Recent content by sodbuster95

Well, if you cannot find a source of ammonia and shrimp is not an option, you can use fish food to create a source of ammonia. Just put some food in the tank and, as it decays, ammonia will be created. It will obviously take longer than using pure ammonia, but it will work. Alternately, you...

To add to this - though I've not had any problems requiring that I contact them, I've heard nothing but good things about BML's customer service both before and after the sale.

I also use a Python and absolutely love it. Best money I ever spent on my tank. I keep a spare glass thermometer handy so that when I'm refilling the tank I can get the water temp correct (or, pretty close) out of the faucet before pumping it to the tank.

I'd say: ammonia = .5 nitrite - 0 nitrate = 10 I'd agree with you that the pH seems about 8.4, but I always have trouble with the API pH test colors.

I have the 6300K (Dutch Planted) and am very pleased with it. I don't have all the same plants you do, but I do have the Amazon Sword, Cryptocoryne Wendtii, and Water Wisteria. To my eye, the presentation is very nice under this light. Importantly, and as compared to some previous fixtures...

You can add columns at will (I.E., duplicate the ones that are there already so you can add data for multiple tanks). However, if you do, you'll need to adjust the name assignments for each column so that the chart renders correctly. This method would require the most work, but would keep all...

You are correct. :thumb:

Personally, I choose the auto-feeder method as I'm not comfortable leaving my fish without food for that long of a period. However, I've read plenty of opinions holding that the fish will be fine for that period (or even longer). However, every aquarium is different, so you may want to...

BuildmyLED.com is not a do-it-yourself thing. They build the fixture (very well, I might add). They also have lots of information about lighting and PAR (for LED lighting, watts are a useless measure of useful lighting. Instead, you must look at PAR values to determine how much light the...

I agree with Ddodad. Since you're just starting, you're better off dealing with it now when it's still relatively easy by emptying the water and properly rinsing the sand. If you don't, the cloudiness will eventually settle, but it may kick back up every time you vacuum the sand or even just...

Oh, wow...you can't beat that deal!

Lol! Well, ya gotta keep the wife happy! :thumb:

A few Nerite Snails would do the trick without much impact on bio-load.

Yeah, got confused there for a second. :lol:

Nope, that's my point...in my case, the nitrates showed up first briefly, then disappeared. That happened right before nitrites showed up. As the nitrite phase ended, nitrates showed back up as they are supposed to.