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It's a hobby 🐣

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SHRIMPS

picking up my shrimp today

I ordered 5 orange neocardinia shrimp and a couple of plants

I’M AFRAID OF KILLING THEM BUT SO EXCITED TO SEE REAL SHRIMP ACTION IN MY TANK

#tank talk

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Somehow managed to take this picture as almost all of the minnows turned perpendicular to me.

I moved the duckweed into its own little jail that can float around as it pleases. The frogbit roots are doing really well! They got all of their fuzz back and are aggressively growing new offshoots.

This morning I fed the minnows some freeze dried brine shrimp and I really liked this more than the tubifex worms; the cubes crumbled easily so I could portion them out and floated less so the minnows didn't end up bloated with air.

I want to get the tank well established before getting my shrimpy boys but The Longing is intense.

#plant talk #fish talk #fishblr

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The floaters have been contained!!

Before and after 😊

I ordered a floater corral kit from Surreal Aqua on Etsy and it's great, I got some floating rings too and used one to feed some flake food so it wouldn't float around so much and it worked great.

#plant talk

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Today was a big cleanup day! I siphoned the substrate and trimmed the wisteria. I took out my heater since it was just in the back taking up space and blocking light for the Italian val and wisteria.

The frogbit has lost some of the more impressive roots but the ones that are left have little shoots growing off of them. 🥰

And after some further research the floaters that came in the handful of frogbit I got from the local store is giant duckweed... Instead of roots it's actually stems that are growing down which is pretty neat!

I'd gotten some freeze dried tubifex cubes and had a little broken one that was about 1/3 the full cube that I tried feeding. It was way too much for just the 6 little minnows. I fished about half of it back out and am going to wait a couple hours before giving it back.

I've ordered a floating plant corral that cannot get here soon enough. Now that the wisteria doesn't reach the surface the flow has changed and the floaters keep trying to dive into the filter bubbles.

#tank talk #plant talk #fish talk #fishblr

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The floaters are in the tank!

The bubbles are from the meds, which I rationally understand, but has not stopped me from being petrified I somehow contaminated the tank with soap. 🧼☠️

I really love how red the selvinia is on the underside of the leaves, though I couldn't get a good picture of any, my phone is not super cooperative with aquarium photography.

A LOT of the roots got roughed up from rinsing and inspecting the plants, but as long as at least one survives then it will be a win.

#tank talk #plant talk

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A lot has happened since my last post!!! I got some floating plants (selvinia and frogbit):

I got some meds to dose the tank with that should take care of any parasites the fishies came home with that clouded up the water, but are giving me some real peace of mind!

Horribly I've had an outbreak of uninvited snails IN THE TANK!!!! of which I am seriously hoping are bladder snails but they were too small for me to identify. I've seen and removed 4 so far.

Took out my driftwood, worried there were snails living on/in it and gave them a good scrub with a toothbrush and inspection. I put them back in in different spots to try and keep the Snail Epicenter clear. I've found 3/4 of them on the gravel under/around the one driftwood piece and the 4th heading down from the waterline on the back wall.

I think I like this arrangement with the right piece leaning on the left piece better than what I had before, so I'll probably keep it similar when I move them back to the center.

And, finally!!! I got a tiger nerite to keep snailissa company. I moved them into the tank this morning because I was concerned about them not eating in the vase I was quarantining them in. Unfortunately the tip of their shell is gone so I hope they'll recover quickly with our hard, hard water.

So far they've just opened their trapdoor but haven't moved.

#tank talk #plant talk #snailissa

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One of the smaller wcmm has a couple of split fins but it sounds like (according to some frantic Google searching) as long as it doesn't develop into fin rot it should heal on its own. It definitely hasn't slowed her down any though she zipped around at top speed when she realized there was food. I fed them a little to try and get a better look but she was too fast!

