Le Dirté Freshwater 10g Planted Tank and 110g Koi Pond

[ECLS Reefer]

Tetra 10g glass aqaurium

Started 5/26/2019

 

Equipment

Aqautop 40UV HOB filter

Air stone

Tetra Whisper 60g sir pump

Fluval 25W heater

Digital thermometer

 

Filter media

Aquatop 40UV HOB filter

Bio cubes

1/8 cup Seachem Phosgaurd

 

Substrate/Aquascape

black rock with colored gravel (it’s a kids tank)

glass round rocks (again, see above)

small grain black/white gravel 

sunken WWII battleship

tiki head

Broken barrel

 

Plants

Green wendtii x 3

Darker wendtii x 4

 

Livestock

Starfire Red Glowfish tetra

Electric Blue Glowfish tetra

Electruc Green Longfin Glowfish tetra

Koi angelfish

Hill loach

Cory catfish x 2

Clown loach

Blueberry shrimp x 2

Bloody Mary Shrimp

Red crystal shrimp

 

 

 

So we started this tank back in May and there have been MANY problems. Have lost all stock twice due to bad waster, first from using tap water and the bacterial issues and second from chemical media. So now we have basically no media but the bio cubes, phosguard and the filter that works in the pump. 

 

This crop of fish have been doing well, and the trick has been offloading them when they outgrow the tank into the koi pond. Been happy with this iteration of the tank so far.

 

Decided to finally make a thread here for advice and because I don’t keep up well with this tank, which is probably partly why it has suffered a bit more than my two SW tanks. 

 

 

[ECLS Reefer]

Water parameters were the best they’ve ever been today, and I’m so happy to finally have this tank coming along!! We’ve struggled so hard getting it on its feet. Everybody has been looking good in there!

 

 

[ECLS Reefer]

Went ahead with a quick small water change today, rather than waiting until tomorrow. Tank is looking good, but the tetras are all being jerks to each other. Problem stems mostly from the electric blue one who seems to think the center of the tank is ALL HIS. He went after the angelfish, who chased him right back into a corner. Then he went after the green tetra who also chased him off. So, have to watch them to make sure someone doesn't have to make the trip to the pond.

[ECLS Reefer]

Water parameters all good today!! No need for a big water change and can just add in to help with evap. Ordered a new glass lid that I hope fits (I think it will), a new light bulb for plant growth and a gooseneck fixture to hold it. Hope to keep this tank rolling along!!

 

[ECLS Reefer]

Tank is doing so good for now!! Put in a new glass lid so I could mount a plant light over the top. It mostly fit- had to trim the plastic a tiny bit to accommodate the HOB, heater and tubing. But now it works pretty well. Light gooseneck is mounted, bulb arrives tomorrow! Hope to get some good plant growth.

 

 

 

 

 

[WV Reefer]

2 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

Tank is doing so good for now!! Put in a new glass lid so I could mount a plant light over the top. It mostly fit- had to trim the plastic a tiny bit to accommodate the HOB, heater and tubing. But now it works pretty well. Light gooseneck is mounted, bulb arrives tomorrow! Hope to get some good plant growth.

 

 

 

 

 

Water looks nice and clear. 😊

 

I love all kinds of loaches, especially kuhli loaches. The sad part is I would rarely see them. 

[ECLS Reefer]

1 hour ago, WV Reefer said:

Water looks nice and clear. 😊

 

I love all kinds of loaches, especially kuhli loaches. The sad part is I would rarely see them. 

The hill loach is almost always out, even chases the corys if they get on his annoyed side. But the clown loach--never see him. He's living inside the battleship and I can't see all up in there. I have no idea where the stupid shrimps are that I've put in there too-- they miraculously and mind-mind-blowingly appear whenever I do a 100% water change and at no other time. 

[WV Reefer]

7 hours ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

The hill loach is almost always out, even chases the corys if they get on his annoyed side. But the clown loach--never see him. He's living inside the battleship and I can't see all up in there. I have no idea where the stupid shrimps are that I've put in there too-- they miraculously and mind-mind-blowingly appear whenever I do a 100% water change and at no other time. 

That clown loach will show up one day bigger than that ship. 😄

[ECLS Reefer]

10 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

That clown loach will show up one day bigger than that ship. 😄

And then it'll be off to the pond for him.

[ECLS Reefer]

New light arrived yesterday and has definitely brightened up the tank!

 

[WV Reefer]

4 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

New light arrived yesterday and has definitely brightened up the tank!

 

 

[ECLS Reefer]

The freshwater tank has been doing really well! No hiccups lately.

 

 

[Tired]

Tank looks great, but your fish aren't good for the setup. All tetras should be in groups of a bare minimum of 5, and your angelfish is going to need, at minimum, a 30 gallon when it gets to full size. You'll find it getting more aggressive as it matures. You're seeing tetra aggression because they're a schooling fish in too small of a group. Cories are also schooling fish. Putting any of those (except maybe the cories) outside isn't a very good plan, they're tropical and need a heated environment, which koi hate.

