Hobby? Endeavor? Obsession? (was Re: Fishless Cycling)

[default]

Mandy wrote:
> Wow Steve! Thanks. That's great news.
>
> I have a plan all set for this weekend. Going to get a few more bags
> of substrate - I think I only really have two inches right now.
Going
> to buy little pots as Ozdude suggested - they cost .20 cents down the
> street - and flourite to put in them with my plants. AND if I'm not
> completely and utterly broke (quarterly taxes are upon us
freelancers)
> I will buy a quarantine tank to sit on my kitchen counter. Then I
can
> mess with that puppy and leave the other tank alone for a few days!


My weekend plan:
Fuss with the plants in the 55g.
Plant 4 new plants bought yesterday.
Purchase a 5lb C02 tank.
Set up C02 system with new gauges that just arrived.
Watch plants grow into a tarzanian jungle in 5 minutes.
Change some water and add ferts because they aren't a tarzanian jungle
after 6 minutes.
Feed the Borellii fry.
Watch 'em eat.
Clean up what they don't eat.
Sit with my face only inches away and analyze their every move.
Fuss with the newly set up 20g and ponder it's purpose
-fry grow out tank?
-shrimp tank?
-Angel tank?
-planted tetra tank?

Sigh, just thinking about the possibilities makes me feel good all
over. :>) I learned what I have is multiple tank syndrome (MTS).
It's a good thing! It lets one tank recover from my messing around
while my attention is on another.
Have fun with yours, it's been enjoyable reading your updates,

steve

[Mandy]

HAH you got you me beat!

Let's talk about fish...

So while I love the idea of having all Amazon fish, I cannot resist the
Furcata rainbow fish that were recently at my LFS. I have to pray
they're still there. About guppy size but with amazing long yellow
fins, soooo pretty and playful!

Two or four baby marbled angels (I realize I'll have to give up two of
them at some point but I'm hoping to get a pair)

Two or three (one male and two female) blue rams OR a pair of Kribs.

Four or five dwarf coridoras, color /pattern to be determined.
What do you think?

[John D. Goulden]

> I learned what I have is multiple tank syndrome (MTS).

Now that is funny - I think I have the same disease (two 10s, a 20, a 30,
and a newly acquired (and not yet set up) 55, not to mention the varying
number of bettas in betta tanks). Is there a cure?

--
John Goulden

[Mandy]

>> Is there a cure?

Ich?

[Nikki Casali]

John D. Goulden wrote:

>> I learned what I have is multiple tank syndrome (MTS).
>
>
> Now that is funny - I think I have the same disease (two 10s, a 20, a 30,
> and a newly acquired (and not yet set up) 55, not to mention the varying
> number of bettas in betta tanks). Is there a cure?
>

I do believe the correct diagnosis is called the "human condition". The
cure: a prefrontal lobotomy?

Nikki

[Mandy]

oooooh check it out!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4331713216

[default]

Mandy wrote:

> Let's talk about fish...
>
> Furcata rainbow fish that were recently at my LFS.
>
> Two or four baby marbled angels (I realize I'll have to give up two
of
> them at some point but I'm hoping to get a pair)
>
> Two or three (one male and two female) blue rams OR a pair of Kribs.
>
> Four or five dwarf coridoras, color /pattern to be determined.
> What do you think?


Okay, I can opine on some of those; I have always had success when
putting angels and small tetras in the same tank, as long as the angels
were small (nickle size) and they were put in after the neons. The
angels will grow much faster and more noticable than your rainbows, so
my only worry is the swimming ability of the rainbows. Neon tetras can
dart about very fast with agiliity. Like in the wild, predators don't
bother with healthy fast swimming fish, they tend to target slow moving
injured or sick fish. Will the rainbow's fluttery fancy fins trigger a
strike from the angels later on? Maybe we should ask Bill Dance or
Hank Parker. :>)

I"ve never kept Rams or Kribs. I chose the Borellii as my breeding fish
this time. The Borellii cichlids do the agressive cichlid thing when
they are mating and raising young. A pair spawned in my 55g, with the
26 neons and two angels. The cichlids did not harm any of those fish,
but they did agressively keep them away from the spawning cave. My
cichlids are bottom dwellers, the angels and neons stay up higher so I
think that helps too.

The corys are a great idea and a very active effective cleanup crew.
I've got 3 and they travel around like a little vaccuum squad on speed.
http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/corys1.jpg

If you do see some algea appearing, I suggest the ottcinclus (sp?).
Like I read elsewhere, a few of them don't make it past the first two
weeks, so by a couple more than you need. I bought nine and now have
six. Oh, which brings up a thought: If your Rams or Kribs breed,
you'll probably have to remove the corys to have any success with the
eggs. Hey, you can move the breeding pair to the kithchen tank with a
clump of java moss and start the brood there! Then, by the time you
have 40 small Ram/Kribs swimming around, you'll have saved enough money
for a 20g grow out tank! Oh, maybe get a 55 though... That way you can
raise the angle fry and Krib fry in the same huge tank!

enjoy,
steve

[Mandy]

HaH! you're good!

Have any pics of your borelli?

The furcatus rainbow fish are really quick - I even had some concern
that they might be too hyper for the angels but given your comments, I
think they'll be perfect.

I've had enormously bad luck with neons in the past and don't think I
want to try that again. Stupid head down shimmy thing that always
means they're dying... I get way too attached, which is why I'm afraid
of the ottos, as well. Got pix of your yours?

Off to the fish store today, soon as I walk my actor /landlord up the
press line of his premiere of Racing Stripes, which for some reason is
actually a morning premiere - I guess bc it's a kids film. If you have
kids and see this film, he's the horse racing trainer. The "after
party" is at the LA Zoo! Wonder if they have a cool aquarium there....
Thanks!

