be able to get started. Just a couple... more... days! I'll give the wood a really good wash down soon.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

WOW!!! That _IS_ a fantastic piece of wood - and _HUGE!!!_ He _DEFINITELY _gave you a good deal, no doubt about it. . .plus the bark for free - he must really like you! (speaking of bark, the experiment with the sticks and the moss you will have to keep me up to date on whenever you get there) You should figure out what his work schedule is and bring him in cookies or something next time you go in as a thank you! It looks_ GREAT_ in the tank, simply superb - you're right, like it was MADE for it!!! 

SOOOOOO. . . what living plants to you have (or do you have any?) and how are you going to set everything up? Are you going to add the sawed off piece in there as well? SO many questions! Are you going with sand. . . Oooooh, Spooky! I am SO excited for this tank!!!

GAH! It's gonna look so NICE in there when all is said and done! HURRY up and DRY, epoxy! I need to know what happens next!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Hehe! I'm not sure how he'd feel about cookies but I could have jumped up and down squealing (that isn't something I do, but I *do* yell across stores about cute frogs)! Lovely idea, mind you. I'll also be sure to tell you what happens with the baby sticks once they hatch -- both lichen wise and in general.

The plants I'm going to use are from both fish tanks and are as follows:

Anubias nana 
Cryptocoryne nevelli
Cryptocoryne willisi
Egeria densa
Fontinalis antipyretica
Heteranthera zosterifolia
Hygrophila polysperma
Hygrophila rosanervis
Lemna minor
Ludwigia repens
Marimo moss ball
Microsorum pteropus
Phyllanthus fluitans
Rotala rotundifolia
Süsswassertang
Vallisneris torta
Vesicularia dubyana

I have a feeling I've missed something but I don't remember. To be honest I just copied and pasted this list from my grow list on another site but I know all the above plants are still with me and doing well. I may get some more anubias (I have three at the moment) and java ferns but I'll have to wait and see. I'm also hoping to get a lily or amazon sword of some description but haven't decided yet.

The sawed off pieces of wood will be reintroduced into the tank somewhere and the substrate I'm using is called JBL Manado, it's basically some kind of clay and apparently absorbs and stores nutrients... I think it's pretty; the problem is it's very light and is also near-impossible to create slopes with unless you use LOADS of the stuff so I've had an idea that will make it much easier.

Kaze's tank is home to many Malaysian trumpet snails, it has sand as a substrate... I can't describe how frustrating it is trying to sift through it to get all the snails out (I can't stand the thought of even one being left behind) so I've decided to layer the sand on the bottom of the aquarium near the back and form it into a hill, I'll then layer the Manado over the top -- this will help plants root while giving me that lovely sloping effect that the Manado refuses to create on its own; I also get to keep all my lovely snailies. Yay!

The day I set up the 54 litre is the day I also have to drain the other two. Kaze will spend that time in a heated quarantine tank on my desk so he doesn't get cold or stressed but what I have to figure out is how to do all of this in one day. I'll likely grab all the anubias, java ferns and moss first, get those attached to the big bit of driftwood then work on tearing out plants, bagging them up with water then draining the tanks. I'll have to then get substrate out, bagged up, then move the tanks. I can't sort the driftwood out before this because I simply don't have anywhere to keep it where it'll stay moist.

Whew, it'll be a busy day. I'm hoping to come up with something that'll let me rest for a while between jobs but right now I honestly don't know.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

With fish I've noticed that it always seems to be a process of wait. . .wait. . .wait. . .*HURRY!!!*








It sounds like you've got a great plan all set - hopefully everything cooperates and goes smoothly on the big day. I can't WAIT, it's going to be a fantastic tank! I love your plant list, I'm trying to imagine it now, it'll be a beautiful layout. AND. . . as long as Kaze is a _nice_ fishy. . .you know. . . it'd ALSO be a _PERFECT _setup for an ADF or two!

. . .just sayin' . . .


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

I _had_ thought of that... I just don't know if Kaze is the right fish for them! He hasn't ever attacked decent-sized livestock (I don't think nipping through live plants for microfauna counts... does it?) that I've seen, he flares at snails but only if they suddenly appear above his nose and take him by surprise, then it's just plain funny as he does the charging around the tank with his beard out business before wiggling at the front again.

There's a chance he may have eaten a red cherry shrimp once... I had some a few months ago and everything went wrong so in a ditch bid I put the sole surviving shrimp in with Kaze and never saw it again -- though I don't know if that's a good indication as to his personality as the shrimp was rather small. I _suppppooossseee_ I could keep a tank spare *just in case* it doesn't work out.

-Cough cough-

I'll be doing everything on Saturday. My parents are out all day so we'll get heavy lifting done Friday evening and that'll just leave me to dig right in on Saturday and sleep the rest of the day! I don't know if I'll have enough plants but I'm going to be leaving the tank for a few days before adding Kaze just to check for animals that shouldn't be there (damselfly nymphs for instance, I know there are currently two in Echo's old tank) and to make sure parameters are stable so I can most certainly order more greenery if need be, then I'll just leave the tank for another week with regular water changes to remove any potential nasties.

I've been brainstorming this evening to come up with a plan of action to ensure Kaze is comfortable in his quarantine tank, all _should_ go well... as long as I take it slowly. Oh gosh so excited!


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Heehee. . . well. . . as long as you have something ready should it become a problem, I say you should go for it!!! Really, with the plants and the SPACE that you have in that tank, unless Kaze is a beast, it'd probably be fine - it's a nice big tank for frogs and betta - and you KNOW that I don't usually recommend the two to be kept together, or frogs kept in community in the first place - but with you, and the care you take of your animals, I think it'd be wonderful. And I'm thinking that if the frog(s) were there first, or everyone moved at the same time. . . Kaze would be more likely to take to the change than if you added something to his existing territory. . .

