#this pleco stays at about 4 to 5 inches

[papayasapphic]

New fish for the 75 gallon :0

[la-muerta]

So... I got into a new hobby since c-ent is on fucking fire, here’s my new aquarium! The last time I had a fish tank I was just a little kid, so it’s been an interesting learning experience. I got the tank and most of the critters secondhand from someone who wasn’t able to keep them anymore, with almost zero knowledge especially since I only knew what fish I was getting on the day I got them. And man I was not prepared for what I was getting into LOL. 

I kind of figured the tank was overstocked from the get-go. General guide is one inch of fish to one gallon of water, so a 4-gallon like this one should only have had four small fish, maybe a couple of shrimp and a small snail. I received:

1. one dwarf short-bodied pearl gourami (about 2″ long) 2. two sunburst-orange GloTetras (white skirt tetras genetically modified to look like someone coloured them with highlighter pens) 3. what I was told was going to be three neon tetras (only one was actually a neon tetra, the other two were cardinal tetras 🙃) 4. four pygmy corydoras catfish 5. two kuhli loaches 6. two amano shrimp 7. one red onion nerite snail

Not only should all these critters have been in at least a 10-gallon tank, they are almost all schooling fish and would have done better in a wide tank instead of a tall tank, in groups of at least six of their own kind. The GloTetras in particular like to dart around and need a lot of space, probably a 20-gallon just for them alone. The one fish that was fine solitary was the gourami... which is a labyrinth fish from the Osphronemidae family, i.e. like a betta a.k.a. Siamese fighting fish and should have been in a 5-gallon on its own.

Needless to say... the fish were not in a great state. They came to me all squashed in a half-gallon tupperware container and the GloTetras had swim bladder problems and couldn’t stay upright. The gourami was stressed so it became aggressive and a fucking asshole. I had two baby neon tetras of my own and one cherry shrimp, and it chased the baby fish around the tank until they died of exhaustion, then pecked at the shrimp and eventually killed and ate it. The gourami kept chasing the GloTetras and nipping their fins so I separated them into an emergency old tank temporarily but it was way too small and they got stuck in the java fern I put in there and died too. 

I made mistakes of my own too. I didn’t know that the corys and loaches needed a sand substrate – I bought rounded gravel, and I don’t know if that’s why most of the corys died (or if it was because the tank wasn’t cycled properly because I’m new to this). One of the loaches got wounded and the meds the fish shop recommended to me turned out to be fatal for loaches 😭. 

And I made some bad purchases. I was recommended a little golden fish to replace the corys that I mistook for a bristlenose pleco, which stays small, and when I asked the guy who owned the fish shop what type of fish it was, he told me “吃藻类的咯” (it eats algae) 🙃 It turned out to be a golden chinese algae eater (so he was sort of right but only because the name of this fish is so straight-forward lol) and it grows to about 30cm. Uhh. That’s longer than my tank. Also, it will eat the scales off sleeping fish when it gets bigger 🙃 but “luckily” the gourami killed it on the second day 🙃 When I told him I wanted a small snail for my half-gallon (intended to be a shrimp tank), this same guy sold me a snail that was 1cm diameter when I bought it, but one month later is approaching the size of a tennis ball 🙃 

(It’s an apple snail and it’s eaten all my plants, and I tried five different things until I finally found three plants it’s not super keen on. I’ve named it 牛魔王, Bull Demon King, because in Chinese, snail is 蜗牛. Maybe “mischievous” isn’t the first word you’d think of to describe a snail, but this one parkours from plant to plant, climbs up as high as it can go and dive-bombs the tetras, and is so fascinated with my one remaining cory that it will chase it all over the tank until the cory gives up and lets it stroke it gently with its tentacles. I can imagine it going “HELLO SMALL FRIEND” as it terrorises the poor cory lol.)

Well, on the bright side, since so many fish died, the tank is no longer overstocked. The gourami wounded its head trying to squeeze into a small safe space I made for the surviving tetras and the wound got infected, so I quarantined it to medicate it. Luckily, it’s the only fish I have that can actually take the medicine (I think it’s malachite green – the problem with asian-brand meds is there are no ingredients listed on the bottle). I think I’m keeping it separate even after it gets better. 

