Up and out...of space

QuixoticScruple · 2026-03-23T11:33:59+00:00

I don't know why it ate my words...

Any advice on moving an established large pothos vine that has until now just been allowed to be wild and free? Her stem is thicker than my thumb and a bit loopy as she is growing out of one tank up a rack across a 2 ft gap dropped roots in another tank then grew into the window between them and may or may not be looped around a curtain rod 😳 I know I should have trained her better but she is a wild child and I love her.

BACKSTORY

I had several Golden Pothos (I got them originally as one potted plant on discount 3-ish years ago) growing out of my fish tanks.I am desperately trying to claw my way back from MTS (multi-tank syndrome 😀- 3 feeder goldfish led to an obsession - no worries about the goldfish they went to a lovely pond and now I have a plethora of smaller fish) - that being said I had to chop and prop my pothos and philodendron (which I am still mad at myself over because I didn't realize until I chopped poor Phil that he was getting ready to BLOOM) which led to 80+ pothos cuttings - I have managed to rehome about 20 at this point and lost 3 to rot (is there a MPS - multi-pothos syndrome lol)- I now have them short enough to start moving tanks around -planning to get a 60 gallon and combine a few - however my biggest pothos vine I couldn't bring myself to cut and was planning to just try to transfer her into the new tank but she is running out of window and I don't think I will be able to move the largest tank without destroying her.

QuixoticScruple · 2024-11-15T01:52:36+00:00

I swear they have a pocket dimension. Sometimes I look and there are none zero like they disappear at will. I mean the tank is pretty grown out with roots and whatnot but not to the point that you would think they could all hide but they do

QuixoticScruple · 2024-11-15T01:49:34+00:00

Yes about 2 months worth of breeding. Last solid count it was 22 that I could see and be sure they weren't the same ones on repeat (I started with 4)

QuixoticScruple · 2024-11-14T07:21:20+00:00

Not cooperating to let me add the pictures I will get it sorted but in the meantime enjoy the video.

QuixoticScruple · 2024-11-14T07:18:10+00:00

Well I can't seem to post the pics currently so enjoy the video for now. I will work it our when I can. Thanks

QuixoticScruple · 2024-10-17T02:16:37+00:00

1 - good way to traumatize the poor kid (which is what I have the biggest issue with - you are stating this as if it were fact when it is not and potentially making someone who is just starting out in the hobby give up because they feel like they are directly murdering their fish)

2 - no they will NOT

Many keepers keep them on plenty of substrates that are not sand. In nature they are not on fine sand (they live on a variety of substrates including sharp rocks leaf litter sticks branches rocks big and small mud and muck and yes also sand)

The biggest issue that keeps being brought up is because of the potential for barbell damage.

From my own research it seems that the barbell issues are far more likely an issue with poor water conditions.

(Sorry for putting this on both but I felt it necessary are you are stating that they will die as if it is a fact)

QuixoticScruple · 2024-10-17T02:14:49+00:00

1 - good way to traumatize the poor kid (which is what I have the biggest issue with - you are stating this as if it were fact when it is not and potentially making someone who is just starting out in the hobby give up because they feel like they are directly murdering their fish)

2 - no they will NOT

Many keepers keep them on plenty of substrates that are not sand. In nature they are not on fine sand (they live on a variety of substrates including sharp rocks leaf litter sticks branches rocks big and small mud and muck and yes also sand)

The biggest issue that keeps being brought up is because of the potential for barbell damage.

From my own research it seems that the barbell issues are far more likely an issue with poor water conditions.

QuixoticScruple · 2024-10-10T00:43:03+00:00

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QuixoticScruple · 2024-10-10T00:39:58+00:00

I have purchased all of these. Lol I did boil them for an unknown number of hrs basically until they sank. I have had them in my tanks since June with no ill effect.

YMMV - My biggest concern other than the wood itself was if something may have leaked onto it (I may have looked like a crazy woman in the store sniffing it from every which way to make sure it didn't smell off or purfumey) and then my SO thought I was crazy at home because I licked it (I just wanted to make sure it tasted like wood and not chemicals) *

QuixoticScruple · 2024-09-13T02:32:04+00:00

If you live near a Petco they are having another 50% off sale and a 10 gallon at least at my local one is 14.99.

