Bleu Betta Busts Out

Bleu Betta obviously doesn't want to spend any more time in his box. So out he comes, once or twice a day. Eventually I find him hunkering beside the box, desperate to get back in (at least that's my anthropomorphic interpretation), and I scoop him up in the net and put him safely in his house.

Meanwhile, parts of the tank are starting to look genuinely jungle-y. I'm thrilled!

I Rhett Up

I don't know how "rhett" is spelled. I never even heard the term until I married Shawn. His mom says it regularly. Rett? Wret? I dunno. Either way, I cleaned the kitchen thoroughly, and slid the hospital tank into an inconspicuous corner.

What's Different Here?

More like, what's quieter here?

PS: I know readers will be tired of looking at my lamp. Sorry.

Wisteria Progress

See it growing?

The original:

PS: I just got off the phone with poison control. Ben drank ich medicine. They said he should survive.

Hospital Tank

Here's the hospital tank, all set up for the patient. It's a five-gallon and it's been sitting in the backyard next to the barn for a week. I've been meaning to bring it in for this very purpose. Today forced my hand and I ran out into the rain to get it. I put in the tiny Tetra Whisper In-Tank Filter which I bought specifically for this purpose. It makes a pretty pitiful little waterfall but I did read that's what a sick fish prefers. I put in the small submersible heater, as I mentioned previously. The heater I purchased today is just a little long for the h-tank, but after the storm is gone I may consider it. The ich medicine may do the work for me. This ich stuff is still pretty new to me. I'm not even 100% certain it's ich, but not sure what else it would possibly be - white spots on a fish's tail.

I also received a second package: my Flourish Excel. For plant growth. It's liquid carbon for the plants. Everybody on the fish boards goes nuts for it. One cap full per day after the initial dose, at least for the 55.

The baby loach has been lying in the cup of gravel I brought from the 10-gallon. I wanted to get some bacteria in there. I also used a piece of filter media from the 55-gallon which is now in the 6.6 helping to populate the tank. Took some scissors and sliced off a corner and stuck it in the Whisper filter.

He seems lonely and sad. He'll be a lot sadder if he's dead, so he'll stay put and be treated. I have to research the length of time he needs to spend in the h-tank. I also have to figure out if I really do have replace filter media after an ich outbreak. I'm reading conflicting things.

Frankenf*ck! Ich!

Of all things to wake up to this morning, I didn't expect it to be ich.

F&%$! I am NOT able to handle this sh*t right now.

By the time I got home from the gym, it was raining pretty steadily. I busied myself with the last of the pre-storm preparations for power outages. It's going to suck. I'm so worried about keeping the temp of the tanks stable for the fish. I took a wee break and sat in my chair and watched them and realized one of the baby loaches had a few white spots on his tail. I thought I was hallucinating. Unfortunately, I wasn't.

To make a long, annoying story short, I ran outside into the rain to retrieve the hospital tank, spent considerable effort catching the little buggar, and got him into quarantine in the kitchen. I put the new, tiny filter in the h-tank, and a tiny heater that happened to arrive in the mail today. When I collected Ben after school, we went directly to Mom and Dad's in Warwood to get Ick Guard.

I've been wanting to go to that store to check it out anyway. I was NOT impressed. Not only were several of her tanks infested with ich, but she also expressed confusion as to why I would want to raise the water temperature to treat the ich. I didn't bother to try to explain myself. I'm never going to buy a fish there after what I saw. It was atrocious. I got the ich meds and got a second heater, a more adjustable one, and got the hell out.

So tiny loach is being treated in the hospital tank, and I removed carbon and dosed the 55 as well. I am so distracted by the potential power outage, and I don't want to go raising the temp in the 55 until I see more ich. Moreover, I can't raise the temp up to 86 now if the power's going to go out. It'll just have to wait until Frankenstorm passes.

This sucks. I'm sure I have only myself to blame, somehow. The odd thing is that Bleu Betta doesn't have a spot on him. So where did this come from?

Meet Chunk

This is Chunk. He got his name yesterday when I found his poor tail had proved too tempting for the betta. Jerkface earned his nickname by taking a bite out of the guppy's tail.

I'm glad it wasn't Gorgeous George who suffered the chomp.

