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Garry:

Thanks for stopping by! I am not very optimistic for the present spawn, there are simply too many hungry mouths around, not to mention the snails. In order to get more serious and successful with discus breeding I will have to set up a tank for the pair with spawning cone and RO water. No time for that right now but it is a sure project for the future. Right now the parents are driving everybody nuts and that pretty regularly as they spawn every other week ...

The Discus tank looks fantastic btw . Maybe its time to replace you Hyrgo p. as well

Thanks for your kind words! I am waiting for 'tigermom' to provide feed back regarding her shopping experience with AZ gardens (lame excuse, I know). They have quite a few plants I would like to try but for that I will have to make room in the big tank. I would like to keep a small colony of the hygro as we can not get it commercially in the US. I am thinking about removing some more of the huge E. bleheri as these plants are too big for the tank and don't allow for any scape that I have in mind (I do think about aquascaping!). Some 'hardware' instead and plants would be more becoming.

I really don't know why all pictures that I upload are way darker than they appear to be prior to publication on this site. Anyway, sorry for the trouble spotting my little fish. I have the same problem. He looks like a tiny spotted balloon with a little bit of tail fin sticking out: it is a juvenile male dwarf puffer very cute but way too small for a decent picture with 1 cm total length. This is easily the smallest fish species I have ever kept. I tried to get a pic of him with the camera using the zoom but that was not enough. I hope he will eventually grow to 1 inch ... and what was I thinking?

Patty, thanks for stopping by and your nice comment of the manzanita tank! I just have to be patient with fish and plant growth.

Everything is looking so good Claudia, in both your tanks. Conditions must be great too, with spawing every other week. You're obviously doing things right

Cheers
TW

Claudia ... Hardware ...now you've got me excited ...Driftwood or rocks?

BTW , on the darkness of photos , I found that even if it looks light on your desktop you need to lighten it more so that it looks washed out . Then it will look right on here .

Garry

Rocks! I had much more driftwood in the tank and removed it. What I have in mind now requires rocks but I haven't made up my mind what type of rocks I would like to get. Any suggestions are welcome, you are a very good aquascaper!

Thanks for the tip regarding the brightness and contrast of photos destined for this site, I was considering the possibility that the settings on my computer are off (but powerpoint presentations are always okay). Now I know that it is not my settings. I will have to experiment a bit. On a different note, there will be NO company for my lonely little puffer boy this week due to the holiday ... You know, I am having difficulties myself to spot him in the tank he is this small. Nevertheless, he is bold! Swims right into my face when he feels being watched.

Robyn, what's going on? Long time no update I hope everything is alright with your tanks. (Just called several farm stores to inquire about availability of pig and cattle dewormer )

Claudia

Well it depends on how prominent you want them to be . I have some very red looking volcanic rocks in my 60g , but the ones in the 240 g have a more sandstone type of look .

So up to you as far as that is concerned , but from my point of view I always like to have some redy/brown in a rock group as it creates focus . I've tried for a variety of colours in the 240g but only the Very red in the 60g . Both look ok to me . I know of some folks who like black rocks as well , not my cup of tea , but that can also look stunning .
Interested to see which way you go .

Garry

Week 19 ...

Not much going on (translates to not much time to spend with the tanks). however, a massive cut back of the hygro was in order - as Countryfish/Garry had put it aptly " I am over it". Almost the entire right side of the tank was freed of the hygro and replaced with Diandra that I moved more to the back of the tank. Good news is that the fish like it as there is much more room to swim, the bad news is that the second heater and the filter intake are in full view again

Sadly, "Ramzes", the big blue diamond decided that his his disposition should match his looks, very much to the disadvantage of the other peaceful inhabitants of the tank. I hope to replace him with a more demure, pretty female discus soon.





Near future plans are addition of rocks and new plants (and removal of some of the giant swords)

The Manzanita Tank (10G low light) has new inhabitants, unfortunately not easy or better, impossible to spot: a total of 4 juvenile dwarf puffers! So far, all attempts to get decent pictures were highly unsatisfactory.




The 'biggest' one is 1.5 cm in length and sports a big brine shrimp belly, the smallest one is 1 cm only ... way to grow up! BTW - anyone who has experience with flame moss? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

So is Ramzes a bit of bully?

Tank looks nice after it's trim. Could you have the heater in a lower & more horizontal position, so you'd see it less?

Hope to see what these dwarf puffers of yours look like soon.

Cheers
TW

Robyn,
glad to hear from you again! How are you and your tank projects doing??

So is Ramzes a bit of bully?

Unfortunately, not only a bit. He turned into one mean and nasty piece constantly attacking others. Preferred aim is the most recent addition, a beautiful young Brilliant Turk. The poor little guy is too scared to take a bite of food if his attacker is anywhere to be seen. Nobody else is spared either and he is even trying to charge the big pigeonblood breeder (they keep spawning nevertheless). Number two on his list of most desired enemies is the smaller blue diamond. I am not into discus psychology but is it possible that the constant spawning activity contributes to his nastiness? He turned mean after I lost the Red Turk female that I had purchased with him (and introduced disease with) due to massive worm infestation.

Could you have the heater in a lower & more horizontal position, so you'd see it less?

A possibility, I left the heater in this position for accessibility but now that the temperature has settled I might move it bottomwards. Leaves the hideous filter intake ... but hopefully I will have new plants soon to cover the hardware.

The puffers are growing bellies, I don't know how quickly they will grow up. The first one I introduced was in the dealer's tank for several weeks without gaining much in size. They are way too tiny for a regulr picture (at least for me).

