Recent content by Barliman

Yeah, then I'd say it the swim bladder.

Have you tested the water since? Are any other fish acting poorly? My guess is that's it's a swim bladder problem, but it's always good to test when you spot something.

I usually order some food, too.

Snails can be good scavengers and help with controlling some types of algae. Nerites in particular have a good reputation for that, plus they can't successfully breed in freshwater, so you won't be overrun with them (unlike with many other snail species). Just remember they'll need a regular...

They're good filters. If you have a lot of plants or livebearers, a prefilter sponge can be handy.

They can be great. Just remember that you'll probably pay a lot in shipping. Be sure to ask around and search the vendor to see what kind of reviews they get.

Sounds like a nice stocking level to me. I might add a couple more corys and 2-3 nerite snails , but you're not overstocked at all. As for the "1 inch per gallon" rule, ignore it. There are so many variables that determine how many fish you can keep in a tank that it's worthless.

You might try Southern Delight. I haven't kept Africans, myself, but a YouTuber I follow who keeps mainly big cichlids liked it so much, he started selling it.

I second the idea of loaches. I know snails are part of the ecosystem, but I hate those little pest snails that get everywhere. Here's a good video on decontaminating plants: https://youtu.be/Psv6ZMcpjR0

I'd love to have a 75g. Let me suggest Bleeding Heart Tetras. Very pretty, big enough not to be instant snacks for the angels, and (iirc) not fin nippers if kept in a shoal. :fish1:

What brands have you tried? Also, what species are these? Some prefer plant matter, others more carnivorous.

I have several, and they're usually dead quiet. The only times I'm bothered with noise is a) when I do maintenance: the rotor housing will be a little noisy until a little gunk builds up, as someone said above . Or b), the lids sometimes develop a rattle. I have to put something on them or...

Welcome! :welcome: Glad you could join us. :)

Harlequins should be fine; I often see them with bettas. (With the usual caveat that it's always a crapshoot to see if the betta will get along with the new tankmates. Some are little serial killers) And I agree with Autumnsky about quarantining first.

I'd be interested to see how well this works. Do report back! :brows: