Wet Socks

Fish for Sale!

2010-02-25T23:14:00.001-08:00

Mail Call

2010-02-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a once-in-a-long-time opportunity, the fish club and I got to go in on a wholesale order. I wanted to order most of the catalog but I peared it down to a practical list.

Of what I requested, one African Butterfly Fish

and three South American Leaf Fish were available.

Incidentally, I also scored seven Pygmy Corydoras because the shop that received them ordered extra. I had planned to order them anyway but they didn't make the cut.

So you may think that the Leaf fish will be my cull fish I was talking about a couple of posts ago. They will. But so will a Zig Zag Eel I picked up at Claws N Paws last Saturday. $9.99, best price I've seen. I'm temporarily housing him in a 10 gallon until the 55 is up and running.

Can you spot the eel?

Just his head poking out.

I buried a length of clear plastic tubing for him to hide in and after a couple days, he's comfortable.

Valentine's Day is approaching

2010-02-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

The eyes are distorted by the flash. Nest in back.

Love must be in the air, or water as it is. I'd noticed last week that one of the two female Pearl Gourami had fattened up (usually indicating they're full of eggs and ready to spawn). I considered moving her and the male into a separate tank but I hadn't seen the male build a bubble nest yet (male spawning indicator) and didn't know if he would be ready. I also don't have easy access to RO water, which may be necessary to hatch the eggs. RO water lowers the hardness of my tap water. This reduced mineral content is reportedly necessary for Gourami eggs to hatch.

Today I noticed the male tending a bubble nest. At first I thought he was building it, but I saw him running the females off. He appears to be in post-spawn-egg-guarding father mode.

View from above.

and angled from below.

Glass Tops

2010-02-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

I finally got proper glass over the 130. The tank being 6', I had three 3/16th's pieces cut. One 24" and two 21.5". The custom notches I originally planned for to accommodate the filter tubes would have doubled the bill, so standard square it is. It's important to ask for the edges to be polished or beveled so you don't cut yourself when you're handling it.

This should significantly reduce water and heat loss to evaporation in the tank and help control the humidity of the room. Rh has gone from 55% to 52% in a matter of hours. That will be more important in the other three seasons.

I stole a 55 gallon from Corey that I plan to house my "cull caretaker". (With all the breeding I plan to do, I'd hate to waste an opportunity to feed a super cool predator.) Species yet undetermined.

I also picked up a 10 gallon from Ramswin to go in my yet to be built stand.

Episode II: Attack of the Clowns

2010-01-23T18:10:00.000-08:00

My first blog post nearly three years ago asks "am I ready for Clown Loaches?" The answered turned out to be "no", but I did learn some important lessons.

Fast forward and I scored three Clowns at the KC fish auction last March. They got Ich, I raised the temp to 85F and two of them survived. I loaned one to Corey for about a month and he fattened him up with some snails he was having a problem with.

The remaining two were playing around in the 130 a couple weeks ago and my wife commented - "I really like these two, they're fun to watch. Can we get more?" I said, well, they can be expensive. She said the next fish we get should be more Clowns.

If the wife gives me permission for Clowns, I'm getting Clowns! Of course, I'm three years wiser and equipped with an arsenal of fish keeping tools that is my fish room, right?

Exotic had three nice sized Clowns for $15 each - all ready sold to the Howards, regular customers that love large fish.

Today, Corey and I met Kevin and Brandon at Claws N Paws in Neosho, MO. Great store, IMHO. He had six young Clowns in a tank at $6.99 ea. A good price. I considered getting four to round out my school. Corey said I should ask how much it would be for all six.

I did. Mike, the owner, said - "$31.99 for all of them." That's $5.33 a Loach! Lowest. price. ever. Needless to say, I jumped on it. We brought them home and I evicted the Goldfish and Madtom from 15B and did a substantial gravel vac and WC. I added a heater and digital thermometer (thanks, Corey). Once the temp got to a stable 80F, I drip acclimated them and then introduced them to their new home for the next few weeks.

Not only do I want/need to quarantine them, I want to "fatten 'em up", too. I've got some snails I can add to their tank, some bloodworms to offer, and am planning on ordering some blackworms soon.

As the Clowns get older (and bigger) the 8 of them will be fine in the 130 gallon. IF there aren't any other fish in there. I'll have to see if all 8 make it, and adjust the tank's bioload as they grow. It's likely that I'll have the 55 set up in the dining room and maybe, maybe, have the 75 setup again in the fish room by then.

I've got a couple years to figure it out, I hope.

R.I.P.

2010-01-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

8 Rummynose Tetra's
10 Pristella Tetra's
5 Lemon Tetra's
1 Glass Tetra
1 Silverside Tetra
4 Cardinal Tetras
1 Weather Loach

And that's why you quarantine. The Rummynose came down with Ich and soon they all did. I then blundered the QuickCure dose and finished them off. The only survivors were in other tanks. Lesson learned: Buy one species at a time and QT them properly.

The Weather Loach was killed by a Madtom. The other Weather Loach I have has ripped fins and an open wound on his back. I moved him to another tank, hope it's not too late. Note to self: do not put the Madtoms in with other Cats or Loaches.

Farlowella Spawn

2010-01-16T17:17:00.000-08:00

Life has a sense of humor. I started my weekly water change on my 130 gallon today and while the water was draining I started reading Aquarium Fish Breeding by Barron's. I had just read this paragraph -

"The breeding of fish is the most interesting and most difficult task that the aquarium hobbyist can undertake. Only by recreating the conditions found in the wild can the aquarist encourage the fish to behave just as they would in their natural habitat and ultimately to breed. If you manage to induce your fish to bring forth young, you will enjoy the greatest feeling of success the aquarium hobbyist can ever have."

When I looked up to check how the WC was going I noticed a Farlowella sticking to the filter intake tube - above the waterline. I immediately looked closer to see that he was guarding 52 BB sized eggs that were also stuck on the plastic tube!

I decided to do several things at once which left me standing there staring at these eggs in disbelief. Prioritizing the fish needing water to live I started putting fresh water back in the tank. The little guy hung on the entire time. I ran to get my camera and started snapping shots. I had bookmarked a web page months ago, intending to use it when I got set up for breeding to spawn this same fish. Between photos I booted up the laptop and re-read the information.

As the tank filled up I was realizing that in a community setup these eggs didn't have much of a chance. My first thought was to move them to an empty 10 gallon, but they are attached to the filter intake tube and if I remove that I can't filter the 130 gallon.

Also, the father guards and cares for the eggs, and according to a book on Catfish I pulled off my shelf, he'll chew the eggs open to free the fry when they're ready. If spooked, he may eat the eggs. I've got 11 days to figure it out if he can keep the community at bay that long.

I just re-scaped this tank last Monday and Tuesday with a big water change (70%) on Monday. A warm front brought us from 0F outside to 55F outside and that boosted the fish room from 72 F to 82 F, tank from 72 to 78. I had noticed the two Farlowella's on the tube yesterday and remember thinking to myself "That's weird, they're always hanging out on the driftwood." Today I know why.

Fun experience for me to be sitting down to read a book on fish breeding to look up and see it was happening at that moment.

click photos to enlarge

Day 2

I setup a 10 gallon bare bottom with a heater and airstone. I set the temp at 78-80F. Removed the tank light. Corey brought over another similar filter tube and I carefully switched them out. The male did not want to return to his post after I had moved them into the 10 gallon.

Day 3

Male returned to his post. Detritus visible in the tank. Per advice, left it to cultivate infusoria.

Day 4

I can see movement inside some of the eggs with a flashlight. They look like little tan colored balls inside a clear membrane. Two or three eggs look eaten. One looks white, likely fungus. I bought a zucchini and frozen spinach in preparation to feed to the fry.

Days 5

Male still guarding eggs. I notice that he is laying still yet fanning his forward and rear fins. At first I thought he was nervous about me shining a spotlight in there. One of my books reveals he is continually moving a current across the eggs to keep them oxygenated and to deter fungus and bacteria from settling on them. White egg from yesterday is gone, likely eaten.

Day 6

One wiggler present at the a.m. check. Still attached to the filter tube. P.m. check the male was perched over where the wiggler was/is, so I don't know if it's broken free. Corey theorizes that the male cleans the eggs with his sucker mouth every day and when the shell is thin enough, that action tears the membrane and will free the then developed fry. Any day now.

Day 7

click to enlarge

A.M. check found three free swimming fry, each clinging to the silicon in the tank corners. I blanched some zucchini and having read they can be offered commercial algae tabs, I added a small bit of each to the tank. They are pretty small fry, though I've seen smaller in other species. In the photo, it is the darker brown spec next to the middle green lump (algae wafer). The other tan specs are detritus.

Day 8

Pre-work check didn't show any new hatched. I siphoned out uneaten food.
Post-work check seems at least a third eggs missing but no visible free swimmers. Siphoned out at least three fry that had died. Set up a 2.5 gallon drip to add fresh water and added a half algae tab.

Drip Bucket

Day 9

A.M. - All but six eggs hatched. Fry in various spots clinging to the glass. Algae tab scattered all over the tank. Male parent may be eating it? Last night's drip was still going, maybe a half gallon remaining. I refilled the bucket with aged water and went to work.

P.M. - Three more eggs hatch, three remain. Fry moving around the tank. Drip stopped half way through. Now that eggs are hatched and there was a couple more gallons of fresh water in the tank, I felt safe vacuuming all detritus and uneaten zucchini and algae tab.

I added an active sponge filter and refilled the drip bucket. I blanched more zucchini, crushed some plants from another tank, and added a small piece of driftwood that had been in the parent tank for weeks. I wonder if they need or can get by on the wood until they can take plant food?

With the filter and fresh water I'm hoping the ammonia threat is neutralized. I feel better about adding food. The books say they're susceptible to bacteria and I'm not sure what I can do about that. It seems I just need for them to find the food and eat it! I'll pull the male parent when the remaining three eggs hatch or spoil.

Fry with that shake?

Day 10

No A.M. check, running late for work. P.M. shows all eggs hatched. All fry living. Water was a bit cloudy. I suspect the zucchini. The drip had failed. I remedied by scrapping the air valve drip and replaced with a simple half tied knot. I removed the intake tube and male parent. I siphoned out the debris and removed the uneaten zucchini.

Blanch - boil 2-5 minutes

I added freshly blanched zucchini and one algae tab from another brand. The driftwood remains but did not have any fry clinging to it. They're all hanging out at the waterline.

Corey hooked me up with some microworms and I dropped a few in front of them but no response yet.

Day 11

Count showed 42 free swimmers. Add the first three that had all ready expired and that's 45 hatched out of 52. That's an 87% hatch rate. Tracking with what the books said, the male ate the eggs that were infertile or had succumbed to fungus.

42, I swear.

With the male out of the tank the detritus is minimal. The waste from the uneaten algae tabs and zucchini is all I'm really removing with the daily siphon.

Day 12

These little buggers just hang in position just below the waterline. If they're moving around the tank at all it must be at night. On a whim, I placed one fry into the 130 gallon community tank. I placed him on a large piece of driftwood. He moved to just below the waterline. He was ignored by the community. He was a spec when put in contrast with the big tank.

Vittata (vit hat ah) - the species I believe I have based on info on Planet Catfish. Also found some good info with an article from that site.

Day 13

Will they eat? I added another small piece of driftwood that I've seen the parents frequent. It's long and slender and allows them to hang vertically, which is how they're hanging on the glass. I also added pieces of a sheet of Green Algae.

By happy accident the sponge filter stopped mid-day. When I discovered it I also noticed that the fry had spread out all over the tank.

Was the current dictating where they hung in the tank? I found one fry hanging on the new driftwood, several on the bottom of the tank, and one hanging (hopefully eating) on the Green Algae. Was it the current or perhaps coincidence that their yolk sacs had run out? Or neither?

I left the sponge filter in the tank but with no current tonight. I'm running about a hundred percent WC everyday with the drip bucket so I'm not too concerned with the flow.

Speaking of WC's, I'm pretty sure I sucked a healthy fry out today. The end of the line comes out the back end of the house, and today, into four inches of snow. That makes 41. At least I'm not siphoning out dead bodies.

Days 14 & 15

Not too much new to report. Thanks to Corey for bringing by an Anubias, complete with some algae growth on the leaves. I saw a couple fry perched on it this morning. A couple more were on the driftwood. I may have found a dead fry during the WC today. Hard to tell if it was detritus or a former fry. The group seems to be a lot more active. Corey noted that their bellies looked full.

I opened the blinds yesterday and noticed the sun shining on the tank. I used it for a photo op but shut the blinds right after to avoid cooking them.

Maybe digital thermometers taste good?

I like this shot, a Farlowella fry shadow on driftwood. Something you won't see everyday.

Days 16 - 20

Not much going on. Was able to count 31 live and two deceased. The two were well above the water line. Perhaps they jumped for a higher position and didn't come down? Only a few can be found on the Anubias and driftwood. I'm maintaining a 80% WC every other day. Siphoning out uneaten algae tab, seaweed, and detritus.

Day 22

FAIL. All fry found dead. My best guess is that the tank was too sterile to provide enough micro-algae for these grazers. Next time I will add the fry to an established planted tank. I guess I should get started on a planted tank. = )

All in all, it's been exciting and I've learned some things. I'll try again when I'm better prepared.

School's In

2010-01-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

I picked up:
8 Rummynose Tetra's
10 Pristella Tetra's
5 Lemon Tetra's
5 Glass Tetra's
1 Glass Catfish
1 Silvertip Tetra
1 Silverside Tetra?
4 Cardinal Tetras

at Exotic on Jan 8. Most went into the 20 gallon for QT, headed for the 130. The Glass Cat is in the Endler's 10, and the Glass Tet's are in the Shell Dweller's 10.

I put the Silvertip in the Convict 10 to coax the now shy pair out of hiding. They've been scared since I moved their tank to the new rack for going on three weeks now. Today they finally are comfortable enough in the new location to swim openly. I'll likely pull the Silvertip in a week or so and put into the 130.

I picked up the single Silvertip, Glass Cat, and Silverside? because I knew that they would be "one-off'd" to someone that wouldn't really care for them properly. The Tet's will school will the other schoolers, the Cat will just have to make do.

This big news of the week is the deal I got at Worlds Under Water. A few months ago I stole four 5" Torpedo/Denison/Redline/Roseline Barbs from Corey at $20 a pop. One died. Last month, we saw a baby (2") Denison at Saltwater Depot for $49. Exotic had them a couple of times for around the same price but larger specimens.

I was in Fayetteville and dropped by Worlds Under Water. They have a 100+ gallon, heavily planted tank that used to be display only. This tank housed six Denison's. They had marked the glass - Denison's $45 ea/3 for $100. The smallest was 3", the largest 4".

These Barbs are schoolers/shoalers, wanting at least five or six in a tank to be able to interact as they would in the wild. So I needed at least three to complete the shoal in my 130. That's $33 a fish twice the size of the only other source.

I asked Aaron, the newest owner, are these Denison's really for sale? He said "yep." I said, "I'll take all six." He only paused for a half second and said "ok."

It sounds like a lot of money for ornamental fish, and it is. But I rationalize it like this -

Rare fish
Great price
Need at least three to complete a shoal
Regarded as a choice species for freshwater
The math

If they live the average six years, that breaks out to $2.70/month. Contrast that with my satellite bill and should get more fish like this!