There's A Sh*t Storm Coming

This morning I saw one of the fry. I didn't look too closely, but I suspect the three that were hovering at the surface, out in the open, made a tasty breakfast for Jerkfase and the guppies. Oh well. 'Tis the circle of life and the sensible thing in a tank of only ten gallons.

I'm more worried about Frankenstorm. By all accounts, we're going to lose power. I have my battery-powered air-pumps. In reality, I should have one more. The big tank is going to need more than one pump. I may pick up one today. But, more importantly, I'm worried about temperature. It all depends on how long we're out of power. What I need is a few bottles that I can fill with hot water and submerge in the tank to keep the temperature at a reasonable level. If I get desperate I could pour hot water directly into the tank, but that seems drastic and risky. Big fluctuations are bad. I also need to find a heavy blanket to have on hand. I'm not sure how warm the living room fireplace will keep the tank, but it's one more thing in my arsenal.

At least it'll give me something to do in the dark.

Fry Guys!

The baby guppies were born today! As far as I know, they're still emerging. The mama, Peg, was troubled by her three suitors during her labor. They followed her so closely that she could barely move. I suspect they were waiting for a little fry guy to emerge so they could promptly devour it. The fry appeared throughout the course of the day, and disappeared as well. Below you can see one fry guy hiding at the base of the tupperware container which holds the bacteria-rich former substrate.

I was able to capture this little guy before he either migrated up to the wisteria or met his doom. I love my pig husband belching at 0:03. Real nice.


Meanwhile, Jerkface lurked. He probably ate well today.

Trying My Hand At Aquarium Photography

Bruce, the Black Skirt douche bag

Peterman, the Burmese Loach

My congo school

The cycling 6.6, still off the charts today in the NH3 category

Andy's guppy/Jerkface tank, not yet aquasacaped

Peg, the preggo guppy

Jerkface is gorgeous

Peg, just an hour away from her fry

55 gallon

My favorite guppy

Gorgeous George

The 55 looks pretty nice

Getting the white balance figure out is darn near impossible. That actinic bulb really screws me up.

All Cleared Up

Cycle cycle

I've decided that the hornwort is going to stay for the duration of the cycle. Then, it's toast. I already know it grows like a weed and it appears to be a messy sonnofabeast. I'm going to use it to help cycle the tank and then switch to something less...piney. It really is lovely, but I can't commit to pruning that mofo every dang day.

Jerkface

I'm surprised to say that Jerkface hasn't been much of a jerkface today. He seems to be leaving the guppies alone. For now.

Growth

Look how things have grown in 7 days, in terms of additions, and more importantly in terms of height. The wisteria that Wet Pet sold me has grown an inch. I can see the new growth has healthier looking leaves. It's very exciting.

And here's a photo from Sunday, which was seven, nay, six days ago. Other changes have included the addition of anubias and a crypt, more wisteria of a different variety, and ludwigia. I have yet to see how that's handling my tank.

Right now, for lack of anything better, I'm fertilizing with Tetra Flora Pride. I've read good things about it. I'm keeping a close eye on algae growth. As discussed Monday, I have this actinic bulb and this 10,000k bulb. I'm nervous about them but if the wisteria has grown (idiot-proof, remember), maybe I'm not all wrong. I do think my sword would appreciate some root tabs. And in the other tanks I need to get around to tying anubias and java ferns to items in the tank.

I'm getting tired. I've spent...a lot of money this week. $500? Easily. 

If I were really into this, I'd use a real camera instead of an iPhone. But I barely have time to sit and blog as it is. Right now my children are in a box. Don't get me wrong, they put themselves in there. But they are, indeed, boxed up.

Edit: Bleu Betta jumped out of his box. I'd better put him back in. He's being watched closely. He's gone back to the outside of his box to hide. I'll do him a favor.

6.6 Bookshelf Up and Cycling

Finally, after a week of being psyched up and thinking and planning and reading and reading and reading, the bookshelf tank came.

But before it did, I made one "last" trip to Petco. (Hah.) I picked up an extra, tiny filter in case Bleu Betta or Jerkface needs to go into my 5 gallon. I picked up a crypt and another wisteria, because I was afraid I didn't have quite enough greenery. (I can see, now, how people can be even more into their plants than their fish, though I'm not to that point.) Got a new algae scrubber after I accidentally ruined my old one, a tiny net because I lost my old one, and I found a great little contraption for Bleu Betta. He's ventured out from his heater/watersprite a few times when I've been watching, and I've seen Bruce get all up in his grill. I found him hiding in a java fern this morning. So this seems just about perfect.



