Fish Thread for posting Pictures of our fish, tanks, ponds, and Q & A

[usschicago1]

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[SillyChicken]

Here's part of my pond. Unfortunatly I think it's too shallow for stocking with fish (which I'd love to do). Some day we hope to dig part of it out to stock it. I also have a 130 gal tank that winters my koi and shubunkin and catfish... it ain't pretty though like some of your's are, I'd love to have one filled with plants, but the koi destroy them! (the koi is 24" long and the shubunkin is 18" long)

One time I also put some bluegill in a tank, they grew fast and also made a huge mess of the tank... one morning the gravel would be on one side of the tank and over to the next side the next day!

 

[usschicago1]

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Its Very Nice You could always stock it with these: http://glacvcd.org/Contents/Vector-Services-Info/Mosquitofish.aspx
No Matter how shallow/cold/hot

 

[Siler]

I've been wanting to get back into keeping fish myself. I have a 10 gallon metal frame I picked up a while ago and stocked it with rare freshwater fish and live plants. I had cherry shrimp, dwarf corydora, ottocinclus, etc. The tetras lived the longest about 5yrs and it's been fishless since(about a year). I still top it off with water tho.

I just have to make a trip to the pet store and see what they have. I have a plethora of other tanks I haven't used in a long time including a 125 gallon and a 100 gallon. I'd like to do discus with those eventually. We have a wonderful breeder here in Indiana. I've visited him a few times and his stock is amazing and healthy.

I have some tiny water gardens as well. I have 2 whiskey barrels and 2 150 gallon ponds with dwarf water lily, yellow flag iris, lizard's tail, and winter hard water canna. Everything out there has been neglected as well and with the heat I noticed hair algae today. I died a little inside when I saw that. I blocked the chickens and duck from getting to the bigger ones and they drink from the smaller whiskey barrel. The duck kept tearing up my water lily so I had to put up a fence.

 

[usschicago1]

Is hair algae good/rare or something nice or bad to have? I have some in my tank and im not sure to keep it or not?
Thanks !

 

[Andi]

Hair algae in a small quantity is, I think, kinda pretty. Unfortunately it is an aggressive grower and needs to be kept in check.

I'm not so sure what your tank is set up with, but if you have live plants its best to get more higher level plants in there to out compete the algae for nutrients. If you don't have live plants in there, its a matter of keeping nutrients that the hair algae thrive on to a minimum. Using algae killers is a temporary roller coaster of frustration. Sure it will kill the algae, or most of it, but once the algae die and decompose they release nutrients for another round of algae. You would need to continue using algaecides and do plenty of water changes, as well as staying on top of the nutrient load, which is a good idea anyway for the health of the tank and its inhabitants.

Algae can be introduced into any aquatic environment through a variety of sources. It can be introduced on plants, rocks, decorations, snails or even in the water that new fish arrive in. Algae is also air borne. Some species of algae spores are extremely small and float on the breeze. That being said, I'm not sure if hair algae is capable of being an air borne one or not. My personal experience is introduction on something, like cool rocks I find outside that may have hundreds of years ago been in water. Algae spores are tough and can survive a long time dried up. Its no wonder algae is so prolific. Amazing actually.

If you can put it in the back of your mind that when you see algae it means something is out of balance and the algae is attempting to correct it by consuming those excess nutrients. Algae is also common in any artificial aquatic environment that is still stabilizing (in other words, new). Its one of the reasons so many people leave the aquarium hobby in their first year. If they only stuck with it and had been given the knowledge to understand the dynamics of what's going on.

Algae in and of itself isn't a bad thing. Its natural. Anything in over abundance isn't a good thing. There's a lot of natural food for aquarium inhabitants to nibble on that live in algae. Algae is also handy if you have newly hatched fry. In my opinion, an aquatic environment without even a small amount of algae is sterile and unhealthy. It would be like if people had to live in a hospital and not get to go outside or get to eat ice cream or other treats. Its all a matter of balance.

Anyway, sorry. Bad habit of over answering. I'm glad to hear you guys are enjoying your watery worlds!

 

[tdgill]

great post!

 

[usschicago1]

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Thank You ! I have alot of plants in my tank, actually im constantly throwing away bags of it because it grows so fast! It is only a little bit, a small patch of hair algae. Looks healthy so i guess ill leave it. Good to know that means a healthy fishtank. And more is bad ! Thanks so much !

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Another pic of my pond. We have 3 HUGE Bullfrogs. hope the dogs don't get 'em.

 

[usschicago1]

birdaholic I love your Pond ! We have tons of bullfrogs that come up from out lake. Come Next Spring, Youll Have hundreds of bullfrogs

Did you introduce them?