Support NeoGAF

3phemeral · Apr 21, 2012

DOO13ER said:
Hate to keep bumping this thread but I'm moving along in my tank project and need more advice.

I'm picking up a 60 gallon tank next weekend and already have a canister filter rated for twice its size ready to go, but I also purchased an undergravel filter system to supplement it. I figured I won't be using live plants and it will be a community aquarium with no diggers so the extra biological filtration would be beneficial.

But it sounds like everyone hates UG filters. I can certainly see the problem of junk staying trapped underneath the plates where it can't be easily removed but wouldn't the vigorous mechanical filtration provided by the canister (combined with regular water changes/gravel cleanings, of course) take care of this problem?

Will I see any additional benefits from the UG filter or would it just be a waste of time and effort to install?

A definite "no" on those UG filter, especially if you want to have real plants.

Man, I miss my Paludaium. Ever since I moved out of state & know that I'll be here temporarily, I can't really build another one. I used to love doing the planted aquarium, but there's just something special about having a gigantic 6X4 foot setup of tree frogs, waterfalls, streams, caves, and a mini-pool for all the fish/semi-aquatic animals to explore. Definitely want to build a bigger, more bio- diverse one when I settle into a more permanent residence.

Banglish · Apr 21, 2012

this is a pretty sweet tank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9vkHe84xKk&list=FLrEocE9-bhCBcHT_XaAOufQ&index=3&feature=plpp_video

I think I'm gonna make this my summer project.

Mekere · Apr 21, 2012

blackwatchplad said:
So by some stroke of luck, I now have 3 goldfish. Comet goldfish, I think.. going by google searching for pictures. Right now they are in a 1 gallon glass bowl. I'm having a hard time arguing with everybody that its not the best living conditions for them.
--
I say luck because I know this guy through where I work, and he has several fresh and saltwater tanks and they interested me. He mostly does them for raising the plants now.. but he still does a really good job.
I've never had "my own pet" as a kid, per-say, but I've helped with plenty of other animals, except fish.
--
So I'm thinking about picking up a 10 or 20 gallon tank, maybe? (depending on what I can find or make)
POSSIBLY plants, I'll see if my buddy can help me there, or go for advice from you guys.
Are there any other fish, or aquatic life that thrives well with goldfish?
I know, nothing too small so they don't get eaten by the goldfish, and nothing to nip at the goldfish.. but other than that I'm clueless, and I would of just went with pure looks and what the info labels say on the fish.

I really wanted a saltwater tank, just because i feel in love with how it looked. The outlandish coral reefs and clown fish and eel and a lot of the invertebrate are just too cool. ( And I still consider a lot of the ocean floor to really still be truly un-pioneered territory) But being goldfish and freshwater, I think it's better in the end.. hopefully easier to maintain.

Alright! This is my first pet(s) ever of my very own!! I want to do this right!!
(I feel like a little kid again)

edit: finally took a picture.

I'd say, invest in a big tank. A 40/50 gallon minimum. Comets goldfish lives long (15 years) and grow a lot (up to 10/15 inches). Buy a good filtration system too, goldfishes pollutes water a lot. A good idea would be to put your goldfishes in a pond in a few years, then you can recycle your big tank to saltwater.

3phemeral · Apr 21, 2012

Mekere said:
I'd say, invest in a big tank. A 40/50 gallon minimum. Comets goldfish lives long (15 years) and grow a lot (up to 10/15 inches). Buy a good filtration system too, goldfishes pollutes water a lot. A good idea would be to put your goldfishes in a pond in a few years, then you can recycle your big tank to saltwater.

Totally agree. Larger tanks allow for a larger margin of error as far as a biological buffer is concerned. It's more self-correcting because it's a better established ecosystem. Plus, it's super depressing to watch fish swim circles in such a cramped tank.

Emerson · Apr 21, 2012

Fish enthusiasts will tell you that you need a 20 gallon tank for one goldfish, and 10 more gallons for each additional goldfish. They are enormous fish that produce a lot of waste.