They aren't called "Torpedo" Barbs for nothing. They were difficult to catch. They had to remove the driftwood to catch all of them. Considering the health of the tank they came from, and the length of time (months if not years) they had been there, and they were the most expensive fish to be going into my 130, I floated them when I got home and released them without quarantine into the 130. Two days later, they look very happy, as do the original three.

I am pretty happy about it, too.

I had just re-scaped the 130, using an idea from the book - xlajdkj

I created a shelf, or second story/layer to the substrate. I weighted a new piece of long driftwood with a rock Corey had drilled through with a masonry bit and I attached with a stainless steel screw. I then filled in the gravel behind this new log. It created a nice effect. I also added some more plastic plants and added some sand for the Loaches to root around in. The 130 is looking great, I just need to get some glass for the top.

On that note, I've decided to get rid of the 120. It's a great tank, yet I've realized that I have a spectacular community tank with the 130, I'll have another when I put the 55 in the dining room wall, and if I want to breed and keep as many different species of fish that I want - I need more smaller tanks rather than another mammoth third community. I did win the photo contest by posing in it and I got it from a good guy but I will likely post it for sale soon to make way for a rack of 10, 15, or 20 gallon tanks.

Back to the QT tank. From day one, a Rummynose has died every day. Of course, in the tank of $2 fish, these $4 bastards are the first to go. The surviving Rummynose started showing Ich on day three. Today, day six, the rest of the QT tank has it. Better the QT tank than the display! Anyway, I added salt and increased the temp on day three and added QuikCure day six. We'll see how that goes.

Note to self - when administering medication, put the recommended dose into a cup or something and THEN put it into the tank. I just put an unknown amount of QuikCure into the 20 gallon when I was shooting for eight drops.

They took frozen Daphnia and Bloodworms on day three. Still not taking flake on day six. The Torpedo's are eating, day two and on.

I haven't seen my Long Fin Pleco since just before I re-scaped the 130. It may be gone. One Glass Tetra has expired. They are eating.

The WC drain has a french drain on the end that keeps bugs from crawling up the pipe with a water filled dimple. With this last week of 0F temps, that water froze up and did not allow me to use the WC drain for water changes. I made do with the sink and found the temporary inconvenience a great reminder of why I installed the WC drain.

Year End Review: 2009

2010-01-08T18:07:00.000-08:00

My tour guide (The Silk Spectre II/Watchmen) in ATL

Judging by blog activity one might think that I've dropped out of the hobby. In reality, I'm still in stride but life has kept me needing to sacrifice some discretionary time and I'd rather "do" the hobby than write about it. So, let's recap 2009 -

Two years of Wet Socks
Filled the 120 and 130 gallon tanks
Kansas City fish club auction
Setup Native Tank (Pygmy Sunfish)
Collecting Trip: Tahlequah
Setup Native tank (Darters, Madtoms)
Observed Darter spawn (eggs eaten by community)
Lifetime SCUBA Certification
Bred Endler's Livebearers
Snorkeled in Aquarium at Mall of America
Bred Convict Cichlids
Behind the scenes tour at Georgia Aquarium
Built rack for six 10 gallon tanks and two 20 ga.
Built custom LED lights for 11 tanks
Decided to go strictly freshwater & brackish

A good year. Looking forward to 2010! Resolutions?

Well, I gotta tell you, I still need the notes/timekeeping functionality of the blog so my posts going forward may be less narrative and simply rough notes to myself.

Be well!

Collecting Trip: Barron Fork Creek

2009-03-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

The Oklahoma Aquarium club invited our Arkansas Club on a collecting trip to Barron Fork Creek, just east of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. I've been collecting once before but it was just for observation. It was enough to bite me with the bug of keeping native fish.

I had yet to find a dip net at hardware or bait shops. I learned I need to order online or check a full scale pond store. No worries, the Oklahoma club members had gear and were very friendly.

I did bring a cooler to transport. As you can imagine, creek water is pretty cold and it's best to slowly change the water temperature of any fish. I also purchased and Oklahoma fishing license, 5 day for $24.

I was after the photo below. The Orange Throat Darter, or Etheostoma spectabile. Their coloration and behavior rival saltwater fish yet they are the most readily available creek fish for our region.
So how does one go about collecting? One method is with a seine, or large net managed by more than one person. The net is stretched across a narrow inlet and drug along the bottom. After a distance it is lifted to reveal the catch, if any. The group caught several Redline Shiners this way. A "fisherman" would call them minnows.

Here are the dip nets in action. One technique is called "kick netting" in which a fish is spotted heading for cover, the net is placed downstream of the rock in question, and when you kick the rock away the fish usually swims downstream into the net. The club caught and released several Ringed Crayfish. (Pretty but not suitable for most aquariums.) Madtoms, a type of small Catfish, were the prizes of this method. I need to remember my polarized sun glasses next time for spotting.

Of course, you see all sorts of stuff while collecting. This salamander, or as one of the group called it, "Water Dog", made it's way back to someone's tank.

We discovered two species of frog's eggs. Speaking of eggs, I learned that the Russian mafia used to be involved in local Spoonbill poaching and smuggling because their eggs are the next best thing to Beluga caviar which is in decline of availability. Who would have thought...

Equipment. Everything from minnow buckets to empty cat litter containers.

Did I mention I brought my equipment on my scooter? That story is on my scooter blog.

Back home, I acclimated the six Darters and two Madtoms to my Bella Vista water. The creek water tested a ph of 7.2 while my tap runs 7.6.

I'd setup the middle 15 gallon tank of my newly rebuilt rack to be my Darter tank. I placed the hang-on-tank power filter on the side instead of the back to give a stream current effect to the tank. Following Gerald's advice, I used some river rocks I brought home to give the Darters something to duck out of the current or perch (no pun intended, or is it?) on.

click for larger picture

Above we have a male (left) and female (right) Orange Throat Darter in their new home. A club member speculated that with the proximity to spring and the warmer tank water we may see these fish breed. He was right. The next day I saw my first fish spawn and I even caught some of it on video. (to be posted after editing).

Basically, the female would "carve" a trench in the gravel the length of her body and then lay her body prone in it. The colored up male would land on top of her and shimmy in place very fast for about three seconds and the female would leave. They repeated this for several minutes. Another male would try to approach the female but would be run off by the alpha.

After the behavior seemed to taper off, I used my flashlight to look for eggs but did not find anything. Corey thinks they may be like Danios and drop tiny eggs into the gravel.

On the left is one of two Slender Madtoms, or Notorus exilis, I got to bring home. They were the most active when put in the tank but a week later they have returned to typical Cat behavior and during the day nestle themselves in the rock work I provided them. Catfish are probably my favorite family of fish and these guys are neat. I would like to get some Gambusina, or Shiners to populate the top water region of the tank.

I've been feeding frozen Bloodworms. They were ignored the first couple of days, with the female Darters the first to start taking them. A week in, I started adding a bit of flake which all seemed to accept.

The Darters have a playful, friendly personality. This surprises me since they aren't tank raised like many fish you can get at a store. I would think they would be skittish and hide constantly. Thankfully they are not. They spend the day playing, perching on rocks and displaying for the females.

March Madness

2009-03-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

I regret neglecting the blog. Stuff is happening but I seem to be more caught up in doing it rather than documenting it. I had noticed that I didn't spend as much time as I thought I would in the fish room. Then I realized that I didn't have a place to sit. I had been planning to add a chair but hadn't because I thought it would get in the way of moving in tanks and remodeling.

Bam. Papasan - best fish room idea yet. Without it, I was just checking temps, feeding, and walking out because I couldn't sit back, relax, and enjoy watching the fish. It was like working Exotic. I checked on the fish but I didn't sit around watching them. Now, I'm lounging in comfort, watching fish and blogging about it.

Corey and I built a rack for my three 15 gallon tanks. It's so much easier with the proper tools. Namely, Corey's radial arm saw, wood glue, and my drill press. It took a couple of hours and cost about $40 bucks. I spray painted it black to match my other stands.

I filled the 120 gallon tank. The room humidity jumped up from 24% to 32%. Not totally accurate because of the mood swings of spring. The tank does look good.

A couple weeks ago Corey and I headed to Kansas City for the KC Fish club's fish auction. I sold my 55 gallon stand that I didn't need and picked up a Rafael Catfish and a Red Velvet Swordtail trio. Not much considering what was available but I wasn't there to shop. Folks kept asking me what I was going for in terms of fish or equipment but I went for the experience and opportunity to socialize with other fish nuts. It was a good day trip. I have to note that due to a corrosion situation our fish spent an extra hour or so in their plastic bags with no losses.

Back to the humidity, the RH high today was 62%, above the ideal 58%. I may have to plug in the dehumidifier soon...

Fish if you got 'em.

2009-02-08T16:43:00.000-08:00

If you count mine, there are at least three fish rooms in a 5 mile radius from my house. I visited the other two today, Corey and Ryan's. Ryan is "downsizing" and Corey and I went to pick up some of what he is getting rid of.

I got a trio of Endler's Livebearers, a pair of Clown Killies, and a power head. I put the fish, respectively, into species 10 gallon tanks. We're up to seven running tanks now. Pics will follow tanks getting settled.

Corey hooked me up with a sweet piece of driftwood, Java Moss, and some frozen Cyclops. He's got fry running out of his ears. I thought my fish room was going to be tight on space but Corey's is tight and he's adding a 55 rack!

The wife and I collected some river rocks and driftwood on Saturday. They're soaking in salt water for about a week.

Pygmy Sunfish

2009-01-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

I won six Banded Pygmy Sunfish at the last club meeting. I've got them in a 10 gallon with a sponge filter and some Cabomba. These natives hail from the still lake/bog waters of southern Arkansas. Wild caught fish often need live food until they can be weaned on to processed food like flake. I find it ironic that I'm weaning my fish onto processed food and weaning my body off the same.

Winter keeps the easy-come, easy-go of harvesting insects from the yard out of the question and somebody burned down my red wiggler farm. I've taken to feeding frozen blood worms. I toss a cube in a cup of warm water and use a wooden chopstick to feed a few at a time.

To simulate life, I tap the floating worms and the Pyg's strike. If the bait is dead but the fish strike with the intent take the bait's life, is it still murder? Was it really ever?

This method of feeding almost one-at-a-time is truly feeding only what will be eaten, an axiom among aquarists. It proves to be an intimate observation of fish behaviour as well.

I've put off posting the latest obituaries. The tank that held the fish survivors from the duplex fire was running at my grandparents house. On Thanksgiving I installed a heater and on Christmas it malfunctioned and cooked them. Four GloDanio's survived. I broke down the 30 gallon and brought it home to the fish room.

This prompted a decision. I didn't plan to incorporate this tank into the floor plan. I chose to take the 55 gallon tank to the next club auction and use the space for several smaller tanks. I all ready have three large tanks and I'm finding the smaller the fish, the more interesting it is.

With another tank running, I moved the Goldfish from the 5 ga to the 30, the Killie pair from a 10 to the 5, and dropped the Danio's into the now empty 1o.

The Killie female looked and acted battered. I'd been keeping them in a tank without hiding places and with poor lighting. I failed to notice the male had been keeping her from eating. I found her stuck to the filter intake a few days later. The male sure is colorful, though.

Of course, all this rearranging left some water on the new tile floor. I realized this as I felt the familiar sensation of wet cold capillary action permeating my socks. Ah, wet socks.

Dither Fish

2009-01-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

One might add dither fish to an aquarium to fill, distract, and interact with other, often more aggressive tank mates in hopes of a more peaceful environment.

I've found that fish-keeping is well removed from day-to-day life. If I spend all my time focused on the mission of life (family, job, et al) I eventually face burn out. A break from that allows me to rest and return refreshed.

Fish do not know of anything other than their own world. When I join them for awhile I'm more ready for mine.

Thus, all my fish are dither fish.

2008

2009-01-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

Highlights from the hobby:

One year anniversary of Wet Socks
Got into vermicomposting for live food
Became a mentor on the TFH forum
Produced Exotic Tropicals online commercial
Duplex fire, lost most fish and equipment
Visited Hung Ming's Pet Palace in Chinatown, San Francisco
Visited Tulsa Aquarium
Visited commercial breeder - Ozark Angels
Visited Corey's fish room
Bought Myron's 120 tank and stand.
Bought Myron's matching 10 gallon nano-salt
Semi-retired from Exotic Tropicals
Passed the torch on the Aquarium Club Treasurer and Secretary
Received my brother-in-law's 130 gallon
Built most of my fish room

I admit I've been neglecting the blog. Most of my posting has been on the TFH forum for the LFR project. I'm nearing the end of the major remodeling and with the first "live" tank going in yesterday I know the blog will rise again!

Mako

2008-12-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

I am excited to post that I now have the first fish for the fish room! Meet Mako, a one-of-a-kind, hand crafted shark. Mako is a gift from new friend and neighbor, manOwire.

This gentleman creates many different forms from recycled telephone wire. The result is truly unique sculpture. Fish are a specialty though his collection contains everything from angels to whimsical women.

To see more visit manOwire.com.

130 Gallons of Fun

2008-11-29T14:33:00.000-08:00

My brother-in-law dropped off a 130 gallon tank over the holiday. My father-in-law had traded it for a 55 gallon decades ago. He gave it to my brother-in-law who had it for years. Apparently, a top seam had come undone some time ago. It was repaired and ran safely for years before sitting in storage for quite some time. I, of course, will test fill it before making anything permanent.

Otherwise, I'm pretty excited about it. The 10 gallon is on the floor to put perspective on how large this tank is. My next largest tank is the 120 gallon, but it's a tall, so doesn't take up as much floor space. I hope to keep a school of Clowns in the 130, and maybe Discus in the 120.

In other news, we took the tub fish out of the rain bucket in Gentry. The water was so cold it hurt my hand to fish him out. After a really slow warm up, he's in the 5 gallon tank my brother traded me for a 30 gallon sometime ago.

But of course...

2008-11-19T18:51:00.000-08:00

We recently bought a truck and I needed to put a license plate on it this month. I opted for the tag that contributes to the Fish & Game department. Get yours here.

Puerto Rico

2008-11-16T15:44:00.000-08:00

Work brought me to this tropical island for five days. I stayed in San Juan and made my way half way down the east coast. I got to see the southern end of the Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic. My trip also took me through the Caribbean Rain Forest. The title photo is of a run off stream from one of several waterfalls.

The hotel lobby had a huge three panel saltwater tank, fish only. I have to say it was poorly maintained. The locals said that fish keeping was too expensive for most here. I had to laugh when they referred to aquariums as "water boxes". I did get a chance to stop at an actual aquarium shop. It wasn't the most impressive shop. The tanks were pretty bare and there was little dry goods at all.

You have to consider that almost everything has to be imported. Speaking of being imported, that U.S. territory is pretty much the 51st state. McDonald's, Walmart, Chuck E Cheese, they're all there.

November Club Meeting

2008-11-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

The freshwater club met yesterday. I missed the previous two months. It was a great meeting to come back to.

We had a presentation from guest speaker Gerald Griffin on Wild Betta. In the spirit of Election month, we elected new club officers. I passed on the mantle of Treasurer/Secretary. I didn't make enough meetings to do the positions justice.