Well, something to think about, anyway! If you aren't ready to do the frog thing yet, that's totally understandable, too. Part of that whole wait. . .wait. . .wait thing 

Can't wait for the water test!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

I do certaintly see your point. I'll get the tank all set up and ensure the parameters are stable for a few days (I have established filter media I can add) _then_ get the frogs (if they're still in stock) and give them a week or so on their own so they can explore all the tank, get used to my feeding schedule and give me a chance to monitor them *then* add Kaze. I think that would work well.

I have a turkey baster so I can spot-feed and also have gel foods, I'll have to look into different foods as I'm not sure if I would be allowed frozen. Must do some more research. 

I'll be able to divide my established filter media in two parts so I can set up an emergency frog tank should anything go wrong.


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## katydidmischief (Aug 19, 2012)

This is a brilliant thread--thanks for letting us follow along with you!


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

YAY! Very exciting!!! I can't wait to see everything all set up. . . and your plan is perfect! So tomorrow is the filter test, right? My days are all confused, lol!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Thanks for the comments you two  Yup, filter test is tomorrow -- very excited. I spent some time today cleaning up the piece of driftwood and getting any bits of string, old moss and such off it. I'm a bit worried that the silicone in the tank won't hold as I've had bad luck before but I can only hope.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

It'll hold!!! *uses mind powers*

Have you soaked/boiled the wood? CAN you even boil it - it's huge! I have a canning pot that my mom gave me that I boil wood in - it's GOT to hold over 5 gallons, it's enormous!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

I haven't soaked the entire piece of wood nor boiled it a we do not have anything large enough to. I've got one end sat in a bucket at the moment (the end with a few old cobwebs) but that's the best I can do, I'm not going to worry about tannins but I've sprayed the entire thing down in extremely hot water a few times and will have another go over this evening to remove dust and other nasties.


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

*13th September 2012*
FILTER TEST DAY! Lots of photos!

This is the aquarium before I started filling...









And this is the filter itself, I was rather nervous about the whole thing as other projects I've done using silicone have had a habit of falling apart.









I gradually started filling the tank up, I decided against filling it right to the top as I wouldn't be able to drain it on my own and I need to clean it out again today so I did about a third of the way in the end.









I stuck the air pump on as soon as I could remember. I'd already attached the pump to the airline and forgot that water could run backwards and into the device so I had to be quick, I then decided to go and rush to the aid of a particular moggy that was outside and wanted to come in.


























-Sulk-

Oh dear...









As you can see above, air only came out of one end of the T. I couldn't fit my hand down the back of the filter so I picked up the aquarium siphon hose and started fiddling, eventually I got a good stream of air coming out of both ends -- that was a relief!

I added some filter media to see if my theory about the smaller corridor being more effective and was utterly relieved to see I was right! Do you see the media dancing around? That's the critical point of this filter, if it doesn't do that then it won't be very effective.



(Note: I used my spare air pump to get this filter going as the more powerful one is currently powering my two other filters so the bubble stream will likely be stronger once the tank is set up.) I don't know if the video recorded sound, if it did and you hear cracking in the background that's one of my cats nomming.

I ran my fingers around the silicone seal that was exposed to water and had no problems so I'm sure it'll hold firm once the tank is finished. I started siphoning water out...










Now empty, I marvelled in the joy of doing the sealing correctly!










No water leaked out :-D

So that's my very disjointed and long update. I can finally start getting the tank bits and pieces together. I've decided against using the sand from Kaze's old tank, I'll just have to siphon through it for snails (I have too many snails to be honest, looking to rehome some) -- this means that the tank will be 10x easier to set up.

I may even start work tomorrow as all I'd need help with is cleaning out the bag of substrate and bringing the heavy stuff upstairs -- the rest I can do on my own.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

HUZZAH!!! This is fantastic news! I'm so happy that everything has worked out perfectly, and that even the kitty was okay in the end. You did a brilliant job! *HUGS* I can't imagine how over-the-moon you must be feeling right now. So . . you're WAAAAAY in my future, if I recall your time zone correctly, and it's already tomorrow there! You'll hopefully be setting things up for real in just a few more hours *SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE* I can't WAIT!!! Thanks for all of this useful information. I might just have to try this someday - you made it look so EASY. Can't wait to see it in action with a tank full of critters. This is going to be one fantastic tank. . .


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Thank you Chesh  Your encourgement has really helped me out -- my joints have been a bit up and down with my illness and I was a fair bit stressed out yesterday... decided to get the substrate "cleaned" so it's really nice to come online to happies. I also saw in your "Becoming" topic that you weren't very well either so I hope you get well soon!!

Now, Manado (my substrate) is like a very large grain sand; it's made up of a type of clay and apparently sucks nutrients out of the water and stores it to feed directly to plant roots; needless to say I've had some amazing growth with it and I had _no_ crypt melt _at all_ when I set up Echo's tank! The problem is... it's WAY dustier than sand.

Imagine pumping nearly 100 litres of water through about 7 litres of substrate and not getting anywhere! I even stuck two of my old canister filters in there and kept them running so as to remove some of the dust mechanically but it just wasn't having it. After freaking out as I thought the tank had sprung a leak we filled it completely and waited, I mixed the substrate around to release dust and then drained the tank little by little using a half-functioning aquarium siphon once an hour had passed and no water was lost via leaks (yay!).

