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petra_r
Community Member

Fishies... many pretty fishies...

In my newly remodelled kitchen there is some free wall-space (Thanks to the wonders of having more than enough cupboard space now to put everything (including the cats) away neatly, so I have decided that I really really REALLY want a fishtank.

 

I've always kept fish on and off, and spent every free minute (all 12 of them lol) last week thinking what I want to do.

 

Torn between Marine (expensive, delicate, unforgiving but supremely beautiful) or a classic (amazon style) tropical tank or a lake cichlid setup (would suit the naturally somewhat harder tapwater)

 

Anyone else keep fishies? For context - fishies will live to the left of the cat-unit 🙂

 

3.jpg

ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Oh, it was awesome. We actually built the tank into the front desk of the business we had, I miss it everyday. I don't miss the daily maintenance, but I miss those fish! They all had such great personalities. One of my favorites was the engineer goby we had. They look like little eels and they make tunnels in the sand by filling their mouths with it then spitting it out. Seriously one of the most amusing things I have ever witnessed. 

 

Unfortunately all the good pictures of the tank are on an old phone somewhere, however I did find these from when we were in the process of building the desk around it.  Not the best pictures in the world, but you can get a pretty good idea of what we had going on. 

 photo Fishtank2_zps2m2vqwxw.jpg photo fish_tank1_zpsyajnaiir.jpg

I love those fish you picked out! Praying that your tank arrives in one piece too, that would be such a nightmare to have it show up busted X_x

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77 REPLIES 77

Thanks for the update!  Loved the video - your tank is just gorgeous.  Clearly you know what you're doing.

Hi,

 

nice fishies ...  ^^

Maybe i should consider to try a small aquarium. Start with 10L would be enough to see if i can handle it.

Meanwhile, introducing my new friend ^^

cat2-2.jpgcat1-2.jpg

--We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.
We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Mother Teresa
petra_r
Community Member


@Moutacim L wrote:

Hi,

 

nice fishies ...  ^^

Maybe i should consider to try a small aquarium. Start with 10L would be enough to see if i can handle it.

Meanwhile, introducing my new friend ^^

 


 Very nice new friend and I bet it would enjoy an aquarium (with a lid!!)

 

Please do not start with a 10 liter. The smaller the aquarium, the more difficult it is to run (because in a small volume of water any tiny change in parameters can and will make the whole thing go wrong in the twinkle of an eye.)

 

A first aquarium should (within reason) be as big as possible to allow room for error (and there will be plenty of error...)


50 liters ABSOLUTE minimum, 80-100 is better. Start with a second hand one if cost is a factor.

 

There also isn't much you can keep in a 10 liter tank other than (at a push) some shrimps. It is too small for fish. You might (as a beginner it's unlikely) be able to keep a tiny fish alive in 10 liters, but not give it room to swim or company or any of the things it deserves.

 

moutcom
Community Member

Hi,

 

thank you for your advice, but i thought the smaller they are the easier to handle ...

I was refering to the old fish bowls, you know the goldfish thing in a small glassbowl. So its a myth , ok.

A young man offers some small aquariums, about 3L volume, with some fishies inside on the street around the corner. Not a shop, but you know the situation of people around here, so its kind of self business, and i was pretty sure that they must be easy to handle. He carries them home every day, in a manner that would not suit western minds ...

Or maybe depends on the kind of fish ? I will catch him on foto, and then ask what kind of robust fishies they are.

 

OK, i will think about your advice and look a bit around 🙂

 

Cheers

--We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.
We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Mother Teresa
petra_r
Community Member


@Moutacim L wrote:

A young man offers some small aquariums, about 3L volume, with some fishies inside on the street around the corner. Not a shop, but you know the situation of people around here, so its kind of self business, and i was pretty sure that they must be easy to handle. He carries them home every day, in a manner that would not suit western minds ...

Or maybe depends on the kind of fish ? I will catch him on foto, and then ask what kind of robust fishies they are.

 

OK, i will think about your advice and look a bit around 🙂

 

Cheers


 Likely Betta - (Siamese Fighting Fish) 🙂

 

Betta splendensBetta splendens

 

They are reasonably robust but they still need at least 20 liters and good filtration and lots of plants and all that. Those fish in those pots will die very soon in such conditions. (creating repeat business for the vendor)

 

 

moutcom
Community Member


@Petra R wrote:

Likely Betta - (Siamese Fighting Fish) 🙂

They are reasonably robust but they still need at least 20 liters and good filtration and lots of plants and all that. Those fish in those pots will die very soon in such conditions. (creating repeat business for the vendor)


 

Yes, yes yes ... (genau die) !! 🙂

But i will take fotos anyway, cause there are some other sort of fishes.

tnx

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

--We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.
We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Mother Teresa
petra_r
Community Member


@Moutacim L wrote:

@Petra R wrote:

Likely Betta - (Siamese Fighting Fish) 🙂

 

Yes, yes yes ... (genau die) !! 🙂


 Betta are (kept correctly) absolutely fantastic beginner fish. They are also breathtakingly beautiful and very interesting to watch. Get a minimum 20 liter tank WITH a filter, but not much flow, lots and LOTS of plants and a betta.

