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Thread: how to DIY

  1. #1
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    how to DIY

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    hi. i acquired some free moss from a fellow forumer.

    and i tied it to some lava rocks, using a kind of netting usually used to keep onions/ginger/potato.

    still, it looks weird like ... some... idk.


    basically.. i wanna ask,

    1.how to improve on tying plants/moss to rock/wood?
    2.how to grow a carpet of "grass"? do i buy those 1 piece of metal filled with moss and just put in tank? or?


    some help needed. thanks.

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    Re: how to DIY

    People usually use fine mesh netting like those from fish nets to grow their mosses on rocks. It takes time before the mosses start creeping across the surface of the rock and grow out of the netting. It takes awhile but they will grow out faster with cool water and CO2 injection. Of course initially the netting will look weird but give it time to mature.

    Tying mosses or other epiphytic plants to rocks and woods is fairly simple. All you need is a reel of thin fishing line or cotton string. Most people go for thin fishing line since it won't degrade in the tank. Then you spread the moss out and just use the string/fishing line to keep it close to the surface of the wood or rock.

    To grow a carpet of "grass" you need some low level fast growing plants like E. tenellus. Just plant them individually into the gravel and let them grow runners out slowly. They will grow faster with a rich substrate that has base fertiliser in it and CO2 injection. During this time you should not keep certain species of fish like Corydoras or cichlids, because they are prone to uprooting these plants.
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    Re: how to DIY

    ok.. im using the mesh netting on my moss+lava rock now. it looks really weird.

    1. all kinds of moss will be suitable for usage for mesh netting on rock?

    i seen the LFS use fish string too. i tried it on a really small dirft wood. but it soon lost shape, and the moss came out.

    2. how tight should the tying be? on one hand i want it secure, on another, i dont want it crushed.

    i am still quite lost with all the scientific names used. i believed i asked the same question before. but...

    3. is there a link/site/way i can remember/get expose to all the scientific names+common names/abbreviations of plants+fishes?

    i constantly get lost in "translation".

    i will soon post a picture of my newly tied moss, and you tell me if its fine. definitely, it looks nothing like LFS stock.

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    Re: how to DIY



    Uploaded with ImageShack.us

    the above is my rock+mesh+idk what moss is it correct?



    Uploaded with ImageShack.us

    4. theres some weird white patches on the plastic tank containing my puffer fish. what is it? is there cause for worry?

    5. when taking the pictures, i realised about 10 prawns are dead. i immediately did a 15% WC (in fear of rocks altering any concentrations badly) and i added Oxygen powder (cause i realised i forgot to switch on my filter, for 11 hours).

    so what is causing the death? so far only 3 died in their stay here. now one shot ~10 die. is it rock or the filter nv on?

    need fast advice !! im worried.

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    Re: how to DIY

    What you did with the netting is somewhat correct but, the mosses need to be spaced out. If you tie them in bunches the lower fronds tend to brown off due to lack of light. There are articles written by our fellow forumer timebomb. You should check the threads in the Aquatic Moss Club section and the older Killies.com forum subsections hosted on AQ. Scroll down from the main forum page and you will see them.

    The white patches in your puffer fish tank could be algae/fungus and/or a growth of macroscopic animals, of which the name eludes me at this point of time. That or probably Hydra if you can look closer. Not so much a cause for worry UNLESS it is Hydra.

    Shrimps can die from all sorts of causes. Did you cycle the tank properly beforehand? I see you have that weird fern just behind one of your moss rocks. Remove it. That is a terrestrial fern from what I can see. It's not meant to be kept in an aquarium. The main reason why they died is because of the filter being switched off. During that time, your filter bacteria basically died off en-masse due to lack of oxygen because water flow was cut off. If you turned on the filter without cleaning the filter out and using fresh dechlorinated water to refill it, the dead bacteria will literally release a big dose of ammonia into your tank, thus killing your livestock easily.

    Now you basically have to re-cycle your tank, and accept that most, if not all of your remaining shrimps will die. For now, do minor water changes using the drip method to reduce the ammonia concentration in the water. Make sure you have a good dechlorinator that can deal with chloramine.
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    Re: how to DIY

    did you keep the puffer fish with the shrimp>/? it dangerous.

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    Re: how to DIY

    The white patches in your puffer fish tank could be algae/fungus and/or a growth of macroscopic animals, of which the name eludes me at this point of time. That or probably Hydra if you can look closer. Not so much a cause for worry UNLESS it is Hydra.

    ok hydra sounds menacing and i googled it, and it doesnt seem like hydra. so u think i should go give the pufferfish tank a bit of scrubbing?


