110gal Rimless

[Demosthenes]

Hello Simply! This build has been in my head for about 6 years, and it's finally gotten off the ground so I wanted to share. My goal for this tank was to keep everything simple and clean, so I'll try to do the same for this thread and just let the photos do the talking.

The tank is a 110gal rimless, 4'x2' footprint. I purchased it as a scratch&dent item from ThatPetPlace in Lancaster, PA. It was a floor model and it has one small scratch in the glass, which saved me about 50% off the sticker price. The stand was purchased from www.glasscages.com.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/N9fDhyr1bP3fRAPvaJW55Ag8dPzcBcG6hT_Lx5JUZ3DFCkvgqN xBOeVwGDpyHgd1E3mMD7htKARJ-D82tqYTiA83VPanoRc6vK3zIWUlKotZSS0let28PwuWH3DaH4m 8Yepx1heqyllTqK-iU1DufoY6peQ22ximnj6ahUDWQ1tnv1jBy8cxg73vr3txQaOgm Z_81ibbE1LJ-YSR0V8T3CKkXnNjn_Z1YTVugsP3HleRxyi060BdRQIWayv0LAJ Obr1aF0t6T-EYqZ8vwu4-kTMcb8LtD1hBUJPRIXoqY8yCnHthqKvWXF_YM5q_53ppkMBUFQ nYcrwjeqEsKfjHH3wssIQaIxFjpa0elzxuHTSbw0uzNOEHJ4VE PPa-XQ0lZ-fwXIcbvMq5BuOk7oHEkzLNCgDVdtrQUe1Zvi7j-NSMXVAA2J1C-Qba1BYrfdut8Mvxwt2qQFIkNfMdGtmsnGxmOnttunusvv36aZd WKZzqqwskma_jP4XNjhYAK2zxR5JoEzJKKy8zFt-0gHLPsZmdz9W3yA4igxK4z6Of28IKymxgPYPgOANpqauhd7AUM pwqQGzO=w1440-h694

I went back and forth about putting a lid on it, and decided that I would do something simple to set on the top overnight or when I'm going to be out of the house for extended periods. I purchased a 1/4" thick piece of acrylic and cut out holes for the pipes as well as a center hole for my driftwood. It is crystal clear, but it fogs up from the warm water.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qo-AqUFnYxOKzFTKO2SibmdFaavIJci86EoiQUkmHJ6yDBTGCgbs7 TgKdYWGf36d99ojiIKDWeOuXivcZpind6niN-ssvxJMK851vb0QoDiOLw_PBbMNa_eW44y9kMHsrmbMp_HJLDb-dOTYADJ9FZkq2I-Iw77utR8ggupvC90cq4aDqTxc78m9-WU8W8M7HgFxdFxca-xgzlSK2NkmYIHYgYuCiq8wPQGaj7qQj0Wg5THB4jh5ZPEufD8b 485gqVXqmD-woq_q96Cp9EkPAYcRSuROc4rt99W8fyYle5sS8Op6VYO32oJE8 vmfC7UUhA7NyArYtFfbx8KeVshCPaKdKRlK3Us5jkGX2HQ96e_ Ozo_DHoQ-v_BazXPo5pJSWAzPKXhSeRF7-nZKZ68MQPlN2hdgR4jR6X99zqyRy-zrhFEJgeRkvmAlnefNKl5PESkWKwoYwawDe9IcKKrz8Zfex2Mv AUMqopCc70FKR9MrLozTRhW7Qr3UpYv1EqZB0kvErgqMSXqvQO 3RYnVCHiQ36dZEi1dhsoRLG1h3Ui7vn9cjWGN2kJRuy74oE0L6 5W1VgklG=w1440-h694

I chose an Eheim 1200XLT for filtration so that I wouldn't have to worry about ugly heaters in the tank, or about setting up inline heaters. I purchased this filter on here from frankr408 THREE YEARS AGO and I only just got to start using it.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JzvHTyHpPAMSWAHglimTBcl41EXcPe1VLQt_86AdejTsdT4kaz FPfoHXhjsaLx8UjDiIePUGA04r7ufrL4bnRpSsS73x13NX3D61 K7_n-4CSaf3PLwrU0xOhWjBT47JuIMReiKo6HKDqL-F0OTYttpmSec_-UdVp43IASXfkjYihtY2ab-wvRmIFA7VuDeQtBoaxdJBCJFgQZaH825HkwCh8jVFoSK8JTA_x i0-QyHCiLFzr2CEslXF4oUSXCg6q_-G6F9K4oCQM7OKYIo6NDFXOfVmI74Ru8TGeCcFFtVY_NFuvK_Fa qVbZrXl82Y97QM6oVf7WPvl2zvdwg-7XhumnhOaUYaEREuF7kpnvaEGuYeUVkjdyHF5Y-RN6IZ5cADdD50OwTVeukNoQ3YqUk1pJTzvNNqMOOTFzd9dgfui mnR1WTJ7LDODeNj3wLrFvcpHtRe_eTWY2Avc1YVyh6xymW1kz1 m_28ovL30OhLOpoHMfqJykUVmE6e4aRCGCHFo6NxC5vOiYDmeo wtNvFLlX4kjagK9KAG339bBL6hYYKuxPfWRnI-NtaNWgPdN8kjSmAxAO7=w1440-h694

I wanted attractive pipes, and found these stainless steel ones on Amazon. They were sold in pairs, but my filter has two intakes and one output. I contacted the seller to see if they would split up a pair, and they just offered to sell me the second set at 50% off!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gU5SoSyl1aqXBNLiJ6_NbmUjl5u2RGhe5cYleT-hEhVr1gV6iPg_wZWZoNH7IBanWe0I2LXsnJuJqac_OGTgUqg65 hnlCODu5p-LJQOsvPN5UUsWJbG01J2Tkn-15FESm8ppse-sSx7LFjALoX7cjl74QlSBUGi2Q5J4OjpEcc9ejQ5ku_Anz_X6c Z8lV4uEHbqRVG3RnJkV8MNDl0rGXfoRSoYy18IF_t4NDRLw3lU LmssrSZJSGn42G5-t2tGThjwA8tccIFNJw7-30Wy7DxHxdcI2sCXiydzZRdGscoKA6zYGhhI6j2oKDdzUfz568-HRoWzR3Nex-EfaOE5RVB8ikrHidALNPQqaTucWDk6FzMbDg344Lt_wdIRIB_z tGQdbQLRrLrlpQJx1ATzOgRbRTjTBiZppRhVGLrAq2xiblQFef Zcb7l40ZcJnF0L5tVw-UzqhJGCtSQVRiY3vHa0yY9yEcoch9PKl_ZcoFDyqEPDWcs3Kek PsSDW-tiaIYUlrby-Ra_3TFHcMajVHVMgNXP-QjPzcTjPHKMu0qXOI1jaGIoKXeOJbkzuRrw7nDaertqTM=w144 0-h694