I have no idea how much dust is left but if I don't disturb the substrate too much and plant carefully then it shouldn't create too much of a cloud. I'm considering getting an aquarium coagulant that draws all the dust into balls so that I can siphon them out but I'll have to see how bad things are once I've finished setting up, Kaze won't be going in for a few days (so I can make sure everything is planted correctly and the tank is cycled, using established filter media) so I'll be able to fix it all without worrying about his health.

Speaking of which... I think he's getting old. Kaze is still as hyper as ever when he sees me but his vision seems to be deteriorating. I've never had so many problems with him finding food before, he's also scraped his head. He always had a habit of scratching himself up on fake ornaments which is why I opted for driftwood as it softens once in water but this bump on his noggin and his tendancy to sleep more and not see as well is worrying me. He eats like a pig (when he finally realizes that the food is right above his face) and when awake still moves around gracefully.

I gave him some bloodworms yesterday, the freeze-dried variety. He'd been moved across my room and had a large water change so I wanted to give him something to keep him occupied; he struggled to see the bloodworms... one was curled around in a "C" shape. Despite my concerns about Kaze's vision I couldn't help laughing when he swam up under it, got it stuck on his head like a tiara and swam around with it there for a few seconds.

When I bought Echo he was apparently a year old -- he was tiny, I had him for 4 months and he grew a lot. When I bought Kaze I don't know how old he was but he hasn't grown body-length wise and was very large, I've had him for over 9 months. I'm quite certain that he's at least 2 years old.

With his vision... I'm worried that he won't do very well in a new tank. I'll just have to monitor him closely I guess.

Plans for today: get background on aquarium (external dark fake rock), move Echo's old tank, get new tank upstairs and in position
Plans for tomorrow: everything else


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Started putting the tank together this morning (it's now 3pm) but ran into an issue: the driftwood started floating. It uprooted all the stem plants I'd put in so now I'm just waiting for it to sink. Got most of the plants in there but still have so much to do to finish it... I hope the wood sinks completely over night, the tank is almost full of water and I really wanna get it done by Monday.

After realizing that I'd have a long wait on my hands I decided to make some banana bread... needless to say I'm very satisfied right now despite the setback.

Om nom nom.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

I'm glad that you get such benefit from my comments, but I only tell the truth! I think this project is really brilliant - and both simpler, and more complex than it initially seems (like that even makes sense:roll HUZZAH for leak-free! I knew you could rock it!!! You're so good at this kind of thing! 

I hope you feel better, please be sure to take things easy! You've put in a LOT of effort and energy into this project you'll need to rest and recover a bit after all is said and done, please be careful not to hurt yourself! I get worried for you! I'll be okay, thanks for the well-wishes. Just a terrible cold plus seasonal allergies combined with grumpy and whiny also-sick children, lol. Not a FUN week, but hopefully we'll all be back to perfect health soon!

I've never heard of Manado, I'm going to have to look into that one, it sounds like a neat substrate, even if it doesn't like to cooperate and form slopes! Crypts are such funny plants, I'm really glad that yours has decided to play nice and keep it's pretty foliage intact. I wonder how much the substrate helped with that. . . when I did my 55g tank, *some* of the crypts melted, while others did perfectly fine - I swear, I will NEVER understand those plants! Sometimes I swear they melt if you look at them wrong. Glad yours is doing so well! Hopefully the dust settles all of the way soon, and planting goes well!!! I'm VERY excited to see this tank in it's dress clothes!

Really upsetting news to hear about little Kaze! You must be very distressed by the change in his condition, poor guy! I often target feed my daughter's betta fish when I'm feeding brine or other types of messy defrosted bits. I've just found it to be easier for some reason. Shimmer knows when she sees that oral syringe coming that it's full of yummy goodness. I'm thinking that even a fish that was totally blind might be okay for some time, as long as you got him used to being hand-fed. . . if anyone can do it it'll be you. I know that we can't always know how old they were when we got them, or what conditions they were kept in before that point, but I hope he has a few years of life left in him! I really do. . . the plus side to this is that he might not even notice his froggy room-mates ;-)

So I'm ready for the next update!!!

Rock back-round *CHECK*
Tanks situated where they belong *CHECK*
EVERYTHING ELSE??!!! *CHECK*

Can't wait to hear the news of the day!!!


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Haha, I was replying when you posted this! STUPID DRIFTWOOD! It's ruining all your plans for tank domination *sulks* Wonder how long it'll take that big of a piece to decide to settle *sigh* You could always put a rock on it for a bit until it sinks on it's own - that way you can at least get started with the planting!

Ooooh, Banana bread is awesome! Tell me you have walnuts in it. Mmmmmm. . . Gah, I'm super jealous now! NO fair nomming without sharing!!!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Thank you Chesh  Unfortunately no walnuts in the banana bread, I've never baked it before so I wanted to get the basic recipe down first... though that's a bit contradictory as we had no granulated brown sugar but rather sugar cubes -- I ended up adapting the recipe so I could dissolve the cubes and my word this stuff is soft and moist because of it! I hope my parents like it, I want to make a habit out of baking for them.

Now, I have Kaze's old bit of driftwood and a plate sitting on top of this piece of wood right now and that isn't enough to keep it completely sunk (while small, Kaze's old driftwood is HEAVY)! It's better than it was so I imagine it'll be fine by tonight or tomorrow at the very latest. I'll also want to pick up some more crypts and stem plants, while most of mine are doing okay The tank is just a little -too- bare for me to be comfortable with, I know these things need to grow out but I don't feel as though it'll fill in any time soon.

