# Addicted to fish from Toronto



## Nashoda

Hey everyone,

Well, I'm glad to find a site with others from the same area, feels like home. As my title says, i am a little crazy about fish (okay a lot). I love aquascaping and keep making more and more which means more and more tanks, lol. I fear the police will soon be at my door cause of my hydro bill.
Now for the list : 70 gallon discus tank ( with their friends, elephantnose, german blue rams)
35 gallon- grow out discus (4 baby discus who live with a veil tail betta and who actually hang out together)
6 gallon- crystal shrimp/chocolate shrimp tank
7.5 gallons (4 of them) all with one betta
At work I have a 5 gallon with a betta and cherry shrimp and a 55 gallon with a betta, angelfish, mollys and the rare zebra pleco(the angelfish have adopted my betta it is so sweet).
I always hope to learn more and meet others who share the same passion.


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## characinfan

Welcome to the forum!

What do you feed your elephant nose?


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## Nashoda

*re-elephantnose*

He eats everything, lol. I get my discus flakes from England (Plymouth discus) and there are 7 different kinds, garlic flakes one of the favorites. He eats all those, but he goes nuts for the frozen brine shrimp (i feed that every night, flakes in morning).
Seems to be working, I've had him for just over a year.


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## Ciddian

fantastic! Really love the discus...  Welcome!


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## Scotmando

Welcome to the G-TAAQ!

Nice to learn from each other in the hobby. We all share similar experiences. Ask a lot of questions and get a lot of answers(some very different). There's always different ways or methods for reaching the same goal and its nice to see how others do it. Then you say "I'll try it this way next".

*Oh, ya, about the hydro bill*, check out this video from a BCAquaria.com enthusiast


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## Nashoda

*wow*

Omg that is scary! talk about invasion of privacy, that is horrible. Poor guy. Maybe i need to scale down . .. . nope. 

Thanks for the welcomes, glad to be here


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## Scotmando

Nope is right! Don't let 'em in without a warrant!!!! We have our rights!

Glad to see you're really into it. 

So, I count 9 tanks! Are you hiding any?


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## Nashoda

*well . . .*

LOL, not hiding any, BUT i have ordered these 2 betta's from thailand (bettaakapes) and so I need one more tank. (1 betta will go with the shrimp) Can't have an odd number of tanks.


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## iBetta

is it just me or you're in love with bettas?


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## Nashoda

*nice scape*

Stunning scape, wow. I always have trouble with carpeting.

Yeah guess i do love betta's a little bit, lol. But discus too, both are really intelligent and interact with you, think that's why I have gravitated to those breeds.


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## iBetta

thank you ! but i see that you got a carpet going on as well! 
any pics of your bettas?


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## arapaimag

Welcome to this site.

I am surprised you don't feed your elephantnose bloodworms.

I keep 37 of them and their favourite foods are bloodworms and finely ground cocktail shrimp.

I also keep 6 discus in a community tank.

Elephantnose are extremely intelligent and do best in groups. They have one of the largest brain to body weight ratios of all animals. Their brain is so large because they communicate with each other using a sachs organ and have developed the large brain to decipher their signals. 

Among my elephantnose I have 5 species.


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## Nashoda

WOW 37? Amazing And 5 species? They are incredible and yah so intelligent. 
My elephantnose gets bloodworms every other day. the frozen ones from Hikkari, yah he so loves them too. I forgot to mention them, lol. And he shoves the discus aside and grabs all the food he can, sometimes he will take the worms from my hand. I love him. 
I didn't realize that he would be better in a group, i research stuff like crazy, and i feel bad i missed that. I should get more then? God, he has been alone for a year, he was one of my first fish in my 70 gallon.


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## Nashoda

*ibetta*

Hey ibetta, wow just wrote a long message about carpeting to you and then closed window by mistake. 
Oh well can't write it all again now, lol

Tell me about your betta's. Any pics?

I have the 3 rescues who need homes (were sick, torn fines, no color and lethargic when i got them now are amazing) then I have my 3 guys. Love their personalities.


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## iBetta

wow they look healthy and happy ! any females? ahaha 
well i used to keep some dragon and CT males, and I bred plakats. eventually i gave them away to friends as presents. now ive started a sorority .

im looking to trade my blotchy cambodian on the right of the 3rd pic for another female. just wanted a more pure/solid coloured female (like full red, red/white cambodian or even marble) lol. let me know if u're interested!


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## Nashoda

*ibetta*

I do have a female, lol. She lives in one of my discus tanks, a red too i got about 4 weeks ago. I only let my betta's go to other homes if they are in filtered, heated tanks over 5 gallons. I think the small tanks is unhealthy for them, I know i sure wouldn't like it, lol.
Looks like you keep yours in a good tank, hard to tell the size but they look nice and healthy. I like that last female almost pink with reddish fins. 
I have a pic of my red female, but it's not very good.
I just ordered 2 plakats and am so excited, that is my favorite betta. Uncertain about personality though. I am finding the crowntails are much more aggressive than the veils, is this true? Have you ever seen the Giants?