The bad news is, my partner was trying to be helpful and threw away my old filter sponge – and with it, the beneficial nitrifying bacteria that I have been cultivating for three months 🙃 So I have to cycle the tank from scratch again. Sigh. I hope I manage to keep all the fish alive this time.

[fishblr-blog]

Algae

Algae, the green menace, the bane of pools, ponds, and aquariums!

And apparently Chinese beaches...

Today I’ll take about what causes it, what kinds there are and how to take care of it!

I’d be impressed to meet someone who doesn’t know what algae is, it’s a rather ubiquitous plant found all around the world, in virtually every waterway and will happily set up shop in untreated pools, ponds regardless of size and aquariums.

What is Algae?

Algae are basically a plant but... very different from the plants you’re familiar with. They lack a majority of the features we’re used to seeing in plants, no stems, no roots, just a very basic structure. Some are unicellular (Single cell organism, like Chlorella) and some are multicellular (Multi-cellular organism, like giant kelp).

The most common kinds of algae you find in aquariums are: Black Beard Algae, Blanket Weed, Blue-Green Algae (Not actually an algae but a cyanobacteria), Brown Algae, Fuzz Algae, Green Aquarium Water Algae (monocular so it reproduces insanely fast), Green Dust Algae, Green Spot Algae, Hair/Thread Algae, Oedogonium Algae, Rhizoclonium Algae, Spirogyra, Staghorn Algae.

The best way to figure out which you have is to enter in some descriptive words about what your algae look like and you should get the right answers right away. This is just a quick post so I won't be going into too much detail about the individual types of algae and how to treat each of them.

What Causes Algae?

Bright light, especially full-spectrum light, and live plants are all the most common causes of algae in your aquarium. Algae hitch a ride on the plants and if it finds the conditions favorable enough it’ll happily take up residence. So having non-planted tank should help you avoid a lot of these if it’s a hassle you rather not deal with. But don’t feel bad if you end up with an algae bloom in your tank, it’s just one of those things that are going to happen.

Generally falling back on water changes, not keeping on top of your tanks parameters (especially nitrate/nitrite levels) and not cleaning off the walls of the tank or scrubbing off decorations periodically. When cleaning decorations you can boil them if wood, or just use a toothbrush on the non-wood decor, but make sure to drop it in your tank change water that’s being dechlorinated so you don’t add too much chlorine into your tank and disrupt the benefitial bacteria. Overfeeding can also cause a bloom.

So don’t fall back on your water chances and keep an eye on the water conditions regularly! If you get a really bad bloom chances are something has gone wrong in your tank.

How to Deal With Algae?

Getting ahead of the problem is one of the better ways of dealing with algae. After your tank is established (about a month if it isn’t planted) I would recommend getting some algae eating critters. If you have a small tank you can get snails, such as: nerite snails, algae eaters (A variety of fish that enjoy eating algae) and amano shrimp. If you have a bigger tank you have a bigger variety of options, nerite snails, apple snails, mystery snails, Bristlenose catfish (also called Bristlenose plecos) these guys get up to 4-5 inches long so keep that in mind when buying them and make certain your tank is big enough to house them at adult size,  Otocinclus catfish (these are super cute, very peaceful and work best in an established planted tank, they get about 2 inches), Rosy Barbs,(WARNING these guys get up to six inches! Only for big tanks!), Mollies (get between 2.5 and 3 inches so good for smaller tanks), and  American Flagfish (These stay under 3 inches). Some neocaridina shrimp help as well!

UV sterilizes are also help but they’re on the pricer side, if you have a friend with one that is probably a good way to go. You could also darken your tank (no lights, shade the window) and not feed your fish over the weekend, which shouldn’t harm them.

I personally prefer to deal with it naturally but there are chemicals you can use, such as Tetra Algae Control,  API Algaefix. Make sure to read the instructions very carefully and follow them to the letter.