I'm a bit frazzled due to being on my feet (or knees) most of the day but resting for a bit now is good.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Yes... it is probably a good thing that the log won't soak! You're working too much, and a break with some SUPER SOFT banana bread sounds like just the thing to get you feeling better before the big set up. Setting up a tank - all filter building aside - is surprisingly strenuous and stressful, I'm always surprised by how long it takes, even in a 5 gallon! Enjoy your day 'off' I hope you're feeling recovered and ready to go whenever that wood is


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Thank you. I've gotten a large amount of the plants I have in there, just need to wait now. I'm also considering more pieces of driftwood, I have a chunk in there that I bought with plants already attached; I may see about getting one or two smaller pieces and coming up with something "out of the ordinary" using them.

Hum. Currently watching Kaze sleep... again.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Poor Kaze, I hope he's okay. I guess. . . an almost blind fish would think it is always night-time. . .


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

He seems all right, just a bit slow to eat now... hum.

Note to self: filter will not function correctly unless a top plate is installed otherwise oxygen bubbles just pop at the top rather than be forced out of the proper holes. Simple design error but a pain in the bottom to fix.

Solution? No idea. Need some form of plastic or something that I can shove into the gap... maybe a really dense sponge.

Driftwood still floating but it's the end that I didn't have submerged over night, fixed that this morning and now have a plate plus some branches weighing it down while it absorbs water. Should be fine tomorrow. I'm a bit relieved really as I'm in a lot of discomfort today and don't really want to get elbow-deep in water. Will definitely have to finish tomorrow as I have plants scattered all around my room and no where for my cup of tea!


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

It makes me smile to think of your room covered in buckets and pots filled with plants, not to mention tanks of fish and bugs! You know. . . most girls can't find a spot for their cups because there are too many clothes, or shoes, or glamor magazines! I like you better ;-)

Very sorry to hear that you're feeling bad today, hopefully this afternoon will bring some relief for you. . .:-(

Gah! Fixing unforeseen problems after the fact is a pain in the rear, but I have full confidence that you will figure something out - a sponge sounds like it might just do the trick. Otherwise, there will be more measuring and cutting involved, and that's so much more difficult after everything is all put together.


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Teehee thank you. I've taken a short break from thinking and had a long look at the aquarium -- I actually really like it so far! The piece of driftwood I sat on the big chunk of wood is going to stay, it looks great where it is and a little extra anchorage never hurts ;-)

I've uprooted as much anarcharis (Egeria densa) as I can right now and have it all planted, I replanted a couple of uprooted things as well and it's coming together. I noticed a few pest snail egg sacks on plants that I couldn't get off so I'm considering an assassin snail to help keep numbers in check -- not something I'd honestly like to do (I have a habit of trying to save EVERYTHING) but at least the snails would be being "recycled" rather than ending up dying horribly. I know I can't save everything and I don't know anyone who'd be willing to take "pest" snails (pond snails) but I've got loads of Malaysian trumpet and ramshorn snails to hook out of both smaller tanks as well as two damselfly nymphs (that I've grown rather fond of) that I'll need to consider... the last thing I want is an ammonia spike due to snails (we lost a tank of guppy and platy fry a few years ago due to excess snailage; I didn't understand as I didn't know much about water quality).

Kaze's tank looks bare as I've ripped most of the stuff out of it -- he's also started fin biting again so I'm going to be grabbing some stuff to make his tank provide more cover and hopefully calm him down. I'm considering housing him in the quarantine tank while I wait to finish the big tank as his tank is going to become snail central soon (the remaining substrate in Echo's old tank is going into Kaze's current tank so all snails are in one place and I can hook them out using bait trats, it'll also give me by bedside cabinet back). I don't want the snails to put Kaze under any stress... ooph I also have to rip his filter out and steal loads of the media! I haven't switched his filter off as I don't want the bacteria to die.

I stuffed a kitchen sponge into the top of the big filter, it's helped a bit and I've been told I can grab a second sponge just to block the top off even more. Kitchen sponge is wonderfully dense so it's absolutely ideal. I cut the white abbrasive side off just to be safe.

_(Oh, er, 101 stick insect eggs by the way.)_

I keep thinking about frogs and how well I think they'd do in this tank.... hehehe.

On a bit of a random note: I realized the other day that I'd forgotten completely that I had a Tropical Fish Keeping forum account before my bettafish.com account, I didn't know at the time the two were connected... bummer, that other account has my common username. Oh well.


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Project is being scrapped.

... The tank is leaking from the bottom. It was fine up until today. There's water gradually pouring out of the bottom.

I can't believe this.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

WHAT!!? *BANGS HEAD* WHY!?? Can you drain and re-seal it??? You can't give up! It's going so well! *cries*


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

I heard cracking on and off and didn't know where it was coming from, I thought it may have been from the filter as I'd just stuffed it with media (it clunks together sometimes and makes odd noises) but I saw a puddle by the bottom of the tank and alarm bells went off. I thought at first that it may have been overflow from the filter but it was the front of the tank, not the back. I checked all down the back for water as well as on the surface my table was sat on, no water at the back, it was all at the front coming out of the bottom seal and there was a pretty puddle there to greet me when I finally looked beneath my nose.

As it is the bottom seal that's failed I'm not comfortable at all with resealing it, partly because I can't reach it and also because the weight of the entire tank will be on the bottom and I just don't think my sealing job would cause it to hold.

I took photos of the tank after we'd drained it to a point where it didn't risk smashing the glass and pouring out onto my bed so I could at least show you what I'd done. There was a lot of anarcharis and a few other plants (twisted vallis, "star fern" or something and rotala) up the back. The back right corner was going to house an Amazon sword and you can see some of the floating plants sticking to stuff. The tank looked better filled but I unfortunately never got a chance to take a photo, I was too tired and was actually resting when this drama unfolded.