I was just as surprised as you will be that I brought fish home. I've been trying to keep all my tanks dry so I could stay focused on the fish room construction. But, how can I resist auction priced Cherry Shrimp, Killie's that you could keep in a shoe box, and a chance at Dwark Livebearers (the smallest vertebrates on this continent and one of the smallest fish in the world.)?

Hopefully, these small tanks won't be too distracting from moving forward on the LFR.

Painting, Staining, Polyethylkillyadead

2008-11-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

The wife and I spent a Saturday morning preparing tank stands for their new home. We stained the the 75 gallon tank stand a darker shade of wood. Unfortunately it has suffered a bit of warping from being stored outside this past summer. Nothing too bad though.

I got the 120 from a friend and the canopy had molded severely. I cleaned it with vinegar, let dry, and then overdid the polyurethane. It won't repair the damage, but it may buy me some time before it has to be replaced. I'm going to try to add glass tops to the tank to curb all that moisture exposure.

I threw a couple cans of black spray paint on the double 55 tank stand I got from Corey. It looks sharp in the fish room.

It's dark when I get off work. My focus has moved indoors. Hopefully the fish room and this blog will see more frequent attention.

Local Fish Room

2008-11-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

I've started a journal thread on the Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine forum. I plan to post updates to the fish room there until the major construction is complete. I'll continue to post other hobby related stuff here on Wet Socks and then post the entire journal here when it's finished. I don't want to duplicate content during the project.

The TFH forum is a great place for fish and fish heads alike.

Anticipation

2008-09-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

How does 121 square feet of fish room sound? It's sounds a lot like a wife shouting that breakfast is getting cold. Really though, I'm very lucky she's so supportive of the concept.

I'm pretty darn excited about it, and the new house overall. It's a new experience for me to own a home. The overall chores and responsibilities keep me from diving straight into the fish room project. I try and tell myself to savor it. Plan it. Do it right.

I found the blueprints for the house in the fish room closet. Getting ahead of myself, I all ready took the closet doors off before taking the "before" photos.

Looking at the plans, I hope to gut the closet and install a utility sink and small work bench/shelf.

I've reached out to the local club and national forum for tips for a beginner. I got to visit Corey's fish room this week and it was truly inspiring. The first thing I noticed was the largest Apisto Ram's I'd ever seen. He breeds them regularly, including long fin varieties that I did know existed.

He also breeds Platinum Angels (fw) and this was the first time I'd seen that coloration. Magnificent fish. Corey showed me the mechanics, modifications, and missteps he'd encountered to make his fish room what it is today.

I've also toured Denny's Fish Room which was designed from the drawing board to be a fish room, or floor I should say. Both rooms had similarities but like fish and fish people, they had their own variety. I look forward to Denny, Corey, and the other club members weighing in on this undertaking.

Could it be?

2008-08-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

The view from my new fishroom?!!

We've made an offer on this 3 bedroom house and if all goes well, this will be my fish room!

I'm all ready planning to reinforce the floor, switch out the carpet for vinyl, and paint. Probably black like Exotic.

Speaking of Exotic, I've taken a "leave of absence". It's been hectic recently and now with the move approaching I'll need that time off as well. I hope I'll be able to return when things slow down.

120 Gallons

2008-07-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

That's the size of my newest tank. No photo's yet. Most of my energy was spent on taking it down and moving it. I got a great deal from a friend I work with at Exotic for his used 120 freshwater and 10 gallon saltwater tank.

The move went really well. Myron drained the tank with a Python and had the fish caught when we arrived. My wife and I scooped the substrate into four rubbermaid tubs and filled a fifth with equipment. Since I don't have the space to this up at my Grandparents house, I had to put this great deal into storage. This took two trips but was well worth it.

Key notes:
Collanders (sp?) strain the water out of the wet gravel for better storage.
The right tool for the right job - in this case, a utility hand cart that moved the heavy glass tank.

Now I can spend weeks planning how I'll set this bad boy up. It will be the best and worst part about it.

San Francisco Revisted

2008-06-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Enter Hung Ming Pet Palace in Chinatown, San Francisco. Rated 4 stars on Google Maps, the cab dropped us there after we had completed our work assignment.

As we entered Chinatown, the scenery changed dramatically. All the people and signs had become, obviously, Chinese. Paper lanterns stretched across the streets every third building or so, accentuating the up and down slopes of hilly San Francisco. As the cab came to an abrupt stop at an awkward angle, I commented to my companion "We're in a different part of town now."

Hung Ming's was three stories of a five story building on a crowded street. All walks of life ebbed around us in an unending stream of people. The quick contrasting sharp highs and soft lows of the Chinese voice overlaid hundreds of times and reflected off the blocks of multi-story urban sprawl. Car horns warned rattling bicycle chains about the heavy motors that threatened to crush them. The bicycle chains laughed in satisfied defiance.

The sweet smell of Chinese deep-fry mixed with burning tobacco and a hint of the ocean was replaced by the familiar smell of a pet store once we were inside. Much to my surprise and delight, the first object I found my focus fall on was a wizard aquarium decoration next to a chinese dragon head decoration that we sell at Exotic. That set the tone for my experience, I found it very validating to see that a five star aquarium shop on the West Coast offered exactly what we offer, just more of it.

Koi would be an example of more of it. They had an entire wall of 20 gallons, stacked three deep that ran twice the length of our aisles holding nothing but Koi from fry to 6 inches. You may have noticed that Koi are almost as prevalent as dragons in chinese symbols.

Opposite the Koi tanks sat several medium sized tubs with adult Koi that were bigger than my forearms in length and girth.

Speaking of huge, the title pic shows me and an adult Arowana. Tank price $199. You could get two for $349. We had just sold a baby Arowana at Exotic for $49. The tank mates included a Giant Gourami, a first time sight for me, an eel-like fish, and a neat looking Catfish of some sort that was bigger than my dog.

The fresh water aisle had the same fish we carry at Exotic, just more of each kind. The overhead lights were off and my friend asked if that was intentional. I laughed and said, "That's what we call "California" style lighting." He asked if we did that at Exotic and I answered, "Only when the owner is out." I believe the fish show in the tanks better.

The salt water display was a pretty neat stair-step stack that kept specimens separate. In the full size tanks, they had the largest Trigger fish I've yet to see. Every tank was immaculately clean.

Hung Ming took Betta's to the next level with specialized tanks designed to keep one to three fish with or without live plants. The live plant offerings really weren't worth mentioning.

So, what did I buy? I picked up two novelty air bubblers that I couldn't resist. I was a bit surprised I didn't have to talk myself out of a fresh water exotic. Finding that a major metro dealer had nothing more than what I have access to in NWA has refreshed my perception of Exotic Tropicals. I asked about an inline needle valve for CO2, but could only get one by buying the entire CO2 setup. Ah well.

We used four types of public transportation to continue our adventure, but that's a story for my other blog.

Arriving at the pier located behind the SF Giants Stadium I couldn't help but notice this sign. It seems to warn about how many of certain kinds of fish should be eaten a month from this area.

I love sailboats. I love the smell of the ocean. You can see the Bay Bridge in the distance.

Hard core readers of this blog may remember a similar photo of this metal crab sculpture from around this time last year. This year, I found it to be blooming with flowers. Nice touch.

As I type this post from the seat of my return flight, Natalie Merchant and 10,000 maniacs perform their song that sums this trip up - "You'll know how it was meant to be, see the signs and know their speaking to you." (These are the Days)

Slight Return

2008-06-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was going to be my last work day at Exotic. It's now an hour drive both ways and with the extra drive time Mon - Fri, my time with my wife has been reduced. I also had decided that I would tell James to sell my surviving fish that he's been keeping for me. But, once I got there, I realized how much I had missed it.

A customer asked Dallas how much the fish in "my" tank cost. It was like a switch flipped. Dallas told him they weren't for sale and I immediately knew that I was going to find a way to set up a tank at my grandparents. These fish survived the fire and I'm not going to let them be sold off to people that don't know their common names.

I decided that instead of retiring I'd reduce my hours. Why give this up, especially considering everything else that is gone?

Ironically, after mentioning the previous week that I was the only employee that hadn't flooded the store, I flooded the store. I was running DI and got busy with customers. I think it's funny that I found the water moving toward us across the tile in the freshwater aisle with a customer standing in it.

I shut off the tap and we opened the back door and started pushing the water out with towels. Dallas said "Any minute now, the hair salon next door will be over shouting "Water!"

Sure enough, they did. While Dallas mopped up our store, I went over and mopped up the hair salon. Talk about fun.

On a lighter note, I brought home a fan tail Goldfish for Ma's outdoor rain tub. The metal roof drains to a large plastic tub they use to water flowers. For fun, and to keep the mosquitos from breeding in it, I put the bright colored fish with an interesting top down profile in. It's been a week now and he still bobbles around in the tub. Goldfish are hardy, and with rain water being closer to DI than tap, this one will need to be.

Motivated by seeing my survivors again, I spent an evening setting up a 30 gallon tank in the dining room. I laid down a custom foam aquarium pad to protect the wood table. My grandpa asked if the whole thing would fall through to the basement. I said it would be about 250 lbs of water when it was full. He said that we were close enough to a cross beam for that.

I rinsed the gravel and filled in the substrate. I had some driftwood on hand that dried out significantly but was still usable, same for a faded background. I bought a new air pump and some tubing and got the tank going.

I should note that we're on a well here. So, no chlorine but it's cold. Real cold. I'll have to keep that in mind when doing substantial water changes. I need to get another test kit and check the hardness.

I had a couple of African Dwarf Frogs in the outdoor tub and my grandma caught one and put it in a half gallon plastic "aquarium" in the kitchen. I looked at the frog she named "Leroy" and thought about how it had lived for years in the 55 gallon in the duplex, then into the 20 gallon "breeder" and back to survive the fire in the 55. Moving to Gentry he lived in the outdoor tub for the past few weeks. A day later in his new plastic home, he died. I blame the super cold well water.

We also had our club meeting last Saturday. My first one in awhile. I am fired up about trying my hand at annual Killie fish.

All in all, it's good to be getting my feet wet again.

When Bronze Attacks

2008-06-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

Despite rising fuel prices, the wife and I realized that T-town is only an hour from our new home. So we took the trip to the Tulsa Aquarium. It was well worth it. There were a few displays out of order, but the broad selection of freshwater, brackish, and salt displays was fantastic.

They have an entire wall of native Sunfish, including two species I've kept. Of course, the feature attraction is the walk in/under shark tank. Very cool.

What a Waste

2008-06-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

A chapter of this hobby has abruptly ended. My wife, dog, and I returned from visiting the Grandparents to find the fire department doing their job at our duplex. It was like a surreal dream.

Based on what info/evidence I was able to gather, my opinion (which I am confident will be confirmed in court), is that the 14-year-old neighbor was playing with nail polish remover and matches while home alone. He watched the fire burn the house for 30 – 45 minutes and then ran into the street screaming “Fire!”

The next neighbor over ran over with a garden hose to find one side of the duplex completely engulfed in flames. By the time the fire department arrived, most of the neighbor’s side was destroyed. The duplex was old enough to not have a firewall, so the fire spread through the attic and came down through our heat/air vents.

The fire was contained before our side was burned completely. The trade-off being that everything, and I mean everything, was thoroughly soaked by fire hoses and covered in baked-in soot.

The fire marshal led me through what was left of our home just after the fire was out. The windows had been busted out, glass everywhere. Holes were axed into the ceiling and walls. Burnt insulation covered everything. Smoke still filled the air and I’m not talking about earthy campfires. Burnt plastic and chemicals almost overwhelmed me, though I’m sure the marshal was accustomed to it. With all the fire fighting, it was raining indoors and we walked in standing black water.

All I could do was grab my wife’s interview suits and run out of our former bedroom. The rest of the scene was neighbors, friends, and family coming and going as what happened was sorted out. Fortunately, nobody was home during the fire. The neighbors lost a cockateel and I lost more than half of my fish. Our dog was with us and is fine.

The neighbor offered no apology and would not admit that her son had anything to do with it. When asked, she simply said, “no one could possibly know what happened.” Which is what she said the last two times we had the police at our house for her son’s acts of vandalism. I don’t think this incident will slide by on that excuse.

We didn’t have renter’s insurance. We lost all of our furniture, except some of the aquariums. All my clothes and most of my wife’s were ruined. My computer still runs but reeks of burnt plastic. I’m backing up the files and buying a new one.

I’m not really upset about the stuff. It is, as they say, just stuff. What has been the most upsetting is spending days in that smell, coughing and red-eyed as you dig your memories out of the biggest mess you’ve ever seen asking yourself if you can save this picture/wedding present/collectible. All the while, you secretly know you can’t but try anyway.
I hate waste. Someone wise once said, “when you waste something, you’re stealing from someone else.” So, we put most of the furniture at the curb with “Free Stuff” written on it. Most of it was adopted. It’s one thing to clean one piece of furniture some afternoon and even if it looks clean still has that smell of burnt chemical, and it’s another to try and clean all of it and expect it not to stink up any new house you put it in. It got to the point that I started smelling our mail because it was something that didn’t smell and had our name on it.

We’ve moved out to our Grandparent’s house. They have the room and welcome the company. We’ll search for our first home once we know what district my wife will work in. Renter’s insurance or no, I will not live in another duplex/apartment again. It’s too much responsibility riding on someone else.

All things considered, we count ourselves lucky.

What does this mean for the hobby?

I took the surviving fish up to Exotic Tropicals. I lost all the tanks upstairs, which included two Sunfish and the Guppy’s. I lost half the Glass Cats, the Knight Goby, some Mollies, X-Ray’s, Cory Cats, Zebra Cichlids, GloFish and Pleco’s downstairs.

What’s left is combined into one 20 gallon at Exotic. I salvaged as many plants as I could. We’ll see who survives until I can get a tank running at my Grandparents. That’s going to be some time though. Restoring fish falls slightly lower on the priority list of things to start your life over.

I lost a lot of supplies. This is a pic of my fish room/bathroom. Completely lost.

I’ll get back in the swing of things, it’ll just take a little time.

Surprise Honor

2008-05-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

I am proud to post that I have been invited to become a "Mentor" on Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine's online forum! I've joined the ranks of those I've looked up to online. The TFH forum was my first forum experience and now I truly feel like a part of the virtual community. I was quite surprised when CrazyGar PM'd me with the news. This hobby continues to grow...

And I'm off the deep end...

2008-05-08T18:59:00.001-07:00

Fish. Marketing. Video.

An old fave: X-Ray Tetra's

2008-05-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

Pristella maxillaris is a schooling fish from South America. Fairly hardy and inexpensive, I bought 14 at Exotic to "fill in" the empty space in the 55 gallon planted tank. They seem to have done just that. Mid-water swimmers, they've been exploring around the plants and driftwood, adding dimension to the aquascaping.

Tangent here - if you're buying schooling fish, buy at least six. You probably hear/read it all the time, but it really is key. Buying less would be like going to a horse race that had one horse running in it. You'd see a horse run, but you'd miss out on the dynamic. Same with schools. I'm always fascinated with how independent organisms can move as a larger organism without planning or verbal communication.

