Posts by Avery

I read and errors and found out that it is currently a problem with the newest version of the software we are using (specifically due to the fact that Tapatalk only supports Likes whereas this supports unlimited types of Like related reactions).

I’m awaiting for them to reply back to my support ticket regarding any timeline on when the newer version of the plugin will be released that will have this fixed in - but until then I may try to do a manual edit that someone mentioned to disable Tapatalk’s Likes and allow for everything else to run correctly (and for users to be able to read and reply to topics/posts).

I’ll keep you updated once the manual changes are done, or if they reply back to my support ticket on a new ETA for this to be fully resolved. Thanks!

With the rise in new, more detailed, and highly accurate information regarding breeding being shared - it’s easier than ever to learn how to bred out some of the fish inside of your aquarium. Have you had any luck with randomly (or purposely trying to) get your fish to breed, and what were the results like at the end?

Out of the two major different types of hard corals that are out there, which one do you prefer to mainly be housed in your reef tank and why?

For those who may not know;

LPS corals are essentially large calcareous corals that have large fleshy polyps that have a large hard base, compared to the SPS corals that have small polyps that are on an extremely hard skeleton like base. A big difference between the two is that SPS corals have flower like looking dots that may cover the coral completely.

There are always HUGE differences when it comes to care (specifically with lighting and water current passing around them) and aggression (LPS corals will tend to attack those around them if they are in reach with a stinging like capability that they have).

With the ever growing list of supplies being exposed online (through social media, videos appearing on common websites, and more), do you ever think if the marine life you are purchasing were harvested through conservatively?

If you don’t, what would make you want to lean towards making sure that the supplier is not just harvesting fish that they find in the open ocean vs. trying to study them or breed them in breeding tanks (if possible)?

If you do, what methods do you check to make sure that the supplier(s) you use do use such methods? Have you ever found some that say that they are, but really aren’t after further research?

Sometimes, you can't just leave an aquarium against a wall, window, or being able to show all of the equipment tubing, cords, etc. hanging from the back. Although some tanks do this, and use plants or other types of decorations to hide such elements, it isn't always easy for everyone to do that in a community tank. With the ever so growing trend of either using paint, plastic-dip, or even those plastic/vinyl aquarium wallpapers you apply to the background of your tank, do you have any of your aquariums with a background? If so, what type of background is it, and what is the design on it if there is one?

Since no one has simply started a successful planted setup without adding some plants, what was the first plant that you added to your aquarium? Is it still alive today, or did it not make it through some of the trial and error learning?

In my situation, it was a few years ago, the very first set of plants that I added to my 5.5 gallon was java fern and some Anubias (I can't recall the variety sadly). I remember watching them grow and thinking that it was the coolest thing ever, plus my Betta and a few other fish LOVED these plants and at night I would see the Betta resting on the leaves (or inside of the plant hiding away peacefully). It's kind of crazy how adding something so simple can not only change the fish tank in terms of looks, but it can add a ton of benefits (water quality gets improved, fish can have somewhere else to hide, etc.) to your aquarium without that much care.

Ever since that moment, I've always kept various plants inside of my setups ranging from Amazon Swords, Corkscrew and Jungle Vallisneria, different types of mosses, Banana Plant, and more. If you have never tried keeping plants inside of your aquarium, I HIGHLY recommend trying a few low light plants out - you'll never go back!

Although snails get some bad names, mostly when people get hitchhikers or pest snails who reproduce unexpectedly, a vast majority are actually highly beneficial to the ecosystem. Some of these are extremely important if you have any live plants (they can eat dead leaves, clean algae from the leaves, etc.), where others are almost required for those who have a sand substrate (to avoid ammonia gas bubbles that can build up over time).

Which ones do you always try to have in your tank, and what is the reason for having so?

With all of the information online, maybe check and plan their tank stocking out before they get the fish at their local store. Although, that sometimes may not be the case when new fish are at the store, or there are bigger options than you thought. What doesn’t help, in a majority of cases, is when the information at the store doesn’t align with the true nature of the fish you are about to buy. What fish have you bought before, that you would recommend to avoid at all costs based on your experiences?

