^what's your handle?

As for the tank, very nice! Don't be too upset with your catfish. Mine like to not move sometimes either. Other times they will be all over the place.

12/3/2014 3:16:36 PM

Add 2 sharks (albino rainbow and bala) and a German Blue Ram. Need some more mid-swimmers

12/8/2014 11:58:04 AM

^The sharks are considered aggressive. You'll need to add larger aggressive fish in the middle. They'll eat small fish like guppies.

12/8/2014 10:37:33 PM

awesome. do this:

12/22/2014 3:44:23 AM

fuccccccck that's awesome

12/22/2014 10:40:45 AM

That is cool. They should have it decorated like the under water swimming levels with fish though.

12/23/2014 1:12:36 AM

I had a suicidal hatchet fish. I fed them this morning and then went out to lunch with some friends. When I came back home he was laying on the floor. There was one small opening in my tank for the filter and that is the only place he ever stayed. He never even swam around that much. The people at the store said they usually stay away from the filters. I guess not though.

12/24/2014 6:42:00 PM

http://www.raleighaquariumsociety.org/workshop/index.html

1/8/2015 3:15:24 PM

Current stock:

6 neon tetras
6 Otos
4 Bala Sharks (1.5")
4 cories (a adult, 3 juv)
4 glo danios
2 guppies
2 mollies
1 albino rainbow Shark (2")
1 albino bristlenose pleco (juv, max 4")
1 yoyo loach (2")
1 german blue ram (1")
1 german gold ram (very young)
1 banjo catfish (1.5")

Wondering if it's fully stocked or not...

1/10/2015 9:14:44 PM

I was told 1 inch of fish per gallon of water, but the people on fishlore say that is wrong and you have to take bio load, and a lot of other things into consideration too.

Anyway, tonight I had a scare. I was cleaning my tank and dropped the lid in the water. Then after a little bit I realized a hatchet fish was missing. Luckily I found him laying in an empty bucket next to the tank and was able to pour some water in there and then scoop him out before he died. Those things are sneaky. They don't even flop around once they get out of the water.

Also, how did you get your plants looking so nice? I put one java fern in mine and it has some very small leaves on it and a bunch of old partially black ones on it. I didn't cut those off because I would have had nothing left if I did.

1/12/2015 1:56:34 AM

I use a Finnex light bar, but probably more importantly I supplement the water with a product called Flourish. Gotta fertilize those plants! http://www.amazon.com/Seachem-116051309-Flourish-500ml/dp/B00025696M/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1421074683&sr=1-1&keywords=flourish

1/12/2015 9:58:17 AM

I bought a java fern and some of that stuff to put in the water.

1/14/2015 10:53:41 PM

Cool. Java ferns are incredibly hardy so you should have good luck with that one. Any plant with big broad leaves should be easy to grow.

Do some reading here:
http://www.sudeepmandal.com/hobbies/planted-aquarium/low-tech-planted-tank-guide/
http://www.sudeepmandal.com/hobbies/planted-aquarium/guide-low-tech-excel-planted-tank/

then:
http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/plant-fertilizers/180151-seachem-fertilizers-what-they-do.html
http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/plant-fertilizers/184058-can-someone-explain-fertilizers.html
http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/content/297-how-set-up-low-light-low-tech-planted-tank.html


Evidently the Excel is particularly helpful if you have low CO2 levels, which I probably do because of the high # of plants I have (CO2 indicator is otw). More traditional fertilizers are probably better in more scenarios.
http://www.amazon.com/Seachem-116051309-Flourish-500ml/dp/B00025696M


[Edited on January 16, 2015 at 11:50 AM. Reason : I also leave my light on for ~16 hours a day...very little algae so far]

1/16/2015 11:43:06 AM

I poured some of that flourish in the other day, but I am not going to totally listen to those articles. I feed my fish every other day, not everyday.

1/18/2015 2:00:28 PM

My tank as it is right now. I'll probably add some more live plants tomorrow.









[Edited on January 19, 2015 at 10:11 PM. Reason : .]

1/19/2015 10:09:06 PM

Thoughts on Snails? I kind of want one, but I have heard all sorts of stories about them asexually reproducing and taking over a tank. I don't want that. I just want one.

1/27/2015 11:49:11 PM

^ only a few certain snails do that. most are ok

my current stock

2/4/2015 4:48:56 PM

^There were tons of them crawling in the petsmart tanks the other night. What is better, a nerite, or mystery?

2/4/2015 10:24:12 PM

Ya got me!

