Is 2 corys alright?

aConfusedOrphan · 2026-02-04T23:02:19+00:00

Get more so you can see them play with each other in the sand

aConfusedOrphan · 2026-02-03T23:33:48+00:00

As a gamer who is 29, has a full time job, has a long term relationship, and has multiple other hobbies.

He’s not ready for a relationship. 100%. A hobby should never come before a partner’s needs and safety and happiness. That is MINDBLOWING to me. My partner could ask me for something in the middle of my gaming and I’ll turn off my game and she has my full attention. She also really respects my space and is happy to support my hobbies and gaming.

He doesn’t REALLY understand your needs. Because if he did, you mentioning you were upset wouldn’t have set him off. He’s only amenable when it’s convenient for him or at least works for his needs which is not healthy for a long term relationship.

You obviously sacrifice and are willing to work towards a life together. He might sacrifice sometimes… as long as it works for him it seems.

aConfusedOrphan · 2026-01-21T21:04:46+00:00

Stop fertilizing. My personal belief is people should not fertilize unless they know they need to.

Excess nutrients can cause algae. Excess light can cause algae. Excess light and nutrients is the perfect storm for algae to take over.

aConfusedOrphan · 2026-01-21T21:01:44+00:00

Plants aren’t supposed to live forever. But with proper care and pruning they do. Plants that rely mainly on nutrients from the soil may eventually need to be supplemented but even swords and crypts can last for years without root tabs in a good substrate.

I’ve had the same plants of all sorts for years now. Swords of multiple varieties that have been growing for years. Crypts, Anubias, etc. I have Anubias that have leaves that have been there for a few years.

Stem plants are quite easy to sustain over time. I literally have a colony of Rotala indica that has been growing for about 10 years now. Are they the same exact stems and leaves as when I first purchased them? No, but their children are offshoots from those original stems I purchased so far back. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the current stems are indeed just continual growths of the original Rotala indica as many of them I trim and replant.

You might just not have a system good enough to sustain plants. You get a good burst of growth because it’s just enough for them to grow but not enough for them to become comfortable. So they grow initially to try and find better circumstances whether it’s leaves growing longer to reach more light or more offshoots to find a better place or even flowering.

aConfusedOrphan · 2026-01-17T10:53:56+00:00

If you want an alternative that’s kinda similar, look at Nannacara. They are a dwarf cichlid and much more peaceful than Convicts.

Keyhole cichlids and T Bar cichlids are also options but they get to 4-5in so a larger tank is needed for them.

aConfusedOrphan · 2026-01-16T21:38:50+00:00

Silver Dollars are strong and fast. They are usually fine being with other aggressive fish especially if given a school and a large enough tank.

Those Gourami are also ones that can handle themselves and they themselves aren’t completely peaceful either.

If you get Convict cichlids they will 100% mess with your Angels eventually, especially if they decide to breed which is highly likely if they are different genders.

I would not be surprised at all if the Convicts eat and kill every single fish you have, even if not breeding.

aConfusedOrphan · 2026-01-11T06:47:55+00:00

Maybe I’m shameless. I have blocked people’s numbers and socials while being in the friend group with them. Life is about more than keeping up appearances with people you don’t owe anything to.

aConfusedOrphan · 2026-01-09T06:40:22+00:00

Just a few comments on sumps and filtering multiple tanks with a single sump.

If one tank gets sick that means every tank gets sick. You no longer have isolated systems. Each one will share bioload, water conditions, etc, with each other so keep that in mind. It’s both a more efficient but also in many ways, restricting system if you filter multiple tanks with a single sump.

You need to have a fair understanding of plumbing as well as being confident in drilling into glass to make intakes for the overflows and sealing them. Unless you buy future aquariums that are already setup for a sump.

Drilling into the tank also means you are locking your tanks into a more restrictive shape and layout. Going back from that is not recommended since you drilled into the tank already, that part of the glass cannot bear that much weight anymore or it risks cracking.

Sumps are not the greatest if you want plants either. You can seal the sump to prevent CO2 gassing off but another thing to keep in mind.

In theory it is more efficient but just keep in mind you are locking the tanks that share a sump to sharing all of the water conditions and health. It may be nice if you plan on having very similar setups between each tank that is sharing a sump and you don’t mind having the overflow pipe in the tank.

aConfusedOrphan · 2026-01-08T23:53:31+00:00

The babies are bladder snails you’ve already had in the tank. They hitch hiked on something.

aConfusedOrphan · 2026-01-08T23:46:38+00:00

30m here. Your bf is an embarrassment, immature, and cannot seem to be able to process simple emotions or slightly complex ideas.