Here are full size comet goldfish in a pond. It is really strange that popular culture has decided that goldfish can be kept in a tiny bowl with no flow or filtration, when this is how they are supposed to live.

blackwatchplad · Apr 21, 2012

yeah, I hate seeing them crammed into a bowl, huddled in a corner like that.
I think I'll try to get as big of a size aquarium as I can find right now.
I may make one sometimes with some spare glass and acrylic I have from when a family member made a terrarium.

I still REALLY don't know what kind they are, I'm just going by picture.
I just know they came form wal-mart. They were on sale for 35 cents, since they were trying to get rid of them. A guy bought the remaining three, and left them at the pet section. The lady at the pet section tried to find him, and waited for him to return but he never did. So she saw me looking at the fish, and asked if I wanted them. She said she couldn't put them back anywhere, and I guess she didn't want to flush them or anything.

Edit: Found out they are "common goldfish". No comet gold fish.

Natetan · Apr 22, 2012

my stinkpot turtles started eating my platties. One of snapped he head off one right in front of me

Emerson · Apr 22, 2012

Natetan said:
my stinkpot turtles started eating my platties. One of snapped he head off one right in front of me

Yeah, turtles will do that haha.

3phemeral · Apr 22, 2012

Natetan said:
my stinkpot turtles started eating my platties. One of snapped he head off one right in front of me

I had a 3 inch senegal bichir that never attacked anything in my tank, until it came across my Otocinclus. Started following it around and hovering nearby it. Then it lunged at it, held it in it's mouth and swam to a nearby rock, where it proceeded to bash its head over it.

Once the ordeal was done, it swam away. Didn't even eat it.

When the water current started pushing the body around and it floated by, the bichir swam around the body looking for the neck, grabbed it, and bashed it against the rock again.

scotcheggz · Apr 22, 2012

Anyone know anything about jellyfish aquariums in the UK? I've been looking around on the web and it seems really easy to sort out if you live in the US and impossible if you live in the UK. I haven't done much research yet, but if it's possible to get them in the UK, I'm pretty keen to design and build a bookshelf with the aquarium integrated into it.

Vlightray · Apr 22, 2012

Very inspirational stuff in this thread. Aquariums are so cool and relaxing.
Like this guys setup. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmcIzZS9t-k

Anybody come across really well planted gold fish aquariums?
Does it work okay with goldfish? have no clue never had fish but always wanted to try.

Where I live anything exotic would be to hard to care for.

Head of Vengarl · Apr 22, 2012

I'd just like to thank Mekere, 3pheMeraLmiX, and Emerson for suggesting a larger home for those goldfish. If you posted that picture on reddit's r/Aquariums board, they'd tear your apart like a pack of rabid dogs. It also reminded me to post this:

blackwatchplad · Apr 22, 2012

Luap said:
I'd just like to thank Mekere, 3pheMeraLmiX, and Emerson for suggesting a larger home for those goldfish. If you posted that picture on reddit's r/Aquariums board, they'd tear your apart like a pack of rabid dogs. It also reminded me to post this:

thank god i go nowhere near reddit. heh.
I moved them into a 20 gallon tank... I'm gonna actually give them to my great aunt pretty soon. She saw them and kind of teared up.
She has an indoor pond in a sun room on the back part of her house. She used to have a few gold fish to keep her company, just sit and chill on her back porch and watch her pond.
But her koi and goldfish died maybe a year ago. (they lived quite long, don't worry)

I may still go for an aquarium though.
Not sure what, but I plan on looking into it.
Something simple, but nice. And I like things that are self sustainable, so i plan on trying live plants too, instead of the awful fake ones.

As far as bettas go, it's common knowledge you can't put 2 males near each other.. but how about 1 male and a female? I've gotten mixed answers, some people tell me they coexist fine, some people say they will still fight, and even a few people said it was slightly better for the fish to have a tank-mate of the opposite sex.
And and few people brought up pairing one with smaller, more peaceful fish.. that the betta wouldn't bother them.

And I do like the guide. It bugs even me to no end when i see someone put a single fish in a container that's no better than a glass cup. Or for any animal for that matter... It's just wrong to keep a dog in a pet carrier cage 24/7. Or a hamster/rodent in a tiny wire cage, or a bird in a small 5 foot cage.