While the big tank is busted it has also taken away the concerns I had about Kaze living in something of that size. I've tried to look at this in a positive light and so last night we (me and mum) poured our energy together to get Echo's old tank drained, cleaned and scaped using as many old plants as I could. I don't know if it's finished yet as I have a fair few plants left over but as I'm in a lot more pain than I thought I would be today I doubt I can do any more at this point in time.

Yes, I'm disappointed with the big tank -- big time but I also felt that Kaze needed a lovely home asap; his old tank was almost devoid of plants and as I needed to dump Echo's snail ridden substrate into something so I could start bait-trapping I utilized Kaze's old 21 litre for that purpose. I sat the betta in a jug hooked over the edge of his old tank so he'd stay warm while we hauled butt to get the other one sorted.

My dad very kindly sawed off a large piece of the big chunk of wood and mum helped me to tie my non-substrate plants to it. I took a load of stem plants -- a mixture of anacharis and rotala (also threw the twisted vallis in there) and stuffed them in the back of the tank, planting them to the best of my ability with the space I had available. I also replanted my crypts (I hope they don't melt!) and a few other stem plants. I have a lovely piece of driftwood that has java moss, java ferns and anubias on it that created a tunnel in the larger tank so I positioned this (with some effort, I might add) in a way in which I could replicate this.

As we started filling, the driftwood piece began to float so we took it in turns holding the wood down in just the right place (by applying minor pressure) while getting water in, mum then held the wood down for me while I planted. Once done we sat a plate on top of the wood and realized that it wasn't enough, so we sat a measuring jug on top of the plate (guess we didn't hit that "sweet spot" pressure wise) and started acclimitizing Kaze. Once I got him in I removed some floating pieces of media (... they look like pellets and Kaze was oh so fascinated) and fed the little love bug, I then covered as much of the top of the tank in cling film (saran wrap... is it called elsewhere?) with the exception of a gap for air as we couldn't get the tank lid on.

I took a photo last night to show you and while last night I had just had enough (I was tired, hungry and GRUMPY!) I've seen how active Kaze is this morning and he really seems to like his home, it's growing on me too. The photo isn't the best as it was dark and you can't see the full colours of all the plants but meh, I'll get some better ones later.










The moment I got up this morning I went to feed Kaze (as I usually do) and he seemed much more eager to eat and generally relaxed, he sat with a pellet in his mouth for a moment and looked at me like "chill out, woman! I've got it, I've got it"... heh. I took a quick video of the tank and his swimmy-ness to show you, too.

Now... you'll notice I focus on something that has a wiggly butt... that is one of the damselfly nymphs that was in Echo's tank. I have no idea how it got into Kaze's tank but I'm not complaining. I tried to get a close up of it but all you can see is a white line. I'm actually hoping that this critter will be a good indication of Kaze's aggression as it's as big as a red cherry shrimp and very noticeable. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.



It goes a bit dark in places but I'd opened my curtains so the light levels are in flux.

So that's that for now... I'm going to make some chicken and vegetable soup and watch TV for a couple of hours then see if I can muster up the strength to finish everything. Despite the smaller size of the tank (27 litres, so half of the big one) I still want to get ferts. Hopefully I can get to the fish store later in the week.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Girl, I have to hand it to you - you are BRILLIANT at looking at the bright side of things! I would have been so bummed out. . . once again, I really have to compliment you and your entire family, you all work together so well, and I just think it's wonderful how supportive they are of you! I'm sure they had 'better' things to do than to hold driftwood in place and saw it down to size, but they took the time out to help you fix things. As pretty as the cracked tank was, this new tank - even at half the size - is STUNNING! Kaze looks so happy in there, and I'm glad that everything has worked out so well in the end. Hopefully the issues that were worrying you had nothing to do with aging or any physical problems, and stemmed from something else that the new environment will help with *crosses fingers* And. . . even if you weren't really able to USE it, you did put the filter together, and you learned enough from the process that if/when you decide to try it again, you'll be able to fix the few minor issues you came up with and make it better the next go-round! I'm really proud of you! This has been a really difficult project for you, and you've done SO WELL! I'm still sad that it didn't work out, but. . . really impressed at your ability to turn a bad situation into a positive one 

On a random note, sorta:

Kaze looks a lot like my daughter's Betta, ShimmerBlue. Recently - over the last month since Teagan has been in Kindergarten, Shimzy has taken to tail biting, and I don't know what to do! It sounds like your Kaze has the same issues, and that you've managed to resolve them? Please - any advice or suggestions on what we can do? We've been spending as much time in there with him as we can, to keep him occupied without his mistress - but I can't spend as much time in there as Teagan does when she's home, and . . . she'd be heartbroken if we brought him out - he's HER fish. His tank is only 3 gallons, but there are loads of plants in there. I'm at a loss - and new to Betta!

Also . . . OVER ONE HUNDRED EGGS?!!! Wow... what are you going to DO with all of them!?? Do they normally have SO many?!! LOL! Happy little girl, Terra is!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Awww thank you so much Chesh, really. Kaze has been so intensely hyper today, I think he must approve of all the effort. The wood has a bit of mould and gunk going on but daily water changes (just minor ones) to remove that will stop it causing issues, we still have the jug and plate sat on top to stop the wood floating but should be able to remove that in a day or two (or when mum starts missing that jug). I'll be moving in an MTS cleaning crew soon to help with the gunk as snails seem to love the stuff.

Pardon me if it sounds a tad dramatic but I've had eight years of frustration and inability to stay positive, and I'd had enough of it over the last six months or so and really pushed myself; I've learned a lot about moving forward and tearing something positive out of even the most downing and downright unfair situations, it can really make life so much easier even when your physical self isn't so good. Of course it's also good to know when to quit (something I haven't learned yet, I'm too stubborn! :lol.

