#15 A very bad fish mother D:

I am a terrible fish mother.  I know there are others out there much worse than me, but I am hypocritical and that makes me very bad.  I bought this tank with the intention of keeping a gorgeous, healthy and natural tank so that I could get myself into preparation to bring the 90 gallon out of storage and maintain that.  Recent months have shown me that I am incapable of this goal.

I guess the trip to Florida in January started it all.  Not performing weekly maintenance on the tank for that month got me into a spiral of neglect.  I’ve done a few water changes over the last few months, but I have found I haven’t been recording them in my log and I have no idea what my chemistry has been like for a while.

Anyway, I left for a big trip a while ago.  I had 4 days of shows, came home for 18 hours and left for 5 days of shows and returned home around 1:30 AM this past Monday.  Durign the day I discovered Lance, my platinum angel, dead.  I was really upset, he was probably my favorite fish, but I had noticed how he didn’t seem to have grown and my black and marbled angels whow ere the same size when I bought them are now at least twice his size.

I did a big water change today, I got rid of the driftwood that has been discoloring my tank, did about 65% water change and tested my water.  My Ammonia is good at 0ppm, but everything else is off.  My pH is high, my Nitrates are at about 10ppm though the Nitrite isn’t quite as high.  I am just distraught, how could I have gotten so lazy with my tank that I was so excited about?

I have off from shows this weekend and will continue maintenance and probably do another water change on Monday.  The water is already so much clearer, with the next water change I will probably change the filter media as well.  I’d like to get another angel or 2 to bring the numbers back up, but we’ll see.  I’d also love to have more tetras, I’m currently at 14 (mixed neon and cardinal) but I have trouble keeping more of them.

Oh boy…

#14 Back to the old grind

So I have been neglecting this blog a little bit, and unfortunately have been kind of neglecting the tank as well.  While everyone is doing quite well, I didn’t get right to cleaning when I got home which is uncharacteristic of me with my fish…

I left for a 3 week work trip to Florida on Jan 6 and before I left, I did several 50% water changes spread apart only a few days to prepare the tank for this hiatus from cleaning.  I got home on the 26th in the evening and the fish seemed pretty excited to see me again, or as excited as fish can be.  I got back to the maintenance today after having a lovely weekend off from the shows.

I tested the water to 0ppm of Ammonia and Nitrite, ~2.5ppm Nitrate and 7.0 pH so that was nice.  Much of the water had evaporated, maybe about 3 inches from the top of the tank, so getting rid of the water wasn’t as hard.  I did about 50% water change and vacuumed the gravel pretty well and it is looking much nicer.

Next week I plan on getting to the LFS and getting a bunch of new plants, some more neons and hopefully a new pair of Rams because I really miss those guys.  For now, I am back to enjoying my pals before I leave tomorrow for a 5 day trip!

#13 Routine update

So I am officially finished with dog shows for the year after returning home from the last one at 6:00 am Monday morning.  After driving all through the night (and being awake for over 24 hours) I took the day off Monday from fish tank maintenance, only counting the fish and feeding them.  I slept all day and really recouped quite well.

Today I tested my water, everything is right on target and I did a 50% water change because the gravel was filthy.  I will be contacting some people to see what I can/should do about that because it seems like too much poop and I really don’t think the fish are being overfed.

I still have my 3 angels, 3 otos and 10 Mikes so everything is good as of right now.  Not much else to comment on, hopefully more to come soon.

#12 Nothing gold can stay

No, the tank hasn’t gone to shambles, but I sadly lost my two German Blue Rams, Mark and William over the weekend while I was away.  I left last Wednesday morning for a show in Providence, RI and returned home Sunday night (2 am Monday morning).  My fish-sitter told me that on Saturday (Dec 5) my black Angel, Otello, wasn’t doing so well.  I asked her to give the tank a shot of Prime and SafeStart which brought Otello back to health but then the next day I was told that one of my Rams had died.  When I returned home, the other was dead, too.  I am not sure why.  I tested the water today and everything was perfect, I did a 55%ish water change as the gravel needed thorough vacuuming and the tank is so small that so much water comes out in such a short amount of time.  I treated everything and replaced the water with same-temperature water and then the final 2 or so gallons was crisp, colder water that the fish enjoyed swimming in as it was poured.

