A year later - My tank Journal

[Mando]

Good morning,

So I decided to start my journal as this marks my year with what's left of my first batch and marks my year as an official forum member; I've been part of Simply for many many years (ghost). The 3 BD's and striated red turq are from the original batch and these are stunted beyond belief but I do not have the heart to cull them. Thank you for those who helped me with my disease thread in February of 2018. I learned a lot the hard way.

My tank will under go some changes soon and I wanted to mark every step of the way. For now, here is where the tank stands and how the fish look. Good coloring despite being in an all black tank and black tank bottom.

Lately, the smaller turq, who's never showed stress bars, is showing them on and off. Fortunately, no stringy poop and no loss of appetite. Not sure what's causing it.
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The stress bars on the bigger tiger turq comes and goes but this has been a feat since fry.
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Lighting focused on the dwarf water lettuce
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And Finally, My pair in their best shape and then moved to an all black tank.
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[Mando]

The latter photos are from my grow out tank. These were taken Nov 6. Include 1 Alanquer, 1 blue SS, 3 Marlboros, and a runt Blue Leopard. the leopard get's bullied.

Edit: from the pair, the male did not pepper in the all black tank so I'm assuming the trait was removed. However, the female peppered.

[Swedgin]

I like it, looks very stylish for lack of a better word.

[Mando]

I like it, looks very stylish for lack of a better word.
I should be ordering my 3d background soon and will add light color substrate. I am still undecided as to what substrate to go with. Any suggestions? It will be a good change. I cannot stand the black, but the tank is very modern. It's a 75g red sea tank with a 20g sump.

[Swedgin]

Sand is the only option here in my opinion. Regular pool filter sand is what most of us use, works well, is cheap and looks ace.

[Mando]

Will do that then. Any brand or anything in particular? I'm sure HomeDepot has something. I might add one of those heated eheim pro's as well since my tank always has a light cloudy tint to it. I feel like either the red sea sump is not built well or that I have a weak pump in the sump. The pump is Reef Octopus VarioS-2, but doesn't seem to be too powerful.

[Second Hand Pat]

Mando, do a search on the Reef Octopus VarioS-2 and it says there are five controllable settings which I assume are for flow.
Pat

[Mando]

Mando, do a search on the Reef Octopus VarioS-2 and it says there are five controllable settings which I assume are for flow.
Pat

It’s at max setting. I’ll show you the stream in a video some time tonight. It’s not rven enough to really agitate the surface. As the matter fact, I can point the nozzle out of the water and it isn’t powerful enough to go outside the tank; not even the splash it makes comes out of the tank. I’ve been meaning to write to them. Maybe I got a defective one.

[Second Hand Pat]

It’s at max setting. I’ll show you the stream in a video some time tonight. It’s not rven enough to really agitate the surface. As the matter fact, I can point the nozzle out of the water and it isn’t powerful enough to go outside the tank; not even the splash it makes comes out of the tank. I’ve been meaning to write to them. Maybe I got a defective one.

Sounds like it and that is an expensive pump. I run my 75 with sump off a Mag 7.5 and get plenty of flow.
Pat

[Mando]

They love Al’s worms.


https://youtu.be/Bu8AmvETuec

What is the orange discus strain name? I might have to separate them again. You can see some mating bows and some Male 2 male fighting.




https://youtu.be/4cvYk7cdV70

[Mando]

Sounds like it and that is an expensive pump. I run my 75 with sump off a Mag 7.5 and get plenty of flow.
Pat

Hey, Pat. Here is the water coming from the sump. Is it strong enough?


https://youtu.be/ASHNlsoyKdg

[Filip]

Stylish indeed . They all look like they float in the room :) 3D background with white PFS sand and some drift wood would make it look more natural though.
I'm anxious to see how this will progress Mando .

[Second Hand Pat]

Hey, Pat. Here is the water coming from the sump. Is it strong enough?


https://youtu.be/ASHNlsoyKdg

It could be Mando for discus. However I would contact the pump maker and see what they say. That darn pump is a $200 pump.
Pat

[Mando]

It could be Mando for discus. However I would contact the pump maker and see what they say. That darn pump is a $200 pump.
Pat

I will open a ticket with them and show them the flow @ max settings. I figured my tank is somewhat cloudy because it's not powerful enough to give the tank a proper filtration cycle. In the video, the water looks clear but if you were to see it from the side you can see the cloudiness.


Stylish indeed . They all look like they float in the room :) 3D background with white PFS sand and some drift wood would make it look more natural though.
I'm anxious to see how this will progress Mando .