Bless him, my dad has some real moments but I know at the end of the day he's stressed like the rest of us and just deals with it in his own way. He tries to help me as best as he can and I could never thank him enough for that. Mum is just too awesome for words.

On the note of tailbiting... Kaze used to do it; I actually found a new bite in one of his fins day before yesterday but I think that was due to when I moved him across my room, he had to be cupped (er... "jugged") for a while. It sounds like ShimmerBlue (love the name) misses your daughter! It's frustrating but very very sweet. There could be other causes but if it only seems to happen while your daughter is out of the house then I can only assume that that is the trigger, I mean it sounds like he has a lovely home and gets lots of attention (with the rest of life considered, naturally)... some bettas seem to be really quite tightly strung and the slightest of provocation could trigger striping, biting, jumping out of the tank, flaring or just plain sulking. They're just... like people! :lol: But it's unfortunate.

Does he have any tank mates? If he doesn't you may like to consider using Indian almond leaves, usually available online; they'll tan the water naturally and make the whole environment a little darker for ShimmerBlue and may make him feel safer. Tannins are also believed to have anti fungal and anti bacterial properties as well but they _do_ lower the pH of the water, hence why I ask about tank mates as snails would certainly disapprove of this change although shrimp and the like may love to nibble on the IAL. I'm not sure what else to suggest I'm afraid :-( there may be a trigger somewhere that hasn't been discovered yet but I know how much you love your fish (and by the sounds of it your daughter inherited that!) so I don't think it's anything care related in the slightest, he might simply miss being the star in her day.


Terra's just... BIG! Adult _E. tiaratum_ can lay around 200 - 300 eggs in a lifetime, I was lead to believe this number was 10x that but I'm quite relieved. Going to start selling them soon in batches of 20, then I'll keep some by for the insect nursery. Gaia may start to lay soon but she's so TINY in comparison to Terra I can't believe it! Heh.


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## toad (Jul 17, 2012)

So I just read the whole thread  I LOVE the way the end result turned out, it's beautiful!

Great job, Spooky! Sorry about your big tank, but I'm sure someday you will be able to use that awesome filter design.


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Thank you so much for your comments, toad!

The cut of driftwood still floats but it has started to sink very well. I've also decided to start clearing Kaze's old tank of snails -- now this is the fun part. I'm going to be tearing out chunks of substrate bit by bit and sifting through it on a tray, the snails will then be potted up according to species. Once I've finished I'll get the tank cleaned, refilled (only halfway) and get the snails back in there after a brief headcount... no substrate!

Once that's done I'll start looking to see how many I can rehome. I had a bit of a job getting Malaysian trumpet snails here in England so maybe others can use them, too. Any that are left will be going into Kaze's tank and I'll also be introducing an assassin snail to keep numbers reasonable. 

I tried using a large holed sieve (an old one no longer in use, of course) to sift some substrate and found six snails but this is too much for me to deal with so the tray method should work better.

It's going to be a "fun" evening.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Good luck with your snail sifting! Sounds like a good time will be had by all, lol!

I'm SURE Kaze is very happy in his new tank, and with all of the effort you go to for him! How's he holding up with the changes? Still happy in his new home? Hope that wood settles in quickly - your mom is so sweet! I know that *I* would let my kids use my china to sink driftwood in fishtanks, but it doesn't seem to be the kind of thing that *most* mothers would be okay with, lol!!!

The ability to look on the bright side of things, and to stay positive in the face of hard times is one of those things that is so much easier said than done. Kudos to you for grinning through the worst, it really does have an astounding effect on every aspect of your life when you do your best to find that elusive silver-lining!

Thanks for the advice on tail-biting *sigh* I don't know WHAT to do! 

Terra is just amazing. . . how much does a batch of 20 eggs sell for? I hope you make a mint!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Thank you! It took a while but we got it done eventually, I now have all the snails back in the tank on my desk without substrate. I'll be able to hook 'em out one by one when needed. Mum is going to enquire at her workplace (she works at a school) and see if their biology department want any snails for their tanks.

Kaze is still a wiggle bucket. I'm finding it much easier to feed him as the glass lid comes in two panels, one large one small. The smaller one still fits on the tank with the plate and jug and has a corner cut out of it, I just drop his pellets in there and he finds the easier. He's gotten into the habit of missing the first couple of times but once he gets them he thrashes them around like a dog... I think he thinks they're alive. :lol:

I was quite surprised when mum recommended using the measuring jug but it has worked a treat! I'm hoping to remove it tonight buuuut it's all down to the wood.

And thank you, sincerely. I really never understood why the positive emotions are always the hardest to maintain.

Aff, tail biting is a frustration in itself. I hope you're able to sort it out!!

Because stick insects are so prolific their eggs don't sell for that much, 10 seem to go for £2.50 so 20 would be £5 -- that isn't bad at all actually. I'm hoping to get around £3.50 - £4 per batch (I like being the cheaper choice on the market :lol but we'll see. I'm going to start bagging up and getting listings produced at the weekend. I want to sell the eggs asap after they're laid so there is no risk whatsoever of hatching during transport.

Luckily I have many seed tubes and small plastic bags from when I distributed carnivorous plant seed so that will help a lot!


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## toad (Jul 17, 2012)

How cool! Do you have any baby stick pictures?


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Another round of sorting tiny things, HUZZAH!!!  Got your PM, haven't had a chance to get back yet - busy weekend coming up, but I MUST check in!

Toad. . . I don't think any of Terra's eggs have hatched yet, but I've seen shots of the momma, and she's an AMAZING creature! Hopefully Spooks will direct you to the images when she comes around next. Really neat critters. . . I'm so glad they're doing well!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

toad said:


> How cool! Do you have any baby stick pictures?


