# Fish Tank



## Marco (Jul 7, 2011)

These babies replaced my orchid space for the time being. The next apt will have a nice southern window I can utilize. I will start again with the plants then.

Anyhow these guys are in a 40 gallon tank. Using a 70 gallon filter because catfish are notorious for pooping alot.

Heres some of the folks in the tank :

Japonica Shrimp






2 Japonica Shrimps. Can you guess what they're doing? There's a bystander in the back trying to get in on the action.





Roseline Shark (really a carp)





Bristlenose Pleco (female) - Appx 3" long - got her a little over a year ago she was about an inch long.





Gold Nugget Pleco - My favorite (i think hes a male)- Appx 3" long got him when he was 2" long about a year and a half ago. This guys a slow grower.Unfortunately, his yellow spots shrink when he gets older. Watermelon is his favorite.





















Fish are total pain in the butt to take photos of. There's some tetras swimming around in there too.

The tank is small for a mature Gold Nugget I'll get a bigger tank in two years when i move out of here.

Enjoy. Thanks for looking.


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## Ernie (Jul 7, 2011)

Gorgeous GNP! 

Fish are a pain to photograph. Plecos at least don't move around too much.  

Catfish fans are the fish hobby equivalent of Paph growers in the orchid world IMO.


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## emydura (Jul 8, 2011)

Love those Gold Nugget Pleco's. I can't say I have seen those before. I mostly have seen the Bristlenose Pleco which are commonly available here.

David


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## paphioboy (Jul 8, 2011)

The golden pleco is very interesting. Have not seen it before..  Is it a completely freshwater tank? Care to show us the whole tank?


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## Shiva (Jul 8, 2011)

I would call it Cat television!


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## NYEric (Jul 8, 2011)

Marco said:


> 2 Japonica Shrimps. Can you guess what they're doing?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


invert porn! :evil:


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## Marco (Jul 8, 2011)

paphioboy said:


> The golden pleco is very interesting. Have not seen it before..  Is it a completely freshwater tank? Care to show us the whole tank?



Here you go. Fresh from the camera. Taken a few mins ago.






Goldie's (the Gold Nugget Pleco) favorite hiding spot is in the second tier of the rock formation on the left. He likes to hang upside down in there. Brownie's (the Bristlenose's) spot is in the driftwood formation. The Pleco's are very shy Goldie more so than Brownie. Goldie will bolt to his hiding spot if you're within 3 feet of the tank. Brownie only if you're like a foot away.



NYEric said:


> invert porn! :evil:


Exciting isn't it. It's interesting watching them they would bolt all over the tank till the male mounts the female. Watching them shed is also interesting. I don't have photos of that though. That one's gonna be a toughie.


I saw these dannios in my local fish store. They were awesome. Unfortunately, my tank is already over stocked. 

http://www.petsolutions.com/storefr...nios/glofish-cosmic-blue-zebra/prod36085.html


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## biothanasis (Jul 8, 2011)

Very beautiful!!! The shrimps are very cool...


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## jjkOC (Jul 8, 2011)

I should suggest the Golden Nugget Pleco to my friend, who is looking for a bottom-feeder for his tank.


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## Ernie (Jul 8, 2011)

Not sure about Gold Nuggets specifically, but many plecos aren't strict algae eaters (some are strict piscivores!). I'd make sure any tank with the decorative (translated expensive) plecos has some driftwood as there are several types that need either the wood itself or the associated microorganisms for long term health (peruse the catfish forums for the latest ideas). Sink 'em some veggies once in a while too (watermelon mentioned already, peas, green beans, squash... salt free if you use canned). If you use sinking wafers, watch specifically for ones with wood content. I think I got Hikari wafers last time, but put them in a different container since I hate their zip lock bags.


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## Marco (Jul 8, 2011)

jjkOC said:


> I should suggest the Golden Nugget Pleco to my friend, who is looking for a bottom-feeder for his tank.



Jennifer their wonderful catfish. I would suggest doing some research on the fish before purchasing. I just bought the fish outright because i loved his color. Only to find out later when I'm home that there is usually a high casualty rate within the first 2-3 months of owning the fish. From what I understand most of the babies are wild caught so they don't transition very well into the tank environment. If you put it into perspective the fish is going from river to box to tank 1 to tank 2. The time in the box probably takes about a week. These fish are usually starved before they are shipped so that they don't pollute their travel baggie. And they are notorious poopers. If you find one in your local fish store I would ask the store "When they received the fish" If they were received just a couple of days ago. You have a high risk of getting a fish that may not make it. I would look at them first see if their feisty and come back in a week or so. The fish are expensive so they shouldn't sell out that quick. They run from about $35-$75 depending on how big they are. When you get back to the fish store if their still feisty they've probably started eating the fish store foods. Then i would pick one up.

Also, as a heads up the fish matures to about 14 inches and very aggressive to other sucker mouth catfish. The silver lining though is that they grow very very slowly (sanderianum?). The bristlenose thats in the tank is a female so she is not territorial at all thats why they got along. I had a male bristlenose in the tank and well he died...his fins were all torn up and bloody one morning when I woke up. 

Here's some links :

My favorite Gold Nugget catfish resource
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=153

A very interesting article on the GN pleco
http://www.planetcatfish.com/shanes...d+%93Golden+Nugget%94+%96+a+problem+pleco%3F+

Some comments about the gold nugget
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/gold-nugget-pleco-159710.html

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_nuggetn.php


Another alternative would be the sunshine pleco. They're a little smaller when they're mature I haven't seen much of them in the fish stores and I don't know to much about them:

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=161

One other catfish that caught my eye is the Zebra Pleco. The only thing with them is they're really expensive if you can find one. I haven't seen any in any fish store around here. And from what i understand they are more fit to be in a species only tank.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=168



Edit : Just to comment on Ernies response : I feed Goldie and Brownie fruits and veggies in the morning (watermelon, mainly defrosted cucumber, and sometimes deseeded kiwis) pretty much anything soft. At night i hide hikarie pleco wafers in the caves. The tetras tear up the wafers in the morning and won't give the plecos a chance to get to them. I also have two different kinds of driftwood in there. Grapewood. and malaysian driftwood. both of which i seeped for about three weeks with daily boiled water changes before i put it in the tank. Oh yes the hikari wafers smell. I double ziplock bag mine.


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## fundulopanchax (Jul 8, 2011)

Ernie said:


> Catfish fans are the fish hobby equivalent of Paph growers in the orchid world IMO.



I thought is was killifish.... 

Ron


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## Marco (Aug 9, 2011)

I was in the process of taking some photos of Brownie (the female bristlenose) and was able to get good photos of Goldie (female Gold Nugget Pleco) while he was being territorial...

Brownie relaxing on the rock





With Goldie Sneaking up in the background





Alright here comes Goldie





Goldie exerting his presence as alpha male. He's a little light in color because hes agitated. His black is more pronounced when he's relaxed





One of my cosmic blue glofish (zebra danio genetically spliced with jellyfish genes)





This was Brownie when i first got her in april 2010. She was a little over an inch back then now shes about 3.25"


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## SlipperFan (Aug 9, 2011)

Fish are fascinating.


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