Here's a video of the pipes in action. The output creates great movement on the surface, and I just think they look fantastic.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2w14V1AH5a-TkI1RHZKYXNWZzQ/view?usp=sharing

For lighting I purchased two 36" led fixtures from Current USA as sold here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C7OTEVS/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Some info from the box:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yewaqpv1UiqJYnX5KQAx2TqvtrXsSUilEKRp6WoYKGTg2KakLI hJpnKbhqTatJOa-X0qGj1zU9rbUeFyzp4N-SgirD3GriUPFcj44RgkGKPzijJrqgNQQPMSvRWT-5b_SWJGY6Apctw3xh84ME1gFX4xeQZF4zjPzW4lTsAvoP3LlBQ xdCDnd017vrgae5YBW-fIhvgFpkBaUHi5iBpIVFLyzEcQQ4pHg81E2XApQ3G8_u3kEjSp RwF2ozCDh3kgYUqSBRpBSc8AW4Qdrns2wXac3F4wde3XVVoMA7 PA_eCfzEJ3qNU3sK71jECpLpLsm4m-uH-eYjd3vCrbCaqp0rehhdeOXLvfYGCGsxTQFWhdYvbkeRmFrM2Te cq9oFNDisVmyxr-9Dvtw61hqtEaDq_vWA5fxKjkd9VWeLRrIgPJEq44JjQ9wpHSob jAnSe51X5CqQsF6Uhcfyb4QETc92u8HRSteoY0yP6UC_MkdncH ofvbakUNM-vW0zgGOrkMy4YUWNBSPHoMzihIq6L4W3nmOWJ-nWu0oR5GOO7pAqjXLel01wE-OaPh8jv3SaAGtObiT6D0=w1440-h694

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IAoCqHumRrlbLA4cu2BiS1fRQanpn7M1wlwhr6tyYP3jbwfc1m sn7rii6j0hKgT7k1iIen6njnGoDdf8TdxbI2NxyWtKra5KRXRT PtqNN6pmcNVaVZFg0Xtt9kWbRTort85ID_YmbXr34ycBGJYV63 PmV11icDAIpFzwfCEBIsK5uALUQt-PLZHWjTCpeeQSptZC3U05BgIDA8HMmvk_kMKtDySIAuFNmCiik rYPn_5ih3rn-qUH2miHabISM91RhckhelXO_LM9RKugjhMyF8zrR6ye2kRADOe GP3GexrkKEX84CfLXxOT6iwE7cioBP6QHvJaM8MZ9TL1IxbC1G 0BKFmtQJlvhjF7HNQJpRaiiaq2tRRgOa5udsx9h3x11BXRXIZD KjiKw3AjHPe8z44Lxjhk8WM3z4J57JOOOhXAeeOq8hzYEd5tbj 28RVIthw-BBybKr7c2WFkmBW1amh5O4oOP6eozSR--qhCPHFGnkLnaPFIV1lQ0XbtYvUSv4iZa39iQo7rDDXtzZFVcPe 93z6AV2SRlycySBxhK-CotAr6FW9ATmWQ4Y29lJRkUEFqXwA7uw=w1440-h694

I purchased a 36" reptile tank lid to use as a frame, and just wired the two fixtures into it. I got a simple light fixture hanging kit off of amazon, and voila! For being 100% jerry-rigged, I think it looks pretty great.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8Cv0f2aHNHhCV6gJ1RvPgfxh1kfgjsGn_fGrZzstejuS7856cM Ddk_dGeLcbbamzk_S_-ZiBevCyg0_WxB9O617Du8lwgbBxkWaNna3M5zdwpYSFpX2kxw0 q4sUD4yFhpmTzrs_UVLRR0_cxPVVbBX7D5SJZ34eKtMYigo-Qi69N4iDZ6-HOUWwNCh6u1kaWzuIOoQ0ahUNUQW2nUwvZyHN1ThRNPLvMZRei dNgkVgSnLeteLEyZvAmUo9FAN-YjJ0-O0pfb5MT9rGS8l8c8tZvdjRhBcYiCIccNLifrdjrxbT1AwR6p2 oOduu9uWI6yayA_Vn1VEs-WRxDQFi1M5kSJOTabXzm-x-B8DwNh7nKqmggc4X_HJV6rDjr2-ONg9wQtIIGk5kx-QYBRJRoVMEFmPL25eR-7F4XlgLaLUywimEZQai_zcwY2ypJ8IfQHDQ8l4VMvU5KozeNGD CM4O1nA3d5RPNBdpYaqIk5KWebZOPewEUZgWMIRHZazbKjdYkS BYiCKWcl4-ltTHtgYmXh8rbNvv9qT2hwCvv-8w7enxrYZy9A1WLe7nGtmHZ1K0e1x_Fx7=w1440-h694

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Cnw0yKxFRmS3ke_e5II620NepOGYRcvYeVSIzyioFphryvS-AOy7JdeXfGmO8nclfdK4JWHgu4ZKUQAyQlAH5N5NHeYeDSzQYI ccFtjxn0OYkCPZcKkutu9wtyeZGCF6IyHBtSFH3kXolhFmWNie 9MUN2jdgODwi2P0POP73W9379jhlPeRR1VGr9AqdoN93VsAnv7 g0qrTMmUmWQjfYmEwUrNDtK62_nKMUPIpzW9Fo5aIo-ZWl9xXzqA-UXgNWiCRr4BSsfd0h-MrdHKnBJMgLKqRK52LPSH9v1_yckZx6uCJQpUKsl1dFREBgH5-CqxAhWMu66ZB0-lwwX5Ef2fkdaMOmunAe6RZVf5hUPwlwD8y-gib-ZBznLOW6JYa-l9NNAWlezlLZyeccBVXhvTvLLScW2DH-wUnYZCFYRx8pdlf0A36t2S4wKzPwFZ4gS_JJQ0Vt8bKvUlcGrA kCxeCl__9oB5mIKG5D76zQtvcKizC69SWz12HQ8SiNVKwm_267 gZpn40ohR80D3p6xUeIBrPxutC49OBcWXYcc3PDAdZ77NiNTR1 99eoa1a10RuDP1GvvW=w1440-h694

