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Paige’s shrimp and snails, Franklin Street, Rapid City, SD (2024)

09/15/2023

Green bean snacks!

09/15/2023

Panda Cory cats and blue mystery snails!

09/15/2023

New peppered Cory cat with high fins, living with the blue shrimp and black mystery snails

09/15/2023

Orange shrimp, gold mystery snails and albino Cory cat fry. 🧡

08/04/2023

💜

07/31/2023

Assassin snails 💜

07/25/2023

Pretty purple babies!

07/12/2023

Such a pretty girl 💜

07/12/2023

These purples are just my favorite 😍

07/07/2023

So much less going on down here. Sadly we are getting ready for a full basement repair due to foundation issues.

Still have some tanks available.

1x 4 gallon
1x 5 gallon
1x 10 gallon tank only.
1x 29 gallon with stand.

All have lights, filters, lids apart from the 10 gallon.

07/03/2023

Taxi 🫢

06/09/2023

The banjo catfish’s defense mechanism is playing dead. 😂 they will even go belly up to make it more believable!

06/09/2023

Here is a quick update on my higher quality blue shrimp (first 3 photos) and my low quality blue shrimp. The low grades will occasionally throw a bright baby who gets added to the breeding tank. Reds will sometimes throw a blue too.

05/28/2023

It looks like some of my Cory juveniles are carrying the long fin gene! How exciting

05/18/2023

My blind, no eyed yo-yo loach. This little guy gets around so well that you would not know he had no eyes unless you look really hard. However having no eyes makes him super easy to catch and check on. 💜

05/18/2023

Just waiting on those purple mystery snail eggs ⏳😅

05/16/2023

Bueno Aries tetra.
$5 for the pair.

05/16/2023

Sold.

Pair (male and female) of juvenile platy. 1$ for them both.

05/14/2023

Another one of my male betta fish, just having a little snack!

05/14/2023

Arion my male rehabilitation betta who had swim bladder issues which is now resolved. His latest issues is getting into a fight with his bubble stone and injuring his head! Currently he’s identifying as an eel hiding in his cave.

Arion’s swim bladder was so bad I didn’t think he would be adoptable. Now he’s just a menace and will stay with me anyway 😂he also bullies his mystery snail friends so will be due for a tank relocation.

05/14/2023

Not for sale.

A few of my higher grade blues just hiding out. I’m still working on getting this line brighter and solid. I’m pleased so far with the outcome.

05/14/2023

This little guy is so cute, he’s a little shy and his place is behind the filter. But when he comes out he’s beautiful 🥹

05/12/2023

Low grades 💜💙❤️🖤

05/12/2023

Low grade shrimp available

05/11/2023

I actually love these snails 🥺

05/06/2023

Cory catfish 💜

05/05/2023

Just look at that pink color popping! Magenta mystery snails are becoming one of the most popular color, because of the high demand it’s sometimes hard to source them. These young snails were bred by me and now have grown ready for sale!

04/28/2023

And my smaller babies are doing well

04/28/2023

I moved my biggest babies into the community tank

04/28/2023

This morning I found my cories spawning

04/25/2023

A couple of the goldfish and tetras picked up today. 💜

04/24/2023

Brown water

While it might start out as a yellow tinge, if you don’t stop it, your water will darken in color until it looks like a refreshing sweet tea.

The likely culprit?

Untreated Driftwood

Many aquarium hobbyists like to introduce natural driftwood in their aquarium to make the tank look appealing and exciting while giving their fishes something to rasp or nibble on.

We highly recommend adding driftwood to your tank as it is exceptionally helpful in dropping the pH of your water. This dropping of pH is an excellent way to naturally make hard water more gentle and suitable for most fish species.

So if you have recently introduced a new piece of driftwood in your aquarium, then it is the only reason for such yellowish-brown murky water.

Driftwood generally leeches tannins into the water, which gives it the brownish shade. The water first goes through a yellow tint and, with time, can turn into a deep brown color, resembling a shade of muddy water or exotic sweet tea.

This hue can also be caused by introducing leaves and seed pods into your tank. While these tannins aren’t necessarily dangerous for your fish, they can make the tank look muddy and obstruct the fish’s vision.

As the tannins slowly leach into your aquarium, it will turn your water a yellowy brown color.

Fun Fact: Some aquarists want their aquarium to turn a brown color, adding untreated driftwood and leaves to darken the water. These tanks are known as blackwater aquariums, and while they may not appeal to everyone, they are beautiful when designed correctly.

The only cause of brownish-yellow water is keeping pieces of untreated driftwood, leaves, or seed pods in your tank.
How to get rid of it!

This tip is beneficial when you decide to change your driftwood. Consider pre-soaking and then boiling the wood before placing it in your aquarium tank.

Boiling speeds the process and gets rid of all the tannins beforehand. If you do not wish to boil your driftwood, consider soaking it into a storage container for a few days. Simply soaking can also get rid of the pigment.

If your tank is already yellow, remove the wood and give it a boil. This step will discourage the wood from leaching the tannings after putting it in the tank.