Everyone seems to be doing very well, I still have all 3 Angels, healthy and happy and expressing a little less prejudice against each other (though they still aren’t good friends).  All 10 Mikes are still alive and well, and there are 3 vibrant Georges as well.  I hope to go to the fish store today to buy some new plants, and maybe some new Rams as well, though I may wait on them.

Still no pictures, I hope to figure out what to do with my camera to get some good ones but as of right now, I am still exhausted from last weekend, my inability to sleep last night, making 10 trips up and down the stairs with big buckets of water for my water change, and thinking about packing as I leave tomorrow morning at 6am for the next set of dog shows.

#11 And the beat goes on

I’ve left the tank alone since the last water change last Monday with the only interruption being the addition of my German Blue Rams last Tuesday.  This addition necessitated removing/replacing some tank water as well as treating with some SafeStart and a day’s worth of plant food, but other than that there has been nothing done to the tank in a week.

My water tests today showed no signs of change, everything is at a beautiful 0 with pH at  perfect 7.0.

I did a 25% water change which has left my tank with absolutely zero signs of tinting from the wood so I think I have officially eliminated the tannins from the tank and I now have a beautiful, clear home for my fish.  I have been bonding with them this past week since I didn’t have to go away this past weekend and they don’t even associate me with food (as far as I know) but they do get very excited to see me.  It’s really cute.  They will go where ever I go and follow me back and forth, up and down.  They know that my nails tapping on the tank in rapid motion means food and they all scurry to the top, but other than that they tend to swim freely or watch what I am doing.

Everyone is getting along.  It seems Otello and Claude (the name I decided on for ym marbled angel) are always together it seems but Lance does not swim with them.  He tends to stay away from them, even at feeding time when they all abandon their cliques to feast.  I have not noticed any aggression, Lance has not been aggressive towards Otello and Claude and I have not seen them be aggressive towards him, they just like to stay apart.

I’ve done a head count every day, sometimes several times a day, I’ve had no deaths at all.  It is so exciting that everything is working out so well!

I’m hoping I can get this camera situation figured out.  I used to be able to take beautiful photos of my other tank and now I can’t get a single nice one of this tank.  Once I get it straightened out theree will be more pics to come!

#10 It’s been one week since you looked at me…

That’s not true, it hasn’t been a week since I looked at my tank, but it HAS been nine days since I’ve updated, and that’s just wrong.

So, I left you last Tuesday and Wednesday I left for Massachusetts, returning Sunday (technically early Monday morning).  Monday I played fish tank and tested my water and did a water change.  I opted out of going to the fish store that night because my favorite show, Monday Night Raw, was airing a special 3 hour episode which meant it started at hour early.  I realized this too late to be able to make it back in time so I waiting until Tuesday to go to the store.  When I got there I picked up two of the prettiest baby German Blue Rams I’ve yet to see, both males.

Everything I put in the tank last week has survived, I haven’t had any deaths in quite a while.  My water is testing well, my fish are happy, energetic and seemingly healthy and everyone is getting along in perfect harmony.  My plants look so much better, too, since George the Otocinclus has been k the grime off of the leaves.

I regret that I don’t have any photos right now because my camera is being, as Nacho Libre would so eloquently put it, a “real douche”.  I will try to get some soon of the new GBRs, but I wanted to give a little update anyway.

#9 The Dark Knights

Lots to update on tonight!

Blog Updates: I added some new pages, and updated one.  I’ve added  a picture to the About Momma Fins page, I added ‘The Bubble-makers” which is a list of the current residents of Chateau Mike.  I added “The Ingredients” which is a list of products that I use in the tank, and “The Menu” which is a list of fish and plant food I use.  As requested by my friend David, I also added a page detailing my acclimation process for adding new fish to my tank.  Also, a few days ago I discovered how to use widgets so all that stuff on the side is shiny and new (as of a few days ago).

Tank Updates: Lance was doing wonderfully today, he was swimming all over and generally acting healthy and strong so I took the leap and went to the fish store to get some companions.

