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Nano Walstad tank startup

Edvet said:
209000 qubic meter/sec
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Wowsers, that's some filtration :)
I guess I can't achieve that in any tank.
The reason I am not changing the water is because this tank is odd and the TDS dropped over time from 300 tap to 200ppm in the tank and it's been steady at that. The cherry shrimp are breeding well and I know they stop breeding when the water is in a non-acceptable range. And now with the ottos breeding I won't disturb them. Otherwise I've no problem doing water changes. It takes a few minutes on this tank size.
And I do 50% weekly to another tank with 2 year old ottos who are yet to even attempt breeding so not sure what to think about that.[DOUBLEPOST=1401131237][/DOUBLEPOST]Just curious, but is the "209000 qubic meter/sec" water that comes from upstream down stream so not really "new" water but the rate just indicates the current/flow speed?
How does water in nature get refreshed? I thought it's all about it being "filtered" naturally through plants, soil bacteria, etc and not being contaminated in any way.
Diana Walstad says in her book somewhere that water in a well balanced planted non-water changed tank is normally better quality than what one can get from the tap. I am not sure if this is true as there is no way for me to test anything properly and I am not sure what is "good quality water" when it comes to fish.
 
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sciencefiction said:
How does water in nature get refreshed? I thought it's all about it being "filtered" naturally through plants, soil bacteria, etc and not being contaminated in any way.
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Not an expert, but big part of the waste if not used by biological activity (plants, bacteria) ends up in the oceans. Oceans on the other hand return rather pure water to freshwater systems by evaporation and precipitation.

And there are unbalanced freshwater systems, which are somehow contaminated. In many cases by humans.
 
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Edvet said:
The number is what the amazon puts out into the ocean afaik.
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That makes better sense now. I wonder what is the mass of water in the amazon river to calculate how much per gallon of it flows into the ocean. Then we may get to filtration rates(or rather natural water changes) :banghead: I am not even sure why I want to know :)
 
Nature provides current's,tides,rain's ,to help carry away pollutant's as best it can.
Fishes are able to swim from one area to another that they might find more comfortable.
Neither of these thing's can happen in glass box of water.
Sadly ,stream's ,ocean's,river's,are becoming increasingly polluted.
 
Tragedy struck. I hadn't seen one of the ottos for a couple of days so I started actively looking. I found it stuck between the suction cups and the frame of the internal filter that holds the filter to the glass. This happened to me before with my smallest otto of the 4 I have in another tank with the same filter but I found it on time and it recovered from a few bruises and torn fin probably from trying to get out. I am kicking myself for not checking earlier. It doesn't look it's been dead for long.
I am totally devastated.
The otto looked like it was alive so must have died only a few hours ago and it was missing for more than two days. I knew I had to check behind the frame straight away I noticed the otto missing. I am such an idiot. They were such a happy couple. The other one is munching on a zucchini but is probably missing his girlfriend as it was the female that got stuck. I am so pissed off right now.
 
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Thanks Jake. I went out and bought another otto. I hope it's a female. And it's slightly larger.
Once they grow a bit they won't be able to get stuck behind the frame. I have it firmly attached to the glass now so there are no gaps hopefully. It's when the ottos polish the glass and go side ways and they find themselves behind it if they are too small. Then they can't get out. I left the poor thing die there, I should have checked a day ago as I had the odd feeling it got stuck there because I remembered it did happen exactly to an otto before but I was lucky the last time to find it still alive as I checked within the first 24 hrs I noticed.
 
I actually just found a baby otto but not in the otto tank but my shrimp tank I am taking apart. The other day I moved a couple of cuttings from the otto tank and I did check the leaves for eggs but saw none. I totally ripped the shrimp tank apart today as I am putting soil as a substrate, had the filters off already and just now while looking for shrimp I saw this baby otto below. It must be a newborn as it has it's egg yolk still.

OttoBaby_zps41188dfd.jpg
[DOUBLEPOST=1401474531][/DOUBLEPOST]Wow, guys, I just added the new otto to the tank and they are in "T" position already!!!!! I can't believe it, I got myself a female for sure :D:)
 
I'll be watching like a hawk now behind the filter frame. Until they grow this can happen again so I'll do a head count every day. The new otto is very healthy and has a nice belly and is already feeling at home.

Now if I have a newborn in the other tank which I must have moved accidentally as that tank housed just shrimp and one platy, I must have some newborns in this tank too but maybe I can't see them.....hopefully...
 
tim said:
Would it be possible to fashion some foam or filter floss to fit in the gaps between filter and frame/glass less chance of them making their way in.
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That's a great idea Tim. I surely can stick something in between so they can't get in there. I just have to figure how to do it.

Here is a pic of the filter frame. The gap is where the two Malaysian trumpets are on the picture. The gap seems wide enough still :arghh:

DSCF6249_zpsa3244e00.jpg
 
Well, I just did what you suggested. It made me sweat but I've wedged filter floss in between the glass and the frame and they shouldn't be able to get in. The shitty filter got full of air as I took it out and it wouldn't start back. I had to give it a right shake inside the tank for like 2 minutes and I must have scared the poor fish but at least my mind is at ease now they can't get stuck behind the frame.
 
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