The Amazing Aquarium Thread- Why is Fishy Sleeping Upside Down? - General

[QUOTE=GamerChick;51910387]I've heard you can actually breed them yourself. IIRC they only live a few months though so you have to breed a constant supply. I think there was a link here: [url]http://thetriopsforum.com/forum/60119/2/[/url] Haven't really looked through that site too much but they should obviously go in a cycled tank and not a tiny gallon kit haha.[/QUOTE] Yeah the kit looks too flimsy as well. My flatmate has a spare tank I can use. Used to be terrified of the things when I was a kid, but now I think they are cool

As promised a better picture of my tank [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/r3BRjpR.jpg[/IMG]

Your tanks are all so much better than my shittily decorated thing.

To be fair I just use pvc pipes and trashed 20 year old plastic plants in my quarantine tank. :v:

I used to breed blue crayfish but I think since I only started with two I think genetics eventually caught up with them and they all eventually died. :saddowns: Because my water was pristineeee. [editline]5th March 2017[/editline] The weird thing about crayfish is that when they die they only leave a little ball of calcium carbonate after the rest of their body is... disappeared. When you have a tank full the the things they typically get to the deceased before I did. [editline]5th March 2017[/editline] And yes I found it hard to eat crawfish after owning them as pets. It's alright, though.

my father has a really large fishtank and coral setup at my house, when I will visit next week ill remember to post some pictures here

Anyone ever had aquatic snails? If so is it ok to have them with fish? Got another small tank besides the one for the troops and I was thinking about getting a couple of fish and maybe throwing a snail in there for variety.

[QUOTE=Mr Kotov;51921690]Anyone ever had aquatic snails? If so is it ok to have them with fish? Got another small tank besides the one for the troops and I was thinking about getting a couple of fish and maybe throwing a snail in there for variety.[/QUOTE] Perfectly fine, but some fish will munch on them. Some are prolific breeders. Nerite snails are attractive and affordable and do not breed in freshwater.

I once had an axolotl when I was a kid. I kept taking it out of the tank to pet it because it looked so cute I was so upset when it inevitably died :cry:

[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;51922057]Perfectly fine, but some fish will munch on them. Some are prolific breeders. Nerite snails are attractive and affordable and do not breed in freshwater.[/QUOTE] Yeah, I was afraid that some fish might see them as a snack.

[QUOTE=Mr Kotov;51922100]Yeah, I was afraid that some fish might see them as a snack.[/QUOTE] Generally it's pretty easy to find info on compatibility. Some species like the clown loach love them. Some keepers really like the quick breeding trumpet snails, as they help oxygenate and mix tank substrates. Those may be acquired from some pet stores for free as many see them as a nuisance. Definitely try keeping some inverts, esp ghost shrimp. They're a blast to watch

[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;51922467]Generally it's pretty easy to find info on compatibility. Some species like the clown loach love them. Some keepers really like the quick breeding trumpet snails, as they help oxygenate and mix tank substrates. Those may be acquired from some pet stores for free as many see them as a nuisance. Definitely try keeping some inverts, esp ghost shrimp. They're a blast to watch[/QUOTE] Thanks for the tips. Fish are cool and all but I like the weirder kind of stuff.

Only about time I see a thread for my main hobby. I've been doing this for life! right now I have a career in aquarium service. I ran a Saltwater fish-keeping retail store for a year, but the owner closed it as part of his 'retirement' plan. the Store had been around for about 20 years before(pretty major one on the east coast). Now me and him, along with two other employees run Salt water aquarium service all across Washington D.C./Maryland/Northern VA. her'es our site, its very outdated..However it has alot of some of our older works and installation.(soon to be updated) [url]http://www.customaquariumconcepts.com/[/url] [b][i]If anyone has any Saltwater reef keeping oriented questions. feel free to ask, I am a certified SW tank wizard.[/b][/i] :magic101: I've been doing everything from planted and aquascaped FW tanks, specific fish only FW/SW systems, Pico-reefs, Shark Tanks, shitty 'insert' reefs to full on living reefs all through out my life. and the list goes on... I felt like I was alone for soooo long on this forum.. good to see that im not :happy: here is some examples of my work and some of our clients beautiful Reef tanks and whatnot.. [b]Clients Tank, right out side of D.C. Several hundered gallon reef (forgot the exact amount)[/b] [t]https://i.imgur.com/87kCqGf.jpg[/t] [b]Clients 150g peninsula reef, my personal fav. to work on, its stunning and the sand is almost permanently spotless due to a stir-crazy Diamond Goby. Located in northern VA[/b] [t]https://i.imgur.com/eNJA8W7.jpg[/t] [b]Clients 175g Corner reef(minus my bosses ass). Area undisclosed, client is relatively well known.[/b] [t]https://i.imgur.com/BLj57GM.jpg[/t] [b]Retail Store RedSea MAX display(side view) 150G mixed reef. goddamn I miss this one the most, I had to tear it down personally when it was in its prime; due to the closure of the store.. [/b]:disappoint: [t]https://i.imgur.com/mm5vs9o.jpg[/t] [b]Store-room service 75g tank. we keep this one to hold fish and corals for our clientele. surprising low death rate for fish and corals considering how many of them are moved around and sold out of here.. Based out of Northern VA.[/b] [t]https://i.imgur.com/JTPTogK.jpg[/t] now here are some of my tanks/corals etc. Pico CRS+Thailand Pea-sized FW crabs breeder tank:(no longer active) [t]http://imgur.com/2oU4nth.jpg[/t] Pico-Fuge:(no longer active) [t]http://imgur.com/oPeWxf2.jpg[/t] Gorilla-Nipple Zoanthid Colony:(active) [t]http://imgur.com/FN17U4H.jpg[/t] Frag section of my 30G mixed reef: (active) [t]http://imgur.com/eFgFELI.jpg[/t] My Dwarf Lionfish, from my old reef from several years ago:(no longer active) [t]http://imgur.com/q62VamD.jpg[/t] Pico-Fuge with Larry the Pom-Pom Crab:(no longer active) [t]http://imgur.com/7usPKNJ.jpg[/t] My 10g community zen garden: (no longer active) [t]http://imgur.com/ja1RqHm.jpg[/t] 10g Zen Garden pt.2 with pregnant Amano shrimp: (no longer active) [t]http://imgur.com/lhcqE00.jpg[/t] I apologize about the odd coloring in the blues, most of these are done via mobile phone..

