The Living Aquarium

[hypnogogia]

After much deliberation I've decided to write a journal. Unlike many, I'm not starting at the beginning, but 5 years into the life of this aquarium.

Why 'The Living Aquarium'?​

Two reasons: One of my favourite aquarium books is called 'The Living Aquarium'. It was given to me as a Christmas present as a child when I had a small, 60 cm tank. From it I gained inspiration to save up for a 120cm from my paper round and Saturday job. It's a great book that gave me ideas for fish and plants. Secondly, my aquarium has now been going for 5 years and has gone through many changes. Not only does it contain life forms, but it's alive and evolves with time. I think I'm now at a point where I'm truly beginning to be happy with with it. Here's a full tank shot from about 3 weeks ago.

Tank and Equipment​

Juwel Vision 260
Oase Biomater thermo 600 filter
Maxspect Gyre XF330, runs during the day only. Switched off at night for shrimp to clean off.
Juwel Helialux lighting (original version), plus Interpret HO LED light
Photoperiod: 10:30 - 20:30
CO2, about 20ppm
Fertilisation DIY all in one, daily. EI.
Weekly 50-60% water change with rain water when available, otherwise RO.

Critters​

2 Clown loaches, have been in since the start and survived the' great daughter made purge' (GDMP) see later.
8 Kuhi loaches
25 purple emperor Tetra
10 cherry barbs
4 laser Cory
1 Orange bristlenose
1 Otto (another survivor of the GDMP)
Cherry shrimp
5 Amanos

Plants​

Sagittaria Subulata
Nymphoides Taiwan
Limnophila sessiflora
Limnophila hippuridoides
H. Pinnatifada
Bucephalandra 'Kedagang'
Microsorum pteropus Trident
Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Bucephalandra Theia Green
Taxiphyllum Barbieri
Pogostemon Erectus
Hydrocotyle tripartita Japan
Staurogyne Repens
Cyperus helferi
Pogostemon Helferi

Echinodorus Ozelot Leopard Green
Cryptocoryne Spiralis Red
Tiger Lotus, Red and Green
Crypt "Rosen Maiden "Nurii"
Crypt Wendii Green
Crypt Undulatus red
Limnobium laevigatum

The first list of plants are all relatively new after my latest changes and have replaced 3 large E. Bleheri, and an E. Red Diamond. I decided to take out the Amazon Swords as the tank was pretty samy, same shades of green and a bit dull, and the Bleheri constantly had holes in it form the bristlenose. I now have variation and am loving that. It was also my first venture into epiphytes, which seem to be doing well.

​

Original set up​

The original set up came with two T5 bulbs and the Juwel internal bioflow filter. It was a. good filter but was ugly and took space. I also wanted more light, hence the change. I changed the lighting first, within about the first 5 months. The filter was changed about 3 years in.

​

The great daughter made purge​

In March '21, my then 6 year old daughter decided to be helpful one weekend when I was away by feeding the fish. She tipped almost 2 tubs of food into the tank. By the time I came home the damage was done. Most of the fish wiped out, including my much loved Avatar Red Tailed Shark. The little cherry shrimp bodies - about 100 - were all over the place. It was very sad. All in ask I estimate that I lost 90% of my stock and many plants melted because of the ammonia. But, I started again. Near total water changes every day for about 2 weeks and slowly the tank started reviving, But it took a long time. Whilst there ed Tailed Black shark was my favourite, I do not miss him. He was too lively for the tank and the other inmates seem much happier and at peace now. I'm pleased that of my original fish stock, the clown loaches, some purple emperor tetras and 1 Oto survived. I was surprised to find hm about 4 weeks ago happily grazing away. I now see him regularly.