3phemeral · Apr 23, 2012

blackwatchplad said:
thank god i go nowhere near reddit. heh.
I moved them into a 20 gallon tank... I'm gonna actually give them to my great aunt pretty soon. She saw them and kind of teared up.
She has an indoor pond in a sun room on the back part of her house. She used to have a few gold fish to keep her company, just sit and chill on her back porch and watch her pond.
But her koi and goldfish died maybe a year ago. (they lived quite long, don't worry)

I may still go for an aquarium though.
Not sure what, but I plan on looking into it.
Something simple, but nice. And I like things that are self sustainable, so i plan on trying live plants too, instead of the awful fake ones.

As far as bettas go, it's common knowledge you can't put 2 males near each other.. but how about 1 male and a female? I've gotten mixed answers, some people tell me they coexist fine, some people say they will still fight, and even a few people said it was slightly better for the fish to have a tank-mate of the opposite sex.
And and few people brought up pairing one with smaller, more peaceful fish.. that the betta wouldn't bother them.

And I do like the guide. It bugs even me to no end when i see someone put a single fish in a container that's no better than a glass cup. Or for any animal for that matter... It's just wrong to keep a dog in a pet carrier cage 24/7. Or a hamster/rodent in a tiny wire cage, or a bird in a small 5 foot cage.

My first fish was a male betta that I was able to integrate with other fish, if very slowly, though, and in a larger tank. Generally, if you're planning on having one betta, I'd recommend a large tank that has a lot of hiding spots. The main thing with bettas is that they're very territorial, so they will fight. If you have a large enough tank where both bettas can coexist, it'll be one where they both feel like they can establish their own territory without feeling the other is taking up space.

But as with anything else unpredictable, having a setup with a threat like that you'd have to monitor closely. I no longer pair up aggressive fish with each other (I used to be curious about how to balance two semi-aggressive fish), but it became heartbreaking to come home to mutilated remains, so I quickly ended that.

As for the question with goldfish someone else mentioned, sure, using them is doable, but they have a tendency to be huge waste producers. Ultimately it depends on the goal of the tank. When you can establish that, you can plan out what plants and animals would be most suitable. The smaller the tank, the more maintenance and water changes you'll have to perform to keep up with keeping everything in pristine condition. Plants, in that regard, are immensely beneficial to maintaining a stable micro-ecosystem.

When I move to a more permanent spot, I'm planning on attempting another custom paludarium. The first one was a good amateur experience but worked out great for the animals and plants, but the next one will be better designed and more aesthetically pleasing.

Here's my first attempt:

It's now back home with family. We had to sell our pets, unfortunately, because no one back home had time to take care of them. Surprisingly, the plants are still alive (except the bromeliads), being continuously fed by the filtration system that pumps the pond water to a waterfall near the back that trickles back down into the filtration substrate and into the pond again.

Emerson · Apr 23, 2012

blackwatchplad said:
thank god i go nowhere near reddit. heh.
I moved them into a 20 gallon tank... I'm gonna actually give them to my great aunt pretty soon. She saw them and kind of teared up.
She has an indoor pond in a sun room on the back part of her house. She used to have a few gold fish to keep her company, just sit and chill on her back porch and watch her pond.
But her koi and goldfish died maybe a year ago. (they lived quite long, don't worry)

I may still go for an aquarium though.
Not sure what, but I plan on looking into it.
Something simple, but nice. And I like things that are self sustainable, so i plan on trying live plants too, instead of the awful fake ones.

As far as bettas go, it's common knowledge you can't put 2 males near each other.. but how about 1 male and a female? I've gotten mixed answers, some people tell me they coexist fine, some people say they will still fight, and even a few people said it was slightly better for the fish to have a tank-mate of the opposite sex.
And and few people brought up pairing one with smaller, more peaceful fish.. that the betta wouldn't bother them.

