Recent content by angiemike6

Hi Pettygil. Andy is right about getting a bristlenose pleco, but in my opinion the common plec you likely have is probably better at getting rid of any algae. I also have a 40 gallon tank, and when I started fishkeeping 30 years ago there were not the number of different plecs available, and...

Hi I just wonder if you are worrying too much about your nitrate levels. I agree that it is preferable for them to be as low as possible, but they are not as important as Ammonia and nitrites. I have been keeping fish for 30 years. I have a Juwel 40 gallon community tank. I do 35% water...

I have kept fish now for 35 years, and have a stable mature 180L Juwel community tank. I cannot remember the last time any of my fish were sick, which is probably due to weekly maintenance including 35% water changes, and not overfeeding. I only feed 3 times a week. Most of my fish are 8/10...

Yes I agree they will be fine. Many people overfeed their fish anyway. I have only ever fed my fish 3 days a week, on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

If you are getting a lot of detriment on the substrate that could mean that you are over feeding. Advice is often to feed 2 to 3 times a day, but I only feed 3 times a week and my fish are quite happy at that level. You also need to ensure you dont give too much feed each time either. Like...

Colin I agree with what you say about fish, but sometimes its just a matter of the fish getting used to your tank. My PH is 7.6 and my GH around 300. I have no problem keeping gouramis, rasbora and corydoras even though strictly speaking my GH and PH are wrong for them. On the other hand I...

The GH of my tap water varies between 285/320 ppm which is very hard. I have never used anything to reduce that hardness and have a very happy community tank with Clown Loaches, Bolivian Rams, Boesemani Rainbow Fish. Corys, Golden Gourami and more. Most of my fish are over 5 years of age, More...

I have had 5 albino corys for 5 years now. My substrate is course gravel and it has never been a problem for them. They never get ill or damaged. I also have 4 Clown loaches that dig in the gravel and they are also fine.

I also have a problem with my tap water where nitrates measured at 40 ppm. My nitrate level is difficult to tell on a test kit as the colour I believe to be partly subjective. My ammonia is 0, nitrites 0, PH 7.6, GH 16, KH 6 and nitrates 40/80 ppm. I do 30/50% water changes every week, but...

Thanks Colin_T. That is extremely useful information for which I am grateful .

I have been keeping fish for 30 years, and probably because they never get diseased or die (apart from normal life span) I have become lazy in testing my water. All of my fish are more than 5 years old. I have a Juwel Vision 180 tank and use the standard in tank filter. I recently did a test of...

I also have a 40 gallon tank, and I do 25% every week. My tank is overstocked but doing the weekly water changes keeps my nitrate level around 20 ppm.

Hi, now that I am retired at the age of 73 I thought I would take more interest in tropical fish communities. A little about my myself and my tank set first of all. i retired 3 years ago after working until I was 70. I have been married for 45 years with 4 children and 9 soon to be 10...