It's a little mesh breeder box for guppies or platys. I'm not interested in baby guppies, other than seeing them for a day or two if they survive. But it's perfect for Bleu Betta. Okay, he doesn't get as much swimming room as I'd like, but he certainly gets more than he would if he were hiding behind the heater. Bruce can't get to him. Peterman can't poke him with his barbels. I even put Bleu Betta's watersprite sprig in there for him so he has cover and genuinely feels safe. I'd like for him to have more room, and he will, as soon as the 6.6 has cycled. I think it's a pretty great solution. An $8 solution.


Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

It finally had arrived. Now, where the damn heater I ordered is, I don't know. I haven't checked yet. I got busy doing what I do, which is dive in.


As you can see.














And here it is, filled. Ben and I went to the creek, which is all dried up, for some creek rocks. It's not really iwagumi; I don't have time for that malarky. But it's a different look. I can't tell if I miss the driftwood or not. Put in the hornwort - worried about the mess, sort of - a crypt, an anubias and two java ferns.

I also added ammonia. I don't even know how much I was supposed to add, and Ben was hungry and making a mess. So I went with a tablespoon-ish. When I tested, the NH3/NH4 was around 8ppm. High. I think we've got a cycle started. I seeded the filter with floss from the 55-gallon. Later on I decided I'd added too much ammonia. I did a half-gallon water change (net, not gross), after removing about a gallon and a half so the waterfall from the filter will get going with the oxygenation. I want this puppy cycled as fast as possible; I've got the plants, I've got the aeration (will throw in an airstone if necessary) and I've added the heater that does the knocking so I can keep it around 86. From what I have read, these things should really help.

Edit: I've had to take a rest, because I was exhausted. I'm now in my spot next to the 55, and I'm watching Bleu Betta in his mesh box. He seems much more relaxed. He even lay down on the bottom for a moment or two, not in a dead way, but in a restful betta way. He's not flaring any longer. The other fish, including one of the wee loaches, have come up to see him and inspect the box, but it appears I've found a temporary solution to Bleu Betta's stress. Now, to check on Jerkface before I pick up his owner at school.

Up In The Dark

Checked on Jerkface and Bleu Betta (perfect!) before bed. Bleu Betta is still hiding. Jerkface is doing the fish equivalent of stomping around the tank, posturing and picking fights.

An idea hit me...if Bleu Betta is timid and Jerkface is, well, a jerk, maybe it's time for a tank switcharoo. In a 55-gallon with Bruce, Jerkface might hold his own, while Bleu Betta might be intimidated by guppies if that's his nature. Hell, it's worth a shot.

More than likely, they're both jerk faces and someone will need to enter solitary. Or go back to Petco. There's only room for one in the bookshelf tank and cycle day is a long way away.

Clearing Up

3 hours later:

Jerkface has been chasing guppies and flaring at the wall.

Blue Betta's First Few Moments

Here he is, after entering the tank, in the first few moments.

Since I filmed this, he's been lurking in his upper left behind-the-heater-and-watersprite spot. He just ventured out for a moment and Bruce, the black skirt, did not approach. Peterman, the Burmese Loach, nudged him out of hiding and was angrily flared at, but Blue Betta did come out.

He really does need a better name.

The Sand Changover and New Betta Boys

Big changes happened today. Took some risks.

Despite feeling sicker as the day progressed, I couldn't deny the weather report. In less than 48 hours we will NOT have sand-rinsing weather, nor hose weather. So I had to get that substrate changed today or tomorrow. And since I have to do things *right this minute* once I get them in my head, I dragged Streppy and his shoeless brother to Petco. First I called around trying to find pool filter sand, but since it's October, I was SOL. It turned out that 20 pounds of aquarium sand - 90% rinsed already - was less than $20. Double that amount of pool sand would have been $8, but what am I going to do with the other 10 pounds after I fill two small tanks? It was really okay. I had coupons.

I got my sand. I got my test kit, which is something I've been putting off longer than I should. I got my plants for Andy's gup tank and for the bookshelf tank: 1 wisteria, 1 hornwort, 2 anubias, 2 or 3 java fern. That's a good place to start, considering the size of the wisteria I bought. It's a monster. And I am reading over and over that it's idiot-proof, so that's what I need.