Hope to see an update of your tanks soon, Robyn

I don't have many plants in my tanks, so I keep the heaters low & behind rocks. To hide the intake tubes I just put a stick or piece of driftwood in front of it.

Another possibility, I guess I will go for plants for coverage though I plan on adding some more hardware in form of rocks but I am not sure that this will cover the intake which sticks out particularly bad due to its color. Notto mention that i still have to set up the CO2 ...

Hey Claudia ... Like what you've done with the ex Hygro area so far ... will be interesting to see what you decide to do with that area . Just a couple of suggestions !. Leave a beach at right front ...just a little one.... I think it adds to the contrast in a planted tank . 2. Try to have a valley from front to back in the plants leading down to the beach ...this adds depth to the scape .
Anyway just a couple of thoughts /ideas .

Garry

Garry,

I absolutely agree with you regarding 'beach' and 'valley'. That's what I want to to after a from a prolonged business trip (not much sense to order plants before). I had already removed a lot of the tenellus that started to close in on the foreground. There is a list of plants that I want to order from AZ Gardens. I have to look for it and post it to get some input from fellow gardeners like yourself on FP. What about your update??

It will be interesting to see your tank with a beach front. Do you intend adding sand?

Whenever I get around to setting up the discus tank, that will have a beach front too- seems to be the fashion with a few of us now, so interested to watch yours evolve.


Cheers
TW

Claudia ... New plants ... great fun ... What are you going for ...something different ?
Update done btw , like you I've been away .

Robyn , your right it seems to be a trend , Ingo led maybe .

Garry

The first I saw here was tetratech (Jeff)

Cheers
TW

This is for Garry and all fans of small fish:

First shot of two of my dwarf puffers, bellies full of brine shrimp. There are 4 of them in the 10G 'Manzanita' tank. I will try to post more pictures of these little cuties but it is a challenge! They are small and smart enough to avoid the camera.



Anyone on FP who has experience with them? I want to try to breed them.

Happy New Year Claudia!

Those are tiny fish, how big are they? Big eyes. Good luck with breeding.

Cheers
TW

Hi robyn:

happy New Year to you as well! The 'tinies' did some growing and have reached their gargantuan size of 2 cm by now. They are very cute and curious ... and spoiled. I must have done something wrong as 2 out of the 4 flat out refuse to eat anything but live food translates to trips to the LFS to get brine shrimp and clean black worms for me.

I think I have one boy and 3 girls, with the former being smaller. They boss him around, I am not sure if I will ever have success breeding these little buggers, it is just something I'd like to try.

How are your tanks coming along?

Claudia

That's such a pain, when they only eat live. I had an apisto pair like that. After a long time, they finally took frozen, but stubbornly refused all flakes or pellets.

Glad the puffers are happy & growing well for you.

How are your tanks coming along?

Thank's for asking. Just added update to the 43g. The final of the 3 new tanks sits empty, being used for plant storage in that new (almost) waterless method I'm trying.

Very close to winning the bet with hubby. If I win, he's to buy me the 6ft tank. Then the fun begins. I'll know by the 27th if I've won.

Apart from that, I have finally sourced a replacement male aggi double red. Been looking for months - none to be found. Got him yesterday & he's in quarantine - with a PT.nigerian red pair, a tripple red cac pair & a red alencer discus(I've seen it spelt Alenquer as well - don't know which is right).

Look forward to your next update.


Cheers
TW

Claudia ...so how are the new plants etc ...time for an update ?

Garry

PS Happy New Year

Happy New Year, Garry

It is about time for an update, true. If I only had the energy ... I purchased quite a few plants online (and readers of my report to tigermom know all about it). I finally got almost all plants, but the stargrass (H. zosterifolia) was in pitiful condition. I suspect by now that this plant does not ship well as several LFS whom I had approached regarding this plant had reported DOA. Mine arrived 'melting'. Currently I have several stems that will hopefully survive and will post pics of them as soon as they are in picture condition. (I am trying to nurse them back to health).
I removed 2 giant E. bleheri from the tank to make spacr for new plants, below is a picture of one of them - they are now on display in my LFS' big show tanks

I also removed a piece of driftwood and replaced it with petrified wood, several pieces. Almost all of the vals are gone (I stopped counting when I had reached 60 ...). Below is a picture of a nice big specimen, they also went to the dealer
Now I have only 2 Vals left in the tank! Last time I checked they had already formed runners again.

The Blood stargras (Didiplis diandra) is doing extremely well and has formed a nice bush on the right side of the tank


I was courageous enough to add a little pot of HC to my order (courageous because of Little_Fish's woes with this plant) and was very proud of myself after planting it ...

Those darn trumpet snails started digging right away (you can see the colony of first arrivers on site in the picture) and by day 3 all HC was gone!

I also placed an order for dwarf lily plants but received the bulbs instead (way cheaper than the plant). Oh well, this went on twice and I finally gave up and planted the bulbs - both of them developed into twin Tiger lotus! Here is the smaller one, the other one is already huge and I will have to trim the largest leaves next weekend

Onto the fish:

that's a sad story as my pretty female Blue Diamond suffered a relapse from her intestinal problems and I had to put her into a hospital tank. She endured 10 long days of Metro and is hopefully on the road to recovery for good. If all goes as planned I will return her to the tank next weekend. However, before the big and aggressive Blue Diamond male (Ramzes) will have to go, he continues to harrass every other discus in the tank. His most sought after enemies are below, they geared up to fight him with combined strength but had only little success

'Ramzes' developed into a rather pretty fish, if he would only adjust his behaviour accordingly to his looks ...