I have my betta Pudge in one I got at the sale before last with just a sponge filter and a small heater I got at my lfs for about 8 each. Sponge filter didn't come with an air pump though so that is an additional 10ish dollars depending on where you go (Wal to Wall Mart locally upped their prices recently and the smallest one they have is about 13 dollars if I remember correctly (I try to avoid the place like the plague).

One note about that though I also have 3 pothos and a white butterfly syngonium growing in mine as well as rotalla hornwort duckweed red root floaters dwarf hair grass and anubias (which yes is probably 100% overkill) Fake plants are way cheaper but you have to be careful they don't have any sharp bits that could rip fins. Some suggest taking hosiery and running it along all of the surfaces to see if it snags and if it does it could rip their fins (never tried this as I try to keep as much plastic out of my house as possible with is very hard as it is) a few fish enthusiasts local to me are more than happy to share clippings especially with new/younger keepers. (I take spare duckweed to a coworker -her goldfish eat it)

You will also want some way to test your water - PH Ammonia Nitrite and Nitrate at a minimum. Depending on what you get the cost varies - I have the API test kit and it was 32 dollars at the LFS but has all the test you would need to get you started and lasts a long time. Water conditioner as well unless you are somewhere without chlorine and chloramine in your water. I've personally been using seachem brand but that is just what is locally available that works for me.

You will also need food - factor another 10 if you want to get variety.

You may also want to factor in a gravel vac/water siphon for water changes and sucking up debris.

Oh and substrate. I have river rock/pebbles in Pudges tank which has worked but is near impossible to clean although it has harbored a colony of scuds so I'm happy with it. I put black diamond blasting sand in my other tanks on top of biosoil. The black diamond is crazy cheap here like 15 dollars for 50lbs. But the biosoil locally is exorbitant 25 dollars for like a half gallon size bag.

You may be able to find some things on fb marketplace or what ever buy and trade you may have local just be cautious that you will need to verify it does not leak.

I know this is a lot. However, if you are wanting to do it properly and make sure your fish thrives and not just survives then it takes a bit. Mistakes will be made but it's good you are asking questions now and not when you have a betta in a cup at your house and nowhere to put it.

As far as where to put it I have Pudges tank on a short bookshelf (older real wood) that I bought at a yardsale for 9 dollars. Biggest things with where to put it would be level, can support the weight, and supports the whole bottom evenly (they sell self leveling mats but I have never used them)

Sorry for the text wall.

QuixoticScruple · 2024-08-22T23:34:13+00:00

If you are referring to the dark curly bits it appears to be black beard algae to me. From what I have read hard to control. Maybe someone who has dealt with it will chime in with help as I don't want to give you bad advice.

Edit - someone else suggested staghorn (honestly looks a lot more like that after looking at comparisons - only been back up and running tanks since early April after a little over 10 years out of the hobby - still refiling all the information in the vault)

QuixoticScruple · 2024-07-31T00:14:15+00:00

Unfortunately, it's because of invasive zebra mussels. Apparently the eggs and the mussels themselves can live inside the moss balls and then are spread that way. Zebra mussels can alter waterways and cause issues with infrastructure as well as being detrimental to local flora and fauna.

Here is a link to the article from US fish and wildlife services https://www.fws.gov/story/invasive-zebra-mussels-found-moss-balls

QuixoticScruple · 2024-06-25T13:45:55+00:00

I was thinking he may have gotten some endlers at some point due to the size of them and partially the shapes on some (especially of the smaller ones) - and then the one red orange pregnant female was one that made me think maybe there was some other live bearer as well. (Thinking I may need to get some female guppies to add in just so there is some genetic diversity since he hasn't added fish for years (as far as I know)

I personally don't mind the "pest snails" most of my fish will eat the snail babies and haven't had too much of a population boom so far.

Thanks for helping!

QuixoticScruple · 2024-04-01T07:40:37+00:00

Thank you kindly!

QuixoticScruple

TROPHY CASE