I also replaced the dinky bulb in the 10-gallon. I got the tank from my friend Hollie, and it had just an incandescent. I got a 6,500k bright sun CFL (I hate those things...why don't we all just sign up for mercury poisoning now?). AND, I took a gander at the bookshelf aquarium they had up there ($49...I paid $36 online, on sale) and got an appropriate bulb for plants for that tank.

Then, I saw him.

 I shouldn't have. My bookshelf tank will take weeks to cycle. But he was so beautiful, and I was so afraid he would be sold or die or go to a rotten home. I'd decided, for the most part, that a betta was going into the 6.6. I had no intention of buying him today. This guy was everything I've ever wanted in a fish, though. He's a deltatail.

 And of course, as a bribe to get Andy to the pet store, I'd promised he could look at fish too. He was all set to come back Saturday for otos when he saw this guy.

Anyway, Bettas 1 & 2 came home on the condition that they do a good job of fitting in. That's going to be a big IF. This may result in a dead fish. Or two.

$125 and 5 tossed baby shoes later...

When I got home, I tossed the kids inside and went about rinsing the sand while the sun was still sort of high in the sky. Being expensive aquarium sand, it only took two rinses and was incredibly easy. Then I came in and gathered up half of the gravel into a tupperware container and left it on the bottom of the tank. (I forgot to get pantyhose for that purpose. Damn.) The change was very easy, because a 10-gallon isn't much work in terms of aquascaping. I gently put the sand in, and the guppies seemed to really enjoy themselves digging around in it. It wasn't terribly cloudy, and I dare say it cleared up way faster than I had anticipated.

I put that flower pot in there, but it's too big. It's too big to be a hidey hole and it's out-of-proportion to the rest of the tank. If I went with flower pots I'd need a smaller one. I intend, rather, to find a rock in the creek or something, or even look on eBay for more driftwood, which is more appropriate for the plants I purchased. I didn't buy anything that needs rooted.

 After less than an hour, it cleared somewhat. (You can't tell in this photo, but I'm not nuts.) I replaced the pot with a ceramic fish decoration, for the time being. I hate it too. I thought it might provide a hiding place, but the betta - Andy has named him Jerkface - is more interested in hiding in the hornwort and wisteria.

I tested the water and found the ammonia at .30ppm. I did a 40% water change. Jerkface explored the area behind the filter. He flared at the guppies angrily, but hasn't been aggressive.

Meanwhile, I was so distracted that I forgot entirely about the concept of a quarantine tank! Hey...obviously I've never had one before, or I wouldn't have lost my loaches last month when I was an IDIOT. And again, like an idiot, I acclimated Blue Betta to the 55-gallon and put him in. D'oh!

  

He immediately went to the bottom and hid behind this log. Slowly, slowly he crept out, remaining amidst the java fern. I went back and forth between tanks and kids and husband and dinner and water changes, and when I came back, he'd got to the tippy top left of the 55-gallon. He's been hiding behind the heater and under a hunk of watersprite. The Burmese Loach has sniffed at him. I feel just awful, like I've made a huge mistake and am torturing him. It occurs to me now that my black skirts will probably bully the hell out of him. I don't know how long he can hide under a patch of watersprite behind the heater, but I won't freak out yet. Bettas, and fish in general, are so individual. It may work out. I can only pray that he's not infested with something. My four baby loaches are, knock on wood, thriving and active. I can't believe I screwed up the quarantine thing already.

Meanwhile, Jerkface seems to be doing well enough. My hope is that they are both healthy enough to adjust and thrive.

Edit: Poor Blue Betta just came out from his spot. The biggest black skirt is staring angrily at him and swam right up to BB to stare him down. There was no nipping, but BB ducked back behind his watersprite and his heater. I'm concerned. If the black skirt is going to be a douche, I'm going to be up in arms. He's just staring...staring.

Also, let us not forget the "before" guppy tank:

I'm too sick to care. But I like this.

http://youtu.be/BbqiBzRpu7A

Plans for the Guppy Tank

Today Andy is home from school with strep throat. It's got me worried, not only for him, but for myself and Ben. We're bound to catch it. And a bout with strep throat is going to seriously hamper the fun I'm having with the tanks.