[QUOTE=Mr Kotov;51923116]Thanks for the tips. Fish are cool and all but I like the weirder kind of stuff.[/QUOTE] You might like dragon gobies ([I]Gobioides broussonnetii[/I]then Plenty of weird and cool fish out there, the diversity is in part what makes them so cool

[QUOTE=cheesecurls;51924490][I]Reefmaster[/I][/QUOTE] Intoxicating. When I started with my 90 it was kind of a learn as you go thing. It actually started as a 25 gallon tank that was too small for my experience level and collapsed. I was able to spare the fish and put them in the brand new 90. I constantly upgraded it but it was never to the point where I wanted. I was young and my parents paid for it as a display for the house as long as I was took care of it. There's something about keeping corals and everything else that makes it so much more rewarding. I look at fish only saltwater tanks and it doesn't have the same romance to it. When you have the whole system not a day goes by where you don't find something new in your own tank. I spent hours sitting in front of it just watching. I wanted to get into fragging and breeding but I never had the time and then money to. Still don't. Would love to one day. I used to go to [url]http://www.marinebreeder.org/forums/[/url] and watch peoples progress in breeding new species. I wanted to one day breed mandarin dragonets but knew I didn't have the resources for that. It's a world that's impossible to not fall in love with.

I hear you man, fragging I'd have to say was one of my favorite parts. It was easy to manage when I ran the store. We had all the fancy tools. Jewelry bandsaws,bone snippets,millions of plugs, millions of frags and several reef adhesives (they were mostly shit). But the hardest part was getting the coral to stick to a plug. The next part was pricing. I agree SW is hella expensive, and I'll disagree with all of those froo-froo YouTube guys who say SW is just as easy as fresh. There is nothing like managing a reef. The main difference is its 25x more expensive and you have to have a good understanding in chemistry, biology,light spectrums/physics, husbandry, plumbing and the list goes on. I'd say the only downside to being in the industry for a while(doing service, while I'm posting),is sort of losing the magic and full appreciation for you aquariums. But i still find myself fro time to time getting lost in my own aquarium due to it being so full of life. I tend to like my SW with lots of macro algae, like a planted tank almost.. that usually gives you a lot of microfauna that flourishes in the display. Essentially a refugium as a display.

[t]http://i.imgur.com/CEeYD5a.jpg[/t] So, this Oscar is a bit passive, has its fins worn out, and seems to be losing skin. It doesn't seem to have any issue with its tankmates, but we may be missing some details. Any advice?

Looks like it has finrot and fungus on the side where his scales are missing. Keep up the water changes to be safe. If you see any white poop quarantine him, looks like his stomach is fairly sunken in and his face seems to have some pits forming. Oscars are susceptible to hole in the head and hexamita, if there is high nitrates, which are linked. Is he eating? If he is treat his food with epsom salts or metronidazole. If not and it is for sure hex you may have to force feed him. The scrape on the side might also be a heater burn too or from a rock or nips. Is he new or have you had him for a while? Regular aquarium/kosher salt should help the missing scales heal.If not you may need an antifungal/bacterial. i would try salt first. I would quarantine him in a separate tank if it's possible. There is a thread stickied here that is helpful: [url]https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/treating-hexamita-aka-spironucleus.523470/[/url]

It isn't really eating much (it eats, but last week it was downright voracious), and IIRC it has been pooping white. And it is a quite new adquisition, we got it just a week ago, but up until Friday it was quite lively; afterwards, it has been that way. My flatmate (the one who wanted an aquarium and paid every related expense) remains skeptical of using salt, due to most fish dying 12 hours after adding it for the first time. I'll try to bug him into checking nitrates and acting in accordance.