Current​

Ever since the purge, I had struggled to re-establoish a colony of cherry shrimp. This sparked the latest change, introducing a large piece of carbo wood with ephipytes and moss and thus creating more hiding places them. They seem to be doing well, but I have yet to see babies. I'm also paying much more attention to water conditions now. I make sure that Gh is about 6 and Kh is 1 and this seems to suit the cherries much better. My TDS is about 250. I'd like to bring the down, so that is the next focus for me. As of today, it looks like this:

The L. Sessiflora has grown well and needs a trim. However sitting in bed after some surgery, that job will need to wait. I did manage a water change before I went in, so that should be good until next weekend. The H. Pinnatifada is also developing nicely. it's beginning to pup up behind from the root behind the Tiger Lotus/. The L. hippuridoides is also beginning to grow, although more slowly than I had anticipated. Never mind slower growth = less trimming.

That's it, up to date. I'll add pics as it now develops and grows in. No doubt I'll have questions and always welcome advice.

What I’ve learnt (a non exhaustive list)​

• Keep fish food away from little hands
• Water change, water change, water change
• High flow. I ran an aquarium back in 1996--2000. I had the overhead Tunze filtration system, CO2 and a Giesemann metal halide light (140W) on a 150L tank. It was the first time that plants grew properly for me. The term high tech didn't exist then, but that's what I was running. The flow from the filter was immense and that, together with good quality lighting and CO2 made for great plant growth. If EI existed, I hadn't come across it, so I just used a standard weekly fertiliser.
• Stability - keep the conditions stable, in all ways. Lighting, flow/flitration, CO2 and especially water parameters. I used to mix Welsh Tap water with rain and had excellent water. Where I live now the Tap TDS is 680, Kh of about 18. I now use exclusively rain or RO and remineralise it to 6Gh and 1Kh. In my experience the less a tank is interfered with, the better.
• Filtration - I used to think having fancy filter media was important to good filtration. I had no idea that plants are your best filters. So, I had coarse filter, carbon, fine filter, and fleece. At other times I used special chemical stuff to reduce what I thought was excessive phosphate and nitrate. It wasn't until joining here and reading that I learnt that all I needed was good flow through a media that will support the bacteria. the test is done by plants.
• Fertilisation doesn't cause algae. When I first started as a child, I had terrible algae and no plant growth. That's because I used water that came though a water softener (My poor fish ) and had the wrong light. . Then I had great plant growth with the Welsh Tap and rain tank with high light and flow, and little to no algae. The one real algae problem I had with the current set up was BBA, until I got the flow right.
• Ions are Ions - use dry salts to mix your own, your plants and fish don't care if it's a fancy big name manufacturer or not. You know what's going in and how much and you save £££. I now costs me about £10 a year. Using a not too expensive ready mixed AIO, would probably cost me about £100 per year.
• Don't use a bow front tank. I bought bow front as we were limited on space and I wanted higher volume and this fit the bill. It distorts the view. I'd also get a shallower tank next time.
• Water testing has its limits. I used to test regularly. I started using JBL strips, and when they told me that my nitrates were 40ppm I thought them too high. I fought a loosing battle to reduce them. My plants were doing really well, but I thought it would be bad for fish. I became suspicious when, after an 80% water change, I still have a reading of 40ppm. I then bought JBL liquids to test. I did a dip test and a liquid test. The dip test gave a reading of 40ppm and then liquid of 20ppm. At that point I gave up. All I test for now is Gh and Kh and TDS of my water change water.

 

[John q]

I've no doubt you've spent many painstaking hours arranging and positioning the plants in this tank so please don't take offence when I say I love the almost unruly, wild and natural vibe that you've created in this tank.

 

[hypnogogia]

I've no doubt you've spent many painstaking hours arranging and positioning the plants in this tank so please don't take offence when I say I love the almost unruly, wild and natural vibe that you've created in this tank.

Lol. Thank you. It was a bit of both, some consideration of positioning and then finding an empty space and popping something in. I figure in nature no one arranges plants and I don’t have the skills of some of the scapers here for that immaculately groomed look.