And I do like the guide. It bugs even me to no end when i see someone put a single fish in a container that's no better than a glass cup. Or for any animal for that matter... It's just wrong to keep a dog in a pet carrier cage 24/7. Or a hamster/rodent in a tiny wire cage, or a bird in a small 5 foot cage.

You can pair male and female bettas together fine, but you'll probably have a breeding factory on your hands pretty quickly.

tafer · Apr 24, 2012

3pheMeraLmiX said:
My first fish was a male betta that I was able to integrate with other fish, if very slowly, though, and in a larger tank. Generally, if you're planning on having one betta, I'd recommend a large tank that has a lot of hiding spots. The main thing with bettas is that they're very territorial, so they will fight. If you have a large enough tank where both bettas can coexist, it'll be one where they both feel like they can establish their own territory without feeling the other is taking up space.

But as with anything else unpredictable, having a setup with a threat like that you'd have to monitor closely. I no longer pair up aggressive fish with each other (I used to be curious about how to balance two semi-aggressive fish), but it became heartbreaking to come home to mutilated remains, so I quickly ended that.

As for the question with goldfish someone else mentioned, sure, using them is doable, but they have a tendency to be huge waste producers. Ultimately it depends on the goal of the tank. When you can establish that, you can plan out what plants and animals would be most suitable. The smaller the tank, the more maintenance and water changes you'll have to perform to keep up with keeping everything in pristine condition. Plants, in that regard, are immensely beneficial to maintaining a stable micro-ecosystem.

When I move to a more permanent spot, I'm planning on attempting another custom paludarium. The first one was a good amateur experience but worked out great for the animals and plants, but the next one will be better designed and more aesthetically pleasing.

Here's my first attempt:

http://i.imgur.com/OUfS1.jpg[IMG]

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/TLmq9.jpg[IMG]

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/5HyHd.jpg[IMG]

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/tinfS.jpg[IMG]

It's now back home with family. We had to sell our pets, unfortunately, because no one back home had time to take care of them. Surprisingly, the plants are still alive (except the bromeliads), being continuously fed by the filtration system that pumps the pond water to a waterfall near the back that trickles back down into the filtration substrate and into the pong again.[/QUOTE]

That looks amazing, I would post my tank if it wasn't a vivid representation of of death and failure.

Hazaro · Apr 24, 2012

After another 2-3 weeks I'll probably introduce CO2 into my main tank as I've just had about 40 baby shrimp birth.

Baraka in the White House · Apr 24, 2012

Well I think I'm finally ready to get this thing cycling.

After doing some research I've decided to use the UG filter after all. The consensus I've come to is that it's almost certain fish death to use one as your primary filter medium but it's a good supplement to another filter system. Between the uplift tubes and the heater the back of my tank looks pretty gnarly at the moment but I intend on covering a good deal of that with (fake) foliage soon.

3phemeral · Apr 25, 2012

DOO13ER said:
Well I think I'm finally ready to get this thing cycling.

After doing some research I've decided to use the UG filter after all. The consensus I've come to is that it's almost certain fish death to use one as your primary filter medium but it's a good supplement to another filter system. Between the uplift tubes and the heater the back of my tank looks pretty gnarly at the moment but I intend on covering a good deal of that with (fake) foliage soon.

Gorgeous tank. Good thing you're going the dual filtration route. UG filters alone are bad news.

Baraka in the White House · Apr 25, 2012

3pheMeraLmiX said:
Gorgeous tank. Good thing you're going the dual filtration route. UG filters alone are bad news.

Thanks. I may very well end up regretting it but I'm stubborn enough to try. I've always been good about aquarium maintenance and it sounds like the vast majority of UGF problems come from not vacuuming the gravel enough.

Baraka in the White House · Apr 25, 2012

Had to reposition the intake and return hoses to get both as close to vertical with the canister as possible. I would have preferred to take water from one end and dump it in the other but so far the circulation in the tank seems pretty vigorous. Even if the UG filter ends up doing jack shit for my filtration, I still like the way the tubes look when they have bubbles flowing through them.

So far I have the canister packed with foam, a polishing sponge, ceramic tubes and carbon. I'll probably ditch the carbon once the water clears up and add more ceramic. I'm new to canisters so if anyone has any better ideas for media combinations let me know.