2/4/2015 10:26:50 PM

want to grow minnows in my 10 gallon fishtank. Hoping that they breed so that I have free bait on hand all the time.

Any suggestions?

2/5/2015 9:59:38 AM

I bought a Golden Mystery Snail tonight.

2/6/2015 11:49:27 PM

Plants weren't really growing and was developing black brush algae all over the tank, so I started CO2 dosing a few days ago. Haven't really noticed any difference yet but here's to hoping.

Added a long-finned German Blue Ram (other GBR died) and a couple Siamese Algae Eaters and most notably, a Mexican Dwarf Crayfish (pic below)





[Edited on February 16, 2015 at 10:13 PM. Reason : I wanna start a saltwater tank now.]

[Edited on February 16, 2015 at 10:13 PM. Reason : Also checked out Aquarium Outfitters in WF...very cool place.]

2/16/2015 10:06:01 PM

^I wouldn't mind starting a saltwater aquarium in the future too, but it costs a lot. You have to buy lots of salt, if you don't live near the ocean plus some of the equipment costs more too.

2/19/2015 1:36:39 AM

^if you do live near the ocean, what could you do conceivably? go down to beach to get salt?

2/19/2015 10:12:27 AM

you can use ocean water for a saltwater tank. Main concerns with this are pollution/chemicals in the water, water chemistry (minerals and salinity), and microscopic creatures that can cause havoc in an established tank.

2/19/2015 10:46:07 AM

Yeah, you don't want to use ocean water.

And salt water tanks aren't terribly expensive, but they are more work.

2/19/2015 12:35:45 PM

^ fish cost more...coral costs way more than freshwater decorations...salt is an extra quarter or so a gallon. not too bad there.

2/19/2015 12:49:21 PM

You would be surprised at how cheap fish/corals are now. With mass breeding of the more popular species you can find some for about the same as freshwater fish such as cichlids or angels. And find a local frag swap and you might be able to get some common corals for free. I know I gave away frags of my common ones at swaps because they were growing so fast.

Biggest cost is equipment - you need much more for a saltwater tank (skimmer, pumps, lights, sump/overflow, etc). and you need a bigger tank than freshwater since more water provides a more stable environment.

Check Craigslist and look for people that are selling their systems because they want to get out. You can get equipment for 30-40% of the price new.



[Edited on February 19, 2015 at 2:41 PM. Reason : a]

2/19/2015 2:39:53 PM

Quote :

"you can use ocean water for a saltwater tank. Main concerns with this are pollution/chemicals in the water, water chemistry (minerals and salinity), and microscopic creatures that can cause havoc in an established tank."

Yeah, I had never heard of doing this until my boss told me he has family that lives in Southern Florida where the water is crystal clear. He said they drive 2 miles to the beach and get water every time they do a water change.

Quote :

"Biggest cost is equipment - you need much more for a saltwater tank (skimmer, pumps, lights, sump/overflow, etc). and you need a bigger tank than freshwater since more water provides a more stable environment."

Counting all fish, decorations, pumps, food, and other things, I spent over $400 getting my 20 gallon freshwater started. Saltwater would probably be at least double that. I'll pass for now.

2/27/2015 12:20:57 AM

Quote :

"I spent over $400 getting my 20 gallon freshwater started"

You did buy everything brand new though right? You could have done it for far cheaper

Quote :

"Check Craigslist and look for people that are selling their systems because they want to get out. You can get equipment for 30-40% of the price new. "

That's my plan.

2/27/2015 9:53:33 AM

^make sure to thoroughly clean and sanitize the used equipment. You never know what problems they had before giving up and some pests can survive storage for years.

2/27/2015 11:35:27 AM

Quote :

"You did buy everything brand new though right? You could have done it for far cheaper "

Yeah I did because I didn't know any better. I had room for the top fin 20 gallon starter kit, so I bought one for $89. Then I realized the HOB filter was waaaaaaaaaay too loud, so I spent $105 on a canister filter. Then I bought some fake decorations. Then I decided to live plant the tank after all. On top of all that I bought fish, fish food, and multiple water treatment products (flourish, conditioner, zyme+)


Anyway, there are some saltwater nano tanks on the Raleigh craigslist.

2/27/2015 11:18:49 PM

^ I might need to replace my HOBs too. Things are all kinds of loud.