As Chesh correctly stated none of the sticks have hatched yet :-( BUT!! I do have two baby sticks of a different species! One of them moulted yesterday or the day before (found the moulted skin on the bottom of the bucket), they're sooo tiny I can't get any clear photos but one is smaller than the width of my thumb whereas the other has finally breached that point.

I'll be getting tons of baby pics once the eggs start to hatch and will also get some of the two of another species once they're big enough.

As for photoage of the adults... (I won't post IMG tags as I know some people are uneasy around insects and I don't want to scare them away if they're stalking this topic xD)...

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx231/Ruyina/Stick insects/CreeperHiQual.jpg - This is Creeper, he passed away a couple of weeks ago and was a sub-adult, due to moult

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx231/Ruyina/Stick insects/TerraSizeComp.jpg - This is Terra, my adult egg laying beast before she started laying eggs (she's even bigger now)

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx231/Ruyina/Stick insects/Firma3.jpg - This is Firma, Terra's mate

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx231/Ruyina/Stick insects/GaiaNew.jpg - This is Gaia, my gorgeous little lady

And I DO have a photo of the baby sticks! I just found the link heh, it's very blurry but you can just about see a line by my thumb, that's one of them! http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx231/Ruyina/Stick insects/P1010545.jpg



Chesherca said:


> Another round of sorting tiny things, HUZZAH!!!  Got your PM, haven't had a chance to get back yet - busy weekend coming up, but I MUST check in!
> 
> Toad. . . I don't think any of Terra's eggs have hatched yet, but I've seen shots of the momma, and she's an AMAZING creature! Hopefully Spooks will direct you to the images when she comes around next. Really neat critters. . . I'm so glad they're doing well!


Hehe! I'm hoping to go to the aquatics store this weekend and discuss ferts so that's as busy as my weekend will get :lol: Hope yours goes well!

OH! Mum's workplace offered to take all the snails! YES! I bagged them up last night (tried to separate them into two bags: one with Ramshorn and Malaysian trumpets and the other with bladder snails) and I have my DESK BACK! Woo!!

I tried removing the jug and plate from the piece of driftwood today... removing the jug may be possible but the place _has_ to stay for a fair while yet... at least the wood is finally sinking!


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## toad (Jul 17, 2012)

Wow, those are beautiful animals! They look like something from a fairy tale  Too cool! Thanks for sharing!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

They do and you're welcome 

Unfortunately it looks like Gaia is going to pass... she fell this morning and for some reason couldn't get up... she also took a tiny chunk out of my hand and it took some force to get her off.

No idea what's going on with that animal, I've always had suspicions that she was produced via parthenogenesis (where females clone themselves to create fertile embryos) as she's so small and partially deformed and now I'm convinced as she's really just.. collapsed.

I've done nothing wrong, done everything right and she's just being bleh!

On a lighter note... Kaze = still hyper happy fish.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Oh, poor Gaia.  I didn't realize that the ones that were born from females alone were. . . not as good as those that came from eggs. Hmmm. I hope your hand is okay? Doesn't sound like Gaia was being very nice to you *ouch* Poor girl. BOTH you and her. It's so sad, Spooky, but at least you have beautiful Terra, who is so strong and HUGE and faring so well. How is her manfriend doing, by the way? With that many eggs to fertilize, I imagine he's a very happy. . . erm. . . bug. :-D I REALLY have to get by your blog  Any updates there yet?

HUZZAH for Kaze!!! I'm SO glad to hear that he's doing well. It's going to hurt when he goes, he's such a lovely fish, and with you for so long now. So . . . have all of the issues you were concerned about cleared up in this new tank? It sounds like he's doing astoundingly better than he was!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Gaia had a lot of strength in her and stayed alive a day longer than I thought but she passed away night before last. I'm sorry I haven't offered many more updates about them and the aquarium but I've not been sleeping well at night and am feeling a bit down at the moment.

I didn't realize when I first got into stick insects that parthenogenesis caused pieces of the insects genetic code to go AWOL. Another friend of mine discussed it with me and having not heard of it before I did some research. Quite shocking.

Terra and Firma are the ideal insecty-match, I believe. Not just personality wise but their genetics seem really, really strong so this should help strengthen my stock a bit (that sounds a little bit cold but I can't think of a better way to word it). Having issues selling eggs as I'm not sure what I need to do to sell them legally on eBay, there are a few policies I've been reviewing but generally I'm confused. I've got them advertised elsewhere but I don't see me having luck there.

I'm hoping to update the blog today in a little while, I've also started work on the main site itself (getting the betta care section finished first).

Kaze scratched his head a little bit again. Silly boy. I want to do a water change today and siphon all the snail dirt out but can't cope with it right now, probably have to wait until this evening but it _will_ get done today. The plants are growing in well, too. Haven't gotten around to picking up any fertilizers, will probably give it a while or ask for some for my birthday... aff I don't like getting gifts, makes me feel guilty. Eh, we'll see.

Once my muscle spasms go off I should be able to get some more work done on the website which will be lovely.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Sorry to hear, love. I hope you get back on a restful schedule. It can be so difficult to keep a positive attitude when you aren't sleeping well. Everything seems more difficult when you aren't well rested (for me, anyway - and I NEVER sleep, so I'd know!)

How odd. . . I wonder why things evolved that way? It seems strange to me. . . if the species is able to self-propagate when males aren't available, you'd think these insects would at least be. . . viable? Do you know why it is? lol, does ANYONE?

Poor Gaia. . . I'm sorry to hear it, but I'm so happy for Terra and Firma. I can't wait until their eggs begin to hatch. Praying for strong babies to match their parents. I hope all the ones you send away will find good homes, with people who care as much as you do about them. They're really amazing insects.

