Round indoor pond project queries.

[sciencefiction]

sorry wish I'd checked in earlier as I could've warned to cover the lid ... you always need to watch for them jumping when startled or stressed so keep doing your tail counts when water changing etc until they settle

The fish was a perfect specimen. I had the chance to have a good look at it.

My (undoubtedly useless) inkling says the "blue eyes" are less prone to mycobacteria ... BUT that may also just reflect their shorter lifespan so ...
I'll admit though that given the longevity of the Clown Loaches, I'd also reconsider the Rainbow notion

Yes, the short life span and introducing new fish every so often is not what I want so the dwarf rainbows might be out of question unless I really get the urge.

Now I hope it all goes well with the 9 denison barbs. They lured the small clown loach to get out almost instantly and once they grow a bit, along with the floaters, may help the older loaches come out more during light time. I like rasboras. I don't know why I never considered them. I will look into the species types.

As for the 19/25 hose, my memory says there used to be more in that size range - I guess it's just fallen out of fashion

The APS filters have a 18/25 hose size. I actually swapped one of the APS filters tubing with a JBL 19/25 last weekend, and it fits just fine so I am guessing I can also swap the outlets with JBL ones too. I have raised the water level a bit so the surface is not so stormy. I just need to keep an eye on the evaporation.

Now I am considering more light because the tank definitely needs it. I just can't make up my mind. I will either get one more of exactly the same flood light as it seems to be doing good to the plants, or one Kessil 160 WE tuna sun since I already have the Kessil gooseneck and it will be just a matter of swapping the light unit....less clutter too....

 

[sciencefiction]

The barbs are not schooling with each other this morning. It looks like right now they are more interested into chasing each other away rather than swimming together.... It just crossed my mind that in the last 5 years that's my only second purchase of mid and top dwelling fish, the previous being a bunch of forktail rainbow fish ...And I've forgotten how interesting it is to have a new species of fish in your tank that doesn't prefer to sift the bottom of the sand, lol...

The clowns gave a couple of the barbs a chase but not hunting like behaviour, more like being their usual curious selves. But the barbs are fast and furious All fish are out right now and seem content with each other's company.

One of the barbs seems to be way smaller than the rest. I am guessing its the runt of the group as the rest are the same size. Hopefully it picks up. It will be easier feeding them at lights on when the clowns aren't so interested in behaving like 'food hoovers'

 

[sciencefiction]

 

[sciencefiction]

It seems its going to be hard to feed these small fish inside this tank.

They just don't seem to be seeing the food or by the time they saw it, its already on the bottom and they won't pick it up. At the same time, when the food is falling, they're waiting for it near the bottom?? The food tends to get blown quite fast in the tank and it does make a circle around the sides of the tank from the flow. The clown loaches have figured it out but not these fish yet. They do not come up to the surface at all, in fact they are swimming quite closely to the bottom considering they aren't bottom fish. And they won't pick up the food from the sand just under them....My baby clown loach will get fat, at least he picks up the pieces...

I tried bloodworms, several types of pellets, etc... The very small pellets which would be suitable to their mouths just get lost in the tank. I can barely see them myself after dropping them. I never buy flake but I don't think that will help either. I tried even larger shrimp pellets and algae wafers in case the fish can't se the food, with no success....So I don't know if these fish have eaten at all yet. They do get excited when the food is in, visually, but that's about it.....

On another hand, they seem to be ok. They were colouring up yesterday by the hour literally. I can see red noses, red dorsal fins and yellow spots on the tails. They seem to be loving the hollow stone which serves as a clown loach cave. They keep circling over it and in and out of it. The clown loaches have moved ship to the pvc tube since, not enjoying the attention...

And just to add, I had a surprise discovery today. I saw a shrimp in the tank...I've no idea how it got inside the tank. I am guessing via plants but this is an adult shrimp and when I took the plants out of my other tank I washed them under running tap water first. Then I took my time planting them in soil pots outside the water for ages.

They other option is if I did have uneaten shrimp while the loaches were in the plastic tub and the shrimp got in there from day one. Here is she is, a female shrimp, happily munching my old pre-filter sponges. Should I add a couple of more I wonder to start a new colony.....They survived the clown loaches in the previous tank...The problem is, its very difficult siphoning a tank full of shrimp, impossible I might say...They jump on the hose and all over my hands....

Please excuse the state of the sponge. It is quite old and I was unwilling to change any pre-filter sponges until the tank is well mature....I do wash them weekly

 

[sciencefiction]

The little barbs seem to be doing quite well. I've no idea if they're eating or not though. I see them at feeding time picking something but can't be sure how much they find because I can't see either the food nor the fish that well. They love the opposite side of the tank where the hollow stone is. They are definitely not surface feeders or top tank swimmers, at least not when young. When the light is off, they swim so close to the substrate you'd say they are loaches of some kind. But they of course venture everywhere.