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/v1XKJ-a5bRaoVyrLKUzr1ozhRMdlNR43ichhzxXWqcXVn_qIsZnk6-ic1U8NVNEdBh93V3dsQsYXilgBxC9m5zvBXdZU1sWVhBhGDZAs zxl9omk8u5W7WNmnRECN2q-o-AIrEhxel5HlrMRf7Oibt3FPb2pFsveJzjJeHC4rzJ7Yt87tULf GWqsl-V2quru9JXmqPzIki0BQePVe5rKayADZ-i7sU7bIDxzBUGUsJ5JXWDw4oFlwrTwbgbu34PoqhzLIenErhAi XRNqrdd8fCftTFJ-RuFT-voZ84krkil9BDDxbeNAjW80WVLLsFPYO-AB_5nCKX0r13IIjxiBk7ZXiOk32R5fApSTBUE91DcJ62A0KTeD sb2eviZKTPmAkuf2jQKAnD6EC9KBy04D93Lzs9lmiZ4mjnpy7k 5btzS9xTNjB-Wc3BKMaK--n_Hmg8olROLF5zXLELyPB7HUUnNKI7UupmO0xaK25b64p0DGDu iXQCCDE_qprq6iMrwTMLbY4Qa9TW3WIwi4XQc6jMNkF5_ivEcd _ScFPLiPvWz5imr8TMOM9Nn7f3WhLahDxEcdAcvcR=w1440-h694

And here is a video of the whole tank, with my one lonely discus left over from a previous project. The decor is simple and open, for better focus on the fish. The white clouds are not permanent residents - they are just maintaining the bio-filter for me right now.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2w14V1AH5a-Y2wtZV9kWTg0NUk/view?usp=sharing

The stars of the show will be 7 Stendker Tefes which I just picked up from Hans on Saturday. They are only 3 inches, and currently residing in a 40gal breeder so I can quarantine and grow them up a little more before transferring to the display tank. I'm still undecided about tank mates for them besides my big old Turk. Here's a video of my new babies!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2w14V1AH5a-bjlsR0FsaHVMb0E/view?usp=sharing

And a photo of my lonely bachelor. He was part of a pair that I put in a 40gal tank when I had zero discus experience, but I lost the other one a few years ago. I didn't have space or funds to get him more friends until now. He's done surprisingly well as a solo discus.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/V5KqXN7K1wNeCqGXrrMdr7cFzAA2JwMJuLDxdUh7QinklgaDgY oLcpRuwPmMtyR5kwdKE939juPcr9EU83P5rHztuwLSlBoNAuUs gx4_BANA4W_je9kn2kWfVctMcHK7uuT4gRxss8r7Pl2sCnhxCQ eL0YwvASXHx8PjqESxUD-KkidlvyNnMMdjx_hmZxZWmGBGX3nWpYO5L8EXfGimAoc-u92FNX_vhiDM-lrUQltFlL4uirlB5AHkok6tUyNi6MHFe5SdWuHd7mNlhA80Lyr Bdy-pyq7oSWf5166Hqu3C1xRouwZ7ewm0jF4Rk0CFlYI7EeOk0-oC8ylJHROxRiA3zbtnBt3_GVUjLieAG3YJ4tVFQdK3YMFCSdLl Sc0czlzxRScWNNBzGDICL612_cMGjBFaj5qf95iHxcz0jDGFfi q6oFWEMJADlf42IvRw7LfZ0oKYxTO6Nktx-0I8Veu9PGqvDQ-UpPL8zmYoL607xAYJkswUiyBKnHleDs2d8CnxqF-PO2hy-50_UQ2C9taHEVgUgCDSuaB76XHGOkmb4LyKwVd12BfYe_5j0eG NL9bCKxX3=w1440-h694

The overall view of my dining room:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SuNxQBNeAdyVDuIKoGCj_vCw0BB21DXHTzmEs8tWkVZ3qck6Lx qR5sp3gK6Mw_q6WzoNnEal3_wcAklm74Dnthro-Pt04TIgzkfGFFbJgZknbPcImJD3ZqH3o3yk4nyIfNx8OxC1C6x 6QbpyHpb1urx6RweK5NX-2YxErorYPPbVMelH5TqFyaUgzZwof_yaNfwvh-mBzlfMoEwkPmsfR3aPdfAMdT5Fzam9nMHpMMVPt-xkUpIFeruWOXuQaxKT1GBSzrB5aKQ2MMX3mTQterFg-BLuS9dKjL7QATgySRIIWJWO2f0h90k9l3yVpA0gPXV5AUZ9mDq pvzAGYLPQUeTYFEX0H8FF1dJJPoB82TfwNCCFad5NalB8uH5hL pdQXtggouiv5EMTM6dXO6OnK22MdMo6x3AsZ-xWTyv5bNVHppbMsrrUxmNWeczNAEcr639nvm-23h6ldSOiW0chpVR3-do1S3hu38uDJ4aS8jTGSt7vZUM4bxeYuhPbSFJ3l3IsBy1XGC2 cwnoUhrtlc6FYJ5ZE1cAFQa8L1QjWoc6Nvr9loqHaB_0JEjCr_ KfDcj-jzEdt=w1440-h694

Dog Tax: (He thinks discus are boring.)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iQl5gL-QJYsVV17iKJFqacvUekSKop5UT6U9wtk-umay7yQ5G3PomYSEIHCiHgDpY0sbclHAAm5BTND7h29L0U_HMn U8X0Rb2gRW_GMOU7mo1KjA8hJPIS3-CmRsvHvbKrZ_LZs2KtgxZotbTYOwyglCuZRlNXLr_VT59xSMRJ ToYd_qpi7XvUS14nvejzHwMGyMxmCs8ZYTQ4sYdURoooKvADAz 3U1NDgtmOA5M2mBxjAfmcLPNQgvWdzkcJg-to1NzHYM-bAVJ-hLpBRtVVW_Xtct64y0U42G1oEfGQ7IOnVS1V-PhWxNPCUvkdDtuiD92Dj_F3StJJk0Y-dzz4bRL6wA9JPTJNU2A1T2mYJ_YPrFMOTVopZ894fHt2JxkaEx xxEVmO78EABDVZ2QmSqbAqtvi1JMQ_zxQzBhmpBTdmkA1u4SaP c8rYy92mOVoARJPyBlxNsn_5Gvukb7QlY9tmvLmtsCRkhGClmi rH3m66H4GYzo009XYlF89y6L3xS4tEIwAtIxNSeJSexpQN4qlR OO35WfvdYXvHmFe-KwY6F8UQIuM_IOHXeBghHMl1Xn5kNVz=w1440-h694

[Phillydubs]

Well, shall I say welcome back?? Hahah!~ Talk about a return with Gusto!!

