sarah

I'm gonna acclimatize it to aquarium growth in my 20L as the sole floating plant. Also to get rid of pests (massive pea puffers in there. I have a bucket full of it (literally) in 3 color morphs. Once it starts propagating, if people are interested in purchasing I will put it up for sale.

I currently only use Lowkeys Amino Acid Vital Plus for a supplement.
 
Maybe we can help you in identifying the reasons of your unexplained deaths? I hate to tell you a certain food or supplement to attempt to solve your mystery when it fact it could be something totally unrelated.
 
 

I'm not sure exactly, but it's substantial. I would say the room gets up well into the mid 80s many days when we're out at work, and the tank never goes above 73. It's really working well! I frequently see the heater kick in just to keep it above 70.
 
I use this fan: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XN24GY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This cord: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TH7GUU/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And this plug: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0073FCPSK/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
I taped the base of the fan to the side of the open HOB and angled the fan down so it hits the top of the filter at a slight angle so it blows on the top of the filter basket and the water flowing out. Of course, there is a ton of evaporation.

If you use tl light don't use it (gives too much heat)
 
And open the tank surface so that heat can escape.. (heat goes above and cool air stays low)

They make special aquarium fans, but anything you can aim at the water surface should work. Kind of depends on if you have somewhere to stand or clip a fan.
The temp is not ideal, but I don't think it is too bad.
Try a larger block of ice, like a frozen water bottle. It should be slower to melt, altho I have not tried this myself.

Plan executed - results successful. I returned from 15 days away to a happy colony and acceptable water parameters.
 
2 IAL in the tank
2 nuggets of snowflake
Started TDS of 145, ended with 175 due to evaporation.
pH unchanged (thanks control soil)
Nitrates unchanged (thanks plants)
 
 

I've never seen that amount of growth before Sarah! 
 
The amano's i have kept only touched bba once it was dying and changing to that pinkish/red color.

You need a 2-3 day black out! You're shrimp and plants will be chill, but not the algae! Hehe. Maybe peroxide spot treat before! Good luck, that's some gnarly algae. o.O

This is exactly what I do. I keep a double sponge filter running in all my tanks, even those with HOB filters. This way if the power goes out, I can just plug the airline into a battery-powered pump. I got this one http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3693 but there are more expensive ones like this one http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8120 that will switch to battery automatically if the power goes out.
 

Just make sure you take a really close look at the whole population. If you see any in the tank that have green under their pleopods/swimmerets, don't buy any. My first cherry shrimps from my LFS had it, and I have never been able to eradicate it from that tank.

Just make sure you take a really close look at the whole population. If you see any in the tank that have green under their pleopods/swimmerets, don't buy any. My first cherry shrimps from my LFS had it, and I have never been able to eradicate it from that tank.

I spoke with a customer the other day who told me that she was taking a "hiatus" from the hobby for a while. After a series of losses and other distractions, she just wasn't enjoying the hobby like she used to. I mean, really burnt on the whole thing. Sad.
We've all been there if we've been involved in the hobby long enough: That time when, for whatever reason, you just fall into a malaise of sorts. What used to be compelling and enthralling elicits a little more than a casual nod now and again. As a lifelong aquarist, I understand. I'm not embarrassed to say that, every once in a while, my interest needs to be "recharged." What causes this? Familiarity? Lack of progress? Apathy? Not really sure.


What I am sure of is that this hobby is absolutely engrossing, endlessly fascinating, and can be lifelong. I know I'm a "lifer"- I've had fishes and aquariums in one form or another since I was literally 3 years old- and will until they pry my cold, lifeless body from my aquarium! It's important to enjoy the hobby- in multiple aspects. The key to keeping it so is to make it "fresh." Yeah, switching it up; trying stuff a bit differently than what we've done in the past. Not only is this "re-invigorating" it can spur your hobby into completely new, and even more engrossing directions- ones you may not have even thought of.

That being said, let's look at some ways to re-energize your hobby interest, should you find yourself in one of those aforementioned "ruts."