The 55 planted hosts the African Butterfly, which has quickly come to be the most favorite fish I've kept. It has tamed well, taking flake and hunting moths. I got a call at work from my wife, she said a fish was dead, floating upside down. I asked if it was the Butterfly and she said "oh yeah, and it just moved."

The Betta had been bullying the Butterfly, Angels, and Flag fish. The Flag fish got a tail wound that may require attention. I transferred the Betta to the 20 gallon. He didn't get along with the Goby. So, he's in 15B until I can find something for him.

The 55 planted also had lost two out of three Farlowella's recently, and now, an Angel. This prompted me to test the water which came out fine.

Am, Ni, Na = 0; Ph = 7.2

I used to test weekly, but have found it useful only in new setups and diagnosing. I'll probably pick up the Ph testing once I get my CO2 needle valve replaced.

The tank does have a white film on the top now. I don't know if it's the live food I've been introducing, the plants, or what? I thought it was nitrate but it tested at zero. I could replace the carbon filters to polish the water, but that doesn't address the source of the condition.

I may need to move the Knight Goby. Now that he's tame, he's become a food hog. He's
eating all the food at feeding time and the Glass Cats are too timid to get their share. I think I'll transfer the Knight to 55P and add male Guppy's as dither fish. I need a clean up crew, preferably some shrimp. Some shrimp that will live longer than the Ghost Shrimp did.

(alas, none of the photos are mine. Property of their respective owners.)

Banjo Cat vs. Pond Snail

2008-05-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

Banjo Cats are known for being docile. I've held mine in my hand, despite knowledge of a defensive spike they may use. Mine spends most of the day buried in the sand. I look for the tell tale tail (ba-doom-cha!) to find him.

Walking by the 20 gallon today, I noticed something waving at me. It was the Cat's tail, trying to shake a young Pond Snail. The Banjo was not in danger so I captured it on video. The Knight Goby looks on in the background, probably wondering if that tail is food.

Photo of uncovered Banjo Cat:

Indian Meal Moths and more...

2008-04-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

This pest has seriously infested our kitchen for over a year now. We've tried everything but chemical treatments to get rid of them. You can kill them and kill them and they return. Until now...

On a whim, I broke out my butterfly net and found it A LOT easier to catch them than swat them. I dropped a live moth into the larger Sunfish tank. He hit it in the blink of an eye. This led me to catch about a dozen more and feed them to him.

The next day the Sunfish was still alive and there were a dozen more moths to catch. I split them with the African Butterfly Fish. The Butterfly and his Betta and Angel tankmates love them. It works well because I needed a live top-water food for him. And they're free!

I catch several a day and feed them. The moths are not coming back so much anymore. I think they will when the next round of larvae hatch out.

The Butterfly took flake from my fingers today. Almost all my fish do now. It's kinda cool. My wife saw the Butterfly the other day and exclaimed, "He's beautiful, Sundance!" That he is.

I brought home a replacement Knight Goby two Saturday's ago. He's doing well in the 20 gallon. I also brought home another stud male Guppy. He's busy inseminating the lone mature female I have who has taken refuge in the floating plants I bought. The latest Bristlenose Pleco is slowly cleaning the algae infested 10 gallon.

I moved the smallest Sunfish to the outdoor tub to keep the mosquitos at bay.

I lost two Farlowella's about a week apart. I don't know if it was lack of food or water quality?

I built my first PVC water change tool last Sunday. If I'd known PVC was so easy, I would have done this along time ago. It works better than I expected in some ways and under performs in others.

It's a three headed outlet for the three 15 gallon tank rack that connect to the garden hose at the bottom. (all I can do while I'm renting.) The lesson learned is that the 1/2 diameter tubing is significantly slower to drain/fill than the 3/4 tubing. It seems like common sense but I didn't think it would be such a disparity. Ah well. When I suit up the big tanks, I'll go for the 3/4 inch. Now that I've bought into the tools, the relative cost of each project will be fairly low. Especially for the time saved.

Flying Solo

2008-04-13T06:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is a Clownfish. Yes, it is yellow instead of orange. No, I have not stepped over to the salty side. This guy is temporarily housed at Exotic while a customer moves his tanks. It's rare to see a yellow Clown, especially in a retail outlet. His steward caught him while scuba diving.

Speaking of rare, this is a photo I took of a pair of Black & White Clowns. Also at Exotic. A neat perk of the job.

I missed the NWAAS meeting this month but my LFS owner's daughter was getting married and needed the day off. So I worked Exotic.

It made for a good day. I helped Dallas catch a large snowflake eel. A customer showed me how to identify mated pairs in a tank full of Platy's. I helped a woman in Spanish. I upsold where appropriate and discouraged when appropriate. I felt that I helped people with what they needed. Oftentimes it seems that the customers don't really know what they actually want. Having been there myself, I feel good about saving them some trouble by helping them with something they may not have even noticed. It almost feels like I'm giving them a little gift in that consideration.

Before I get too deep in describing the life of a fish clerk, I should say the feeling of responsibility is amplified today as Dallas and James left the store in my care for the last half of the day. It was fun to pretend it was my shop for the day.

More wet socks...

2008-04-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

This time, not from changing water, but from walking through water. We've had serious rains this spring and it's caused banks to swell, rivers to rise, and so on. I've never seen Beaver Lake this high. The exposed rocky banks on my drive home are several feet underwater. I was afraid they'd never be covered again, but here we are.

I got my feet wet taking my wife and canine to the local park, Lake Atalanta. All the drainage streams feeding into the lake were running and you couldn't help but get wet walking around. I'm pretty sure I saw a guy collecting but I'm not sure. I did some collecting, well, driftwood. The small pieces in the photo will work great even in a 10 gallon.

I set all the light timers to go off at 7:30 PM now. This will leave a little bit of light before the day ends. I've been reading a lot about fish not liking the sudden thrust into darkness.

I've put off mentioning some new arrivals that are two weeks into the tanks now. We've been really busy with work and trying to get my wife's semester wrapped up. Anyway...

photo courtesy of this guy.

African Butterfly Fish. This guy is my freshwater equivalent of a saltwater Lion Fish. His finnage is camoflaged to look like leaves. He's a top water piscovore so my Guppy breeders will need to step up production. The ABF started in the 20 gallon tank but blended in too well, so he lives in the 55 gallon planted tank now.

photo courtesy of galitz.com

I also added an American Flag Fish to attack the hair algae that's been creeping up. He has been the most spooked fish I've had. The algae has cut down though. I hope he gets over it.

photo courtesy of acapups.com

A guy brought in some beautiful white Sailfin Mollies to Exotic. I had to buy a pair. The male has a hint of yellow and orange in his oversized dorsal fin and a hint of blue in the tail. I hope they breed for me as well as they have for the last steward. They started in tank 15A but I read that they like a lot of room, so they now live in the former Oscar 55 gallon...

photo courtesy of Aquahobby.com

..Along with seven Albino Cory Cats. One of which is the biggest mother I've ever seen, literally. She's gotta be three inches long. We had a tank full at Exotic and I asked James if they came from his local breeder. They were retired stock. I hope she has a few more batches in her. The Cory's playfully enjoy the room of the 55 gallon.

As busy as we are, I had to rush a water change after work today. It's was due and I'll be out all weekend. I look forward to moving and thus a fish room so I can centralize and streamline. Rushed WC's are more work than play. I can't interact with the tanks when I'm crunched. I sucked another GloFish into the intake but fortunately I had placed a net over the hose and it kept him from being jetisoned into the back yard. What? Cut back on tanks? Ha.

I did buy into PVC this last week. I got the tools and the parts for the 15 rack. If it works, I can run one line to the PVC connection instead of three. I'll also be able to gravel vac as I drain which is an upgrade. The tubing is 1/2 inch, and if it works, I'll build similar setups for the larger tanks with 3/4 inch pipe. If I designed it right, it will connect to a larger room system I envision for the future fish room without too much modification.

I plan to setup the two outdoor 10 gallon tanks next weekend. Guppy breeding and fry rearing. If ALL goes to plan, I may use the two indoor 10 gallons as Daphnia farms, but we'll see. If I could find a tank floor full of marbles at a reasonable price I'd try to breed Danios again, but we'll see.

That's all for now.

Wet Socks: Year One

2008-03-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, today is the first anniversary of Wet Socks! With nearly one hundred posts, this blog has served it's purpose - journal my aquatic experiences.

So I guess I should get around to explaining why my blog is titled "Wet Socks". If you keep fish, you probably all ready know. When you're working with a tank, you almost always get some water on the floor. When wearing your socks, you step into these puddles and feel the cold reminder that you're still an amateur. Keeps you humble. : )

In hindsight, I'm proud of myself for maintaining this journal. A year on, I realize how much has happened with me and the hobby and now I have a record for it when I'm old and grey. If anything, I'm inspired to post more often.

The photo is a silhouette of my wife against a sunset on Grand Lake. I thought it fitting. Here's to another year of Wet Socks!

Benny Hasfins - Good luck to ya.

2008-03-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

Robin's Oscar "Benny Hasfins" wasn't a good fit. He's a pretty albino with remarkable orange pattern. But he liked to sulk. I don't know if it was loneliness or if he didn't like the tank decorations but he would spend 98% of his time laying down on his side on the tank floor. I'm also cutting back on my "culling" fish, so Benny had to go.

I took him up to Exotic Tropicals and James added him to the large Angel tank. Incidentally, someone else brought in a slightly smaller Tiger Oscar as well. They didn't square off, so it's looks like he has a friend. I did find it strange that the Electric Ghost Knife seemed to chase Benny around the 55 gallon tank. I don't think that's common.

Good luck to ya, Benny!

Farlowella & Fry

2008-03-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Exotic had Farlowella (Stick Cats) in, so I picked up three they had for the planted 55 gallon. This may sound strange, but they give me a reason to look at that tank again. I moved the Frogs from the 15 gallon breeder back into the 55 as well.

Daylight Savings Time has my tanks going off an hour "later" because of the analog timers. I found a clump of the dreaded string algae in both the 55 and 20 today. I'm speculating that the extended hour of photoperiod, paired with extra nitrates due to the delay in water changes caused the flare up.

Speaking of water changes, today I sucked a GloFish into the intake of the system. It drains outside, so I ran out and there was a florescent yellow fish flopping around on the ground! I picked him up and dropped him in the tank. He seems fine.

You'll notice in the picture above that I collected 16 Guppy fry from the 10 gallon upstairs. I missed a few but I'm sure I'll get them next week. The photo was really so I could count them. I moved them into the 15 gallon "grow out" tank with the other fry.

I checked on my worm bin to find worms everywhere! I guess the screen that I used has holes that are too big, and the worms have used that as a ladder to get into the outer bin. Fortunately, they didn't make it out of the bin. I put them all back in the interior bin. I have a plan for that, but I'll have to put it into action tomorrow.

Vermicomposting

2008-03-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

Live Red Wigglers. That's what it said on the outside of the box that came in the mail today. I bought a pound of these guys to start my first vermicompost bin.

How is that related to fish keeping? Well, as the worms eat our food waste, they'll reproduce and I have a sustainable, functional, live food source for my fish.

BONSAI: Brazilian Rain Tree

2008-03-08T17:39:00.000-08:00

I know this is an aquarium blog but I can't help post these pics here. This amazing plant has a unique property. At night, the Brazilian Rain Tree folds up it's leaves until day break. Speculation is that on the native beaches of it's habitat, the wind picks up at night and the plant decreases the surface area of the leaves for safety.

Notice the thorns in the detail photo! The tree grows larger in the wild (like some fish) but is kept small here, bonsai style. This specimen is from Bonsai Gardens of Northwest Arkansas. The owner was very knowledgeable about his trees and matched me with appropriate stock.

(You can click the photos to zoom in.)

What happened to February?

2008-02-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

I busted the camera is what. I had it on the tripod, and in between shots, it just fell over and bust open. BUT IT WAS ON THE TRIPOD, you say. Well, I didn't have the legs fully extended, so...

Anyway, I should have been posting without pictures anyway. Nothing major happening with the tanks. The Guppy's have thrown a few fry. The Glass Cats have tamed up. I missed the February fish club meeting.

The good news is that I replaced the camera today with a serious upgrade. Lights were out when I got home or we'd see some evidence. Look forward to some shots with my new Kodak Z1275!

Banjo Cat Sighting

2008-02-04T17:23:00.000-08:00

This was a couple nights ago. I walked by the tank after lights out and saw him in the corner. The Glass Cats were sleeping in formation. The camera was handy so I grabbed a photo. If you click the pic, it will get bigger.

Throat Ich

2008-02-02T15:53:00.001-08:00

Yeah, I made that one up. I've been sick all week with a sore throat that has migrated into my head and chest. I got some antibiotics, so we'll see how that goes. We also had some "snow days" here.

I used the home time, when I had the energy, to put together a simple DIY Brine Shrimp Hatchery. Inspired by Denny's model at the last club meeting, I needed something a bit smaller. So, instead of a full gallon container, I used a half gallon container.

To get the temp to 80F, I tried using a small heater, but it only got my water to 72F. There may be something wrong with the heater. Now I've got a 25W incandescent bulb trained on it. The temp got to 85 quickly. Since the only 25W bulb I have is an old blue party bulb, my bubbling DIY project looks like something out of a 50's sci-fi flick.

I'll use the shrimp to feed the Zebra and Guppy fry.

Midnite Maintenance

2008-01-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

Last night I woke up to an unusual grinding/buzzing in the bedroom. My first thought was that it was the gd "ultra quiet" air pump I'd bought a few months back. The only air pump I didn't buy used, and it's the loudest one I've got. But, I digress. It wasn't the air pump. It was the hang on back, or HOB filter, on the 55 gallon.

I moved the intake tube up and down a few times with no improvement. I flipped off the power strip and hit the bed. My wife murmured "thank you." I guess it was louder than I thought.

In the light of day, I found the problem. Snail shells were caught in the impeller. I cleaned it out and it fired right back up, thankfully. I also found a the remains of a dead fish in the filter box. I'm a bit embarrassed to say I don't know what fish it was. It looked like a Tetra, but I haven't had a Tetra for awhile.

I'll admit the 55 gallon has been neglected. It was once my proudest display tank. After the ich crash, I decided not to restock it until after we move. The glass has the uncleanable calcium deposits that are extremely unsightly, so I plan to switch the substrate/plants with the Oscar's 55 gallon tank that is blemish free when we move.

Excuses, excuses, I know. I still need to do regular maintenance.

I can see right through you.

2008-01-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

I brought home three more Glass Cats last Saturday, bringing my shoal to seven. Having six or more is emphasized in every reference I've come across on these fish. Apparently they need "group think" to survive. Sounds like some people I know at work. I wonder if they realize they are just as transparent? Ha!

Anyway, these fish haven't seemed to school yet. They hide in two groups of three and one loner. I imagine they're getting used to the tank. It's only been a few days. The original four are showing the new kids the ropes at feeding time. They come right out of hiding to catch food I place in the power head current. They're definitely mid-water feeders, though I've seen them search the substrate with their "whiskers" pretty effectively.

I learned recently from the book I'm reading "Catfish in the Aquarium" by Carl Ferraris, that whiskers on Catfish are much like tongues, complete with taste buds. So far, I've enjoyed the book.

