Hoplo Catfish Meeting Swordtails.

[Whitey_144]

Your thread is very interesting actually. You are really trying hard to do good things for your fish, I'm impressed. Don't give up. I bet you will see a real difference in how your fish act when you are through all these changes for the better.

If only I could do more... And I feel like there is more that can be done, as I have a lot of stuff that I could use, the only one stopping me is my mother. Well, I want to try and prove that I can raise these fish so that she can allow me to increase aquarium size. I'm sure Tzuppy would love to roam that big aquarium he had before.

I need to make a plan on how to take things step by step but in order of importance.
* So far, water changes - we have that.
* I have a heater that could be used in case the house/aquarium temp ever goes too low (below 22 C), pretty sure my Xiphos will love it but there's a problem: It has collected calcareous formations that look similar to corals and... I don't quite trust it, it's too hard to set the temp.
* Feeding only a limited quantity of frozen food, good thing it doesn't spoil water too fast, but the flakes are needed too and those spoil. Xiphos are too small to eat the worms and barely get the time to find small worms. The catfish eats almost everything on the floor.
* Will do an incomplete water change tomorrow for the first time in like... ages since I last tried that. Back then, the algae were what made mom and me try a different method. We had no idea how to use the filter back then.
* Still need filter. When it is found, any tips on how to clean it before introducing it into the tank? Am I allowed to use sink water when it hasn't been introduced into the tank yet? Or should I use whatever water I'll take out of the tank on next water change?

Well it says that Biotopol does pretty much the same thing the other does and I can buy a 200 ml one, should last me for a good number of water changes.

Thats a smart thing to do, put it in priority order.

If you don't have any filter but want to add one, i personally would just rinse it in tap water, if you're worried you could always do a final rinse in the old tank water when you do your next water change.

I'm not sure how you would clean that heater, i personally dont use ones i don't trust, but maybe you could test it in a bucket for a while and see if you can work out the controls better? do you have a thermometer?

 

[FishBlast]

Thats a smart thing to do, put it in priority order.

If you don't have any filter but want to add one, i personally would just rinse it in tap water, if you're worried you could always do a final rinse in the old tank water when you do your next water change.

I'm not sure how you would clean that heater, i personally dont use ones i don't trust, but maybe you could test it in a bucket for a while and see if you can work out the controls better? do you have a thermometer?

I'm majorly annoyed by dad, he acts as if it's nothing and just says "later, later, later..." grrr! His fault my filter's up there in the first place, along with my airstone+pump.

The plan was to rinse the filter and wash it in tank water that will result from the water change, then placing the filter in the aquarium to begin.

Well, heater's full of calcar and it will probably grow back on it again, though it looks like a fancy elongated rock and it has been used in turtle pool, another reason to be worried.
The control is an elongated dial covered by rubber, so I have to twist that rubber to increase/decrease temp. Another thing that worries me is if the fish will hurt themselves in it (even if at low temp).

Oh, one more question: Can I use dark flat rocks as a substrate? I know it sounds unusual, but I think my catfish would like flat surfaces better than the white gravel with pointy stones that might hurt his belly. They'd be easier to clean/remove too. But I don't know what they'd be composed of so they could pose a threat...

 

[FishBlast]

Did an 80% water change, caught the fish poop with a net, but there are still small fragments floating in there and the water's still a bit unclear, but not as bad as before. The fish look much more active and the male swordtail started trying to mate with my albino sword female. Catfish is just moving around after me.

Dad's searching for the filter while mom's nagging me on and on and ooooooooon about why do I have to change the water now or why do I want a filter.

EDIT: Filter found. It has a huge yellow extremely porous sponge and it's almost as big as the width of the tank. Hope the fish won't be scared of it.
It's a BOYU submersible filter.

 

[Whitey_144]

Did an 80% water change, caught the fish poop with a net, but there are still small fragments floating in there and the water's still a bit unclear, but not as bad as before. The fish look much more active and the male swordtail started trying to mate with my albino sword female. Catfish is just moving around after me.

