Yeah I have to prune mine down almost monthly. I do this out of the tank cause there isn't alot of room in there to maneuver. If I miss a few clippings they tend to rest on whatever and I just pull them out later when they become noticeable.
The only problem I encountered was small strands being sucked into the filter. They WILL kill your impeller/motor if enough get sucked in. My solution: Cover the intake with screen. Simple as that. If the screen gets covered simply pull the moss off, your filter is safe. My damn biowheel gets bound up enough with seemingly nothing in it..lol
Here's the most KILLER D.I.Y. article I've found on slate caves. I have yet to attempt it.
http://www.plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=6
I love this idea, and I think it looks absolutely great.
My lfs gave me some Java Moss
24 posts • Page 2 of 3
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zambize - Posts: 401
- Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:14 pm
T-83 --
Oh man, that's cool - it's somewhat like what I was thinking, only better looking. I bought the same slate from Home Depot, only it has orangy-copper veins in it. I can't wait to get started on it! My Gourami and my Angel Ram will love it. I've been adding more caves and such since I've adding more fish, and I paid for it yesterday. I was trying to catch my last two (murderous) lighting fast Zebra Danios. They caught on to the whole net thing and then hid, immediately, in the hiding places I so thoughtfully provided for them.
Thanks (!) for the link.
Zambize
Oh man, that's cool - it's somewhat like what I was thinking, only better looking. I bought the same slate from Home Depot, only it has orangy-copper veins in it. I can't wait to get started on it! My Gourami and my Angel Ram will love it. I've been adding more caves and such since I've adding more fish, and I paid for it yesterday. I was trying to catch my last two (murderous) lighting fast Zebra Danios. They caught on to the whole net thing and then hid, immediately, in the hiding places I so thoughtfully provided for them.
Thanks (!) for the link.
Zambize
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Peterkarig3210 - Posts: 1980
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am
Some-fish-are-really-hard-to-catch.....My-35-gallon-planted-tank-has-a-couple-(male/female),-Tilapia,-and-though-they're-still-babies-at-4-inches-and-3-inches-they-are-almost-impossible-to-catch...I'd-have-to-tear-up-all-the-plants-as-they-just-go-for-cover-if-they-see-a-net-comming......The-male-is-getting-his-mating-colors-and-is-playing-the-mating-game-with-the-female-and-digging-a-hole-which-I-think-is-cool,-so-I-guess-I'll-leave-them-for-a-while.......At-least-till-they-start-ripping-up-too-many-plants-or-picking-fights-with-the-other-fish.
I-ve-never-had-problems-with-Java-moss-and-impellers-and-I-have-a-lot-of-impellers-and-a-lot-of-Java-moss.......I've-probably-got-12-impellers-and-many-have-only-grills-as-a-screen-before-the-impeller......Actually,-I-wrapped-Java-moss-around-my-intakes-on-my-extra-tank-(now-tilapia-fry-tank)-and-it-acts-like-a-sponge-filter-keeping-the-fry-from-getting-sucked-in.
I've-also-had-impellers-getting-stuck-for-other-reasons-and-I've-never-had-a-burnt-out-moter-even-when-it-was-stuck-overnight.
I-ve-never-had-problems-with-Java-moss-and-impellers-and-I-have-a-lot-of-impellers-and-a-lot-of-Java-moss.......I've-probably-got-12-impellers-and-many-have-only-grills-as-a-screen-before-the-impeller......Actually,-I-wrapped-Java-moss-around-my-intakes-on-my-extra-tank-(now-tilapia-fry-tank)-and-it-acts-like-a-sponge-filter-keeping-the-fry-from-getting-sucked-in.
I've-also-had-impellers-getting-stuck-for-other-reasons-and-I've-never-had-a-burnt-out-moter-even-when-it-was-stuck-overnight.