When/if I get my tax refund, I may buy the the remaining Glass Cats from Exotic, if they have any left. We'll see.

I also moved in the Ghost Shrimp to the Cat tank. Five of the little buggers crawl and float around. They seem to be great scavengers and their anatomy lends itself to a perception that they are little workers, processing uneaten and wasted food. I'm a sucker for form-and-function so they've made my "must have" list for aquariums. Others include, but not limited to: Oto Cats, Cory Cats, an Ancistrus Plecostumus. The Ghost Shrimp's transparent appearance compliments the Cats and the tank overall. Even the wife seemed to appreciate their coolness, without any prompting!

Frog Watch '08

2008-01-28T18:08:00.000-08:00

I know you've been dying for an update on the Frog action. Well, it's been touch and go for a couple of weeks now. Earlier in the month they joined up, but not for long. Just before yesterday's water change I found them at it again. I snapped the photo above before carefully changing the water. They stayed together through the draining and vacuuming, but split up when the second bucket of water came in. Hope wasn't lost, though. The pair hooked back up shortly after. The female seemed to have a lot more footwork going on this time. More as this develops...

19, 19, do I hear 20?

2008-01-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so, um...I kinda just bought three more 10 gallon tanks. It was fate! My Mom emailed me that she had picked up a free wrought iron tank stand that held two 10 gallon tanks. Then, Denny of the Club and Denny's Fish Room posted on the forum that he was selling used 10 gallon tanks at a great price. Since I had one other spot (literally) that would hold another 10 gallon, I logically had to buy three. Once they're clean it will make 19 operating tanks, and if we count the classic chrome tank on the deck that I may or may not eventually repair, that makes 20 tanks. I may decide to stop counting.

But what will I do with three more tanks? If you can believe it, I had been wishing I had a few more smaller tanks with all this breeding I'm hoping to do. Be careful what you wish for?

On top of that, any excuse to see Denny's Fish Room is enough. He has literally thousands of fish in his fish room/floor. I'm kicking myself for not bringing the camera! He gracefully showed me around, sharing how the various plumbing systems functioned and teaching me a bit of genetics in the process. He has some beautiful Long-Finned Bristlenose Pleco's, and some surreal colored Electric Blue Jack Dempseys. He's even developed a strain of Peacock Cichlid that is pink in one light and in a quick turn completely becomes the powder blue of a Robin's egg and back again. We talked shop and he answered some of my questions about breeding.

All in all, a great Sunday afternoon.

Tales from the LFS

2008-01-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy my job at the LFS. Take this last Saturday. The shop opens at 10 am. I usually arrive an hour before. My first duty is "fed & dead" for the freshwater fish. This involves checking the tanks for fish that will not sell and feeding the ones that remain incorporate. This is interesting in both tasks.

I've developed the ability to glance at a tank full of schooling fish and quickly see the one floater. My eyes are being trained to see the slightest emaciation, color change, or out-of-the-ordinary growth. I can't get too proud of myself because I've also learned that no matter how adept I become at recognizing a dead fish - I'll never achieve the supernatural ability that children possess to spot the one fish in the shop that we missed. Of course, the irony in the situation is that we try so hard to avoid a child coming in to see the wonders of fish, only to find the one non-swimmer that may or may not start a conversation about life they haven't had yet. Ah well, more motivation to be even more diligent.

Feeding is obviously fun. I get to see the full range of styles. Top-water feeders, scavengers, and the "pet" fish that eat from your hand. It gets even more exotic with the saltwater side. A young Lionfish hasn't been eating. This can be common for wild caught fish adapting to aquarium life. So, we've been working with the "wire" technique. Much like fishing, sans hook, a thin wire is used to spear a frozen shrimp and used to animate the food for the fish. The movement simulates live prey so the fish will strike and eat.

After last weekend's feeding we swept the store and then drilled a glass tank. Saltwater tanks often need to be "drilled" to allow hose connections near the bottom of the tank. It's a neat process with diamond drill bits, water to keep it cool, and patience. Exotic Tropicals has been doing it for awhile, so it looks like a factory tank when they're done.

I could write several posts on the customers. People are different, and fish people are really different. Of course, those differences also create a common bond. I deal with people who carry the science of the hobby to the max with daily measured dosing and people who believe that they're experts that don't do water changes.

I really like it when a quiet customer opens up and reveals that they probably know a lot more about the hobby than I do. These humble folks teach me exactly what I came to learn. It's refreshing from the average customer experience where I try and explain why you can't mix a huge Cichlid with a tiny Tetra or add table salt to tap water and be ready for Finding Nemo. It usually starts when the quiet adept comments on a fish that most people don't see even when you're trying to point it out to them. Or, I'll overhear them talking to whoever they're with about they haven't seen such strong coloration in (scientific name here) since they successfully bred them for (x number of years).

I like to think they find it refreshing that the clerk (me) knows what they're talking about. At least ballpark. I do my best to keep up the conversation and asking questions without seeming too naive. Though it's been said, it needs saying again - one of the beauties of any LFS is that the staff should be steeped in hobby. An LFS is not a fish warehouse moving merchandise like it was cans of dog food. It doesn't pay minimum wage to part-time teenagers that can barely net a fish, let alone tell you what's compatible. To close my rant, that's why you pay more at an LFS. It's like comparing Red Lobster to Long John Silvers. They're both fish, but you get what you pay for.

Love in the ..water?

2008-01-11T17:29:00.000-08:00

The frogs were back to amplecting when I got home from work today. Of course, as soon as I broke out the camera they split up. Ah well. It feels like progress. So, more bloodworms and patience.

Amp'd

2008-01-10T16:51:00.001-08:00

When African Dwarf Frogs decide to go at it, it becomes a marathon! If conditions are right and a couple forms, they start the dance with what's called amplecting. The photo should explain what it looks like, though it's not the actual mating. That will come in 6 - 24 hours.

Today at feeding I noticed these two going at it again. (One of them is blind, literally.) I've got it on my long term goals to breed them so I decided, why not now? I have a tank set up to receive some Danio breeding, however, it was running empty while I prepared another conditioning session for the Danio's. The Frogs are ready, so I did a quick WC on the 15 gallon bare bottom and replaced the water with tank water from the Frog's 55 gallon home. The temps are both at 72 F.

I thought I could gently coax the hip-locked couple into a plastic specimen container and move them, but alas. I broke the mood with my attempts and had to catch them individually. I moved them into the 15 gallon and dropped some frozen bloodworms in front of them. They weren't too freaked out to eat! Hopefully they'll resume amplecting and then mate. I'd love to raise some Frogs.

You know you want to know - links to videos I made of them amplecting:

Part II - music by Milkbar, aka Jim Long and Matt
Part III - music by DMB

(I retired Part I)

Follow up to Goby

2008-01-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

I think our fish club president may have diagnosed it:

"I would say there was strong tissue necrosis from an infection, most likely fungal. The flesh around the tail was most likely completely dead and just waiting to fall off. Usually fish don't survive long enough for that to happen, but he must have been a tough bugger.
Sorry to hear you lost him." -Michael

Thanks, Michael!

Sad & Bizarre

2008-01-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

I don't know how to describe this. The Knight Goby has died, but why?

Tankmates:
Glass Catfish
Banjo Catfish
Otocinclus
Bristlenose Plecostumus
Male Guppy
Malaysian Trumpet Snails

Equipment:
Sponge Filter
Small Powerhead
Small Heater

When I started my morning check today, I found this disturbing sight:

What's worse, as I was taking the pic, I realized, he was still alive! I ran all the euthanasia options through my head and decided to put him in a cup in the freezer.

I found his severed tail, uneaten, in a clump of Java Moss.

I really don't suspect his tank mates, it seems to be a clean "cut", and the tail was uneaten. I don't see how the equipment could be at fault either, the powerhead is small, doesn't have a large enough intake, or any "slicing" parts anyway.

My theory is that he was resting in the Java Moss, was startled, and in a quick dash, his tail got caught in the moss and was sliced clean off?

However, a couple of days ago, I noticed he moved about with a "limp" in his tail. He carried himself forward with his pectoral fins, and his tail seemed paralyzed. I thought he had smacked it against the glass and hoped it would heal. I also noticed that at the LFS, the other Goby's in the tank would strike each other at the same point in the tail that he lost.

Maybe his tail was weak? damaged? diseased? and the moss finished it off?

Needless to say, I'm a bit stunned. I really liked that Goby.

Georgia Aquarium

2008-01-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

This is my brother's silhouette communicating the greatness of the place.

*writes jealously - I wasn't there. Maybe next time.

New Fry

2008-01-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention that I picked up four female Guppy's last Saturday with the other new arrivals. That brings me up to five females and one male (the infamous Black Moscow). I've put 'em through a bit of a rough week temperature wise. I put in a heater, so we went from 68F to 76F before I got it stabilized over a couple of days at 72F. I also have fed them pretty well with frozen Brine Shrimp, frozen Bloodworms, and flake.

I think all this contributed to at least four new fry discovered in the tank today. Yet another case of bringing home a female Guppy from the store that's all ready preggers. (The only male I own hasn't been introduced yet, and even so, it's a 28 day gestation period, so...)

It won't be long before my Guppy hordes over run the land. Or water. Or wtvr.

Incredible photography.

2008-01-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

OMG, if you want to see some top-notch photo's of Glass & Banjo Cats, click this link: Photos by Hristo Hristov.

New Kids on the Block

2008-01-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a Christmas bonus from Exotic, I've added some heads to my live stock!

photo courtesy of http://www.blastitude.com/21/21.htm

4 Glass Cats
We only had four in stock. I would have bought a full school if we'd had them. Once we get more in, I plan to complete a school of at least six. The four are now in the 20 gallon with Java Moss, Anacharis, Duckweed, and a new plant I picked up at auction months ago that I haven't ID'd yet. I added the small fountain pump to serve as a low flow powerhead because these Cats like to swim in the current. Other than the obvious coolness of having transparent bodies, these guys shimmer light through them when it hits them just right. I think they've also helped with a 'dither' effect for the Knight Goby, he's been showing himself quite a bit more since I added the Cats.

photo courtesy of http://www.scotcat.com/articles/article84.htm

1 Banjo Cat
This guy has been in the store for a while, and while I enjoy dusting the substrate off of him to show the customers how they like to bury themselves, I realized every time I did it, I secretly hoped they wouldn't buy him. So, he's now in the 20 gallon as well. He loves the sand substrate, and I love looking for the tell-tale-tail sticking out in a new place every morning.

photo courtesy of http://fish.orbust.net/ghostshrimp.html

9 Ghost Shrimp
More transparent bodies! These guys are cool and I hope they will breed. Once they've passed a several week QT, and hopefully produced some young, I'll start adding them to my planted tanks. If enough breed, I'll add them to the Oscar, Sunfish, and Bluegill tanks as well.

These additions have cheered me up in the hobby. My Dad visited for the holidays, his first time to see all my tanks. Due to the recent Ich-tastropy, I was significantly down in fish count. I talk all this fish talk, have all this equipment, and so few fish. It reminded me of making the bed every day, and the one day you don't make it, you have people drop by.

With these new fish, I feel like I've got another 'exotic' tank running well. Incidentally, I think Catfish may be emerging as my favorite freshwater family.

And why are all these photos via courtesy? I left my camera at my Grandma's house.

Inventory

2008-01-01T15:03:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be a good idea to take a measurement of where I am as we start 2008.

Summary:
16 aquariums - 335 gallons - 66 fish

This is how I'm using them:

Gal.	Purpose
75	BlueGill
55	Planted
55	Oscar
30	Sunfish
30	Sunfish
20	Goby/Cats
15	GloFish
15	Danio Breed
15	Cory Breed
10	Guppy Breed
10	QT
1	Guppy Fry
1	Zebra Fry
1	Zebra Fry
1	Ghost Shrimp
1	Ginger, Betta

Not to mention 2 Daphnia 'cups', 4 'cups' of Infusoria cultures, and a jar of Vinegar Eels in the Fish Room.

2007: Highlights

2008-01-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

Started my subscription to Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine.
Wet Socks started in April, with 72 posts.
The North West Arkansas Aquarium Society was founded.
Elected Secretary Treasurer of NWAAS.
DIY: CO2 with sugar and yeast.
A visit to the Wonders of Wildlife museum in Springfield, MO.
My first Native Collecting trips.
Visited Denny's Fish Room.
Got an autographed copy of TFH, by Kevin Mouser.
Experimented with outdoor tanks and tubs.
Battled raids from Raccoons.
Live chat question with Ad Konnings.
Won a 'care package' from SeaChem via Tropical Resources.
Hired on part-time at my LFS: Exotic Tropicals.
Launched web site for Exotic Tropicals.
Upgraded to a pressurized CO2 system.
Attended first Fish Auction.
Battled Dropsy, Ich, & Fungus.
'Renovated' bathroom into 'Fish Room'.
Built two custom tank stands.
Built two time saving Water Change Systems.
Craig Close, owner of Worlds Under Water, dies.
Successfully bred Guppy's.
Tried to breed: Betta, Danio, Cory Cats.
Began experimenting with black light detection of egg fungus.
Learned a lot!

Fungus & Blacklight..sound fun?

2007-12-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

Okay, put your Egon Spengler glasses on for this one.

I checked on the Cory eggs when I got home from work, and found two had fungus. I carefully removed them with the turkey baster in my "tackle box". Fast-forward to when the regular florescent light timer goes off and the black light comes on. I'm checking out the GloFish and I look to see if the eggs will "glow" as well. They don't. Well, all of of them except one.

Could this be an egg that just started to grow fungi? I turned the regular light back on to check. I couldn't tell which egg it was anymore. I broke out the turkey baster, went back to black light, and carefully removed the only glowing egg.

I took it over to my desk lamp and magnifying glass. Under magnification it showed several bands or streaks of white growth that was not present on the remaining eggs. Using a tripod and the 4 second exposure setting, I attempted to photo the "glowing" egg. It's not a clear photo, yet try and notice the glowing spot on the rock in the middle of the flashing circle. In real life it seemed to glow like a child's glow n' the dark toy.

Despite my promises to do a daily WC on the egg box I hadn't done any. I'm lucky the fungus didn't take all the eggs. So, to keep the water fresh, I moved the box to sit in the output of the power filter. It fits perfectly. The eggs are a bit sticky and after several minutes didn't seem to move from where they are stuck to the rock.

I do have a curve ball coming. (at least I know it's coming.) I'm going to the Grandparents for two days. If the eggs hatch before I get home, the fry may be flushed into the tank and quickly eaten. If I don't keep the box in the flow, the water may again stagnate enough for fungus to take hold. I may move them (though I'd hate to) to another tank with a sponge filter just before I leave.

In other news, the Knight Goby has found a couple of comfortable hiding places. He's been staying in them. I'm sure he'll come around in a couple weeks, once he sync's up his internal clock with feeding time. We've got the Oscar, Bluegill, and Sunfish eating from our fingers.

The Oscar had been sulking on the bottom of the tank over the weekend. I remembered reading in Oscars by Neal Pronek that they are prone to constipation. A quick Google search advised offering peas. My wife thawed some, and on the second day of offering, he started taking them. 24 hours later, he's back to his old self - begging for food.

