Fishman1995's update

F

Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
#1
May 11, 2010
1,341
0
0
North Carolina
#1
So, Ferdnan and Henry are still doing fine, i just did a complete tank wash out today and i didnt like the rock's so i removed them and added back in the old sunken ship. I downgraded to just my Amazon sword and 3 Aponogetons for a bit neater look. I also bought some Liquid Fert from my LFS to give the plants a nice boost. Ferdnan is my healthy happy boy! and here is a pic or two of the tank :D Let me know watcha think and LETS GET BACK RECONNECTED lol.
 

Attachments

T

Thyra

Superstar Fish
#4
Jun 2, 2010
1,891
0
0
Yelm, WA
#4
Your tank is still not level and while with a five gallon tank it doesn't matter so much, if you ever get a larger tank it will. A stand will not make a difference because you have to level the stand at the floor just like you could level your dresser - and don't use cardboard - it compresses. Use wood or metal.
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#6
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#6
Thyra said:
Your tank is still not level and while with a five gallon tank it doesn't matter so much, if you ever get a larger tank it will. A stand will not make a difference because you have to level the stand at the floor just like you could level your dresser - and don't use cardboard - it compresses. Use wood or metal.
Click to expand...
+1 Thyra

A buck or two at Lowes and you can level 10 aquariums.
 

F

Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
#7
May 11, 2010
1,341
0
0
North Carolina
#7
Okay, the liquid Fert i got is Flourish by Seachem. My light burnt out some 2 weeks ago, i wanted to get a Flourescent light, and mama grabbed the normal fish tank lights (all walmart had) and told me that was what i was getting :( A complete washout OC is taking the tank and rinsing the gravel and pouring out all the water, then filling it back up. I did keep some of the bacteria so i wouldnt suffer a re-cycling issue. I also picked up 2 more snails from my LFS today to help eat Algae if it grows bad.

Some more bad news guys, mama said i cannot get a bigger tank for christmas so basically ive decided the 5 gallon will be all i have until im out of her house since she A-wont let me care for them and B- keeps changing her mind on if i can have one or not. Sorry i put yaw through all the stocking troubles.
 

T

Thyra

Superstar Fish
#8
Jun 2, 2010
1,891
0
0
Yelm, WA
#8
Has your mother ever told you why she doesn't want you to have an aquarium? Usually mothers don't keep changing their mind particularly after they supposedly promise you something. Does she think you irresponsible. You did lose a lot of fish in the past year and also took many back to the LFS. Do you think this enters the pictures anyway? I believe you once said your Dad would get you anything. I am not saying you should have a larger tank, particularly if they don't think you will take care of it and just keep spending money. You will have to figure that out.
 

L

Lionel

Small Fish
#9
May 24, 2011
19
0
0
#9
I can see why you've stayed away.

I think it's something that you've kept that betta alive and haven't brought home any bala sharks or oscars or anything. It's a start anyway.
 

kenny1tothe6

kenny1tothe6

Large Fish
#10
Apr 14, 2008
691
0
16
32
#10
Lionel said:
I can see why you've stayed away.

I think it's something that you've kept that betta alive and haven't brought home any bala sharks or oscars or anything. It's a start anyway.
Click to expand...
You're such a stupid troll...seriously, go back to your spot under the bridge.

Fishman, I'm glad Ferdnan is doing good[and his pet snail(s)]... :p

Just take it nice and slow...if you do get the bigger tank, that's great, if not, plan for until you move out or whatever...that's what I did until recently when I started buying more tanks[my parents stopped caring]...lol You've still got a long life to live, so you'll be able to have the bigger tank at some point...
 

F

Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
#12
May 11, 2010
1,341
0
0
North Carolina
#12
Okay, i took Ferdnan and Henry and my plants out of the tank into a jar to hold them til i got done. Then i sturred the gravel with my hand, got all the bulbs out that had never came up proprely and then i got a glass of the DARK brown water. I unpluged my filter, unpluged my light, took both off, then i lifted the tank off the dresser, walked it into my mama's bathroom where i stuck it under the faucet, turned it on hot high, let it fill about halfway while sturring gravel, then pour it out and repeat about 4-5 times. Next you bring the tank back to its spot, sit it down and fix the gravel back out evenly and scrub the crud off the glass. Next you reset the decorations and plants as you want them. Then you slowly refil it back with water (i used the top of the castle to avoid gravel displacement). When the tank is half full, you then go to my bathroom where the filter is, wash out the little motor propeller, the sucking tube, and the mini filter that sits in front of the main cartridge. Next i slighty rinsed the main cartridge in cool water and asembled the filter again. Then you add it back on the tank (the tip of the sucker is just below water. Next you finish filling the tank with water until it reachs 4-5 inchs from the top, then i filled the filter back up with the icky water making sure to pour it slowly behind the cartridge so it catchs all debree that was in the water. Then you plug the filter in,and the light is put back on and pluged in and turned on. When it first starts normally it shoots out a bit of debris (brown gook) which quicky settles. After 5 minutes of filter going, you then fill it up to your normal spot, then i add Aquasafe, my Plant Ferts and a dosage of Bacteria supplement as a just in case thing. i wait 15 minutes then add water to ferdnan's jar slowly 5 times over 25 minutes to acklamate him back to the water, next i pour the jar water into another jar while holding a net over the jars entrance hole to catch ferdnan and i add him and Henry back to the tank. I monitor for 10-20 mins to make sure he;s okay and then its finished. I tested P.H. and its finally back down to the light green, which is 6.4 instead of the high 7.0 range. and thats how i do it :) takes about 1 hour from begining to end :D
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#13
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#13
Ok, that's the 'how' but not the 'why' you would do that. In all my years of fish keeping, I've never completely removed all water or washed the gravel like that. Just was curious as to why you would do that.
 

