@Moonbeam I'm so glad she came to visit you. WHen I lost my SAndy last April (some nasty person poisened him) it was the beginning of Covid and the vet wouldn't let us be with him when he passed. I was really upset, later in the week I glanced over at the doorway between the dinning room and the living room and there he was. He just sat there and looked at me as if to say, I'm Ok and i'm always with you. I stll miss him terribly but I know he is with the other kitties over hte rainbow bridge.
As for animals not going to the afterlife that's bull. I went to see a medium a few years ago. She was a friend of a friend and I heard she was really good. WHen I walked into her room she hugged me and said "Your mother is here and she's giving me a headache and there is a group of cats sitting over in the corner purring like crazy" Both made sense to me!
@moonbeam That is a beautiful and amazing thing! Now you know for sure kitty is OK.
@polarberry it's ok! I've let the water be tested a couple of times and the specialist the water was of very good quality! Yay (= proud) Except, nobody ever told me that I had to add food for the plants ? which I started to do last month.
I lost 3 fishes in a few weeks after getting them. The aquarium ppl said that was normal, but I did not like it at all! The ones that are left seem to enjoy themselves. I have Rasbora Galaxys (4 now) that like to hole up under the pump and plants and 4 Rasbora Kubotai that frolic around and are not shy or scared at all. Not sure if I should add a few more now....
I do still have brown algae which annoys me to no end!
Which fishes did you get?:-)
I'm sorry; I didn't realize you were doing a planted tank! It's pretty easy; you just add the nutrients per bottle instructions, as you now know!
Unfortunately, fish loss can happen in a new tank even if you've taken all the precautions to prevent New Tank Syndrome. Just always remember ammonia is the biggest threat to your finned friends, so test for that regularly. You can buy strips that test specifically for ammonia, or use the ammonia tube in a master test kit. If you can, always keep a bottle of SeaChem Prime on hand. That stuff is the secret weapon of tank care. It detoxifies ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, and removes chlorine, and can also be used in an emergency tank situation. I add a bit to each gallon of water I add to my tanks (it's very concentrated so you only need a little) I almost never do water changes; just add new if I need to.
Excellent choices, beautiful fish! The loose general rule is one inch of fish per gallon of water.
Let's see...I got a dozen silver hatchets for my 125 gallon. There were two in there but they are schooling fish, so now they are much happier and secure. I got a dozen more neon tetras for my 60 gallon bedroom tank...they are in there with some purple guppies and lamp-eye tetras and red cloud minnows, which some people use for feeder fish, but I really like them. They're tiny and fun to watch. Then I got a dozen red minor tetras to put in my specialty tank in the office. They are commonly sold as peaceful community fish, but they are classified as semi-aggressive and I find they can be nasty little creeps in the fin-nipping department. So they have their own tank LOL. It makes for a stunning display when it's just them in a tank.
About the algae-I have one tank that gets light and the algae is a pain in the ass. You can buy algae eliminator, which helps, or get a couple snails, or if there's room in the tank, a few cory catfish, like albinos.
@polarberry, no need for sorry! I thought plants had to be in to keep fish happy;-) I put good bacteria in there every time I clean and also use a blueish fluid which will neutralize harmful chemicals in the water.
I got these 3 'cleaner fish', which names I forgot;-(. They stuck on the window and just ate algae. However, They disappeared two weeks ago ? I do not know where they are, but I fear they are either hiding behind the pump or have perished. Although then I don't understand where they are...
Honestly, I gave up on planted tanks. The decor in all my tanks is (mostly) fake. I'll throw a couple lives in every now and again. I'm super-picky about the decor I use because I really hate fakey-looking stuff, but you can buy some really nice looking silk and plastic plants.
Real plants definitely do clean the water and look nice, but in my opinion they're not a must-have. If I throw any live plants in my 125, the silver dollars eat them almost immediately. They're vegetarians lol. I do like the look of water lettuce, which is a floating plant and gives the fish cover. Easy care. Word of warning about hornwort, though...I used to love it and still do like the look of it floating in the tank, but it is a huge filter-clogger. Sheds like a beast!
I hate that! I've had fish disappear too. You like to think they packed a mini-suitcase and went on vacation, but you know in your heart... ?
I'm super-picky about the decor I use because I really hate fakey-looking stuff, but you can buy some really nice looking silk and plastic plants.
i had to go to the pet store the other day for cat food, and ended up spending an hour in the plastic aquarium plant dept. They have the wildest stuff now- all these fluorescent colored things with weird shapes and crazy textures. I don't even have a tank, but i need that crap! Thinking i could glue them to the ceiling in the bathroom or something, add a blacklight. Ideas?
You should get a tank. I could see you owning some clownfish!
"For a clownfish, he's not that funny!"
That obnoxious florescent decor is meant for glo-fish tanks. I hate it lol. I have glo-fish but they have regular decor. It reminds me of something you'd find in an aquatic-themed porn shop. ?
Except that you are very funny. ?
? ?
Why would it not surprise me at all to find out such a thing exists?
It does bring great pleasure to see the little ones swim;-) I can't have an aquarium without plants though. They need to be in there. ?
Planted tanks are beautiful and the fish love them.
I am not allowed to have pets where I live, so I am always in YouTube watching some of the pets' "adventures" that are posted. My favorite is Norbert, the therapy dog. He has hang tongue syndrome, and that makes him look cuter. He loves to high five with people, especially sick children.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSDU9XXjGJs
or
www.norberthood.com
@lizzie, thank you for sharing this uplifting video with us. Norbert is such a cutie pie! All God's creatures, great and small. So healing.
hey @deetoo- i remember back when the lockdown started, that you were thinking of adopting a new pet. So, what did you decide?
here is a baby chimp, laughing https://youtu.be/yaGqnE64XTs
@unk-p, we're looking to adopt a scruffy lil' dog. Because my husband and I are seniors, we're looking for one that's more manageable, i.e. doesn't weigh any more than 35-40 lbs. Our dog Gracie was around that size, and it was challenging enough when that little stinker would flatten herself out and become dead weight. Gracie crossed over 2+ years ago, and we still miss her.
That video is too cute! My hubby and I have a spirit animal, and guess what it is? A chimp! Thanks for sharing.
Have you seen this one? Peanut, the baby orangutan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSaOoL6Dte4