Nice plant purchases Claudia. Must be time for a full tank shot, so we can really see what you've done with them.

Shame about the HC. Darn snails. I'm growing HC in my waterless tank, so hope to have decent amount for the new discus tank when all is ready.

Poor pretty blue diamond. Hope this will be the end of those parasites.

Shame about Ramzes turning into such a bully

Cheers
TW

Claudia...You have my sympathy ...and empathy ...I know what its like when your residents decide that your plants are just too delicious to pass up Can't they tell the difference !
The Didiplis diandra looks fantastic , wish I could get some here . The Tiger Lotus is interesting ...does it have leaves that stay submersed or do they all grow to the surface ?

I agree with Robyn ...time for a detailed study of your new look tank ...if you have time .

Garry

Garry:

It looks like I got two regular sized tiger lotus with one of them sending leaves already reaching the surface - I will clip tomorrow. According to an article published in FAMA you can 'train' the lotus the growth pattern you desire: trimming of leaves touching the surface will encourage the formation of leaves which will stay submersed and smaller. I have seen pictures of tanks and will give it a try. The second bulb generated 2 plants with blood red leaves that are very small and the growth is slow. I suspect that these are dwarf lily plants which I had ordered. I will post pics of them how they develop. They are very pretty!
The development of the other new plants is so so - crypts are doing very well, myrfoil as well; the alleged L. aromatica is a different story and not too pretty, A. reineckii is trying to adjust. These plants arrived with tissue damage. The stargras H. zosterifolia is in the worst condition, but I am confident that I will eventually develop a nice quantity of healthy plants . The new growth looks very promising.
I had also bought Pogostemon stellatus and a few stems of A. reineckii at a new store and they are doing very well! I hope to be able to post pics soon.

Didiplis is simply beautiful and my pictures do the beauty of this plant not justice. Keep your eyes peeled, the plant is worth it.

Claudia

P.S. I have too many plants and am still suffering from the hunter and gatherer bug ... Detailed study will have to wait a bit, I am snowed under with work again

This is not going to be the typical update (which I haven't done for a while, I know)
The discus tank is stuffed with plants and I removed a lot of the R. indica to make more space for new growth and sawimming. E. tenellus will have to undergo a massive trim at the end of this week! Pics and a more appropriate update to follow...

BUT: Today my fish club did its biannual auction. No discus there that deserved a bid but I got 2 pairs of young A. viejita and a pair of A. hongsloi! The latter were an absolute bargain (people favor African cichlids here). My purchases are keeping 'Gramps', an elderly, 4 inch A. cacatuoides and his spouse good company and will undergo preventive treatment for intestinal worms in these temporary quarters. I hope that all goes well and I will have Apisto fry in the near future!
This is what the tanks looks like (lots of plants and hiding holes for the pairs, though probably not as obvious from this pictureb):

One of the A. viejita

The second pair inspecting their living quarters

I know I went overboard but could not resist as Apistos are difficult to get where I live (I haven't seen one of these fish in 4 years here offered for sale, neither private nor commercially!) Unfortunately, the hongslois were not willing to pose for the camera, here is a shot of another acquisition, a female BN out of a group of 3, please excuse the blurriness

Claudia ...Great pick up .. Apistos are very hard to get here as well ...
Never seen A. viejita or A. hongsloi in the flesh around here .

So are you planning a complete makeover with all those plants you
have stuffed in the tank ...or just a rearrangement ?

Love the BN ...great fish .


Garry

Great acquisitions, Claudia.

I know I went overboard but could not resist as Apistos are difficult to get where I live

That's exactly what I did the other week when I went to get the male Aggi. Been waiting for a male Aggi double red since Oct 07. None around. Apistos are hard to find here too, so, you know how it goes, I came home with several other apistos & riverine africans - but none as exciting as your purchases. Even harder to find are viejita (never seen one in the flesh). I was briefly the proud owner of a pair of hongsloi, but they only survived a couple of weeks

Hope to read of fry in your tank, when I get back from hols

Good luck

Cheers
TW

Hi Robyn and Garry:

The discus tank is currently undergoing a gradual transformation, that's why there is really nothing obvious to post. Just tigthening up the positioning of the plants, creating free areas and removal of plants I am over with (Hygro, the majority of R. Indica). The foreground is dominated by E. tenellus on the right side and I have to do a serious weeding out as the plants are growing on top of each other. I am thinking about removing the last remaining amazon sword as well. After removal of the other ones it gained twice its size and does not appear to slow down. A pity, really, as it is quite beautiful.

The BNs were actually more expensive than the rare apistos!! Something is wrong here and mine were still affordable as it was already late in the day. Should have brought Ramzes to the auction, though. He would have gone for a nice sum of money - the few discus at the auction were mediocre quality at best but buyers paid a lot of money for them.

I was briefly the proud owner of a pair of hongsloi, but they only survived a couple of weeks

I had a similar situation with a pair of A. macmasteri I had bought at the Convention two years ago. They did fine initially but went without any signs of illness suddenly. I hope for more luck with the viejitas and the hongsloi. They were searching for food within two hours after I put them into the tank and actively exploring their home - but that does not mean a lot.

