Aquarium Homies Thread

[El Diablo 4232]

I've been in the process of downsizing the last few weeks. I liked having a fish room but decided the space could be better utilized. I tore down 2 10 gallon tanks and their inhabitants were transferred into the 55 gallon tank. It's way under stocked and way over filtered so the small additional bioload won't make any difference.

One of the fish was a Betta named "Eddie" that had been living all alone in 10 gallons of space his whole adult life. They're kept as solitary fish because of their aggressive nature but as I suspected with the 40 or so other fish in the big tank he was actually a bit overwhelmed by all the new companions and has retreated to living under a log. Kinda like a hermit moving to NYC I guess.

The other tank had a half dozen mutt guppies and about that many of their fry. They don't give a shit where they live as long as there's food and someone to breed with. The two shelf units for those tanks are still here, just moved elsewhere.

And I've still got 2 20 gallon tanks that I'm going to consolidate into just one. I've got a single strain of Endler's guppies in the one and they're well into their 3rd generation so even if they get watered down with the mixed strains in the other tank they'll be passing those Cobra genes along for a long time.

Anyway, that's what's going on with my fish. It was fun but I was spending more time on maintenance than I really wanted to and not enjoying them enough. I can manage 2 tanks easily after juggling 5.

[thrillhammer 684]

On 1/29/2020 at 8:16 PM, El Diablo said:

I've been in the process of downsizing the last few weeks. I liked having a fish room but decided the space could be better utilized. I tore down 2 10 gallon tanks and their inhabitants were transferred into the 55 gallon tank. It's way under stocked and way over filtered so the small additional bioload won't make any difference.

One of the fish was a Betta named "Eddie" that had been living all alone in 10 gallons of space his whole adult life. They're kept as solitary fish because of their aggressive nature but as I suspected with the 40 or so other fish in the big tank he was actually a bit overwhelmed by all the new companions and has retreated to living under a log. Kinda like a hermit moving to NYC I guess.

The other tank had a half dozen mutt guppies and about that many of their fry. They don't give a shit where they live as long as there's food and someone to breed with. The two shelf units for those tanks are still here, just moved elsewhere.

And I've still got 2 20 gallon tanks that I'm going to consolidate into just one. I've got a single strain of Endler's guppies in the one and they're well into their 3rd generation so even if they get watered down with the mixed strains in the other tank they'll be passing those Cobra genes along for a long time.

Anyway, that's what's going on with my fish. It was fun but I was spending more time on maintenance than I really wanted to and not enjoying them enough. I can manage 2 tanks easily after juggling 5.

in my opinion bettas are only aggressive with other bettas.  otherwise they are the prey to most "community" fish.  their elaborate fins are too hard to resist.  tetras, swords, etc can give them a drastic haircut and have them cowering in the corner.  guppies would make for a nice tankmate, and anything bottom-feeding - loaches, cory's, etc.

[El Diablo 4232]

10 minutes ago, thrillhammer said:

in my opinion bettas are only aggressive with other bettas.  otherwise they are the prey to most "community" fish.  their elaborate fins are too hard to resist.  tetras, swords, etc can give them a drastic haircut and have them cowering in the corner.  guppies would make for a nice tankmate, and anything bottom-feeding - loaches, cory's, etc.

That's pretty much what I've seen as well. I've had a Betta tank with a divider before, made specifically to keep 2 Bettas in close proximity but separated and yeah, they flare a lot that way. My other Betta, "Colt McKoi", I bought from PSmart and he was being kept with some small fish. Might have been Rasboras. I don't have any of the fin nippers, just Platies, Cories, Gourami, Mollies. Colt lives in the 20 gallon mixed Endler's tank. No issues there at all. 

[Mother mopar 3345]

2 month update: Everything is running great, still have higher than normal P04 but I'm dosing P04 remover to get it under control. PH is great and dosing is finally stable at 95ml of Alk and 130ml of calcium per day.

Wife (pix already posted) bought a stunning midnight torch coral yesterday at a frag meet outside of Pensacola. I've placed it in the middle to get turbulent flow, as they enjoy random flow. It's just 1 head but it beautiful at night during "full blues."