 

Betta are very happy on their own, and are not active swimmers (they spend most of their time swimming about slowly looking very pretty.

 

They are (reasonably) forgiving with water conditions, so a 20 liter tank (or better, ideally), plants, filter and (maybe?) heater is all you need. Then change 50% of the water every week, keep the plants happy, feed him a healthy diet and off you go.

 

 

reinierb
Community Member

@Moutacim, Petra gave you some great advice, but I will add that you should get a male Betta, because males are prettier than females. Also, you'll know it is happy and healthy when it starts to blow bubbles to build  nest with. They don't need females to blow bubbles, but if they do, you'll know it is not stressed.  

reinierb
Community Member


@Moutacim L wrote:

Hi,

 

nice fishies ...  ^^

Maybe i should consider to try a small aquarium. Start with 10L would be enough to see if i can handle it.

Meanwhile, introducing my new friend ^^

cat2-2.jpgcat1-2.jpg


 Very nice friends you haveSmiley Happy

moutcom
Community Member

@Rainier, thanks for the advice. Shame on me I didn' t even know they bubble ! Interesting fact, I will really consider to start with a 50L tank with betta, and if they are easy to handle its pretty good.

The cat i found is a homeless one. Trainstation Casablanca, i decided to make some fotos after watching him for a while.
--We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.
We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Mother Teresa
petra_r
Community Member


@Moutacim L wrote:
@Rainier, thanks for the advice. Shame on me I didn' t even know they bubble ! Interesting fact, I will really consider to start with a 50L tank with betta, and if they are easy to handle its pretty good.

 You can only have one betta per tank. They will kill each other...

 

For a betta 30 liter would do.

 

For inspiration (found on net) - nicely planted small betta tank

 

inspiration.jpg

 

 

 

reinierb
Community Member


@Petra R wrote:

@Moutacim L wrote:
@Rainier, thanks for the advice. Shame on me I didn' t even know they bubble ! Interesting fact, I will really consider to start with a 50L tank with betta, and if they are easy to handle its pretty good.

 You can only have one betta per tank. They will kill each other...

 

For a betta 30 liter would do.

 

For inspiration (found on net) - nicely planted small betta tank

 

inspiration.jpg

 

You are correct about only one betta per tank- I should have mentioned it. 

 

I once made the mistake of placing two tanks with one betta male each on the same stand, and close enough so that the two fish could see each other. Big mistake- both fish instantly went into full warrior mode and if it were not for the intervening space between the two tanks, they would have ripped each other to shreds through the glass. Peace was only restored when I placed a piece of cardboard between the tanks so they could no longer see each other.   

 


 

petra_r
Community Member


@Reinier B wrote:


I once made the mistake of placing two tanks with one betta male each on the same stand, and close enough so that the two fish could see each other. Big mistake- both fish instantly went into full warrior mode and if it were not for the intervening space between the two tanks, they would have ripped each other to shreds through the glass. Peace was only restored when I placed a piece of cardboard between the tanks so they could no longer see each other.  


 It's a trick photographers use. They place the fish (Betta) they want to take pictures of into the "nice" (display) tank and place a bare container with another Betta next to it. The fish immediately flare their fins and look impressive, the photos are shot in such a way that the second tank can not be seen.

Then the fish are put back to where they belong 🙂

 

reinierb
Community Member

It seems that nothing is sacred to some photographers.

 

Be that as it may, all this talk of betta fish is making me think that I should perhaps give up all my guppies, and use their 200 liter tank to keep a betta instead. 

IMG_2879.JPGIMG_2888.JPG

My latest betta additions.

Been keeping these beauties for years. 

I have four at the moment and a sorority.


@Joanne B wrote:

IMG_2879.JPGIMG_2888.JPGMy


 Gorgeous! I do love Bettas.

 

petra_r
Community Member

iFishies growing more colourful by the week, just ordered another batch of these as I love them sooo much

 

fishies smaller.jpg

 

The tank itself seems to have matured, finally.

I had some algae issues, counteracted them with less light, overdid it and killed some plants, but seem to have found a balance now.