1) Re-aquascape your tank- Oh yeah- super easy. And sometimes, all it takes is a slight change of scenery, if you will, to re-invigorate your interest in your tank. Just like putting a fresh coat of paint in a room, there are few tanks that couldn't benefit from a little less rock,more plants, a new hardscape, a re-configuration, or something entirely different. 

 
2) Re-configure systems that create maintenance issues- Are you driven crazy every time you try to access a filter for routine maintenance? Is it next to impossible to dial down the ball valve on that reactor because the body of your protein skimmer gets in the way? Heater in an annoying location? Need another power strip in the stand? Stuff like this- access and "user friendliness" issues- can really put a damper on the enjoyment of your tank So, perhaps now is the time to re-configure and rework those pesky access issues once and for all!


3) Grab that new fish that you've been coveting, even if it means trading or giving away something else to make room- Yup, if you want that crazy new Aulonocara but just don't have the real estate for it, it may be time to donate or trade some fishes to another hobbyist, donate to the club raffle, or to a school that would appreciate them! Sometimes, the key to enjoying the hobby even more is to simply acquire that fish that you've been drooling over for the past year. And the trade-offs? Well, they're usually worth it..Trust me on that!

4) Help a fellow aquarist get his/her tank up and running- Remember the burst of excitement you felt when you set up your first tank? Experience it- if only vicariously- through another hobbyists just getting started! Take pleasure in his or her awe as they watch their first Pleco, attach their first Anubias to their woodwork, clean their canister filter for the first time (okay, well, maybe not!), or any number of a hundred little things that you take for granted, but are an endless source of wonder to the neophyte. It just might rekindle your love four the hobby more than ever! (even if the smell of used filter pads never did anything for you!)


5) Try something totally different- You've always thought it would be cool to create a tank devoted only to Shell-dwelling Lake Tanganyikan cichlids, wild Bettas, Amazon Leaf Fish, etc. Well, maybe now is the time to cut loose and try it. Or, if space and funds are an issue, perhaps you should consider a total "do-over" of an existing tank, re-booting it as one of these "pipe dream" projects. It could change your entire outlook on the hobby!


6) Give fish breeding a shot- Sure, why not? There is a reason why so many hobbyists are breeding fishes in their homes. Not only is it fun, challenging, and educational- it will reduce dependency on wild-collected fishes for the long-term good of the wild biotopes- and the hobby/industry. There are literally hundreds of fishes which have not been bred in captivity to any great extent that you can choose from to focus your breeding project on. And the secrets you unlock during your efforts will benefit hobbyists all over the world when you share them.

 7) Automate- Ok, I know I'm like the last guy you turn to for tech advice, but even I appreciate the simplicity and control that a well-thought-out automation system can provide. Imagine if some of your fish room  workload" was reduced? Think of the savings in time,effort, and cash that could result. There are many different controllers and aquarium automation systems out there- and as many ways to configure them as there are hobbyists! I recently installed a simple auto top system on one of my tanks, and it literally changed my life! I couldn't believe that it took me so long to try one! Don't be afraid like i was- unleash your inner "tech-head"-and there is a lot of support out there on the forums if you need it!


8) Share your experiences- really, it's almost therapeutic for me to get up every morning and throw down on the computer whatever happens to be on my mind about aquairum-keeping. Sure, some of my blogs are more interesting, insightful, and popular than others, yet they all provide me with some sort of psychological benefit- and many of you tell me that you enjoy reading them, too, so it's all good. Try it- it's a lot of fun, and if you're not careful, you might enjoy it!


9) Join (or start) a club- Wanna commiserate, share, and bounce ideas off of fellow fish geeks? What better way to do that than to join group of like-minded people who understand your obsession! No club in your area? Start one! You'll be surprised what kinds of amazing experiences and friendships can develop from clubs! One of my favorite things to do is talk in front of clubs, see the friendships and closeness..it's way cool!
 
10) Take a break- What? you're telling me to step away from the hobby? Yup. Sometimes, it's the best- or even the only way to rekindle that fire you once had. It's extreme, and the thought of a quiet house, with no worries about pH swings, feeding, water changes, or pruning plants may seem awesome for a while. If the fish-keeping obsession has bitten you hard- and I'll bet it has-you'll want back in way sooner than you expected. Those of us who are "lifers" just can't keep away. If you don't miss it, there is a very good chance that stamp collecting, Sudoku, role-playing games, or some other diversion is in your future-at least for a while!
 