[Mandy]

Got a gander at the ottos today, now I really want some. SO cute! Do
you think coris and ottos are over kill? Do ottos need to be in
groups?

[Vicki PS]

"John D. Goulden" > wrote in message
...
> > I learned what I have is multiple tank syndrome (MTS).
>
> Now that is funny - I think I have the same disease (two 10s, a 20, a 30,
> and a newly acquired (and not yet set up) 55, not to mention the varying
> number of bettas in betta tanks). Is there a cure?

Nope! Four 15s, two 10s, five 5s and 5 smaller betta tanks. I'm running
out of rooms in the house to put tanks in, so I'm setting one up in at the
office. Gives me the perfect excuse to obsessively plan tanks and think
about fish at work.

Vicki PS

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Re: Hobby? Endeavor? Obsession? (was Re: Fishless Cycling)
>From: "John D. Goulden"
>Date: 1/7/2005 5:15 P.M. Central Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>> I learned what I have is multiple tank syndrome (MTS).
>
>Now that is funny - I think I have the same disease (two 10s, a 20, a 30,
>and a newly acquired (and not yet set up) 55, not to mention the varying
>number of bettas in betta tanks). Is there a cure?
>
>--
>John Goulden

Cure? There's a cure?
Ah.....but I don't really want to be cured of my disease....LOL. = )~

(various size tanks, and many Bettas tanks as well)

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Re: Hobby? Endeavor? Obsession? (was Re: Fishless Cycling)
>From: "Mandy"
>Date: 1/7/2005 6:24 P.M. Central Standard Time
>Message-id: . com>
>
>>> Is there a cure?
>
>Ich?
>

Oh for Ich...Sure...I just dump some Quick Cure on a rag and take it from
there...lol

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Re: Hobby? Endeavor? Obsession? (was Re: Fishless Cycling)
>From: "Mandy"
>Date: 1/8/2005 9:30 P.M. Central Standard Time
>Message-id: om>
>
>Got a gander at the ottos today, now I really want some. SO cute! Do
>you think coris and ottos are over kill? Do ottos need to be in
>groups?
>

2 different groups. The Otos are going to goafter any algae in the tank, the
Cories are going to go for everything in the tank.
I don't think it's over kill at all.

[default]

Mandy wrote:
> HaH! you're good!
>
> Have any pics of your borelli?

Well, I just so happen to have some pics here in my wallet...
http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/Borellii_Breeding2.htm
more babies on the second, faster loading page, here:
http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/babies.html
>
......they're dying... I get way too attached, which is why I'm afraid
> of the ottos, as well. Got pix of your yours?

Nope, no otto pics yet. I'll get some soon. I have some before and
after pics of my big tank now that it has more plants and has the "rays
of the sun" light I put on. I can't wait to get home tonight and see
how the plants are doing!! The C02 is the biggest factor by far, now
that I have about 3 watts per gallon.


steve

[Mandy]

Cool photos! I don't think I've ever seen Borellii. Have to take
another look at all the project details when I get home from work.
Lucky man with your three watts per gallon!

[Ozdude]

"Mandy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Cool photos! I don't think I've ever seen Borellii. Have to take
> another look at all the project details when I get home from work.
> Lucky man with your three watts per gallon!

What are Borelli? They look like some type of Labyrinth species, but also
like a Chiclid.

Great looking fish.

Oz

[default]

Mandy wrote:
> HaH! you're good!
>
> Have any pics of your borelli?


Oh yeah, there's these too....

http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/fry12_30a.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/fry12_30b.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/fry12_30c.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/fry12_30d.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/fry12_30e.jpg

A few of them have really grown since Dec. 30. They're 1/3 to 1/2
again bigger than the rest. Mega fry!

steve

[default]

Ozdude wrote:
> "Mandy" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > Cool photos! I don't think I've ever seen Borellii. Have to take
> > another look at all the project details when I get home from work.
> > Lucky man with your three watts per gallon!
>
> What are Borelli? They look like some type of Labyrinth species, but
also
> like a Chiclid.
>
> Great looking fish.
>
> Oz

Borellii are the Apistogramma Borellii specie of Cichlid I settled on
for my new breeding endeavor. I'd had some jewel cichlids lay eggs
once, (several times actually) but I wasn't prepared or smart 'nuf to
raise the fry. So, I did some research, chose a smaller specie that
was available locally and went from there. I purchased four wild
caught (from Paraguay!) juvies from the LFS (a real fish store, no
puppies), set up the tank to their liking and kept the water clean.
Voila! Babies! 50 of 'em!

Wanna buy a cichlid?

:>)
steve

[Ozdude]

"default" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Borellii are the Apistogramma Borellii specie of Cichlid I settled on
> for my new breeding endeavor. I'd had some jewel cichlids lay eggs
> once, (several times actually) but I wasn't prepared or smart 'nuf to
> raise the fry. So, I did some research, chose a smaller specie that
> was available locally and went from there. I purchased four wild
> caught (from Paraguay!) juvies from the LFS (a real fish store, no
> puppies), set up the tank to their liking and kept the water clean.
> Voila! Babies! 50 of 'em!
>
> Wanna buy a cichlid?

Not atm, sorry;) Too far away (southern hemisphere here) and I seem to be
Tetra focussed right now. I don't don't know how this came to be, but then
again I am only a beginning/novice, so perhaps they are the best fish to
start with. I haven't mastered the fine art of water chemistry yet; like I
just figured out it's my dirty filter sponges that are driving my Nitrate
levels (so it seems) and no amount of 10% water changes will stave it off
unless I clean the sponges ;)

Oz
--
My Aquatic web Blogg is at http://members.optusnet.com.au/ivan.smith