Round indoor pond project queries.

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I also got a fern to try out. I've no idea what it's called.

It could be <"Nephrolepis exaltata">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Manisha]

Just found one of the baby loaches on the floor dead already. He must have jumped out I did think about putting the tank cover....It was the lively fellow that first caught my eye in the shop and I got the second one to keep him company during quarantine...

Sorry to hear My lfs that specialises in pond & koi use corregated plastic to raise the sides of the tanks, it doesnt look attractive but seems effective.
Before this was in place, we were there & there was a recent 'jumper' on the floor it was returned to the tank & presumably recovered but my daughter worried on subsequent visits about 'getting fish in her hair' Luckily this hasn't happened...

 

[sciencefiction]

Thanks Manisha. The baby loach was in another tank which I keep open top and its also rimless... I had done a water change and filled the tank right to the top....Then i went for a snooze and when i got up the clow had already died. I would have heard him had i not gone to bed..
Fortunately the larger clowns never tried jumping out of the plastic tubs or the previous tank which was open top. I think with age they sort of know there is no way out. ..

It would be a very difficult task for them to jump out of the poly tank and generally they are not jumpers. The little felow was acting very hyper... the reason i bought him in the first place .

 

[alto]

Commiserations on the loss - poor fishy

I had done a water change and filled the tank right to the top....

That's what I blamed it on as well ... but thinking back, I'd had the water level same height on numerous occasions (this was my all time favorite Betta - a fancy show plakat with HUGE personality) ... upon further reflection I realized he was possibly startled by a late night reader

I managed to find another Betta that is likely from the same breeder re distinctive color pattern & similar personality... very outgoing & not fussed at all by his long trip overseas & then home to mine
- not as wildly flamboyant as F but still a very cheerful fellow
In contrast the other show plakats (also just arrived) were very skittish, went back a few days later & they are still very skittish (though in apparent excellent health)

I hope you manage to find your newly single baby clown another mate

 

[sciencefiction]

I hope you manage to find your newly single baby clown another mate

Next time I go to the shop, I'll grab another one. I may even take two of them as they are so much smaller than my other clowns....they may need each other's company to grow up a bit, considering the slow growth...Although I had good success before buying a young baby loach and adding to the group...He fitted right in... although he was as long as the tail of the biggest loach I have...He also jumped out of that same tank while in quarantine, only that I was in the room, heard the flaps and I picked him up straight away.So he survived... He never tried jumping out again....He and the rest then lived for over a year afterwards in an open top tank when the original broke and then in the plastic tubs recently....I felt too confident unfortunately. Never say never..

It's really sickening when this happens. Sorry to hear about your betta.

If I hadn't laid my eyes on this little loach in the shop, he'd still be alive. He/she was so cute and full of life

 

[sciencefiction]

I took the video below Saturday night. I might as well post it. At around 1:02 one can see a slightly closer view of my two larger fatties. I never measured them but the biggest guy doesn't fully fit nose to tail in a 15cm tube so I am guessing he's passed 7 inch now. He literally mops all the food and I think that's why they grow to different sizes....He hasn't even lost any weight while I fed them like twice a week for the last couple of months..

This morning, when I turned the room light on where the tank is, I see one of the loaches laying on his side right on the sand He was so funny...They sleep like this but normally inside their hiding places.....

To be honest, I am not very eager in getting any dither fish unless its really needed. I'd rather have more loaches. If the clowns get too skittish living without top dwellers, then I'll see...I am not really a fan of fish that just go back and forth without any aim whatsoever....I really like the behaviour of the Siamese algae eaters(if you happen to get the real ones) They had a few in the shop and they were hilarious. I almost bought the two they had left...They'd do a good job of the BBA too....But are they the right tank mates?...I don't know...I am not a fan of schooling fish that just swim back and forth aimlessly and always get drawn to some odd and rather ugly fish

On another note, the bristlenose pleco is rediscovering his fins.... He was seen literally surfing the sides of the tank horizontally attached, no joke.