Over easy?

2007-12-17T17:12:00.000-08:00

What's got two thumbs and new Catfish eggs?

This guy.

A Club member graciously gave me some live Blackworms at our last meeting. These guys can move. As I fed them to the GloFish tank, a lot of them escaped into the gravel pretty quickly. So, I bought a "worm feeder". (It doesn't nourish the worms, it slowly releases them into the tank, giving the fish more time to catch them.) And, I moved the Cory Cats in from the 10 gallon yesterday to hunt down the most elusive of the Blackworms.

Today when feeding the usual flake food, I noticed four white eggs stuck to the front glass. I couldn't believe it!

I quickly scanned the tank and found seven more on a glass rock. I grabbed the camera and started calling up the stairs to the wife. She probably thought I'd gone completely mad to see how excited I was over what looks like little balls of mucus.

Proud Momma Cat

Fortunately, another Club member had given me a tall plastic box. I had pre-cleaned it so it would be ready for this. To keep the temperature and water consistent with the temp and water the eggs were laid in, I filled the box with the same water and floated it in the tank, securing it with extra suction cups I have on hand.

Next, I carefully lifted and placed the glass rock into the box. Then, I gently scraped the eggs on the front glass onto a single blade razor. They were pretty sticky. I CAREFULLY brushed the eggs onto the rock in the box.

Now I wait. They're supposed to take seven days to hatch. In the meantime, I'll change the water with "home" tank water daily. (And thus one of the beauties of the small box.) I also need to check in on my Vinegar Eels, though they're isn't much hope there, and get my Brine Shrimp hatchery ready. I may try to get some Infusoria going by then as well.

GloFish

2007-12-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

By avid reader request here is a photo of the GloFish tank. This 15 gallon tank has 9 genetically engineered Danio's. They're energetic, colorful, and quite tame. I tried to get a shot with the black light on, but it didn't come out. It's pretty cool to watch them swim around in darkness.

Knight Goby

2007-12-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of aquariumfish

My Club's SMP has been delayed for several months, and having had a mature 20 gallon sitting fairly empty for a couple months all ready, I broke down and finally brought home a Knight Goby. My wife had seen them in the LFS a couple weeks ago and commented on how neat they look. I agree, as saltwater Gobies are among my favorite marine fish. The freshwater cousin is pretty neat looking as well. He'll reside in the 20 gallon until the SMP starts.

The big reset button: Ich

2007-12-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

Coming home from the auction last month put us home in the wee hours after a long day. We also had a lot of bags to get new fish out of before they ran out of air. This contributed to a mistake I knew better than to make. I put the new arrivals directly into their new homes - without a quarantine period.

It's not like I didn't have the tank space for QT. I just got cocky. I'd been spoiled by the stringent standards of my LFS - Exotic Tropicals. I hadn't had a disease since I'd been buying at retail chains. I thought, these breeders must be pros, and thus have clean tanks!

Well, they may have, but Ich broke out in the 55 gallon about three days later. It seemed to come on overnight, and STRONG. Every fish looked like it had been rolled in sugar. Losses happened daily for about a week. I lost every new fish, and every old fish, save four Kuhli Loaches and the two African Dwarf Frogs.

I treated with Organic Ich Attack, because I couldn't use standard Ich cures on the Loaches and Frogs. I think this contributed to the high body count.

It gets better. The day before the breakout, the large Angel in the 55 got himself stuck in a cave for most of the day. When I got home, I moved him into the 75 gallon so that wouldn't happen again. His wound quickly caught fungus, and I think that's how Ich got introduced into the 75.

Three days later, I was treating the Angel fungus with a dip in anti-fungal powder when I noticed he, and the other Angels had a few Ich spots. No scaleless fish in this tank, I brought out the big guns - Aquarisol, or copper salts. And aquarium salt. I dosed the tank accordingly.

This went on for several days, no losses, but the spots were getting more numerous. I bought more Aquarisol. One day, it seemed to be getting better. Seemed. It was the calm before the storm that erupted the next day, covering most of the fish in thick, heavy spots, head to tail.

I bought Quick Cure. The warning label is enough to keep you scared to use it, but what did I have to lose? I put it in according to the label, and three days later, no Ich!

It wasn't without loss though, by then everything was gone, save two small Angels, two Oto Cats, one Australian Rainbow, and one Pleco.

This outbreak brought me back to basics.

First - Always quarantine.

Second - Keep your equipment clean and maintained. After I had dosed the tanks, I found that I still wanted to do something and that led me to things in the fish room I'd been neglecting. Putting things in order seemed to help.

Third - Keep remedy in stock. If I'd had the bottle of Quick Cure on day one, I know the losses would have been less severe. I can't be elbow deep in this hobby and think everything will just magically "work". That would probably be pretty boring anyway.

Summary - I know not to do it again. This is different than I've read or I've been told not do it. It shouldn't be, but it is. It's the same as the other often ignored maxims of the hobby:

Don't overfeed.
Don't neglect water changes.
Don't overstock.

We'll see how that goes.

Rest in Peace: Craig Close

2007-11-28T17:06:00.001-08:00

Craig Close, the owner of Fayetteville's "Worlds Under Water" had his memorial service today. As they read Craig's life achievements, I couldn't help but be impressed. He taught students in Iran, built his own home, and owned "Worlds Under Water". The hobby has lost one of it's own for now.

Craig is a Christian.

I felt it appropriate to re-post a video I put together from the day I met Craig. It was my first aquarium club meeting with Razorback Reef. Craig opened his store before it's grand opening just for the club. We toured his new location. I was amazed at the custom racks and constatnt water change system he designed. He also showed us an in-substrate system for delivering CO2 that he invented, noting that some plants uptake CO2 from the soil. Craig then escorted us to a private business that he and his team maintained.

It's my first video, so the sound is a little low. You may have to turn your volume up considerably, and show at full screen.

Click here to watch video. 3.4 MB, requires Windows Media Player.

Craig is wearing a jacket with a star on it.

Rest in peace, Craig.

KC Fish Auction!!!

2007-11-22T07:01:00.000-08:00

Talk about fun. The Club went up to Kansas City to the Heartland of America's Aquarium Society's fall fish auction!

The day started at 3:30 AM (I forgot about the time change - fall back). I'd done myself a favor and moved most of the fish marked for donation/auction to the 75 gallon the week before. Half awake I started netting fish and bagging them individually:

6 Angels, sm
1 Pink Kissing Gourami
1 Red Zebra Cichlid, male
1 Betta, male
1 Betta, female
1 Bushynose Pleco, male

Though the Hi-Fin Mickey Mouse Platy was planned to go, I couldn't catch the thing. It's a hider. At the last minute, I also thought "as big as the Bushynose has grown, and with all the bulldozing he does, I think I'll donate him too."

Kevin met us at Denny's and we drove up to KC. When Kevin saw the Pleco, he asked how much I thought it was worth. I said "about $8, what I paid at Exotic." He laughed and said, "this is a male. I'd guess it'll go for $30." Well, he was wrong. To everyone's amazement, the Bushynose went for $37!!!

The other fish went for what I thought, a dollar here, five there. Tammy had given her Betta to me for adoption and he went for $5. The Club made around $200 total with everyone else's donations.

My wife got pretty excited about the auction scene. I let her hold the bid card. We made a few bids. She won herself a nice Albino Oscar, about 4-5 inches, for $5. She also won a pair of Black Moscow Guppies, a pair of partial Reds, and a nice trio of Black and Turquoise.

I couldn't resist a pair of yellow Sailfin Mollies, six Dwarf Neon Rainbows, four Australian Rainbows, a trio of Bronze Cory Cats, two Border Loaches, an exotic Pleco, a Swordplant, Water Clover, two florescent light fixtures, and some misc. stuff.

Kevin got some fish and a 55 gallon tank. We were in the Saturn. We all squeezed in and made it, though.

Overall, a terrific day in the hobby! More photos here.

Tank re-purposing

2007-11-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

I got the new 55 gallon cleaned, painted, and set up about a month ago. I used white/tan/brown text blast for the substrate, cured driftwood and plastic plants. I only have a 24" florescent fixture for this tank, so no live plants.

I decided to let Gil spread his fins by upgrading him from his 30 gallon. So what goes in his old home? I thought that since it tended to smell from what I suspect is the curing driftwood I could move the Daphnia culture indoors. They eat bacteria and bacteria smell, right?

The first attempt had no filter, no air, and thus scum quickly built up on the 30 gallon. Deprived of fresh oxygen, the Daphnia expired. I ran an airline, and a day later fished out the remaining culture from the outdoor tub. They died a week later.

I think the 30 gallon was too deep and needed to be stirred every few days. When I get an extra 10 gallon, I think I'll try an indoor culture again.

The 30 gallon finally got to be noxious and I emptied it, cleaning it outside. Much to my surprise, a Pleco was found alive in the gravel that I was washing off the deck. This tank has been running in the mid 60's F, unheated, low oxygen, no food - for a month. This survivor even lived through several minutes of undiscovered open air exposure and immediate acclimation to the other running 30 gallon. (Which he had spotless the next day.)

Once I make sure the cause of the smell is gone, I imagine I'll re-purpose as a grow out tank for Guppies.

Fallen Hiro & new plants!

2007-11-21T20:57:00.000-08:00

Hiro unexpectedly died. The most probable cause must have been CO2 related. About a week after the CO2 dump, I was feeding the 55 gallon when Hiro went stiff and nose dived all the way to the substrate. I was a bit dumbfounded, realizing I'd literally watched a fish die in front of me. What are the odds?

HiroPro (another Hiro from the Club) graciously gave me two new plants - Bacopa Carolina, and Ludwig. They're thriving in the 55 gallon, already showing new growth.

GloFish. Yes, GloFish.

2007-11-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of GloFish.com

GloFish - genetically manipulated fish that literally glow in florescent or black lighting. I traditionally have stayed away from this kind of thing in the hobby - cheesy plastic decorations, fake plants, etc. I typically prefer the natural look.

Enter the wife visiting me at Exotic Tropicals - "Baby, I want these!"

I decided to make the top-most 15 gallon in the new rack a GloFish tank. This was about three weeks ago. That's right, three weeks. That means the tank is cycled and ready.

I've chosen black gravel for substrate. It looks slick with the painted black sides and back. I'm using a hang on tank filter, black. Submersible heater, black. Plastic plants, black with white accents. A bright blue plastic plant. Glass rock that reminds me of green kryptonite, glass rock that is smooth white, and real quartz crystals. The final touch? A dozen small pieces of gravel sprinkled in the mix in neon green, yellow, and orange - the colors of the fish. The kicker - a black light fixture on top.

Obviously I'm not hating this. I'm a bit surprised how fun it has been to design a tank around "un-natural", the polar opposite of where I usually try to take it.

I plan to surprise the wife by bringing a school home from work on Saturday. I'll post pics when I can.

SMP: Species Maintenance Project

2007-11-21T20:25:00.000-08:00

Tequila Goodeids. A freshwater livebearer forced to near extinction from disappearing habitat and unnatural domination from an introduced species. My aquarium club is starting a Species Maintenance Project that will help keep this species from disappearing.

It's basically what it sounds like. Six members will obtain a starter stock and dedicate one or more tanks to the project for a minimum of five years. During this time, we'll allow the Tequila's to breed and raise their fry. We'll strategically swap live stock at key intervals to aid genetic diversity. The tanks will be species only (save a clean up crew). We won't sell any of the fry, though we may provide stock to other clubs wishing to participate.

I've moved the Guppies and Albino Cory Cats out of the 20 gallon to dedicate the tank to the SMP. We anticpate delivery of our stock at the December club meeting.

Pressurized CO2

2007-11-21T19:31:00.000-08:00

I finally acquired a pressurized CO2 system.

5 lb Bottle
02 Regulator
Needle Valve
Bubble Counter

It's used, so I needed to fill the bottle. I exchanged a full bottle for $12 at the local welding supply. I also broke the Bubble Counter trying to remove the hardened airline. I tried to reseal it, but was unsuccessful. I brought my DIY Bubble Counter out of storage and attached it. The DIY works great. I don't have a Reactor, so I hooked up a ceramic airstone to disperse the fine bubbles.

This system didn't come with a manual. So, I tried manipulating the valves this way and that. I couldn't seem to get a consistent one bubble per second. I gave up messing with it in the dark and resigned myself to seek direction in the morning.

Steve Hampton himself answered my post on Tropical Resources.net . Steve is an accomplished aquarian and plant guru. I had blown my needle valve in my inexperienced fiddling around. It won't be possible to get a consistent flow until I replace the needle valve.

I called the welding shop and two home oxygen suppliers - no luck. I'll be ordering this online. Post if you got links!

Anyway I continued to act out my inexperience by ignoring good advice and tried to regulate the flow from the primary valve. It seemed to do okay. Better than my first attempts. Fast forward to me coming home from work to find the throttle roaring the tank with CO2 bubbles. Expletive.

I immediately shut off the flow. At the same time I was scanning the tank hoping I wouldn't find what I thought I would find next. Fish laying on the floor of the tank, gasping at the top, looking around in confusion. Nothing belly up yet.

I suddenly realized I had a hierarchy of favorites I wasn't conscious of before. The "Stick Cat" Farlowella. The Blue Rams. The big Angel. Everything else.

The Farlowella is curled up on the gravel in the corner. Expletive. I rush to deploy the newly finished WC system and start draining the tank. Now get the Farlowella. Realizing I had mocked "fish CPR" when I read about it didn't stop me from trying it. I gently held the Stick
Cat in my hand and gently moved it back and forth in the filter output. The Blue Rams were gasping at the surface for air. I didn't sweat the Gourami or Betta, knowing that anabantids are designed to breathe air from the surface. I moved the Farlowella back and forth. I decided that since it wasn't stiff, I wasn't stopping yet. After literally five minutes, he started showing signs of life. Great.

Run to the sink to stop draining and start filling. Back to the tank. Check on everyone. I started swirling the surface with a spoon. Check on everyone. The tank's filling so I grab the test kit and run the regulars.

My target range for CO2 is 10-15 ppm. I'm testing out at 90 ppm. The danger isn't so much that the CO2 is removing the oxygen from the water, the oxygen is still there. It's that the CO2 is over-saturating the water and keeping the oxygen from getting to the fish's brains.

The 60% water change is still filling so I jump on Tropical Resources and post for help.

By now the tank is full and I stop the fill and start the drain again. I think about how well the WC system is performing. I think about how things should be designed to be counted on in a stressful situation. It helps draw a line for fancy vs. function. I think the WC system is a bit of both.

The fish slowly perk up and I do several WC's. Fortunately the fish lived. However, the Comet Variatus didn't regain the ability to swim. He lived for days on the tank floor. Kevin said that it probably received brain damage from the lack of oxygen to the brain. The Comet was culled.

So, I need to replace a needle valve. I'm thinking that I might try running the flow to a plastic airline splitter and using the valves on that to dial it down. Maybe not.

ExoticTropicals.ws launched!!!

2007-10-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

I am honored to announce that my LFS has allowed me to build their web site and it launched today. Check us out at:

www.ExoticTropicals.ws.

(Yes, .ws) In addition to the web pages, I also took the photos and did some graphic design. It has been a beautiful convergence of my hobbies and skill sets. Not only that, I worked out a sweet trade.