 

[hypnogogia]

The current layout is about 3 weeks old now. I’d moved quite a few C. Wendtii green from the right side of the tank to join a group on the left. I’d never seen Cryptocoryne melt before, but I can now. Many leaves are just thinning out, getting holes and disintegrating. I’m in almost every day cutting away some molten leaves. Hopefully they will revive and grow as beautifully as they did before the move.

I‘d also ordered 5 laser Cories from TropCo. They didn’t send them the first week because of the cold weather. Then they sent them the following week (despite us having -7 overnight). Anyway they arrived and I drip acclimatised them over several hours,. Yet, despite the care, 3 of them died, which was sad. Cories are such jolly little fish. I spoke to TropCo and had to submit water test results. They’ve now agreed to send some replacements. They put it down to pH difference (they are at 7.2 and I’m at 6.3)). I’m not sure I buy into that because of the slow drip acclimatisation I carried out. Anyway, I hope the new ones, due next week, settle in more successfully.

 

[MichaelJ]

They put it down to pH difference (they are at 7.2 and I’m at 6.3)).I’m not sure I buy into that because of the slow drip acclimatisation I carried out

I agree. If you drip acclimated over several or even just one hour, that wouldn't be it. Sounds more like thermal shock to me likely during transportation. TDS shock could also be a factor but Cories are pretty resilient to that unless its massive.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[hypnogogia]

I agree. If you drip acclimated over several or even just one hour, that wouldn't be it. Sounds more like thermal shock to me likely during transportation. TDS shock could also be a factor but Cories are pretty resilient to that unless its massive.

Cheers,
Michael

I measured TDS of 486 in the transportation bag. My tank water is about 250, so quite a difference. How do I deal with that when they send out the replacement fish? Take even longer for the drip acclimatisation?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I measured TDS of 486 in the transportation bag. My tank water is about 250, so quite a difference. How do I deal with that when they send out the replacement fish? Take even longer for the drip acclimatisation?

I wouldn't drop acclimatise Corydoras spp. at all. They are very prone to self-poisoning, so I would want to get them into clean water as soon as possible.

Cheers Darrel

 

[MichaelJ]

I wouldn't drop acclimatise Corydoras spp. at all. They are very prone to self-poisoning, so I would want to get them into clean water as soon as possible.

Darrel, I literally didn't know that about Cory's - but the Cory's I have had in the past was introduced pretty fast after transportation from the LFS. What would that poison be? - NH3?

Cheers,
Michael

 

[MichaelJ]

I measured TDS of 486 in the transportation bag. My tank water is about 250, so quite a difference. How do I deal with that when they send out the replacement fish? Take even longer for the drip acclimatisation?

Personally, I would drip acclimate when you have such a large difference. The question of course, is how long to do it - if the difference is small, I probably would just let the bag float and reach tank temperature, transfer the fish to a net and put them in the tank... One worry about drip acclimation is if your tanks pH is significantly higher than the transportation bag and had ammonia build up in the bag - that could cause problems as toxicity (amount of free ammonia) is mostly a function of pH - more toxic at higher pH. So theoretically the drip acclimation container would gradually get more and more poisonous as the pH increases. However, given the dilution factor I do not think that would be an issue… but I also do not know quite frankly.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[John q]

What would that poison be?

It's believed the mucus corydoras secrete when stressed are made up of various proteins.
Presumably this is a defensive mechanism aimed at deterring attacks by predators.

Unfortunately if the fish get stressed enough in the transport bag there is a chance they can release said toxin and self poison.

There's been a bit of research done on the "venom" corydoras produce if anyone wants further reading.

Analysis of Venom Proteins in Corydoras Catfish - SICB

Meeting Abstract P3-57 Saturday, Jan. 6 15:30 – 17:30 Analysis of Venom Proteins in Corydoras Catfish HE, JY*; WICTOR, EP; THOMAS, EO; Univ. of the Pacific; Univ. of the Pacific; Univ. of the Pacific j_he6@u.pacific.edu http://pacific.edu/biology In the tropical fish pet trade, transportation...

sicb.org

 

[MichaelJ]

It's believed the mucus corydoras secrete when stressed are made up of various proteins.
Presumably this is a defensive mechanism aimed at deterring attacks by predators.