[PRONG HORN 3163]

H town 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mother mopar 3345]

He has a large collection of hammer corals and Duncans in that tank. Aquascaping is nice, and it looks to be a bare bottom tank.

[PRONG HORN 3163]

 

Are any of you guys using macro algae in your display?  

 

 

 

 

[PRONG HORN 3163]

 

 

 

[PRONG HORN 3163]

 

Cool Gorg tank with softies.  

 

 

[Mother mopar 3345]

All my macro algae resides in my refugium. Currently running chaeto and red gracileria.

[Mother mopar 3345]

Newest arrival to the 120g, another clam...squamoasa. The third picture is of my first squamosa clam that I've had for a while. New one is more blue than brown which is unique.

 

 

 

[thunderlounge 8040]

Sweet!

[PRONG HORN 3163]

This guy has AZOOX, SPS, LPS, and SOFTIE in this tank.  

 

[PRONG HORN 3163]

 

[PRONG HORN 3163]

 

[Mother mopar 3345]

The cube is legit, it amazes when when I see what people have done with such a small area. Then you look at pico aquariums and it blows my mind what all you can stuff in 1 gallon.

[PRONG HORN 3163]

 

400L is about 100 gallons.  36x36x18.  

 

 

[PRONG HORN 3163]

https://glasscages.com/

 

regular

70 Square

30 x 30 x 17 Tall

$541

 

rimless

100 wide - 3 ( rimless )

36 x 36 x 18 tall

$862

[Mother mopar 3345]

 
400L is about 100 gallons.  36x36x18.  
 
 

Math is hard

[Mother mopar 3345]

https://glasscages.com/
 
regular

70 Square

30 x 30 x 17 Tall

$541

 
rimless

100 wide - 3 ( rimless )

36 x 36 x 18 tall

$862

Those guys built my rimless 120g tank. Great looking tank and seal look solid.

[PRONG HORN 3163]

13 hours ago, Mother mopar said:

Those guys built my rimless 120g tank. Great looking tank and seal look solid.

 

They have a rimless 120 for 1097.00.  Is that it?  When I price it with stand, sump, low iron, etc it comes out to 2634.  Did you get stand and everything?   

 

Would you consider this option?  135 Rimless tank, aluminum stand with magnetic skin in black or white, plumbing, and sump.  

2799.00

https://www.modeaquariums.com/product/135g-infinity-series-aquariums/

 

(909) 980-

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135G Infinity

series aquariums

 

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2. Infinity series aquariums
3. 135G Infinity series aquariums

$2,799.99

The 135G MODE Infinity has the industry rarity of Extra wide at 30” for the creative reefer who really want to reefscape completely different from the norm. This aquarium features our craftsman signature MODE “Top-layering Euro-bracing”. It’s strong and equally beautiful to look at, when the lights hit it; it will reflect a beautiful glimmer of accentuating light. Our goal for the Infinity aquarium was direct, to make a Reef aquarium that will bring the Reef hobbyists to the next level in beauty and functionality. Through 2 years of extensive designing, testing and obsessing over every aspect for the Infinity series aquariums, we have come up with a concept that merges all lines and levels of reef keeping. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional aquarium enthusiast, you can enjoy the features of the Infinity series offers and make your aquatic journey a pleasurable, fascinating and exciting one.

 

Size: 135G Infinity Aquarium

• *Select finish

  • Satin Black
  • Satin White

Final total

$2,799.99

Quantity

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Specs:

• Tank dimensions:  47.25” x 29.5” x 20” (External Overflow 4” Wide). 1/2” Thick Opti-white low iron crystal clear glass. MODE Opti-White “Top-layering Euro-brace”
• Stand dimensions: 47.25” x 29.5” x 36”. Powder coated non corrosive aluminum frame
• Total dimensions: 48” x 30” x 56” 55G Sump
• Infinity-Flow box, with removable surface skimmer
• All weather and corrosion resistant synthetic fiber boards with Magnet-Lock doors
• 100% Professional drinking water grade uPVC (Unplasticized) plumbing
• Comes in Satin Black and Satin White Painted finishes

 

• Tech Specs

• Reviews (0)

 

Overview

 

The Aquarium is a beautiful rimless look – euro braced design.

