episode XLIV ...The Puddle farts again!

[plankton]

Feed them courgette......

[Martinspuddle]

Feed them courgette......

@plankton it doesn't matter what you give them, the pesky Ancistrus fry ignore it!

[Martinspuddle]

January 2024 - Puddle Pictures

I know your all bored with seeing my aquarium but it's been a while since I posted any decent images of the main Puddle.

Unfortunately, trying to take pictures with the amount of plant growth was just impossible due to the low amount of available light in the aquarium, resulting in images of a rather dark glass box. Plant maintenance I'm afraid, has taken a bit of a back seat with not been feeling well enough to stand on steps for long periods. I due back to see the Consultant on Tuesday, hopefully she will take me off these damn tablets.

So with filter and pumps maintenance plus a 150 litre waterchange due, out come the scissors. I took me over four hours to a major thinning out of plant and I still haven't finished. I filled two 2 gallon buckets with cuttings, dead leaves, Cryptocoryne runners and excess Pistia stratiotes (Water lettuce) plants.


Click to enlarge

The Java narrow leaf is the greatest issue, it take so long snipping all the dead and damaged leaves out, pesky Ancistrus fry! ...even now, I've still some leaves I have somehow managed to miss, as can be seen in the image below. The other plant that can be a growing nuisance is the Nymphaea Rubra water lilies, of which it seems I have two varieties judging from the different shades of red leaves, leaf size and pattern. These are appearing all over the place and I find once they reach the water surface, like the Pistia stratiotes these also cut the light in short order.

I am thinking of installing internal spotlight LED's in the aquarium to counter the light lost.


Click to enlarge

Taking about the Java narrow leaf, I was surprised to find the left hand plant was only attached on the right side by roots. This Java fern base is around 30cm in length and I'm beginning to wondering if this is Ancistrus doing this by burrowing under the plant. Lifting the plant carefully, apart from no end of Neocaridina Shrimp of various sizes, a couple of two inch Ancistrus I didn't know I even had and I also found around twenty tiny fry, either Barb or Tetra. Has anyone had this happen to their Java Ferns with Bristlenose Catfishes?

Something else I have noticed over the previous year is the Vallisneria growth or lack of it. Back in January 2023, I had a serious thinning out of the Vallis plants as it had become so thick in places it was swamping the other plant species and the Vallis runners where everywhere, even to the point of clogging the strainer by growing up inside the Eheim filter intake pipe! Since then the Vallis growth has slowed considerably to the point I have very little left, which had me puzzled why. Think the answer lies with the Cryptocoryne usteriana. This plants roots are so thick, particularly and the back of the aquarium that it is possible to lift the back half of substrate by the Usteriana leaves and I think because of this, the Vallis plants are struggling to keep a foot hold. There are some Vallis still growing but I think in the long run it may die out or I might have to consider removing some, maybe all of the Cryptocoryne usteriana. The Usteriana Crypts have been so thick it places much like the Vallis before, I have to keep chopping them back from the Eheim Pro 4 intake strainer, as with detritus builds up, their leaves keep blocking the filter and this is one of few jobs I have had to do feeling unwell or not.


Click to enlarge

You'll see in this full tank shot, that at the front, the Cryptocoryne parva is finally growing well. Was hoping by now two and half years later that the Parva would have filled this front sandy area. I really struggled to get this plant going with my original thought it was a light issue, being overshadowed by other plants, but the answer has turned out be don't mix this little Crypt with Kuhli Loaches ...they dig them up! I should imagine some fishkeepers have found the same problem with Corydoras with this Cryptocoryne species.

Talking of Kuhli Loaches, one of them is at least 11cm long and damn near as thick as my little finger. Unfortunately I've not managed to get any pictures of this Kuhli loach and I really can't understand why she (Adult females are typically heavier-bodied and a little larger - seriouslyfish.com) is so much larger than the others Kuhli's which only around 8cm, half the thickness, unless all the other Kuhli's are males.

On the other side of things, I had a few loses, although I never find any fish carcasses, I think Amano Shrimp sort that issue out. These have been mainly old timers, like Endlers and one or two of the Pristella Tetras that in my aquarium log are listed purchased May 2019. I may of lost a couple of Cardinal Tetras, I say 'may' as they have a funny habit of reappearing weeks or months later.

Don't know why I test after deaths or missing inmates, it never really changes.

GH test = 14
KH test = 12
NH3 test = 0 ppm
NO2 test = 0 ppm
NO3 test = 0 ppm
pH test = 7.2
FE test = 10 ppm
PO4 test = 2.0 ppm

You wouldn't think from my pictures but I estimate there is around 80 to 90 fish in this aquarium now and I'd suggest that 20% of that is fry, could be more ...sorry, but would someone please explain stocking levels for a freshwater aquariums!

[fr499y]

Solution for your Plec problem - piranha’s

[Unalome]

Don't think I could get bored looking at your tank!

[Martinspuddle]

Solution for your Plec problem - piranha’s

Nah, they get eaten by the Amano Shrimp.

Don't think I could get bored looking at your tank!

Ask you again in 12 months!

[Staffylover]

Tank is looking amazing as always Martin, Cyrpt usteriana is one I haven't tried and it certainly looks good in your tank, think I might have to try some, I love Cypts in general but for some reason Balansae won't grow, although others will, so this might be a good choice for some longer leaves

[Martinspuddle]

Tank is looking amazing as always Martin, Cyrpt usteriana is one I haven't tried and it certainly looks good in your tank, think I might have to try some, I love Cypts in general but for some reason Balansae won't grow, although others will, so this might be a good choice for some longer leaves

Cryptocoryne usteriana needs daily feeding but once established, be warned, it spreads like wildfire!

You may fine you C. Balansae is not getting enough nutrients and that's why your finding slow growth.

[black ghost]

Sounds like your big kuhli is P. myersi and the rest are P. semicinctus? Myersi is longer, and a lot more chunky. They’re often mixed together in imports.

[Martinspuddle]

Sounds like your big kuhli is P. myersi and the rest are P. semicinctus? Myersi is longer, and a lot more chunky. They’re often mixed together in imports.

click to enlarge images

They all Pangio myersi, each fishes pattern are the same. I'm just surprised the others haven't grown as large.