Big Plans!

NoodleCats · Feb 19, 2022

Not a ton of change to the scape itself, added the big powerhead though, I think I've mentioned before. It's 1300gph but after watching the goldfish with it, they seem to actually enjoy it. Have it aimed at an angle at the glass so it slows down further away from it, so they can choose where they wanna be, but ive caught the goldfish--even the fancies--playing in the current too. They'll fight it head on and then turn around and ride the current away and repeat like a game.

It's located in the upper left in the shadows.

Ugg, the pleco, has adapted super well, he's a joy. He's officially my sons favourite now too. Ugg begs for food as bad as the rest of them. Every evening they all go to the left side of the tank and wait for me to feed them. He likes his northfin kelp wafers, but ive also introduced him to fresh foods, jumbo mysis shrimp, Bug Bites pleco pellets, and northfin carnivore pellets for more variety. He also likes to graze the leaf litter too.

Begging for food.

Happy he's got his wafer.

Swims midwater even.

Hes very handsome

Spotty the calico fantail, he's a handsome boy. He likes the powerhead the most out of the goldfish.

Puff, the ranchu... we learned is female! Caught them spawning. Oops haha the thicker pectoral ridges threw me off, but spawning behaviour doesn't lie, so.

Neowise, he's soooo handsome, turning orange now. He's just a beautiful fish. Really bulking up.

The garra are doing well, though they do bicker a little bit, they settle down and get along after. There is a distinctive "alpha and omega" structure between the two of them. Id worry about it but they do hang out together calmly frequently. Would like at the very least one more, spread out that bit of bickering more if possible.
This is the dominant one. Both are getting chunk.

fishorama · Feb 19, 2022

They all look great! I'd have thought Neowise would like the current best, he's built for speed (in a well fed way, lol). But like Puff & gender ID, you can't always tell by looking.

NoodleCats · Feb 20, 2022

Here are some gifs of them with the current.
These were the day it was put in, stirred a lot of the stuff up (what I wanted, wanted it to push mess towards the filters).

If they're slow, let them run their sequence and then watch then.

They appear to have fun with it, as they do purposely swim into it and then turn around to ride it lol.

Other end of the tank is slower, so they can rest if they want as well. I worried they'd not like it, since fancies aren't the greatest of swimmers, but they seem to enjoy it at least.

NoodleCats · Mar 25, 2022

Added another branch and I had to remove one of the garra as the larger of the two beat the poop out of the other one and ripped all the scales off the side of the body. The smaller guy was moved to one of my 55s where he's healing well and seems much happier.

fishorama · Mar 25, 2022

Too bad about the garra getting beat up but good save. Tank's looking good!

NoodleCats · Mar 25, 2022

fishorama said:
Too bad about the garra getting beat up but good save. Tank's looking good!

The victim though is doing tons better at least

That's an improvement compared to how he was.

This was why he had to be moved

fishorama · Mar 25, 2022

It looks like he should heal fast. They did get along for a while when smaller...

I find it interesting about their different patterns. The larger has pretty cleanly defined stripes; the smaller more dark edged scales in the yellow. Could be like some "lesser" smaller male fish try to look more "female" to avoid attack...or just a larger bully? I see the "victim" doesn't show dark edged scales now...

Maybe if you had been able to have several to spread out the aggression, I know you couldn't. Lucky you had another suitable tank for the smaller garra.

NoodleCats · Mar 26, 2022

fishorama said:
It looks like he should heal fast. They did get along for a while when smaller...

I find it interesting about their different patterns. The larger has pretty cleanly defined stripes; the smaller more dark edged scales in the yellow. Could be like some "lesser" smaller male fish try to look more "female" to avoid attack...or just a larger bully? I see the "victim" doesn't show dark edged scales now...

Maybe if you had been able to have several to spread out the aggression, I know you couldn't. Lucky you had another suitable tank for the smaller garra.

Hes nearly all healed already, luckily. Moved to let him heal and see how he did in a different tank, if he was unhappy id have considered looking for a home with a couple locals I know with larger tanks, but he seems pretty comfortable. Coloured up normal now, is actively grazing for algae on my plants, shares food with the cories happily without getting defensive or intimidated. He seems to really like the active rainbowfish too. He groups with then at times when he's not grazing or resting.

I will let him grow, if as he grows he seems cramped or unhappy, I'll look for a home then. But so far, he seems really happy in the 55g

Unfortunately this isn't a fish that's sold here as an actual labeled fish... it's one of them bycatch species and not one I can special order either. Nor does anywhere online here have these guys. Otherwise, getting a shoal would have been best. But a duo seems like trouble.

The aggressor seems very content by himself though. And isn't making trouble for the hoplos, pleco, or goldfish. Just didn't want to share with his own kind. All of the 6 feet was his. They'd sit together but then the aggressor would chase him out of the blue and would continue to chase him once the other tried to hide. It got worse over time as well.

I think I also got unlucky and got 2 males. Another reason it'd progress this aggressively.