Recent content by portia

No, SE Florida Sorry! I know someone has to be from my area.

Sorry, I don't even know how!

I am getting rid of my 20 gallon tank and have a couple of fish that I don't know what to do with. One is an upside down cat and one is a black tetra. I don't really want to put them on Craigs List, as I'd rather have them go to a good home. I also have some java fern and tank components that I...

Just regular neons. I have black ones and reos in there now and they are fine.

He hides constantly, so hard to say, but probably about 2 inches or so, maybe a little more. I got him when I first set up the tank, so he's at least a couple of years old. I know the pleco is not hiding-he's the only body I've ever found.

Water is fine. I do test it occasionally and have never had a problem, mainly because I keep a low fish load and keep low maintenance fish because i don't have time for anything high maintenance. Tank is fully cycled, have had it for about 2-2 1/2 years or so.

I don't think it's water quality. For one thing, I test, but for another, the neon tetras disappeared over the course of several weeks. If it was water quality, I'd think they'd have all died at once, more or less. Also, none of the other fish in the tank are bothered by the water. I've lost 5...

Well, a couple of reasons, i guess. I don't know that he's the culprit, it's only surmise on my part, for one thing. Second, I don't know anyone to give him to, so it would be a matter of flushing him, i.e., killing him, which seems kind of cruel if I don't even know he's the one. If you know...

Well, something has eaten 5 neon tetras, one by one, over a period of time (no bodies, and they disappeared over a space of a couple of weeks, so I doubt it's the water). Something also killed/ate both small chinese algae eaters I tried, and the small pleco I had in there, and I doubt it was the...

I have bought a couple of snails to try to control my algae, and one has disappeared-only his shell is left. My tank has only zebra danios and tetras in it-small fish and not aggressive, except for the catfish. The only thing that seems large enough is the cat, but I'll never be able to...

Ah, got you. Will a 6" not be too big for my tank? Do they eat algae as well as the little chinese ones?

I'm not at home during the day, and I don't always turn the lights on at night, even, so i don't think it can be solved that way. The tank is in a corner of a good-sized room facing a set of french doors, but there is a large patio with significant roof overhang outside the french doors, so the...

This may be one of those problems for which there is no solution, but here goes. I have a 20 gallon tall tank, well-established, with peaceful smaller species of fish, or so they should be: zebra danios, black tetras, a swordtail, rio tetras, one upside-down catfish. I have a major algae...

My sword plants are not doing well Maybe the lack of competition is causing the algae proliferation? I need to figure out a way to make plants survive better. The anacharis did not do well. Amazon swords and a java fern are the only things that seem to have survived very well, and now the...

My parameters were normal? My ph is a touch on the high side, but within acceptable parameters. I would really like to figure out the issue, or get an algae eater, because I think the scraper is too upsetting for my finny friends. My dwarf gourami battered himself to death in panic when I...