Second-Hand Fish

[Fyurae]

I have been a serious fishkeeper for almost two years. By serious I mean, actually researching the proper way to care for my fish. Before that, the only thing I had ever kept were bettas off and on throughout my childhood. My best friend is into fish hardcore, and wants to open her own fish store, so that's how I got bitten by the bug.

My large tank right now is a 29 gallon freshwater tropical community tank.



The centerpiece fish in this tank are my pair of dwarf gouramis.



Unfortunately they are very shy, and very hard to take pictures of. They come out and are quite active until I get up to the tank. The male I have had since this winter. I got him from my best friend, who ended up with him after going to pick up some glofish to use as feeders for her sculpin. He had been living in a gallon bowl with three glofish, with no filtration. He is stunted because of it, more spearhead shaped than he should be, with smaller fins. The female I got about a month ago from a local store after the ancient female betta I had died, and left my gourami lonely.

I also have three sterba's cory adults in this tank, who are prolific breeders. While cories are common around here, this variation isn't. They were also acquired through my friend, who got them for free with some tanks.



I also currently have 10 rasbora heteromorpha (a smaller variant of harlequins) and two zebra danio (came with a tank), but I am planning on finding new homes for them all soon. Also, there are 5 oto cats.

Plants include anubias, brazilian pennywort, guppy grass, java moss, a crypt of some sort, and a bunch of dwarf sag that I just got and planted. The rocks, sand, and wood were all collected by me. I don't usually have a filter sitting in the bottom of the tank, but I had just upgraded to a bigger power filter, and I left the old media in the tank for a few days to help seed the bacteria.

Next, a 10 gallon tank I set up to grow out cories. Right now there are 6 juveniles in the tank from two or three different spawns, and one newly hatched fry from the past week (the other eggs were lost in the move).



Also in this tank is my newest addition, a double tail betta from a local store. I couldn't pass him up.



There is a bit of guppy grass, a large wad of java moss, and some plant that I recently picked up in trade, but I can't remember what it is.

Finally, my favorite tank is my small 5 gallon betta tank.



This boy is one I saw in a chain store and managed to resist the urge to buy him. When I went back a week later he was still there so I figured it must be fate. When I first got him, his fins were fringed with black and his body was jet black. His colors have changed since then. His tank is next to my monitor, and when I sit at the computer he comes and begs for food.



Currently, there is a guppy (perhaps endler hybrid) sharing this tank, but my plan is to have guppies in my main tank once I rehome the rasboras and danios.



Also in this tank are two pygmy cories, which are breeding. I haven't actively sought to raise the fry, so they may be surviving somewhere in the java moss. There are also freshwater limpets, which I still need to research. Plants are java moss, salvinia, java fern, and a few plants that I haven't identified.

I have plans for some more tanks, but I need to build a couple of multi-tank stands first. I will be setting up another 29 for native plants, and it may be a riparium. I will no doubt make space to be able to get more bettas. I like the scaping aspect better than the finished product, which is why my main tank looks so terrible right now. I recently got a bunch of new plants in trade and had to move things around.

 

[KittyKat]

[…] rasbora heteromorpha (a smaller variant of harlequins) […]

T. heteromorpha (50 mm) are harlequins I think you mean T. hengeli (40 mm) or T. espei (30 mm)?

By the way, welcome!

 

[Fyurae]

T. heteromorpha (50 mm) are harlequins I think you mean T. hengeli (40 mm) or T. espei (30 mm)?

By the way, welcome!

They are sold as two different variations here. They have the same scientific name, but one is referred to as Harlequin Rasbora, and one is referred to as Rasbora Het. Mine have maxed out at an inch, while most Harlequins available are closer to 2.

And thanks!

 

[KittyKat]

T. heteromorpha (50 mm) are harlequins I think you mean T. hengeli (40 mm) or T. espei (30 mm)?

They are sold as two different variations here. They have the same scientific name, but one is referred to as Harlequin Rasbora, and one is referred to as Rasbora Het. Mine have maxed out at an inch, while most Harlequins available are closer to 2.

