Video of my new tank

[Jupiter]

Love it! That shelf thing is awesome!

[dukie1346]

I saw that shelf at our petco too! It looks cool

[SaylorKennedy]

Originally Posted by dukie1346

I saw that shelf at our petco too! It looks cool

Yup I saw it today as well.
I was checking out the plants and accidentally kicked it a little. Crutches make me clumsy!

[Mecal]

well good to know they still might have it :)

how much was it?

[iheartmyfishies]

I saw one of those shelf things at Petco the other day! I might just get one. It looks pretty cool!

[paxt0n]

So, I finally got the temperature "stabilized." It's 82 on the digital thermometer and 80 on the one I bought at Petco, with the heater set to 72.

I did all of the proper acclimation, but when I finally released him into the 10 gallon, he started going crazy from the currents. First I shut off the bubble bar, but this didn't seem to help. So, I shut off the filter, which made the water completely still. Now, he is able and willing to swim around. He was flaring his gills at everything (not used to the plants/space/environment?). Now I have shut the light off and he is just swimming around like a maniac. (I'm pretty sure it's not "darting." I think he is just enjoying the space).

So....any suggestions from here?

Obviously, I want the tank filtered. I can do without the bubble bar, and maybe just have a stone or two. Do undergravel filters make less current on the top of the water? If I remember correctly, there is one pole that sucks the water down and one that expels it? So, does it still create a current?

Thanks for your help!!



The shelf was $9.99.

I think I'm going to have to figure out if I want to return the aquarium kit and get an undergravel filter and better heater.

I wonder if they will let me keep the tank out of the kit and just return the other parts. I'm sure they can take a tank off the shelf and put it in the box. It would be the same as me returning the whole thing....

I dunno! Need some advice!



...subscribing to post

[SaylorKennedy]

He'll be fine, he just has to get used to everything. Just give him some time then decide.. :)

[vaygirl]

Tango HATED his light when I first put him in the 16 with the hood. He'd been in a Tetra 1.5 cube with DIM led lights. He flipped out over the brightness. I put heavy watercolor paper under the light (3 pieces cut to fit and stacked) and made sure they didn't heat up. Then I pulled one piece out every couple days. Now he's fine. You could try a DIY baffle for the filter (there's a thread about them here somewhere) or give him some time. He may just mellow. It's all new to him.

[paxt0n]

When I woke up today, he was hanging out under the filter, trying to attack his reflection.

I turned the filter back on, but he stayed under it, with his gills flared. So, I turned the bubble bar back on and he finally got outta there.

I left them both on all day. He would either get under the leaf of a plant to rest and stay in one spot, "lay" up against the corner opposite the filter (where the current would push him), or lay on the bottom, wrapped around one of the small plants. When I tried to feed him, it was difficult for him to eat his food, because it got moved around by the current too fast.

So, i set out on a trip to try and find something to block the current from the filter from part of the aquarium. I thought I might have to go to the hardware store and get a piece of plexiglass, but I actually found a solution at Petco. I bought a piece of glass that is supposed to be used as part of a lid (it's 2.5"x12"). I stuck that in the aquarium and successfully blocked off a corner for him to relax in. (see picture)

He can still explore the rest of the aquarium, whenever he wants, but the current at the top of this area is almost completely still now, and he can eat without any problems. I may leave it, or I may try to take it out later...I'll see.

By the way, I'm rather upset at Petco! They have had their fish tank area closed off for about the past week, because they were redoing the floor (not sure if something had been leaking and ruined it, or what). Anyway, they had signs posted, stating that they would be selling fish again on Monday. So, I was excited to maybe get an addition to my tank while I was there today, but it's STILL closed. I wanted to go buy fish elsewhere, just in protest, but I was too lazy to make the 20-block trek to The Fish Store...

[Jupiter]

That was a clever idea! 20 blocks isn't too bad...you can do it! Lol.