Hello from Everett,Wash.

Been following this forum for a while now along with a few others. Thought I would sign up so I can actually respond to some threads, since I am local Washington Fish Box was the logical place to start.

I have a fish bowl with plants and a fish. This has been successful &  i am entertaining the thought of starting another bowl.

Welcome, and very nice.

Looking good! Love the Pogostemon Helferi.

And Welcome

  That is a beautiful set up! Ever consider doing a tank instead of another bowl?

Aquarium Co-Op wrote:Looking good! Love the Pogostemon Helferi.

And Welcome

Dude plants are looking beautiful what's the substrate and dosing?

Gorgeous bowl - very nicely done

BillHN wrote:

Aquarium Co-Op wrote:Looking good! Love the Pogostemon Helferi.

And Welcome

Dude plants are looking beautiful what's the substrate and dosing?

I am sorry, I am not quite sure what all this means. Pogostemon Helferi? [EDIT: I googled the word, its the plants. Yes sorry, I was not sure what the name of the plants are.]

A few months ago I picked up this bowl from a yard sale. A friend of mine has beautiful tanks with plants. He gave me instruction to put a natural potting soil in the bowl. He then gave me a couple plants in which to put in the potting soil. I also added shrimp at that time that was said to eat algae ,then waited for the water to clear up. After that added a Beta. The bowl sits on an end table, I have replaced the end tables light with a fluorescent I picked up at Home Depot & installed a timer that comes on @11am then turns off @10pm.

pbmax wrote:Gorgeous bowl - very nicely done

Thank you.

DMD123 wrote:  That is a beautiful set up! Ever consider doing a tank instead of another bowl?

Everyday.

very beautiful , Plants look great. Welcome to the group.

You have got a wet green thumb and that simply is amazing. I think its time to step it up... how about a 2.5 gallon nano or a 15g column. There are a few members here who have some pretty cool little nano set ups. I know 15g really is not nano but my small water changes are more than that, so nano to me.  

One flaw to my suggestion... your user name: fishNAbowl, unless you still keep said fish in bowl and not give him a bigger home.

fishNAbowl wrote:
A few months ago I picked up this bowl from a yard sale. A friend of mine has beautiful tanks with plants. He gave me instruction to put a natural potting soil in the bowl. He then gave me a couple plants in which to put in the potting soil. I also added shrimp at that time that was said to eat algae ,then waited for the water to clear up. After that added a Beta. The bowl sits on an end table, I have replaced the end tables light with a fluorescent I picked up at Home Depot & installed a timer that comes on @11am then turns off @10pm.

Very nice looking bowl. If I did that for the wife's office.  She might appreciate the hobby. How often do u do water changes?

DMD123 wrote:You have got a wet green thumb and that simply is amazing. I think its time to step it up... how about a 2.5 gallon nano or a 15g column. There are a few members here who have some pretty cool little nano set ups. I know 15g really is not nano but my small water changes are more than that, so nano to me.  

"Wet green thumb", ha! I appreciate that- its taken time, patients, a lot of reading, and a lot of consultation to get this running as smoothly as possible with minimal maintenance.  
I have seen many of the planted tanks that members have been putting together while surfing Washington FishBox the last week. Not quite sure when or how many gallons at this time but I know there will be a new addition soon.  

SiRWesDragon wrote:Very nice looking bowl. If I did that for the wife's office.  She might appreciate the hobby. How often do u do water changes?

Thank you SirWesDragon,
Currently the system is pretty much self maintained. At the current evaporation rate I add about a cup of water every other to every 3 days.

welcome. that's the best looking beta bowl i've ever seen. keep up the good work.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome, and good to see someone else who like small stuff!

I have recently started a nano tank, and so far it has gone fairly smoothly, but it doesn't look anywhere near as good as yours. Like the full carpet effect in the front.

madness wrote:Welcome, and very nice.

hobbyorobsession wrote:very beautiful , Plants look great. Welcome to the group.

iandraco wrote:welcome.  that's the best looking beta bowl i've ever seen.  keep up the good work.

Gryphon wrote:Welcome aboard!

Thanks everyone!

LuminousAphid wrote:Welcome, and good to see someone else who like small stuff!

I have recently started a nano tank, and so far it has gone fairly smoothly, but it doesn't look anywhere near as good as yours. Like the full carpet effect in the front.

Took a while to become what it is today. This pict was captured at its best.

Thank you

Wow...awesome betta bowl and beautiful plants. Welcome to the forum

cichlid-gal wrote:Wow...awesome betta bowl and beautiful plants.  Welcome to the forum

Thank you cichlid-gal. What Kind of Beta is your avitar? It's like silvery gold color?

Welcome! Yay another member from Everett! That's awesome! lovely bowl, with great growth!

I love that bowl! Definitely an amazing aquascape. Welcome to FishBox, we are here to help you with your addiction... I mean hobby...  

fishNAbowl wrote:

cichlid-gal wrote:Wow...awesome betta bowl and beautiful plants.  Welcome to the forum

Thank you cichlid-gal. What Kind of Beta is your avitar? It's like silvery gold color?

I'm thinking he is a mustard gas but he could be a chocolate also. I have been wanting to breed him but need to get all my stuff ready to do it. Live foods are the biggest problem so I'm trying to get those figured out.

I want a blue mustard gas so bad!! they are beautiful!

cichlid-gal wrote:
I'm thinking he is a mustard gas but he could be a chocolate also.  I have been wanting to breed him but need to get all my stuff ready to do it.  Live foods are the biggest problem so I'm trying to get those figured out.