 

Lancelot

 

I picked up two new angels, both veiled, a black named Otto (short for Otello) and a marbled that I have yet to name.  When the perfect one comes to me I’ll know it.  So far they are both adjusting very well to the tank, but they are hard to photograph as it is hard enough to get a pic of the tank let alone of dark fish…

 

New Angels: Otto up front and the yet-to-be-named marbled in the back. Lance's tail to the right.

 

Lance wasn’t very welcoming to his friends at first.  He started nipping at the marbled, but I think it may have been a little bit of investigation and not so much aggressive behavior.  I put some food in the tank when the new guys were added and everyone ate and has been peaceful ever since.

Next on the list of new guys for the day…

 

Mike is enjoying strength in numbers.

 

New Mikes!  I adopted 5 new Mikes and they were next in line to be acclimated to the tank.  I now have a school of 10.

Finally, I introduce George.  George is named after a Pleco I used to have, however, he is (all three of him) an Otocinclus.

 

Meet George the Oto!

It has been a few hours and everyone seems happy and healthy.  I also added 2 new plants, another anubias and another amazon sword.  I am crossing my fingers for the night!

 

#8 Surviving the Knight

Wonderful news!  Lance survived the night and is doing excellently.  He is swimming all around the tank and investigating his new home.  After I test the water today I may go and find him a friend so he won’t be so alone.

Lance, checking himself out this morning. Lookin' good, Lance!

#7 The White Knight

Well I am very happy tonight!  Mike has eaten and is settling down for the night (yeah right) and I made a trip to the fish store which has so far proven to be successful.

I introduce…

Lance the White Angelfish!

I picked up this little beauty tonight and while I was acclimating him, I added some Tetra Safe Start (the new love of my life) and added in Mr. Lancelot, or Lance for short, named of course for the white knight of Camelot.  Lance is making himself quite at home and has already made at least a full trip around the tank, side to side and top to bottom.  He ate heartily with Mike and seems to be quite happy.  If he survives the night then our odds are way up!  Water is testing wonderfully and looking great!  Hopefully there will be more friends to come.

Mike does enjoy Lance, he seems very interested and gathers in a gang to investigate what Lance is up to.  He does back off any food items that come near Lance, so it looks like I shouldn’t have any aggression problems, at least for now.  Lance is a small guy, body is a little larger than a quarter but his veil fins are very long.

I had planned on buying some German Blue Rams, but the store was fresh out.  Strange, as there were about a million when I was there six days ago.  Ah well.

#6 Routine checkup…

I couldn’t think of a clever title for this entry and since there isn’t a whole lot to update on, routine checkup it is!

I left last Thursday morning for the Kennel Club of Philadelphia show which ran Thursday through Sunday.  I won Best of Breed on Saturday so will be on television briefly with my hound, Klementine.  Look for us on Thanksgiving Day at noon on NBC after the Macy’s Parade.  We’re the third ones in the hound group and poor Klemmy was terrified of the camera so we probably look pretty bad, but oh well, she’s a beautiful girl.

Enough about the furred creatures, that’s not what this blog is for!  When I left I had 7 Mikes and mom was in charge of feeding them and checking up on them.  We assumed 2 were hiding as she only saw 5 at any given time and couldn’t find any carcasses on the filter intake or the gravel.  When I came home the lights were already out so I put some food in the tank for Mike and I went to sleep.  I woke up this morning and found my 2 missing Mikes and had a short funeral for them, unfortunately.  I am left with 5 healthy survivors which is more than can be said about any other batch of fish I’ve gotten.

I tested my water and was delighted to find that my ammonia and nitrites have dropped back to zero!  I am obviously ecstatic and have a renewed sense of optimism.  The driftwood has been leaching tannins pretty badly so I did about a 35% water change and added it all back, clean and conditioned, at about the same temperature.  I also checked on all of my plants who seem to be faring quite well.  The water still has a tan cast, but another water change or two will get that all out as I do not think the wood has continued to bleed at this point.

I will make my rounds today to the fish stores to see about some new little guys to help the tank along further, and may branch off to a new species considering the great news I received from the water test!  We’re getting closer and closer to Angel time!

Unfortunately, no pictures for this update.  The tank essentially looks the same as it did in the last pictures (minus the ceramic tile which I was able to remove) and it has that cedar tint to it that makes me not want to take photos at this time.  Pictures to come with the next update!