Rookie Mistake - Help?

Heck

Candiru
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Mar 25, 2024
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Sacramento, CA
I'd say this is strange for the raphs if there are available hideouts and they are in the open. Id guess they are stressed (by water? because if it was light or bullying they'd hide). Give it some time and see if they calm down?

Pictuses are not hiders when comfortable. Nigriventris are hiders but will come out a lot more than raphs.

Algae and presence or absence of live plants shouldnt matter to their comfort.
You were right on - just got home to find the Raphs have settled into new hiding places. The pictus are still *not* hiding, which makes me think that they didn't like something about the 29g. I kind of feel bad for not picking up on it, but they survived and I think they're happy now.

The nigriventris have settled a bit, but still, even with the lights on, if I sit still and don't spook them, they'll occasionally come down to where the pictus are, almost like they're trying to shoal with them. Nigriventris being what they are, I have to assume that, whatever is happening with them, they're not unhappy - if they were scared or upset they'd hide *more*.
 
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thebiggerthebetter

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You may be too hard on yourself over the pictuses. Often we have little clue why fish behave differently in a different tank. There must be factors we are mostly blind to. Pictus are versatile - can hide, can swim in the open, can do both, can dart from cover to cover every now and then all day. The group dynamics, genders, age, tank mates, dithers (like you said), water, diet, lighting, scape, and 50 other things may all play a role in this.
 
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Heck

Candiru
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Mar 25, 2024
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GUESS WHAT MR. HECK GOT ME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

He came in this morning and said "Santa came early; hard to time these things perfectly" and handed me a box...

I got my marbled eupterus! He's teeny tiny, seems sturdy and unbothered by his long trip. Hard to tell in the photos but he has one side primarily pigmented with a few splashes, his face is split pretty much down the middle with a dark eye on the pigmented side and a pink eye on the white side, and then his other side has a lot more white splashes.

This is so super cool.

20241218_121252.jpg

20241218_121358.jpg
 

Fishman Dave

Potamotrygon
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On any “utility” pump I would be wanting to know the wattage. These things tend to be built for heavy duty for a very short period of time, not for continuous use.
That said, at that price I might just say sod the running cost!
 
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Heck

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 25, 2024
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146
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Sacramento, CA
On any “utility” pump I would be wanting to know the wattage. These things tend to be built for heavy duty for a very short period of time, not for continuous use.
That said, at that price I might just say sod the running cost!
I can have one of them for free, but I don't even know what they're for. Do I want one? Which one?
 
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jjohnwm

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The term "utility pump" usually refers to a pump for occasional temporary use, like pumping out a flooded basement or emptying a swimming pool. I have one semi-permanently plumbed into my basement to pump waste water out of the basement during a water change. It runs for a few hours per week and will likely last forever. But those two you show seem to mention use for waterfalls, etc. so maybe they are for continuous use. They might be a bit noisy.

I also have a couple that I keep ready for use to pump out my backyard on the regular occasions that a quick warm spell in spring melts a few tons of snow and floods the yard. I usually drop one into my backyard inground pond, and let the fresh new snow melt water flow in to replace the old pond water from the previous year that is pumped out into the adjacent pasture.

Do you want one? Beats me! A utility pump IMHO is the sort of thing you may never need...but if/when you do need it...you really, really need it! :) And if you can get it for free, just having it sitting on the shelf in case of unforeseen emergencies is a good idea. Take the big one. :)
 
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