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gadgetgirl

Calgary & Area Member
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Everything posted by gadgetgirl

  1. Funny you should mention this today; I was thinking about doing the same thing. I use a piece of python hose about 3-4 feet long,and a 5g bucket. Choose a plantless place to start. As long as your gravel is small enough, the syphon action from the (Which is it - 1" or 1.25" interior diameter?) hose will pick it up as well as the detritus you stir up. Watch your fish!!! The noise is usually enough to keep them away, but there's one in every crowd. . . Minimal disturbance to the inhabitants. I've done this several times in a few of my tanks and never lost anyone yet. When putting your freshly washed sand in place - I use a soup bowl sized container. Fill it about 3/4, then lower it gently into the top of the tank and allow it to fill with water. Lower it slowly the rest of the way to the bottom and pour out slowly. Repeat. Slowly is key in keeping the sand where you want it, rather than letting it fly all over. Leave your filter off until you're finished and the sand has settled. It's easy to do once you get the hang of it, but don't get too greedy when sucking up the gravel, you'll clog the hose. I advise not doing the entire tank at once. Do a bit with every water change until you're happy. Really, you ARE doing a water change, the gravel is a bonus :thumbs:
  2. I used a glue gun, no trouble. On the second one I made, I made an even smaller hole and used some *elbow grease* and pliers to pull the tubing through. It doesn't leak either.
  3. I've forgotten to plug my heater in after a water change - and not remembered until I was at work. I double check myself now, too.
  4. When I empty a tank or replace gravel with sand, I use a piece of hose about 4-5 feet long with an inner diameter of 1/2". You can syphon out the gravel carefully if it's small enough, and there's no mess because you're sucking that up too. Of course, this means you'll be doing a water change at the same time. :thumbs: I use a small tupperware type container to put sand/gravel exactly where I want it, but it's key to do everything slowly to minimize clouding. I can't remember if I've ever done this with fish in the tank, though.
  5. Lovely snakes! Congrats! :thumbs: But. . . what does one do with 26 wigglers? Keep them for how long?
  6. This is my father's 55G tank. I'm fairly certain that this plant is a Dieffenbachia, but if you know differently, please tell me! When it was in a pot (3-5 years ago) he only remembered to water it enough to keep it alive, but not thriving. When he finally decided to put it in the tank, it was basically just a green stick about a foot long with miserable little leaves. I thought everyone here might get a kick out it! The stem has a circumference of about 3". There is a hanging support in the tank that it rests on, about 4" below the waterline and it's roots extend from there into the substrate. It's a very happy plant. :thumbs: That's a north facing window it's leaning towards.
  7. I use the tank water for the indoor plants and the pond water on the garden (from when I clean the filter) and boy, did my cucumbers ever grow! I planted them so late I thought I wouldn't get anything, but all those goodies from the filter water turned them into a whole Jack and the Beanstalk thing. Not to mention what happened to the strawberries. . . :smokey: Does anyone else think the warmth of the water helps as well? Cold shower vs warm shower?
  8. Full: 55 + 25 Empty: 20 + 10 110 G total My father has a 55 + 65 + 10 plus the outdoor pond which holds 1500+ gallons. The tanks have a total of 3 common plecos and some plants right now, all the goldfish are outside for summer! :thumbs:
  9. My tanks are in the basement so the fish don't know there's been a heat wave. The outdoor pond, on the other hand. . . the goldfish are spawning for the second day in a row. Uprooted plants everywhere What a mess!
  10. Agghh, I've been going through this too. Over the past 7 months: AMAZING algae bloom. All my Honey Gourami fry were eaten by the Tetras when the container they were in got stuck under the filter output and sank. I've lost several Tetras. All my Kuhli Loaches. Out of 38 cory eggs hatching, I've got 6 baby cories left. 3 out of 4 guppies gone. (I didn't want them, they came free with the Tetras. Doesn't mean I wanted them dead, though.) 3 ADF's, 2 from bad netting technique in the LFS. I should never have taken them. 1 Oto, who got his head stuck in the filter output (!!!) when I partially closed it too keep the current down for the Betta. The Betta. 3 male Dwarf Gouramis. 2 Harlequin Rasboras. I feel like a murderer. Can't join the CAS because they'd probably lynch me. But I'm going to keep trying hard. I'm both glad and sorry that I'm in company with many other people. It isn't just me, then! But I feel awful for all my poor little fishes that died because I didn't have the experience to notice or understand the first tiny signs that something wasn't right. I haven't had ich yet, but I think I'm as ready as I can be for when that happens. There's probably some sort of Boy Scout Motto that applies here. Keep trying!
  11. I love my ADF's! Do you have Albino ACF's, or regular? I'm looking forward to hearing more about them. :welcome:
  12. Not very interesting, but I like them: Bronze Cories :thumbs:
  13. Update: I saved 8? or 9? baby gouramies in the trap, they seem to be fine. The ones I didn't save are. . . gone. But I guess that's OK with the parents because this morning I found another fresh batch of (haha) ground pepper! Gak! That's a little quick, isn't it? :shock: Ok, so here's my plan so far, subject to more ideas: Save some more fry to the trap EDIT: Honey gourami fry will fit thru thumbtack holes. Moving on to the margerine (cottage cheese) tub. Leave the algae laden leaves and little ambulia cuttings in the trap with the fry AND Infusoria - technical term for green, smelly lettuce water? Have I done something wrong? OR Wardley's liquifry food Wait for them to grow big enough (How big should that be?) to go into the 10G with the baby cories, who are about 1.5 months old now. Am I right in thinking that the gourami fry will stay mostly to the top and the cories to the bottom? Safe? My thanks to everyone who's helping me! I wanted more Honey Gouramies but I thought I would have to buy them