Interesting, I have never seen this color. on my iPad the fish looks gold & the body is kind of chrome in color....

PokeSephiroth wrote:Welcome! Yay another member from Everett! That's awesome! :Dlovely bowl, with great growth!

CrazedAce wrote:I love that bowl! Definitely an amazing aquascape. Welcome to FishBox, we are here to help you with your addiction... I mean hobby...  

Thanks guys!

wow thats the best bowl I have ever seen! haha keep it up and welcome!

what's that underwater grass called? is it the one that aquarium co-op named above?  Id like to grow some grass in mine too

InfamousRedlineZ wrote:wow thats the best bowl I have ever seen! haha keep it up and welcome!

Thanks!!

lloyd378 wrote:what's that underwater grass called? is it the one that aquarium co-op named above?  Id like to grow some grass in mine too

Hi Lloyd387,
I do not know the name of the matting plant. Heck I didn't know the name of the other until Aquarium Co-Op pointed it out. It was passed down to me by a friend along with a few others "to try". I have had to pull a bunch out, later keeping the slowest growing plants for less maintenance. I basically started with a large handful, the plant hasn't had to grow much to fill the gaps.

Ok. Wifey wants one. Cause I showed your fishbowl to her and she would like one in her office. PM me of what steps you did and plants you used. How long you cycled before fish. Thanks.

fishNAbowl wrote:

cichlid-gal wrote:
I'm thinking he is a mustard gas but he could be a chocolate also.  I have been wanting to breed him but need to get all my stuff ready to do it.  Live foods are the biggest problem so I'm trying to get those figured out.

Interesting, I have never seen this color. on my iPad the fish looks gold & the body is kind of chrome in color....

When this pic was taken he had more silver in the body...today he has more brown to him. I'll try to get some decent updated pics of him and send you one. He's still beautiful and even more so I think. His name is Midas ... for the gold  

SiRWesDragon wrote:Ok. Wifey wants one. Cause I showed your fishbowl to her and she would like one in her office. PM me of what steps you did and plants you used. How long you cycled before fish. Thanks.

Thank you for your interest SirWesDragon, PM sent... I will add that I have made specialized cleaning tools to clean the bowel. Every once in a while a hard spotty green algae develops on the glass. I have a pair of long nosed surgical clamps that I have put a small piece of sponge scrubber into so I am able to reach in and kind of scrub the glass. I do this about once a month.

cichlid-gal wrote: I'll try to get some decent updated pics of him and send you one.  He's still beautiful and even more so I think.  His name is Midas ... for the gold  

Please do

Even though I am attached to my beautiful Beta the thought of my male being gold in color would be awesome!

Thanks FishNAbowl. Wifey will appreciate the hobby like I do. Well not that much. Im addicted to this hobby. I want more.  

SiRWesDragon wrote:Thanks FishNAbowl.  Wifey will appreciate the hobby like I do. Well not that much.  Im addicted to this hobby. I want more.  

Well, I hope you have success with the bowl. I strongly believe there was a level of luck thats contributed to this set up.

I wasn't going to admit this but I do have a tank I started. It's a 29 gallon but it is nasty. It has this weird green filmy stuff all over it & stinks  No matter what i do it will not clear up. I am on the verge of draining it & throwing in the towel. This is why I mentioned getting another bowel earlier because this one turned out so well.

Beautiful! you've inspired me to post my own intro... Soon

Klaude wrote:Beautiful! you've inspired me to post my own intro... Soon

 

fishNAbowl wrote:Well, I hope you have success with the bowl. I strongly believe there was a level of luck thats contributed to this set up.

I wasn't going to admit this but I do have a tank I started. It's a 29 gallon but it is nasty. It has this weird green filmy stuff all over it & stinks  No matter what i do it will not clear up. I am on the verge of draining it & throwing in the towel. This is why I mentioned getting another bowel earlier because this one turned out so well.

Sounds like you have an algae problem, scrubbing will remove it for a while, but it feeds off the nitrates in your water. Try scrubbing and siphoning up what comes off the next time you go to do a water change.

Gryphon wrote:

fishNAbowl wrote:Well, I hope you have success with the bowl. I strongly believe there was a level of luck thats contributed to this set up.

I wasn't going to admit this but I do have a tank I started. It's a 29 gallon but it is nasty. It has this weird green filmy stuff all over it & stinks  No matter what i do it will not clear up. I am on the verge of draining it & throwing in the towel. This is why I mentioned getting another bowel earlier because this one turned out so well.

Sounds like you have an algae problem, scrubbing will remove it for a while, but it feeds off the nitrates in your water. Try scrubbing and siphoning up what comes off the next time you go to do a water change.

If it's a bright green color then it could be blue-green algae - cyanobacteria. In this case it thrives in low nitrate situations and can be quite difficult to get rid of. It stinks.  

pbmax wrote:
If it's a bright green color then it could be blue-green algae - cyanobacteria.  In this case it thrives in low nitrate situations and can be quite difficult to get rid of.  It stinks.  

Just did some reading... This is it- cynobacteria, I'm researching remedies now.


Nasty stinky stuff...

Remedies include erythromycin, an antibiotic, and high nitrogen dosing. Roy (SeattleAquarist) wrote up a guide on dosing with potassium nitrate to eliminate the stuff. I'm trying that with a problem 10g tank but it's not helping me much so far. My plan is to empty, clean, and re-work the tank from the ground up. You might have better luck Reducing your photo-period and/or blacking the tank out for a while also helps, from what I've read.