Please take care of yourself, dear. Kaze is in a newly set-up tank, but cycled, and with so much plant growth, I'm sure he'll be okay if he's a day late for his weekly water change. YOU ARE MOST IMPORTANT! And if your health goes downhill, who will they have to care for them. Be careful, and try to rest *hugs* I CAN wait until the next update - take your time! I suppose. . . there is another place to talk of bugs, as this thread was about the filter, and that is over with. Until the NEXT time, anyway! ;-)


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

I usually sleep but am never truly refreshed (a side effect of my illness) but last night and the nigh before were different levels of frustrating heh. Oh well, maybe tonight will be better!

I don't understand why parthenogenesis causes genetic discrepancies either, it makes little sense. I guess it really is a "last resort" reproduction mechanism inthe wild that is just more observed in captivity... or something. I don't really know.

Yeah, we buried Gaia with Spectre and Creeper. I cleaned Terra and Firma's enclosure out today and hooked out another 7 eggs which is nice, I'm also hoping and praying for strong babies. I've got a few carnivorous plants I'm looking to sell so I'll get those sorted before I start selling eggs, should give me more time to rest and read about eBay's policies again.

Hehe. I was able to do the water change with the help of mum (bless her soul) and it only took 5 minutes, also took the plate out. The wood is still floating a tiny bit but it's safe now and won't uproot anything.

It's interesting, I have a moving bed filter in Kaze's tank that is running like a dream so I would assume that the filter I built into the other aquarium would have worked just as well (if not better). I love these things, so relaxing to watch.

Thank you for your support


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## toad (Jul 17, 2012)

Sorry about Gaia, Spooky


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Me too :-( but the future will be brighter.

I've come to the conclusion that the piece of driftwood in Kaze's tank will never sink. It started to float quite badly overnight and the only thing holding it in place is the larger pane of glass that functions as the lid. I'm going to see if I can get another piece of driftwood or some sort of rock that I can sit in just the right place that will be a permenant feature to the tank to keep the big bit of wood down.

I was hoping to get photos today but my camera's battery is dead and we don't have any others at the moment, gotta put these ones on charge.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

lol, it does seem like that at times - especially with the big, thick pieces - they can take weeks to full saturate. It'll sink. . . sooner or later! Looking forward to the new shots!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Ohhh I hope sooo!!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

I've been having problems getting the site to load. Bleh! Oh well, all seems okay at this point in time which is great.

Just took a new photo of Kaze's "Yggdrasil". You can actually see just how much the wood has yet to sink but I'm going to see if I can find something natural looking to place across the branch at the back (that seems to be the necessary point to apply pressure).


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Haha, that's so awesome! It really _DOES _look like a giant tree, though I feel that if it were supporting multiple worlds, the darn thing would_ SINK_ under the weight  I love the tank, looks like Kaze agrees!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Hah. I'd quite like for it to sink so maybe that's what I should apply to that back branch, eh? 

In a moment of seriousness though that'd be so cool! A HUGE aquarium with a giant piece of driftwood in the centre that looks like a tree, with a few small 2 gallon bowls on the end of each branch with some shrimp or something in.

Oh man.

Want!


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

*giggle*

One day, Spooks. . . that will be your grand project! And you will make it look AMAZING, I just know you will!!!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Woo! Either that or it'd make a fascinating watercolour painting (been trying to get into painting recently as it doesn't require a heavy hold on the paintbrush). Hmm!!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Right, I'm going to call this the last post in this particular journal as I'm running out of things to update about. I can't thank everyone enough for their support and general advice and awesomeness.

Kaze is doing very well but his age is beginning to show, his eyes are gradually clouding and he's resting more and more, he has also scratched his back again and I don't know what on. I'm absolutely 100% certain that the aquarium is safe for a betta, the driftwood has no sharp pointy bits and the plants are all fine so I can only assume that it is Kaze himself doing the damage somehow, maybe he's just not seeing things well... I don't know.

I have considered moving Kaze to a smaller aquarium with no driftwood but I really don't want to do that. I'll give it more time, maintain water quality and keep a very close eye on him. If he gets any worse I'll have to see about something more suitable (or just rip the driftwood out and put something else in there).

The driftwood still floats. If I end up unable to continue using it in the fish tank I'll yank it out, see if I can bake it then sit it in my room as a necklace rack or something... not quite the right purpose for such a lovely piece of wood but if Kaze's hurting himself on it and it won't sink then there's no point keeping it in the tank.

I do believe that it is entirely possible for the wood to sink in time but seeing Kaze hurting himself more and more I'm beginning to get very concerned.

Regardless of his back scratches and other problems he's still a very happy and interactive fish. He continues to jump for his food and when he isn't resting he is exploring and being a general goof. Right now he's trying to settle on a leaf of anubias that is half emerged... d'oh.

:lol: Love this animal.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Ahhhh, Kaze. . . such a wonderful little guy. He's lived a long and happy life with you, it's sad to hear that he's starting to show his age, but does make me glad to know how well cared for he is. I can understand why you'd want to take the wood out if it's causing him harm. Perhaps at a later time it can be put back in - it really is a gorgeous piece, and suits that tank so perfectly. Perhaps you could tie a few stones to the bottom of it with transparent fishing twine to get it to settle until it's ready to sink in the future. Or soak it in the other tank for as long as it takes to become saturated. 

I've enjoyed following along with you on this thread, thank you for allowing us to follow along on this learning experience - even if it didn't' turn out at all as was intended. . . I've found that's often the way with the best-laid plans of fish and their keepers! Best of luck to you and Kaze, and please keep me posted on how things turn out! *hugs*


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