My bookshelf 6.6 gallon is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I've decided to do a fishless cycle. I think. It'll give me time to stock it with plants and get them settled. Plus, I still haven't decided how I'm going to stock it, although I think a few pygmy corys would be a great idea with a sand substrate. I need some disturbance (in the Force) to keep the toxic gas at bay.

Meanwhile, I'm itching to switch substrates in the guppy tank. The female is so pregnant that I expect she'll explode an any minute. So I have to decide if I want to disrupt things during this "delicate" time. I say it with quotes because guppies are breeding machines and I don't really want a bunch of fry growing into adults anyway. What will I do with them?

I don't want the female dying. Not that it's hard to find another female. Actually, I hate guppy females. I don't like the look of that gravid spot. It's gross. I'd be much happier with all males. Hmm.

Anyway, the plan at this point is to bag up the existing gravel and save it for obvious reasons in a bag in the corner. I'm going to put light-colored sand in there and upgrade the light. Then toss in a java fern or two and on anubias. And that's it. Maybe a few cherry shrimp. This is Andy's tank, anyway.

Andy doesn't want to leave the house today, so maybe it's all a moot point.

I sure do like this:

Edit: Oh God. I feel sick.

Last Post of the Night

The Wretched Guppy Tank

It's awful. Is my next project. It's really a quarantine tank, because Andy doesn't care all that much about his guppies, and they keep the tank cycled and ready for any new fish. But that doesn't mean it has to be so ugly.

And, as usual, if I devote my time to purtying up this one, I won't feel so drawn to bigger projects.

And yes, the female is very pregnant.

Ideas for the 6.6

Although I currently find myself enamored with my good old 55-gallon, with its new lighting and canister and my wee striped ones, I have other things on the horizon. For example, this.

It's a Petco exclusive. It's a wee little bowfront tank with a 24-inch footprint. Because of its footprint, a tiny tank becomes a workable tank. Of course, in terms of water chemistry and parameters it's a nightmare to maintain a tiny tank. One little oops is a huge oops when you've only got 6.6 gallons. But in terms of visuals, it's a dream. People on YouTube post videos of this tank and non-believers chime in about how it simply must be a 55 bowfront. But it's not. It's wee and it's all mine, for the sale price of $36 + free shipping. Hah!

I know it's going to go on the kitchen counter, on the side with the new cabinets. My useless toaster can haul ass because it's only toasting one side of the bread. That's just unacceptable. But I digress.

I have options with this tank. A surprising number of options. I fully intend to stock this tank with live plants. I'm not turning back now. So I have to start my decisions there. While I'm cycling the tank I can plant. Though I've been warned against sand by the Wet Pet guy, I may charge forward anyway, having always wanted a sand tank. (Corys!) In particular, if I stick with plants which grow on logs and rocks, I don't even have to worry about roots, though plenty of folks get their plants to grow in the sand. Anubias, java ferns, java moss. My other choice is to go with the fluorite/eco-complete plant-growing substrate I have in the big tank.

Just today I came across this idea.

A betta sorority! I never knew one could house females together with relatively few aggression problems. And it's a lovely tank in terms of planting. The idea of dwarf hair grass really grabs me too.

I could stock this tank a million different ways. My thoughts include my desire for a school of cardinals/neons. 8 neons, 3 dwarf corys, cherry shrimp. If I upgrade the filter, I have a little wiggle room. I've also considered glow lights (glo lights?), and microfish like the tiny rasboras. I don't think I'm into microfish, though. Ultimately I'm here more for the fish than for the aquascaping.

The Babies Are In!

The baby clowns have entered the tank. Quarantine is over. Four out of five survived to start their new life here in my care. It's funny how tiny they look next to the Burmese Loach - his name is Peterman, by the way. I've always considered him a runt, because he was half the size of the Yoyo Loach who succumbed to ich. He's a strong little guy, obviously. He's been active all morning, and as the clowns entered one-by-one, it riled him up even more. I don't know about inter-species activity between loaches. I guess we'll find out. Peterman really deserves another Burmese to pal around with. Three or four, actually. But, one fish at a time.

The babies are exploring and finding hidey holes, as loaches are wont to do. I've tweaked a few of the pieces of shale to allow for more caves where they can feel comfortable. I recall that it was several years before my clowns were regularly out and about, and Bug Eye never did feel very comfortable being exposed the way the others did. I look forward to seeing their personalities develop, and finding out who is the alpha loach.