To clean the water, consider using a carbon filter, carbon pad, or Seachem Purigen. The activated carbon will soon get clogged with all the tannins, which you must dispose of. However, if you use Purigen, you can clean it with bleach and reuse it.

Exactly how many tannins are released entirely depends on the type of driftwood. Some woods, like manzanita, barely color your aquarium while others, like Malaysian driftwood, paint your aquarium a cloudy shade of brown.

Fortunately, most tannins can be removed by pre-soaking the wood before placing it in your aquarium. Boiling speeds up the process.

If it’s too late, and you already placed the wood in your aquarium, remove it and give it a good soak. Any tannins that you remove now won’t dye your aquarium water when you return the driftwood to your tank.

But what about the water inside your aquarium… The stuff that has already been dyed a brown or yellow color?

Well, using a carbon filter will remove any color from the tank, leaving you with crystal clear water.

04/24/2023

Out of all the different colored clouds that will visit your tank, green cloudy aquarium water makes beginners panic the most. It just doesn’t look right, like pea soup.

If you inspect your water in a clear cup and see a shade of green, then the primary culprit is algae bloom. This issue is prevalent in tanks that receive sunshine daily.

In severe cases, your water will be so murky that you can barely see your fish.

So, what is this weird green fog that covers your aquarium?

Well, it turns out that it’s a particular type of algae bloom…

Any aquarist with little experience with aquariums knows how common algae bloom is. Algae is a fully living microorganism that grows on the sides of your tanks and under/on the tank’s decoration.

These algae can profusely multiply if ignored, resulting in a tank full of green-shade water. One must note that algae always thrives on the exact requirements of any plant.

You will see a massive spike in algae growth if your tank has sufficient nitrogen and sunlight. Excessive feeding or fish waste can create extensive nitrogen, thus inviting algae to proliferate.

Since algae are living organisms, overpopulation of them can surely disturb your aquarium’s ecosystem and affect the fish and plants in your tank. Lastly, apart from changing the color of your tank, it will rapidly deplete the oxygen levels of your tank at night.

Phytoplankton is small. Really small. In fact, you can’t see it with your naked eye. But as it grows in number, it will become very noticeable, turning your tank water a cloudy green color.

But don’t worry! While it may not be pleasant to look at, this type of algae growth won’t harm your fish.

If your aquarium is directly exposed to strong sunlight, it will cause the algae to bloom uncontrollably.
Switching on artificial aquarium lights for an extended period can also cause this issue of algae bloom.
How to get rid of it!

One must perform a water change as it is the most vital step to get rid of algae bloom. Afterward, address the overstocking or overfeeding to bring the spread in control.

The above remedy is to clean the water by changing the entire water volume of your tank. This step won’t reduce the algae growth permanently, so you need to move the location of your tank to a less sunny place.

If you use artificial lights, consider turning them off to prevent the algae from overpopulating. The last method uses a UV sterilizer to eliminate the algae-ridden water.

Ultraviolet radiation changes the algae’s cell structure, discouraging the algae from reproducing on a cellular level. After sterilizing, you can change your water and remove all the algae.

A UV sterilizer or fine filter media, like a polishing pad, will quickly put an end to this green cloudy mess for good – your water will be crystal clear in no time.

While this will fix the problem – the algae – it doesn’t stop the cause.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of different causes…

Dirty filter
Not performing water changes
Too much light
Carbon dioxide (CO2) deficiency
Imbalanced fertilizers
Most of the time, one of these is responsible for your murky water. Sort these out to prevent the green cloud from coming back!

04/24/2023

Bacterial bloom

Bacterial bloom is yet another issue deemed extremely common when the water in your tank turns exceptionally cloudy. When your aquarium is riddled with bacterial bloom or blossom, it often resembles a tank full of diluted milk.

This phenomenon occurs when your tank has excess nutrients, fish waste, or decaying food in the water and a limited quantity of beneficial bacteria to eat it. This situation tips off the system and forces the bacterial colony to reproduce more. The explosion of the population often makes the water have a milky haze.

If your water looks like a thick white fog, then you might be dealing with a bacterial bloom. Yep, that hazy cloud could actually be millions of tiny beneficial bacteria, swirling around your tank.

On its own, a single bacteria is invisible. However, as they grow in number, the group looks like a foggy discoloration in your aquarium.

Gross, huh?

What you are looking at is commonly called a bacterial colony.

Bacterial blossom is a common sight when cycling your aquarium. In some cases, it will be a mild haze, while in others, your aquarium can look like it’s filled with milk – it all depends on how many bacteria there are.

The leading cause can be introducing harmful chemicals or medications that are prone to kill or deplete the beneficial bacterial colony in your tank.
Sudden ammonia spikes from any organic waste produced by your fish can also result in bacterial bloom.
A new tank that hasn’t been appropriately cycled can also result in milky water.
A new big group of fish can cause this issue if your tank doesn’t have enough beneficial bacteria to support the tank’s ecosystem.
Replacing the old filter system with a new filter can also cause this issue.
How to get rid of it!