    Shrimps can die from all sorts of causes. Did you cycle the tank properly beforehand? I see you have that weird fern just behind one of your moss rocks. Remove it. That is a terrestrial fern from what I can see. It's not meant to be kept in an aquarium. The main reason why they died is because of the filter being switched off. During that time, your filter bacteria basically died off en-masse due to lack of oxygen because water flow was cut off. If you turned on the filter without cleaning the filter out and using fresh dechlorinated water to refill it, the dead bacteria will literally release a big dose of ammonia into your tank, thus killing your livestock easily.

    its filled with feeder shrimp
    i removed the "terrestrial fern" already. bought it from Seaview cause it was cheap (70c).
    dechlorinated water = tap water treated with anti chlorine? cause all i have is anti-chlorine.


    Now you basically have to re-cycle your tank, and accept that most, if not all of your remaining shrimps will die. For now, do minor water changes using the drip method to reduce the ammonia concentration in the water. Make sure you have a good dechlorinator that can deal with chloramine.

    my remaining shrimps are still alive and feeding - at least for now.
    what is a good dechlorinator? i only have anti chlorine :S

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    Re: how to DIY

    Quote Originally Posted by chumzhujun View Post
    did you keep the puffer fish with the shrimp>/? it dangerous.
    separated

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    Re: how to DIY

    i refer to this thread:

    http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...hat?highlight=

    i suspect i have bacteria bloom too

    i read online, they advise vacuum the substrate to remove excess food. and wait.

    is it true? my water seems "smoky" meaning i can actually SEE the water flow.


    steps i took for now:

    1. added Ocean Free oxygen balls to provide more oxygen in water.

    2. wait.
    Last edited by 3inone; 27th Nov 2010 at 16:45.

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    Re: how to DIY

    Just a point to note next time you purchase plants. Not every plant for sale out there is safe for fishes. Often I come across terrestrial plants or marsh plants being sold as fully aquatic plants. You should always do some research on the plants to see if they'll match the conditions to keep your shrimps.

    Cloudy water is common in the initial few days during cycling. It will clear once the filter bacteria kick in. Vacuuming the substrate may help to remove bits of uneaten food and rotting organic material (shrimp, fish poop), but if the cloudiness is occuring even after you have gone through the 2 weeks or so of cycling, chances are you are overfeeding the fish and shrimp.

    Those feeder shrimps you are keeping are nasty customers. They will gladly consume smaller fishes when you least expect it. You can give the puffer tank a scrub if you feel annoyed by the white patches but other than that, leave it alone if it is not causing discomfort to the puffer.
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    Re: how to DIY

    thanks to a piece of old filter sponge from a fellow forumer here, my tank turned clear overnight. the white patches on the puffer tank cleared as well.

    now i have 3 problems:

    1. my cousins came back today with about 50 longkang fish. some nice, some sickly. i removed my shrimps and put in the fishes. so far so good. will do WC early tmr morn in anticipation of high ammonia lvls. is there anyway i can "get rid of" the fish? on one hand, i didnt buy it. my cousins cant bring home as they stay in malaysia. i didnt wanna see them die in the plastic bags, hence i moved them in my tank. how can i save the fish?

    2. my mum told me she could sponsor me a new tank. a proper one. cause now i am using the 1.25 ft, $55 type that includes light and filter. however, she is telling me tanks of like 7-9 feet (stretching across my study room). what should i do? i cant manage 7-9 feet at all, what should be the biggest size i try?

    3. anyone heard of holland rams? i have 2, and they haven been eating. hiding behind my plants only. is it a problem with my plant type? or my fish food not attractive to them? online say bloodworm. i feed freeze dried ones. and they still dont eat.
    Last edited by 3inone; 29th Nov 2010 at 00:25.

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    Re: how to DIY

    Quote Originally Posted by 3inone View Post
    thanks to a piece of old filter sponge from a fellow forumer here, my tank turned clear overnight. the white patches on the puffer tank cleared as well.

    now i have 3 problems:

    1. my cousins came back today with about 50 longkang fish. some nice, some sickly. i removed my shrimps and put in the fishes. so far so good. will do WC early tmr morn in anticipation of high ammonia lvls. is there anyway i can "get rid of" the fish? on one hand, i didnt buy it. my cousins cant bring home as they stay in malaysia. i didnt wanna see them die in the plastic bags, hence i moved them in my tank. how can i save the fish?