Diving into brackish or saltwater can be pretty tough when compared to freshwater. There is more to balance (salt ratios), sometimes more care as the fish, invertebrates, and/or corals are almost all uniquely different in their slight care and comfort requirements, and with all of the different types of equipment - it can seem overwhelming. With all of the experience that you have now compared to when you first started out, what is one piece of advice that you wish that you could go back in time to give yourself?

The most important piece of advice that I would give myself if I could, would be to make sure that I gave everything just more time. I remember when I waited a few weeks to make sure that all of the equipment was running fine, the water parameters and levels were going good, and that my protein skimmer was working correctly without having any issues. When I added in my first fish (which were just two clown fish), I remember being so excited that I had finally gotten my saltwater aquarium going. Although from there, I only waited a week or two before adding a few more fish in. I remember when things started to get a little "too much" for me, in terms of when I had to do my first water change with fish. I remember trying so hard to get the salt levels just right with the new water I was adding in, making sure not to overdo it, while also trying to hardest to be super quick to get the temperature almost as an exact match. This may seem slightly simpler these days, but it was the first time I just felt overwhelmed trying to make everything perfect.

I had plenty of these experiences on the first go around where I just wanted to pull my hair out since I couldn't get everything perfect, and kept trying and try again. I know that it might sound like a simple thing, but giving yourself time to learn the process, and give it a few shots without the worry for everything to be perfect, it'll be easier to maintain the tank but also easier to grasp other concepts that let you be more precise as time goes on.

Sometimes having a community tank can look amazing, since you will have tons of different sized and looking fish swimming around at all different levels of the aquarium. Although, with some species, just having a species only tank can bring out their natural behavior out to view. Which do you prefer and why? Have you tried both options, or just one?

When it comes to this choice, it all depends on the aquarium size and the fish that I plan to keep on the inside. Community tanks tend to be great when you have either a smaller tank, or a very large one. Likewise, in that middle spot, I find that species only tanks can be beautiful. For prime example, I had a 75 gallon with about 9-10 Melanochromis auratus cichlids that not only would breed on and off, but also showed their calm and slightly aggressive nature. It always was exciting when you could watch a female (or so you thought at the time) slowly change from yellow with blue/white stripes change completely around and go almost jet black (or a very, very dark blue) with white stripes along the body.

With this being my first attempt at having an aquatic turtle (or really, just a turtle at all) I figured that I would let you all into my journey from setting up the tank, to getting things going, to hopefully seeing this upgrade into a bigger tank that just 40 gallons (since they need about 10 gallons per inch of shell, and this species gets to be around 8-12 inches resulting in a 120+ gallon tank when full grown).

Detailed Information

Tank: Aqueon 40 Gallon Breeder
Stand: Imagitarium Brooklyn Metal 40 Gallon Stand
Filter: Polar Aurora 265GPH Canister Filter (SunSun HW-30X Rebrand), Eheim Skim 350 (2x)
Lighting: NICREW Submersible LED Aquarium Strip (2x), ZooMed Aquatic Turtle Dual Dome Lighting (Combo UVB/UVA Bulb 10.0 13watt & 50watt Splashproof Heating Bulb) - Supported by Exo Terra Light Bracket w/ Additional Adhesive Support Bracket

Substrate: Generic Black Sand (Black Diamond Blasting Sand Medium Grit)
Flora: Anubias (various varieties)
Fauna: Female African Sideneck Turtle (1x), Convict Cichlids (?x), Pink Convict Cichlids (?x), Common Pleco (1x)

Gallery

I decided to try out these column style tanks since it has such a different appearance that can fit in tiny spots, but contain a lot of live and plants. I must say that these tanks do have a different type of challenge, from not only their style, but also what you can do with them. I figured that I'd document everything from me setting it up to what it looks like at a random interval. If you have any questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to ask or let me know!

Tank has been taken down - this will be the journal from when it was up and running.

Detailed Information

Tank: Aqueon 15 Gallon Column (13.75 x 13.75 x 25")
Stand: Aqueon 15 Gallon Column Stand (specifically fits only this tank)
Filter: Aqueon 10 Gallon QuietFlow Filter HOB
Lighting: Stock (Aqueon 15 Gallon LED fixture)

Substrate: Generic Black Sand
Flora: Anubias Congesis (3x), Anubias Nana (5x)
Fauna: Dwarf Gourami (1x), Malaysian Trumpet Snails (?x)

Gallery