Can't wait! I will submit measurements this weekend to Aquadecor. I wish there was someone more local. (in US)

[Swedgin]

I will open a ticket with them and show them the flow @ max settings. I figured my tank is somewhat cloudy because it's not powerful enough to give the tank a proper filtration cycle. In the video, the water looks clear but if you were to see it from the side you can see the cloudiness.



Can't wait! I will submit measurements this weekend to Aquadecor. I wish there was someone more local. (in US)

Awesome. Which design are you going for?

[Mando]

I’m a proud papa of wilds! Oh boy. What did I get into!
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[Mando]

Largo Grande
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Tefe Green
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[Mando]

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[Mando]

Last one before I bombard you with photos.
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[Mando]

Awesome. Which design are you going for?

Similar to yours. I fell in Love with Joey’s (king of diy) tank and always wanted something similar.

[fljones3]

Nice. My next tank will be wilds.

[Mando]

Nice. My next tank will be wilds.

I’ll slowly sell the domestics and replace them with wilds. They are picking up a tangerine and tiger turq on sunday.

[Second Hand Pat]

Loving the wilds Mango...three so far?
Pat

[Swedgin]

The red one is really nice

[Mando]

The red one is really nice

That one is Second Hand Pat Inspired - (minus) her quality! But I love his ring. ! That’s the Largo Grande. He’s about a little over 5”


Loving the wilds Mango...three so far?
Pat

Yea. I have way too many in QT so did not want to over do it. Gabe advised that the wilds had been in qt for 5 months and that I could put them in main tank but didn’t wamt to risk it. I just can’t believe that the tefe wilds are the same size as my alanquer and ss but much much thicker.

[Swedgin]

He looks pretty relaxed. Once he colors up he’ll be incredible. Very nice shape

[JoeDigiorgio]

Wow! Absolutely gorgeous wilds! I can’t wait for mine.

[Phil4Discus]

Looking great, Mando!

[Second Hand Pat]

That one is Second Hand Pat Inspired - (minus) her quality! But I love his ring. ! That’s the Largo Grande. He’s about a little over 5”

I am loving that red one too :D




Yea. I have way too many in QT so did not want to over do it. Gabe advised that the wilds had been in qt for 5 months and that I could put them in main tank but didn’t wamt to risk it. I just can’t believe that the tefe wilds are the same size as my alanquer and ss but much much thicker.

The tefe's might surprise you Mando as they settle and acclimate. The ones in my signature I grew out from four or so inches. Wilds grow well into their second year in my experience.
Pat

[Mando]

I am loving that red one too :D





The tefe's might surprise you Mando as they settle and acclimate. The ones in my signature I grew out from four or so inches. Wilds grow well into their second year in my experience.
Pat

Did You still feed 4+ At four inches? Also, I had a nice surprise last night. This is with no eggcrates. For some reason the Tangerine discus gave up and left the pair alone. Hopefully this lets them learn how to defend the eggs. I’m not expecting a batch out of here, just a lesson learned for the pair. So far they attack anyone who gets near.

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Wow! Absolutely gorgeous wilds! I can’t wait for mine.
Thank you! Good luck choosing yours. He has so many wilds.


Looking great, Mando!

Thanks, Phil!

And here is a shot of the Largo Grande a little bit darker
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[Second Hand Pat]

Did You still feed 4+ At four inches? Also, I had a nice surprise last night. This is with no eggcrates. For some reason the Tangerine discus gave up and left the pair alone. Hopefully this lets them learn how to defend the eggs. I’m not expecting a batch out of here, just a lesson learned for the pair. So far they attack anyone who gets near.


About three times a day Mando :)
Pat

[swright135]

Those are some beautiful wilds you got.

[Mando]

Not much here but I’m happy to say that I finally grew my second batch to 5”.

This is the blue SS. The alanquer is a little bigger.
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[Mando]

No real update guys. I had my doubts of getting a 3d background and I think I would enjoy a planted tank better. I selected a few plants to put into the discus tank but I figured I’d grow them out while I QT some Neons, Harley Quinns, and Corys. So one thing led to another and, low and behold, I have a high tech planted shrimp tank. I will grow out these plants and take cuttings for the maintank. This is a co2 injected shrimp tank and my first attempt on a planted tank. Here is the tank at day 15.
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[Mando]

Also, whoever can help me with the plant off to the right. It perked up after putting it into my tank but at day 10, It started to drop it’s old leaves. If you look closely, it has a lot of new growth between the old nodes but I’m even finding those small leaves on the surface.

As for the main tank, my two BDs are pairing, my SS is pairing with my Largo Grande wild, my Marlboro with the red cover, and my PB’s are a confirmed pair. And I want to be wishful, but I believe I saw some flirting between my two green tefe wilds.

