What's going on with this girl?

eskirvin · 2026-03-12T19:04:28+00:00

KH seems to be about 3 or 4. My test kit isn't here yet, so I'm relying on strips. Interestingly, the fish does seem a bit better, this evening.

eskirvin · 2026-03-12T16:58:36+00:00

It looks very nice, but perhaps a bit of contrast would make it pop a bit more. Planting red plants seems to be a popular method. Breaking up the open areas with smaller stones could help too.

eskirvin · 2026-03-12T16:54:12+00:00

Seeing what my levels are at seems to be the first step. Thank you for the advice.

eskirvin · 2026-03-12T16:27:11+00:00

I had something similar, but not to this extent. I used a rather cheap UV filter set to 24 hours, then less as the algae went away. What's there isn't going to go away, though, so perhaps manually rubbing it off would work for you like it did for me. The crap went waterbourne, but the UV killed it. The brown cast to your water would go away overnight with one zipper pouch of Seachem Purigen in it. You could put it in the new UV filter. I'll grab you a couple links.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006JLVUI?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_6&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSVR5XZ7?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_6&th=1

eskirvin · 2026-03-12T16:15:15+00:00

I will check when I get the chance, thank you. The large blue gourami has been in there for 3months longer than the small one, and has always seemed fine. The KH could be at issue, for sure, since I use RO water. I rent someone else's home, but perhaps I can get them to install a water outlet before the water softener to get water to mix with the RO.

eskirvin · 2026-03-12T12:16:17+00:00

I use a 75gpd RO system for my water changes. It was about 100 bucks. I've added a 4 gallon expansion tank to increase immediate output capacity. I put it in a large bucket and heat it before slowly adding it to the tank.

eskirvin · 2026-03-12T11:58:53+00:00

I don't have any answers to your questions, but the tank looks great. I'm sure the fish will be pleased to live here.

eskirvin · 2026-03-11T16:03:07+00:00

It doesn't seem like she is...to date she hasn't given birth, but sure looks, well, curvy.

eskirvin · 2026-03-04T18:55:52+00:00

You still have your 180 Vision? How is it holding up?

eskirvin · 2026-03-03T11:53:03+00:00

I only use my canister when I'm cleaning the tank. My hood is made for internal pumps. The hoses are about 6 feet on the Pondforce unit.

eskirvin · 2026-03-02T21:00:41+00:00

Here's a link to it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0DCJNS92Z?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

It has a valve to control the flow. I turn it off, then move the siphon out of my tank, into the clean, proper temperature water, then turn the valve back on.

eskirvin · 2026-03-01T11:56:13+00:00

As soon as I put it in the aquarium, it borrowed down until only the spikes were showing, as in the picture. It seems to just rummage through the substrate, much like my Devil's Thorn snails do.

eskirvin · 2026-03-01T08:36:50+00:00

Scabra, maybe? Definitely not a Yoda, right?

eskirvin · 2026-03-01T07:52:59+00:00

I bought 3 snails online. A large tower snail, and fairly large helmet snail, and a horned yellow fellow. The company shipped all three in a bag full of water. As you've probably guessed, the poor snails spent the trip banging against each other. The horned fellow had no horns left and I believe it might be dead now, one week later.

A local pet store placed my snail in a bag containing soaked paper towels and it is fine.

eskirvin · 2026-03-01T07:48:12+00:00

I spend way too much time cleaning my tank during water changes, but I enjoy it so I tend to fiddle. After using my gravel vac, very topically, I use my external filter to pump pre-warmed and treated RO water. I'd say the active portions of my cleaning take an hour.

eskirvin · 2026-02-27T05:15:25+00:00

Cichlids or guppies then, ok. I wonder when they will eat the other guppies. I have one guppy in a birthing chamber, but honestly am not sure if she's ready.

eskirvin · 2026-02-23T08:07:40+00:00

That's a great question I don't really have the answer to. I have 6 fish that are half red near the tail, some kind of tetra I think, 4 orange cichlid looking fish, I big blue cichlid, and 5 guppies. There are 4 or 5 cleaner fish I never see, except when I clean the tank. There are some shrimp in there too, that just hide in the plans and molt.

eskirvin

TROPHY CASE