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re: Starting a freshwater aquarium for my son.. crash course?
Posted on 12/30/21 at 2:41 pm to Mr. Hangover
Posted on 12/30/21 at 2:41 pm to Mr. Hangover
I started with 1 small tank last year. At one point we were up to about 7 tanks. It got really addictive as certain fish we wanted couldn't be with other fish. We have now narrowed it down to 3 tanks.
I have a blue crayfish mixed with other fish in my 70 gallon which I absolutely love. I have clawed dwarf frogs in my 40 gallon, they are fun to watch. Also have blue shrimp in my 5 gallon nano, boring, but they reproduce quickly for selling purposes.
Good luck, it can be an addictive hobby.
I have a blue crayfish mixed with other fish in my 70 gallon which I absolutely love. I have clawed dwarf frogs in my 40 gallon, they are fun to watch. Also have blue shrimp in my 5 gallon nano, boring, but they reproduce quickly for selling purposes.
Good luck, it can be an addictive hobby.
This post was edited on 12/30/21 at 2:42 pm
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Posted on 12/30/21 at 6:06 pm to Deactived
quote:
This is an aquarium myth. They do nothing to keep a tank clean.
I have a “natural” tank that I allow to grow some algae with plants that houses a zebra pleco and a gold nugget pleco. You can see on the glass where they’ve worked around eating algae at times. They are helpful, but people overestimate their value in terms of algae control.
Posted on 12/30/21 at 6:21 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
I’ve kept tanks on and off for about 10 years. Currently have a 125gal I just finished cycling and about to order some African cichlids.
It’s a ton of fun getting started, enjoy it. You could put a couple cichlids in that 40 and call it a day. Make sure you put compatible fish with eachother.
It’s a ton of fun getting started, enjoy it. You could put a couple cichlids in that 40 and call it a day. Make sure you put compatible fish with eachother.
Posted on 12/30/21 at 7:00 pm to Mr. Hangover
You may want to check out monsterfishkeepers.com for some good freshwater tank setups. They have one guy who has been detailing his garp for over ten years now. Lots of types over there.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 9:15 am to reds on reds on reds
quote:
Currently have a 125gal I just finished cycling and about to order some African cichlids.
What kind of Africans will you be putting in there? When I used to keep cichlids I always wanted a tank that size to load up with some tropheus species. They remind me of dwarf sized redfish. I was also a fan of the African catfish, mainly the synodontis petricola
Posted on 12/31/21 at 9:34 am to GoAwayImBaitn
The featherfins are very cool also. I've had one for 12 years and that guy is still kicking
Posted on 12/31/21 at 10:23 am to Deactived
After cycling for around 24 hours the water all of a sudden got a little cloudy.. from what I found on the web, it seems like it is a (beneficial) bacteria bloom and they said adding some type of hardy minnows would be good for the cycling process
Thoughts?
I didn’t put real plants in there, just gravel, and artificial plants
Thoughts?
I didn’t put real plants in there, just gravel, and artificial plants
This post was edited on 12/31/21 at 10:25 am
Posted on 12/31/21 at 11:06 am to Mr. Hangover
Went to the bayou and scooped a few big minnows so we’ll see what happens
- 1:30 update: all minnows are dead
Water temp is 80*, is that about right? Too low? I’m gonna get some water testing stuff later this evening
Also.. I had some driftwood so I soaked it in the bathtub overnight so it would saturate, but it’s still floating… any tips on getting driftwood to stay on the bottom??
- 1:30 update: all minnows are dead
Water temp is 80*, is that about right? Too low? I’m gonna get some water testing stuff later this evening
Also.. I had some driftwood so I soaked it in the bathtub overnight so it would saturate, but it’s still floating… any tips on getting driftwood to stay on the bottom??
This post was edited on 12/31/21 at 1:36 pm
Posted on 12/31/21 at 4:44 pm to GoAwayImBaitn
I had an expensive Tropheus and Petrochromis addiction once I became bored with cichlids from Lake Malawi.. Fascinating fish, but not for beginners as they are strict algae/veggie/spirulina eaters and prone to bloat disease if given an improper diet.
My advice is to over filtrate by a factor of 3 with a canister (Eheim, Fluval) or a wet-dry filter with protein skimmer. Undergravel filters suck. Loved the hobby but reached an age where I just didn't have time for it any more after 30+ years. I was the guy transporting my cichlids in a Kentwood water bottle between semester breaks in Pentagon dorm, lol.
My advice is to over filtrate by a factor of 3 with a canister (Eheim, Fluval) or a wet-dry filter with protein skimmer. Undergravel filters suck. Loved the hobby but reached an age where I just didn't have time for it any more after 30+ years. I was the guy transporting my cichlids in a Kentwood water bottle between semester breaks in Pentagon dorm, lol.