Hope to read of fry in your tank, when I get back from hols

Lucky you! have fun

Claudia

Discus tank update week 30

the Tenellus lawn in the right foreground underwent a major trim. Altogether, 70 plants were removed. The didiplis and the HM also experienced the scissors. Fishpatty would probably still shake her head (way too many plants, what a thicket and I have to admit that she might be right). Here is a shot before the trim

And afterwards, strangely, the difference is not this apparent in the picture

The dwarf tiger is doing really well, but the stargrass which I planted temporarily in front of it (part of a rescue project) partially obscures the view:

The left side of the tank is still dominated by an Amazon sword (I wanted to get rid of this one as well but Garry convinced me otherwise). Originally, I had 2 amazons there (make that 3 as one of them had formed a side shot already). Since the removal of the other plants the remainder has considerably spread in size. Picture with the tank bully and the second set of 'dwarf' tiger lotus, very dwarfish :

The removal of tenellus is very much appreciated by the bottom dwellers, here is a shot of 'Paula' one of the ancistrus sp.


The apistos are in a different tank, here is a picture of the elusive and always hungry hongsloi male
and of his female counterpart


That's it for now. Any suggestions regarding aquascaping are more than welcome!

Claudia ..love the shots of the fishies ..very nice . As far as the plants go ..I can see the difference between the before and after... just Now advice ...hmmm.. Ok here goes. I think the end with the sword is fine but the midground from there to the other end of the tank is too full of tallish plants ( at least thats how it looks in the shots ) which is giving that no room for swimming fish look . So if it were me I'd clear out that area in the centre between the Sword and the Rock/ Driftwood. Only have tall Background plants and some more Tennulus or HM in there or small crypts to make it look different from the other foreground areas . That would give you very full ends with quite an open middle of the tank .

The other alternative to that is to go for a graduated look from one end to the other . So starting with the sword end being very tall and full to graduating down in size to an open other end of the tank with a beach as a feature at that end. Of course you would keep the background full all the way along the tank .

Just a couple of ideas , hope they help .
Garry

Stunning hongsloi male picture. Female is very nice too. I think your plants look lush, green & healthy. Garry's suggestions sound good, as well.

Cheers
TW

Claudia

Sorry i havent posted in a very long time, but its good to catchup with everyones tanks. I love what you did with the 10 gallon and im interested to see some new pictures. I also noticed you added some petrified wood and I was wondering what it did to your water chemistry.

Shane

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
http://www.natureaquariumclubofutah.com/main.html

Shane,

nice to see that you are back! Unfortunately, it is me who is snowed under with work so a more detailed update of my tanks will have to wait. Just a bit of info: the 10g turned into a not so well kept habitat for 4 boisterous dwarf puffers. they are cute, they are messy, they prefer live food!

Thanks to bark that was left on the manzanita wood I am battling a problem with aufwuchs, the fishies are fine, but the tank looks a mess despite frequent water changes.

The discus tank is nice and I did some rearranging and trimming of plants, pics will have to wait until next week. A few pics of my most recent 'object of infatuation':

a male A. hongsloi which I purchased recently at an auction:



I am hoping that he will develop a certain fondness for the little female I got with him ...

And I would greatly appreciate if someone handy with the camera could advice me how to get rid of the mirror image of the flash light that keeps ruining my shots ... Garry, maybe???

A few pics of my most recent 'object of infatuation':

a male A. hongsloi which I purchased recently at an auction:

No wonder you are infatuated. I would be too, if I had that hongsloi male in my tank He's absolutely gorgeous. Does he flirt or chase the female - or simply just hang out.

Cheers
TW

gorgeous looking apisto, catdancer!! i'm jealous!!

The hongsloi is truely a pretty fish, congratulations! Reminds me a lot of my viejita II. I never had luck breeding them in my community tank, ACIDRAIN once pointed out that they actually may breed but are lousy parents. And that is not a good thing when other fishies are around.

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

He is still in the tank with the viejitas which I turned into the quarantine tank as all fish except are new. He hangs out with her, actually, she is more interest in him and reserves the right to taste any food that is provided first. So probably not surprising that nothing else is happening right now. If I ever have the time I will set up an extra tank for him and the little female.

Ingo!!!! Thanks for stopping by - the viejitas in the tank have a lot of growing up to do but they are on the way. They are still not as colorful as your's was. I realize that I will have to provide a different set up if I want to breed these guys ... see above. The viejitas are already doing what drives the serious aquascaper up the wall - they are digging, I wasn't even aware that these apistos do that.

catdancer,

Just to keep you excited for things to come with your viejitas, here are mine again:

Attached Image:

Viejita II

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

And because I can, here is another one.

I finally had some time to shoot some photos today, and when that happens there is always one or the other shot of my viejitas, by far my most beautiful fishies, but all are pretty in their own way.

Have fun,

Ingo

Attached Image:

Viejita II Again

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Can't say which is prettiest, Claudia's hongsloi or Ingo's viejitas. It's a close call. Ingo, that 2nd shot of your pair is really a very nice picture. I haven't ever seen viejitas in real life. I hope to get a pair, one of these days. Apistos & Discus are my favourite fish - but I guess you know that.

Ingo, wouldn't another nice pair of viejitas look nice in your other tank Well, I guess you will start to get annoyed at all soon if we keep asking you for fish. I'll try to stop now

Keep up with the photos - both of you.



Cheers
TW

Wow ...Great shots of some beautifull fish ...Like Robyn ..I cant decide between Claudia's and Ingo's...both are fantastic . I really wish I could get American Chiclids around here .