Water-Jet cutting and uses extra thick highest quality Low-iron Opti-white glass, diamond mitered edges for a true furniture finish.

The stand is modern appeal with engineered toughness

Built with powder coated aluminum just like our commercial systems, these stands are designed to withstand a tremendous amount of pressure and 100% full access on ALL 4 sides yet still looking as beautiful as can be. The stands are all wrapped with all-weather proof synthetic furniture panels that are attached and detached through magnetic holders.

The External overflow box is silent, powerful and out-of-sight

Sealed permanently on the exterior of the aquarium, the MODE Style external overflow eliminates the high risk of leaks of aftermarket overflow boxes. It is designed for high flow rates with minimal noise emissions.

The plumbing is world class.

Using the highest possible quality the world has to offer, the plumbing in the Infinity series is completely plumbed with Metric uPVC (unplasticized-PVC) fittings and components that guarantee the highest performance. Every plumbing part in the Infinity series are non-corrosive, non-leaching, no bio-film build-up and high pressure capacity in long term use.

The filter system is thoughtful and adaptable

The heart of the aquarium is the sump and the Infinity sump adapts to any type of aquatics you wish to keep and equipment you wish to use with silent and high flow fluid dynamics design. Each chamber serves to give you the best filtration possible for all Marine and Reef use. Comes with a filter sock, skimmer/equipment, refugium and pump chambers. The adjustable chambers allows for water level adjustment making it highly adaptable to how you wish to run your filtration style.

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[Mother mopar 3345]

No, I bought the aquarium used from the 1st owner.

IMO I would never buy a new tank when the secondary/used market is so big and people are getting out of the hobby. Especially now that the economy is where it is. Great place to look is Reef2reef.com That's my hang out forum.

I would plan out what you want and your space requirement first as that will determine your tank size. Obviously bigger tanks drives more equipment which drives up cost most of the time. I bought my stuff piece by piece until everything came together. Tank/stand then sump, plumbed it then starting buying a skimmer, wave makers, doser, reactors, carbon scrubber. This approach takes patience but well worth it as I found some deals. Ebay is good for equipment but you just can't beat your local reefing club and online forums.

[Mother mopar 3345]

Also make sure you have dual overflows if you can, you'll need it in an emergency. In reefing there will always be a snail that finds it's way into and overflow and clogs up a drain return and you have an emergency.

Here is my sumo set up, 40g trigger trident sump(reef2reef) with reef octopus elite 200SSS skimmer(ebay.) Then I run a GGO amd carbon reactor and C02 scrubber from bulkreefsupply.com.

[workswithseed 2142]

 

[PRONG HORN 3163]

 

 

 

[El Diablo 4232]

Eh, nothing much to report here. I haven't added any fish or plants since last summer. Just maintaining what I have and now that I'm working from home (Thanks COVID!) I can enjoy it somewhat during the day. I keep a short photo period to combat algae but it's there and bubbling away all day. Here's a couple of recent shots of the 55 and the 20 long.

[PRONG HORN 3163]

10 hours ago, El Diablo said:

Eh, nothing much to report here. I haven't added any fish or plants since last summer. Just maintaining what I have and now that I'm working from home (Thanks COVID!) I can enjoy it somewhat during the day. I keep a short photo period to combat algae but it's there and bubbling away all day. Here's a couple of recent shots of the 55 and the 20 long.

 

Do you use fertilizer or c02?

[El Diablo 4232]

2 hours ago, PRONG HORN said:

 

Do you use fertilizer or c02?

Just some all in one fert and root tabs every few months. Not much into the farming side of the hobby, more about the livestock.  

[Mother mopar 3345]

Update on the 120, you can see our Atlantic Blue tang is slowly getting in his blue lateral lines and outgrown my chocolate mimic tang. My first clam. I bought last summer and 3 tanks later is still growing and happy. Lastly, the baby clam we rescued has doubled in size.

