Thanks to Stormyla I now have the fishtank I've been wanting for years and never got around to - been working on it for over a week now - probably rearranged it 4 times so far, and I am sure I'll be messing with it for a few more weeks until it is "just right" - no fish yet ^_^
So go ahead, show me yours!
Need new light bulbs and fuses
This is the side I'm so not done messing with
Figured I'd play for a few more weeks and then start adding fish once the water is where it needs to be at - temp & levels wise - this is giving me hours of enjoyment and I am sure many, many more to come!
Bec, there's a fantastic fish shop in Herndon, well worth the trip. They have lots of fish you won't find anywhere else and they're very healthy. Plenty of other aquarium supplies too.
http://www.marinescene.com/index.shtm
You should definitely let the water sit for a couple of weeks before adding fish so the water will stabilize and bacteria needed to keep the fish healthy with grow in the filter.
Yup, added food today to speed up the bacteria process - will give it another week and then take the water for testing
Looks good so far. I have had fresh water tanks many years but not right now. The last few times I tried the fish weren't as long lasting as i hoped. Still fun tho. Love getting fishy water for plants LOL
Last time I took the kids in to buy a molly, the nice guy caught one that looked preggers and sure nough we had a couple babies within days!
One of our cichlids laid eggs twice this year. She just suddenly died. I don't know if she exhausted herself with all the eggs or if she was sick. They carry the eggs in their mouth until they're ready to hatch so they go without eating for a good while. Anyway, two of her babies manage to elude the other fish and make it so we have two pretty ugly, mutt cichlids in there now.
LOL - never heard of "mutt cichlids" :-) I'm aiming for south american cichlids and tetras
Yep, Mutt Chiclids, I had those too and they got rather pretty. I'm having Chiclid issues right now. I have lost all but one of my Chiclids last fall while we were traveling. I came home to a practically empty tank. Only one survived plus the plocostumus that did a good job of keeping the tank clean. I didn't get any replacements and now I have one huge aggressive Chiclid. I can't put anything in there with him, I was thinking I could maybe trade him in but the two small local shops have closed. So I have no idea what to do right now, not to mention that he chewed the plocostumus up so bad that I lost him so now the tanks a mess.
Wow, he's a biggie Holly! You've created a monster! What else can you do with him?
Bec, I'm glad that you're having so much fun with the tank. DSO loved your photos and is happy you are enjoying it.
Never know what you'll get at a DG swap!!
Becky, fantastic looking aquarium! I'll refrain from showing you mine - it's such a mess I have a hard time seeing the poor fish in there - there were three hanging on but I can't even tell how many are still alive :( We've always had serious problems keeping it clean - something about our water? I've had it tested several times and everything is normal but we keep getting green algae or slime building up on everything! Bought a fancy vacuum and magnetic tool to clean the sides, etc. but unless I stay on top of it daily the slime quickly forms on everything! On at least two occasions I've taken all the fish out, stripped it, baked/boiled rocks, etc., etc. and within a month the slime was coming back :( It's a 55 gallon tank so it's not like it will only take a couple of hours to thoroughly clean it - it's an all day project! A couple of years ago when we lost our ancient Angel Fish (10 years old plus?) I more or less gave up and Rick's threatening to turn it into a terrarium :(
Can't show you mine, fishy just died and hubby has yet to get him out of there...YUCK!!!!!
Just bought the mother of all water testing kits - having trouble getting it clear and ph down to acceptable level....no fishies until it's just right!
Bec, don't forget cichlids like alkaline water so unless your water is off the charts, "down" doesn't sound right.
We went through the aggressive chews up everything fish problem when we had saltwater fish in the tank. We had a big old oscar with our first cichlid tank too and kind of learned our lesson.
The ones we have now are relatively peaceful Africans and they don't get so big.
Ah, yes African cichlids do, south American ones don't...I need to maintain around 6.5-7.00
Of course they do. (smacks forehead) Sorry, I forgot you said you were getting SA cichlids.
BTW, Drs. Foster and Smith has a site where they sell fish. Not suggesting you buy mail order but they have a lot of good information on lots of fish, including how aggressive they are. I'm thinking they also have a chart for compatability? If I'm remembering correctly, the url is www.liveaqauria.com
Absolutely - F&S comes highly recommended, they have excellent information on their site and the fishies are 'sposed to be good - I'm hoping to find what I want locally, if not I can order online, either from them or "that pet place" in Lancaster - my "masterplan" is a couple of pairs of SA dwarf cichlids (rams etc), schools of Tetras & Barbs, some Placky's, Loaches & possibly some smaller Gouramis - I'm doing my research on compatibility and tank conditions, and I don't want to set myself up for failure - so this will take time ^_^
Maybe we need to take a road trip up to That Fish Place?