Dad's searching for the filter while mom's nagging me on and on and ooooooooon about why do I have to change the water now or why do I want a filter.

EDIT: Filter found. It has a huge yellow extremely porous sponge and it's almost as big as the width of the tank. Hope the fish won't be scared of it.
It's a BOYU submersible filter.

any substrate which isn't sharp and won't effect the water will be fine. A lot of people use play sand, because its cheap and not sharp.

good, now rinse it out thoroughly and start the filter in the tank, then the bacteria will start growing. I usually turn the outflow of water from the filter upwards to ripple the surface, that way the fish dont get blasted and it helps oxygenate the water.

so whats next on your priority list? how about a lid, so that you can fill it up with more water? a cheap plastic cover would do for now.

 

[FishBlast]

Did an 80% water change, caught the fish poop with a net, but there are still small fragments floating in there and the water's still a bit unclear, but not as bad as before. The fish look much more active and the male swordtail started trying to mate with my albino sword female. Catfish is just moving around after me.

Dad's searching for the filter while mom's nagging me on and on and ooooooooon about why do I have to change the water now or why do I want a filter.

EDIT: Filter found. It has a huge yellow extremely porous sponge and it's almost as big as the width of the tank. Hope the fish won't be scared of it.
It's a BOYU submersible filter.

any substrate which isn't sharp and won't effect the water will be fine. A lot of people use play sand, because its cheap and not sharp.

good, now rinse it out thoroughly and start the filter in the tank, then the bacteria will start growing. I usually turn the outflow of water from the filter upwards to ripple the surface, that way the fish dont get blasted and it helps oxygenate the water.

so whats next on your priority list? how about a lid, so that you can fill it up with more water? a cheap plastic cover would do for now.

Ok, installed BOYU filter.
The thing will only blow bubbles if it's tilted slightly so I positioned it tilted. The fish seem to enjoy it. Even though i made it point towards the width of the tank, not its length, the swordie school goes to the bubble area X) they seem to like going there, probably a new thing for them, as their shop tank didn't have any of that.
I wonder if I should use plants to surround the filter (more ammonia for the filter and hides the top machine parts that don't do anything above the sponge). Would that be a good or bad idea?

I don't want sand, would hide food too fast and would be harder to clean the poopies. Flat rocks that are heavy enough will stay in place, allow the catfish to sit on them similar to how he was used to with the tank and would have less holes for food to go under them or between them and the catfish could just put his little snout through it and eat what falls there.
Water has been raised to double.

Also, my catfish seemed to make a white poop. Is that normal? He has been eating flakes too. Not 100% sure it's the catfish, as the poop was elongated, but quite huge for any of my other fish to have done. Only other suspect would be my red female, but that's pretty huge one for her...

Next stop would be making a good wooden lid with some holes on top and raising water to almost maximum, leaving 2 cm at top for air for the catfish.

 

[FishBlast]

Tzuppy seems either confused or something is annoying him about the filter. He's not coming at the glass anymore, prefers to sit in the middle of the floor of the tank and looks around. Could the filter be annoying him? He's not attacking it though and it's almost noiseless.

I hope dad makes that lid soon, I want to raise the water and restore the bottom area. Tzuppy hates that thing in his area, I see that it's taking already much of his space . Dad also said that he might find materials to build a larger aquarium, but idk if it's a good idea, is it ok to make an aquarium from scratch? Or should I gather money and buy a new one?
Now I feel even worse about the filter, I don't think it was such a good idea. :'(

 

[FishFanatic04]

I think the filter is for his own good right now. My Betta hated his filter at first and quickly got used to it. Whitey_144 suggested that even a cheap plastic cover would work for a lid. Do you have anything you could use?

 

[Whitey_144]

Tzuppy seems either confused or something is annoying him about the filter. He's not coming at the glass anymore, prefers to sit in the middle of the floor of the tank and looks around. Could the filter be annoying him? He's not attacking it though and it's almost noiseless.

