Quote :

"i've received another response from someone else at the City water dept. he said he wants to work w/ me on this until i can get fish to survive in my tank. i'm impressed. he called petsmart and walmart here for me to see if they've had any water problems also. he also gave me names of ppl there that will help me get this figured out. seriously, i never expected actual help from a City of RM employee/official."

yea, that's sound really cool. I would never expect them to do that. I seconded the Aquaclear filter recommendation. I run them on my tanks and they work great.

11/27/2007 8:05:02 PM

i'm already running 2 aquaclear filters, but thanks.

11/28/2007 9:10:57 AM

Get a cheap $100 Kent RO/DI 3 stage system, hook it up, treat your own water, and buffer it to your needs. Never worry about city water again.

11/28/2007 1:42:47 PM

i have a small 1gallon tank that my betta used to live in here at work. i want to put something else in it, but i don't really want another betta. i was kinda thinking tetras. how many could i put in there?

any other suggestions on tiny fish that don't need tons of water?

12/6/2007 3:27:47 PM

Whatever you do, don't put a goldfish in there.

One of the biggest misconceptions around are that Goldfish can live in a small bowl and be happy. They're much too nasty for that (They need ~10 gal each)

12/6/2007 3:30:50 PM

Quote :

"any other suggestions on tiny fish that don't need tons of water? "

betta would be the recommendation, but since you don't want betta, i would suggest get a pair of guppies and watch them breed.

12/6/2007 3:34:24 PM

^will they just eat the babies like goldfish do? b/c i don't need 239847239847 baby fish surviving in the tank... lol

Quote :

"Whatever you do, don't put a goldfish in there. One of the biggest misconceptions around are that Goldfish can live in a small bowl and be happy. They're much too nasty for that (They need ~10 gal each)"

read the thread. i know this already. my home tank is a 55gal that ha[d] 4 orandas.

[Edited on December 6, 2007 at 4:15 PM. Reason : ]

12/6/2007 4:13:29 PM

^yea, if you don't take care of the babies, the parents will eat them, or you could just give the babies to me.

12/6/2007 4:16:50 PM

alright, cool. guppies it is.

do they typically sell both males and females at petsmart?

12/6/2007 4:17:35 PM

yes they do

12/6/2007 4:22:35 PM

gracias

12/6/2007 4:23:05 PM

Do you have a heater for it? If not, make sure it doesn't get too cold for them (both during the day and at night when they might turn the heat down).

Though I assume if you had a betta in it already it's fine ... unless that's what killed it ...

12/6/2007 4:29:25 PM

no, the City of Rocky Mount killed him. i hadn't thought about the heater issue, but the betta did fine w/o it.

[Edited on December 6, 2007 at 4:39 PM. Reason : w/o]

12/6/2007 4:39:08 PM

it shouldn't be that big of a problem if you keep the tank somewhere warm, or near window where it gets sunlight.

12/6/2007 5:10:44 PM

I just thought about it because I have a 2-gallon tank that I really want to bring to my office, but they keep it pretty cold in here.

Are there any kinds of fish (or shrimp or anything that I can put in the tank, really) that don't mind cool temperatures? Not really cold, but ~65 or so.

12/6/2007 5:11:00 PM

^65 isn't too extreme. I'm sure most fish can survive that. The key is NO sudden change in temperature. I'm keeping a few swordtails in 65 degrees water right now, and they're fine.

12/6/2007 7:01:01 PM

Has anyone seen the laser-etched (for lack of a better way to describe it) fish they're selling nowadays? I went to the store last night and they had fish that looked like they had been drawn on with blue and red sharpies because they looked tacky - all kinds of polka dots and hearts and stuff like that. I asked the guy how they were made and he said lasers.

I found something here http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=850
about a company that custom does it, but nothing about pet stores selling them. I think it's stupid and cruel.

12/8/2007 10:41:36 AM

That sucks.


I was gone for a week and came back and one of my gouramis has what looks to be a cold sore around his mouth, I am hoping he just ran into something as he seems fine otherwise.

12/10/2007 10:45:19 AM

I still have my aquarium for sale if anybody wants it

12/10/2007 1:15:32 PM

^^ more than likely a bacterial infection

12/10/2007 7:46:51 PM

Whats the best way to treat that?

12/10/2007 9:42:27 PM

^an antibiotic is probably your best bet. It's hard to say which antibiotic, because I don't know what bacteria it is. You might want to try the salt treatment first. If you need some antibiotic, I still have some.

12/11/2007 7:56:50 PM

Okay, since the other one was locked - I'll bring this one back up.

Does anyone have pics of tanks with mirror backgrounds or know where I can get a mirror background? I'm curious as to what that looks like

1/28/2008 9:28:53 AM

I just got the generic blue, I also have some mating platys holla.



Also, wife wants a salt water tank so I am a go. Any tips or suggestions as to what size to start with. I am thinking 20 but may go 29.

1/28/2008 9:35:30 AM

apparently, for saltwater, bigger is better.

1/28/2008 10:03:34 AM

i would do 55 gallon minimum for saltwater, but i guess that's just my opinion

[Edited on January 28, 2008 at 11:06 AM. Reason : ..]

1/28/2008 11:06:38 AM

Since i saw this thread pop back up, figured i would update (if anyone cares).

My wife got me that canister filter i wanted for christmas, and my tank has never looked more beautiful.

All the brown crap is gone, the fish look extremely happy, my plants are growing well, etc...