Oh, and what's the quietest air pump out there? I have two Petco brand pumps and they could definitely be a little more silent. So far the canister hardly makes a peep.

Hazaro · Apr 26, 2012

DOO13ER said:
Had to reposition the intake and return hoses to get both as close to vertical with the canister as possible. I would have preferred to take water from one end and dump it in the other but so far the circulation in the tank seems pretty vigorous. Even if the UG filter ends up doing jack shit for my filtration, I still like the way the tubes look when they have bubbles flowing through them.

So far I have the canister packed with foam, a polishing sponge, ceramic tubes and carbon. I'll probably ditch the carbon once the water clears up and add more ceramic. I'm new to canisters so if anyone has any better ideas for media combinations let me know.

Oh, and what's the quietest air pump out there? I have two Petco brand pumps and they could definitely be a little more silent. So far the canister hardly makes a peep.

I asked around and it seems like the Tetra Whisper filters are ok. The small one I have is pretty quiet.

Update from me. Like I said it really needs the CO2. Shrimp are growing pretty quick, hopefully just 2 more weeks should be ok. Another batch of yellows just hatched though, so who knows.
I also plan to ditch that java moss blob for some Fissidens and a Christmas moss tree.

3phemeral · Apr 26, 2012

DOO13ER said:
Had to reposition the intake and return hoses to get both as close to vertical with the canister as possible. I would have preferred to take water from one end and dump it in the other but so far the circulation in the tank seems pretty vigorous. Even if the UG filter ends up doing jack shit for my filtration, I still like the way the tubes look when they have bubbles flowing through them.

So far I have the canister packed with foam, a polishing sponge, ceramic tubes and carbon. I'll probably ditch the carbon once the water clears up and add more ceramic. I'm new to canisters so if anyone has any better ideas for media combinations let me know.

Oh, and what's the quietest air pump out there? I have two Petco brand pumps and they could definitely be a little more silent. So far the canister hardly makes a peep.

Not sure what brand to get for super quiet ones. I just remember the more expensive unit I bought at PetSmart was relatively quiet, depending on how flat you could get it to stay on whatever surface you were resting it on. Always works quieter if you have it mid-air, but I'm never comfortable having it that way.

You probably have done your research, but don't be in a rush to add fish. It takes a while for the tank water to cycle, but it helps if you had an old tank and kept some of the decorations around. If they were still submerge under water and haven't dried out yet, you could quickly build up beneficial bacteria so you don't have to suffer from spontaneous ammonia spikes.

Don't use any cycling "enzyme" of "bacteria in a bottle" as that stuff can harm the water condition since whatever surviving bacteria remaining in the bottle is probably anaerobic by now. I've read that some people add small amounts of fish food to the water, going through the motions of having a stocked tank and letting the water cycle that way, but I've only really had success with transferring old aquarium decor + plants to expedite up the process.

Hazaro said:
I asked around and it seems like the Tetra Whisper filters are ok. The small one I have is pretty quiet.

Update from me. Like I said it really needs the CO2. Shrimp are growing pretty quick, hopefully just 2 more weeks should be ok. Another batch of yellows just hatched though, so who knows.
I also plan to ditch that java moss blob for some Fissidens and a Christmas moss tree.

Very nice. I love your tuft of cabomba on the right, along with the Christmas tree moss. What's that really small ground-cover plant you have there? I could never find a cheap lighting solution that would encourage low-level growth like that. I actually wanted ot get some baby's tear under water but could only get it to grow above the tank.

Staccat0 · Apr 26, 2012

Man... I was out of town and my biowheel stopped turning. Now one rasbora has a bit of tail rot or something. REALLY don't wanna bust out my 10 gallon for one sick fish. Think it's safe to treat the whole tank? One thing I never have luck with is healing sick fish.

Luap said:
Fantastic advice. Also, I'd like to add this link about fishless tank cycling, which was really helpful when I started my first aquarium: http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles_51/fishless-cycling-article.htm

Hell yeah. I did a fishless cycle.

EDIT: Did mine with pure ammonia since people are talking about it.

