Ideas to get more activity here on wafishbox...

[DMD123]

I know we all get busy with life and different things and forget to post about what is going on with our fishy friends but maybe we can come up with some ideas to get us a bit more active?

Ideas of some things Ive seen on other forums include a joke of the day/week, what did you do with your tank today, a word association game.

This really popped up in my mind because I have seen three website that I would frequent close down due to a lack of activity. I really appreciate having the wafishbox around and want to see it do well... What can we do?

Any ideas?

 

[lloyd378]

Great ideas !

I also like how we used to do daily pics . I think the one thing keeping us going is that we lack the drama of Facebook, and you can buy, sell, and trade fish here

 

[DMD123]

I miss the days when it was a serious cichlid keepers site. A lot of people have left the hobby and the hobby itself seems to have changed with a lot more interest in community tanks, planted, and shrimp. But the sale section does get traffic.

 

[sir_keith]

Well, here's another cichlid keeper chiming in, because I like this site too, and wish it were more active. Don't even talk to me about the evil empire, Facebook.

So here's my contribution to pic of the day. This pic was taken almost exactly one year ago; it's a 125 gallon sandy-bottom biotope Tanganyika tank, pH~9. At that point it contained about a dozen young Enantiopus sp. kilesa as well as a small group of Ophthalmotilapia nasuta Magara 'Green tiger.' You can also see some young Siamese algae eaters off to the left, and a nest one of the nasuta had dug off to the right (the kilesa nests are much more elaborate). One year later, the tank has the same inhabitants, now nearly fully grown, as well as a group of Cyprichromis leptostoma, and several more Anubias. I'll post an updated pic of this tank in a day or two.

 

[fishguy1978]

Here is my pic for the day. 29g with crypt wendetii, java fern narrow, bolbetis, guppy grass, dwarf sag and floating plants species I forget. Fish are two Vienna guppies, 1 female, 1 fry. I lost the male.
Apple wood
Misc lg gravel from HD
5/16 from Manufacturers Mineral, Chinook brown 50lbs for $12.41
Potting soil under gravel

 

[DMD123]

@sir_keith, @Colin James - Very nice! Thanks for sharing your tanks!

 

[Betty]

I miss the days when it was a serious cichlid keepers site. A lot of people have left the hobby and the hobby itself seems to have changed with a lot more interest in community tanks, planted, and shrimp. But the sale section does get traffic.

I miss those days as well. Group buys and meet ups... I had met so many of the cichlid keepers that were active back in the early days of the forum.

I'm still keeping a few cichlids, but have downsized considerably. Smaller space and not much room for tanks.
My 60 gallon had the center brace break and that tank is empty now. I haven't gotten around to trying to fix it and not even sure how to go about it. I wish those were on sale for $1 a gallon.

 

[fishguy1978]

I miss those days as well. Group buys and meet ups... I had met so many of the cichlid keepers that were active back in the early days of the forum.

I'm still keeping a few cichlids, but have downsized considerably. Smaller space and not much room for tanks.
My 60 gallon had the center brace break and that tank is empty now. I haven't gotten around to trying to fix it and not even sure how to go about it. I wish those were on sale for $1 a gallon.

If the bottom brace is still good you can carefully remove and swap to the top

 

[DMD123]

I miss those days as well. Group buys and meet ups... I had met so many of the cichlid keepers that were active back in the early days of the forum.

I'm still keeping a few cichlids, but have downsized considerably. Smaller space and not much room for tanks.
My 60 gallon had the center brace break and that tank is empty now. I haven't gotten around to trying to fix it and not even sure how to go about it. I wish those were on sale for $1 a gallon.

The 55 gallon are half price... not sure if lids and stuff will fit correctly but not too much over the $1 per gallon

I know they do sell replacement frames but for the cost + shipping, it would just be more worthwhile to buy the Petco sale tank.

If the bottom brace is still good you can carefully remove and swap to the top

Awesome idea! I had not thought of that.

 

[sir_keith]

My 60 gallon had the center brace break and that tank is empty now. I haven't gotten around to trying to fix it and not even sure how to go about it.

Another suggestion... If the brace is just cracked, it's an easy fix- cut a pice of sturdy, like-thickness plastic to the same size as the cross brace, then glue it to the bottom of the cross brace using cyanoacrylate glue. Clamp in place, let set overnight, and you are ready to go. I have fixed many tanks in this way, never had any problems. Not sure I'd do this for a really big tank, but for 55 or 60 gallons, no problem.