Fighting off some green alage from some a dry rock purchase few months back but all apart of the process. Pretty happy overall.

[El Diablo 4232]

Two years as of this weekend. Enjoying it much more with the work from home situation. Paying more attention to it too. 

[Mother mopar 3345]

Looking good!

[ss13 1832]

This is pretty cool. 

 

 

[PRONG HORN 3163]

 

[PRONG HORN 3163]

 

No skimmer, no sump

 

Planted tank studs get chix

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thunderlounge 8040]

Chairs in the first vid for midgets? Looks like anyone over the age of 5 would smack their head in the ceiling.

[El Diablo 4232]

I've got a planted tank, where's MY chix??

[PRONG HORN 3163]

16 hours ago, El Diablo said:

I've got a planted tank, where's MY chix??

 

 

[Hornin04 261]

Just bought my 5 yo daughter a fish. We promised her a hermit crab when she insisted on bringing home a regular crab she caught at the beach this summer. When I quickly Googled hermit crab care I nixed that and talked her into a betta, which is supposedly easy to take care of. I briefly owned some goldfish that probably died within a week when I was a kid, and that's the extent of my experience with fish.

So I picked up a 1.6 gallon Aqueon tank with a filter and light, some hot pink pebbles and girly silk plants (her picks), some betta water conditoner and a pretty little pink and purple betta male that she promptly named Snuggles at the pet store today. Daughter was thrilled with the setup. We watched a YouTube video by some obnoxious teen on how to introduce the betta to its new home. I set the cup in the water to acclimate it for 20 minutes. Then I scooped him out and put him in his new digs.

We all squealed with excitement as he zipped around to explore his new tank. Then my daughter began screaming in horror as he flipped belly up and sank to the bottom of the tank. Luckily he snapped out of it after a couple of minutes and seemed to be OK, swimming around the tank. I guess he was in shock? Temperature difference? Tank water seemed a little warmer than his cup. He didn't want to touch the few betta food pellets we put in there, so I fished them out because I read it's not good to leave it in there.

Anyhow, now I need to know what to do to make sure this thing doesn't die right away because my daughter loves her first pet that's "only hers." Do I keep retrying to introduce food until he starts eating it after a few minutes or leave it floating for a while? Also I think I need a thermometer because I read they like Temps in the high 70s. And do I get a heater? Our house is usually between 68 and 70 degrees, and in the winter some rooms get chilly. The Aqueon mini heater seems to heat up too much per Amazon reviews. And I'm supposed to siphon off 20% of the water each week and reintroduce more fresh water? Anything I'm missing? Any cheap gear I need?

Thanks

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk

[El Diablo 4232]

2 hours ago, Horny04 said:

Just bought my 5 yo daughter a fish. We promised her a hermit crab when she insisted on bringing home a regular crab she caught at the beach this summer. When I quickly Googled hermit crab care I nixed that and talked her into a betta, which is supposedly easy to take care of. I briefly owned some goldfish that probably died within a week when I was a kid, and that's the extent of my experience with fish.

So I picked up a 1.6 gallon Aqueon tank with a filter and light, some hot pink pebbles and girly silk plants (her picks), some betta water conditoner and a pretty little pink and purple betta male that she promptly named Snuggles at the pet store today. Daughter was thrilled with the setup. We watched a YouTube video by some obnoxious teen on how to introduce the betta to its new home. I set the cup in the water to acclimate it for 20 minutes. Then I scooped him out and put him in his new digs.

We all squealed with excitement as he zipped around to explore his new tank. Then my daughter began screaming in horror as he flipped belly up and sank to the bottom of the tank. Luckily he snapped out of it after a couple of minutes and seemed to be OK, swimming around the tank. I guess he was in shock? Temperature difference? Tank water seemed a little warmer than his cup. He didn't want to touch the few betta food pellets we put in there, so I fished them out because I read it's not good to leave it in there.