 

[alto]

Most rasboras display interesting behaviours - start with 18 - 25 individuals with a good mix of male & female
Barbs can also be fun tankmates with clowns - in the shop tank the young clowns would swim with the tiger barbs

If I hadn't laid my eyes on this little loach in the shop, he'd still be alive. He/she was so cute and full of life

or he might've leapt out of the shop tank too ... or gone home with someone else & leapt from their tank ...
of course none of this "logic" has stopped me moping about F

 

[sciencefiction]

Look at that loach so comfortably snugged in the driftwood....This morning one of them was in there but with his head sticking out instead of the tail

 

[sciencefiction]

I think the paprika baby plants have perked up a bit since planting. I was comparing the pictures from just after being planted and today and they look a lot greener to me I planted the seeds in a window sill pot and plants just don't do too well there because there's little light during winter. Other than that they are planted in the exact same soil with that difference that these are now soaking in water from the tank....

I had a look at the ones that are left on the window sill pot and they don't look as good as the ones in the tank....I think those below are really perking up in the warm, wet and bright conditions...

This paprika plant grows like a tree with quite a sturdy stalk...It's not particularly beautiful as a plant but it is capable of flowering all year round and the chillies it produces are not very hot, quite tasty.

Paprika just after being moved to the tank

A few days later in the tank.....It's not a camera trick. My camera is set to auto but the first picture is taken from a distance and I cropped it to show a better view. The second is close shot from today. Anyway....I hope the plant does well...I want to try some other useful plants to see how it goes..

 

[sciencefiction]

"No one can see me"

 

[sciencefiction]

I planted a bunch of crypts in small pots, around 8 altogether

And a pot with stem plants for a bit of colour..

These two I planted a couple of months ago when I moved the clown loaches from the 80l to the 130l plastic tub. They've produced some growth but its a very green colour, unusual for the crypt. You can see the old growth is dark red. I think its the lack of light I had over there for the most part. The point is, they do well in low light and seemingly don't mind the pot although they do grow very long roots...I had to curl them like spaghetti inside the pots.

 

[sciencefiction]

The buggers have been messing up with my pots. They knocked two already...

 

[sciencefiction]

I am compensating for all the months I didn't feel like posting, ha, ha.

The excitement will wear off, plus I happen to be off so paying a lot of attention to the fish and tank.....for a change...

Anyway, couple of updates. The baby clown loach is doing well on his own. He's eating and looks healthy. I don't know whether I want to up the school of clown loaches to more than the 8 in total than I have now because one they these fish will be big. So perhaps that the limit unless I go really huge on a tank...And what do I want as companions....I just want something different and interesting....

On a negative note, I saw a couple of the adult loaches flash. I think its to do with water quality now that they are again in an immature enough tank, although I moved very established filters, their sand that was in the plastic tub, and all the plants. I hope its nothing to worry about. Time will tell...I am keeping an eye...I did a large water change and also overdosed on prime. The water should get better in no time.. Their immune system must be stressed after months in plastic tubs and an overstocked tank previously...Tough fish and I hope they stay that way....

Yesterday I noticed them exhibit "shadowing" behaviour....That's when a small loach gets firmly attached to a larger one with its nose stuck just behind the eye of the other one. It really annoys the clown loach that's been pestered like that. Here is a video of it...though not very clear it becomes visible at some stage...Pay attention to the large loach.... Why clown loaches do that is not really known for sure...




I am probably paying too much attention and noticing tiny boring details but the plants seem to be doing fine with the amount of light they get right now. I keep the blinds open during the day and the emersed plants get both some tank light and natural light.

Here are some pics:

First from the anubias flower....Its a bad picture because its distorted from the filter flow but gives the idea....

The paprika has two new tiny leaves already....so cute.. Those on the window sill are being left behind...

New growth on the palm who suffered quite a setback for a while. It grew above the tank light in the other tank and it started getting leaf die off. Its perking up now. It's still just getting window light but I plan to increase the light for the emersed plants in due time...

And one of the lilies which also needs recovering....I've got to get them flowering again...

I also put some crypts in the baskets around the roots of the emersed plants when I set up the tank because I didn't want them floating around the tank and didn't have anywhere to plant them at the time. I am noticing them growing new leaves...

 

[sciencefiction]

I was taking pictures of the kuhli loaches as I hadn't in a long long time. They live in a small tank now, the lot 5(if all are still alive) under a coconut cave. I used to have 8 of them but 100% of their tank poured on the floor. This was a proper accident with a kettle falling and cracking the glass. I actually found one of the missing 3 months later all dried up...