Unfortunately if the fish get stressed enough in the transport bag there is a chance they can release said toxin and self poison.

Brilliant! I didn’t had an inkling about this - thanks for the insights John!

Cheers,
Michael

 

[hypnogogia]

One worry about drip acclimation is if your tanks pH is significantly higher than the transportation bag and had ammonia build up in the bag - that could cause problems as toxicity (amount of free ammonia) is mostly a function of pH

In my case it’s the other way around. I’m at 6.3 and the dish had been kept at 7.2, so that should be a problem.
The self poisoning may well be an issue as they had been transported by courrier overnight, so pretty stressful for them and all 5 were in one bag.
Now I literally don’t know what to do. I may call them on Monday and ask for my money back rather than risk going through the same thing again.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

What would that poison be?

What @John q says, it is a fluid they <"produce themselves"> when they feel threatened. If you buy them from a hobbiest etc. they'll normally chased them around the tank for a while before they net them. I assume this means the toxin is released into the tank water (and quickly diluted), rather than being released into the transport bag.

One worry about drip acclimation is if your tanks pH is significantly higher than the transportation bag and had ammonia build up in the bag - that could cause problems as toxicity (amount of free ammonia) is mostly a function of pH - more toxic at higher pH. So theoretically the drip acclimation container would gradually get more and more poisonous as the pH increases.

That is the other issue. I must admit I like to get the fish into clean water as rapidly as possible, with them ideally swimming out of the bag under their own steam.

cheers Darrel

 

[mort]

The wholesalers used to catch the cories and leave them in a tub of water for a little while before then bagging them up in fresh water before sending. I'm not sure how much this helped but it was evident that you could see a cloudy substance in the water. They went through this process even though they knew we were only an hour from the shop.
I know different species are believed to have different potential to "poison" themselves and sterbai are the most commonly discussed species when it comes to this, perhaps because they are so commonly traded.

I also remember the cries of a guy who got stabbed by the dorsal spine of a cory and their description of how painful it can actually be (although not common unless you are messing with them).

This link might be interesting to some

https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/corydoras-s3/img/upload/files/Corydoras%20toxins%20SICB%20Poster%20(Final).pdf

 

[Conort2]

The self poisoning may well be an issue as they had been transported by courrier overnight, so pretty stressful for them and all 5 were in one bag.
Now I literally don’t know what to do. I may call them on Monday and ask for my money back rather than risk going through the same thing again.

Get your money back and use another seller. These should be individually bagged due to the poisoning issues noted, The seller should know this.

 

[Conort2]

The wholesalers used to catch the cories and leave them in a tub of water for a little while before then bagging them up in fresh water before sending. I'm not sure how much this helped but it was evident that you could see a cloudy substance in the water. They went through this process even though they knew we were only an hour from the shop.

I’ve heard of quite a few suppliers doing this. I know they definitely do this when the fish are coming from South America due to the large numbers of fish involved and the long journey.

I’ve personally never had issues with corydoras poisoning but it definitely happens.

Another reason why these fish should be individually bagged when shipped overnight is you can have a fish die in the bag (you shouldn’t but it can happen) regardless of poison. Once this happens the water in the bag will quickly pollute killing all the other fish.

If fish are packed well and healthy an overnight journey shouldn’t phase them too much. I received some fish on Friday that had been shipped overnight, within an hour of being out of the bag they were feeding.

Cheers

 

[hypnogogia]

No updates for a while, so here goes, bit of a stream of consciousness as it comes to mind...

Unfortunately none of the laser cories survived. All of my other fish have been fine with no losses for a while and water conditions are good. I contacted the retailer and received a full refund from them.