Seeing that baby do the up-n-down-the-glass dance (all loaches do it, really) reminded me of my last video of my big guys.

Burmese Loach

He's pretty crappy at Hide and Go Seek.

Microbubbles

Ladies and gentlemen, we have microbubbles. And turbulence. Hence the microbubbles.

The fish seem to be congregating around them. I removed the airstone, which they never seemed to feel particularly strongly about either way. But they do like this particularly oxygenated new area. This morning I'm switching back to the output jet thing to see which they prefer. All of my tetras are river fish who appreciate some current.

I'm itching to get rid of this HOB filter and silence the noise. My choices are to 1) Run both for a month until BB builds up in the canister, 2) Take the media from the HOB and put it into the canister, or 3) Do both.

Taking chances in aquatics often results in disaster. I shall take option 3. Perhaps then I can ditch the HOB that much sooner.

Fish Wish List

I know, Dr. Seuss is rolling over in his grave.

Since the ich outbreak, my bioload has decreased significantly. I lost 15 fish. Over half the population of the tank. So, I've waited out the ich cycle and assured myself that the parasite is gone. (Please let it be gone.) The skirts and congos, and the brave little Burmese loach all survived. (I miss my yoyo.) And four tiny baby clown loaches are in the quarantine tank this week.

[The clowns will grow and will eventually need more space. I'm not crossing that bridge right now. Should I have gotten them, knowing they'll eventually outgrow their home? I dunno. They just make me happy. I could watch them for hours. It's been a rough year for me, and if watching clows snarf around the tank gives me some peace of mind, then dammit, in they go.]

Now that I've added a kickass canister filter that is made for 100g tanks, I have a little extra wiggle room. While I don't want to push the old, albeit flawed, 1-inch-of-fish-per-gallon rule, I think I have some freedom in my tank. The world is before me. And yet I have no idea what I want to get.

In the pre-ich tank, I had a school of Cardinals. Ten of them. I believe they actually were the carriers, although the carnival goldfish disaster may have played a role too. (I have neither the heart nor the stomach to regale the blogosphere with that story, ever. EVER.) (And nobody is reading this at all anyway.)

I'd very much like to recreate my Cardinal school. That flash of blue jazzes up the tank tremendously. And blue isn't as easy to come by as other colors. However, if I can get my hands on a new tank in the next six months, I'd gladly put a school of Cardinals in there, along with a blood parrot. (Imagine a wistful smiley face as I think of a blood parrot, because as a writer, I cannot condone the use of smileys.)

Cardinal Tetras
Blood Parrot Cichlid
German Rams for the fantasy dwarf cichlid tank
Rasboras, of any variety, simply because I have never owned a rasbora
Gold Barbs, because I adore their color and they were my first tropical fish, along with clowns
Cherry Barbs, because I adore their color; red also jazzes up a tank
Corys, because they're so damn cute
Otocinclus, because I've got a HO light and I think I'm going to need them
Angelfish, for my fantasy hex/half moon tall tank
Serpae Tetras...I had them before and they were colorful and fun
Green Spotted Puffer, because they are freaking awesome and have a terrible attitude. Just once, I want a fish with a crappy attitude. They're too high-maintenance, though. So this fish goes into the fantasy category.
Black Ghost Knife...I've had two and they are so personable. And hungry. Chomp. Not a good match for small tetras.
Bosemani Rainbow...this is probably a definite for my 55-gallon now, if I can find a purty one.
Betta...if I ever have an occasion to get one, I shall. Who doesn't love a betta?


 And now, the Absolutely Not/Never Again list:

Gouramis. Nasty buggars. My blue dwarves beat the living sh*t out of each other, eventually eating each other bite by bite. This goes for opaline gouramis too. They are, indeed, little Napoleons.
Plecos. As much as I love the word "plecostomus", I hate them. They are ugly as all get out, and they get huge. I hate sucker mouths. Blech.
Catfish. I could make an exception to this rule if I went with a semi-aggressive tank. Or if Uncle Phil will give me his 30-gallon. He has two growing cats in there that might be happy to live with me. The pleco has to go, though.


I could go on with this exercise for hours, but Ben is crushing my abdominal organs.

*Note to self regarding fish to research: Golden Dwarf Acara.