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## iBetta

u mean the one that im looking for a trade? (white body with red spots on the fin, 3rd pic)

or the one right beside that one? that one actually has a wash of copper. 

For the one I wanted to trade initially, I thought she was a cambodian with red spots but then i noticed at home that she had a slight blue wash lol, so thats why im looking to trade for a pure red or a solid red/white cambodian 

they are all kept in 15g (soon to be heavily planted), filters, circulation, all the works lol. its actually the same tank from my signature, i just stripped it and trying out new things! Let me know or pm me where u live if u're interested for a trade! 

plakats are definitely more aggressive, even my friends are telling me that their fish (which are the offsprings of my plakat male-thailand's tiger strain) are always flaring and biting ! i cant say much about CT since most of my CTs were quite aggressive. easier to be susceptible to fin rot though O:. i can also vouch that for some reason my double-tails werent too much into fighting either lol. or at least flare off at others

ive seen giants before (lucky's aquarium will sell them from time to time). however, at least in the GTA, the ones that are imported arent the best in quality, and most of them look depressed, droopy, HEAVY and very lethargic. i've only seen plakat giants here in the GTA. I personally like the original size better, i just cant get used to a gigantic betta to the eye . the small size of the fish is what makes it more incredible when they're so aggressive and flare lol. with that said, thats because ive only come across poor quality ones in GTA. i think this line (from research it seems like there's not have a distinct gene for the giant body size, so it doesn't breed true yet) still has a way to go before perfecting it and producing some nice giants (at least to make them available here) if i see a nice high quality one, i might just change my mind!


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## Nashoda

*ibetta*

Where can you find quality plakats in GTA? I was looking forever and couldn't find that is why I'm ordering from Thailand now. 
Oh that's a nice tank, are you doing another Iwagumi scape? You are welcome to have my red female if you like, she is really nice looking, but I'm no expert. Got her cause she was literally in a small cup, couldn't move and the water was brown. SHe was on her side floating at the top. I thought she was dead. She was in a section of cups i think meant for fish food. And she is gorgeous, what a shame. She is great now though.
My only deal is that if you need to get rid of her, then you ask me first if I want her back. Just never want my fish living in tiny betta torture chamber cups Hehe
Let me know, I'll try to get a better pic tonight


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## Nashoda

*ibetta pics*

Here are a few pics of the female, she loves to hide on me in amongst the plants and in such a big tank its pretty hard for a good shot.


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## iBetta

don't worry i will!  time for a pm! i hope u live in york region! *crosses fingers*


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## iBetta

it's actually very hard to find some nice quality plakats, because im always nearly broke, i have to look through lfs and the members here . aquapets carry some very nice ones sometimes (though rare). I lucked out once or twice at franks and he also tried to get some plakats in from his supplier for me a couple of times before ! Franks by far has the best bettas (high quality, but ALL HEALTHY) that's close to where i can go . he also said that he will be bringing bettas back again once he moves to Kims. I already asked him to ship some quality females for my sorority ;D!


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## Fishfur

Welcome and you are making me wish I had a betta now.. I have zero room for another tank but I also hate seeing the bettas in those tiny plastic cups... maybe I will have to cut back on my terrestrial plant addiction a bit more and make room for another tank. I've got a twenty and a ten sitting empty after all !


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## Nashoda

LOL fishfur. I know the feeling all to well. I have 2 empty 10 gallons right now and zero room for anymore, but omg the coffee table will hold a 10 gallon so, maybe . . . . 
Actually i do have to set up one more for my betta coming from Thailand unless one of the rescues finds a good home. Oh well, I love it, so it's all good.
Thanks for the welcome


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## Nashoda

Oh what is the Terrestrial plant addiction? Like a Paludarium? Any pics?


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## Fishfur

I'm waiting for delivery of a new camera, my old one is dying, but my terrestrial plant thing is, well, a bit of everything really. I'd KILL to have a paludarium.. but truly, there is no room for such a thing here. Tiny two bedroom apartment, with two feline overlords. But instead of curtains, I have plants. I'm very fond of sanseveirias, I've a couple of nice mini species, many assorted succulents, I like them weird and wacky, I've several rhipsalis. A few orchids, tropicals.. a big tub I'm trying to fill with all the forms of pothos and heart leaf philodendron to make a big climbing type display, two huge baskets full of assorted ferns, couple of bowls with salaginella [sp?], an enormous sweet olive that just perfumes my room when in flower, a nice size dwarf pomegranate, some potensai..[ potential bonsai], and the list goes on. But I have cut back quite a bit, since my Mom had to enter a nursing home last fall. I was away most of last year helping her, resulting in many dead plants. I won't replace very many of them. Instead, I gave myself the planted tank I've now got going and it will at least not dry up and go poof if I'm away an extra couple of days now and then... god knows what disasters might befall it, but at least turning to dust won't be one of them . Pics for sure, soon as the camera shows up. Tiger Direct lost my first order, I'm hoping the delivery notice is in the mailbox, but I've been so busy since I got back from my Mom's this time I keep forgetting to look ! I'm anxious to get pics of a neat little 'watch chain' type of crassula that's in flower. I just got it, but I've never seen one flower before. I hope the macro on the new camera is able to catch it.. it really needs a DSLR, but I just can't afford one. Maybe I'll have to dust off the old SLR to try to catch the flowers on film. They are so small, they look more like specks of dust than flowers. I just hope I can keep it alive.. they're awfully darn particular about their water.