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gumbii - Posts: 1695
- Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:31 am
i just stack the rocks in the tank without glue or anything... you guys don't have anything that will knock the rocks over anyways... and if you make sealed caves stagnant water gets in there... that's why i took out the coconut shells and some whole terra cotta pots...
that slate stuff is pretty fail and aids... it looks store bought and not natural looking...
another thing you could do is get some feather rock from a rock pit or landscaping store... some LFS also have some of they... it's really light... it's so poorous you could get a knife and carve into the rock to make caves and stuff... the only thing is that it's kind of tricky to keep it from floating... you must boil it for a wile... after it's in boilling water, get a bucket of ice cold water... then take the rock out of the boiling water and throw it into the ice water... all of the ice water will be sucked into the rock and will now sink...
that slate stuff is pretty fail and aids... it looks store bought and not natural looking...
another thing you could do is get some feather rock from a rock pit or landscaping store... some LFS also have some of they... it's really light... it's so poorous you could get a knife and carve into the rock to make caves and stuff... the only thing is that it's kind of tricky to keep it from floating... you must boil it for a wile... after it's in boilling water, get a bucket of ice cold water... then take the rock out of the boiling water and throw it into the ice water... all of the ice water will be sucked into the rock and will now sink...
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zambize - Posts: 401
- Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:14 pm
Hey Gumbii -- good advice. I plan to glue my slate only because it's easier to pull it out as one piece when I'm vacuuming or "redecorating". You're right though, it isn't exactly natural, which is why I'm going with very dark grey or black and I plan to put many plants around it so that it isn't a "feature" and it blends. I thought about having some Java Moss grow on it. Besides, I have so many fake plants there's nothing in there that looks natural except the fish! LOL I've never heard of feather rock....I'll look that up.
Zzzzzzz
Zzzzzzz
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zambize - Posts: 401
- Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:14 pm
PK --
About trying to catch fish.... I have a female Endler's Livebearer that is the last female with 3 males. I'm trying to catch her to return her to the lfs tank where she'll be happier. She's too smart to catch, and in the meantime, she's constantly harrassed by the males. Instead of trying to catch her, and since the males are infinitely stupid, I was able to catch all 3 males in less than 2 minutes.
I put them in a fry basket/net thingy so that she'll get some rest until I can catch her, and maybe she'll get more complacent and less hypervigilant about what or who might be after her.... I can't believe how difficult FISH can be and how creative you have to be to catch a 1.5" fish! Maybe I'll threaten her with fishing line and hook....
Zambize
About trying to catch fish.... I have a female Endler's Livebearer that is the last female with 3 males. I'm trying to catch her to return her to the lfs tank where she'll be happier. She's too smart to catch, and in the meantime, she's constantly harrassed by the males. Instead of trying to catch her, and since the males are infinitely stupid, I was able to catch all 3 males in less than 2 minutes.
I put them in a fry basket/net thingy so that she'll get some rest until I can catch her, and maybe she'll get more complacent and less hypervigilant about what or who might be after her.... I can't believe how difficult FISH can be and how creative you have to be to catch a 1.5" fish! Maybe I'll threaten her with fishing line and hook....
Zambize
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gumbii - Posts: 1695
- Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:31 am
my LFS rents out a fish trap...
i heard of people making thier own trap... something about a 20oz water bottle with the top cut off... then you put the top back on but backwards... like with the lid fitting inside the bottle... you place it into the tank with some munchies, and wait for the fish to swim inside... then it will be hard for it to come back out... unless it goes back thru the hole it came from... but you know... fish aren't that slick...
i heard of people making thier own trap... something about a 20oz water bottle with the top cut off... then you put the top back on but backwards... like with the lid fitting inside the bottle... you place it into the tank with some munchies, and wait for the fish to swim inside... then it will be hard for it to come back out... unless it goes back thru the hole it came from... but you know... fish aren't that slick...
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zambize - Posts: 401
- Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:14 pm
Damn, Gum that's a great fish trap. I tried some sophisticated fish catching last night, but she's ridiculously smart for a 1.5" brown Guppy. She looks me in the eye now and then looks down to see what's in my hand. It's been such a battle I'm thinking of actually keeping her...she's just about earned the equivalent of fish tenure.
Zambize
Zambize
