I started out with a 10gal danios tank, turned it into a planted tank, which quickly became a huge nightmare despite prior gardening experience, best efforts and midnight oil-burning research no end. Even up til now, still effin' tweaking light parameters and doses. My only consolation through all my deemed noob strife is that I have kept majority of my water parameters pristine on a daily basis. Twice a day, like clockwork - punch in, punch out.
- pH: 7~7.2
NH3: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 5~10
:beams: insert proud smile
I tried breeding my danios and that was a blissful disaster, for it worked lol. This happened when I upgraded all during Christmas, 55gal bowfront tank, from HOB included tank kit to Fluval 407, more plants, more fluval equipment (air pump, LED 3.0 aquasky and plant, and just recently their UVC in-line clarifier. Pretty much the works, but modest wise compared to everyone. I mean, I just started and in 2 months time I pretty much spent that same number figure, but just in dollar figures though so at that time this noob felt the works.
My caveman logic at that time was - "hey, I now have a 10gal extra tank. What do? Let's do breeding"
I also tried to stop relying on Pet giants like smart and co, and did local fish stores. I'd like to say "helping your brick and mortar friendly neighborhood" spiel, but the real reason was - I was getting greedy about the plants and looked for other sources on Google HAHAHA
Now, I have driven fro and back LA to Chino, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, etc just to go to these shops. But, there is only one huge warehouse of a world store in Ontario, California. I love their plants, love them! May have killed off some at some point but still - love them! Okay fine, definitely killed half. But the discounts they give me?? I mean come on, love them! My 30 neon tetra specimen only planted tank; all fish, substrate, spiderwood and plants was from there. Did I mention I have 30 neon tetras in a planted tank?
And so, for my latest 55g bowfront I have decided "let's do community!" So I now have congo tetras, pearl gouramis, butterfly loach aka hillstream/reticulated loach, red honey gouramis, one single centerpiece paradise gourami and this one - my bigger but shy-er bottom dweller. The pleco. They told me it was a striped, zebra pleco. It's definitely not. But what is it Also, what the heck is my gourami?!? When I first got it, it was yellow and a slight orange so when I asked if they had honey gouramis and got shown this I thought so too. But after a few days and getting themselves settled in, they changed colors! They have a brown-y face! Also, when threatened and/or scared their ventral fin changes to bright red!!
TLDR: what is this sorcery??
Striped Zebra Pleco on their store tank sign
(Dwarf?) Red Honey Gourami don't super remember if I read dwarf on their tank sign or my mind is doing jedi tricks due to reading dwarf dwarf dwarf every time I research gouramis or honey gouramis lol