That tank is gorgeous! And you did an awesome job with swift to the point explanations! I could learn a thing or two from you! HAHA!

I ALWAYS LOVED THAT OPEN TOP LOOK, THE WHITE STAND AND ALL, VERY SLEEK, SEXY AND ATTRACTIVE!

Good plan in place, sounds like you have learned and grown a lot and can apply all that to this new adventure...

My only real suggestion or issue would be mixing the group with the solo discus. I am sure you are attached to him, sick of maintaining a solo tank, and many other reasons . I just personally feel that tank with the strain you chose as a single strain will be stunning, adding the singled out bright patterned fish may just look off or strange.

Again, your tank, your fish and all just giving my opinion . Either way its a bute and can't wait to see the fish grow and get in there!!

[Demosthenes]

Lol yes I completely agree about my Turk being all wrong for this tank, but I'm too sentimental. He was a Valentine's Day gift from my husband when we were first dating. Hopefully at some point I can set up a different living situation for him, but it just isn't in the budget right now.

Thanks so much your feedback!

[Phillydubs]

Hey! I totally get it and figured as much! I respect your call either way!

Any chance to keep him alone in the 40? Or maybe try and find a proven mate for him?

[Demosthenes]

Maybe at some point, yes. Once the Stendkers are grown out I need to break down the 40 and reseal it if I'm going to keep it running. The silicone is in really bad shape. But that's always an option. He's already about 6 years old, so worst case scenario I'll have my single strain show tank in 4yrs or so ;)

[Debow]

Nice start up! Looks like a good setup and a nice tank size.

[Ryan925]

Very nice looking tank and very nice turq

[Demosthenes]

So this guy looks like he got spooked and hurt himself. Any advice for how to help that tear in his fin heal up? Maybe some Melafix or salt? Or should I just go about business as usual and keep the water clean?

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NmsZdgCa4TJMKcysDiVXw6eNmchaDSvDneeeJmcP6hvjt0KLcU eos59sg7_agGXUE9u_DSfVSqApOdZH2j9j-RC1SkzQASjKy7mHe8Ya7iIgSva8P6tXfB8GdTkUZ3Elbbn8pyk _WBhDFWnD_JP4EOTht2g6OmzW6CnR_oDou1EDGspVTtp6OsVLZ My_14PEXlOkMf8dp3ZyyCkWd0z4OZ4KUX_3UuoOnZZX4HY9tE_ YK6CpSwmqHJKsWoMyQAIO2VXyCSZQelEGRb5rNhlrcBk9DoETR RKGkcT3Mred-RmgG9umCuoyq9nM1xUiVwUO8Fh4kJM0PLkrYBCl__2UtswTDLu Tz3QGixIYzB5oUw6bS0D-XrHxp07xrWUA4VNqVRNWhgeDn0vlR2CKaJgCGriAPmdqQeEpnG zFb6mF31hf0fODyN-58U49a1HyRjbCcdsZaJqb2jySOL6OEPLfg9nt49uCJ_U1p86q8 6pTFvh8Am_LtqnzFx4cFZm4POd5wn7f2KZ8MTThnGOfwl5obKb XGSImwwJnlrXu3vNXNvP_A55Qw6aCyz72XrEKS50KxWfGyM2a= w1440-h695

[Phillydubs]

Pure clean water and good water changes and that will heal up in no time. Very very minor

[Ryan925]

Pure clean water and good water changes and that will heal up in no time. Very very minor

+1 it's amazing what large daily wcs will do. I came home to one of my fish headstanding one evening. I noticed she had a big chunk out of her forehead. Must have just happened because within a few hours she was upright and within a week there was no evidence the wound was ever there.

What you are seeing is very minor and will be common with the fish fighting and what not. I see split pectoral fins from fighting now and again

[Demosthenes]

Lots of clean water it is then. I had a feeling that might be the answer ;). These are the smallest grow-outs I've tried before and it really is astounding how sensitive they are to the water quality. Three nights ago my dog cornered a skunk right outside the back door, and with all THAT drama I skipped a water change. You could see the difference in the fish's behavior like night and day. 24hrs they'll be all happy, up to 36 they are so-so, and after that they are sad and lethargic. It's unlike anything I've ever seen with any other kind of fish.

[rickztahone]

Very good tank

[Demosthenes]

Nice start up! Looks like a good setup and a nice tank size.


Very nice looking tank and very nice turq


Very good tank

Thank you all for the kind words!

[Demosthenes]

It's been about 36hrs and that little fin tear has already closed up :D

[Demosthenes]

I'm going to start doing a video every week to track the growth of my Stendkers. Today is one week and one day since I brought them home. In the video you'll see one fish who stands out because he is much more orange looking than the others. He also has yellow eyes. This is the boss of the tank. He's a little pig and eats twice his share of food. I've done ~95% water changes 5 out of the 7 days I've had them. I'm using water out of the tap with a python, adding dechlorinator straight to the tank. My tap water comes out at pH 6.7 and there is no swing, so I don't worry about aging. I'm feeding Hans's beef heart mix 2 or 3 times daily, plus Tetra Color bits when I'm in a hurry.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saKig_eEbqo

[Phillydubs]

Very intriguing little group. I'll be following this one I can't wait to see them grow !!

You have a few there that are very spotted I wonder if those will stay and get more prominent

[NeonTetra]

It is a beatiful tank!! I want more photos

[Demosthenes]

You have a few there that are very spotted I wonder if those will stay and get more prominent

Looking through Hans' tanks it seemed like Tefes have a lot of variety as far as patterning. Some are fully spotted while others are mostly solid brown/orange. I can't imagine the ones that are showing spots now would get less spotted, but who knows if they will end up fully patterned or not. Personally I prefer the look of somewhere in-between - partially spotted and partially solid color. It will definitely be interesting to see how they turn out!