Anyhow, now I need to know what to do to make sure this thing doesn't die right away because my daughter loves her first pet that's "only hers." Do I keep retrying to introduce food until he starts eating it after a few minutes or leave it floating for a while? Also I think I need a thermometer because I read they like Temps in the high 70s. And do I get a heater? Our house is usually between 68 and 70 degrees, and in the winter some rooms get chilly. The Aqueon mini heater seems to heat up too much per Amazon reviews. And I'm supposed to siphon off 20% of the water each week and reintroduce more fresh water? Anything I'm missing? Any cheap gear I need?

Thanks

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk
 

Post a pic of your setup, I'd like to see what you've got. I started with Bettas some years back and had as many as 4 at one time. 

What's the temperature of the water in the tank he's in? A heater is pretty much a necessity for any tropical fish. I keep my tanks at a steady 76.5 - 78.5 deg. Bettas are fairly easy to keep but I think they need more space than a gallon and a half. One of the problems with a tank that size is keeping the temperature constant. It's much easier to get a larger volume to a set temp and keep it there, small tanks go thru wild temperature fluctuations and tropical fish just can't tolerate that. I've killed Bettas in the past by not using a heater, having tiny tanks and having the room they were in so cold they basically froze to death though to me the temp was great! Rookie mistakes. Also those tiny tanks don't really have room for a decent heater. Filters are generally a scam if they have "replaceable" cartridges. Filters are where a lot of the good bacteria live and you don't want to be throwing that out! I just cleaned my Eheim 600 yesterday and all I did was drain 4 or so gallons of tank water into a bucket and cleaned the sponges and other media in that water and then put it back together.

Hey, if you're ever in Waco I'll GIVE you a complete 10 gallon setup - tank, light, glass lid, heater, pump and double sponge filter. I think you'll find that more water is just easier to take care of. 

This is my veil tail Betta "Duke", he's in my 55 gallon tank with probably 30 other assorted fish. 

 

[Hornin04 261]

Well that was quick. Wtf. Dead in 2 days. Going back to petco for their 30 day replacement guarantee.

Never ate once despite giving food twice a day and removing if not eaten. Water temp was low 70s but mini heater is arriving today and I read that they are supposedly hearty fish, didn't think a temp in 70s would do it.

I think I just got a defective fish.

Do I have to clean out the entire tank and Retreat some fresh water before putting a new fish in?

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk

[PRONG HORN 3163]

6 hours ago, Horny04 said:

Do I have to clean out the entire tank and Retreat some fresh water before putting a new fish in?

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk
 

 

Yes.  Because it's so small it should be easy.  Just rinse everything well (no soap).  What is betta conditioner?  You need something to remove chlorine and heavy metals etc.  Don't overdose the water conditioner.  it sounds like it reacted negatively right when you put him in. 

I just googled.  You paid 25 bucks for that little aquarium?  You can look for a tank on craigslist you should be able to get a great deal for that fish with well under 50$.  1.5 gallons will get polluted quickly.  With a 20 gallon and max 3 fish it's set it and forget it as long as you have an ok outside filter on it.  5 years old is a little young she may not care in a month.  If she's still into it get her a bigger tank

[Brew 3049]

On 4/26/2020 at 8:11 PM, workswithseed said:

 

That’s an awesome backyard setup although overkill on some things. We have a 2500+ gallon Koi pond that I’ve enjoyed having. It’s an expensive hobby, but all fish hobbies are at this point. I am going to disassemble it and relocate it with a pool going in, but there are some things I don’t like about the current setup now anyways. It came with the house and is several years old and is too shallow overall so algae is a constant battle.

[El Diablo 4232]

On 9/7/2020 at 8:12 AM, Horny04 said:

Well that was quick. Wtf. Dead in 2 days. Going back to petco for their 30 day replacement guarantee.

Never ate once despite giving food twice a day and removing if not eaten. Water temp was low 70s but mini heater is arriving today and I read that they are supposedly hearty fish, didn't think a temp in 70s would do it.

I think I just got a defective fish.

Do I have to clean out the entire tank and Retreat some fresh water before putting a new fish in?