I hope dad makes that lid soon, I want to raise the water and restore the bottom area. Tzuppy hates that thing in his area, I see that it's taking already much of his space . Dad also said that he might find materials to build a larger aquarium, but idk if it's a good idea, is it ok to make an aquarium from scratch? Or should I gather money and buy a new one?
Now I feel even worse about the filter, I don't think it was such a good idea. :'(

don't worry about him and the filter, he won't mind, its just new to him. In the long run he needs it to survive and be happy.

 

[riogal_11]

Any annoyance provided by the filter is surely better than swimming around in his own mucky excrement everyday.

 

[FishBlast]

I think the filter is for his own good right now. My Betta hated his filter at first and quickly got used to it. Whitey_144 suggested that even a cheap plastic cover would work for a lid. Do you have anything you could use?

The swordies sure love it. They're so happy and the male is courting the albino and the green female now X)
And maybe Tzuppy calmed down because the filter's making way more oxygen so he doesn't need to jump as much to get air.
I'd get one but I don't know if I can find one of this dimension (13x40 cm), plus I'd like it to have drilled holes. A wooden one can be done just how it needs to be, with some holes to allow air, but not fish to pass. Also to allow the 2 wires of the filter to pass.
Aside from that, no plastic or wood pieces long enough available, otherwise I would have filled the aquarium by now.

don't worry about him and the filter, he won't mind, its just new to him. In the long run he needs it to survive and be happy.

I'm worried more about that huge weenie-like poop I found whose owner I don't really know but seems too big to belong to the Xiphos. I could understand Tzuppy with his "Grr that thing's in MY corner!" rant, but he seems to be more like "Pff, I feel awkward. And what exactly is that thing?".

 

[FishBlast]

Any annoyance provided by the filter is surely better than swimming around in his own mucky excrement everyday.

Indeed the filter made the murky water cleaner now. Well, Tzuppy's now a bit more lively. But not jumping yet nor playing with his ball.

But I still need to get some dechlorinator... So I guess the fix is only temporarily until I get that thing.

And is that your Beta? I've had Betas long ago, 2 males 2 females, oddly the males were calm, but they teamed up to kill my zebrafish and some other neon fish I had back then. Separated them to a different tank because of that.
When I had only a pair of Beta left (due to leaving dad in charge again of the tank for a month, one pair died), they had a bubble nest and some eggs around the air pump's sponge. Totally unexpected for me. But nothing came out of the eggs anyway so it was a failed mating. I miss those fish (died at a distance of one year of each other, with first being the female, no idea if it was the food or something else), but I really find them difficult to keep due to them hating other tank mates, even the catfish were stressed by them and lost their barbels to those. Lucky the barbels grew back. So not going to get betas again. Swordtails are way easier. And Hoplos even more easier than those, grow very slow, but require large spaces.

 

[Whitey_144]

Any annoyance provided by the filter is surely better than swimming around in his own mucky excrement everyday.

Indeed the filter made the murky water cleaner now. Well, Tzuppy's now a bit more lively. But not jumping yet nor playing with his ball.

But I still need to get some dechlorinator... So I guess the fix is only temporarily until I get that thing.

And is that your Beta? I've had Betas long ago, 2 males 2 females, oddly the males were calm, but they teamed up to kill my zebrafish and some other neon fish I had back then. Separated them to a different tank because of that.
When I had only a pair of Beta left (due to leaving dad in charge again of the tank for a month, one pair died), they had a bubble nest and some eggs around the air pump's sponge. Totally unexpected for me. But nothing came out of the eggs anyway so it was a failed mating. I miss those fish (died at a distance of one year of each other, with first being the female, no idea if it was the food or something else), but I really find them difficult to keep due to them hating other tank mates, even the catfish were stressed by them and lost their barbels to those. Lucky the barbels grew back. So not going to get betas again. Swordtails are way easier. And Hoplos even more easier than those, grow very slow, but require large spaces.

so are you planning to go to a shop this weekend and get some dechlorinator?

