# Ao's tanks update



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

So I got back from Australia to find out that my housemate didnt really know how to top up tanks. the tanks were left with only a little bit of water when I came back.

I refilled everything, and with the exception of a bit of algae and dried moss, everything seems to be in good order. The poor nerite however, is missing 




























Enmersed










And some before and after pics


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*Eh?*

Jugs of water are heavy to lift. I'm assuming you left conditioned jugs of water around so they didn't have to condition it first?

Since people nowadays seem too lazy to type out an entire word, I doubt they will want to exert any extra energy to pick up a bottle of water to refill a tank they have no interest in. haha....


So you have 3 tanks now? 

Before pictures were from December 2012?

After pictures are from the past week?

I can't tell if certain plants were MOVED or melted. 

BTW, do you ever feed your snails/shrimp? Or do they just survive off the other microbes & bio-film in your tanks?


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Yep I left him a gallon of conditioned water. plus the tanks are tiny 
but I guess some people are just not very plant or tank oriented , lol. I do feed my snails, but the population has vanished... makes me a little sad.

I moved some plants. There has been no melting. There was a huge piece of ludwigia palustris that simply did not fit in my 2.5. There is a one month difference between the before and after pics. I also took out all the floaters in the 1 gallon. The 6.6 is grown entirely enmersed and I have no plans of ever flooding it.

quite a few plants carpeted, including pearlweed(HM) and my dwarf hair grass. I trimmed some giant baby tears.

I have some Utricularia Graminifolia coming in that I'm kind of excited about


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Ugh sorry to hear about your pet sitter. 
The tanks look better now


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

I use 2.5g to 6 gallon food grade water cooler bottles to hold my conditioned water, but now since it's so cold now I need to add the water back into the tank before it cools 10 degrees below room temperature. 

I prefer the cooler bottles with the handles because once it's filled with water, it doubles as a giant hand weight. It's fun to pick them up with one arm. 

Also I remember you mentioned something a while back about snails gathering at the surface... means bad things about the water in the tank.


What exactly does that indicate again?
I RARELY feed my MT & RH snails, limpets, but since I've been testing out different dried food options to the surprise batch of fry..... 

Basically I'm crushing various type of prepared fish foods into smaller pieces/powder with my fingertips. Within 30-60 minutes the snails make their way to the surface to get better access to the remaining bits of uneaten protein powder.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Lol, ofcourse snails are going to head in te general direction of food 

usually when the water parameters are unfavorable for snails they will slow down, retract and the smarter ones will look for a way to escape the water column.

I use a 1 gallon poland spring bottle and my trusty airline.
here's an interesting article on acclimation from msjinkzd  If i haven't showed you already

Kuro's back


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

Before the surprise batch of fry, I NEVER purposely added food for the snails. 

That's probably why I lost a few of my favorite larger ramhorns. I have to remove their hollowed out shells. 

I gotta track down this fella that I bumped into yesterday with a 6 year old betta he paid $50-$60 for. Wayne mentioned he wanted to buy another one, but his won't die. 

Anyway my plan was to give him one of Phoenix juvies for FREE so I can updates & see how my fishies grow up.


Why is K banished to your giant glass cube? 

Not allowed in the 2.5G? 

How long do your rams tend to live? Mine seem to have only lasted maybe 6-8 months. The RH snails were probably 1 year old.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Get some calcium clay. Soft water erodes snail shells and lead to their inevitable premature demise 
I've kept my nerite snail's shell shiny and sparkly with a small pinch at water changes.
I couldn't fit the heater in snuggly for the 2.5 since I have the water level lowered half way for some emergent plant growth. I think Kuro's ok in the 1 gallon for now, he's slowed down quite a bit as he matured. Not the same hyperactive betta he once was  But that may also be attributed to me lowering the temps at bit to accomodate the plants I have.

I didnt instruct the baby sitter to cup him during his feeding sessions, but it still swam right in after coming home. seems like it's permanantly conditioned into him now..

Im still expanding my plant collection.
when you start buying plants at $15/ea...>.>
Kuro was only $2! lol

Phoenix juvies?


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Manicured! also added blyxa


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## Option (Oct 20, 2012)

Your tanks look cleaner than mine on a good day. LOL


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## PaulO (Aug 13, 2012)

:quiet: jus creepin :quiet:

btw: the whole link on the acclimation was interesting. I just wonder if the same applies for an hour-ish trip from the lfs and not just for multiple hours of transport? Sorry for butting in I'll go back to creeping...


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*Why is your manicured photo so blurry?*

Is it the glass or the camera setting you selected when you took the photo? 

I'm not sure why you're dabbling with the $15 plants since they run out of space to grow within a month or two. 

Whenever I go away for a weekend, the new plants in the tank vanish/dissolve. 

BTW, any of you NYC people going to be in the area during the CNY festival on Sunday? For trading purposes. 

I was planning to head down there in the next 48 hours, but because of the storm, I might have to postpone. 

I have a friend with a new restaurant in the meat packing district. I need to pay him a visit. 


Phoenix Bettas are my Firefox orange finned spawn.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

MSG said:


> Is it the glass or the camera setting you selected when you took the photo?
> 
> I'm not sure why you're dabbling with the $15 plants since they run out of space to grow within a month or two.
> 
> ...


The tank is a vase, so the glass isn't exactly.... smooth. the human ees can ignorethat during viewing, but the camera cannot.

Dont worry about these plants... they grow sooooo slowly. hahaha. wemre talking anout slow growing rosette plants :3

Hmmm you looking for anything? I just got a batch of plants from acitydweller on tpt to RAOK. PM me...


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## Option (Oct 20, 2012)

MSG said:


> BTW, any of you NYC people going to be in the area during the CNY festival on Sunday? For trading purposes.
> 
> I was planning to head down there in the next 48 hours, but because of the storm, I might have to postpone.
> 
> ...


What is the CNY festival??


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*Sunday 2/17 11am go to NYC stop by.....*

Little Italy. That's where it begins. 

Pretty self explanatory once you get there. Bring about $50 in cash in case you're hungry, a good camera and a bunch of batteries. 

Only happens once a year. 

Wear a warm jacket/coat. Should be in the 20's.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

MSG said:


> Little Italy. That's where it begins.
> 
> Pretty self explanatory once you get there. Bring about $50 in cash in case you're hungry, a good camera and a bunch of batteries.
> 
> ...


hmmm I thought it was i. flushing, maybe there's two? lol


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*That's what my friend mentioned to me.*

Once you're at L Italia, you should be able to hear the drums & see the crowds. Or head over to where Hester St & Mott St intersect. It supposedly starts @ 1pm, but I'd be there at 10am because there's plenty of things going on.

Be prepared for the HUGE crowds & loud noises.

Also have some sense, because there will be pick pockets in addition to the undercovers. Leave the most expensive gadgets at home unless you absolutely need them. 

That's another reason why I haven't gone to NYC that often. 

Anyway.... I have other engagements, so I won't be there this Sunday, but I'll make an appearance there in August.


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