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk
 

The Aqueon Pro is a good heater, I have them in everything from 10W to 150W. They're adjustable and dependable in my experience. I would avoid any "pre-set" heater or one that does not allow you to adjust it. You're looking for a temp consistently in the upper 70's. Sounds like you already have a thermometer? The stick on strip types that change color are pretty worthless, I use digital LCDs, I think they're $7 or so on Amazon for a pack of two. Good luck! There's a learning curve on this hobby and fish die from noobs as often as not. 

One thing that can create immediate stress on a fish is not only the temperature but the water itself. if you and the store are on the same municipal water system then that's prolly not an issue but if you live miles away and are on well water or some other supply there's a good chance that the change in basic water chemistry could doom the little guy.

[thunderlounge 8040]

On 9/7/2020 at 5:12 PM, PRONG HORN said:

Yes.  Because it's so small it should be easy.  Just rinse everything well (no soap).  What is betta conditioner?  You need something to remove chlorine and heavy metals etc.  Don't overdose the water conditioner.  it sounds like it reacted negatively right when you put him in. 

This would be my first guess. Pick up a couple jugs of distilled or RO water from the grocery store. Chlorine/Chloramine are the worst offenders in tap for fish. Second would be copper if you were keeping invertebrates.  

[workswithseed 2142]

On 9/11/2020 at 10:04 PM, Brew said:

That’s an awesome backyard setup although overkill on some things. We have a 2500+ gallon Koi pond that I’ve enjoyed having. It’s an expensive hobby, but all fish hobbies are at this point. I am going to disassemble it and relocate it with a pool going in, but there are some things I don’t like about the current setup now anyways. It came with the house and is several years old and is too shallow overall so algae is a constant battle.

So he is upping the scale.

[El Diablo 4232]

On 9/7/2020 at 3:12 PM, PRONG HORN said:

 

Yes.  Because it's so small it should be easy.  Just rinse everything well (no soap).  What is betta conditioner?  You need something to remove chlorine and heavy metals etc.  Don't overdose the water conditioner.  it sounds like it reacted negatively right when you put him in. 

I just googled.  You paid 25 bucks for that little aquarium?  You can look for a tank on craigslist you should be able to get a great deal for that fish with well under 50$.  1.5 gallons will get polluted quickly.  With a 20 gallon and max 3 fish it's set it and forget it as long as you have an ok outside filter on it.  5 years old is a little young she may not care in a month.  If she's still into it get her a bigger tank

I think Top Fin markets a water conditioner specifically targeted at Bettas. I'm pretty sure that's what I used for years until I used it all up, now I have Prime and the API stuff. Prime will lock up ammonia which you don't want if you're trying to cycle a tank using pure ammonia but it's good for new tanks with fish. 

[Hornin04 261]

OK so water changes. I read that I should replace about 1/5 of the water each week.

To do this I siphon out into a bucket then replace the same amount, but treated with the betta water conditioner? And make sure the temp is the same... How long do I have to wait after putting the conditioner in the new water to add it to the rest of the tank?

How good do I have to be about removing all of the junk or bits of food in the gravel when I do this? I try to make sure to remove any food that isn't eaten in 20 minutes but sometimes my daughter feeds the fish and I find pellets at the bottom at a later time.

Also I got test strips for the water. If those show good levels do I have to switch out the water as frequently?

[Mother mopar 3345]

Well today was a sad day, gave away everything in my 120G reef tank. We lost power thanks to Hurricane Sally and after 8 hrs finally threw up a post on the local reef forum and had a few guys come in pick what they wanted. After the water resides I'll sell the tank, stand and lights.

Here's to the next build...after I move out of Florida. One of my favorites tanks for sure.

[El Diablo 4232]

Man, that sucks @Mother mopar . Great, great tank you had there. A new build somewhere down the line will happen. Best of luck!

[thunderlounge 8040]

Oh noes! Not my clam! Now I has a sad.

 

Sorry to hear about the situation. Fuck that just sucks. No words man, just no words.

 

(queue taps)