Water clear, fish and plants happy.

aquarium.jpg

moutcom
Community Member

Petra R wrote:
Moutacim L wrote:
@Rainier, thanks for the advice. Shame on me I didn' t even know they bubble ! Interesting fact, I will really consider to start with a 50L tank with betta, and if they are easy to handle its pretty good.
You can only have one betta per tank. They will kill each other...



For a betta 30 liter would do.



For inspiration (found on net) - nicely planted small betta tank



inspiration.jpg



You are correct about only one betta per tank- I should have mentioned it.



I once made the mistake of placing two tanks with one betta male each on the same stand, and close enough so that the two fish could see each other. Big mistake- both fish instantly went into full warrior mode and if it were not for the intervening space between the two tanks, they would have ripped each other to shreds through the glass. Peace was only restored when I placed a piece of cardboard between the tanks so they could no longer see each other.



Now you're kidding me, aren't you ???!!!
--We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.
We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Mother Teresa
reinierb
Community Member

@Moutacim, I kid you not. If you want to keep more than one tank with a betta in each, don't place them so closely together that they can see each other as threats. Although the fish obviously can't reach other, being in a constant state of aggression can make all of them sick.   

moutcom
Community Member

@Rainier

 

ok, thank you for the infos.

I really thought it must be a joke, that the fishies are hostile against each other !

Didn't know that. 

But i will definetly try out, cause i found a nice tank for very cheap ... in fact  2 tanks, one 50L and the other 30L, with a lamp and 2 filters for around 50$.

So i guess for startup very good price.

--We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.
We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Mother Teresa
petra_r
Community Member


@Moutacim L wrote:

@Rainier

 

ok, thank you for the infos.

I really thought it must be a joke, that the fishies are hostile against each other !

Didn't know that. 

But i will definetly try out, cause i found a nice tank for very cheap ... in fact  2 tanks, one 50L and the other 30L, with a lamp and 2 filters for around 50$.

So i guess for startup very good price.


 That's brilliant!!

Use the 30 for a Betta (ONE male) and turn the 2nd one into a nice community aquarium.

 

BUT - Do not rush it.

 

First, find out what kind of tap water you have (hard / soft / PH etc)

 

Then decide what kind of fish you a) can get in a proper aquarium shop nearby and b) what kind of water your favourite fish like to live in.

 

Go to aqadvisor and figure out if your choices will work

 

Then set up your tanks and cycle them (!! VITALLY IMPORTANT!!!)

 

 

 

In 3-4 weeks you'll be ready for fish.

 

petra_r
Community Member

playing with new lens. It's a wildlife zoom, not a macro, and scary heavy, and yes, handheld 3 pound 400mm lens with low light and so on is cr*p. But pretty little (TINY) fishies anyway.

 

fishies even smaller.jpg

Pictures of my Planted tank. It's a 4x2x1.5 footer. Half the tank is planted with Tropica substrate being used in the planted area. the rest is crushed white rock. The fish are cardinals, ember tetra, platinum halfbeak,  Otos, a single bristlenose, panda and sterbai cories. I have Red cherry shrimp and a couple of crystal reds.IMG_20180828_141050 copy.jpg2018-08-24 at 9.16.24 PM.jpgIMG_20180828_141104 copy.jpg IMG_20180828_141237 copy.jpgIMG_20180828_141104 copy.jpgIMG_20180828_141251 copy.jpg

Imran, that is a stunning tank!

I keep thinking about going high-tech and adding CO2 injection but the technology and potential of getting it all wrong scares me.

 

On the other hand I am well aware that I'll never get plants like yours without  it 😞

Thank you, Petra.

I saw your tank, it is beautiful and well maintained. CO2 isn't a big chore. I have directly fed a tube from the co2 cylinder to the diffuser through a non-return valve and I keep it on always, even at nights. I had a timer, which unfortunately died. Lights are on for about 6 hours in the day. I have to refill my co2 cylinder every 2 months, which here costs about 1.2 USD. So yeah, once you are in it, its easy enough.

And yeah, CO2 keeps even the algae at bay, I have claudophora and BBA  in my tank. I had recently forgotten to refill the CO2 and they broke out.  Got them under control through CO2 and hydrogen peroxide.


@Imran U wrote:

And yeah, CO2 keeps even the algae at bay, I have claudophora and BBA  in my tank. I had recently forgotten to refill the CO2 and they broke out.  Got them under control through CO2 and hydrogen peroxide.


 Yeah, but if you get CO2 wrong you wake up to a tank full of dead fish. I am, to be honest, simply scared of it!

 

I'd also have to upgrade the lights I think if I went high tech.

