Freshwater club
 

We are making an attempt to revive the old Tri-State Aquarium Society. This was a mostly freshwater club. The old club ran out of steam because of so few young members and too much apathy. We'll see if we can get it running, so anyone interested can come, regardless of your age.
Anyway, the meeting will take place:
Wednesday, Dec. 13
7 pm,
#2 Francis Circle
Guyan Estates
Barboursville, WV

Please count me as interested however I won't be able to attend tomorrow night. I do like the idea though.

If it were on the weekend I'd be able to make it. Put my name in the hat as an interested member.

same here

Dittos for me too.

There is no "hat." We just come. I'll talk to Ralph Tayler about having meetings on weekends - maybe that will help the club grow. I'll post more info about the next meeting - if there is one.
TR

Terry,
Please have another try. I just cannot get out of being on call. Suicide attempts are high this time of year.

We used to have good luck with Thursdays. I was the one who got it changed and things went down from there.

I hope Tom Bell will be there. His greenhouse is amazing.

Wayne

Terry let me know and we'll get a flyer up for you or something at the shop.

Hello everybody,
I'm kind of new to the club, but the Freshwater/Planted tank club sounds wonderful. Although week nights are next to impossible to make ie. Boy Scouts, Church, etc... As my profile states I have a 150 gal. planted tank, a 75gal. reef tank, and a 55gal Viquarium (well more like 20gal., but it is built in a 55.) my yongest son and I made from scratch.
Any questions or anything you can pm me or ask Ron and Barry at the shop. Ron likes to call me Fly boy for obvious reasons. Goog luck getting this club off the ground. G. Sergent

Hello, one of my buddies sent me a link to this thread. Had I known about this before I would have came. I bet most of you know how it goes about a day late and a dollar short. Anyway, if you guys get together again I would be glad to come or even help out and spread the word. I have 6 freshwater planted tanks from a 6 gallon low tech to a 125 gallon high tech and about 5 other tanks that are in storage waiting for the fishroom. Let us know how many did show up and how it went.

Later,
Jeff

Wow! Look at that resonse! That is awesome! Look, depending on what you are doing in FW, it can be much harder than reef keeping. I remember breeding angels and discus-- and some others (Jack Dempseys, Oscars, Jeweled Ciclids, and a couple others that escape me---from accidental spawinings)-- and that stuff is way too labor-intensive and technical (if you want maximum results). I have had planted tanks too. Again, harder than keeping a reef IMO. Why do you folks think I switched to SW?????? Well, OK I kind of got sucked into it with a shark egg and a vacant tank that quickly turned into a full-blown reef...I LOVED it! It also turned out to be less work than an FW planted tank with breeding pairs of discus in it!

I made some decent $ on the side selling FW angelfish to a local pet store and I sometimes think about doing it again just for the fun of it but I have too many projects going on as it is and when I get a free tank, I generally get the fever to continue the peppermint shrimp project (on hold). But I would be glad to participate by offering advice to FW folks that want to breed stuff! I also have friends who are knowlegable on German Rams and Cory cats and other stuff. I'm sure these guys would not only be acive participants, but potential members. I'll call them.

There is a planted tank enthusiast/snail & shrimp breeder up in the Lewiston areanamed Wilma something or another, I will try to find her email & let her know about this thread. I will also try to attend future events if time allows.

I love planted tanks, but trimming the damn things back while keeping them buried in the substrate finally got the better of me! hehe I have been considering setting my 10 gallon back up with some driftwood & moss.... the moss is just too pretty not to love.

edit: I sent an email to Wilma with a link to the forum.

I have a pair of Jewel cichlids that have had thousands of fry (literally). Some get eaten, others I just give away, some a LFS takes on store credit. I also have a brichardi pair that are horny little suckers. I have two batches of fry in a 29g tank. The first batch was still very small and then they had another batch. I'm planning a 55g planted tank for them, they are really beautiful fish, they have lyretails which I have a particular fondness of. I guess I have a green thumb for FW tanks. Working on another green thumb for SW.

I know what you mean. I just let mine go wild. It actually takes on a look of it's own. I have a 55 gal with mostly Moss (love the stuff) and Java fern. (another favorite) I just let the plants do what they want. I haven't touched the tank in years except to give a plant starter kit to someone a couple of times. I add water when needed. But that is it. Very few fish. Mostly some Angels and a few guppies that I missed when I decided to give up on the thing running over with guppies. I know they are suppose to breed like crazy. But I put over 500 guppies in the tank and still could not keep it going so I said okay time to add something else.LOL

Now it has a mix of fish.

I also have 2 29 gal planted tanks. Same thing. Just took down a 20 gal. And might take down the 29's just haven't totally decided yet.

Anyway I would be interested in a freshwater club. But weekend meetings would be better for me. I use to be really good at raising Black Mollies.

How did the meeting at Ralph's go?

Wayne

Jeweled ciclids are absolutely gorgeous when spawning. They look like a SW fish.

Are you guys going to try and have another meeting? Maybe one in January or February?

Interested but only in the area on weekends (mostly alternate ones).

The whole thing is kind of up in the air. I've been stupid busy. Will reply more after the holidays. (Blasted Marley, er, I mean Matt - wants off on Christmas! Humbug!)

I have a FW tank with a few cichlids (one that is big, and mean) and some various other fish. It has ugly blue gravel, and fake plants in it. What would everyone recommend for a substrate if I wanna turn it into a planted tank? I was thinking sand, and then having a nice piece of driftwood to one side with moss on it, and then various other plants on the other side. It's a 30 gallon. it has 2 blue cichlids, 2 albinos, and 1 orange one that's like 6 inches long, and MEAN.

Get ECO-PLANT

that stuff does wonders. Of course your plants will grow like weeds.

Our LFS actually has a 20 high complete setup that already has about a bag and a half of eco-plant that comes with it. Very nice setup with a good price I just don't have anywhere to set it up.

Eco-Complete but they make a brand for cichlids, maybe it makes them not want to eat as many plants, I don't know.

Most cichlids will eat plants & dig em up.

Eco Complete is a great product & locally in the valley, Jo-Mars had an amazing price on it as well. I would guess maybe 3-4 bags for a 30 for a good deep bed. Wilma sells sinking driftwood for good prices at her website, you can buy planted pieces as well. Google wilma rogers snails to find her page.

I wrote an article on plants and african cichlids quite a while ago. Just google "African cichlids and plants by Terry Ranson" and you'll find it.

http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/...%20plants.html

Is a link to said article.

I never looked deeply into cichlids Terry, can ALL cichlids be kept with plants, or just the african strains? While I have read of certain types being kept with plants, it seemed that prevailing lore was that they would shred any flora in the tank.