Your clown loach is going to grow to nearly a foot long, and is hiding because it's also a schooling fish. 

[WV Reefer]

19 hours ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

The freshwater tank has been doing really well! No hiccups lately.

 

 

 

Looks much better. 😊

[ECLS Reefer]

18 minutes ago, Tired said:

Tank looks great, but your fish aren't good for the setup. All tetras should be in groups of a bare minimum of 5, and your angelfish is going to need, at minimum, a 30 gallon when it gets to full size. You'll find it getting more aggressive as it matures. You're seeing tetra aggression because they're a schooling fish in too small of a group. Cories are also schooling fish. Putting any of those (except maybe the cories) outside isn't a very good plan, they're tropical and need a heated environment, which koi hate.

Your clown loach is going to grow to nearly a foot long, and is hiding because it's also a schooling fish. 

I live in Houston-the pond doesn't get very cold and when we have rare days of cold, there is this wonderful thing called a heater.... I put a very large angelfish out there earlier this year and he did very well, put on weight without any issues until the seven year old massacred the entire pond stock with 6 hours of hose water. I'm also not going for a big complicated tank-this is a small tank for a 7 year old's happiness and not the main feature tank for my home. If the clown loach is even still alive, since I haven't seen that dude since he went in there, he can also make a trip to the pond. Which again, is in a subtropical city, on the Gulf.... not known for its cold temperatures.

[Tired]

If you want a small tank, you should get fish that are suitable for a small tank. Skirt tetras like those, which need groups and at least 20 gallons of swimming space, are not suitable for a 10 gallon. Neither are clown loaches or angelfish. The only thing you have in there suitable are the shrimp, which I'm shocked haven't been eaten yet. I'd suggest either a swap for neon tetras or another tiny fish, or an upgrade to a 20 gallon. 

I live in Georgetown, which is pretty close to you. Most of the year, an outdoor pond is not going to stay above 78 degrees. Plus, if you have koi, you shouldn't keep your water at tropical fish temps.

If the clown loach is still alive, he should be somewhere with other clown loaches. 

[ECLS Reefer]

1 hour ago, Tired said:

If you want a small tank, you should get fish that are suitable for a small tank. Skirt tetras like those, which need groups and at least 20 gallons of swimming space, are not suitable for a 10 gallon. Neither are clown loaches or angelfish. The only thing you have in there suitable are the shrimp, which I'm shocked haven't been eaten yet. I'd suggest either a swap for neon tetras or another tiny fish, or an upgrade to a 20 gallon. 

I live in Georgetown, which is pretty close to you. Most of the year, an outdoor pond is not going to stay above 78 degrees. Plus, if you have koi, you shouldn't keep your water at tropical fish temps.

If the clown loach is still alive, he should be somewhere with other clown loaches. 

You’ve lost your mind if you think a pond doesn’t get above 78 degrees in Texas in the dead of summer. Go spam someone else’s thread please. You obviously live in an alternate universe in Texas if you haven’t seen ponds or pools get above 90 in the heat. I have many friends and relatives in Georgetown and around there and not one of them is going to support your claim of water temps. Go police someone else’s fish tank, troll.

[Tired]

In summer, yeah, sure. But not in winter, spring, and fall the water stays colder. That's why we have darters, sunfish, bass, and other fish that don't like tropical temperatures very much. It's also why people around here don't stock their pond with, say, tetras. Danios, yes. Tetras, no. And, again, koi do not like tropical temperatures. If you keep your pond warm enough for tropical fish, you're not going to have happy koi. An angelfish that survived in the summer months is no proof that your tropical fish will last over the winter. The first below-freezing temp won't harm your koi, but will definitely harm the tropicals.

 

I'm sorry, I didn't realize that "you might not be killing them, but those fish aren't going to thrive the way you're keeping them" isn't an appreciated piece of knowledge. I'd certainly like to be told if I had a tank containing fish that needed more swimming space, or fish that were stressed out by the lack of a group. I like to keep my animals in situations where they thrive instead of just not dying, and part of that is making sure they have adequate space to move, and that social animals have a large enough group. 

[ECLS Reefer]

6 minutes ago, Tired said:

In summer, yeah, sure. But not in winter, spring, and fall the water stays colder. That's why we have darters, sunfish, bass, and other fish that don't like tropical temperatures very much. It's also why people around here don't stock their pond with, say, tetras. Danios, yes. Tetras, no. And, again, koi do not like tropical temperatures. If you keep your pond warm enough for tropical fish, you're not going to have happy koi. An angelfish that survived in the summer months is no proof that your tropical fish will last over the winter. The first below-freezing temp won't harm your koi, but will definitely harm the tropicals.

 

I'm sorry, I didn't realize that "you might not be killing them, but those fish aren't going to thrive the way you're keeping them" isn't an appreciated piece of knowledge. I'd certainly like to be told if I had a tank containing fish that needed more swimming space, or fish that were stressed out by the lack of a group. I like to keep my animals in situations where they thrive instead of just not dying, and part of that is making sure they have adequate space to move, and that social animals have a large enough group. 