There is only one variation per species, as far as I am aware.. unfortunately most LFS think all three is one spp. Even mine, which is normally excellent, refuse to correctly label hengeli, because they received them as espei from their wholesaler. I even explained to them exactly how to tell the difference..

p.s. that is an endler/guppy hybris, that you have.

 

[Fyurae]

The store that I bought them from has hengeli and espei as well, and they are much, much smaller. I'm not saying youre wrong and they're right, only that for whatever reason, the stores around here split heteromorpha into two different sizes. Its obviously not a science, since some of my hets are a bit larger.

Also, I just flipped the light on and see that my pygmy cories are spawning again.

 

[KittyKat]

The store that I bought them from has hengeli and espei as well, and they are much, much smaller. I'm not saying youre wrong and they're right, only that for whatever reason, the stores around here split heteromorpha into two different sizes. Its obviously not a science, since some of my hets are a bit larger.

Can you get photos of all 4? Would be interesting to ID.

Also, I just flipped the light on and see that my pygmy cories are spawning again.

Cool

 

[Fyurae]

Finished my new tank stand for my two new tanks. I'm actually going to move my tropical community over here, then take that shelf apart and make another new stand. The 20 long will be for cories.

 

[johnboy!]

I've not read the other replies in this thread, but surely if you had read up about your fish, you wouldn't have bought 3 sterbai, who are a lot happier with atleast another 3 companions, or 2 pygmy, who are again shoaling fish that wont feel secure in low numbers and be permanently stressed out. You need to up the groups to at least 6, nice tanks otherwise, welcome

 

[Fyurae]

I think you are kind of rude, but I will explain anyway.

I did not buy either groups of fish, actually. Both came with tanks that I acquired second-hand (hence the name of my thread) and I took them because the sellers told me that they were going to just toss them out if I didn't want them. I plan on keeping offspring, since both groups are breeding like mad, to up the numbers.

But thanks for your concern.

That's also how I ended up with two zebra danios, which I don't even like. I haven't been able to find anyone to take them so far, unless they are going to be eaten. I'm certainly not going to buy more of them.

That's also how I got my male gourami. From what I understand, they do best in pairs, which I now have.

I do research on fish before I buy them to make sure I have the proper place for them. I will admit there was an exception, which was the male guppy I have. I plan on getting more guppies, once I finish getting tanks setup. But I bought him because he was so unusual and I didn't want someone else to get him. I will most likely get some guppies from a friend who has lots already, or acquire them as I come across ones I like.

Anyway, over the past weekend, I moved my entire community to a new setup (established substrate, plants, and filter, as well as moving with most of their current water). I got this great grape wood from cutting down an old wine grape arbor for my grandmother. I decided it was more suitable for the tropical feel, and that I wanted to use the other driftwood for the temperate setup I will be doing.

Here's before:


And after:



I am going to do a water change today to help it clear up. My test results aren't showing any cycling, but I have always had a hard time getting accurate results. I'm keeping an eye on everyone, and the only fish that seem stressed at all are the rasboras. But it took them quite a while to get comfortable when I bought them as well. There may still be some tweaking to do, like moving the bubblers. I've also added some more plants, a java moss carpet in the front.

Also, I have had this cory grow-out setup for a little while but forgot to update my pictures here.

 

[Tizer]

thats some nice wood, although, that cory looks a little bit hairy and im sure they dont have ears or reach that sort of size.

 

[Fyurae]

Its a very rare species, corydoras Smudgei.

I think I'm finally done messing with it.



The water is cloudy because the grape wood apparently wasn't dried out enough and has covered everything with slime. I was pretty worried at first, but the fish don't seem to care at all. So I'm keeping an eye on it and doing large water changes every day. Also have to keep rinsing the filters because they get gunked up.



I bought some craft canvas to make mats and walls of moss.



Isn't it ironic though? I put all kinds of work into this new setup but the one that really floats my boat is the 20 long I've been just tossing stuff into. It's hard not to be mesmerized by that betta, too.



And the babies are getting so big now. As soon as I can sex them I will be moving them.