[Demosthenes]

Well, I made an impulse buy today. I went to my LFS to get some otos because I'm having a bit of a brown algae bloom. Of course I had to browse, and what did I stumble upon but a whole tank full of the prettiest, healthiest looking rams you ever did see. I couldn't help myself. So along with the 8 otos that were on my shopping list, I brought home 6 GBR. They all went straight in the display tank, so while I didn't technically quarantine, they are separate from the Stendkers and that's what matters.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpaWCic6h4g

Little buggers are extremely difficult to photograph...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3L6jq0kDsN-N42q1Sq9929gzHGjFSwXVRHeCimwLdjHvDxP7WegpjxoXgZPvf K9mC-zHSdpF2TFykNKoG65HVe0CKiQ34fChud2piwqG6kBsojibGBqX pDhEXlCMZXPiAHWV35KL4DesbionBc7Ug1TJBGQ1oV5O72-PUaeKbajxJsqP7gfE73YzWJCqu--uewpgQOpeimeAmLgEKXyZxeM_G5Z-_nXMArzBQdqOr0qjx52bhYJTyPbqpGmfoUzQYlcbu4uFmArO40 2jDwO6eVq_lUg6fXVgm-h8R5nEtoKJabG3jK0C9zhEM_rHFld2KYdJz_fCiOJi0i4nljNR s91CdgIMfIN0BaAn7XUXEfivKpR-37ePZFTD5ASqqAryBaOUXhSTmaGgi0Yh0OpxfpE5AsBEYUgNEt x26JKQwb3nvYBeEjXpzyISbT_JthFJ8Q3tytRfMDnbHKiMMX49 PPDa66Xfu_AImTfBBo_k2H1ARMpHk235mJG_o7UJVlw0FELURh LMWxIqcacv34XcyyQMeIXZFPBaxZ9cisWXlyxkaZdAMYqkvD6-9ZawNsnU0qzHJj5L=w1440-h695

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GfFpxdVoNdrtnNK27j6GxEMJ4MgPqtiJ5RKQ3vWdhl_qtaUTXC W8qEgBb4aViHc5qrUz-sPe9o8MqlWZlcWsP8WpBmjai0t7aXnyAtapLaDSn3ViJ_SgDdU FSmsy7d-mm1SEZN5--WxhpXXxILpY_ttNSl9hI-3dCylSysah42_BsIAKht4OvK1lG6FOPd-g0kdGLor1sGOVdVB4gedsImh3h0kI1-Z3W_Zwg7ttovUrduYp5mkM0hKHNsEt7Vpb-p7pgyLXjKjQC-g5xLxDxW5FRg9hpsZiOxzdcjN16FBHBZ4cr_NwWXM5uIEJ4o9r JiJsMBsw6c8qoxEhmXssgA5GlednMamrBOaMvExNbBK4Vlky-ErtSrjZrR3F9on-lvF9nqGkIruSxP7R_jsHIofEO2usLJ_u8thFOx0-BR-WonVJfCahMwwmi69p3B2RmwM0uPdPVOzyDrwasqWZvKYY0vLLW xgTZ_cIEJ5rybAeYWh5xRVKaFTiozwNDSuPVbFH8bU7vdc0w2T mtziwi6tN5Go6i-j_WOLen3FsOIM7Tpn7oKzv47HumdcgWYaHs6CxlNRH=w1440-h695

[Demosthenes]

Two week update on the Tefes: No issues so far. They're starting to shape up nicely.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xed6Ai_fn-g

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gFpmvjBdBlpBHprho08f5arIcOp81f5T98v8VJEAi9d-9x772e5lUDDOj-0GhzSudYUhxXl5OlQEfOYssHV5MersTmtgARIzqC-ChxeVUeo354r4A1kg3KmVeokdcpg8iOO01KVk5wXrjz4mx5MHS leMN7-MnUHhVa8JAzOSsSmQJSyeNvcsGcySB1h1Hn_BLzK0m-Bq64L69dQbiV5CxUkD5NAmnW-W6RBDGskNelmGNo2FvsYQvWlM37LBnMMU4hjOxGoVAwCQ0eEJc Y1ItWYh3ZMJ4z7G6i7KpVf7eSztlG6PYb3nL1XUezNjuzoY1bU dyVXxUuvWPqd0Y8RPwZz4r2I5-EakWxtgFWyiXhs4_9jRkil4iruaf4-SJ64UZJpOH9KpiZS96qvJWA9D4uIDxaH1vsJA5m1ceTcr7nS8a Lb9lkBeRt63RiTw2TIAHqyH9_2K-M7bZhYNC-kO4zCN4KjOF7EC7DMnu8c8qVj5-g8qPJZM95KSIytHYIYDdBCP60Xv9eka-akxj_kya70coa6wfZhZNnLFuMYoNb0jGBAET1W-lvJGtyVUgsa9eObmxKfK=w1440-h695

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vL3arTZKSC7APplGBCtu-aIRKcC7bRcqcbvE-rmI7Tbrj1sxpiiG6HRI8ddA-38kue9qLiVBtkqNlEADi_0i3jdLbz5S6r_m6EPdLTopU8UslCy QmO5sTEuQcFIctnBgAdv2ReAmfO5bXnG_nN3RUmgUAYWBfZtxG U2U6unzt957md5K4a6vzbQToZ74ZOJrJ9J1QS6sYF4j-MzICXT0YTViwJ9N_L6-y55p_Yh8O2L_3wJuBeyS1IXh897jrtPmAUzDX_3jaK_0EFShLN 7LVjGBMo_7_T-BJ-_wjVCxsMp8WgkC0rTkWGAJmdwhpu7wtCiUTLWD2sp6Mk38kjEP Dj17_I4uMVmKIHHM0WFywdM513IV9Wzw1Kc_w6XlWtgFebpG8d HPWI_MWUpGw5ZylBFMT8KlqtORt4MopwXNdEUrddkd7NCQbQBC ObTo-fXzZ1bXLXlWqj6ua-1QvL0JzmXDmttICLkCf9syIA5g1RjejwdW9rCir7aRr8iggwY2 ua5B8fqCwPgY0ejFSsIZ3mFUfeNghewdGc_TnoalnNv_WueDKQ GdxvPjWjyCAXrjX7L9dacv=w1440-h695