Okay, so I've given you a few ways to get your fishkeeping "groove" back. I'm sure many of you out there can think of a few more. I'd like to hear them, as would your fellow hobbyists.

Remember, we can't always be stoked on every aspect of the hobby 100% of the time. Sometimes, we just get burnt on the whole thing. That's understandable. The important thing is that you don't lose sight of the whole love affair that you have with the whole world of aquairum-keeping, and that you at least make an effort to rekindle the flame that may have been flickering out within you.

Stay stoked. Stay engaged.

Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics

Will do - thanks!

Great question, Sarah. We have a lot of customers working with biotope systems for various regions/species of fishes, and we're working on a few ourselves...I'll be sure to get some people on it!
 
In the end, it depends how far you want to take the biotope concept. I am a big fan of creating representations of natural environments, as opposed to absolute recreations (meaning, every item must be the exact type of wood, leaf, seed pod, rock, etc found in a specific niche - yuck! No fun!). I think you can look at some of the many underwater pics by cinematographers like Ivan Mikolji, who has done films and photography from lots of Amazonian streams and such, which can give you a good idea of how these environments which the subject fishes come from, appear. That would be a good starting point, IMHO. Also, there are a surprisingly large number of scientific papers on line that address Amazonian and other environments, and the fishes which reside there...
 
Let me know if you have any more specific questions!
 
Scott

Can you recommend a way to determine what a realistic setup would look like for different fish varieties? For example, a community tank with cory catfish and tetras (black neon, rummynose, ember). When I google these species to try to determine their origins, I get a list of rivers in various South American countries. Where do I go from there?

See how my mystery snail bulldozes it's way on the feeding plate. 
 
 

That really stinks
Did you test the water they came in? How long did you drip acclimate them?
 
I hope the shrimp you already had in there don't start to show signs of disease. I would always quarantine new livestock before introducing to an existing colony.

It goes from 4ppm NH4 to 0 well within 24 hours? Then you should be done
Your nitrates are probably pretty high now, right? Just do a nice big water change, retest everything to be safe, and you should be good to go!
 
Also... If you're not planning to add livestock right away, make sure you keep feeding the bacteria or you'll lose them.

It goes from 4ppm NH4 to 0 well within 24 hours? Then you should be done
Your nitrates are probably pretty high now, right? Just do a nice big water change, retest everything to be safe, and you should be good to go!
 
Also... If you're not planning to add livestock right away, make sure you keep feeding the bacteria or you'll lose them.

Often times the quick/massive die-offs people eventually trace back to some sort of contamination that occurred via hands or air (vacuums, powders, sprays, insecticides, etc.)
 
Are the affected tanks the only ones that you accessed yesterday with your hands?
 
Amazing setups BTW, really love the moss structures.  I'm hopeful you can find a solution to the issue.  Welcome to TSS.  

These seem so cool, but I can't really justify the expense for a one-time feeding. You get so much more bang for your buck with other foods

These seem so cool, but I can't really justify the expense for a one-time feeding. You get so much more bang for your buck with other foods

I haven't had any problems with Repashy - Soilent Green, Super Green, Morning Wood, etc.  That's what I feed my Plecos and the 2 tanks that also have shrimp have increasingly large populations.  Obviously hasn't affected them at all; babies everywhere.

you can make your own pretty cheap. I posted directions a while back on FB.
 
bamboo skewers are like $1.99 for 100 @ Target, pick up a bottle of Soilent Green or Shrimp Suffle Repashy from Triton https://www.facebook.com/tritonfreshwateraquatics/
 
now you can make 100 of them for next to nothing ($.11 each) vs 10 pack for $16 ($1.60 each)
even if you pick up 2 bottles of Repashy, one of each flavor thats still like $.20 each.
 
 
 
 
 

WINNER IS -
#18 SVETILDA
 
Thanks everyone!