I am thinking to get some Siamese algae eaters next time. Someone needs to clean the old BBA on the anubias The problem is that I have to buy the true kind. There's only one type, as far as I am aware, that eats algae for life and its called Crossocheilus Langei. Its supposed to have a black blotch on its belly that distinguishes it from the other Crossocheilus types and of course the false ones like flying fox and the likes. Besides that they look pretty much the same, clear fins, long black line from nose to end of tail, etc..I've never seen that blotch on the ones they sell here. It may be because they normally sell fry and they are too little to show it, or they are one of the other several Crossocheilus that either don't eat algae or eat it only when young.

 

[sciencefiction]

Oh, and I forgot to say. There is a bit die off on the sensitive fern. The older leaves are shedding. The water hyacinth is doing well and there's no sign of deficiency so I am guessing the sensitive fern is just adapting. It is growing though, already a full new branch/leaf like. The salvinia is also growing and staying green so it must be something to do with the fern itself. We'll see....

 

[PARAGUAY]

Looking great

 

[sciencefiction]

Thanks Paraguay.

Well, unfortunately, the sensitive fern has dropped all of its old leaves.....

It seems to be growing though. I hope it is just adapting

The other fern I planted in a pot that also houses my palm seems to have started growing finally

There is no fear for my peace lilies

And the water hyacinth It seems to love bunching with each other.....

Its not very visible but here you can see the bacopa throwing healthy new growth. The bottom part is sorry looking because it suffered the usual deficiencies I deal with. Its bouncing back.

A couple of water gardeners They were clicking at the water hyacinth the other morning

Miss Red Rili shrimp is quite the survivor

 

[sciencefiction]

I got 5 Siamese Algae Eaters They fit the description and have the black blotch too.

They went very pale in the bag and while acclimating. And within minutes in the tank they recovered and started schooling with the denison barbs like one big family. So cute

 

[sciencefiction]

Well these SAEs better get down to business....They are too buzy swimming around like they have never seen water...

They seem quite the schooling type...

 

[sciencefiction]

Plants wise, I am dealing with nitrogen deficiency right now.....The water hyacinth has some old leaves yellowing, as if it happened overnight, very fast..including chlorosis...I dosed quite a lot of potassium nitrate these days... It seems it gets all mopped by the plants...or maybe the clay pebbles. Who knows.... Maybe that's why the sensitive fern dropped all its old leaves...I thought I dosed enough. I always go by scoop count, lol I need to start measuring how much I am dosing to have an idea though the plants don't care about that...

And the tank is due a water change after two weeks of none....There is now a bit of biofilm on the surface after skipping one weekend

I have not seen the SAE's eat any algae yet. So I fed some courgette instead.. I think they are a bit too excited and haven't settled yet. They do rounds around the tank non-stop. If one of them gets lost, the rest seem to sort of wait on him/her to catch up. They also swim vertically the sides of the tank, just like the clown loaches. I read last night that SAEs might not get on with Denison barbs because of the similar markings, and even attack them Let's hope that's not true...They all seem ok sharing the tank right now and actually shoal together...

They have coloured up and the back is now quite darkish brown looking. They were silver white in the shop with just a black line in the middle....I thought its because they were young but obviously they were just stressed, especially the pale purplish white while being acclimated. That hue must have come from the natural brownish coloration. I spent a bit of time outside in the cold with the bag without any additional packing before I brought them home.

 

[Andy Thurston]

hi SF

nice project I missed this somehow

I used to keep dennisons with my clowns and both species jump, more with the lights off. I never had any trouble adding juvenile clowns to the group, although I always added 4-5 to the group as it seems to stop 12 clowns saying "hello" to 1 fish at the same time and you have a large enough pond to keep them all. I used to keep my temp around 24 *C which seemed the best compromise.

I noticed earlier in the thread a post asking why you filtered the tank so heavily even though its planted, the clowns like decent flow. mine thrived in 8-9 x turnover. I used to feed them fairly heavily too and the amount of poop these guys make is unreal, my filters were also full of coarse and medium sponges with a small amount of ceramic media. I used to change 50% of the water every 10 days and clean the filters every 3-4 months. This seemed to keep my water crystal clear.

I used to feed my clowns 3 hours after lights on and they were always swimming around within a hour of the lights coming on.

The dennison males will spar/chase each other all the time this is fairly normal and will often result in a jumper so a cover would probably be a good idea.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

The water hyacinth has some old leaves yellowing, as if it happened overnight, very fast.......Maybe that's why the sensitive fern dropped all its old leaves...

