new danios

Two newbies in my tank. I thought they would be fairly indistinguishable from the others, but one stands out. He's got a blue speck in the middle of a white stripe near the tail, and a white speck interrupting a blue stripe above the anal fin. Color variation or a missing scale, I can't quite tell.

But it's pretty easy to spot him. I call him Blip. The other new fish I can't tell apart.

The resident Danios were pretty excited about the newcomers. They were swimming close all around the bag while it floated to equalize temperature.

Once I let them out they darted all over the place. One fish was clamping fins for a while- but this morning they all look fine. Alert, good color. I fed them peas this morning (yesterday was their fast) and they all ate. But I think Zippy is stressed out by the newcomers. He's easily the smallest fish now and doesn't swim around in the upper water with the others, but weaves about through the plant stems on the bottom. I'm hoping once the others are done vying with each other and settle down a bit, Zippy might feel calmer too.

worm update

So, how are the worms doing? Well, they are still alive, and none are escaping so I think I have given them the right conditions. Better yet, when I gently pull aside some bedding I see most of them have found the food source. I have noticed a few things: there is condensation on the sides of the bin. It might be too damp? I've adding dry bedding on top. There's a bit of mold on the food I added, also some fruit flies. I think this is normal, but I don't like seeing either so have to remember to bury the food deeper. I also think I might be feeding them too much- when I gently lift up some bedding to check on the worms, a faint warmth comes up. I guess this means my bin is "cooking" like a regular compost pile, but that might be too warm for the worms?

Well, here's my simple method so far. I collect the appropriate food scraps in this copper pail that sits on my countertop. (It came to me with a plant in it that would have drowned, no drainage!) I want to find a copper or brass saucer, or lid with a handle to cover it, but for now just use a plate. I lined the small pail with newspaper but discovered that it gets a bit soggy and can't lift it out without a mess falling apart. So there's a plastic lining under the newspaper, and then I can remove it easier to tip into the bin...

It takes me two or three days to fill the copper pail, thus the worms get fed a few times a week. The volume of the pail fits neatly six times in the bin, so I just bury it in a different spot each time. When I get back to the first space, I'm hoping the worms (or their friendly co-habitating little organisms) will have consumed the stuff and the space will be available for me to add more food. If not, then I'm probably feeding them too much and will be more choosy about what I collect to give them. So far this includes food items like pear cores, apple peelings, bread crusts the kids didn't eat, coffee grounds, raisins that fell on the floor etc. - but also used kleenex, paper towels from wiping up food spills, dryer lint, dead leaves and trimmings off my houseplants.

It's satisfying to not have as much stuff going into the trash bin. Also, less fills up my recycling box now too because I keep out the brown cardboard, clean paper and cardboard tubes to shred for new bedding. This goes on the top whenever I add food.

Learning process, so might change how I do things but that's it for now.

parameters on betta bowls

While I was at fishkeeping chores yesterday, I thought to test the water in my Bettas' bowls. I've been thinking maybe I should change 50% of the water once midweek, in addition to the 100% change I do on fridays. To keep it clean enough. So on tuesday I tested, but everything was perfect. No bad levels. Today before cleaning I tested again. Quite surprised to find that the numbers were still all perfectly safe.

Pinkie's bowl had below 0.25 Ammonia, 0 Nitrites and only 5 Nitrates. This is amazingly good for an unfiltered bowl.

Flash had 0.25 Ammonia, 0 Nitrites and 10 Nitrates. Just as safe. Of course I did their water changes, but puzzled at how the bowls could be doing so well when I constantly read online and in books how unsuitable a bowl is for the fish, they really should be in an aquarium with a filter.

My fish have, for the most part, always seemed to do just fine. I think there are a number of reasons why this is working. There is a small layer of gravel in the bottom of each bowl, which probably at this point hosts some beneficial bacteria. Each fish also has a decor item with Java Moss tied on it, and Pinkie also has a fake plant. I always rinse debris out of the gravel with hot water, and rub the sides of the bowl clean, but I don't scrub the decor items. So I think that the surface of the decor, plants and gravel hosts just enough bacteria to handle the amount of waste from one fish. Plus I tried to feed them lightly, which keeps it from getting polluted, and the moss plant consumes Nitrates. It seems that even though I probably kill some bacteria when I rinse the gravel (it would be far worse to leave the food waste and fish poo in there) enough is alive in other areas of the bowl environment that things stay in balance.

At least, this is all what I think is going on. Someone do correct me if I'm wrong! Regardless, the fish seem healthy and content, the numbers are safe, and I am going to keep maintaining them this way until I can afford to house both bettas in filtered tanks. I feel like it is not good for the betta to be in such a small home; they would be better with more space and consistent heat (they stay just warm enough on top of my fridge, usually at 74° when I test the water but I know that a steady 78°-80° would be much better for them).