My wife and i both are shocked at how much difference the filter change has made.

1/28/2008 12:05:36 PM

nothing used to satisfy me more at work than when I worked at the pet store and it was tank cleaning day. I LOVE the sight of a clean fish tank.

my old freshwater:





I miss you!

1/28/2008 12:11:42 PM

i didn't realize this thread existed before starting the other one.. oops

Any advice or links for starting a planted tank?
I know I'll need to buy a new light - what brand is best?

My tank is pretty tall (44 hex) so i'd like some plants that grow to a decent height.

1/28/2008 2:35:54 PM

Quote :

"i would do 55 gallon minimum for saltwater, but i guess that's just my opinion"

Room is an issue, I might just do a tank with chiclids or barbs to satisfy her color obsession, I love my tetras and such but to each his own.

1/28/2008 2:52:29 PM

^some cichlids get pretty big too, so I don't know if that'll solve the problem or not. If you like colors, goldfish or community fish are great.

1/28/2008 3:35:55 PM

Goldfish are a waste, I have a tropical set up now, theres only so many "fun" fish out there and I prefer community fish, its the aggressive ones that are "pretty"

1/28/2008 4:28:44 PM

We just got our first Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) shipment in at work, talk about cool. We got the polyp and ephyra stages also for growout.

2/6/2008 12:20:55 PM

^ you need to come by and get your paycheck... i think there's like 3 of them in the safe

2/6/2008 3:50:32 PM

you guys got jellyfish!? what kind of tank do you need?

2/6/2008 3:53:44 PM

Quote :

"you guys got jellyfish!? what kind of tank do you need?"

http://www.jelliquarium.com/productdetails.aspx?productID=3205

We built something similar to that. You kinda have to see it to understand it. The tank is made in such a way that the corners of the tank are round, so its a perfect round current so the jellies dont get stuck and die.

Basically you need the tank designed for them, a wet/dry, and a chiller, we keep ours at around 63-64 degrees.

Gill, the owner, was curator at Monterey Bay Aquarium and worked on and designed their systems. This from wiki:

Quote :

"Holding jellyfish in captivity presents other problems. For one, they are not adapted to closed spaces. They depend on currents to transport them from place to place. To compensate for this, professional exhibits feature precise water flows, typically in circular tanks to prevent specimens from becoming trapped in corners. The Monterey Bay Aquarium uses a modified version of the kreisel (German for "spinning top") for this purpose."

2/6/2008 5:03:48 PM

Lost a guaormi to dropsy then my pleco passed yesterday, this has been a rough patch for me.

2/28/2008 1:08:49 PM

Just got a gold gourami last night and a sunburst platy

5/7/2008 1:49:30 PM

bump for the aquarium nerdz

5/7/2008 1:58:40 PM

bttt

3/5/2009 11:10:02 PM

^ thanks

I just finished a small project and I'm looking at what kinds of fish would be appropriate


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/windhound/imacaqual.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/windhound/imacaquabright.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/windhound/imacaquafair.jpg


Its near exactly 3 gallons, has two bubble sticks, no heater.
Thinking about some Zebra Danios
Maybe a Betta
Suggestions?

3/6/2009 1:01:26 AM

^that, or some guppies. Please do not put goldfish in there.

3/6/2009 8:18:43 AM

^Yep. I had goldfish in my old 10 gallon with active filtration
They still managed to foul the water pretty good, even with water changes. Hate to see what they'd do to this little tank

How many Zebra Danios or Guppies would be happy in a tank that small? From what I've read they like to be in largish groups, but I cant see putting too many in there. Max 4? Maybe 5?

Could I do something like 4-5 neon tetras and a betta? Or is that asking too much of a 3 gallon

3/6/2009 10:56:01 AM

I wouldn't recommend zebras (or most danios) for that small a tank. They are zippy and like room.

You might consider white cloud mountain minnows. They are in the same dannio family but get much smaller.

2 killi fish might also work. They are colorful. I think they are also air-breathers like bettas (I could be wrong though).

3/6/2009 11:41:39 AM

bttt

6/27/2009 8:44:43 AM

bump

5/31/2011 10:15:47 AM

For schooling fish what is the minimum quantity you should have?

I'm upgrading my betta's home soon and was debating on going to 10 gallons and throwing a few neon tetras in there. However, my girlfriend wants him to stay in the kitchen because he's such an active guy and is fun to watch while we're cooking or doing other stuff so 5 gallons is probably a better fit.

Can i add any tank mates in a 5 gallon? From what i've read most people recommend a snail or ghost shrimp, though the shrimp may get eaten in that small a space. I'd prefer some tetras, but the betta comes first so i don't want to over crowd him.

5/31/2011 10:42:31 AM

BTTT.

so my betta developed a tumor on his side, at first i thought it was a swim bladder problem, but now do not. he passed away yesterday.

i'd like to continue using my 5 gallon tank, but want to get multiple fish instead of just a betta. Can anyone give me tips on what's best and how many?


5 gallon rectangular tank
full 3 stage filter
aquarium heater

3/14/2013 10:21:25 AM

General rule is one inch of fish per gallon. That doesn't seem like enough fish to most people because they're used to seeing overstocked tanks at pet stores. You could get a handful of little schooling fish.

3/14/2013 10:32:19 AM

yeah, i don't want like 30. 4-6 would be great.

3/14/2013 10:34:55 AM