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Round indoor pond project queries.

I am thinking I need another distraction and I may finally put a fish in my other 80 liters tub that houses the Arum Lily. There's just anubias, some sand and cherry shrimp in there right now. I removed all the bacopa. It had grown a tick layer of several inch as a floater over the last summer and winter, now removed bar 2 stalks. I think a pair of small cichlids would do me good for a change and I might make it black water. I just don't know what fish I'll get.

And I'll continue with the Arum Lily series, grown again over the weekend. I wonder how big will it get...There are new leaves on that picture by the way that are now fully opened...and several underneath that can't be yet seen..

Arum Lily1.jpg
 
I was checking my mails and the filter delivery for the other plastic tub is delayed. I ordered one of the classic eheim filters from a German website.

I went to check on the Arum Lily and I looked at the old filter, which is still sitting in the tank not running, and there are Californian Blackworms sticking out from all over it, very happy looking, feeding on the decaying stuff in the filter, although I had given it a really good clean, lol.

I hope you're not eating your dinner,😡

 
So doing water changes lately, and observing the plant pot in the pond in which I found a baby kuhli loach I am now convinced a lot more loaches are hiding in there. The disturbing part is that at each water change that basket gets fully drained of water and it may take 30-40 minutes before water level goes back up...They seem to survive being out of the water in between the clay pebbles. It is sort of scary...but they do.

The betta is showing me his new bubble nest
Betta Bubble Nest.jpg

And the Lily is not so happy anymore, some old leaf die off and the newest ones are smaller
Arum Lily4.jpg

Arum Lily3.jpg
 
sciencefiction said:
So doing water changes lately, and observing the plant pot in the pond in which I found a baby kuhli loach I am now convinced a lot more loaches are hiding in there. The disturbing part is that at each water change that basket gets fully drained of water and it may take 30-40 minutes before water level goes back up...They seem to survive being out of the water in between the clay pebbles. It is sort of scary...but they do.
Click to expand...

In relation to the same, I found the below video of a kuhli loach deciding to get out of the water on its own accord....Is there something I am missing about these fish?

 
I still have not received the filter that was intended for my other tub but I managed to get the old one going, finally...Shrimp were ok though, no losses at all being in still water tank for weeks but it's not like I fed them anything.

Also, there's a few shrimp in the betta tank so it is interesting to note they have survived the 34C heat....So far I've seen them survive temps as low as 12C and as high as 34C, some inverts...Even most tropical snails can't do that....Malaysians for example don't do well in low temps..

The arum lily has overtaken all the surface of that tub now....

Maybe it should go to my pond if I find some room in a well lit area but the pond is now really overgrown as the second parlor palm I saved from my window sill has adapted and has taken off... I think they may choke the peace lily in there if I am not careful.

I did a 80% water change yesterday on the tub and I swear that plant has responded. I think turning on a filter for water movement has had positive effect too...In comparison to this arum lily, the peace lilies are total snails growth wise... The arum lily is actually choking its own bottom leaves now because of both scarce light and nitrogen.

Very latest Arum Lily 1.jpg

Very latest Arum Lily 2.jpg
 
And time for the pond, going mental. I expect it to grow really well now in the summer with the sunshine being through that window every other day or so. I really need ceiling lights during the winter ideally to get the best of the plants as they do tend to turn towards the window, so the back side I can't picture is the most beautiful one. Fish are really healthy and boisterous in there.

Pond Heaven 2.jpg
 
The Arum Lily got itself a nitrogen source..🙂

I finally added a fish to that tub. It's been running for 2 years now I think with nothing...

It's a weather loach...I think I never deliberated so much over a fish, lol... I went back to the shop several times and gave up each time as there were a few of them just sitting doing nothing, and not responding to any human presence. The gold fish were so much more fun....But the tub is small, holds only 80 litres and I thought I'd get it and see how it goes..

So here she is. It's a girl. I took the video in the first few minutes of adding her so she's a bit upset but she was really interested in sifting the sand, knocking a few snails and moving between the pots. There's shrimplets, live black worms and I added some pellets as well. I'll see how it goes. My idea is to one day consolidate my 3 cold water tanks into a large one which I have been delaying only out of laziness for moving fish tanks, etc..

 
So it seems, the loach is getting on well...although it is early to tell.
She's already managed eating lots of baby snails, chasing the shrimp and sucking out black worms out of the filter sides as they seem to breed well in there...So I won't bother feeding for a few days.
I hope I don't lose it to jumping as I have no intention of having a cover and I already saw the loach almost walking on top of the internal filter...The water level is low now because the clay pebbles in the Arum lily basket are still not fully saturated and they would all come out if I fill the tub..It takes quite a few weeks/months to get them fully saturated. I sometimes put stones on top...

A short video below. It's a poor video I warn you. The loach appears into the 20 second mark under the basket.



I also got the filter I ordered, the Eheim classic but I think I'll put it in my hillstream loach tank instead because I don't think I'll need it for one weather loach...Surely the hillstream loaches won't mind.
 
I did some pond re-arrangements today. I moved all the driftwood more into the middle close the the clown loaches and I saved the crinum calamistratum which is the only plant the fish didn't eat but it's been dying slowly. It never got enough light. It is now in the hillstream loach tank to see if it will recover in more light and flow.

The bristlenose pleco was quite upset but I think he settled again somewhere on the wood..
The clowns on another hand and the rest of the fish seem excited over the re-arrangement..

 
I'm nearly half way through this journal and really enjoying it.
sciencefiction said:
If I ever have to catch them again, which I did 5 times during this last year, I am going to have to get inside this tank. There's no catching other wise...no corners to be cornered into 🙂 And I think they know it already....
Click to expand...
You could try using a tube/pipe. Worked well for me last time I had to move my Clown's.
I have a two foot length of drain pipe that's used as a cave. Blocked off both ends, lifted it out of the water and transferred it to the new tank. No worries about getting their barbs stuck in a net.
Copied this idea:
bamboo+cane+hanging+by+a+river+in+sumatra.jpg
From here:
http://aquagastro.blogspot.com/2007/03/clown-loach-chromobotia-macracanthus.html
 
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