Fresh Water Tanks

[GrumpyOleTroll]

I have read through the Reef Tank thread and love the pics but for those of us with Fresh Water Tanks..



Any interest???


I have a 55 gallon with 2 Oscars, 2 Gold Fish and a Pleco


I started with an Albino Oscar that was about 3 inches and was given a full grown Oscar that had a issue with a tank mate lost an eye and has some wicked scars on his head.











Shawn

[forgop]

About 10 years ago, I had 2 red belly piranhas that were really cool to watch them tear into some feeders. Problem is, the tank would get filthy and I just didn't care for the upkeep, so I ended up getting rid of them. At one point, I had a bunch of baby piranhas, but I had no idea what to do to keep them alive, so they all died.

If I ever did an aquarium again, it would only be if I was able to find a black piranha. I remember long ago seeing a tank of what must have been 2 dozen red bellies and a single black piranha that wasn't any bigger. That black piranha ruled the tank and they didn't dare mess with him.

[GrumpyOleTroll]

I love watchin these oscars "hunt" the feeders. the lil one rounds them up for the bigger one and all he does is open his mouth and in they go. as for cleaning the pleco and goldfish actually do a good job of cleanin up. we clean the filters every month and replace them every 90 days (over the edge filter is right on the edge of being too small)
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[jjirons69]

Been keeping fish for 20+ years. Have 2 - 55g, 1 - 20g, and 1 - 20g. All planted. Used to use CO2 for years but gave it up. They are all pretty self-sufficient and need very little work, just a 25% water change every other month. I have too many fish to list.

Amazon tank






West African tank

[OLS]

I can tell you a few things about fresh water tanks, best thing they ever invented was that "tank cleaner" tube you get a siphon
running in that thing, and jam that wide end into the gravel and shake it around a bit, bits of $hi+ and old food come roaring up
through the tube while the gravel can't make that 8-9 inch trip up to the hose part. The day I learned how to use that tool was
a GREAT day. By the time you have a 5 gallon bucket full of water, most of the debris has settled to the bottom of the bucket,
making cleaning the gravel a snap. And you HAVE to do that with Oscars. I think the 'scars' on your oscar's head is basically HLLE,
"head and Lateral Line Erosion" and it happens to stressed fish that live with stray tank voltage, poor diet. Don't feed them all
feeders even if it's fun. Give em shrimp pellets and a little cooked chicken, vary up the diet more. They like roaches and crickets
too. You might want to get one of those voltage anodes to put in your tank, they are cheap and effective, and can also help save
YOUR life. They are no Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor, but they take care of stray voltage very well. Makes your fish less jittery
and nervous and agitated, good things with Oscars.

I am surprised to see goldfish and oscars iving together. Were they feeders who managed to evade capture and got too large
to mess with? Back in the USAF, everybody in the dorm had a fish tank it seemed, a really popular diversion back in the good
old Reagan days when we were not fighting everybody on the planet. It always seemed to be African Cichlids or Oscars.
I know that last fish pic...Kribensis, lol.

[jjirons69]

10g overgrow tank



No pictures of the 20 g, but much like the rest, except it's full of Amano and red cherry shrimp.

[GrumpyOleTroll]

OLS..i have one of those cleaners and it cleans the rocks wonerfully. my oscars are eating 24-30 feeders every 2 days. as for the 2 bigger golds..they were left overs from when I got the tank and they have survived. as for the scars on the oscar its just what was told to me..will look into the anoade deal..thanks!
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[Mugen910]

I miss my silver arrowana

Grew to about 2ft long in my 125gl tank

I have a tank with livebearing guppies and platties that is not quite to the point of population control yet, I just need to put a carnivore in there to fix that. Very colorful at feeding time.
There is a freshwater tank thread back there somewhere.