Here is day 1
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[cooper666]

My experience with plants it that they change with the environment and can "morph" to some extent. Your plants would have come from somewhere where they are very well cared for, optimal nutrients etc. They will get use to your environment, so long as it is not completely inappropriate for plants. Sometimes they change shape completely. Years ago I had an amazon sword that changed from a broad leaf plant into a skinny leaf bush.

If you are really concerned, old leaves yellow and drop when nutrients are lacking. When a plant is short on nutrients, they tend to move the mobile nutrients from old leaves and transfer it to the fresh growth sites. Nutrient availability is also highly pH dependent, plants can show deficiencies even when nutrients are abundant, if the pH renders them unavailable.

Does that ammonia alert sticker thing work? Useful tool if it does.

[Mando]

The weird part is that the plant is losing it’s good leaves. No yellowing or browning whatsoever. I doubt the shrimp are plucking them off.

Sticker does work and never showed me anything different than the liquid test. I also have it on the main tank as well as the PH sticker. Ph always matches my apex ph probe. I still test with liquid once a week by no means is it a replacement.

[cooper666]

I might have to chuck a sticker in my sump, thanks for the share.

Leaf abscission is the term used when plants chuck their leaves suddenly, might be worth googling.

[Mando]

I might have to chuck a sticker in my sump, thanks for the share.

Leaf abscission is the term used when plants chuck their leaves suddenly, might be worth googling.

Will do. I also daw a youtube video that says most stem plants will lose it’s leaves when transferred to a new environment and that it will come back. .

[Mando]

Small update.

Plants are exploding. Pretty soon the main tank will be a planted tank. I will take cuttings from shrimp tank and transfer them.

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This is day 36. I forgot to add the text. This is an o2 injected tank.

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The surfer shrimp
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The blue diamonds are from my first batch that you guys help me save. So these are way stunted but I love them :) (history age graded influence)

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[Mando]

As I was taking pictures, I started to notice really big eyes on the SS and he's just turned 1 year old. His eyes should not be that big. Do you think this is starting to be some sort of pop eye effect? It could be my tank's glass that magnifies it a little bit, but then my anxiety started kicking and I felt haunted by all my fish. They all seem to have their eyes extended about 1-2mm out of there body.

I just hope this isn't an issue. You can see the SS pics below and a few others.

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I think the clown loach loves the discus feedings. I threw him in at 1inch and this little guy has grown in the last 2 months; he's about 2.5 inches now. I thought loaches take a long time to grow.

[Sturiosoma]

Also, whoever can help me with the plant off to the right. It perked up after putting it into my tank but at day 10, It started to drop it’s old leaves. If you look closely, it has a lot of new growth between the old nodes but I’m even finding those small leaves on the surface.

As for the main tank, my two BDs are pairing, my SS is pairing with my Largo Grande wild, my Marlboro with the red cover, and my PB’s are a confirmed pair. And I want to be wishful, but I believe I saw some flirting between my two green tefe wilds.

Here is day 1
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If you're talking about the short plant, that looks like a cryptocoryne and they are noted for what they call melting, or transplant shock it should bounce back they just don't like being moved around.

Jeanne

[Mando]

If you're talking about the short plant, that looks like a cryptocoryne and they are noted for what they call melting, or transplant shock it should bounce back they just don't like being moved around.

Jeanne

It's the tall plant in the top right corner. But she stopped melting and should start growing soon. I figured it was a shock from moving her.

[Mando]

The largo Grande was flexing for me this morning.

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[Mando]

The crypts in the shrimp tank went through a major shock from a 50% water change and started melting. I do 20% WC weekly now. However, I might get rid of this plant since it's not ideal for a discus tank and their big water changes. I was reading that a small change in temp, tds, and ph would send them into shock. I did add more shrimp to the tank. 5 Blue rilis, 10 red rilis, and about 15 fire red shrimps. I will post pics later tonight.

[bluelagoon]

Plants will need a ph range of 5.5 - 7 to be able to take up nutrients. If not in that range plants just will not flurish. Post # 41 the first pic. Was that discus ever injuried above the eye? It appears to be an old HITH scare that has healed over.

[Mando]

Plants will need a ph range of 5.5 - 7 to be able to take up nutrients. If not in that range plants just will not flurish. Post # 41 the first pic. Was that discus ever injuried above the eye? It appears to be an old HITH scare that has healed over.

The snake skin jumped out of the tank once and I saved it. The hole came from that accident. Good observation. Do you see anything weird with how far out his eyes are or is it normal?

My PH is 6.90-6.99 average. The plant had major growth spurt but I was reading that crypts are known to melt with the slightest change in chemistry. I did a 50-80% water change that day.

[bluelagoon]

The eyes look healthy to me.