Hazaro · Apr 26, 2012

3pheMeraLmiX said:
Very nice. I love your tuft of cabomba on the right, along with the Christmas tree moss. What's that really small ground-cover plant you have there? I could never find a cheap lighting solution that would encourage low-level growth like that. I actually wanted ot get some baby's tear under water but could only get it to grow above the tank.

It'll be very nice when I ditch that java moss blob in the front, replace the back area open gravel with a moss tree, layout some fissidens on branches, add CO2 to get my carpet glossostigma not being littered with spot algae, and get me ludwigia hybrid not slowly rotting. The flame moss sort of is out of place too and the java moss, while being an awesome center piece, soaks up all the light for the middle of the tank which sucks.

Right now the light is just 2xCFL's that are 23W, 4-6 hours a day. No added ferts due to shrimp babies. The tank is shallow enough that it gets enough PAR (About 35, 50 on sides) as medium light to have it carpet. You have to trim it down to 1mm after you plant it to have it grow in like that though.

Baraka in the White House · Apr 26, 2012

3pheMeraLmiX said:
You probably have done your research, but don't be in a rush to add fish. It takes a while for the tank water to cycle, but it helps if you had an old tank and kept some of the decorations around. If they were still submerge under water and haven't dried out yet, you could quickly build up beneficial bacteria so you don't have to suffer from spontaneous ammonia spikes.

Don't use any cycling "enzyme" of "bacteria in a bottle" as that stuff can harm the water condition since whatever surviving bacteria remaining in the bottle is probably anaerobic by now. I've read that some people add small amounts of fish food to the water, going through the motions of having a stocked tank and letting the water cycle that way, but I've only really had success with transferring old aquarium decor + plants to expedite up the process.

All I've put in the water so far is dechlorinator and some API "Quick Start". I'm definitely not in a hurry and am content to let the tank marinate for a good while. I'll be adding decorations long before the first fish goes in there. In about a week or so I'll start adding crushed food to give the bacteria something to munch on.

Head of Vengarl · Apr 26, 2012

Ugh. I like java moss but it can be such a pain in the ass. I just finished unclogging my filtration system because of it. Which reminds me: do yourselves a favor and buy a big pair of tweezers. Especially if you have a planted tank; it just makes life so much easier.

Mine look kinda like these:

Snytbaggen · Apr 26, 2012

So my betta got two coconut huts (cocohuts?) added to his tank yesterday. He's not in the picture, but his tankmates love to chill out there. You can't see it because of the darkness, but there's another cory chilling out inside the right hut.

q_q · Apr 26, 2012

Luap said:
Ugh. I like java moss but it can be such a pain in the ass. I just finished unclogging my filtration system because of it. Which reminds me: do yourselves a favor and buy a big pair of tweezers. Especially if you have a planted tank; it just makes life so much easier.

Mine look kinda like these:

My dick got hard looking at this photo. God damn.

Staccat0 · Apr 26, 2012

DOO13ER said:
All I've put in the water so far is dechlorinator and some API "Quick Start". I'm definitely not in a hurry and am content to let the tank marinate for a good while. I'll be adding decorations long before the first fish goes in there. In about a week or so I'll start adding crushed food to give the bacteria something to munch on.

Not sure if it's been mentioned buy maybe peek at this: http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles_51/fishless-cycling-article.htm posted earlier in the thread.

Also, do you know anyone with an established tank? The quickest and best way to cycle IMO is to just seed it off of someone else's tank.
If, by some off chance, you live near Austin, TX I'll gladly hook you up with some of "dat bacteria"

3phemeral · Apr 26, 2012

Luap said:
Ugh. I like java moss but it can be such a pain in the ass. I just finished unclogging my filtration system because of it. Which reminds me: do yourselves a favor and buy a big pair of tweezers. Especially if you have a planted tank; it just makes life so much easier.

Mine look kinda like these:

Dat tank!

Must be ass to maintain, though. Those plants must suck up all the nutrients quick, but it's probably easy to keep high light permeation.