Summation

Keep on top of your water paramaters, don’t skip water chances, avoid over feeding and keep algae eaters in your tank and hopefully you wont have too much of an issue!

[the-freshwater-experience]

Kribensis

Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher)

Max Size: 5 inches (males), 3 inches (females)

Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallon (for a breeding pair), 15 gallon for a single female.

Optimum pH: 7

Optimum Temperature: 23-27C

Hardiness:  Very forgiving as a first cichlid. Can adapt to a range in pH and temperature, and can withstand poor water quality for some time. I know this because my filter broke once for 2 weeks without me knowing and killed almost everything else but these guys. However, my female did get pop-eye from it, which eventually killed her. I once had to do a quarantine in an unheated tank at 20C, they took it fine. Don’t subject them to bad water quality intentionally though, that goes without saying. 

Aggression: This species is rather peaceful as far as cichlids go, but have their aggressive perks. First off, never introduce conspecifics (others of the same species), or other small cichlids to a breeding pair. They get extremely aggressive when breeding, and I would not recommend it even in a densely planted 30 gallon tank with many caves, hiding spots, and natural boundaries. Small and fast swimmers such as tetras, danios, minnows, etc are fine, as are armoured catfish such as corydoras and plecostomus (although plecos will eat any eggs laid). If you must house more than two (1 male, 1 female), make sure to introduce the smallest males first, and make sure to keep at least 5 or 6 to spread out aggression.

Feeding: Will eat pretty much anything you offer. Flakes, pellets, algae wafers, live, freeze dried, or frozen foods. They are normally bottom feeders though, and must be acclimated into eating floating foods. To do this, keep the water level at around 12 inches high, so they can actually see the food. This can take some time for them to learn. 2 days for my female, almost a week for my male. Once they start coming up to you at feeding time, you can start increasing the water level up to whatever you desire.

Sexing: Sexing in this species is so easy its not funny. Don’t do a google image search for it, you’ll get conflicting results.

-Males are noticeably larger even at a young age. They have a pointed dorsal fin. They usually show less colour. The pink colouration is usually much less vibrant. The black line is less solid, and top and rest of the body is more of a greyish pale colour.

-Females are much smaller. They have a rounded dorsal fin, with a clear tip. Base colour of the body is yellow, the black line is solid. The pink is solid as well, concentrated on the stomach only, and turns purple when breeding. The stomach is slightly bulging.

Breeding: -These are cave spawners. You can easily make a cave by turning over a clay flowerpot. Once the female has laid its eggs in it, it will disappear into the “cave” for a number of days until the fry hatch and begin free-swimming. For the first day or two outside the cave, the fry will mostly stay on the substrate. They can swim just fine at this point, but don’t expect them to move much.

-To trigger spawning more easily, do some 50% or larger water changes. Make sure the fresh water is slightly cooler than the tank’s. This replicates the rainy season in African rivers.

-The general consensus is that high protein foods (bloodworms, blackworms, brine shrimp, mosquitoe larvae, frozen, freeze dried, or live) are good for triggering breeding. This is only true to a degree. It is not the food itself, but rather the change in food that triggers it. For an example, I fed my pair a diet of 90% freeze dried bloodworms and 10% algae since they were juveniles. The result was my male growing beyond the 4 inch“max size” within a year and a half. Not once did they spawn. After running out and substituting freeze-dried tubifex (a lower protein diet), I had a spawn almost instantly. Therefore, I don’t think that the high energy diet is just for giving them energy for breeding, but also to replicate seasonal diet changes in the wild.

-You have control in the sex of the fry. A neutral pH (7) results in a 1:1 male-female ratio. A higher pH that is more alkaline would result in more males, and a lower pH that is more acidic results in more females. You can change it using buffers (neutral), alder leaves or driftwood for tannins (acidic), or calcium carbonate (alkaline).

-Unusually, its the female that initiates courtship, and the male that is choosy about his mate.

