FrogFan23

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Ive not been to Natures Corner, heard they dont have alot of fish, but have awesome supplies

Henry's selection varies by the season. Nature's Corner may not have the largest selection but they have some of the healthiest stock. Some of my best fish came from Nature's Corner. Not only are they good for supplies/food, but they are one of the best for aquarium plants, ponds, bird watching supplies, etc. IMO, Henry's and Gillian's knowledge & helpfulness are second to none. If you haven't gone to visit them, you really should. You won't regret it.

Remember to let them know you are an AA member.

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Kale or collards are both very good for snails ... they are both quite high in calcium. Good for their shells!

Do not feed them spinach, as spinach contains an enzyme that blocks their ability to absorb calcium.

You can find kale at most grocery stores. I've only found collards at Sobeys, so far.

Those look like they are just babies. Check out my wife's adults ...

Sulawesi snail babies!!

I have a snail, size of a cherry, I keep thinking it's dead, as it sits on the bottom on it's side for weeks. The one day, it is up cruising the tank. Then for another week or two, it seems dead, laying right on it's shell. Then, once again up and at 'em.

Is this normal? Is he sick and struggling? What can I do?

Insufficient food, maybe? What are you feeding it?

If its just algae, that is not enough for most large snail species. Try steamed kale, steamed collards or sliced zucchini as a feeding supplement.

Hey Taylor,

I could be wrong but I don't think the Fluval 1 will give you flow control. You would need a minimum of a Fluval 2 for that feature (which in a paladarium, would probably be ideal). If you just need to move water, you might also consider a fountain pump.

The "electric blue" is a stable blue variant of Procambarus alleni. There are lots of theories as to why a cray will turn blue, including diet and lighting conditions. If you haven't already, check out www.bluecrayfish.com.

I have had a request for Sulawesi Snails as well, and inquired about them my supplier does not have them in just yet, but when he does he will add them to his stock list.

I have been only concentrating on the Shrimp, and I am not sure about the sucess rates on the snails either.

I Personally have troubles keeping snails, dunno could be because of my water chemistry here so I am reluctant... but if they come avail, I will work on getting someone who is more experienced to take on the snails I will bring them in at that time, but I don't want to risk loosing them too.. especially since I DON"T have ANy luck with snails period!!!!

Talk to my wife (bottomdweller_fan), she has had some success with these Sulawesi snails. From her original pair, she already has three babies.

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I'm going to be trying with O.L. Corys, Frog Plecos and Royal Whiptails when I get home.

That's a lot of work for just one night. Are you sure your fish are up to it? :smokey:

LOL -roll-

Would the equivalent spiral (phillips dayligth 27 watt) work as well? If yes i'll probably do 2 x27watt spirals + an additon 9watt 5000k for afternoon burst.

The important thing would be to make sure that the Philips bulb has as good a light spectrum as the SunBlaster bulb. Don't just compare the color temperature (i.e., 6400K). The SunBlaster bulbs are specifically designed for plant growth.

My wife and I just started using their T5-HO's. So far, I am quite pleased with the results.

I read that axolotls do quite well in outdoor ponds, because they prefer cooler water. (After seeing them at the auction, I became smitten and did a bunch of reading) Not sure they'd be a good community critter though, because they have big wide hungry mouths.

It is too bad that they are such indiscriminating eaters! They would otherwise be great to keep the populations under control.

Fascinating creature!!

That they are. Not only are they fascinating, but they are very smart and incredibly good hunters. Best kept at 15 C, however.

Wow. After all the work your putting in, I hope you'll get to keep the fish.

:welcome: Sounds like you really caught the bug!

The 60% r/o water could definitely be a factor. Reverse Osmosis removes all the hardness from the water, so its no surprise that your KH is less than half of the total alkalinity of the tap water. It looks to me like you are trying to keep you water relatively soft. Not a problem but it just means that your pH will be less stable and you will likely have to monitor your KH more closely.

(FYI - my tap water is typically 140 - 160 mg/L GH and 6 - 7 degrees KH.)

Happy to hear that your fish are doing okay ...

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HOW BIG IS THE DRAGON GOBY..?? IT LOOKS LIKE A MONSTER!!!!!!!!!!

Keep in mind that the ghost shrimp in the first picture would only be 1" - 1.5" long, max. That should give you an idea of the dragon goby's size.

I'm by no means an expert, but in my experience there are lots of things that can consume your KH. To the best of my knowledge, charcoal does NOT affect KH. However, live plants will consume KH from the water. Nitrifying bacteria will also consume KH, particularly while the colonies are establishing themselves (i.e., cycling the tank). Some also theorize that snails & other crustaceans will draw calcium from the water to build their shells & exoskeletons (KH measures calcium carbonate levels). An overstocked tank will also deplete KH, probably as a result of high nitrate levels (which can make water acidic) and resultant increase in bacterial activity.

That's one of the reasons why it is so important to do regular water changes. It's one of the best ways to replenish your carbonate hardness.

You can also use baking soda to boost KH levels. Be careful when using any KH additive, however. These products also tend to increase your pH. KH & pH go hand-in-hand. You want to make the change gradually otherwise you could cause your fish to go into pH shock.

Ten degrees is exceptionally high. For my shrimps & amphibians, I generally try to keep the KH around 6 - 7 degrees. At 10 degrees, your pH must be quite alkaline.

Firestorm also raise a valid point. If you are using distilled or RO water to start with, your KH will be zero as neither of these water "types" have any hardness. Have you tested your tap water's KH level?

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picked up 2 bags of sil3 today 160lbs for $14 I think. It was exactly what I was looking for. I love the color. It's not that dusty either. I'll be trying to figure out the cloth background this weekend. I might also hit the river up for driftwood. know any good spots?

I really like the SIL3 myself. Very fine and soft - probably as good as Exo-Terra's riverbed sand. My axies & trapdoor snails love it. So do my wife's dojo loaches.

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