T

Thyra

Superstar Fish
#14
Jun 2, 2010
1,891
0
0
Yelm, WA
#14
I agree with OC, Why? you said you had a siphon for vacuuming and I know from personal experience you can avoid the plants - you only have a few - and a couple of fish. You also said nothing about checking any temp and why suddenly after every thing that has been said about not being concerned about pH are you concerned. Mine is at least 8 and I have had no problems with any specific fish. I certainly wouldn't want to try to maintain it at a different number. If you are doing the normal water changes, it would just go back to what ever it normally is from you faucet. Bettas are apparently pretty hardy fish from my experience, but I have for gotten what your other fish is.
 

T

Thyra

Superstar Fish
#16
Jun 2, 2010
1,891
0
0
Yelm, WA
#16
Yes you did! Whatever happened to weekly maintenance and why did you buy the siphon if you aren't going to use it? Is this why your Mom won't go for a bigger aquarium?
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#17
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#17
Fishman1995 said:
then i got a glass of the DARK brown water.
Click to expand...
While this 'DARK brown water' will likely contain SOME bacteria, what you are 'saving' to put back in your newly cleaned out aquarium is fish poop.

Fishman1995 said:
wash out the little motor propeller, the sucking tube, and the mini filter that sits in front of the main cartridge. Next i slighty rinsed the main cartridge in cool water and asembled the filter again.
Click to expand...
Unless you are cleaing this filter out in your change water (which you are not, as it was washed out with the hot water in your mama's bathroom), you have destroyed most of your biological filter. The 'cool water' you then rinse the main cartridge in is tap water? So there goes the rest of your bio-filter.

Honestly, Fishman1995, you've been here long enough to have read what has been said about how to maintain a fish tank. It took me two hours every two weeks to do gravel vacuums and water changes on 8 aquariums (two 5-gallons, two 10-gallons, a 15 gallon, two 20-gallons and a 29 gallon). This two hours also included trimming plants and replanting tops I trimmed if needed.
 

F

Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
#18
May 11, 2010
1,341
0
0
North Carolina
#18
Okay, so i just got done discussing with mama, and the deal is, if i can keep Ferdnan and the snails alive until Christmas, I can have a 10 gallon tank to go beside ferdnans, however, she said i may only have 6 fish and a snail and i must write out on a piece of paper, exactly what they are and we both will sign it and then thats what i'm getting. And i did tell her that i must level the tank so it doesnt crack, that i will need some extra help with, will it be okay to just stick like a small block of wood under the edge that is unlevel? That shouldnt hurt the bottom of the tank right? I also intend to do Flourescent light and a few live plants. I am going to go do some research (alot of it) to see what fish will be happiest, work best and be not to difficult to keep. This time i intend to break my reputation of always changing my mind lol. Well here i go :/
 

F

Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
#19
May 11, 2010
1,341
0
0
North Carolina
#19
some Species i have picked out are : African Dwarf frogs (always wanted one), Tateurndina ocellicauda, Jordanella Floridae, Corydoras Aeneus and Limia Nigrofasciatus. The only worry i have is that the African Dwarf Frog is gonna die because i feed it Shrimp pellets. I cant find bloodworms in any of my LFS's nor can i find them frozen. Freeze dried one's arent gonna supply all the nutrients it needs so is it best i just not get one?
 

Last edited:
T

Thyra

Superstar Fish
#20
Jun 2, 2010
1,891
0
0
Yelm, WA
#20
Fishman! You can not level the tank!! You need to level your dresser. Once the dresser is level the tank will be level. If you just put something under the edge of the tank, it will break again. I have leveled a lot of things by myself. Surely your Uncle has a level. You will need to check front and back because sometimes it takes a combination of shims, but like OC says they are probably less than $2 at Lowes or Home Depot. Frequently I am able to use scraps of wood. Take a drawer out of your dresser so you can get ahold of something (If the edge isn't enough) put the shim or piece of wood on the floor and lift and kick it under with your toe. Then check and adjust. When you get it right you can square things up by tapping the scrap with a hammer. The beauty of a shim is it is tapered, a scrap of wood is not. I will bet your LFS has frozen blood worms - just ask them, but lets not get involved in stocking again until you see the aquarium.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.