-You get more stable breeding pairs if you let the fish choose their own mates, instead of forcing a 2 fish together. Buy a group, and when a pair develops, re-home the rest. Now rehoming is not always possible, so sometimes forcing a pair is necessary, which is what I did.

-According to some sources, they are occasional harem breeders in the wild, with one male to several females. Don’t try this at home, you don’t have enough space. I tried it and caused a massacre.

(Male front-bottom, female back-top)

Other Notes: -There is a large amount of genetic variation within the species. Some males have red colouration running from the tip of the lower jaw to the anal fin, others only have a salmon coloured spot on the belly and a bright yellow jaw. Some will show blue or greenish iridescence on the dorsal fin and gill plate, others won’t. Some will have up to 6 eyespots on the tail, others have none. Some males will be a dull grey colour with no markings on the body until they are breeding, others will stay in full colouration at all times.  -Females will grow much faster and larger if you keep them away from males apparently. My female in my breeding pair was barely larger than when I first got her two years before. Meanwhile, some who keep females alone have grown them to almost the size of males. They can lay more eggs if they pair off at this point. 

Other species in the hobby: -Pelvicachromis taeniatus

[waterworldcraze]

12 Amazing Bottom-Dwelling Fish For A 10-Gallon Tank

Now that you have purchased a 10-gallon tank, you need to think about its inhabitants, and how you will make that corner of your house interesting, which was previously occupied by your grandmother’s coat stand.

To have a well-rounded ecosystem in your 10-gallon tank, you need to have all sorts of colorful fish that beautify the corner.

With a tank this huge, you have the opportunity to fill it up with as many species as you want. However, since bottom-dwelling fish are an important part of the aquarium, the question here is ‘what type of bottom dwelling fish can you keep in your 10-gallon tank?’

The answer to what type of bottom-dwelling fish can you keep in your 10-gallon tank is not a definite one. Bottom-dwelling fish play an important part in the ecosystem, and that is the part of cleaning up their homes.

Therefore, you need to think carefully about the choices you make because there are over a dozen species that can keep your 10-gallon tank populated and attractive.

Before we get to the list, here are a few more things you need to know:

Knowing Your Fish

When you step into a pet store, more often than not, you get confused when it comes to selecting the inhabitants for your aquarium.

The staff at your local store may present you with a lot of options but keep in mind that most of them might just be trying to increase the sales and earn their commission without really listening to your needs.

Even worse than this is following the name tags on the display tanks that are supposed to clear your doubts but may be flat out wrong.

Therefore, the question remains… How are you going to fill up your 10-gallon tank? Here are a few tips:

Do your own research (This article can serve as a guide)

Learn in-depth about aquarium care and the different species of fish

Keep in mind that some fish may be appropriate for your 10-gallon tank but they may not be easy to take care of

12 Bottom Dwelling Fish for Your 10-Gallon Tank

1. Cory Catfish

This species of bottom-dwelling fish is one of the most popular ones. They remain tiny and do not normally grow longer than a few inches. They are highly compatible with other species, but most importantly, they are omnivores.

This means they not only keep the tank clear of algae, but also eat any dead fish and anything else found at the bottom of your massive tank.

2. Otocinclus Catfish

These can be another great addition since they only grow up to 2 inches. They are called by several other names like Oto cats, algae scrapers and dwarf suckermouths.

Brown algae are their personal favorite – so there goes your worry of cleaning up the tank often.

They are also a bit sensitive and tend to do the best when they are added to an established ecosystem.

3. Siamese Algae Eaters

As their name suggests, Siamese algae eaters love algae no matter what the type is, therefore any algae that might be toxifying your tank may not be found the next morning.

As these fish age, they will need alternative food like pellets, but rest assured algae will not be a problem anymore.

You should not confuse them with Chinese algae eaters that grow more than the Siamese do.

4. Snails

Another popular species of bottom feeders that enjoy sucking on smooth surfaces so you will always find the sides of your 10-gallon tank clean.

They are highly efficient at their jobs so you will find them sucking day and night. However, you need to be careful since some snails reproduce faster than others do.