Speaking of utensils, my friend once gave me this giant ass syringe to use for my tank because I complained about the substrate having been completely depleted after a few months. I used it to pump liquid fertilizer directly into the soil, but the needle was so large, I'd have to rush to stab it in so it wouldn't leak all over the place.

My brother eventually found it and asked me if I was doing heroine.

Hazaro · Apr 26, 2012

Luap said:
Ugh. I like java moss but it can be such a pain in the ass. I just finished unclogging my filtration system because of it. Which reminds me: do yourselves a favor and buy a big pair of tweezers. Especially if you have a planted tank; it just makes life so much easier.

Mine look kinda like these:

Java moss is the devil. It should be purged and replaced with any other moss.

Nice tweezers make life so much better. I have a nice medical grade pair.

tafer · Apr 27, 2012

Luap said:
Ugh. I like java moss but it can be such a pain in the ass. I just finished unclogging my filtration system because of it. Which reminds me: do yourselves a favor and buy a big pair of tweezers. Especially if you have a planted tank; it just makes life so much easier.

Mine look kinda like these:

Hahaha I'll post pictures of my tank tomorrow, I'll show you what a moss hell looks like!

Baraka in the White House · Apr 27, 2012

Staccat0 said:
Not sure if it's been mentioned buy maybe peek at this: http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles_51/fishless-cycling-article.htm posted earlier in the thread.

Also, do you know anyone with an established tank? The quickest and best way to cycle IMO is to just seed it off of someone else's tank.
If, by some off chance, you live near Austin, TX I'll gladly hook you up with some of "dat bacteria"

Thanks for the info. I'm in Houston but I imagine shipping water would be a pain. I've already added some food to the tank and will test for ammonia tomorrow.

Horse Detective · Apr 27, 2012

Gaf,

I wish I could have an led lit Jellyfish aquarium.

Stumpokapow · Apr 27, 2012

Sean2 said:
Gaf,

I wish I could have an led lit Jellyfish aquarium.

so buy one http://jellyfishart.com/

Baraka in the White House · Apr 27, 2012

Stumpokapow said:
so buy one http://jellyfishart.com/

Incredible. Will investigate.

Horse Detective · Apr 27, 2012

That is beautiful,

but is the shape-pricepoint really necessary? The jellyfish will actually die if they are placed in a rectangular tank?

I hope to spend more time in this thread. Since I was a kid, I have always been fascinated with Jellyfish and squid, and it is still a dream of mine to have an extravagant tank filled with either.

Stumpokapow · Apr 27, 2012

Sean2 said:
That is beautiful,

but is the shape-pricepoint really necessary? The jellyfish will actually die if they are placed in a rectangular tank?

Jellyfish weigh so little that they will be sucked in and obliterated by the filtration system. In fact, Jellyfish weigh so little that they can be hurt or stuck from air bubbles. They need a regular current of airflow, or they will drop to the bottom of your tank and die. These are not exactly well-adopted, strong animals. Most jellyfish also need aquarium chillers, which add additional price. here's some info

It's not as simple as using a commercial tank. All Jellyfish tanks are round. Most Jellyfish tanks are in the multi-thousand dollar range, some above $10,000. The option I linked to you is essentially the only cheap jellyfish tank in the world.

The other company that sells home Jellyfish setups in the US is Jelliquarium.

Regular fish food won't work either so you'll either have to make your own if you know how or buy it online.

Horse Detective · Apr 27, 2012

Thanks for the info!

Now I just need to know whether or not they reproduce in said conditions.

How could anyone hate these?

tafer · Apr 29, 2012

Stumpokapow said:
so buy one http://jellyfisha*******/

Hmm... weird any idea why is this happening to several sites (Deviantart is another)

Emerson · Apr 29, 2012

Snytbaggen said:
So my betta got two coconut huts (cocohuts?) added to his tank yesterday. He's not in the picture, but his tankmates love to chill out there. You can't see it because of the darkness, but there's another cory chilling out inside the right hut.

Ever had any issues between the betta and cories?

Natetan · Apr 29, 2012

how often do you guys clean your aquariums?

i clean the turtles once a week and the fish tank twice a month.