Other than that, it's been pretty uneventful. Plants are growing in nicely and stems need trimming weekly, although there is bit of algae on the lower leaves of the L. Hipporidoides, and some holes on the older leaves of the Hydrocotyle on the right. Have therefore upped my ferts a little this week to see if that improves things.
My two Buces are growing nicely - I wish I'd had some sooner, they are great plants. So good, in fact, that I might put some more wood on with more on the right hand side where the E. Ozelot Leopard Green currently grows. I reckon I can get some nice height with a decent piece of wood with lots of epiphytes.



I'm currently doing water changes with 100% rain water as it's so abundant and have started remineralising with DIY. This has helped me to bring down the TDS in comparison to off the shelf (and expensive remineralisers). GH is currently 5.5 and KH is 1.5 and the shrimps are liking this. I'd bought some red cherries from Sims tropical a while ago. The shipment came with adult red ones and a few babies which must have been caught inn the net. Recently I noticed that there must have been some baby orange ones in there as I now have a few adult orange ones. My concern is that I'll end up with a colony of brown ones once they start breeding with the reds., but they are too quick for me to catch and re-home. Any advice?

I also added a GLA CO2 reactor this week. Took a bit of tweaking to get it to work without excessive gurgling noises, but now it works a treat. CO2 drops nicely and no more bubbles in the filter form when I had the diffuser on the suction side to avoid bubbles in the water. I'm pretty happy with it.

My favourite time is in the afternoon when I turn off all pumps and feed the fish. Watching them all grazing on the food is lovely. Makes it all worth while. The accasional slice of cucumber which is demolished within hours by the Amanos, Ancistrus and Clown Loaches.

 

[hypnogogia]

I’ve noticed recently that some of my broad leaved plants (other than the Echinodorus Ozelot Leopard Green) have holes in them. I wasn’t sure if it’s caused by a peckish Ancistrus or lack of nutrients. So I’ve done two things;

• Increased the frequency with which I’m feeding cucumber and other fresh stuff like peppers
• Stopped dosing my ferts as an AIO and gone back to macro and micro doses. Whilst not knowing if it is nutrient related I had noticed that plant growth was generally less abundant since I’d started mixing my ferts as an AIO (out of convenience). Let’s see if this makes a difference.

 

[hypnogogia]

Long time since I've updated this thread. I noticed some BBA developing about 4 weeks ago and have no idea why, as conditions in the tank have been very stable, so was surprised to see this all of a sudden. This week, when doing a water change I noticed that the filter was running really slowly, so carried out a big filter clean, and flow is back to normal. So, wondering if the reduced flow has caused the BBA. Will monitor this over the next few weeks

Two big (60%) water changes (rain water) this week remineralised to 4.5 dGH and 0.5 KH. Tank TDS is 144. Fertilisers targeted to:
N03 - 25
P04 - 3
K - 15
Fe - 0.5.

I posted her (Something’s wrong with my clown loach) in January about my emaciated Clown Loach. I treated him with Esha NDX. Can't really tell if it's helped. He's not lost more weight, but also doesn't seem to be getting any fatter. Here he is below:

And here's a FTS

And some of the Gold Laser Cories:

 

[hypnogogia]

I did my usual maintenance routine this weekend, trimming were necessary, algae removal and 60% water change using rain water which I DIY remineralise to 0.5dKH and 4.5 dGH. My ferts are as in post The Living Aquarium. As you might be able to see from the photos in that post, there is some yellowing of the Java Fern leaves. More detailed photo below. To me it looks like nitrogen deficiency as it's on the old leaves, but what I'm confused by is that none of the other plants or indeed leaves on other java ferns in the area are showing any defficiency.

My flow is generated by an Oase Biomaster 600 as well as a Maxspect Gyre set to 10% (900lph) and I can see gentle swaying of plants in the tank. Any ideas anyone?