    2. my mum told me she could sponsor me a new tank. a proper one. cause now i am using the 1.25 ft, $55 type that includes light and filter. however, she is telling me tanks of like 7-9 feet (stretching across my study room). what should i do? i cant manage 7-9 feet at all, what should be the biggest size i try?

    3. anyone heard of holland rams? i have 2, and they haven been eating. hiding behind my plants only. is it a problem with my plant type? or my fish food not attractive to them? online say bloodworm. i feed freeze dried ones. and they still dont eat.
    Oh, you lucky fish....your mum is going to sponsor a tank for you!!???/ but seriously, I think 7-8 ft is a bit extreme. But again, there is no rule saying you have to start with small tank, I will happily settle for a 6-footer

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    Re: how to DIY

    Quote Originally Posted by 3inone View Post
    ...is there anyway i can "get rid of" the fish? on one hand, i didnt buy it. my cousins cant bring home as they stay in malaysia
    Can... know anyone who keep oscars or bigger hunger fishes?

    Quote Originally Posted by 3inone View Post
    ...however, she is telling me tanks of like 7-9 feet (stretching across my study room). what should i do? i cant manage 7-9 feet at all
    Is she serious??!! D@mn... you've got one helluva mom! But if you are a apartment dweller, do consider the placement and load bearing of such a humongous tank!
    I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
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    Re: how to DIY

    Thats a HUGE tank, and the price probably count in thousands of dollars.

    For a tank that size the equipment to go with it would probably cost more than it.

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    Re: how to DIY

    2. my mum told me she could sponsor me a new tank. a proper one. cause now i am using the 1.25 ft, $55 type that includes light and filter. however, she is telling me tanks of like 7-9 feet (stretching across my study room). what should i do? i cant manage 7-9 feet at all, what should be the biggest size i try?
    Think 5 feet is largest allowed in HDB, unless landed property.
    BTW great mom you have there.
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    Re: how to DIY

    7 to 9 feet possible. 7/9 by 1 by 1 feet lor. How i wish i got that area to do my shrimp racks.
    CRS - CRazy about Shrimps
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    Re: how to DIY

    Quote Originally Posted by 3inone View Post
    1. my cousins came back today with about 50 longkang fish. some nice, some sickly. i removed my shrimps and put in the fishes. so far so good. will do WC early tmr morn in anticipation of high ammonia lvls. is there anyway i can "get rid of" the fish? on one hand, i didnt buy it. my cousins cant bring home as they stay in malaysia. i didnt wanna see them die in the plastic bags, hence i moved them in my tank. how can i save the fish?
    Tell your cousins to put the fish back where they found them. It is irresponsible to catch them without first thinking where to house them. They can probably bring the fish with them to Malaysia if Malaysian Customs allows it. I do know it is legally okay to bring fish in from Malaysia to Singapore so it's probably the same vice versa.

    2. my mum told me she could sponsor me a new tank. a proper one. cause now i am using the 1.25 ft, $55 type that includes light and filter. however, she is telling me tanks of like 7-9 feet (stretching across my study room). what should i do? i cant manage 7-9 feet at all, what should be the biggest size i try?
    To answer this question, 7-9 feet is ridiculously large for a HDB apartment. I would suggest just sticking to a 4 ft tank at the biggest size. This is for peace of mind and on your wallet as well.

    3. anyone heard of holland rams? i have 2, and they haven been eating. hiding behind my plants only. is it a problem with my plant type? or my fish food not attractive to them? online say bloodworm. i feed freeze dried ones. and they still dont eat.
    If you have 2 and they are not eating, they are either sick or not used to your tank at all. They will take frozen bloodworm but if they are sick from the start, there is no way to entice them to feed. Please take a photo of your tank, and I mean a full tank photo. Get some test kits, check the pH, nitrates, nitrites and ammonia levels. If you do not do the basics then having a larger tank is probably not advisable.

    Be a responsible fish keeper first, before even taking up your mom's offer.
    Fish.. Simply Irresistable
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    7 to 9 feet possible. 7/9 by 1 by 1 feet lor. How i wish i got that area to do my shrimp racks.
    Like that it will look much like a fish shop alan...
    But keeping large tank = bigger start up fund...

    Just substrate for a planted tank of that size, imagine all amazonia 2....
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