3phemeral · Apr 29, 2012

Natetan said:
how often do you guys clean your aquariums?

i clean the turtles once a week and the fish tank twice a month.

Depends on the bio-load (how big your tank is, how many plants you have and the level of fish per square inch). The more plants you have and the healthier they are, the more they help break down the nitrates produced by fish waste, decaying food matter. It's also dependent on your filtration system and how well it promotes beneficial bacterial growth (nitrate eaters) via sponge filter/BioWheel.

If you have Red Ear Sliders, it's different, because as far as I know, they require shallow water areas and present a salmonella risk. You can't really have a filtration system (do UG filters work in this case?), and it's not really a standard "fish" tank, so you'd have to clean it at least once a week.

If you're really a stickler for water quality, you can use litmus paper to test the pH and ensure a balanced water composition. The smaller the tank, the more frequent your cleanings will be because they have a smaller potential to carry nitrate-eating bacteria. It also means you can't have as many plants to help, and having a large filtration system that pumps out huge amounts of water isn't really safe for the kind of fish you can hold in a smaller tank.

Bigger tank == less maintenance (once it's established/cycled).

Hazaro · Apr 29, 2012

Natetan said:
how often do you guys clean your aquariums?

i clean the turtles once a week and the fish tank twice a month.

I change the water on my shrimp tank like once a month (I top off with RO).
Scrape the sides when there's algae buildup on that water change.

Snytbaggen · Apr 29, 2012

Emerson said:
Ever had any issues between the betta and cories?

Nothing so far

thaOwner · Apr 30, 2012

I've been thinking about getting an aquarium for a while and I've picked this tank out because I like the shape and will take up less room as opposed to a traditional rectangle 9/10 gallon tank.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004G609GY/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I'd like to have some plants in there and a minimum of three fishes at least. Some fish recommendations are definitely welcome. Thanks.

Baraka in the White House · Apr 30, 2012

Snytbaggen said:
Nothing so far

I think do pretty well with other fish, especially if they have space and things to hide in. The only real no-no is putting bettas with bettas. My local store won't sell theirs in those crappy cups, the bettas are spread out among the other stock tanks, usually one per tank save the ones containing more aggressive species. They don't seem particularly friendly with the other fish but they keep to themselves.

Fishless cycling has begun in earnest. I've been adding food every other day and testing for ammonia regularly. I know I'm just being impatient but it seems like ammonia only ever pops up when you don't want it sometimes.

Hazaro · Apr 30, 2012

thaOwner said:
I've been thinking about getting an aquarium for a while and I've picked this tank out because I like the shape and will take up less room as opposed to a traditional rectangle 9/10 gallon tank.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004G609GY/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I'd like to have some plants in there and a minimum of three fishes at least. Some fish recommendations are definitely welcome. Thanks.

I don't know why, but I know some people think curved tanks are cruel? I forget the reasons.

Either way for they money I think a fluval tank would be nicer and better suited:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=pets&field-keywords=fluval+tank

Emerson · Apr 30, 2012

Hazaro said:
I don't know why, but I know some people think curved tanks are cruel? I forget why.

Either way for they money I think a fluval tank would be nicer and better suited:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=pets&field-keywords=fluval+tank

Something about the curved glass distorting their vision and stressing them out I think.

Support NeoGAF

aquarium-age gaf

Member

Member

Member

Member

May contain jokes =>

Neo Member

Member

May contain jokes =>

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Neo Member

Member

May contain jokes =>

Member

relies on auto-aim

2-Terms of Kombat

Member

2-Terms of Kombat

2-Terms of Kombat

relies on auto-aim

Member

Fail out bailed

relies on auto-aim

2-Terms of Kombat

Banned

Member

Member

Fail out bailed

Member

relies on auto-aim

Member

2-Terms of Kombat

Why the long case?

listen to the mad man

2-Terms of Kombat

Why the long case?

listen to the mad man

Why the long case?

Member

May contain jokes =>

Member

Member

relies on auto-aim

Member

Member

2-Terms of Kombat

relies on auto-aim

May contain jokes =>

Similar threads