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Lake Victorian cichlids are extremely rare and are dangerously close to extinction. Many species are quickly fading from the hobby due to a vastly diminishing population as a result of ecological issues and deterioration of the natural habitat of many of these fish in Africa. How sad, that an...

Simply beautiful fish, Brian ! An extraordinary specimen, but of course that could be said for all you keep. :)

Free-floating algae is similar to every other kind of algae in the way that it is proportionally-related to the nutrient content in the water. The free-floating type of algae is what is making your water similar to pea-soup in color. There are lots of algicides on the market, none of which I...

Soaking it in a bathtub or boiling it has always worked just fine for me, depending on the size of the driftwood in question.

Liz, The convention will be held in Texas next year so it won't be as far for you to travel !

I LOVE Nogales ! The last time I was there, my family and I were eating outside at this little sidewalk cafe and these children (literally) kept coming to our table to ask us if we wanted to buy some of their handmade toys. I couldn't believe how creative some of them were ! On one hand, it...

Liz, it will be great to meet you so whenever you decide to come down I'd be happy to treat you and your husband to dinner ! Mexican, of course, if you like it ... the "real" stuff, LOL. :D Adam : How come you're not flying ? Rates are about as cheap as I've seen them lately ! Brian ...

Scott, Can you tell me about your routine water maintenance schedule - volume/frequency of water changes including substrate vacuuming ? This will help me help you.

Oh Alli rub it in why don't you ! Grrrr.... Dangit, I was hoping you'd be there so I could finally meet you ! :)

Anyone going to Denver for the convention ? I'll be there and I seriously can't wait ! :)

Just my $.02, I have used crushed coral in a mesh baggie (found in the paint-straining department at Home Depot for about $2.00) and placed it in my African tank without the use of any chemical additives and have been very satisfied with the results. The rise in the pH/KH that you will...

fhqwhgads, I don't use anything other than Ebo-Jagers on my tanks, they are some of the best heaters that money can buy, and the most consistent temperaturewise with very few incidences of malfunction. I also would recommend a 250w for your size tank. There are 2 places that I highly...

While it is important to cure the brown algae, what is more important IMO is to find out what caused it in the first place and correct those factors contributing to the condition. Brown algae are diatoms that are caused from excess nutrients in the water, too little lighting, and overuse of...

Are you sure you are not referring to nitrItes instead of nitrAtes ? I may be coming into this late, but I feel as if I am missing something. What did you use for a source of ammonia ? What do you mean by letting the tank cycle by itself ?

fhqwhgads, A. elipsifers are very beautiful and incredible eels ! In terms of eels, they are not that difficult to keep, altho as Madasafish mentioned, they have specific water parameters to be met in order to keep them healthy, such as very high pH and KH. I also would not keep these eels...

Sounds like an awesome tank, Menagerie ! I'm a Lake Victorian gal myself but you've made some great choices and I'm sure it's an active and beautiful tank for you !

In nature, ghost shrimp are just one step above plankton on the food chain. They are nature's "intended" food source for fish and fish do see them as such and in most cases, medium-to-large sized fish will view them as very tasty treats. If you couple that with the fact that they are...

I'm with Alli on the sushi thing. I can't get enough of it. When I am done with my sushi meal, I sit back, completely satisfied ... drinking the last of my tea - and sometimes thoughts of my fish DO cross my mind. That's generally when I order one more yellowtail for the road. :mrgreen:

OMG, that is such an awesome pic, Alli ! Welcome back, I'm glad you had a good time ! :) At the Museum of Science and Discovery in Fort Lauderdale there were Pacus and RTS about that same size, swimming in their enormous display aquarium in the lobby ... fish so huge it kind of shocks you...

Wait til after that 3rd pot of coffee to send a mass e-mail next time, and that should clear things up for you ! Works for me ! 8)

gchen, The nitrogen cycle is a very simple biological process involving a small bit of chemistry that is essential for one to know in order to have healthy fish. It is a process that every tank goes thru, but if your fish are introduced before this process is complete, it places them in grave...

DocBob, The nitrogen cycle is an act of nature and will happen, regardless, in the absence of bactericides. As long as there is ammonia present, it is a biological given that nitrifying bacteria are going to undergo conversions in order to process it. Having said that, there is an "ideal"...

William, I had this same trouble with this filter before. They are a total pain in the neck for this reason and I got so frustrated that I literally drop-kicked mine out the front door. It is hard to swallow paying what is considered top dollar for a filter that has a weak flow. I have...

Holy crap, dude. You're kidding ... right ?

Hi, Dragon ! I am certain the fish you saw were infested with the ich parasite, one of the most common FW fish diseases. It is generally brought on after a bout of stress - either environmental or physical - in fish that are immunosuppressed, and is very contagious among tankmates. An...