 

[Betty]

Thanks for the ideas. When my 38 gallon broke, I siliconed a piece of glass from front glass to back glass, under the brace and that worked, but I like the idea of gluing another piece of plastic to it.

With the 60 gallon, the plastic brace running from front to back is actually still intact, but the frame is splitting apart at the center where the brace attaches. I could buy a new top frame, but I don't even want to think about having to remove the old one, scraping the silicone off, etc. I'll take a look at it and see if sir_keith's suggestion would work.

DMD, I think the 60 gallon has the same footprint as a 55, but it's taller. Looks a little nicer.

 

[FishBeast]

I wonder if we can have a breakfast meetup or something one day. Thank you @DMD123 for your effort in getting this forum going! I just do NOT want to use Facebook either haha. Here is my pic of the day, one of my cherry shrimp from a colony that I’ve tried to breed up to get Fire/Painted grade (note red legs). Have a nice day everyone!

 

[sir_keith]

I wonder if we can have a breakfast meetup or something one day...View attachment 5308

I'd be up for something like that if we can work out day/time/place stuff. I'm in Poulsbo, and any day works for me...

 

[FishBeast]

Saturday morning maybe? Somewhere in Tacoma? Just so we can get faces to the names, take some pics etc. There is a great waffle place I know. I can bring some extra supplies, pumps and some scrap glass we can even have a mini swap meet

 

[FishBeast]

Well, here's another cichlid keeper chiming in, because I like this site too, and wish it were more active. Don't even talk to me about the evil empire, Facebook.

So here's my contribution to pic of the day. This pic was taken almost exactly one year ago; it's a 125 gallon sandy-bottom biotope Tanganyika tank, pH~9. At that point it contained about a dozen young Enantiopus sp. kilesa as well as a small group of Ophthalmotilapia nasuta Magara 'Green tiger.' You can also see some young Siamese algae eaters off to the left, and a nest one of the nasuta had dug off to the right (the kilesa nests are much more elaborate). One year later, the tank has the same inhabitants, now nearly fully grown, as well as a group of Cyprichromis leptostoma, and several more Anubias. I'll post an updated pic of this tank in a day or two.

View attachment 5295

Beautiful and super clean tank!

 

[FishBeast]

Here is my pic for the day. 29g with crypt wendetii, java fern narrow, bolbetis, guppy grass, dwarf sag and floating plants species I forget. Fish are two Vienna guppies, 1 female, 1 fry. I lost the male.
Apple wood
Misc lg gravel from HD
5/16 from Manufacturers Mineral, Chinook (iirc). 50lbs for $13
Potting soil under gravel

View attachment 5296

Love the paludarium look. Are you going to try to grow some plants emersed?

 

[FishBeast]

I miss those days as well. Group buys and meet ups... I had met so many of the cichlid keepers that were active back in the early days of the forum.

I'm still keeping a few cichlids, but have downsized considerably. Smaller space and not much room for tanks.
My 60 gallon had the center brace break and that tank is empty now. I haven't gotten around to trying to fix it and not even sure how to go about it. I wish those were on sale for $1 a gallon.

I think you can take the top plastic off and eurobrace it with siliconed glass. I have some scrap glass that would be thick enough for that if you are interested. Also, if you are thinking of replacing the tank, The 55 gallon I think is being sold for around $70 at petco.

 

[fishguy1978]

Love the paludarium look. Are you going to try to grow some plants emersed?

No, I had drained the tank to add the plants and gravel and only had half a tank of water from the drainage. I will fill to the topish eventually.

 

[DMD123]

Just a thought. Could we get everyone to update store reviews with recent visits and what not? Even if it is just a Petco or Petsmart walk in. But I think it would be especially helpful to all the small mom and pops stores left out there.

I think this would be a good resource for those just joining us.

Im not sure if the map needs some update work too? Project for admin...

 

[FishBeast]

Just a thought. Could we get everyone to update store reviews with recent visits and what not? Even if it is just a Petco or Petsmart walk in. But I think it would be especially helpful to all the small mom and pops stores left out there.

I think this would be a good resource for those just joining us.

Im not sure if the map needs some update work too? Project for admin...

Great idea!