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

I swear my tanks exist on a seperate plane or something, I decided to test the tap water here and its KH is so low even a single drop of the testing liquid is considered to have passed it. (which would probably explain the whole low kh in the smaller tank which was having PH swings) Meanwhile the big tank I've got has its KH sitting comfortably at about 7 dkh with straight up nothing special in the water. I don't even

I would love to test the water chemistry if I had your tank on hand to get to the bottom of it. I still think it's definitely the Aquasoil, 100%. Quick google showing it's known to lower KH & pH.

Doesn't really make sense though given the tap water has a KH of zilch as well, meanwhile the bigger tank has aquasoil as well. So arguably its not that the smaller tank has ultra low KH for some strange reason, but that that the bigger has its KH at a reasonable level and I have no clue why. Maybe the water here has something weird going on with it?

eh, it's something in that tank if its not in the other one. I'd just buy some buffers and just hamfist a solution than worry about finding out the root cause. It'll be a pita removing all your stuff from the tank to find out.

Actually now that I think about it, there is a slight chance that the gravel mix I put over the aquasoil contains something that would do it. (limestone? idk) Guess I know what im spending my time off over xmass researching

https://i.imgur.com/wqsBOvv.jpg Merry Christmas me

@Azza Prepared to have your tank crash during the inevitable multi day power failure that heatwave is going to cause? Im considering moving the catfish into my 40g to make handling/cleaning easier but ill likely need both filters on it to ensure it stays clean

I'm going to start putting my first tank together over my vacation. I want to just get a single axolotl so I'm going to spend a lot of time researching and building a really nice habitat for it. I'm looking forward to it. I love axolotls and I'm really excited to get one.

Feel free to @ me with any questions. I've done waaay too much research for my axie. Couple basic things everyone should know if they're thinking of getting one: -Gravel can cause impaction when swallowed, go for sand or bare bottom instead. -Keep the water cool; 16-18 degrees Celsius is ideal. -Earthworms should be the staple diet; they have all the nutrition an axolotl needs, and you can get them at bait shops pretty easily. You can supplement it with blood worms, and the occasional feeder guppy as treats. Avoid the feeder minnows and comets you can get at pet shops, as they contain thiaminase which can block the production of vitamin B1

I had an Axolotl once. They are cute

They're super adorable, and I'm maybe a little bit obsessed with them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujpyarO7hFY

I actually never lose power, but just in case I also run my filter, heater, dosing pump and solenoid off of a UPS that can last ages without the heater on Dont need the heater in summer so im all good

@Thaggers only heartless monsters can't find axolotls adorable

@Thaggers Thanks I really appreciate the advice! This axolotl is going to be my only pet so I won't spare any expense in making and maintaining the best tank for it. I want it to be super comfy in its new home.

Welp it only took all day but im back down to one tank. I swear it took longer to take everything out of the tank than it did to put it in.

I hate Marineland. The Aqueon glass tops don't fit their tanks. Only Marineland branded ones fit their tanks and they're sold online only at a ridiculous price, or at a specific Petsmart.

Cleaned up my cabinets and installed the new filter. https://i.imgur.com/IhbPqZY.jpg https://i.imgur.com/3mZtMne.jpg Still need to dust them lol

Dunno what size you need but I got mine through drsfostersmith and for my 29 gallon it was pretty decently priced. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3781

guys you know that shrimp I thought was pregnant... It seems to still have this growth in it.... I assume its a female because its huge compared to the others, but the others are entirely transparent, and this one used to be way more transparent. I don't even know if it's just a fatass, because I always see it eating. It's got this really yellowy looking growth on the topside from its head half way down, and the stuff that looked like eggs initially is now like a brownish greyish growth and sort of extending down the legs very slightly and jiggles with the legs as it runs. best image i could get https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/244344/9ec1f6ec-a0ad-483b-9360-d43fbbb9ffa8/IMAG1580.jpg

Still looks like a clutch of eggs to me. The yellow stuff just looks like it's guts? Maybe it just ate?

It looks fuzzy on the top of the legs, maybe shes about to pop or something. But about the yellow, it isnt connected to the digestive tract, and none of the other shrimp have it. (but the rest are males)

Did this thread die? I finally got around to washing my Black Diamond. Turns out I bought way too much and will probably end up only using about half of what I got. Not a great picture but it's something I took to get away from the boring football game: https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/1861/131a2dc1-8797-40f2-8416-7e6dd97f8256/IMG_20190203_201031.jpg The picture doesn't do it justice. It's got a nice sparkle to it in the light. Can't wait to get water in there.

Nah just nothing worth mentioning. My gourami have an odd dynamic going on now though. Previously the male was chasing the female around, it seems to have reversed as of late and now its her chasing him around the tank. Anytime she goes near him she aims her feelers at him and the second she does he darts away. Not sure if its a sexual thing or he just doesn't like getting touched but its something im keeping tabs on. Also I have this annoying bacterial growth on the wood in my tank, dude in the store said it would go away after a few weeks but after like 3 months its still there even with me regularly pulling clumps of it out. I suppose this woods just super nutritious?

I just got wood https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/1861/418a1402-1ad0-4d22-8d79-6d395d81a33e/IMG_20190213_181058.jpg Can't wait to see it in the tank. Dude at the store says it's gonna float for awhile though but should be light on the tanin leaching which is what I was looking for. Was also looking for a nice long piece for my 125 that wasn't too tall. I'm super happy with this chunk so far.

If you have a second bathtub fill it and leave it in there for a while, let water soak in.

It's bigger than I thought https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/1861/687241de-085e-4394-ae47-27735b948be0/IMG_20190213_190840.jpg

That looks super nice though, I've got a huge bit of that spindly wood in my tank and while it takes up like 2/3 of the tanks length having something with lots of passages makes the tank way more interesting imo

I'm glad it's so big. I was worried I'd have to get two of them when they were side by side at the store. I guess having them next to tanks much bigger than mine might've made them seem smaller than they are. Now I'm thinking about whether it should be centered or offset or paired with smaller wood on either side so there's a valley in the middle. And also what kind of plants to get. I want to get some cool grasses that carpet the floor. Hoping to get some more neon Tetras and a few Discus, too. I actually did pick up 10 more neons that I put in my other tank for the time being. This stores discus seek really over priced, but I can get some nice ones online from Uncle Sam. Quality Fish Eyeing up one of those breeding pairs...

https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/1861/c0a80233-2db7-4c5d-9608-a33378051f73/IMG_20190214_194154.jpg Floating confirmed. Take your bets on how long it will take for it to completely sink. This is day 2.

1 week + it turns your tank into a blackwater tank