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## Nashoda

I had to look up most of those plants, lol. Had no idea what they were. Liked the rhipsalis, could be a nice curtain. I would guess it would be a lot of work and daily time having all those plants, at least when they are in an aquarium you never have to water them. That is why I keep all my plants in the aquariums, lol. 
Can't wait for pictures


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## KaylaBot

Welcome to GTAA. Glad to see another Betta keeper here.


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## Fishfur

You mentioned Frank having great bettas. Where is Frank's now ? Went by his store the other day, door locked, newspapers over it inside.. but I read some post, that I can't find now, saying he moved into a flower shop, I think ? Do you know where that is, I'd love to visit it next time I'm out that way, in a couple of weeks.

There are a fair number of my plants that you won't see in the average plant store, for sure. I pretty much collect Sansevierias, and Rhipsalis, though one of the ones I used to have and lost, I am having a hell of a time replacing. Once it gets some size to it, it looks like a green waterfall from the basket, seriously ! Rhips just fascinate me and some are quite easy to grow, while others are a bit picky, at least for someone who sometimes is late with the water. There's a store that carries a few species, Valley View Gardens, on Kennedy, just a few blocks south of Aqua Inspirations store. They usually have at least five species in baskets, and amazing prices on four inch pots of some of the more common tropicals. Best price I've ever seen on 4 inch pots of hoya carnosa, now that is one I'd love to see growing underwater.. but not in this lifetime I'm guessing, unless it is all plastic! $2.50 for most of their four inch pots, instead of $3.99 - 4.99.. Right now they've got some truly lovely, I think they are called pineapple agaves. $14.99, but you'd not get 'em that cheap anywhere else and they are beautiful.. with no spines, unlike many other agaves. I almost gave in and got one, but I'd already got two new rhips and a false agave, so I had to stop somewhere. Did I say I wasn't going to replace those dead plants ? I think I may have lied .

If you ever want some rhip' cuttings, let me know. Most of mine are more than large enough to trim.


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## Nashoda

*Frank's*

Yeah, IBETTA told me about Frank's. He knows where he moved to and ur right it is in another shop. I think he said hwy48 and steeles? Maybe? Ibetta? I lost the paper i wrote it down on, lol

Yep looks like ur on ur way to replacing the plants, lol. It's okay I lie to myself all the time, no more tanks. No more tanks. Got a cute little 6 gallon from aqua inspiration yesterday, heheh


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## iBetta

Hey guys, 
he moved to Kim's nature .
http://www.kimsnature.ca

10011 Ontario 48 Markham, ON L3P 3J3
(905) 201-6166

-it's on markham road (highway 48) and marjor mackenzie .

he's still in the process of building his fish department in the store, so the fish section won't be opened until May 1st (well he told me he's aiming for May 1st). there are no bettas there yet, but there are some schooling fish and lots of shrimps for sale!


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## Fishfur

OH OH, now I'm in trouble ! Kim's sells bonsai stuff ! Which means deadly temptation not only to buy fish and shrimp but also plants.. oh no !!!!

Good thing it's a bit farther out, I won't want to spend the gas too often. sigh...


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## Fishfur

Maybe I'll just make a trip out of it and head all the way up to Richters while I'm at it. Might as well..just not going to do it very often.. Goodwood is too far.


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## Nashoda

Thanks ibetta


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## iBetta

no problem! omg her bonsais are so nice.....*.*....im always tempted...but its so expensive for me! T.T


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## Ciddian

oohh I had no idea that was kims place.. LOVE that place ^^


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## Nashoda

wow u guys are making want to go check it out. I love bonsais.


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## Fishfur

Me too. Many unfortunate saplings have been unwillingly sacrificed in my quest to grow bonsai ! I stick mainly to tropical trees that don't need a dormant period, but I did have a nice Siberian elm in a tub on the balcony for years. Not quite a bonsai, technically, but it would have been eventually, had it survived an unplanned absence in the heat of summer. Very tough tree, Siberian Elm.. and you can dig them up, or pull them up, all over the place on roadsides or parking lots, since they take root in any tiny bit of soil they can find. Maybe we should have a little GTA meet 'n greet at Kim's one weekend ?


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## iBetta

finally a place close to me! i will be down!


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