 

I am mainly interested in the fish (with the plants being there to yes, look pretty, but mainly to help keep a healthy environment for the fish.)

 

The idea of CO2 killing my beloved rainbows makes me shudder...

 

As for algae - I didn't have MUCH of a problem, and I think the combo of being not too crazy with the light (photoperiod and/or intensity) and adding floating plants and the Twinstar seem to all combine to help.

 

 

True, CO2 can be a killer. I use a very minimal amount of CO2 injection, nothing has happened till date.

I had once killed my fishes( discus at that). I had started a water change and forgot about checking up the drain level 😞 Losing pets is very painful. 

Floating plants are an absolutely great idea. They suck up nutrients like a sponge. Less food for the algae.

 


@Imran U wrote:

True, CO2 can be a killer. I use a very minimal amount of CO2 injection, nothing has happened till date.

I had once killed my fishes( discus at that). I had started a water change and forgot about checking up the drain level 😞 Losing pets is very painful. 

Floating plants are an absolutely great idea. They suck up nutrients like a sponge. Less food for the algae.

 


 Killing Discus !!! OH MY GOSH - that is not just devastating, it is expensive as well!!!

At the moment the floaters are going crazy. I scoop out a big handful and chuck it away twice a week.

I do dose liquid CO2 daily (Seachem) so I do get some CO2 to them

 

You might like this site UK plant society - their forum is what inspired me to go planted.

 

Currently battling a bit of a snail invasion, might give in and get some loaches. Just not sure how my little rainbows will like them...

 

You bet!! There were like 12 of them, managed to save 4. 

Seachem is good. I have seen good results with them(at a friend's).  I use Seachem flourish for fertilizing the water column.  If you are in a mood for experimentation glutaraldehyde is a good and a more cost-effective alternative Smiley LOL

If you aren't keen about loaches, I would suggest you have a look at assassin snails.  They do a good job at keeping the other snails in check. 


@Imran U wrote:

You bet!! There were like 12 of them, managed to save 4. 

Seachem is good. I have seen good results with them(at a friend's).  I use Seachem flourish for fertilizing the water column.  If you are in a mood for experimentation glutaraldehyde is a good and a more cost-effective alternative Smiley LOL

If you aren't keen about loaches, I would suggest you have a look at assassin snails.  They do a good job at keeping the other snails in check. 


 Oh I ADORE loaches. When I still had my 5 ft tank in England I had a shoal of clown loaches. Love them. 

The only reason I was reluctant was because I was originally planning a pure dwarf rainbow community. The tank at 90cm is also absolutely too small for clown loaches.

 

That said, my favourite fish seller has zebra loaches who get to maximum 10cm and aquadvisor didn't mind me adding them (No nasty "You are a bad fish mummy if you put those in" notice) and even if I get the 12 Pseudomugil Gertrudae I have on my stocking plan and 6 zebra loaches I am still well under stocking limit.  AqAdvisor calculates stocking limits super conservatively so this should be more than safe. Also the loaches generally live at the bottom and the rainbows middle to top.

AquStockImage.php.png

Pseudomugil GertrudaePseudomugil GertrudaeZebra loachZebra loach

I thought about assassin snails but they tend to also attack zebra snails, and dig into the substrate which I am not keen on as I want the soil to stay where it is (under the gravel/ sand)

 

I can't say enough good things about Seachem products. I have a whole battery. There is Purigen and Matrix in the filter, I dose the Excel CO2 daily,  Flourish once a week,  Prime after every waterchange.... Stability and Prime after very large changes or when I mess with my filter media

 

petra_r
Community Member

Photo probs:

 

I need a better lighting source, maybe an external flash mounted above the tank and a more suitable lens.

 

The tiny Forktails move so fast I can only take pics with a high shutter speed, which, combined with the lower light (not possible to take flash pics as it reflects on the glass) means INSANE noise due to high ISO or totally underexposed shots or total loss of sharpness.

 

When I try to balance it I get cr@p shots like the one below which could have been EPIC but is cr@p because it is NOT sharp, NOT properly lit, and STILL noisy as hell.

 

40589135_250877852234595_8022390470975946752_n.jpg

petra_r
Community Member

IMG_0594a (2).jpg

petra_r
Community Member

"Speak to the tail, Human!"     (Fish fed up with being a model)

 

"Sod off, human!""Sod off, human!"

Petra, we all have days like that; don't we?


@Pat M wrote:

Petra, we all have days like that; don't we?


 We !so! do lol

petra_r
Community Member

moutcom
Community Member

Hi folks, hope you are doing well ^^

 

Siesta in the fish marketSiesta in the fish market

--We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.
We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Mother Teresa
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