If This Tank's A-Knockin'

I know. I hate cliches. Especially in blog titles.

As I was composing the last entry, something in the tank began to knock.

Thought I haven't regaled the blogosphere with the story of the night our tank exploded, I will, eventually. But in the meantime, I was hearing a knocking from the tank and I've never heard a knocking from a tank. I checked for drips. No drips. I checked for...I dunno, elves? Tank gnomes? What the f*ck knocks in a fishtank? An extremely polite rasbora? A gourami demanding rent money?

I put my hand under the tank and felt the glass and to my dismay, what was actually just dirt felt like cracks in the glass. For a few seconds I prepared to vomit in terror and to be electrocuted as 55 gallons of water came down on my head and into the power strip under the tank. Then I realized there were no cracks and composed myself.

After a brief Google (I love a brief Google) it became apparent that it was the heater. Aqueon is the brand. Other people have reported knocking. It didn't knock until I moved it half an hour ago. Every time the light comes on, it knocks. So I unplugged it and plugged back in my old, ugly POS heater that has never let me down. Not sure where to go from here. I certainly don't want the Aqueon sending out shards all over the tank. Going to have to watch the temp for fluctuation.

EDITED at 9:30pm...the tank was down two degrees. That's not bad considering an entire heater has been removed. After all of the money I've spent lately, buying a heater is the last thing I'll complain about.

More Money, More Upgrades

This morning I went to Petco for *just one more* plant. I was looking for ludwigia.

Hah! "Just one more" is a phrase I'm finding out regularly nails aquarists to the wall. Especially with their significant others. Thankfully, Shawn neither cares nor pays attention.

First of all, they didn't pay any attention to me as I stood with Ben right next to the damn plant tank. I mean, it's Petco. I don't expect much, and I get even less. I finally a-hemed my way into some young girl's field of vision, and she put down her poor Bettas (in their tupperware) and came to help me.

Me: I'm looking for ludwigia.
Her: <Blank stare>
Me: Ludwigia.
Her: <Blank stare>
Me: I want a plant.

So she dug me out something that certainly wasn't ludwigia, and was probably three different plants mixed together. They were labeled Wisteria. I don't know enough about Wisteria varieties to know. We'll see.

Anyway, there it is. Whatever it is.































Of course, if you know me, you'll know I always have an ulterior motive. I wasn't going up there for "just one more" plant. I was going to get a canister filter. I could go on for a few paragraphs about how I've been thinking and researching and wanted to see what they had and compare and how I found a great deal and had to take it.

Not really. I went up there because I wanted a canister filter, and, being Me, I wanted it right now. My only option (this is so Me) was the Cascade 1000, for up to 100-gallon tanks. 225 gallons per hour, I believe.



















I've always had HOB (hang on back) filters for my tanks. The one I have is by Marineland. It's a Penguin, or something. It has done a fine job over the years. It's annoying, though, and it drips near the outlet when I mess with it. And it's covered in limescale. And it vibrates like a sonnofabitch. That's the biggest reason. Well, actually, the biggest reason is that I'm upgrading this here tank and I'm doing it right. I'm enjoying myself immensely. My credit card is most decidedly not.

The old HOB filter. Still plugging away, dirty and neglected, except for the filter media, which I do a good job of maintaining. Usually.

And here is the canister itself, ready for installation. Which, I might add, was confusing and took me 45 minutes, in between turning on The Little Engine That Could and trips to the fridge for "juice, Mommy" and thinking at least twice I was missing parts and packing it up to go back to the store and then realizing I did have the parts and unpacking it again feeling like an asshat.

And now, all set up, here's the outflow. It has two options; one is like a power head. It shoots water across the top of the tank quite forcefully, causing a real ruckus. (Or rutkus, as my husband calls it for some reason.) Option two is this pipe with holes in it that distributes the outflow along the length of the tank. I have left the fourth piece of pipe out since there isn't any room for it while the HOB filter stays.

I'm sorry to say the HOB filter will have to stay for at least two weeks while the bacteria build up in the new filter media. I hate waiting, but that seems par for the course with aquariums, and I've already lost so many fish. I'm not going to do something stupid and be a ninny with a cycling problem, which is Tanks 101 for Dummies.

Oh, and I have removed the airstone. The canister filter shoots out so much power and has such agitation capabilities that I hardly need it. I worry about the plants losing too much CO2 anyway.