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/G1MSFYRnt2VJJTGw17VCJNBVxg8HbVscvuUji9AX4f8ow4efT2 OjEKO7B8bIEjX7bAyJpDLZAdLBtSkvDY5ihBNlDuOFY0SCtksV Tto07wgQ0u5vBBSrimtgF_c2fUajU82X42BwdnlWEhkZbXrDvn P0QVn0wBiqyDvsX4x14_QAPuZPqqxau9QeRvIoFwY4OwbdyCHG 862K_UI1EiZhxyVXeYrkknxjwv0OciUEFcgsBQDTNbFNQI-AgGYlNCRDakI6bf4sEpszIp2lAAUlzGh_mWgEahlclWoei7f1Y RD6EgrdXBn253onxAAhFHm8ateIbWLcdpMCZCwlfr2rmGRFoJX zWkkwsT3SmQZNl4DRLS9mrgCZZCjp5ho-HCd5f7eDbP06mLGcn7fsMi3-2lEJ5zu3IPzQKUZyvh1R3mPch943bpCRzYjwcUkklRFf2679L9 0KF1DmtR1Tvr8X-ajmJ4M3NhdMy5alXXBT_ZqAU-1a3jri7tmFWuIOJXPkH7SgJ3Dwrx-ExsnE8xBi3f3ryAclKYjjHVSMgtAQqyqsZD-zMjfHk1Eoh52-ijom7DDGRv8C=w1440-h695

[Demosthenes]

So these discus gave me a bit of a scare. I noticed yesterday they were breathing heavily and their gills didn't look right - a little flared and puffy. I did my daily 95% water change and adjusted the output on the canister filter to make sure there was good oxygenation. They looked better after the water change, but this morning they looked worse. Their gills were definitely inflamed, some of them were clamping one side. No other symptoms, just not breathing right. I've been doing full water changes and syphoning every day, and wiping down the glass frequently, so I was pretty confident the tank itself was clean. Just to check all my boxes I decided to clean out the canister filter during my daily maintenance, even though I just cleaned it out about 2 weeks prior. Lo and behold, when I cracked open the canister everything inside was covered in pinkish slime and white fungus looking crap. I've never seen anything like it in the ten years I've been running this filter. The only thing I can think is that it's the beefheart. I've never fed beefheart before, and apparently it just doesn't break down like other waste. Or maybe my filter just doesn't have the right bacteria built up yet to tackle these particular proteins. Either way, I think that has to be the source of irritation for the fish. I cleaned everything out with tank water, did a full water change, ran the filter for 10 minutes to flush it out and then did ANOTHER 50% water change. I added 1 tbs/10gals of table salt and an airstone to help the fish recover. It's been a few hours and I can already see their breathing returning to normal and the inflammation is going down. I'm planning on keeping up the salt for a few more days. Tomorrow I'm going to pick up a pre-filter sponge, and from now on the filter is going completely off until there is no beefheart left after feedings. I'm also going to start cleaning it out weekly. Hopefully that's enough to prevent this nasty buildup from returning.

[Demosthenes]

Meanwhile, while these finicky discus are having a meltdown in quarantine, the rams I bought on Saturday and threw straight in the display tank are breeding. Two different pairs laid eggs today. Nothing will come of these batches with all those white clouds in the tank, but it's fun to watch the process. I'm thinking I'll move the minnows back out to their "summer home" in my garden pond and see if the rams manage to raise any fry.

[Demosthenes]

Well, today was a bad day. I lost one of the tefes. The boss of the tank with yellow eyes. Yesterday after a feeding he bloated, and was gone in less than 24hrs. I tried salt, and then Kanamycin, but it was too late. He was the most voracious eater in the tank, and I think he over-ate. That combined with whatever pathogen was causing the gill issues earlier in the week and it was too much. The others seem fine, if a little timid in the absence of the pack leader. I'm considering replacing the canister with a simple sponge filter for my own peace of mind. I don't want to worry about what's growing in there where I can't see. In the meantime I flushed out the tubing and added a pre-filter sponge.

Everything in the main tank is fine, aside from some algae issues. I'm still trying to dial in the right amount of light. Just growing pains for a new tank - it will balance out soon.

[Demosthenes]

Three week update, down to six:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ-amJbzOz8

[Phillydubs]

Wow this is all rough to read and hear! Goodness... you seemed off to the races with this group! :( I hit a snag myself and it blooows to say the least!

Good to see you added a prefilter! I wish I or someone would have told you this sooner, maybe could have helped things

[Demosthenes]

Honestly, if someone had told me my filter would be too dirty with my maintenance routine I probably would have just rolled my eyes. Like I said I've been running this filter without sponges for 10+ yrs and never had any issues with it aside from replacing the impeller twice. I've gone periods when I was still in school that I did water changes every 3 months and never cleaned or thought about the filter, and when I finally opened it up it was pristine on the inside. There were cherry shrimp breeding in it. Granted, that was a very different setup - fully planted with hundreds of shrimp and snails - so there was never any uneaten food. Anyway...lesson learned. Feeding raw meat in a bare-bottom tank makes for dirty filters.

[Phillydubs]

Yea, I was about to say, all that history and experience goes out the window with discus and then the beef heart!!

Tough lesson to learn, I am going through my own now w filter issues and it causing issues to my fish, not fun!

I feel for you!

[Demosthenes]

Yea, I was about to say, all that history and experience goes out the window with discus and then the beef heart!!

Tough lesson to learn, I am going through my own now w filter issues and it causing issues to my fish, not fun!

I feel for you!

Just read through your bio-ball thread. That's a bummer. I know this is heresy, but sometimes I think we hurt ourselves in the quest for cleanliness. I came from planted tanks, where there is much more of an effort to recreate a functioning ecosystem from top to bottom. Those tanks were super stable and clean, with a tiny fraction of the actual "cleaning" that I'm doing now. These bare-bottom setups sure are "clean", but the whole system seems way more unstable to me. I'll keep doing it this way because I trust the experts, but I'm really looking forward to when these guys are full grown in the display tank and I can go back to water changes once or twice per week.

[Clawhammer]

Just read through your bio-ball thread. That's a bummer. I know this is heresy, but sometimes I think we hurt ourselves in the quest for cleanliness. I came from planted tanks, where there is much more of an effort to recreate a functioning ecosystem from top to bottom. Those tanks were super stable and clean, with a tiny fraction of the actual "cleaning" that I'm doing now. These bare-bottom setups sure are "clean", but the whole system seems way more unstable to me. I'll keep doing it this way because I trust the experts, but I'm really looking forward to when these guys are full grown in the display tank and I can go back to water changes once or twice per week.

The huge quantity of water in the Amazon basin has unfathomable dilution power and the naturally low pH keeps organic compounds and bacteria to a minimum. Doing large daily water changes and cleanings is the only way to approximate discus' natural ecosytem unfortunately.

