Recent content by Yao

I'm in the greater detroit area, where in MI are you, workfortheman? If you're close, are there any great fish stores you go to that you'd suggest for me?

What about Bolivian Rams and German Rams with other community fish? They are pretty small, and I've read they're peaceful. I was also thinking about the panda dwarf cichlid. Would a few of those be okay in a community tank? Maybe two pairs?

I've been looking at overflow boxes to figure out which I should get. I've seen ones with the acrylic upside down U for water flow, or ones where water runs over in a tube. Can anyone tell me if one works better than the other, or if they're pretty much the same. Thanks!

I'm planning on building a 20 gallon sump for my 55 gallon freshwater. So in planning what fish to have, do I still plan for 55 inches of fish, or 70 (since sump won't be full, add 15 gallons)? I know swimming space is important too. I'm planning on a 3 angel fish, a few cichlids, schools of...

I think I've pretty much decided to go with a mix of less aggressive south american cichlids and other community fish. Most of the websites I've looked at says it's okay to mix if you do it right and provide enough space/plants/hiding spots for everyone. Here are some south americans I was...

I am getting a 55 gallon next week, and need some help deciding on what fish to stock. When I first decided to get a 55, I wanted to start an Malawi cichlid tank with mbunas. I've done some research and realize they would need more work and I don't think I'd be able to get many of the fish I...

Under the stand is the right place for the sump, I'm not sure where else you could put it. There should be enough space, if it looks really small, you can see if the tank will fit in the stand with some room - enough to maneuver around it and get to plugs, equipment, etc. if you need to. I guess...

I am actually making a sump for my freshwater 55 gallon. It's not as complicated as your sump would be, but Blazer is right, 5 gallon would be too small. Making one out of acrylic or using a 20 gallon long would be a good way to go. When I set up a saltwater tank (in a few years hopefully) I...

I will look for that test kit and see what my tap water parameters are. I'm planning on adding crushed coral to my sump to raise the pH if it's not high enough. Does crushed coral buffer pH and keep it at a high stable level, it's not possible to over-raise your pH is it? If my water conditions...

I'm doing some research on buying acrylic from local plastic dealers, and came across a question. I thought I've read on here before that you never wanted to use plexiglass because it can become yellow and brittle, and will not last; and that you should use acrylic for aquariums, sumps, etc...

Thanks! That is very helpful. I'm getting the tank around the second week of march, so before that, I plan on doing a lot of research on fish and looking around for decoration. I'm going to build the stand, a sump and some rock caves. Hopefully when I get the tank, everything will be ready for...

I'm planning on purchasing a 55 gallon next month, and I need some help planning what fish I should get. I was thinking about a mbuna tank, but I'm not sure if this would be really hard to keep. I've read some information from here: http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/malmbuna.htm That seems...

So it seems like the kit from AH supply would work best. I also found this on Big Al's Online: http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=32841;category_id=1853;pcid1=1843;pcid2= But I don't think that's even close to enough wpg, unless I'm missing something here.

I'm purchasing a used 55 gallon tank next month, and need some help deciding on lighting. (I also posted about getting/making a sump for this tank.) The tank will come with a double hood (where there are two smaller segments that can be flipped up individually, correct me if it's called...

Thanks! Your posts have been very helpful. I am debating on getting an oveflow box from MarineDepot or building my own by following the directions on Melev's Reef. I will probably use the 20 gallon long (not making compartments) I currently have for a sump to fit underneath the 55 gallon I will...