  14. Oh, balls!!!! I wish I'd posted this yesterday - my husband WAS in Edmonton then *smacks self on head* Just did a bit of reading on vinegar eels and micro worms; culturing either of these sounds fairly easy, do you just keep some 'in stock' for when you need them? It seems to me I have no say in all these extracurricular tank activities and should just be a boy scout about it :thumbs:
  15. Actually, when I had all the Cory fry I made a homebuilt fry trap with one of those plastic salad containers you get with potato salad (or whatever) from Safeway, and poked it full of holes with a thumbtack - strung a plastic coated cheap wire hanger piece through the top so it hangs on the side of the tank. I poked the holes from inside to outside so the rough edges of the holes aren't accessible to the fry. It's almost the same size as the purchased trap I also have, and you are right, they will definitely fit through the gaps in the bottom of that one. I don't know anything about vinegar eels and microworms; are those easily accessible somewhere in Calgary? Speaking of Cory fry - they are doing great! Thanks for all your advice - the only bit I didn't use was the Ivy - don't have one or any suitable house plant except maybe spider - so I stuck in some Ambulia instead, that's something I have plenty of! The babies are happy and busy exploring all their new space, and shifting the sand around better than I thought they could at that size!
  16. Yesterday the Honey Gouramis had a turn at successful spawning - but questionable positioning with the bubble nest - he built directly above the CO2 bubble ladder and the escaping CO2 bubbles end up in the nest. How healthy is that? I'm not holding out too much hope for survivors, Dad has been busy keeping the little ones in the nest and chasing away everyone, but there aren't as many as there was yesterday. The Rasboras are very interested - and fast. BBS are too big, and the infusoria culture won't be ready for a few more days (I think; I've never made the stuff before) What opinion does everyone have about saving some fry to a breeder trap and adding some algae-laden Ambulia and Amazon sword? Do you think there will be enough 'goodies' on those for fry to eat? At least until the infusoria is ready? Should I leave them alone for a few days? As a side note, with the CO2 turned off, the Kuhli loaches have taken up residence in the Hagen bubble ladder; this morning I found them ALL laying on the 'steps' like it's actually a giant sofa. -roll- I'm trying to get pictures!
  17. I also show -1 BTW. I really like the new layout I'm using to reply.
  18. *gadgetgirl checks remaining sand supply* Yes, I think I can do half an inch. There's no way I want to use the play sand and gravel that's already in there. Bleach out the tank or use ammonia? Or ??? The little guys can go live in either of the other 2 tanks (in their trap) while I'm sorting this out; I'd rather spend a few days and get it right and not have them suffer any more fatal consequences. I sure am glad you're online. Thank you for helping me :bow:
  19. hmmmm. . . You've definitely given me something to think about. Filter-less. (That sounds so. . . naked ) But I can do that, the 50% x2/week won't be a problem. And the thin layer of play sand? Is that for aesthetics and/or to make the cories happier? 1/2" thin?
  20. I'm at a loss, too. I figure my next step must be to clean out the tank, totally, and go bare bottom. I've got myself convinced it's something in the sand and gravel, and I don't want to take any chances with the baby cories I have left. Yes, they would be the only ones in the 10G. No, you're not confusing - I just started out that way!
  21. An Ehiem Liberty 150 - new on Feb 25th. And an air pump, Rena 200. Neither on full flow, but it was up enough to buffet the baby cories around a bit. Sorry, I knew I'd forget some important item of information to put in the post.
  22. This is just awful. I feel terrible over this. On the 7th of February I had a batch of cories hatch out, by the 27th I decided they were big enough to go into the 10G tank instead of the breeding trap - I tested the water first (Ammonia & Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5) and in they went after I fed them that night. Next morning, 11 out of 17 were dead or dying. I saved 6. My first thought was that I possibly poisoned them with tainted frozen BBS, so I tossed the old stock and bought new frozen BBS and now keep it in a different freezer. On the 11th of March I set them loose again with nearly identical results - 3 out of 7 died (I found the one living in the 55G, moved him in with his little buddies because I thought he'd have a better chance of survival ) I caught the survivors from this tragedy and put them back in the breeder trap again, did another water change, not realizing that I filled the tank up far enough that the little cories could escape over the edge of the trap and back into the tank, which they did, with one exception, and that's why I have a survivor. Everyone else is dead. Here's the problem: What's in the substrate that murders everyone at night? No one acts funny or dies during the day when the lights are on. (I effectively spent an entire day watching them to be sure everything was fine) The breeder traps are in the 10G, have almost always been in the 10G except for water changes and the first few weeks of their lives. From examination of the little bodies, I think some of them have had a 'bump' on the top of their head, and a few others have had a 'bump', possibly air or fluid filled, on their bellies. Most have had nothing unusual that I could see. (Possibly relevant: Second breeder trap with second batch of baby cories, 2 weeks younger. Traps always moved together from tank to tank; no health issues with second batch. Only difference is they haven't been out of the trap while in the 10G) Prior to this the 10G was an ADF tank, all of whom are still happy and healthy (and in the 20G) I had a pair of Honey Gouramis and a pair of Neon Tetras in there for a few days while I renovated the 55 just before the weekend; they were (and are) fine. *crossing fingers, hoping it stays that way* Water parameters have remained steady at the above stated values; not a contributing factor. Obviously I have to clean the tank thoroughly; what should I do about the filter? Will there be anything harmful living in there? Should I chuck all the plants? Boil the gravel? Did I miss anything? What is going on? Thanks for reading. Please share your ideas on this - has anything like this happened to anyone else?
  23. How's the eggs? Are they fry now?
  24. gadgetgirl

    ...

    What does that sort of behaviour signify?
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