An interesting side note. I have noticed that Flash is definitely more feisty than Pinkie. When I approach the bowls all the fish swim to the near side to investigate. Pinkie moves back and forth curiously, but Flash displays and even flares his gill covers wide. When I set the test tubes near his bowl today for a photo, he swam back and forth in front of the glass where the tubes were set. It looked like he was displaying to the colors in the test tubes! I stepped back to make sure he wasn't displaying at me, and he kept darting back and forth near the colors. Flaring his gill covers as well which you can see in these shots:

My long-term plan is to integrate one of the bettas into my larger, community tank and to give the other one his own small tank. I will try at some point to see if Pinkie can safely coexist with the other fishes, but I think Flash is probably too aggressive and will have to have his own quarters!

parameters and other fish notes

Friday was maintenance for our fishes.

First routine water change I've done on the big tank, so I thought to make a note for myself. It looks like my biological system in there is stable. The water parameters are great: Ammonia below 0.25, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrates less than 5. I was surprised the Nitrates were so low- either because my few small fish don't produce much waste so there's not a lot of end product in the system, or that the plants are consuming all the Nitrates. Either way, a good thing. I intended to do a 25% water change. Removed 4 gallons (out of a 20 which probably actually only holds 18 gal, if you account for the space taken up by substrate, decor and equipment) but I put 5 back in to get the water to the level I wanted. I think I loose about 1 gallon a week to evaporation. I want to figure out at what point to fill the tank on maintenance day so that I don't have to add any water before the next maintenance day, to keep it at the safe level (if the water level too low filter doesn't work properly, and heater can overheat and crack). Next time I think I will only siphon off 3 gallons and replace 4.

I did make a mistake. The new water I put back in was too warm- even though I had measured with thermometer and tested for sameness with fingers, after adding the new water the temperature rose three degrees in about five minutes. If adjusting temperature, it's supposed to only change by one degree an hour. I was anxious especially for the snail, but both Snaily Snail and the fish seem fine. I kept a close eye on them for a while.

However, something else happened! My fish changed color. It looked as if the tops of their bodies, and the fins were turning a greenish-brown tint. As if the fish had algae on them. My water did have a slight green tint the other day, so I caught two fish in a clear cup and briefly held up to light in front of a white background. No tint to the tank water, definite color on the fins. I swear they used to be clear.

I was alarmed but went to the computer and a bit of searching discovered that a lot of fish change color when they get home and settled in, away from the stress of being in crowded, poor conditions at the store. Also, I gather that with danios, the males turn yellow or greenish color when they are healthy and preparing to spawn. And sometimes the dominant male in the group will have the strongest yellow color. So- my fish are happy! I'm guessing the addition of new water may have triggered the color change.

While I'm mentioning stuff about the tank, I also gave the plants some fertilizer in the form of root tabs pushed into the gravel. I made an error in buying Amazon Sword; I've been informed that this plant can grow up to three feet tall! My tank only has ten inches of height above substrate, so the plant will definitely be too big. Also it needs more food than most of the other plants I have, so I wanted to give it a boost with the root tabs. I don't want to pull it out now but when it gets too big will probably either give it to another aquarist or feed it to my worms.

I have so much to learn about fish still!

arrowhead

I have a new favorite plant in the house. It is this small glass full of Arrowhead cuttings, which I started just a few months ago.

The color varieties, with blue-green and rosy hues in the veins, is just beautiful. I moved it onto the table to get a better picture in the light.

It has grown incredibly lush just in the fishwater and is doing even better than its parent, which grows in potting soil. In fact, I'm reluctant to transfer it to a pot because I'm afraid it won't do as well once potted up- I need to learn more about its requirements and give it the right conditions.

danio behavior

Most times I look into the aquarium, the Zebra Danios are zipping around, darting after each other or sometimes spread out each on its own, picking through stuff on the driftwood and foliage. Yesterday I saw the two largest, Glitch and Twitch, facing each other and flaring their fins, the stripes usually streamlined against the body held wide. They would face each other, jerk the fins open, circle tightly, flare again. It was the two biggest males displaying to each other and quite interesting to watch.

Of course when I try to get pictures, very few come out better than a blur of moving color (or catch the fish in the frame at all!) The lighting was not quite bright enough this morning, but I managed two decent shots (out of 49!)

and this one I took yesterday intending to show the tiny emerging Watersprite leaf actually got a good picture of a Danio too, although the color is too yellow. I like their blues.

I have worms!

They are settling in. It's not going to be as exciting as fish (and my kids are still more interested in finding the snail in the aquarium, then seeing the fish ha ha) but I will post the progress here of my first foray into vermicomposting. For my own records if nothing else.

My little one did want to see what was in the box immediately, and helped sprinkle water and moist bedding over the worms. She was happy that a few of them wiggled.

aquarium plants

My plants seem to be recovering well from all the moving around and replanting. Most of them have new foliage growing, which always thrills me. So I took more pictures. There's a new Anubias leaf (top right)

and another one unfurling. I can already see the roots reaching out and gripping the wood.