Tank is looking good!
Ohhhh - road trip! I'm liking that idea - the market in Lancaster is worth a visit at the same time...maybe we need to arrange something for end of June?
Just wanted to let you know I have been watching and enjoying your progress on the fish tank, Bec.
I use to have a nice size one and was down to one good size Jack Dempsey when the side let go on the tank. First you hear water and then Oh S***! I called the fish store and gave them the JD I did not want to invest in a new tank and the upkeep was just getting to be too much. So I'll just sit back and enjoy yours. Keep the pictures coming!
Would the week after the 4th of July work for you? I'm afraid I've managed to cram my June calendar.
We I had a pretty nice tank going there for several years all Cichlids with one plocostumus to clean the tank. Even had a few hatches that resulted in a few mutts. Every so often I would loose a fish always seemed to be the biggest fish in the tank and replacement wasn't much of an issue. The smaller ones hid till they got big enough and there were several different sizes of fish in the tank. Then when we were away something happened, Jamie called and said the fish were dying one after another. Only this one was left when we got home. If I had gone right out and replaced the fish things would have probably been fine. But I waited and this guy pretty much had the tank to himself so now he is just too big to put smaller fish in with him. Guess I will probably try to sell or give him away and start all over.
If you come up to That Fish Place let me know I can be there in half and hour.
BTW, When I was volunteering at the Aquarium they had hippos and the hippo tank was full of Chiclids and they were huge. Every so often I would have to go into the hippo tank to get a dead fish out. You can't go into the hippo tank if they are out you have to go early before they turn them back out into the viewing area. Let's see I get into a tank with 26 sharks but can't get into the tank with 2 hippos. LOL
Hippos and Rhinos are very aggressive Holly! I went on a safari one time on Elephant back. There were three terrifying encounters. One involved a Hippo and another a Rhino. Sure glad my elephant won!!
Bec, I used to have like 3-4 tanks of Gouramis, I really enjoyed them, and there were so many to choose from. I found them to be as interesting as Cichlids and a lot less finicky to keep. One deciding factor for me was what was the local craze as to what is available. When I Lived in NJ, there were a lot of Gourami enthusiast about, as well as shops that featured them. Gouramis are bubble nest builders and the guys have to do their share of the work in rearing the brood. LOL They also were a bit more compatable with other species. Ric
I love gouramis! They have the ability to get some oxygen from the air (like bettas, they have labyrinth organs), so they are actually a lot tougher and less picky about water conditions than a lot of fish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth_(organ)
I'm nearly there! Received some more plants & a diver hat - Hubby wanted a diver, I didn't, so we came to a compromise - http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/203644/product.web - need to check the water today and see where it is and I just migth be able to add some fish next week!
Bec, As far as Gouramis, Opalines (3 spot) and Kissers were my faves. The dwarf paradise are colorful , as are some of the others. A couple of algae eaters or a plocostumus are a must have, to clean up. Ric
Hubby wanted diver, I didn't - so we compromised
I'm pretty happy with the set up..
They have plenty of places to hide
Becky - you've done an exceptional job the body-less diver looks great as well!!
Holly you sure that's not a Jack D. you've got in that photo?
Looks Fab Bec. I like that much better than one of those guys bobbing up and down.
Lovely! You've got a great selection of plants, too. My friend Theresa has wonderful planted tanks. :-)
Have you seen the scuba diver magnetic decorations for aquariums? They're whimsical enough to appeal to me, although I don't have one (yet LOL). One half of the diver is inside the tank, the other half is outside, as though he is swimming through the tank wall.
Well Bec, Maybe you need a treasure for that Diver to find!!
Chantell, Not sure which African Cichlid it is. All mine were bought as African Cichlids and I had a list of them but over the years I have misplaced the list and I never could keep them straight. Jack D. are Central American Cichlids. I will say that when I looked up Jack D. they sure look like my fish. Actually I think I would be more likely to sell it if I knew for sure which one it was.
LOL - no treasures, no divers - I searched high and low to find the body-less diver hat - it was my compromise for not having a diver in the tank - I might add a broken vase http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/240006/product.web at a later stage, but for now I'm happy and hubby placated :-)
Bec, How is the aquarium coming along? Any fish yet?
Hiya - nope, not yet...we just came back from vacation on Monday nite & I have been buried in work ever since! Maybe this weekend I'll get a chance to get water tested again and buy some fishies!