 

[FishBlast]

Any annoyance provided by the filter is surely better than swimming around in his own mucky excrement everyday.

Indeed the filter made the murky water cleaner now. Well, Tzuppy's now a bit more lively. But not jumping yet nor playing with his ball.

But I still need to get some dechlorinator... So I guess the fix is only temporarily until I get that thing.

And is that your Beta? I've had Betas long ago, 2 males 2 females, oddly the males were calm, but they teamed up to kill my zebrafish and some other neon fish I had back then. Separated them to a different tank because of that.
When I had only a pair of Beta left (due to leaving dad in charge again of the tank for a month, one pair died), they had a bubble nest and some eggs around the air pump's sponge. Totally unexpected for me. But nothing came out of the eggs anyway so it was a failed mating. I miss those fish (died at a distance of one year of each other, with first being the female, no idea if it was the food or something else), but I really find them difficult to keep due to them hating other tank mates, even the catfish were stressed by them and lost their barbels to those. Lucky the barbels grew back. So not going to get betas again. Swordtails are way easier. And Hoplos even more easier than those, grow very slow, but require large spaces.

so are you planning to go to a shop this weekend and get some dechlorinator?

It all depends on whether I get paid this week or dad buys me that thing (he's going to go mad if I ask him... I already asked him to build me or get me a cover). I'm almost done with that website and tomorrow being the deadline to finish it (and boss giving me the materials to finish it obligatory), I guess boss will finally pay me within the next 3 days. At least I hope so... Which means I could buy the dechlo, but I don't know if I can also buy a good test kit, as the payment might be pretty low for a start.

I'm still worried about my catfish. He's now agitated and keeps going towards a single wall and swims in a circular motion with his mouth pointing at it. His barbels look white and he's kind of pinkish on the tail area. He has shown this color long ago at night but not sure if it's related to the time of day. He might be stressed. But he stops doing that if I look at the same wall. Is he trying to show me something? Nothing on the aquarium wall though.

 

[FishBlast]

Tzuppy seems ok, he's eating and his barbels are back to a darker color, just he's either majorly ticked off at the filter (he gained some courage to approach it) or the yellow made him want to spawn and he's seeing his reflection on the opposite wall or something. He keeps going in circles in that area as if there's something really good smeared over that wall.
Good news is: it was not his poop, he makes his normal round balls of poop and dark color.
So I'm further suspecting the albino swordtail (which I've named Bee). Can't be the sword male (Cracker) nor the other female that I haven't chosen a name for yet. Never seen Bee taking a poop so far but she's eating bloodworms.

So far, all 3 swordtails keep their fins wide, I'm looking for signs of them keeping them lowered cause that usually spells trouble for me as I remember from other swordtails I've had. When they were angry/scared, they'd lower their back fin and keep the bottom fins close to their body and sometimes tail low.

I have found out why he was swimming towards that wall. It appears he is heading towards the white door. When I covered it, he stopped doing that but directed his attention towards the top of the tank, where the door could be seen again. Why is he attracted to white?

Now the catfish is resting near the filter sometimes. But he's following the camera so whenever I try to catch the swordies, he makes his sudden appearance and follows the camera X))

 

[FishBlast]

This is so awkward. The catfish keeps swimming on the same wall in circular motion and now nothing seems to stop him, not even putting a dark background. He's annoying the albino swordtail, who seems to want to rest at the bottom of the tank during the night.
He ate his usual portion of bloodworms so he's not hungry.
Water changing didn't calm him down either. Could he be still spazzing out because of the filter? I've lifted in higher so that he can reclaim his bottom territory, but that doesn't stop him from going in a circular motion on that wall of the aquarium. It's the same wall and always the middle of it. This is unusual for him and he's been at it for 2 days now.