You do nothing. In a cycling tank, this bacterial bloom will disappear on its own. A week later, your cloudy water will be nothing more than a distant memory.

If you are not cycling your tank, then a bacteria bloom could be a big warning sign. You see, this bacteria commonly appears when decaying plants, rotting fish food or too much p**p builds up in your tank.

If that’s the case, the first thing you want to do is grab your trusty aquarium test kit.

Got it? Good. Now, you need to check your ammonia and nitrite level to make sure they are both at zero parts per million (ppm).

If they have risen, perform an immediate water change so that no harm comes to your fish. Now, you have to figure out what the cause was.

This cloudy looking bacteria often appears when there is too much fish waste breaking down. The most common cause of this is overfeeding your fish. Not only will your fish p**p more, but there will be uneaten fish food source rotting at the bottom of the tank syndrome – fix this by cutting back feedings and removing all the uneaten excess food and decaying excess waste from your tank.

Another cause could be that you accidentally killed off all the good bacteria in your cloudy fish tank. If you rinsed your aquarium filter media in tap water, the chlorine will kill the good bacteria, and you will have to cycle your aquarium all over again, with your fish still inside.

If you have changed your tank’s water recently, that can be a big reason for bacterial bloom. To get rid of this, wait for a week or two.

The cloudiness of your water tank should start to gradually clear up as soon as the tank’s bacteria reestablish again, thus forming a perfect aquatic system. Avoid changing your water constantly or using UV sterilization as it can further increase your issue of bacterial bloom.

However, if you feel that the bacteria bloom is caused by other factors like substrates, excess waste, or decaying food, perform a partial water change. One can also use a gravel vacuum to eliminate the tiny particles floating in your tank. Partial water change is the key here as it won’t damage the existing bacterial culture.

04/24/2023

White cloudy water in aquarium

If your mug showcases milky white water, then chances are you are either dealing with bacterial bloom or unwashed substrate.

Your water can also have a few visible particles if it turns wholly or partially opaque.

Sometimes, you can barely see it, a slight grayish haze… Other times, it looks more like milk than water.

Here are the reasons why your aquarium looks like it has been blanketed in white fog…

Unwashed substrate

Every aquarium needs a colorful substrate batch to add vibrancy to the tank; however, you will soon notice cloudy white water if the new set is unwashed.

Adding new gravel creates residue or specks of dirt, making the water whiteish murky in color. If your substrate is extremely dirty, the tank can also showcase a gray tone instead of a white.

Did you forget to wash your substrate before adding it to your established aquarium?

If the partial water turns cloudy within couple hours of setting up your aquarium, then this is probably why.

You see, gravel and sand substrates contain really fine specks – created when it rubs together…

Now, these dust-like pieces are so small that you won’t even notice them at first. However, when added to green water, they separate from the larger pieces of substrate and float around your mature aquarium.

The result?

A very visible and ugly haze.

I know it’s too late now, but this is why you should wash sand and gravel substrates before adding them to your aquarium – it removes the fine dust.

The leading cause of cloudy white water is unwashed substrate or residue from gravels, rocks, and other substrates.
How to get rid of it!

To get rid of the cloudy water, you can try a few solutions. A quick fix is to change your water entirely, so all the floating particles and little dirt pieces get removed from your tank.

The next step is to take out your gravel and clean it thoroughly. We highly recommend giving your new substrates a complete thorough rinse before introducing them to your aquarium.

If your aquarium has a water filter cartridge with a fine mechanical medium like filter floss, you can avoid changing the water. The filter floss will easily trap all the dust floating in your tank, resulting in a clean tank with clear water. Hobbyists can also take the help of any water clarifier to accelerate the cleaning process.

If you can see a thin layer of dust accumulated on the bottom of your tank, avoid disturbing the water. Instead, use a gravel vacuum to remove all the particles settling above, between, and below the substrates. Afterward, you can use a water clarifier to clean the water, making it crystal clear.

Gravel and sand residue is perhaps the easiest cause of cloudy water in aquarium to fix. A water change will help remove a portion of the dust that is floating around your tank…

However, the best solution is to just wait. If your aquarium water filter cartridge uses a fine mechanical media, such as filter floss, then it will eventually trap most of the dust that is floating. You could also use a good water clarifier to speed up the process.

Now, it’s likely that a small amount of the dust will settle on the floor of your tank. This dust will again kick back up into the water if it’s disturbed. Not to worry! This can easily be removed with a quick gravel vac.

04/23/2023

Magenta mystery snails available
$4 each.

04/23/2023

Mystery snails 😍 ivory. Gold. Magenta. Black. Jade. Blue! Hopefully will get lavender in soon.

04/21/2023

Another batch of Cory catfish fry! I have them currently ranging from 1 day old to 2 months old. Doing pretty well.

04/20/2023

Good afternoon and happy Thursday.

I’m trying to be more active and posting more variety. What are you wanting to see more of?
How can I help more? Please I would love feedback, the good the bad the ugly. It’s how we progress and improve.

Like this photo 🫣 sometimes you can’t get the shot you want so you take what you can get.