The Java Fern has new young leaves which are growing very quickly, I swear I see them double in size every other day.

There's also these fuzzy threads under some of the larger leaves. I was afraid at first of hair algae- but now I think it's rootlets and a new baby plant forming (you have to look real close)

My Amazon Swords look nice but kind of pale- I think they need a bit of extra food in the form of root tabs, plan to get some soon. One looks good, the other has some brown decaying tips.

The Watersprite has lots of tiny new ferny foliage growing piggyback on upper stems, as well as more new growth unfurling at the base of plants. But it's so small I can't manage to get a good picture of that.

I just bought these special long-handled scissors made for trimming aquarium plants, am going to clean up some of the dead foliage today. They have to be stainless steel and only used in the aquarium, to be safe for the fish.

new leaves

the pruned Geraniums are growing back nicely

repot

I dumped my big Aloe Vera out of its pot. Surprised to find it was actually bone dry, the roots in good shape, only one leaf base was rotting and had to be cut away.

I gave it a new, clay pot with cactus soil mix- it should be happier in there- and a good drink. For once my error was underwatering.

Have moved it back into the windowsill gap, as it supports the leaves some and I hate seeing them droop down.

dashing color

So, I finally have fish in my aquarium! Four Zebra Danios, a tough little fish. I think their brilliant blue stripes are quite pretty. They are small, just under an inch, probably young. Can grow I think to two inches, live five years.

I've done my best to get a few photos, but most turn out like this, they dart around so quick!

Under the aquarium light their base color looks yellower, and the stripes are not so bright.

But during the morning hours, with ambient light from outside, they shine with vivid color.

I've even given them names; watching close it's possible to tell them apart. The two biggest fish I call Glitch and Twitch. Both have uneven edge on a top stripe that is recognizable. These two are nearly always together, and it looks like Glitch is usually pursuing the others (dominant fish?)

Third fish is slightly smaller and paler stripes than the others. Under tank light its base color is more cream than silver. This one is Peaches.

The littlest one is Zippy. Not always with the group, sometimes off by himself. At feeding time one fish kind of hangs back, doesn't feed until the others have been at it for a few seconds. I think that one is Zippy.

I plan to add more Danios, and some other kinds of fish, but a few at a time.

stages of assembly

When I was setting up my aquarium again, I took a series of photos during the process of replanting it. I just thought it was interesting. Initial picture of the gravel bed put in, decor piece, first ten gallons of water.

Then planted Vallisneria across the back.

Added the driftwood with Anubias and Java Fern.

Planted Amazon Swords in the front, one on each side

Last of all, the Water Sprite and Rotala.

Nearly complete!

the best and worst

of my houseplants, right now. Poinsettia is just gorgeous:

but I'm afraid my Aloe is doing poorly. I thought I was overwatering it so cut back on that to try and let it dry out. It's drooping severely now. But the pot still feels heavy like saturated soil. I'm afraid it might have some root rot. Have bought some cactus soil mix and intent to try repotting it tomorrow, see if there's any root damage and cut that out. Crossing my fingers I can save this one...

third time

Flash is missing another scale. His first scratch is nearly healed, but now there's another injury, just above the anal fin closer to the ventrals. He's received another light dose of dissolved aquarium salts, and I removed the planted lid. I can't imagine now, that he's hurting himself on the bridge decor, while Pinkie has nary a scratch and his decor piece has teeth (I did file those down some). Maybe it's an edge of stem where they were cut when I trimmed the original Pothos plant? If he gets another injury I'll know it's the bridge, though...

Also, it's odd that all three injuries are on his right side. Must be a pattern in how he swims around the bowl, where he scratches himself on something.

Otherwise he seems fine- alert, brilliant color, good appetite. And his neighbor Pinkie is well as usual:

testing testing

After all the ups and downs, my aquarium has finally finished cycled and stabilized! The pH is no longer jumping around (I had to replace the gravel, and remove the airstone), waste toxins are down to zero, and the Nitrates at a reasonable level. I've been keeping notes but also made a chart, to see it visually.

You can see that the first time it was really all over the place, then there's about a week gap where I had to tear down and set up the tank again. Blue is pH, yellow Ammonia, orange Nitrite, red Nitrates. Oops, I spilled water on the paper. After the tank was set up again, I had a mini-cycle which went a lot more evenly- a nice little Ammonia spike, followed by a jump in Nitrites, pH stable the whole time. Very pleased

Now there's this!

See future posts for an introduction to the new little occupants. It's difficult to get a decent photo of them, but I'm trying!

better pics

I found one solution to taking pictures of the aquarium. It works much better if it's dark outside, and the aquarium light is on. Far less reflections now. A bit more dramatic if the room lights are out, too. But then there's some glare on the plants in the center. So more trial and error!