This post was edited on 12/31/21 at 7:32 pm
Posted on 12/31/21 at 4:48 pm to Mr. Hangover
quote:
any tips on getting driftwood to stay on the bottom??
Probably have to weigh it down with rocks until it becomes saturated. I'd also do an internet search on how to properly sanitize the wood before introducing it to the tank. As someone else said, get some Texas Holey rock if you can. It can get expensive unless you know someone who can get it locally.
This post was edited on 12/31/21 at 4:51 pm
Posted on 12/31/21 at 4:59 pm to Mr. Hangover
Whatever you do - under no circumstances allow Gulf bang's wife near the fish.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 5:32 pm to Mr. Hangover
quote:
- 1:30 update: all minnows are dead
Probably from stress, but definitely check your water. Did you put them directly into the tank or did you let them acclimate to the tank water first?
quote:
Also.. I had some driftwood so I soaked it in the bathtub overnight so it would saturate, but it’s still floating… any tips on getting driftwood to stay on the bottom??
You need to bring out the crawfish pot and boil the tannins out of the wood or they will turn your water brown. Once that is done, it should sink. If it doesn’t, use clear, 100% silicone to attach plexiglass to the bottom of your driftwood and move your gravel on top of the glass.
This post was edited on 12/31/21 at 5:37 pm
Posted on 12/31/21 at 5:48 pm to Mr. Hangover
quote:
I had some driftwood so I soaked it in the bathtub overnight so it would saturate, but it’s still floating… any tips on getting driftwood to stay on the bottom??
Get a small piece of slate, drill a hole in the center and screw the driftwood to it. Then set it in the tank and cover the slate with your gravel.
Example:
Also, you can boil the driftwood as mentioned to reduce the tannins. But, you’ll never get all of it out and it’ll still turn your water brown if you don’t do regular water changes. And don’t use a good pot if you’re going to boil it. I damn near ruined a pot doing this.
Posted on 1/16/22 at 10:58 pm to GCTigahs
quote:
Check out BamaBass on YouTube. He has a playlist detailing his journey from a 55gal tank with 2 bass to a 300gal tank.
A month later and I’m still hooked on his videos.. thanks for that
Small update, everything seems to be going well.. he refuses to go to petsmart and buy a fish because he insists on making it like the bayou by our house, so right now we have about 4-5 big minnows and about 10 small minnows and a crawfish..
Water seems stable, I keep it at 79-80* and the fish seem healthy after 5-6 days. Haven’t gotten them to eat anything but I’m not surprised. My son wants to catch a baby bluegill or bass so that’s our mission for this week
Gotta say, this has been way more fun than I thought it was going to be and we’ve gotten to spend a bunch of time together doing it (he even got to see me get a wet and cold arse today trying to scoop for minnows
)This post was edited on 1/16/22 at 11:00 pm
Posted on 1/17/22 at 9:54 am to Mr. Hangover
My nephews caught an unusual looking little frog at Lake Chicot State park one year. They took it to the park office to try to identify it. The rangers at the park identified it and told them they wanted to add it to a big wet/dry aquarium they have filled with local critters. A couple of minutes after they put it in, we were all standing there feeling all proud of the boys having contributed to what everyone that came in would see. The frog jumped into the water, a snake pounced on him, and started swallowing him. My youngest nephew starting crying and had to be consoled. It was a tough learning experience for the boys, but a great lesson in learning the perils of a tree frog's life
Posted on 1/17/22 at 7:52 pm to Mr. Hangover
Had a large tank in college, baby bass, goggle eye and bream caught in cast net. Most of the bass died jumping out the hole on back side of tank. Otherwise change a portion of the water on regular basis and have good filtration system.
Posted on 1/20/22 at 2:32 pm to Mr. Hangover
Sorry man I forgot about this thread.
Good deal. Is it a crawfish like the ones we eat? If so, a warning, they are extremely dirty and can smell up the tank and room.
That temperature seems a little high. I would be inclined to maybe work the temperature down slowly to room temperature. Temperatures like that can cause problems just by itself.
quote:
Small update, everything seems to be going well.. he refuses to go to petsmart and buy a fish because he insists on making it like the bayou by our house, so right now we have about 4-5 big minnows and about 10 small minnows and a crawfish..
Good deal. Is it a crawfish like the ones we eat? If so, a warning, they are extremely dirty and can smell up the tank and room.
quote:
Water seems stable, I keep it at 79-80* and the fish seem healthy after 5-6 days. Haven’t gotten them to eat anything but I’m not surprised. My son wants to catch a baby bluegill or bass so that’s our mission for this week
That temperature seems a little high. I would be inclined to maybe work the temperature down slowly to room temperature. Temperatures like that can cause problems just by itself.
Posted on 1/20/22 at 4:26 pm to Mr. Hangover
Don't do it. Trust me that is good advice.
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