Recent content by Strikh

I'm a rookie, and hate to give advice that very well might be wrong. I, personally, wouldn't take the risk. But there are others here who can give you good, solid advice about it...

Looks like it's a pretty small tank... "3 gallon fw Eclipse 3 with biowheel One Male Betta , NIGEL"

I've had my blue platys dropping like flies. They are the offspring of other blue platys in my tank. Oddly enough, the parents are doing fine. It's only the 3-month old fry that are dying. None of the other fish in the tank are showing any bad signs at all -- thankfully. I've been led to...

hmmm. I heard that they would raise your pH, and harden your water...

I've never heard of using vinegar, but I'm a newbie at this hobby. From what I've read, though, it would be best to clean it with a dilution of bleach water. 20:1 or something like that... Someone please correct me, before I kill this person's fish! :fadein:

I'm "dazed and confused" here... What plastic thing are you talking about? Is it part of a UGF (Under Gravel Filter)? What does this plastic piece look like?

That special plant dirt won't work with a UGF, will it? I kinda doubt it, but had to ask anyway. I have pea gravel as my substrate right now, and would like to do something more for my plants -- although they are doing OK, I guess.

I save the tiny little crumbs for my fry. But, then again, I don't have cichlids, just smaller fish (mostly live bearers).

I've had bad luck with used tanks. Check out everything THOROUGHLY! It would be ideal if he had the tank set up and the equipment running when you get there so that you KNOW it's usable. I've got two 55 gallon tanks that I bought used that will end up being used for lizards/hermit crabs when...

Not solitary confinement, but I did have to separate my male and female mollies recently -- too many fry!!! Now the males spend the whole day chasing after each other. It looks violent the way they're "playing", but I see no fin or any other kind of damage. Is this normal behavior?

I guess I'm the oddball. I like that sound.

If the tank is completely cycled -- and I suspect it is -- there should be some kind of nitrate reading, shouldn't there? Unless the live plants are consuming all of it... I dunno. I got nothing...

I've got long-finned blue danios, and never saw them act the way yours are... maybe it's not inherent for them to act that way...

I have one tank that seems to get that green sheet on the light cover... Dunno what caused it, and it doesn't appear anywhere else in the tank. I just wipe it off when doing cleanings...

I can't help much (at all), as I haven't had to battle this yet... But I did want to interject that I haven't found Ottos to be "poop factories". Now Plecos, well, let's just say mine trails 3 foot long poo at some times...