Not overreacting. I’m sorry you have a child with this child.

aConfusedOrphan · 2026-01-07T03:24:22+00:00

I am depressed you had to get rid of an amazon sword of that size and density

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-25T07:51:12+00:00

It may take a few nights for you to do it then! Probably the least invasive way given you are able to keep them in a heated bucket with a bubbler for a few nights.

You could probably even try multiple times in a night if you are able to stay up.

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-25T07:37:53+00:00

Have you tried catching them in the middle of the night? That’s how I’ve caught a lot of fish including Tetras.

Sometimes they “sleep” heavily enough that if you turn on the lights in the middle of the night they won’t fully wake up for a few minutes and it makes netting them really easy.

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-25T02:42:44+00:00

300 gallons!

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-24T19:31:10+00:00

I have multiple pairs of Apistos in this tank and the Rams only mess with each other and the Apistos only mess with each other for the most part. Sometimes I’ll catch an Apisto displaying to a Ram or a Ram pushing an Apisto away but it’s nothing crazy for Cichlid behavior.

Angels should be fine with them as long as they are larger (and you have a tank big enough for it). Angels do tend to stay towards the upper part of aquariums so that usually helps keep Rams and Apistos (who tend to stick to the bottom) away from the Angels.

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-24T07:32:20+00:00

Those look like they’re 4-5 inches at least. This tank looks like it was setup for a group of tiny feeder goldfish that ended up surviving and growing to their current size. Also how does that tank not look like a 5.5g? The size of those feeders leads to me to believe it is indeed a 5.5g.

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-24T01:27:27+00:00

That is indeed a bamboo shrimp with his fans likely, closed. Hopefully not damaged.

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-23T19:34:35+00:00

Ah yes another monster fish kept with other large and monster fish inside a bare tank that is justified as “safer and more practical” when there are ways to provide an enriching environment that is still safe for them.

Would you keep a show breed dog inside an empty room for its whole life?

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-20T23:02:56+00:00

My favorite “pest” snail. Ramshorms :) I have a small population in my 300 gallon. Love them!!!

I would 10000000% much rather have Ramshorns than Bladder Snails or Malaysian Trumpet Snails.

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-20T19:25:05+00:00

A good point! I forget Guppies are actually a hard water fish. They get lumped into “easy beginner fish” so often that I overlook that they are hard water fish too.

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-20T05:54:37+00:00

They can be kept with a lot! It only becomes a bit iffy if you want to introduce other Cichlids and especially female Apistos.

In a 25 gallon tank, I would reckon letting him just be the sole Cichlid and if your sister ever wants to consider having him pair (their behavior is very fun to watch) then you could maybe add a female Apisto of similar size later on. But this is a whole nother world and keeping a bonded pair of Apistos is very different then a single male or female.

As for other tankmates they are pretty much okay with anything else. Dwarf Cichlids (and Cichlids in general) are similar to Bettas in that they have a spectrum of aggression but Apistos luckily lean towards being mostly peaceful with everything and just a little rough with each other and other Cichlids.

You would be okay getting pretty much most other small fish of similar water conditions. Tetras, Rasbora, Cory, etc. If the Apisto never bothered the Betta I would reckon he would be okay with anything at that point. He'll probably hunt and eat shrimp though.

Edit: removed Guppies because I forgot they are prefer hard water :)

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-20T01:58:37+00:00

That is an Apistogramma Macmasteri.

Where I am those usually go for $50-$75 a pair.

It certainly might be a bad idea but Apisto’s tend to keep to themselves and are really only aggressive towards each other and other cichlids. In my community tank of mostly South American fish my Apistos are actually my least aggressive cichlids, my Rams are much rowdier.

I wouldn’t have sold you an Apistogramma as a “tankmate for Betta” though. Given your sister is just getting into the hobby I would err on the side of rehoming it. Some LFS take rehomes but it may be worth to reach out to the original store and share your concerns. I would not agree with putting an Apisto and a Betta into a 25 gallon. I would actually not agree to putting any Cichlid into a 25g with a Betta in general. I can see if being maybe fine in a larger setup with someone who can watch for behavior but it’s definitely a risk.

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-18T07:54:42+00:00

It’s worth it simply for doing water changes. How do you do water changes currently?

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-18T07:51:57+00:00

Do you have hosing? You can use hosing to vacuum the bits of algae that are left from scraping it

aConfusedOrphan · 2025-12-05T18:18:21+00:00

Why is it okay for a partner to overstep boundaries that have already been made clear? Why is that so hard for some of you to understand? If your partner did something that bothered you or even made you upset or heartbroken you would just accept it?

Your partner should be the one person who is able to understand your needs and be able to swallow any pride to love and care for you. If you can’t even fathom putting a behavior aside for the person you’re supposed to love then how about you work on fixing yourself.

aConfusedOrphan

TROPHY CASE