I have that one tiny fish that is super aggressive and I was worried he was bullying this fish but then I watched her follow him around despite getting chased and then they mated so. I guess it wasn't that!!!!!! I guess he could just be too rough trying to convince her to come to the Sex Zone but wonder if she got her fins caught on the wisteria roots...

I moved one of the pieces of driftwood to try and break line of sight in the tank better and it does seem to have helped a little with the aggression from the tiny guy towards the others.

#wcmm #fish talk

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Java moss is in!!!! Dead wisteria is out!!! I wiped off the leaves that had noticeable algae growing on them and plucked the ones that were dying. There's some wisteria on what is now the dark side of the tank that I think I will move to the other side once when I trim again, the minnows love to pick through the roots so I don't want to just pick them up and move them until the java moss starts to grow in.

The minnows like to go nibble on the tongs when I put them in the water which makes me very nervous. Though one of them kept going for a mole on my arm. Cute.

I'd like to clean the filter soon but it's only been a couple weeks since I put it in a fresh tank so I should probably let it get a few weeks nastier so I don't wipe out my bacteria while squeezing it clean.

Also found where snailissa is hiding today:

#tank talk #plant talk #java moss #wcmm #snailissa

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Not 100% sure but it DID LOOK LIKE AMMONIA WAS 💛0ppm💛 THIS MORNING!!!! maybe the tiniest tinge of green, MAYBE! Nitrites were also 0 so I am feeling good. If I'm not completely flattened by yardwork today maybe I can head up town to get some frozen food for the fish to celebrate 🥳

Tbh a couple of the minnows' colours are pretty pale but they're acting the same as the rest and it might be from indigestion because I noticed the same two are real greedy during feeding and then turn pale for an hour or two after. The food is fresh and has a long expiration on it so I don't think it's the food's fault.

Good morning, minnows. Good morning, snailissa.

#tank talk #wcmm #snailissa

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Java moss quarantine day 4.

It is definitely getting fluffier! There's some dark spots on a few of the fronds I'm keeping an eye on though... I only have room in my heart for one snail right now. Probably just dead leaves but I'm being careful.

Java moss quarantine day 3.

It does seem fluffier but maybe it's just my optimism.

#plant talk #java moss

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Ammonia is finally starting to go down!!!!! It was definitely below 0.25ppm, I can't wait for the test to come back completely yellow 💛

Good morning sweet minnows (and snailissa)

#tank talk #snailissa #wcmm

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Snailissa spotting:

Can you find them?

#snailissa #they vanished a few hours ago and made it all the way to the log

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I think my water is pretty under control for ammonia(0.25ppm), nitrites(0ppm), and nitrates(5-10ppm) since I have plenty of water conditioner to dose until the last 0.25ppm of ammonia clears up, but the pH is just constantly climbing and I can't figure out why.

It comes out of the tap a tad alkaline around 7.4~7.6 but the tank quickly hits 8+ and has just been going up every time I check despite having done 10-20% water changes at least once a day since I got the minnows last Friday.

I wonder if the gravel I got isn't inert like I thought it was; I wish I still had the bag it came in but I tossed it already. I guess I'll try scooping some out the next time I'm in there and see if that slows it down.

I'd really like to stop feeling like I constantly need to change the water, I want to get to the point I'm not always stressed out that my minnows are getting burned or are getting sick from the water quality. 😢 🐟

#tank talk

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My light is pretty bright and so I tried creating some DIY shade with torn packing paper and a bubble wrap sleeve to keep it dry, in place, and away from the hot light. The stones are to keep it flat so it doesn't touch and overheat the light or flap in the breeze from my ceiling fan.

The minnows seem to be enjoying it. They still go to the bright side but like to chill out in the middle of the tank and higher in the water more often now. Their colours are also less washed out when they're on the shaded side.

(guest appearance by snailissa)

#tank talk #fish talk #wcmm #snailissa

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Java moss quarantine day 3.

It does seem fluffier but maybe it's just my optimism.

#java moss #plant talk

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LIVE SNAILISSA REACTION

You can even see their little feelers 🥺

#snailissa