I haven't been slacking in the hobby, just busy. I've now got 15 tanks, but more on that later.

Peace.

DIY: Three Tank Stacked Stand & Tank Painting

2007-10-16T18:31:00.001-07:00

Riding the confidence from my last tank stand, I've put together another piece of work. It went smoothly. Especially since I used the day to measure, cut, sand, and pre-drill this new tank stand - in between coats of paint on the three new 15 gallons and the new 55 gallon.

What I learned this time:

Tank stand - Double check your blueprints. Invest in a drill press. Let one end of the 2x4 hang free to keep the power saw from binding. Use smaller sizes of wood for support pieces. Spray paint is the fastest, easiest, and best looking paint on wood, IME. And, thankfully, this last piece of advice is from the hardware store clerk and NOT experience - "What's the number one safety rule with a power saw? If you can see blood, it's too late."

Tank painting - Nothing cures quicker than strong sunlight. Adding a fan helps. When you think you've got enough coats - do two more. DON'T try to make it work when condensation is on the glass.

Despite my key learnings, I've turned out a decent stack stand and the 55 gallon looks GREAT.

I'll try and get some pics up when life slows down a bit. Ha!

Nocturnal Visitor

2007-10-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

3 AM. The dog has found something, but he's trying to be quiet about it. I hear him digging at a box. No barking or growling. He thinks he's got something he shouldn't. This thought carries my body out of it's bed and towards the dog. I flip on the lamp. Nothing. The dog lifts his front leg as if he were a pointer. He's sure of something. Then, the power cord for my wireless phone moves.

I move a box and see an adult crawfish (crawdad, crayfish) feeling his way around. Even in my drowsy state I instantly remember the last time I saw this guy was when he was smaller than my pinky as I put him in the 20 gallon. I also remember I'd forgotten about him.

For some reason I thought, "he probably left the 20 gallon, looking for food, as big as he is now." He looked blue. I slid a piece of paper under him and quickly dropped him in the 75 gallon.

The next day, I found him colored up and greedily working over some Java Moss.

Going forward, I think I'll stick to Neosho Midgets. They stay that small, cute size.

Red Zebra Cichlids

2007-10-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

(click for photo credit)

Unfortunately, it was a bit too much stress for the female Cichlid to mate, give birth and then endure capture and relocation. It's a shame, because a mated pair would have been awesome.

They're very pretty fish. However, they seem to be very aggressive. I'm going to try to raise the fry. Ironically, they are aggressive vegetarians and I'm stocked up on protein for fry. I've been putting in Java Moss bits from other tanks, hoping they can forage from that. I've also powdered some Kelp flakes and added tiny pinches.

The now lone male has taken up temporary residence in the 10 gallon. He was hounded by the Bluegill in the first 30 gallon, and hounded the Long Ear's in the second 30 gallon. Even though he's a pretty fish, I don't want to dedicate a large tank to just him. I think I'll take him to the upcoming Kansas City fish auction with the Club.

Betta Breeding

2007-10-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

I had been trying my hand at breeding Betta, but with all these new tanks and fish coming in, that isn't panning out. I'd made significant progress.

I'd filled the 10 gallon only five inches deep and provided some floating Duckweed and Anacharis. Bare-bottom and no filtration, aeration.

First up was new arrival - Hiro Nakamura, a comb-tail male Betta. I placed a Guppy floating breeder tank in, complete with female Betta. Hiro made some weak attempts at building a bubble nest, but after two days, nothing but soda water. Apparently, comb-tails can be like this. Hiro developed some fungus on his fins, so he went into the triangular 1 gallon for some salt and Aquarisol (copper salts) treatment. It cleared up in two days.

I rinsed the tank and refilled, with some salt this time. I netted "Ginger", my wife's male Betta, from the 55 gallon. Ginger immediately went to work on his bubble nest. In 24 hours, it stood at least a half inch above the water line, and was about two inches in diameter.

I released the female. Flare and puff as he might, she wanted no part in it. After an hour, I put her back in the breeder tank. This continued for a week, and the bubble nest grew every day.

I decided to remove the female for a couple of days, do a WC. Ginger immediately built a nest twice as large in the space that the breeder once floated in. I tried one more time, introducing the female to the tank. She was good at hiding, so I left her in overnight. By the next afternoon, no action. A last hurrah.

Now I needed tank space. (the four new tanks haven't been painted yet.) I had a male Red Zebra Cichlid and fry to attend to.

So, Ginger is in the kitchen 1 gallon, the female betta in a three liter wine bottle, and Hiro is in the older 55 gallon. I plan to continue this adventure once I get my other tanks going.

Raging, unrelenting, MTS.

2007-10-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

My mother is an enabler. As my friends might phrase it - "Not" I'm shoulder deep pruning moss from the live plant tank at work and my mom calls on my wireless. She found a 55 gallon tank, complete setup with stand for $50 at a yard sale. I ask if it would hold water, and it's still setup and running.

"It's got a bunch of clay flower pots in it." my mom related.

"Sounds like he's a breeder."

"Yeah, he's got a garage full of ten gallon's running on a PVC system. Oh, there's two fish in the tank....he says they just had fry!"

"A mated pair? What kind of fish?"

"He says it's some kind of Cichlid."

The guy is breeding Red Zebra Cichlids in it, fry and everything. When he hears my questions, he decides to give me the fish too, since it sounds like I can take care of them. More on that in another post.

So with this 55 gallon, I'm up to 14 operational (or soon to be) tanks. I was just going to keep the new 55 dry outside, but the stand is too nice to weather. So, maybe a plant tank, or a low fish count? We'll see. I'm a bit impressed with myself for finding space in my duplex.

I must add - my wife was excited about the tank. That is so fortunate. Mad props.

New Arrivals

2007-10-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

So it only makes sense that once I started working at the LFS that I would start bringing home fish. With that said, here's what I've been bringing home.

(Note: Photos are not my own and don't do my specimens justice, except the Loach photos. For photo credit, click the pic.)

Hi-Fin Platy (2) -Sept 15, 2007
These guys are clearly community fish. I'd had my eye on this orange and hunter green male. He had a few brothers in the FW Display tank, and they looked great with all the live plants. So I chose him for the 55 gallon, and another male, blue with a "mickey mouse" pattern on his tail. Mickey didn't look as good as I thought he would in the 55 gallon, so he has been moved to the 20 gallon. He'll be making the trip to Kansas City next month for the fish auction.

Candy Swordtail -Sept 15, 2007
The yellow and orange of this Swordtail caught my eye every time I walked by. Just so bright. He's almost too bright for the natural atmosphere of the 55 gallon, but he's staying.

Comet Variatus -Sept 22, 2007
Another one I'd been eyeing for weeks. The yellow dorsal, blueish body, and dark orange tail make a great color glue for the 55. (I realize that probably only makes sense to me.) Variatus is really a Platy, bred for this coloration.

Kuhli Loaches (5) -Sept 29, 2007
Who doesn't love a Loach? After a couple of customers raved about them and I did some research, I bought 5. They need at least a group of 3 to be happy, and since they're nocturnal and notorious for hiding, I thought 5 would be better. I'm hoping to catch some of their playful antics at feeding time. They're also in the 55.

MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome)

2007-10-03T17:05:00.001-07:00

Fresh off of maintenance streamlining comes an incredible sale at my LFS/part-time job - 15 gallon tanks for $15. That's yard sale prices! I gladly handed over my pay for the afternoon to pick up three of these bad boys. Before you label me crazy - I needed these!

I've been wading into breeding, and I'll need some grow out space. Also, with cold nights coming soon, I need to sustain my Daphnia culture. I'm hoping a 15 gallon will do it. And, my wife is bugging me to get some of the genetically engineered Glo-Lite Danios. The new tanks just happen to be a long as my blacklight. They'll also serve a vital role when we move as a safe place to put fish.

It's a good thing I just learned how to paint a tank and build my own stands!

Cause for Celebration

2007-09-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report that I have a new record on water change time. The WC's on the 55 and 75 have long been my least favorite part of the hobby. My old record was 45 minutes. The new time?

25 minutes. The secret? For the past few weeks, I've been working on a WC system using hoses, Y connections, and plenty of towels for cleanup. (Tile flooring was a lifesaver.)

Since I rent, I can't make permanent plumbing changes to the house. This got me thinking that I should set up a semi-permanent system. I didn't want to mess with PVC glue so I opted for common garden hose.

First, I laid the hose along the floorboards, under the bed, around corners, and in closets. Using the Y connections, I ran line to both tanks. I cobbled together sprinkler system elbows and threaded PVC to hang on/in the tanks without fear of slippage. I completed the system with a quick change connection for the bathroom sink. Just plug and play, right?

Wrong. Lesson learned - garden hoses don't seal well. This is okay when you're outside and the faucet-hose connection is spraying out on the lawn. This is NOT okay indoors.

Take two - I moved the operation outside. These tanks are on the bottom floor, which is half underground, sloping down into the back yard. This puts the outdoor faucet at tank height, which comes into play when working with siphons. This time, I stored the PVC connections outside, bringing them in the window for the WC. I ran three Y connectors off the faucet. Manipulating the on/off valves and faucet, I would attempt to create a siphon to drain the tanks. This worked well on the 55 gallon, but failed miserably on the 75 gallon. I look to two factors. The 55 sits higher with less hose. The 75 is lower with more hose to get below tank level on the drain end. Also, we're back to garden hoses don't seal well. I could hear air burping into the siphon, killing it pretty quickly.

Take three - Undaunted. (I all ready bought these parts. I'm going to use them.) I added a hose to the system, moving the Y connection for the 75 from the faucet (above tank height) down the hill to below tank height. Worked like a charm. The 55 connection has a tendency to burp out if I don't watch it, but it works well enough for me.

The only other grief I have with this system is that it is outdoors, and Fall is winding down. Water comes out of the tap at around 80 F now, but can easily get to around 40 F in the winter. And I don't want to go outside when it's that cold.

The ups of this setup are that both tanks can fill and drain simultaneously or independently, the PVC elbows are a breeze to setup in the tank, and the time savings.

Painted Background

2007-09-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

My LFS paints their tanks. Mostly black. Some light blue. Some dark blue. To me, the black looks the most professional. Sure, you can buy black paper, and it works fine. But, it really doesn't stand up to the professional look of painted glass.

Additionally, it can be difficult to cover the sides and bottom. Black sides add a bit more to the display. I've painted the bottom because I'm going to be trying my hand at breeding and that often calls for a bare bottom tank for cleanliness. Fish and fry tend to freak out when the bottom is clear. I think it's something to do with light reflection.

So, to share what I've learned from the experience -

I used Black Acryllic Latex paint. A half pint was more than enough.
It takes MANY coats. And you have to let it dry completely between coats.
Sun light and a fan can help drying time.
The painted surface must be level during application and drying.
The glass isn't porous, thus the paint doesn't "stick" well, thus the multiple coats.
Bubbles will show on the finished product.

The notes here were a big help: "How to paint your own background."

Notably, this is the fourth incarnation of this 10 gallon tank. It's been a normal tank, a year as a divided paladrium, back to a regular tank, and now, a breeder.

Numbers

2007-09-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

221 Gallons
55 Fish
8 Tanks
1 Fanatic

New CO2 Regimen

2007-09-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

So my DIY CO2 only got me to 9.0 parts per million at it's best. Since I'm aiming for at least 10, and less time working with it, the Seachem package couldn't have come at a better time.

The plants in the 55 gallon are doing well, but I know they could be doing better. I've got the light output, I've upgraded the substrate, I think I just need to up the carbon.

I tested the water just before today's WC. 5.7 ppm. I dosed the prescribed amount of Flourish and Flourish Excel. The Excel is an every other day thing, so we'll see how that goes.

Interestingly enough, my nitrates have plummeted from 20 to a record 5. I attribute this to the Cabomba added about a month ago. Thanks, Kenna!

While I was in the tank, I scraped the algae and found most of it to be brown algae. So, I moved another Oto Cat in from the 75. Hopefully there will be plenty of new leaves to keep them busy as well. I also moved the Guppies out, some to the 75, some to Gil's tank.

This morning, the Rams were as colorful as I've ever seen them. The male strongly pursued the female. I threw in some live Daphnia for fun. This afternoon, the male had quit pursuing the female, and ran her off from one of the caves in the tank. The female kept chasing the large Angel. I'm thinking they spawned and were guarding eggs in the cave. Of course, with the Pleco and the whole community involved, I doubt I'll see any wrigglers.

Carpet Surfing Sunfish

2007-09-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Alas, the largest Sunfish met an untimely end carpet surfing this week, the smallest of the four seemed to just slowly pass. I've upped the airflow to the tank. Luckily, the remaining two are taking frozen Bloodworms. Gil is doing well. He's taking to his new role as chief culling officer very seriously.

LFS - Local Fish Shop

2007-09-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

I have an interesting opportunity to grow in the hobby. I am now a part-time employee of my LFS - Exotic Tropicals. It is incredible. I work Saturdays and I am steeping myself in new information. The irony is - they are paying me!

Seachem & Tropical Resources = My Heroes

2007-09-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

You're looking at the prize package I just won during Tropical Resources.net's live chat session with Ad Konnings! Seachem graciously sponsored the drawing, even allowing me the choice of several sets of products. I chose the plant package.

Seachem sent five 500ml (big) bottles from their plant care line up:
Prime, Flourish, Flourish Excel, Potassium, & Iron.

I guesstimate the retail value around $200. Yes, $200. I plan to share my good fortune with my local aquarium club by donating two of the bottles for a fund raising auction.

The rest I'll use to feed the plants in the 55 gallon. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing.

So, thank you Tropical Resources, and thank you Seachem! You've made a lifelong fan.

DIY: Dual 30 Gallon Tank Stand

2007-09-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

The algae and raccoons finally persuaded me to move the 30 gallon Sunfish tanks indoors. To do that I needed a stand. Since I've maxed out the aquarium space in this duplex, it needed to hold a stacked stand.

I researched online and decided to draw up my own plans. NOTE: "Two by Fours" are NOT actually 2 inches by 4 inches. I came up a little tight, ultimately having to undo several screws, setting the bottom tank in place, and then tightening the screws.

The stand is built from three "two-by-fours", one half sheet of plywood, 4 inch deck screws, and a can of black spray paint. I put in about 5 hours a day for two days into it.

Total cost, approximately $15.

If you don't have power tools, or aren't proficient with them, you can get your pieces pre-cut at Lowes/Home Depot when you buy your materials.

Pharoah the Farlowella

2007-08-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

So I stopped in Exotic Tropicals today to see if they had the SAE's I'd ordered. They didn't, and like a fool, I browsed the tanks. I asked what the stick looking fish was and Dallas told me it was a Farlowella. I was all ready seeing it fit in with all my driftwood and plants in the 55 gallon. I asked the routine questions quickly. He seems a match, and at a good price too. Going against my own advice, I bought it without researching it first. And to cap it off, I put him right in the tank with no quarantine period. What's the matter with me?

Anyway, he's doing great so far. He took to the aquascape of the 55 immediately, and yes, fits very well. I named him "Pharoah".