Anyway, I was just about snapping shots when I see this orange face on the camera

Then he charges for the pellet...

Loach competition..

A bit short of room....how to I get there

Them cables are always in the way... but I am so cute

 

[Manisha]

The buggers have been messing up with my pots. They knocked two already...

 

[sciencefiction]

I've been looking at 6 Denison barbs/rose line sharks in the shop for the last couple of weeks now. They are in the same tank as the small clown loaches they sell.

Does anyone have any experience with them? What are they like, except for quite expensive? They look like a bunch of actively schooling fish and perhaps could be good dithers for clown loaches?...I am not sure they are worth the price though... In a tank like mine I don't care about the looks much but just something interesting to watch which is also suitable as tank mates for clown loaches.. I read they come from the same side of the world as the clowns..

 

[sciencefiction]

Well, I got a new external. I went to the local shop to have a look at the denison barbs again and came back with a filter instead.

They had the JBL crystalprofi e1901 on sale so I got it Lets hope its good enough. I am mostly interested in the low energy consumption and also supporting the local business

 

[sciencefiction]

The filter is set up and going. Yey The lot theoretically will turn over 6000l/h which I think is plenty for now.
I set up the new filter with the spraybar in vertical position. I read that round tanks need a horizontal and vertical flow to achieve best flow pattern.

The filter is nice but just ok-ish considering the price difference with my APS-s. I am not majorly impressed but I like its simplicity and lack of fancy parts that can break. It's almost as similar as my APS's lol, but not as ugly....I am not sure it was worth the investment

And I forgot how much I hate their inlets and outlets. I used them for my Eheim filter once. They just didn't last and cracked up from the pressure of the Eheim. I've never seen inlets and outlets crack apart from the JBL ones. I also had the JBL hoses and the 16-22 size was very soft and was easily bent. The 1901 JBL filter uses the bigger hose size and they feel sturdier at least.....

I bought it on a whim after thinking to buy the FX6 all along....But I read that in a tank with sand, due to the pump being at the bottom, the FX6 tends to fail due to sand bits getting into the pump...So a no no for a sand lover...

Now I have a spare Eheim filter I wonder if 1250l/h is too much for a 50l or 80l tank And stupid me bought the nice grey Eheim inlet/outlet set and now I am not going to use it

 

[sciencefiction]

When in the shop, I also wanted to get a couple of baby clowns for my lonely one. There was one super skinny one dying in there, won't last a few hours I reckon and others on the way of getting skinny. The actual person that looks after the shop(the owner) wasn't there for the last few weeks and his brother was covering for him. He's got no clue whatsoever...poor man...But the owner is back now so hopefully it will get better.

So I was afraid to get more clown loaches and the Denison barbs are in the same tank too, although they still look healthy....There were a few quite healthy looking clown loach babies, full belly and grown a bit since I saw them the last time but my clown looks way healthier than them having spent his time away

So no new fish....such a pity....I am so scared of fish diseases, it stops me from buying fish It's probably a good thing. I might set up a plastic tub for quarantine in the following weeks. I can't decide whether I want to pro-actively de-worm the fish or just quarantine and wait...All I want is 6-7 large enough interesting schooling fish, that are not timid and can do well with clown loaches.

Also, I saw rainbow fish in one of the tanks. They were so cute, they were following my finger. Their colours were quite washed out. What do you guys think of them as clown loach tank mates? I am guessing they will colour up in better conditions? They were in a tank of their own with plants and I know they don't have their tanks connected on one filtration.

 

[sciencefiction]

I forgot to add earlier in regards to the JBL filter. The media it came with is mostly sponges and I've incorporated the same on my older filters after trial and error over the years..

It's the best media ever in my opinion if one cares for clear water and bio-capability at the same time. The importance is to put coarse and medium sponges only, nothing fine. They never ever obstruct the flow months after not being cleaned and they keep the water visually cleaner than any other fancy media too... I normally have just one layer of ceramics of some sort and that's exactly what this filter comes with...Several layers of sponges with one layer of ceramics.....It's like they read my mind

It just saved me some time of cutting sponges to fit the baskets, that's all...