Okie dokie dude. Thanks for your abrasive unsolicited comments. My fish don't appear to me to be suffering. If they ever did so, I would make adjustments. Would you like to come inspect my home to see how my children, cats and dogs are also suffering? Now, kindly take your unwanted advice elsewhere and tell someone else how they're doing it all wrong because you say so and how their animals are all suffering because again, you say so.

[WV Reefer]

10 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

Okie dokie dude. Thanks for your abrasive unsolicited comments. My fish don't appear to me to be suffering. If they ever did so, I would make adjustments. Would you like to come inspect my home to see how my children, cats and dogs are also suffering? Now, kindly take your unwanted advice elsewhere and tell someone else how they're doing it all wrong because you say so and how their animals are all suffering because again, you say so.

Someone’s got a groupie. 😄

[ECLS Reefer]

Just now, WV Reefer said:

Someone’s got a groupie. 😄

Evidently, and I didn't even have to get super popular on the forum to achieve tank police harassment level. What a fragrant, orifice cleansing container type person.

[WV Reefer]

1 minute ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

Evidently, and I didn't even have to get super popular on the forum to achieve tank police harassment level. What a fragrant, orifice cleansing container type person.

Someone’s trying to make the minimum post count it seems. 

 

Keep on keepin’ on. 😊

[ECLS Reefer]

1 minute ago, WV Reefer said:

Someone’s trying to make the minimum post count it seems. 

 

Keep on keepin’ on. 😊

Thank you! Like I told Captain Save the Tetras they don't look unhappy and I don't see them snipe at each other pretty much ever. Plus if they were doing so, the long fin would probably show it with an ugly tail. But whatever, I'm just a horrible pet owner. He can trot his Keep Austin Weird butt over here to inspect my home and animals and see how welcome he is when he shows up, from the animals themselves. 

[Tired]

Black skirt tetras (the non-GMO versions of yours) and cory catfish are known to be shoaling fish. You mentioned aggression issues with the tetras, and your cories, which are a front-and-center fish when kept in large enough groups, aren't visible in your photos. Those are both things that can indicate that fish aren't in large enough groups. It may not rise to the level of "suffering", but it's less than ideal. This is a basic piece of knowledge in freshwater fish care- some fish are shoalers or schoolers, and need to be kept in groups to avoid stress. Tetras and corydoras are some of those fish. This isn't me pulling facts out of a hat- you can look it up, and any reputable source will tell you that those are social fish. 

 

I did not call you a horrible pet owner. I told you something I thought you might not know. If it sounded like I was accusing you, I'm sorry, that wasn't my intent. Tone can be difficult online.

 

Again, I'm sorry if giving someone a piece of relevant information is apparently rude here. I thought perhaps you didn't know that those are shoaling species, and would like to know it. Because, again, I would like to be told if I was keeping a shoaling species in an inadequate group. Fish often don't show the effects of minor stresses, but those stresses are still there. 

[ECLS Reefer]

1 minute ago, Tired said:

Black skirt tetras (the non-GMO versions of yours) and cory catfish are known to be shoaling fish. You mentioned aggression issues with the tetras, and your cories, which are a front-and-center fish when kept in large enough groups, aren't visible in your photos. Those are both things that can indicate that fish aren't in large enough groups. It may not rise to the level of "suffering", but it's less than ideal. This is a basic piece of knowledge in freshwater fish care- some fish are shoalers or schoolers, and need to be kept in groups to avoid stress. Tetras and corydoras are some of those fish. This isn't me pulling facts out of a hat- you can look it up, and any reputable source will tell you that those are social fish. 

 

I did not call you a horrible pet owner. I told you something I thought you might not know. If it sounded like I was accusing you, I'm sorry, that wasn't my intent. Tone can be difficult online.

 

Again, I'm sorry if giving someone a piece of relevant information is apparently rude here. I thought perhaps you didn't know that those are shoaling species, and would like to know it. Because, again, I would like to be told if I was keeping a shoaling species in an inadequate group. Fish often don't show the effects of minor stresses, but those stresses are still there. 

Dude, for starters, there is such as thing as expansion. If the fish get too big and can't be moved to a pond, it's amazing how having a real job brings in cash for buying bigger tanks. (Isn't that an awesome thing, money?) Second, I HAVE asked reputable people and since I feel like I know them better than you, who've basically just dropped into my lap like a warm cat turd, I'll take their advice for now. If you don't want to drop into someone's thread out of nowhere and sound accusing--DON'T. But secondly, how about getting to know someone first before just showing up to the party and basically telling them their whole setup and stocking sucks. People don't generally like having someone do that right? I mean how would you like it if I showed up and said yeah, but your whole tank sucks and I think your fish look miserable. Kinda rude right? It might be hard to convey tone on a computer, but at the same time, being as blunt as a bat to the face isn't hard to decipher either. I frankly don't appreciate your advice or your critique. You could maybe go away now.