Set set up a 55 gal in January. Ended up losing a bunch of stuff due to a stray disease that no-one could help us figure out. Wiped out almost everything. Ended up with a blue ram, clown loach, rainbow shark, and a couple danios surviving. Started to repopulate after ensuring nothing else was sick, and have added 4 black neons, a couple angels, a pair of really bright swordtails, and a pleco. No issues 2 weeks after they were added.

[cmitch]

Originally Posted by jjirons69

Been keeping fish for 20+ years. Have 2 - 55g, 1 - 20g, and 1 - 20g. All planted. Used to use CO2 for years but gave it up. They are all pretty self-sufficient and need very little work, just a 25% water change every other month. I have too many fish to list.

Amazon tank






West African tank

We had three tanks once. ALL African Cichlids. We raised them. Always watched for that momma swimming around with her mouth full of eggs (mouth brooders). We'd wait around and catch her unaware, pinch her mouth open and shake the babies out into a 10 gal. tank so the pappas wouldn't eat them.

[GrumpyOleTroll]

I don't just feed them feeders..i mix it up...the lil one was raised on flakes and they both love bloodworms.
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[OLS]

Originally Posted by Mugen910

I miss my silver arrowana

Grew to about 2ft long in my 125gl tank

Arrowanas are BAD A$$ FISH!

Grumpy, there is NO WAY I would be feeding an oscar 10-20 feeders a day!!
You have to vary their diet, and the filth of fish on fish carnage will KILL a tank. Keep a fishbowl of feeders with an airstone
and give Oscars one or two feeders a week, tops. Shrimp pellets, soft dog food, an occasional fresh shrimp, crickets, ants
various other insects infrequently. Save yourself time and trouble and don't feed so may live fish. Granted, your oscar will
mouth shrimp pellets and spit them out MAYBE once you wean them off live fish, but once they get hungry enough they will
begin eating them. I am no veterinarian, but this is solid advice for you. Those HLLE spots could definitely be from too
specific a diet. Granted fish on fish makes sense, but these fish in the wild eat many more insects than other fish.

OH, and I DO KNOW that watching the oscar hunt and feed is part of the appeal, very much so...but it is not good for them
to eat like that exclusively.
------------------------------------
Edit: OK, my bad, I get carried away. Besides people's fish are personal kinds of relationships, and I should not try to
make statments like that. Oh, and I see now where you said you GOT the fish in that condition....shutting up now, lol.

[Mugen910]

Originally Posted by OLS

Arrowanas are BAD A$$ FISH!

She had a lump on her forehead area from knocking the glass top due to all the jumping...People always loved seeing her cuz it was the only thing in the tank besides a bit of gravel. Couldn't find a suitable mate or even a something else to reside happily due to her being to freakin aggressive...

[GrumpyOleTroll]

No harm no foul OLS.


I dont fees them just feeders..I love the fact that my lil one was raised on flake..

Been in talks with the shop i deal with here and they have quite a few of their display tanks and equipment in storage and I have been trying to get a better set up for the Oscars and with the move this week it might all come together!!


either way I will be treating the Oscars next weekend to some chicken..been feeding just a lil flake and blood worms to keep the waste amount (fish scales and stuff) to a min to make the move and cleaning easier..


Shawn

[SteveH]

Good thread....There is something very enjoyable about watching Oscars hunt crickets....Gotta say..

[jjirons69]

Originally Posted by SteveH

Good thread....There is something very enjoyable about watching Oscars hunt crickets....Gotta say..

A moth or fly caught in my house is a treat for my large angels. My kids get a charge out of watching them dismantle insects.

Plecastomas, guppies and platties, oh my!

[jjirons69]

Lance, that matriarch platty looks like she's gonna pop! I have a red cherry mama that's the same way. They must be miserable!!

Originally Posted by jjirons69

Lance, that matriarch platty looks like she's gonna pop! I have a red cherry mama that's the same way. They must be miserable!!

There are uncountable numbers of fish in that tank from those livebearers. It makes feeding time a riot. Something must prey on them or the tank would be a solid wiggling mass.