It is most likely to be light levels, Eichornia needs a lot of light to get through the winter.

cheers Darrel

 

[sciencefiction]

Hey Andy. Thanks. Yours sounds like just the way I always kept my loaches

I noticed earlier in the thread a post asking why you filtered the tank so heavily even though its planted, the clowns like decent flow. mine thrived in 8-9 x turnover. I used to feed them fairly heavily too and the amount of poop these guys make is unreal, my filters were also full of coarse and medium sponges with a small amount of ceramic media. I used to change 50% of the water every 10 days and clean the filters every 3-4 months. This seemed to keep my water crystal clear.

That's about exactly what I've always done, including the type of filter media. How odd we've got the same exact habits when it comes to loaches but it works

I used to keep my temp around 24 *C which seemed the best compromise.

Yes, they do tolerate lower than the advertised temperature without a problem. Mine were kept at 24C -25C all winter every winter and 26C and above in the summer depending on the weather as you can't get it lower. Now, because they were alone in the tank I had it up to 26C although its winter. I turned the heaters down to 25C two weeks ago but it still stays at 26C. I think the big volume of water somehow acts like a heater to keep the water constant in the room itself. The heat can't escape...which is good..

The dennison males will spar/chase each other all the time this is fairly normal and will often result in a jumper so a cover would probably be a good idea.

I need to really think about that. When these fish grow they can leap out. There is quite a bit of distance between the top of the tank and the water level and there is a plastic edge so they do need to do a big leap to get out....but they can when they are bigger.... I've always relied on fish not wanting to jump out....I know the clown loaches jump but they really don't bother if they feel secure. I have never kept Denison barbs or SAEs before and it says everywhere that they jump.....So I must find some sort of plastic mesh that will not block the light and I can easily remove if I want to....It's just that now my clowns are being hand fed every day....especially the biggest loach has lost all fear of me....It is so rewarding to see fish that are naturally skittish, turn into such pets..

 

[sciencefiction]

Hi all,It is most likely to be light levels, Eichornia needs a lot of light to get through the winter.

cheers Darrel

I think I agree with you....I really need to upgrade the light now that I have the floaters too....I may order a Kessil 160WE next week...It is advertised as 40W and I wonder if the 40W Kessil is a good bit stronger than the 30W flood light I currently have?

 

[sciencefiction]

So who said fish don't swim in a circle In this video in the space of 1 minute you will see the SAEs doing 3 rounds around the tank. Watch from the very start....So far all fish's initial reaction upon introduction was to swim far away, lol, only to get back to the same spot.. They don't know it though

 

[sciencefiction]

I think the paprika project may fail One of the plants had literally fallen because the soil is too loose from being right in the water...I had to raise the water level up to accommodation the floaters and stop them from being driven into the basket area...It works for them but the extra water in the pepper basket isn't doing great to the peppers. Their very lower leaves have melted from being in the water.....I'll leave them be for longer to see how they do but it doesn't look good....


On another hand I don't mind because they grow pretty big and heavy and flower all year round, the flowers constantly fall off and it will make a mess in the tank anyway if I have to be honest...

 

[sciencefiction]

I went at the back of the tank last night to adjust the heaters temperature down a bit because the temp won't go down below 26C and I want it at 25 and I noticed that the parlour palm has thrown lots of new growth at the back. It's not very visible but here it is in the background.

 

[sciencefiction]

Also, my choice of fish isn't going to achieve what I wanted. It seems I ended up with fish that occupy from mid to bottom of the tank. The denison barbs rarely venture above mid water, don't feed from the surface, etc..In all videos on youtube I see them all schooling tightly. Mine are scattered all around in singles and pairs and just sort of gather from time to time above the hollow stone but do not school together.

Same apply for the SAEs but at least they are very cute schooling in a group around......and of course the clown loaches strictly stick to the bottom .I think I'll end up increasing the stocking with a bunch of small enough shoaling top dwelling fish of some kind, ideally not skittish ones. I know the forktail rainbows stick to the surface at all times...but I sort of fancy something I haven't kept like rasboras or tetras of some sort...as long as it does not go to the bottom of the tank...

 

[sciencefiction]

The sensitive fern is rapidly dying Even the new growth has shrivelled and dried up for some reason.... I just moved it near the light to try to keep it alive until I get more light....I think that's what it is...And the paprika is out to dry....

That's all that's left of it now, see the dried up leaves just above the water hyacinth and the yellow leaves that will be completely dead by tomorrow judging by the rest...This happened in my old tank at the start before I increased up the light considerably..... I killed a beautiful floater I can't remember the name off, but quite rare...

All those small black pots where I planted the crypts will be out. I am replacing them with glass jars one by one for lack of better pots....
Most than half of the soil that was in them ended up all over the sand making a mess. I don't even think its the clown loaches that much as I noticed they simply get knocked on the side by the flow around the tank..

A look from above....not great...and very messy looking...Only the fish like it...