Claudia ...Photography ...hmmmm... It looks to me as if you are taking the shots at the end of the tank with the fish framed against the side glass . That will give you the mirror effect every time . You need to get them away from the corners and take them looking directly into or down the tank...making sure that the glass from the near side is not in shot .

Hope that helps .


Garry

Sorry Ingo, Robyn has better lookin fish IMO.... Great shots of both tho...

Shane

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
http://www.natureaquariumclubofutah.com/main.html

Dear All!

It's been a while and my apoplogies to all I did not respond too. Well, this is a not so usual update:

I am seeking advice regarding moving of a planted tank! I will relocate to the East Coast next week - Saturday the tanks will go down, fishes will go to my favorite pet store for storage until I have set up their new homes. Will take at lest 2 weeks and then they promised to ship them.

My question to anyone who has done something like this before: will it be possible to rescue the plants (at least some of them) so I do not have to start from scratch again. Plus I have a lot and they are growing nicely despite the neglect they experienced over the last couple of months. I was thinking of transporting them in rubbermaid containers and setting them up in lare buckets until the tanks will arrive.

Also, input regarding shipment of fish is very welcome. These guys have no shipper's license, hence they have to do FedEx overnight.

thanks!!

Claudia

Hi Claudia,
I'd put the plants into plastic ziplock bags with just a
bit of water (a tablespoon or two) and then pack them in
a box for the drive. When you get where you are going,
you could take them out of the bags and place them in a
clean bucket of water to soak while you prepare the tank.
Then plant them as if you'd just come home from the LFS
with them. They should be fine, even after a few days
in the dark.
I don't envy you living back east with all the heat and
humidity!
But most of all... Best Wishes for the new home

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Claudia ... Here in Aus good plants means getting them shipped ... the place I use wraps the plants in wet newspaper packed with some very cold water in a plastic bag ( maybe frozen when it starts out ) . All this inside a large plastic bag to keep the humidity up .

So no isuue ....the plants will be fine for a few days in this situation .

As for your fish ... I've recieved Fish posted from 2000k away in great condition so it can be done . The key is Oxygen I believe ... so if you trust the people you should be ok .

It sounds like this is a bit of a traumtic time for you ...you have our thoughts and support ..Good luck

Your friend

Garry

Thanks guys!

Ziploc sounds so much easier than tupperware for the transport. Jowever, it is not the drive I am worried about but the fact that the tanks will not arrive immediately. Will do with some buckets. Some of the plants might not make it but I have so many ...

Frank, you might find me strange but I am actually looking forward to the heat and humidity again


Thanks again for your support!

Frank, you might find me strange but I am actually looking forward to the heat and humidity again

I'm with you Claudia. I hate cold weather & love the heat. Could never live anywhere cold or where it snowed. Here in Sydney, we never get below 8 Celscius (think thats around 46F) - but even so, that is far too cold for my liking. If I didn't have so many things tying me to Sydney, I'd be living futher north, where it's warmer (eg QLD's Gold Coast).

Each to their own, eh Frank

Claudia, good luck with the move. I think you'll be fine packing the plants that way and even if there is some loss with the more sensitve plant varieties, its got to be cheaper than starting from scratch.

EDIT: Is Ramses making the trip?

Cheers
TW

Yep, Ramzes will make the trip as well. He had a little problem with an eye infection and as a consequence was vulnerable to harrassment by his tank mates. Apparently that told him a lesson, it also helped that the pidgeon blood male is much bigger than him by now!

Everybody will make the trip except the puffers I am reluctant to set up too many tanks as I will rent an apartment until I have sold my place ... American real estate crisis ... and some American landlords (especially the ones in the big metropolitan areas) have strange ideas.

It is about time again! I am moved in and the empty 72G is in place. Before filling in the Eco-Complete I have a question for the fellow hobbyists who have moved tanks and kept them empty for a while prior to setting them up again: what are your thoughts regarding a prophylactc application of sealant? There is no indication that something is wrong but I want to get some input before filling it ...

Thanks

prophylactc application of sealant? There is no indication that something is wrong but I want to get some input before filling it ...

Never done it, but have twice helped my son pick up & transport a 2nd hand tank bought on ebay. He simply filled up & went ahead straight away & was lucky with no leaking issues.

Are you able to temporarily place the tank in a place where leaking is not an issue, eg no carpet, etc. Outside maybe? Then you could do a test fill with water & leave it a few days to see if it leaks. If all is well, then you could empty it, move it into position & add the eco, etc. I'm sure you have thought of this yourself, so perhaps you have no suitable place to put it for the test fill?

If not, I think the main thing to ensure is that the silicon you use is aquarium safe. In Australia, not all are. The ones that are, are especially marked as aquarium safe.

Will watch this space for updates. Welcome back

Cheers
TW

Robyn,
thanks for the welcome back, much appreciated. Now, on to the topic at hand: I can do a 'test' on my balcony but that would require quite an effort. The 'seams' of the tank look okay but a friend, currently retired from the aquatic hobby urged me to do the prophylactic resealing... Personally, I think it sufficient to do a 'test run' with a 50% filled tank but I wanted to get other opinions first...

Most of my aquatic stuff is still stuffed into two big boxes (the only ones that are left) and I am sooo eager to get started again. I am assuming that my friends back at the fish store are eager to get rid off my aquatic friends as well.

Claudia

Hi,
Back from a brief vacation in the mountains..