Current stock:

(stocking level assumes adult sizes)

2/28/2015 5:06:37 PM

^Yeah, HOB filters suck. All of those people who claim they are quiet just have a higher noise tolerance than me. All filters are going to make noise, but the difference is with a canister the motor is internal and the filter is either hiding in an insolated cabinet, or on the floor behind the table/stand/desk that the aquarium is sitting on. I have mine hiding behind a night stand in my bedroom and I surround it with pillows when I go to bed. It is then quiet enough that I can sleep.

2/28/2015 6:43:51 PM

I know someone posted earlier in this thread to checkout Aquarium Outfitters in Wake Forest, so I did after my game at the Soccer Center today. It's a pretty cool place to walk through. They have small mammals, birds, reptiles, freshwater fish, and saltwater fish.

3/14/2015 11:14:22 PM

I might just have to look into this

my 20 gallon has been going great for a long time...this is VERY intriguing. and seems like a great deal.

Only thing, I would have to get a bigger heater, pump etc

http://slickdeals.net/f/7762891-marineland-60-gallon-aquarium-ensemble-125-free-store-pickup

anyone think that is a great deal or just me? supposedly if you look hard enough ppl give these things away

3/30/2015 11:01:08 AM

Yeah you can troll Craigslist for someone selling shit cheap, but it takes a while, especially when you're competing with me and others for those deals

For $125 that's a pretty nice deal, especially considering the included enclosed stand.

3/30/2015 11:15:03 AM

I guess CL may be the best place to land a cheap filter and heater...I could use a lot of the stuff I already have as far as bubblers, vacuum etc...

Any idea of a guess on what a filter, pump, heater would run me for that set up?

3/30/2015 11:27:19 AM

i just have a goldfish. a 2013 NCState fair won goldfish to be exact. so they CAN live!

as you all know, goldfish are messy. his tank is wretched, i change 1/3 of the water bi weekly and clean it once a month when i'm on top of my game. currently NOT on top of my game, but he's still very happy about his situation, friendly, and a begger--when it's feeding time, he swims up and really quick back and forth like he's wagging his fin at me. i love this fish.

that said, i think it's time for some new larger digs. i'm also considering getting an algae eater to help me out some. good idea or bad idea on the algae eater w/ a goldfish?

3/30/2015 2:00:55 PM

I was told to not put other breeds of fish with goldfish because it is tough to keep them alive. Either have a goldfish, or non-goldfish tank.

Also, what do I need to do to fix a swim bladder problem? My von Rio sinks, if if stops swimming. He also swims almost standing on his tail.

3/30/2015 3:29:32 PM

I use to have a small one in my childhood.

3/30/2015 8:13:25 PM

Elkaybie a plecostomus is a fantastic mate for a goldfish. Goldfish need a nice big tank with lots of filtration because they are gross. A nice big apple snail would be good, too.

3/30/2015 9:21:41 PM

I've got a couple Siamese Algae Eaters and a single Chinese Algae Eater I'm trying to get rid of...not sure if they'd be appropropriate tank mates or not...

3/31/2015 9:22:06 AM

Those are tropical fish and goldfish are cold water. The pleco is the best. According to this site there are 2 specific plecos that are recommended. http://animals.pawnation.com/algaeeating-fish-can-goldfish-6293.html

[Edited on March 31, 2015 at 8:00 PM. Reason : .]

3/31/2015 7:59:11 PM

Just be careful with Plecos; some get huge! The more common varieties require 50 gallon+ aquariums.

The ones listed in your link look mostly ok though...they don't get too big. I've got 2 of the Bristlenose and I really like them. I have an albino bristlenose and he's my favorite fish. The rubber lip are cool too.

4/1/2015 11:07:31 AM

Goldfish need big ass tanks as well. But I guess one probably doesnt. I had a big sucker but my tank was a 55.

4/1/2015 5:39:49 PM

My parents set up their goldfish fountain again. They put 4 in there which is too many (24, or 26 gallons), but they have had 3 in there in the past for multiple years until the wild animals got them. They bought half of a barrel, a pond tub for inside of it, and a fountain filter. Then they added a water iris and water lily.

4/6/2015 7:43:04 PM

Free fish:

2 mollies - 1 black, 1 orange
2 siamese algae eaters
1 albino rainbow shark - 3 inches

the rainbow needs more of a semi-aggressive 50g+ tank, without anything small and tropical to eat as he gets larger. he'll be fine in most tanks for a while, but will probably be a problem in community tanks as he gets larger.

PM me if interested.

4/27/2015 11:14:42 AM

Nobody wants free fish?

5/10/2015 10:46:59 AM

I have a 20 gallon community tank that is pretty much maxed out. Try the pets and free sections of craigslist.

5/11/2015 8:18:31 PM