I came from planted tanks too, and it also took a while for it to all sink in / make sense to me as well. Discus simply have different needs and #1 and #2 are clean water and large amounts messy food.

Good luck, I look forward to future updates.

[Phillydubs]

Just read through your bio-ball thread. That's a bummer. I know this is heresy, but sometimes I think we hurt ourselves in the quest for cleanliness. I came from planted tanks, where there is much more of an effort to recreate a functioning ecosystem from top to bottom. Those tanks were super stable and clean, with a tiny fraction of the actual "cleaning" that I'm doing now. These bare-bottom setups sure are "clean", but the whole system seems way more unstable to me. I'll keep doing it this way because I trust the experts, but I'm really looking forward to when these guys are full grown in the display tank and I can go back to water changes once or twice per week.

I was thinking and echoing similar sentiments earlier today... I like the word "quest" because I often feel like I am on one to cure or help one "problem" only to harm something else. I even tried to say, well if you let those bio-balls go it would have been total disaster, which is also probably true, doesn't mean don't clean them and do it the right way, just slowly! I think patience is the key word here and the willingness to learn as we grow and suffer from mistakes to better our future as a keeper.

Sometimes as we try our darnest to assist we end up hurting the cause. I myself am often brash and just plunge rather then step back and think it all out. We tend to react quick in this hobby and often times to our own demise.

You still have a lovely group and you have to carry on for them. Losses happen, you live and learn I suppose right!

[Demosthenes]

The huge quantity of water in the Amazon basin has unfathomable dilution power and the naturally low pH keeps organic compounds and bacteria to a minimum. Doing large daily water changes and cleanings is the only way to approximate discus' natural ecosytem unfortunately.

I came from planted tanks too, and it also took a while for it to all sink in / make sense to me as well. Discus simply have different needs and #1 and #2 are clean water and large amounts messy food.

Good luck, I look forward to future updates.

The whole "there's so much water in the Amazon" explanation never quite did it for me, considering all the other fish I've kept from the Amazon were cool with monthly water changes in a tank filled with gravel. But I'm happy to just listen to the collective wisdom that says discus are different. Maybe at some point in the future I'll do an experiment and set up a sump that's packed with plants and inverts and see what I can get away with. But for these guys, I'm going by the book and will keep up my daily water changes. They were too expensive for experimenting on anyway ;-)

[Demosthenes]

I was thinking and echoing similar sentiments earlier today... I like the word "quest" because I often feel like I am on one to cure or help one "problem" only to harm something else. I even tried to say, well if you let those bio-balls go it would have been total disaster, which is also probably true, doesn't mean don't clean them and do it the right way, just slowly! I think patience is the key word here and the willingness to learn as we grow and suffer from mistakes to better our future as a keeper.

Sometimes as we try our darnest to assist we end up hurting the cause. I myself am often brash and just plunge rather then step back and think it all out. We tend to react quick in this hobby and often times to our own demise.

You still have a lovely group and you have to carry on for them. Losses happen, you live and learn I suppose right!

Yes, patience is a struggle for sure! When I first saw what was growing in my filter I had to resist the urge to just immediately scrap it, which would almost certainly have left me worse off than where I am now. We see something going wrong and it's hard not to panic and overcompensate. At this point I'm thinking I'll set up a sponge filter and let it run in the tank for a few weeks to let it get established before switching over. I love my canister, but they just are not user friendly if you need to clean them out frequently. Live and learn is spot on :)

[Phillydubs]

I think you are headed the right direction with your thoughts.

I've always been a fan of a sponge and an efficient hob. Maybe you go that route??

[farebox]

Hey guys we all have some issues with these fish from time to time, it's an on going adventure to have a tank full of healthy fish all the time. Any one thing can upset these to guys and boom, sick fish. Now I'm at the point of just going back to kept it simple, feed, water changes, bare bottom (siphon crap out), and add no new nothing to the tank. After a bout with some "parasites" in my tank, finally got all good again, going to stick to what I just said. I love discus fish but they require some extra effort all the time. Good luck to all and enjoy the hobby. P.S.- General Quick Cure is the bomb, I dosed my whole 125G with this med x 2 and cleared up what was ailing my guys.

[Demosthenes]

I'm actually looking in the tank now and I don't know if I'm imagining it or not but one of the remaining fish looks a little bloated. I haven't fed them in at least 4 hrs, so there's no reason for his belly to be so full. I started a thread over in the disease section.

[Demosthenes]

Ok he looks better now - cleared out his belly overnight. But I'm feeling very uncomfortable with the possibility that these guys are just seconds away from bloating and dropping dead. Here's my disease thread: http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?129110-Bloat-Salt-didn-t-help

[Demosthenes]

It seems like things are calming down. I added a HydorIV on Weds and have been meticulous about keeping feeding time tidy. I opened up the canister last night and it looked fine. A few of the fish still have swollen looking gills, but I think they just need time to heal completely. There was salt in the tank for a week, but none for the last few days.

This is my 4 week update:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5ffmx5qy_s

[Demosthenes]

Not much to report. I'm still not happy with how the gills look on one fish in particular, but it might just be scar tissue at this point. They all seem to be growing and doing pretty well. This is my five week update, a day late.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HRLhVFPKtU

[Filip]

Hi Kesley and congrats on your new Stenker Tefes .I hope theyll grow to look round and coloured in a couple of months .

I just went through your whole thread. Your tanks looks awesome.

You got most of the aspect of succesfull discus keeping covered from what ive read through.

One thing that I'm suspicious or concerned about is your Big 90% WCs with straight tap water , ,sometimes even multiple . How do your discus react after a 90% straight tap? Can they eat I.e. 20 min after it or are they huddled in corner for an hour or so ?
Tap water may have different PH from your tank and even more importantly it contains a ton of dissolved gasses AKA Microbubbles that irritates fish gills and may cause severe stress to discus .

Another thing about canisters . I use canister filter and I clean it every 4-5 months or so . When I open it after 4-5 months there is barely any debris to clean in it.
I only clean the prefilter filter floss / or sponge daily and that keeps the filter squicky clean. I shut off the filter during feedings too, to make discus easier to feed from bottom .Just clean your prefilter regulary and stack your canister with biomedia , taking out the fine mechanical filtration from it.

Good luck with your Tefes and keep us regularly posted .