I've never done "prophylactic resealing" to a used tank.
In looking at tanks that had been "over sealed" or
"prophylactic resealing", I have never seen a job that
looked decent. In virtually every case, the silicone was
extended, sometimes way over extended, past the initial
sealing at the factory and the job looked terrible and
greatly detracted from the appearance of the tank.

For me, it does not matter if it is a new tank or a
used tank, virtually every tank gets filled to the rim
with water and sits there for a week before I drain it
and place it in its new home. This has saved me from
some really wet problems!

Frank

PS Gals, The temperatures were in the 30s and 40s
over night and in the 60s and 70s during the day!
Truly wonderful, relaxing, weather! We kept the windows
open 24/7.

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hi Frank:

As always, thanks for the input! I will go ahead and start filling the tank. Unfortunately, I will have to do without a test.
Last weekend I visited two stores to locate a good LFS and what a disappointment ... 500+ tanks in one store if you count the tiniest betta container, bare tanks with plenty of sick fish (a 'nice' variety of fish ailments was on display ranging from ich to neon disease). Plants were kept in a large tank filled with algae and what not but labeled "high quality". The second store was not better, oscars with their fins clamped, fight wounds, huge peacocks with them, 20 inch plecos (one of them desperately gasping for air), several pacus. Mercifully, I forgot the rest of the sad menagerie that was stuffed into this tank. In sharp contrast to quality and condition of the poor animals were the prices ... Also, only the very basic assortment of tropical fish.

Unless I find a much better store, I will have to order everything online. On a positive note, one of the guys there was knowledgeable and informed about the meeting schedule of the best local aquatic club. Maybe ...

Claudia

P.S. Since my return I enjoyed several days of 'body temperature' accompanied with lots of humidity. The right weather for me - I did not even turn on the A/C (thanks to neighbors who overdid it keeping me comfortable). Dear Frank, welcome back from Antarctica

Hi Claudia,
My Gosh, What a depressing trip that must have been!
I sincerely hope that there are some truly good LFS in
your area to make up for the two "stinkers" you mentioned.

Yup, I'm back in the Equatorial Zone today with highs in
the mid to upper 90s!

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Any progress Claudia

Cheers
TW

Hooray!

I almost suspected this site dead with a lot of the regulars not posting anymore. Glad to hear from you Robyn and I am happy to tell that my plants will arrive tomorrow evening. I ordered from aquariumplants.com. So yes, expect some (desastrous) pictures this weekend! Can't wait to get the wet hobby going again but it will be tough here - last Saturday I visited another highly recommended store (online reviews) and again, a huge disappointment. Ridiculously high prices, no selection and fish not in great condition. thanksfully there is the Internet. If I am unable to retrieve Ramses and company from my favorite fish store I will order discus online.

Claudia

UPDATE: I planted the new plants, added the driftwood and petrified wood for 'hardware' and filled the tank. So far so good, holding water. However, two of the four 6,700 compact lights of my Coralife light fixture are dead (probably not so surprising for a long distance move) and I am in desperate need of a replacement as some of the new plants are high-light-fans. To make this little enterprise all the more enjoyable, the Eheim filter refused to start and I had to do a manual job.
No pictures for now as the water is totally turbid (Eco-Complete for substrate), the current needs adjustment, lights as well and two pieces of the driftwood are weight down by pieces of slate. Nothing to post in the planted aquaria sectino of enjoyment.
On the brght side, the water here is very soft and I will not need Ro water for a 'mixer' to accommodate discus and other soft water fish I am so fond of.

Well, at least you are started now & I'm sure you'll have your lights sorted out soon. Look forward to the pictures.

Shame your LFS are proving less than satisfactory, but you are lucky that you can get quality discus on line. Not so easy here. Still thinking of calling for Ramses & your originals???

Look forward to seeing your pictures son.

Cheers
TW

Hi Claudia,
It's good that the move is over and you are ready to go!
Are the bulbs themselves bad or is it the canopy
that houses them that has gone bad? Plug them in
and see which work and which don't, then replace the
working bulbs with those that aren't coming on.
If they work, then the canopy is the problem, if they
don't work then they need to be replaced.

Frequently rough handling will break the filaments in
the bulbs, and just as frequently, it can cause wires
to come loose in the canopy. The first is an easy,
though expensive repair. The second could be easy
to check connections for tightness and integrity,
or, even more expensive if the housing needs to
be replaced.

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Frank -


tha's what I am afraid of .. I will check the bulbs tonight when I get home. I wanted to order new ones right away but I am reluctant to do so as I might need repair of the fixture instead.

Thanks for the suggestion, though, even if it confirms my worst fears.

Claudia

BTW, it was in the tripple digits yesterday and
today... Miserable, but I guess you two would love it..

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Help!

I am thoroughly PO - tried to test the CF light bulbs to discover that it is almst impossible to remove these darn things without damage from their sockets. The problem is the 4 pins that feel like glued to it! During the first attempt, the white cap at the end of the bulb came off and some corroded material came out! The second went better but not without damage.

Now I have to order new bulbs in the hope that it is the bulbs and not the fixture that is damaged. Is there a way to change these bulbs easier and without the danger of damaging the bulb?

FRAAANK?

Hi,
Wow!
If this "stuff" does not apply skip it and use what does.

I've never had any of my CF bulbs act as yours have.
Mine have 4 "box" pattern pins and when I lift the end
of the glass bulb the socket hinges swing open and the
bulb lifts right out of the socket. The reverse happens
when inserting new bulbs, Simply set the pins into the
holes and push the bulb back down so it is horizontal and
"clicks" into place. I'm more worried about the metal
clamps that hold the far end of the bulbs in place.
Each time I replace the bulbs I have to hold the clamps
open as I'm afraid if I snap them into the clamps they
are so substantial that I think they would shatter the
glass!