The Mystery Snail is one of the best choice since they do not reproduce fast and are compatible with other fish.

5. Amano Shrimp

The Amano shrimp is adaptable to various tank environments and are one of the most productive algae eaters in the family of shrimps.

Another cool characteristic of the Amano shrimp is that they will eat any leftover food that will otherwise turn into bacteria.

They only grow to an inch and a half, and are a great friend to other fish.

In addition, they are beautiful to look at with their spotted translucent bodies.

6. Crayfish

While this will sound odd to many fish enthusiasts, Crayfish are actually excellent bottom feeders. They even devour dead fish.

Apart from that, they are colorful and vibrant with their bright blue color, so it makes sense to keep them in the tank to do the dirty work.

One thing about crayfish that you need to know is that they get insecure if they do not find a hiding spot; therefore, you need to make sure your tank has plenty.

7. Kuhli Loach

Loaches have a unique personality and love to live in groups with other species of fish, so there is passion and it is seen in their movements around the tank.

They really enjoy digging in the gravel of the tank and find their meal.

They are so dedicated and persistent with finding their food that they may even move decorations and are often found stuck under those items at times.

One thing you need to take care of is to prevent them from crawling out because they are sneaky and like their time out as well.

8. Plecostomus Catfish

The Pleco fish lives between 20-30 years and may grow as long as 2 feet. It not only constantly feeds but is nocturnal too.

The moment you switch off the lights is when Pleco fish starts its day.

However, when it grows to 12 inches, it will eat a lot and poop a lot, too, but rest assured your algae problems would not remain.

9. Corydoras Catfish

They are cuter than Cory Cats and flit around and scour the bottom of the tank all day.

Usually, they stay small, but other species in the family may grow to different lengths.

They are also quite peaceful but you might notice some squabbles unless you keep them in a big group.

10. Synodontis Catfish

They are really active but also shy at times.

Like the Synodontis Catfish, they may squabble amongst themselves but they are peaceful and ignore the smaller fish in the tank.

The best part about these species is that they are fun to watch when they wiggle out of their hiding to cruise around the tank for food.

11. Botia Loaches

Their small appearance is interesting and their behavior is quite intriguing too, but some of their species can grow to a certain length that may not be suitable for a 10-gallon tank.

They are fun to watch since you will find them manically scouring for substrates at times or lounging like a kid in front of a TV at other times.

They prefer being in big groups if you want them to be non-aggressive.

12. Geophagus

The name of this species literally translates to earth-eater or sand-sifter.

They are known for taking mouthfuls from the ground, sifting through it and then spitting out the rest.

They have several species, amongst which some of them might grow too long to fit in a populated 10-gallon tank while others may be too aggressive.

Here is some advice that may come in handy – surround the plants by big rocks to avoid them plowing through.

Other bottom-dwellers

Like the 10-gallon tank that you might not want to overpopulate, without overloading you with information, here are a few other bottom-dwelling fish that might interest you:

13. Adolfo’s Cory 14. Bandit Cory 15. Pictus Catfish 16. Kribensis 17. Twig Catfish 18. Fresh Water Shrimp 19. Panda Cory 20. Weather Loach

How Many Fish to Get for a 10-Gallon Tank?

While there is no definite answer to this question, the best way to go about it is to do your own research on the different fish species you like. Learning about them will help you evaluate whether or not they will go well with the other species.

The Rule of Thumb

The general rule of thumb in such cases recommends one adult fish per gallon. Therefore, for a 10-gallon tank, you can stock around 10 fish (if you choose to follow the rule).

However, rather than relying on a basic method or a simple formula, it is better to do your own homework and find out more about the fish species you intend on getting for your tank.

Comparing them will help you come up with the right combination of species to inhabitate your tank. While you’re at it, don’t forget to come up with a backup plan as well in case the fish species you get do not mix well.

Just think smartly before selecting the different types of bottom-dwelling fish you want in your 10-gallon tank and you will be a proud owner of a beautiful ecosystem consisting of numerous exotic fish species within no time!