If it's white poop and you had him for a week, he was probably infected at the store. It's really common with large cichlids like flowerhorns too. He is probably also nervous being in a new tank. It takes oscars a while to adjust all the way since they are pretty smart for a fish. Try the pure epsom salts in the food, acts as a laxative and will flush the parasite out. Make the concentration outlined in the thread there (iirc 1 tbsp per 500ml) and drop it over the food (prefferably pellets) and dry it out. You can also use something like NLS Hex Shield food and garlic guard as a soak, it might help him eat. Gotta treat hith early or it will progress and kill the fish. Same thing happened to my green terror, unfortunately it was too late. It is contagious too, treat everyone with the epsom salt food as a preventative. If it really gets bad, get metroplex medicine. IDK if you need a vet prescription for that in europe though. Might be worth talking to the store manager at the fish place and see if he has had any issues with shipments. Sometimes it's out of their control.

Nice, an aquarium thread. I currently have like a 10 year old goldfish in a 25 gallon tank. He's big but not big enough that tank space is an issue, he can still easily turn in there. I highly recommend getting java ferns. They keep the tank clean and water clear for a long time

I have java ferns as well. They were growing great until my convict decided they were his arch enemy. Completely rekt. I had to move him back in my 90 and same thing. He leaves most of the other plants alone or just pushes them out of the way but java fern=nope. :goodjob:

I want to get a java fern or two but every time I try I find some of the nastiest, poorly taken care of things ever. It's sad when a petsmart is better than your lfs. :frown:

[QUOTE=FlakTheMighty;51929111]I want to get a java fern or two but every time I try I find some of the nastiest, poorly taken care of things ever. It's sad when a petsmart is better than your lfs. :frown:[/QUOTE] May want to order online though or look for someone on craigslist. Shipping on plants seems to be a lot less than fish, plus most places seem to have a flat rate so it's like order as many plants as you want.

About the releasing into the wild thing; My uncle is a Canadian Park Ranger and he told me a story a while ago about how they had to kill everything in some lake with poison or whatever because people released a few goldfish into it. The goldfish grew massive and ended up eating nearly everything in the lake. After they killed off everything in the lake they had to reseed it with native species of fish. So yeah, just thought I'd share, don't release your fish!

[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;51924650]You might like [b]dragon gobies[/b] ([I]Gobioides broussonnetii[/I]then Plenty of weird and cool fish out there, the diversity is in part what makes them so cool[/QUOTE] Oh man these things look awesome. I'll think about getting a few.

[QUOTE=Dr.C;51928812] I highly recommend getting java ferns. They keep the tank clean and water clear for a long time[/QUOTE] Man I miss my Java Ferns, they were so out of control I had to trim them every once and a while. I used to have them growing along side [i]Rotala Rotundafolia[/i] and a beautiful piece of driftwood. [i]Rotala Rotundafolia[/i] I recommend too, it grows and functions similar to java ferns(aka wild and wonderful), except if you dose your tank with just a touch of Seachem Iron, the become a really cool red. :cool: her'es and example in the wild: [t]http://www.listingfactoryhost.com/users/yuhin/eBayAuctions/rotalarotundifoliared/images/littleredroundleaf_573109465_large.jpg[/t]

[QUOTE=Eriorguez;51928723]It isn't really eating much (it eats, but last week it was downright voracious), and IIRC it has been pooping white. And it is a quite new adquisition, we got it just a week ago, but up until Friday it was quite lively; afterwards, it has been that way. My flatmate (the one who wanted an aquarium and paid every related expense) remains skeptical of using salt, due to most fish dying 12 hours after adding it for the first time. I'll try to bug him into checking nitrates and acting in accordance.[/QUOTE] If it doesn't respond to a treatment for hexamita and you suspect it is fungal, tread carefully. With exposure to [I]Saprolegnia[/I] you can lose your eyes in as little as two days, "ich" literally can dissolve your eyes. My advisor (a medical mycologist) advocated seeing an optometrist for an exam promptly.

[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;51933969]If it doesn't respond to a treatment for hexamita and you suspect it is fungal, tread carefully. With exposure to [I]Saprolegnia[/I] you can lose your eyes in as little as two days, "ich" literally can dissolve your eyes. My advisor (a medical mycologist) advocated seeing an optometrist for an exam promptly.[/QUOTE] Hmm weird. I thought one of the only communicable diseases to humans was fish TB? Weird! :chem101:

Nah humans can definitely get Ich, but unless you rub your eyes or something you're not going to have a problem. Just wash your hands immediately after handling the fish/water. It wouldn't even [I]potentially[/I] cause harm to you unless you have open sores either, our skin is too tough. However, it would almost immediately die out inside of us because of our body heat.