If yours are sticking as it sounds like they are, it
it sounds as if you have moisture directly from the tank
getting into them where it evaporates and calcium carbonate
is building up over time. There should be a piece of glass
or plastic that "seals" the light side of the canopy from
the tank. That prevents moisture (splash-back) from getting
into the assembly, and also prevents any condensation from
getting into the canopy when the lights are turned off
and cooling.

It also sounds like they may be running hot. Heat and age
are the main reasons for the plastic and/or sealant in
the bases to be cracking. By "Hot" it sounds like
there is no fan on the canopy, or that the fan is
running slow due to dirt/dust build up, or the intake filter for the fan is clogged. I've replaced my fan
once in 15 years. I purchased an "industrial" one
with quality roller bearings. and I used an old piece
of panty hose, the panty part as the replacement filter.

The cause(s) along with the above, also be one of age.
Remember, for us (fish keepers & aquatic Gardener's) the
bulbs should be changed annually, and not wait till they
cease to come on or start flickering to change them out.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hi Frank,

thanks for your post. I was initially also concerned that water might be the culprit but everything inside the fixture looked very tidy, no sign of any water built up and the Chicago region where the tank was set up has some pretty hard water. I received the new bulbs two days ago and putting them in was very easy (my fixture has straight pins). I did not squeeze the caps way back onto the pins, just till I heard it snap. I suspect that the peson in the factory who assembled this unit overdid it and combined with the considerable heat that develops, some melting had taken place. The fixture has a nicely working fan and I check regularly for excessive heat.

Now, onto the real disaster that took place: I planted the new plants, turned on the lights, and pang, almost no light. So far not so good but it turned far worse within 36 hours when all the stem plants started melting, followed by the crypts and eventually almost everything else. Dead plant tissue everywhere. I've never seen anythuiing like this before.
Now, with the new lights and a 30% water change yesterday and a very small one today to remove rotting plant parts, things are starting to turn around and I can see some tiny, bright green leaves poking through the substrate. Still a mess. I tried to determine hardness and got no reading at all so I went to the store that is recommended for having a small aquatic section and good cat food ...

This place looks like the light that you see at the end of the tunnel. They have nicely maintained tanks with a small selection of fish that changes every week, plenty of equipment, two tanks with aquatic plants AND knowledgeable, friendly staff. I left with a new gravel vac, a list of other vondors in the area (!), an invitation and info to join the local aquatic society of which they are members and the information that the water is as soft as it can get - a discus keepers dream, except for the pH. A strapping 9.0 reading straight out of the tap! Reason being that quite a few of the lovely old brownstones in my new/old hometown are still equipped with pipes containing lead.

The guys think that the bacteria in the Eco-Complete got some unwanted company during the prolonged period in the plastic bags. I consider it likely that this caused the melt down. They suggest to do regular, almost daily small water changes (small because of the pH that breaks down rapidly but large water changes present a problem and are dangerous). Any ideas, also with respect to the discus that I want to keep? I can not"bubble" or "ripen" the water as they suggested in huge containers prior to doing water changes - alternatively the use of 'discus buffer' to lower the pH was recommended as it will crash naturally from 9.0 within short period of time to 6.0.

Any suggestions welcome

Sounds like you have had a few dramas, but you seem to be getting on top them now. Glad you've finally found a LFS you like.

You're asking for suggestions about discus. So, have you decided not have Ramses & company shipped to you?

Well, if I lived in the US & was able to access wild discus at reasonable prices - that's what I'd be going for. Now I know you won't want to include the infamous Heckel - but I have seen such beautiful pictures of other types of wilds on the net. Besides that, I love my domestics, eg albino, alenquer, rose red, blue diamond & turks. Have I left anything out?

9pH out of the tap. Gee, I thought mine was high at around high 7's or 8. I use C02 to control my pH, so I can't say what buffers work best. Seachem is such a good brand, that I'm sure their Discus Buffer would be fine???

When you have pictures to share, I'd love to see them.

Cheers, Robyn

Cheers
TW

Claudia ...Hi ...Sounds like you've had a hell of a time during and after your move . Sorry I've been absent ..Computer trouble .
I don't like using buffers for PH issues , I'd test how much difference a standard water change makes to your whole tanks PH. I've found over time that higher PH new water doesn't change the PH of the whole tank very much but I don't have 9.0 Ph .
You could use Seachems Acid Buffer on your new water , but in my experience you'll go nuts trying to get it right.

Hope you sort it out and get the tank settled soon ..love to see some photos of course .

Garry

Gary!!!

I am so pleased to see you back in action - I hope that the computer trouble is sorted out and over. I am having trouble here as well but it is all work-related ... stress and very little time to post. Now that you are back I will have to get up to speed again:

I have added fish - a dozen tiny neon tetras. They were the only fish in purchase condition and fitting for a South American discus-themed tank (plus I wanted a change from the rummies). Now that I have ultra soft water coming out of the tap I want to keep some of the small fish that I did not want to subject to medium hard water.
Regarding your suggestion wih buffer: for bigger changes I will have to add buffer as the change in pH will be too much but I have a project: titration to mnimize the amount of it.

