Well, They're In Their New Home

Spent what felt like a massive amount of time today preparing the tank and transferring the fish.

I thought I'd prepared well yesterday, fresh dechlorinated water ready for topping up.  Trays for sand, trays for new gravel,.  You name it I did it. Well I thought I did. I even had a check list printed up reminding me what to do and in what order and ticked everything off. How sad is that. 

First mistake, I sat on the heater intended to be put in the prepared container for putting the fish in while I changed the decor in the tank. 

So, I've had to order a new heater, more expense.

Won't bore you with the specifics.  I did eventually get it done.  It isn't exactly as I had it set out in my mind
but it's not bad and the fish have more room.

I used dead  branches from my apple tree which were soaked in the rain butt for a week, then boiled and dried naturally and then popped in the oven for a slow heat up. No burnt branches at all as I watched them carefully.

I used Christmas moss tied to the branches to make a tree and it isn't too bad.  I also had a longer, stouter piece which lays across the tank and this also has Christmas moss on it.

They were very stressed (well to be honest - we all were - me and the fish) when I tried to catch them to put them in the container and they were stressed again later when I did the transfer.  I tried a jam jar, a jug and then eventually I had to net, being very careful especially of the corys.  Their colours in the container were awful and one of my lovely little salt and pepper corys went a pale orange colour.

As soon as they went in they disappeared, not a one to be seen. So I must have enough cover eh!!

They came out after about 1/2 hour and it was great to watch.  My little salt and peppers were straight into the sand and their colour is much improved as it is with most of the fish.

The snails have completely disappeared. I've even searched to see if I left them in a container and forgot to put them in, well the mind isn't what it was.  I'm REALLY annoyed with myself about the snails as I had already decided that I would only put one in each tank in an effort to avoid any (or too many) eggs. Ah well, we'll see.

The light, I think will have to be changed.  It's a reptile one and it's a dull effect and won't show the fish to their full potential.

Will post photo when I can figure out how to do it without my ugly mug also in the pic!

I will be very happy if all the fish survive but I suspect at least one isn't going to make it as it's looking very unhappy. Fingers crossed

With the Nano now empty I was able to spruce it up. It now has growing medium, small rounded pebbles and a small spit of sand.  A few plants and more branches from my tree.

That one I am pleased with.  Hmmm.  I've been hinting about shrimp, in a casual way you understand.  No immediate negative reaction (well so far anyway)

Oh Sue, How devious are you  .

I've just put the light on the Nano and said to the other half, Oh doesn't that look nice. It's all clean and different etc etc etc.  A gruntish sort of reply

We've had several differences of opinion today (Bl***dy Ebay!) so it's been a bit iffy. Have decided today is not the day to remind him I'm interested in shrimp.!!

You need to wait until the upset of setting up the new tank has faded Sanjo.

Once he's used to watching the fish in their new planted home it will feel like they have always been there - it's also very relaxing, then is the time to introduce the idea of shrimp, once his guard is down!

Also they do an excellent job of keeping the algea under control - reducing maintenance and keeping the tank looking good.

Strange, when I was researching about setting up an aquarium nowhere did it mention about that a person's levels of deviousness increased in proportion to the number of fish/tanks you had or wanted.

Anne

Hey Fellas !!!

Are you all reading this

                      Skittler

You men have it easy compared to us women. All you have to do is say that of course she needs another pair of shoes/dress/designer handbag and if she gets them then you need a new tank to compensate. My excuse that compared to the amount of money he spends on his hi-fi, my fish are cheap in comparison. I mean, there is another 5 figure upgrade in the planning stage for later this year, and that's just the amplifiers Next year it'll be the DAC & CD transport. I've told him, can't he be satisfied with a mini system from Currys?

All this hi-fi leaves me cold, I'm afraid. I was in my teens when I discovered that having a continual high pitched whistling sound in my ears is not normal and that there is even a name for it. Never having known anything else, it doesn't bother me. But it does mean that I don't get much enjoyment from music, and I can't understand how anyone can spend that much on equipment just to listen to it. Just as he can't understand how anyone can spend so much time fussing over a tank of fish.

A CD transport in the bit that plays the CD. He then needs a DAC (digital analogue converter) so the amplifiers can decipher the signal. Most people have them both in one unit, called a CD player. And he thinks the terminology used in fishkeeping is complex 

Sue - if we assume that the "5 figure upgrade" doesn't include the 99p bit - surely that's enough for a house extension aka "The Fish Room" ??

Diz - Be careful, 97 years ago I used to be a keen racing cyclist......one for the road, one for the track, one to train on ("QT" bike in ladies terms!), and a heap that I used to go to work on. Add one for the new (to me) craze of mountain biking (aka "cyclo cross" in old money), and he's still got one too many........now that's got to be worth a new tank. These days, even a new tyre is probably equivalent to at least a new filter........and I know, we used to make them!!

As I seem to be to be the only bloke commenting on this thread, do you think the presence of a (computer literate) OH may have something to do with it ?

                                                          Skittler

As a gentleman with an addiction to fish keeping, I thank my lucky stars that my better half doesn't suffer from the same affliction! We'd probably be wading through the mangroves that have replaced the sofa and TV in the living room as we make our way to sandy shore where the kitchen used to be! I've managed to stealthily add snails, shrimps and a few extra plants without being caught but haven't plucked up the courage or audacity to put a five footer next to the tele and pretend it's always been there!

Sue - if we assume that the "5 figure upgrade" doesn't include the 99p bit - surely that's enough for a house extension aka "The Fish Room" ??

A fish room would become a  hi-fi room before I got so much as a snail through the door 

First attempt at a quote didn't go too well but I think you can guess which part was meant to be the quote and which was my comment.

Anne