Anybody do aquariums?

[Destiny Marie]

Just ate up a 36 gallon aquarium and I have 4 glolite tetras. These fish are really pretty and active. I am going tonight to get some bottom dwellers and maybe some more of the tetras. Then next week I plan on buying some guppies.

[LJ3]

That's cool. We just got a couple plattys, a snail, a catfish, and a worm looking thing. My kids and I watch the fish tank for hours. Good stuff.

[Destiny Marie]

Sorry I have been away for a while, been in front of the aquarium. I have no.patties but I do have 6 glolight tetras, 5 diamond tetras, 3 long find dannios, 2 long find zebra dannios,  a picture catfish, albino bristlenose plco, 18 ghost shrimp an X a verity of.guppies. I don't even turn on the television anymore.

[Devlyn]

I have some goldfish in ten gallon tanks, they need more room now. I'll be getting something bigger and putting them all together.

Hugs, Devlyn

[kittenpower]

Aquariums are nice; I used to help maintain a large salt water aquarium; we had numerous fishes, and an octopus. 

[alexis.j]

I used to keep a marine reef aquarium. Stunning to look at!
Maintenance was ok as i automated everything, but the running costs got a bit much... especially if you do things properly.

[Devlyn]

I have some goldfish in ten gallon tanks, they need more room now. I'll be getting something bigger and putting them all together.

Hugs, Devlyn

Voila! 75 gallon goldfish bowl. I  dragged the stump out of the woods. I kept rocks on it until it stopped  floating in the tank (mostly). It still needs that one rock to hold it down.

[ghostbees]

Voila! 75 gallon goldfish bowl. I  dragged the stump out of the woods. I kept rocks on it until it stopped  floating in the tank (mostly). It still needs that one rock to hold it down.

Your aquarium is beautiful!
How much does it cost to run?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Devlyn]

Your aquarium is beautiful!
How much does it cost to run?

Thank you! I like the natural presentation and tried to simulate a river bottom. Goldfish are cheap and active.

The tank, lid, and light  was $175, the outside filter was around $50, the UV sterilizer was $30, the backdrop was $20, and  the  heater  was $15. The pleco was $6, and the whole swarm of goldfish  was another couple bucks,  they're all  19 cent feeders.

I change filter pads and change out twenty gallons of water  twice a  month even though I tell myself I'm going to do it every week.  That's about  $5 per month, and the electricity probably costs  $10 - $20 per month. Maybe  $5 per month on food. The  UV sterilizer failed after a year, out of warranty so I bought a new one.

I think that covers everything.

Hugs, Devlyn

[Valleys Girl]

Thank you! I like the natural presentation and tried to simulate a river bottom. Goldfish are cheap and active.

The tank, lid, and light  was $175, the outside filter was around $50, the UV sterilizer was $30, the backdrop was $20, and  the  heater  was $15. The pleco was $6, and the whole swarm of goldfish  was another couple bucks,  they're all  19 cent feeders.

I change filter pads and change out twenty gallons of water  twice a  month even though I tell myself I'm going to do it every week.  That's about  $5 per month, and the electricity probably costs  $10 - $20 per month. Maybe  $5 per month on food. The  UV sterilizer failed after a year, out of warranty so I bought a new one.

I think that covers everything.

Hugs, Devlyn

Nice, is it any particular breed of pleco or just one of the common varieties? I ask because I have a 600 litre Amazonian themed tank and have a bit of a soft spot for pleco's - currently I have around 50 bristlenose (some of which are due to be rehomed via local aquatics dealer - I supply home-bred fish and they supply good quality plec wafers), a L081 Gold Nugget Pleco and a 16" long Leopard Sailfin Pleco.

Have you tried feeding your pleco fresh veg - mine love cucumber, as soon as it goes into the tank and settles (you have to weight it down - I skewer a hole and attach the ceramic ring weights used for plants using a cable-tie) at least 4 or 5 plecos will start demolishing it.

The water quality here is perfect for fish-keeping, I only have to renew filter media every 6 months, filter pads every 3 months and water changes are at 12 month intervals. Filters are external 1200 l/h with built-in UV sterilisers.

[Devlyn]

It's a common pleco. The first one I ever saw was about a foot long and I always wanted one myself. I give zucchini and cucumber, weighted with a drilled rock. The goldfish love the cucumber, and  then  everybody poops white for a day!

The algae growth used to stay ahead of the pleco, but now the glass is always clean. I'm a "only clean the front glass" type because the algae  looks nice on the  sides and back and is good for water quality. Now I don't even have to do that.

Hugs, Devlyn

[Devlyn]

Speak of the Devyl.   

[Kylo]

Fish are relaxing. I used to have 3 5-foot tanks, I was big into it when I was a kid but since leaving home I never got around to setting up again as I moved too many times. Started off small with tetras and ended up with some fancy stuff, glass catfish, kuhlis, bettas.

I miss having them but not the maintenance on 3 big tanks.

[Valleys Girl]

Speak of the Devyl.   

Just going by the color and dorsal fin I would say that he/she is more likely to be a Leopard Sailfin.

Here is mine playing hide and seek under bogwood


Getting upset at getting his pic taken (with a large angel fish in the background)


And the "How many fish should be in here?" after the babies emerged.

Fish are relaxing. I used to have 3 5-foot tanks, I was big into it when I was a kid but since leaving home I never got around to setting up again as I moved too many times. Started off small with tetras and ended up with some fancy stuff, glass catfish, kuhlis, bettas.

I miss having them but not the maintenance on 3 big tanks.

Somewhere in beside the plecos are 6 Kuhlis - I have sand on the floor of the tank and some granite slabs laid on top along one side to keep the airline hidden (plecos kept digging the thing up) and the Kuhlis hide out in there. Last time we managed to trick one into venturing out we reckon that is was at least 4-5" long. We used to have two 600L tanks but the rectangular one got damaged during a house move - unfortunately it wasn't simply just a cracked pane or I could have replaced it easily. It was a whole bottom corner of the tank that gave out and all 3 sides were damaged. So at present we only have a single corner tank, though I am planning to get a custom 4'x2'x3' acrylic tank made at some point.

[Kylo]

I used to get them to come out in the evening by dimming the lights and putting a blue lava lamp nearby, then you can watch them do their thing in the surreal lighting.

[Lady Sarah]

We have a 20 gallon tank with several tetra, and a few platy. 2 of the platy are fry. I learned they store sperm for up to 6 months, and stagger births. We must have bought the female while pregnant, since we have no male platy.

[Devlyn]

Valleys Girl, thanks for the information. I read that fish store plecos could be one of many kinds. Your guy is giving us the mean eye!

Hugs, Devlyn

[Veda]

What do you call that wrap you are wearing?, Sorry, not about fish, just looking at your top.

[Devlyn]

It's a virus shawl, my best friend made it for me as a birthday present. 

Hugs, Devlyn

[Veda]

It's a virus shawl, my best friend made it for me as a birthday present. 

Hugs, Devlyn

It's beautiful.