BTW, I think you tried R. wallichii with little success in the long run, right? I gave up on it as it looked awful within short time and I had read that this plant needs soft water. I had to give it a try and guess what? It is absolutely beautiful with bright red tops in the new set up. See here and the pic does not do it justice:


I got a dwarf lily on the way back from NYC and it forgot about dwarfism:

Didiplis diandra is also doing well

Here is a plant that I had to try as well - suppossedly it stays small, it is called 'Hygro Kompact', please pardon the quality of the shot


Some of the neons, well fed and always fighting. I am quite surprised about this behavior as they hardly school at all. I had to wait to get this shot


Now here is a project for a dedicated aquascaper: no layout at all. After the initial bacteria-mediated melt down, I was too scared to change much and allowed plants to settle in. Suggestions? I mean it - no discus yet and the plants are fairly established by now:


Waiting for (constructive) criticism but you can bang me over the head as well

Claudia

Claudia... Before any criticisms of the 'Scape' perhaps you best fill us in on your plan ...you do have a plan? or at least a preferred look that you want ... Do you want a River ..an Island ...A Beach etc ...Maybe then we can help.
On the R. wallichii front it went really well for me in the 60g for about 3 to 4 months then just died off and looked crap. One thing you have to do I think is cut the tops of and replant those and dispose of the bottoms ...PIA I know ...but it may be the only way to have it stay looking nice.

Neons ...don't get me started ..I have about 20 odd in the 60g and you are lucky to see 6 at a time ...they never school like Rummies do ...haven't seen them fight though ..probably do it out of sight . I heard that if you have a lightly planted tank and Discus they will school for protection from the big fish ...but I did not work for me with Angels .

Look forward to seeing your ideas for your scape .


Garry

I like your hygro compact. Interested to see it's progress.

I don't know if it's true or not, but I have mostly read that cardinals are better in a discus tank than neons are. Be warned though, apparently some discus like to hunt them by night, while they are small. I'm growing my cardinals up in the 72G, before I add them to the discus tank, after having read someone say "discus like to hunt cardinals by night & then pretend they know nothing about it by day".

Look forward to seeing more pictures. I guess by now, you have decided not to fly your fishy friends to your new home.

Cheers
TW

Clauda ...just let us know you are there . We are watching !!!!


Garry

I know it's been a long, long time. Finally an update and some more fish!Robyn was corrct to assume that Idecided against flying the discus and companions to my new home. Too much of a hazzle and it took a very long time until the tank was finally ready for more fish. Last weekend I finally got something 'bigger' into the talk:

this is what the tank looks like right now as everybody can see, I did not turn into a dedicated aquascaper yet. At least, no algae problems, no meltdown anymore. I had a huge and pretty sword that decided to develop flowers (approximately 30 cm out of the water), but when I cut them off, the plant was not exactly grateful and developed nasty holes in the leaves. It looked almost like a Madagaskar Lace plant. If anyone knows what type of deficiency could have caused this, please let me know!

Out it went and in camethe new inhabitants. Garry, they are for you!
Power in numbers! They are only quarter-sized and afraid of the neons ...
and another close up

Theseare wild caught P. Leopoldi and supposedly more aggressive than the mild mannered, tank raised P. scalare. So far, I haven't noticed any of this. Quite to te contrary, they shy away from almost everything, a little bit of a discus-like behavior.

Reddish plants are doing fine, see M. tuberculatum and I did a big trimming two days ago


Next week, I will add dwarf cichlids, they have very nice Bolivian Rams in the store I bought the Leopoldis. Unfortunately, the store is a good 40 minute-drive away from home and shipments of fish take there time to arrive. That's it for now!

welcome back claudia

Looking nice & the angels look very happy.

So, I guess there are to be no more round fish for you?

Cheers
TW

Hi Robyn,

so good to hear from you! I am taking a short break from round fish, nothing more. I decided on this because I will move within the next 6 months or so again and do not want to move juvenile discus at this point. The time frame that was required to get this tank up and running again got me thinking and I know that my job will not leave me with enough time to take the next move at a leisurely pace. Plus, I want to upgrade to a larger tank for the round fish, 150G is what I have in mind.

The wild, little Leopoldis are cute but they are by no means boisterous as the shop owner told me. More like discus - hiding.

I have to check your tanks ...

Claudia

Changing cities again, or just moving somewhere more permanent?

Moving tanks is such a pain. 2 weekends ago, I moved contents of the 4ft tank (African cichlids) into the 3ft (the divided one, ex honeymoon suite). Plants from the divided 3ft went into the 4ft & some into the 7ft. Took me all weekend to clean out & swap everying over, & I wasn't even moving house, so I don't envy you your upcoming task.

I wondered about the round fish thing, as lots of people say that you shouldn't mix angels & round fish.

Sounds like you have a good plan. Hope you enjoy your time with Angels, but hope you do come back to round fish. It's been nice to share my love for them with someone who understands the passion.

Cheers
TW

Wow, i can't believe you've found leopoldi's Ive been looking for them everywhere, even online, but i cant find a single place that stocks them.

But anyway, they all look amazing And I love how they all shoal together in a tight pack.

Hi,

I don't know where you are located but if you are US and really want these fish, Isuggest that you contact the store I got mine from. They ship within the US!

The link is htpp://www.unclenedsfishfactory.com

Mine were reasonably priced (considering that the Northeast is expensive).

Hi Cat,
You might want to double check your typing.
The link takes you to an "Unknown Site."

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hi Frank:


This is what I copied, please type it in if it is not working

http://unclenedsfishfactory.com/

The site comes up, guaranteed

Hi Cat,
This time it worked. I dunno...
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--