I took advantage of having the tank open to introduce the rescued Betta to the 55. I know I've got five Guppies and a Gourami in there, but the tank has a lot of cover, so I'm not too worried.

I also resigned my hopes of the Ramirez's mating in the 20 and moved them into the 55 as well. They're noticeably happier in the larger environment. They've colored up nicely. I think the 55 is fully stocked now. I spent some time watching everyone getting acquainted and I really like the overall set up of the 55.

With the 1 gallon empty, I moved two of the three wild Killies in. This will help me get them food easier. The third went to the 20 gallon with all the Guppy fry. We'll see how that goes. I moved some of those fry into the Long-Ear tank, and they ignored them. Gil didn't. He likes them. The Long-Ear's don't seem to like the Bait Store's night crawlers either.

Catch-Up Post

2007-08-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

To the avid fans, I do apologize. I haven't posted in a while and the irony is not because things are slow with the hobby. Quite the opposite. It's busy in all areas of my life right now, but if I don't get this stuff written down, regardless of style, I will have missed the goal of this blog - documenting my hobby. Where to start....

Gil the Bluegill - He's doing great. Especially considering. A couple weeks ago, he started developing an infection in the hook wound he had on his nose. I added one dose of organic anti-fungal and it cleared up in a few days. I almost got rid of him because I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to tame the wild out of him. He freaked out every time I went by the tank for weeks. Then, I offered live nightcrawlers, and now he greets me eagerly every time I walk by. I've even had him take the worms from my fingers!

The raccoon(s) are back with a vengeance and I have been combating them for almost two weeks now. We had a surprise hard freeze this spring and folks who know say that the small animals in the area don't have the usual supply of nuts and berries. So, they're more daring and desperate. The egg crate was useless against the articulate raiders. Luckily, the fish survived. The deck plants did not. I guess they're looking for grubs. The dog usually wakes me, and we go upstairs and run the coon off. That got old quick, so I solved the security issue by weighing down the egg crate with 15 pounds of free weights! I still get the 4 AM raiders, but they haven't gotten in - yet!

The towel around Gil's outdoor tank worked well on combating the algae. The algae and the raccoons have motivated me to build a frame and move the tank indoors.

The Daphnia tub is thriving on the green water, topped off with tank water once a week. The mosquito trays work on weeks when the raccoons don't empty them.

I moved the driftwood tank indoors two weeks ago. Kevin and I went fishing in Missouri and collected some nice Long-Eared Sunfish, Wild Guppies, Topwater Minnows, and Native Killies. Kevin introduced me to the seine. I've got the Killies in the 10 gallon. The rest went into the 30 gallon formerly known as the Driftwood tank.

Did this stop me from collecting driftwood? Heck, no! I picked up a nice LARGE piece while on a float trip with my Dad last weekend. It's currently leaching tannins into Gil's tank. The brown water should help with the algae. The piece works really well with the size of the tank, and gives Gill a comfortable hiding place from the sun. The other pieces that had finished soaking have made their way into all the other tanks. I've got to get some pictures up!

We had our local aquarium club meeting two weeks ago. It was great. Some members brought some back issues of Tropical Fish Hobbyist to offer up to the group. Since this is my first club, I pick an issue that has "Societies and Clubs: What You Can Learn From Your Own-and Others" on the cover. I didn't immediately notice the other headline: "Collecting Natives in the Ozarks" (and I live in the Ozarks)

I start thumbing through the issue and see a picture of a guy standing ankle deep in a stream, holding a turtle. I think to myself "that reminds me of last month when Kevin (club member) took me collecting. Then I notice that the guy in the photo IS Kevin! I quickly look at the article's title and author - Kevin Mouser! I look at Kevin, sitting right next to me, and he's grinning.

Not only is he VERY knowledgeable about native U.S. fish, he's also VERY humble. I made him autograph the magazine. Since one of my other hobbies is collecting comic books, an autographed TFH is a real treat for me.

I also picked up twelve healthy Angels from a club member who breeds them quite well! They're doing great in the 75 gallon.

So, THEN...

I go home to catch the live interview & chat with Ad Konings on the national forum Tropical Resources. Not only was the chat cool, (it was like reading a magazine article, except you got to ask questions - live) I won the door prize - a box of Seachem products!!! What a day for the hobby.

Gilbert the Bluegill

2007-07-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

My Dad caught a hand sized Bluegill in Oklahoma last weekend. I brought him home for one of the outdoor tanks. I've put off the post for a week because I've also had a MASSIVE algae bloom now that the sun has decided to come out and I can't get a photo for the post.

Gil is doing well in the tank. He hasn't bothered the two Plecos in the tank. I've fed him mosquito larvae, Daphnia, Bloodworms, dried Shrimp, and flake food. It's hard to tell what he likes with the algae cloud. I added a HOB filter to help with the added bioload. To fight the bloom, I've put up an eggshell colored cloth over the sunny side of the tank to reduce the sunlight exposure.

I'll get a photo up once the water clears.

I also cleaned out the other outdoor tank and moved the driftwood that had been soaking into the other 30 gallon. New pieces are now soaking under rocks.

The rescued Betta is recovering without infection, which is good. The crawfish I caught about a month ago is comfortable enough to roam the 10 gallon in daylight now. He's tiny. The Topminnow fry my brother caught is really growing in the 20 gallon. The Angel and Kisser seemed to have settled into their new homes nicely. The Cabomba I got at the last aquarium meeting is doing well in both the 55 and 75. The Guppies are almost out of control, and some may be taking up residence with Gil very soon.

Louvere = Egg Crate

2007-07-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

I made it to Home Depot and picked up a sheet of louvere, the plastic grid with half inch holes. It cuts to fit pretty easy, and one piece had more than enough to cover both outdoor tanks. No more jumpers, raccoons, or cats. And, the bugs can still find their place at the dinner table.

Speaking of bugs, I can't keep the mosquito larvae out of my outdoor Daphnia cultures. I was racking my brain trying to find a solution, when it dawned on me- why fight what nature is trying to give me? The fish eat the mosquito larvae just as well. Now I've set out small plastic dishes with tank water. In a few days, I should have single serving mosquito treats! I'm still working on a viable way to culture the Daphnia indoors because the free larvae go away in a few months.

I lost the Ram in the 55 yesterday. I think he ran into something and damaged his swim bladder. He was resting on a plant and "breathing" hard. Later, he was tail touching bottom, head facing up, and breathing hard. Strangely, the Angel and Gourami came slowly up to him and kind of kissed him on the cheek, one on each side, and then swam away. Weird. After lights out I went to check on him and he had passed. He didn't show any signs of disease. His eyes were still clear, which is uncommon in ill fish. He fit the 55 well. I may get another Ram to replace him.

Jumping Ship

2007-07-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

I've had two fish jump out of the topless outdoor tanks two days in a row. I've had them in there for weeks and the past few days must have been the escape plan. The TFH boards have told me I can get egg crate for a top at Home Depot. So I may just have to make myself a nice little Sunday tomorrow. I don't know if there'll be enough time.

Consequence of Ignorance

2007-07-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

This is Ginger, the Betta that we setup for my wife's preschool. He's had a pretty good life until recently. Apparently, another "counselor" wanted in on the attention Ginger was getting and bought a Betta for her room. Of course, she neglected it until the unfiltered bowl she kept it in festered enough for the smell to remind her to notice she still had a fish. Why would she take the time to change the water now? So into Ginger's 5 gallon tank went the new Betta.

Minutes later Ginger's fins are shredded. The "counselor's" solution - buy a divider at Wal-Mart and "install" it incorrectly. People trust this person with children. Maybe the kids will learn what laziness and neglect does for living things.

When I heard about it, I had my wife bring him home, and he is enjoying all the live Daphnia he can eat in his private hospital tank. I've got posts with my forums to learn what to do from here.

Transplants

2007-07-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

So I've been noticing the Opaline Gourami hiding more than usual in the 55 gallon. Today with the feeding I saw why. The Kissing Gourami was aggressively chasing him around the tank. He didn't let up for several minutes, so I knew something had to be done.

The Kisser is the only original fish in the 55 from setup. I got him as a two inch pup from Wal-Mart. Over the years, he's grown to a good six inches. I'd been thinking about moving him to the larger 75 gallon since he could get up to 12 inches in length. However, Kissers are known to kiss all over fish like Angels and I have one centerpiece Angel in the 75.

I decided to try it anyway. I dipped the Pink Kisser and placed him into the 75. The Angel immediately moved to investigate. After a minute or so, the Kisser moved toward the Angel. Freak out. The Angel ran. The Pink Gourami followed, though not aggressively. The Angel didn't care, it ran until it found a hiding space by breaking line of sight with the Kisser.

The Tetra's instantly went into defensive formation, blurring the lines between Glo-Lite, X-ray, and Black Phantom. One network responding to the invader.

The stress level of everyone was very high. I realized it was probably that way when I was first adding fish to tanks, I just didn't notice. After watching them for some time, I could tell the Angel wasn't going to be comfortable.

I considered moving the Angel to the 55 gallon. Opaline Gouramis don't kiss the broad, flat sides of Angels. But what about cross tank contamination? I've had Dropsy in both I tell myself and gently dip out the Angel.

He looks great in the medium planted tank. The Opaline, or Cosby, Gourami ran his feeler fins across the Angel a few times, but shows no aggression. I thought this would be a good time to feed off the extra culture of Fruit Flies I had on hand.

I dumped probably 50 Flies in. They flickered on the surface in confusion. The Killi was the first to notice. He started snatching them up between blinks of the eye. The mother Guppies got in on the action, and soon everyone, including the Angel moved in to feed. I was surprised how fast the swarm was eaten. I suppose in the wild a group of bugs probably swarm through a habitat and the natives frenzy feed while they can.

The Angel looks happy. The lone Kisser looks happy. The Tetra's will get used to him, and there is no foreseeable danger between the species. If the stress level wasn't enough to invite illness, I think this will be for the best.

I now pronounce you...

2007-07-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

Secretary-Treasurer! My local fish club, NWAAS, elected me Secretary-Treasurer at the monthly meeting last Saturday. The club is just getting started and it's exciting to learn how an aquarium club works. There's more to it than I thought there would be. Bylaws, non-profit status, and whatnot.

This past meeting we talked a lot about live food. That was timely for me. I brought the cultures of Fruit Flies I'd started. Apparently, the instant mashed potatoes used for their food is just instant mashed potatoes and water. I had been cooking the mix with butter and milk. Explains the smell. Ah well.

I picked up some handy plastic jars with easy control lids for culturing the Flies from Denny of Denny's Fish Room. He has more for sale, just click here. I also got more live Daphnia, Grindal Worms, and confused Flour Beetles.

An interesting concept was discussed about live foods and breeding fish. Since cultures are infamous for doing well for several generations and then inexplicably "crashing", Club members often share their cultures freely with the group. If/when their original culture crashes, they rely on the members they shared with to share back with them. I love it. I've all ready been able to do that with the Fruit Flies. It's a great reason to find a club.

Another member shared some Fan Wort, which I divided into the 55 and 75.

I was able to talk about my lack of success in getting my pair of Rams to breed. They recommend I reintroduce the other male to the tank to relieve some of the aggression the current male is exhibiting towards the female. That may lead to a male death, so I'm trying some advice that I got from Exotic Tropicals first. I put a mirror against the glass to stimulate the male into thinking he better get to it before another male does. If this doesn't help, I'll try the Club's advice.

Next month's meeting will have a talk about Community Tanks: Do's and Don'ts.

Hope to see you there!

Live Food - Fruit Flies

2007-07-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my Aquarium Club, I've had the pleasure of experiencing Fruit Flies as live food. These guys are readily accepted by my Angelfish, Killie, Perch, and Tetras if they can get to them.

Culturing them is fairly easy. I re-use empty sour cream containers. I put a quarter to half inch of instant mashed potatoes and cover with a coffee filter secured by a rubber band. The Fruit Fly starts as a worm eating the potatoes, and then hardens into a cocoon before emerging as a small fly.

They reproduce fairly rapidly, and feeding them off is necessary once a week once the culture gets going. The culture is prone to mold and mites, so I've found it helpful to continually prepare fresh cultures as I go.

The strain of Fly I have is not wingless, but is generally flight less. This doesn't stop them from jumping pretty far! Before working with the culture, I've been putting them in the fridge for about 10 minutes to slow them down. I also recommend working with them outdoors.

I've fed off the adult flies, and rinsed the larvae for feedings as well. Overall, a fairly easy culture that is a big win with the fish.

To see a short video of the Perch enjoying them - click here.
(8MB .mov) Music by Edgar Meyer (another true master).

Rocky Country

2007-07-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of Bob Ross, a true master.

You can't tell very well from the photo below, so I overlaid what you can see easier in real life -

what I believe to be Raccoon prints on the tank wall.

This is from the 30 gallon outdoor tank. All the fish were present and accounted for. I've run off a family of brave raccoons from the deck before. They were into a bird feeder at 2 am. This one is either likes night fishing, or was washing something else he found.

I haven't had a top on the tank so far. I thought the neighbor cat would have been in it long before now. I keep it open to allow bugs to land on the surface, thus feeding the fish a wild variety. I was hoping that the mosquitoes from around the house would choose it for a breeding ground, lowering my mosquito counts. We've had so much rain recently, I don't think it's having the effect I was hoping for.

I'll probably pick up some egg crate from the hardware store tomorrow to cover the outdoor tanks.

Gibran:

2007-07-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

Strife in nature is but disorder longing for order.

Algae Eaters- The Plecostumus

2007-07-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

The tank shot above was the 30 gallon outdoor tank. I was hoping to keep it as a Swepco Lake biotope. The direct sunlight in the mornings has proven a haven for algae.

So, I enlisted two Plecostumus to help keep it under control.

Green algae wasn't the only problem. Hair algae was rampant as well. So, I moved the Siamese Algae Eater out of the virtually plant free 75 gallon into the outdoor 30.

Two weeks later -

The other outdoor tank has been soaking driftwood, and I guess the tannins leaching in the water either block out the sun or chemically keep the algae non-existent.

Dropsy strikes again

2007-07-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

Dropsy. Not attributable to a specific anything other than water quality. Just a general infection that can develop from weakness or an open wound. A few posts back, I noticed the Golden Wonder in the 75 had a cut on it's side. When I returned from an out-of-town trip, the Killi was very swollen. I had fed a lot of Fruit Flies before I left, and my "hope" was that it was constipation. Web research revealed that the distinctive pine cone look of the scales was a definite sign of Dropsy.
I moved the Killi to the 1 gallon hospital tank, filled with the home tank water. I added a minute amount of organic anti-bac, anti-fungal. The Killi died within hours. I've yet to save a fish in a hospital tank. I still attempt it to protect the other home tank inhabitants. I did a 40% WC on the 75 gallon and added the same anti treatment.

The Killi will be missed. It was fun to feed live foods.

The wound undoubtedly led to the Dropsy infection. A good reminder to not keep any sharp edges in a tank, and maintain frequent Water Changes and minimize overfeeding.

While we're on the subject of fish loss - I moved the Fundulus notatus to the 55 gallon, thinking it would enjoy the cover of the Water Lettuce. It died the next day. It seemed, and it was, a wild fish. It didn't settle in like the store bought fish do. I guess it's a key learning in my first steps into native collecting.