[Demosthenes]

Hi Kesley and congrats on your new Stenker Tefes .I hope theyll grow to look round and coloured in a couple of months .

I just went through your whole thread. Your tanks looks awesome.

You got most of the aspect of succesfull discus keeping covered from what ive read through.

One thing that I'm suspicious or concerned about is your Big 90% WCs with straight tap water , ,sometimes even multiple . How do your discus react after a 90% straight tap? Can they eat I.e. 20 min after it or are they huddled in corner for an hour or so ?
Tap water may have different PH from your tank and even more importantly it contains a ton of dissolved gasses AKA Microbubbles that irritates fish gills and may cause severe stress to discus .

Another thing about canisters . I use canister filter and I clean it every 4-5 months or so . When I open it after 4-5 months there is barely any debris to clean in it.
I only clean the prefilter filter floss / or sponge daily and that keeps the filter squicky clean. I shut off the filter during feedings too, to make discus easier to feed from bottom .Just clean your prefilter regulary and stack your canister with biomedia , taking out the fine mechanical filtration from it.

Good luck with your Tefes and keep us regularly posted .

Thanks for your comment Filip. I'm very lucky in that my pH is stable right out of the tap and there are not visibly any microbubbles, especially now that we're in the dog days of summer. The fish are happy and begging for food during and immediately after water changes. When the weather starts getting cold I will most likely need to adjust my routine, but I'm hoping that by November they'll be big enough that I can transfer them to the big tank and cut back my percentages.

Your canister experience matches up to mine. I have mine stacked with Fluval Biomax in all three compartments, and just the standard wide-bore foam pads. Adding the pre-filter sponge and turning the filter off during feeding time seems to have solved my problems.

[Demosthenes]

Here's my 6 week update.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2AoaEjYxPA

I think I've found equilibrium with the filters, but I'm afraid there was some permanent gill damage. It's been 3 weeks and some of them still look flared all the time. I guess I'm just hoping they will grow into them so they don't look quite so bad as adults.

In the main tank I've been battling algae and cloudy water, which is gradually starting to improve just by turning down the lights and doing water changes. But I'm getting a little impatient so I might try Acurel water clarifier to speed things up. Other than not looking so awesome, the tank is doing great. The plants are growing and my six rams have all paired off. I'm getting new clutches of eggs every few days, but so far the parents eat them every time. I saw one clutch that was definitely fertilized with visible embryos, but they were gone the next morning. I might try pulling some eggs soon and seeing if I can raise them artificially. Here's how the tank sits today, looking much clearer than it has in the last few weeks:

https://lh3.google.com/u/0/d/0B2w14V1AH5a-TUFDVDBSckFKbE0=w1440-h695-iv1

[Demosthenes]

Double posting but wanted to document. I'm still trying to figure out whey their gills aren't improving. New disease thread here: http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?129325-Swollen-Gills&p=1269001#post1269001

Yesterday I pulled the canister filter because I was still getting some slimy mold looking stuff. I kept all the bio-media and put it in mesh bags in the tank so as to avoid a mini-cycle. I'm going to add a second sponge filter because I'm not happy with the performance of just the one - the water clarity and flow are not where I want them to be. Once the second sponge is in the tank I'm going to gradually remove the bagged biomedia, and will eventually just be running the two sponge filters. I also pulled that clump of Java fern and scooped out about 80% of the snail population. The discus kept blowing food under the fern, and the snails were getting out of control as a result.

I've been feeding them nothing but Al's discus chow for the last food days since I'm introducing it as a new food. They seem to be eating it pretty well, so I'll be using that instead of Colorbits from now on. I wanted to get away from dyes.

Here's how things sit today. Still tentatively making progress.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNw3u2IyHsQ

[Phillydubs]

How about a simple HOB for your filtration needs??

[Demosthenes]

How about a simple HOB for your filtration needs??

No real reason not to, I just like the idea of keeping it cheap. I'm hoping this tank will only be running for another 4-5 months before these guys go into the display tank, so I'm not really trying to invest in new equipment. I do have a little tiny HOB sitting in my basement that hasn't been in use for years, but it's barely enough filtration for anything more than a 15gal tank. I might just pop it on for today to get a little more flow while I wait for Amazon to bring me another Hydro IV.

[Demosthenes]

I might just pop it on for today to get a little more flow while I wait for Amazon to bring me another Hydro IV.

Scratch that... it won't fit. The tank is too close to the wall, and I'd have to cut more holes in the tank cover.

[Phillydubs]

Bummer... most HOBs can be had for rather cheap and are a nice backup to have around, so may be a wise investment anyway, but I see your point. I also see no reason the Hydro's can't do the job, maybe just go with those 2 and ditch the canister so you know the tank is squeaky clean!

[Demosthenes]

I also see no reason the Hydro's can't do the job, maybe just go with those 2 and ditch the canister so you know the tank is squeaky clean!

Precisely my plan, and Amazon delivered a day early! Canister is out, putting in the second Hydro IV now.

[Demosthenes]

I am tentatively optimistic that I've found out the source of my continued gill problems, and I think it's high levels of chloramines in my tap water. I pulled up the water quality report for my location and last year chloramines peaked at 3.2ppm. Since chloramine is normally added during hot weather to combat bacterial blooms, I'm guessing it's pretty high right now. I was treating for chloramines all along, but I don't think I was dosing enough. I had been using API Tap Water Conditioner, now I switched to Prime because it covers more bases. But I can't find info regarding dosage according to ppm of chloramines for either of them, it doesn't seem to be publicly posted. For right now I'm just going to double dose prime to be safe.

So, here's my 8 week update, with some angry looking gills but otherwise not too shabby looking fish. I'm impressed with their continued progress when they're clearly not doing so hot.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a99-KCFBi5g

[Demosthenes]

It's been a little while since I updated here. I spent a long time over in the disease section trying to figure out why I couldn't get their gills to look better. Lots of good advice and a new test kit later, and the short version is that my tap water is garbage. I test nitrites at .5ppm and ammonia at .5ppm (ammonia in tap is actually chloramine) in my tap water. So my strategy of a smallish grow-out tank with lots of water changes backfired. Every time I did my daily water change I was dumping nitrites in the tank, and the bio-filter wasn't keeping up so the fish were just sitting in it. So even though I never got them looking 100%, I decided this past weekend to move them into the display tank. With the larger water volume and filter capacity I can go a few days in between water changes to minimize their exposure to nitrites. It's a gamble, but so far so good.

Here's how things look today:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHbB41rVUko&t=33s