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I don't disagree. Like I said in my original post - I personally do weekly water changes. My stepfather also keeps his betta in a 1/4 gallon decorative bowl. I questioned that as well - and he admitted that he replaces it a few times each year. Not the model fish-keeper by any stretch of the...

No live plants - just plastic. By the way - I just found out that he doesn't do water changes. He mentioned that he finally cleaned his tank for first time since last Thanksgiving. I said, "I assume you change water more frequently." His response - "Nope - just top off."

He's had a 50 gallon set up for 15 years. He's had fish last for years and years. He's had two angels for 10 years. Others have lived for well over five years. I guess I shouldn't have said they are happy - I have not had a conversation with them to confirm. They seem to eat well and swim...

My stepfather does nothing on a regular basis other than feeding, topping off the water and using an algae scraper on the glass. He cleans the tank about every 6-12 months. He's never tested for anything other than PH. His fish seem to live long, happy lives. (I'm not recommending that - I...

I think the problem is when we look at 1 inch per gallon as a "rule" instead of a guideline for beginners. There are, of course, thousands of counter examples where the guideline falls apart. But I don't think it's a bad idea for a newbie to start thinking of the trade-off between tank size...

Ace hardware sells "pure" ammonia. The ammonia called "Janitorial Strength" has been used by many for the fishless cycling....

I've always used gravel but am considering switching to sand myself. It seems that almost everyone who has used sand loves it and would never go back....

How big is the tank? If you have room you could have a school of smaller community fish (zebra danios, tetras, etc). Obviously no fin-nippers and I would stay away from any semi aggressive fish like gouramis. I have a five gallon with my betta and a mystery snail - they happily stay away from...

To be honest, I don't remember why I got started - but I was about 12 years old. My mother was apparently asking about what we wanted for dinner - I certainly wasn't listening to her. I said, "I want fish." She said, "You want fish for dinner????" (She knew I hated eating fish.) I said, "No...

I agree with calfishguy if you have an external filter of some type (as opposed to an under gravel filter). If all you have is a UGF then I would not do a deep vacuum on the entire substrate.

I'm surprised your reading is consistently 75 - you may have a thermostat / thermometer issue. I have a 55g with heater set at 75. My house temp is usually between 69 and 72 and my tank drops 2 degrees every 6-8 hours or so. Unless your house thermostat is set in the 75 degree range then your...

Another flood prevention necessity is to make sure there is a small hole in the return tube near the water level. This prevents the return tube from acting like a siphon during a power outage.

Very nice tanks. The driftwood in the 75G really provides great contrast to the surrounding plants - strikes a perfect balance...

I once performed my weekly test for Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate - then without thinking dumped all three tubes of already tested water back into my tank. One fish swam into the colored water and freaked out - but didn't seem to cause him (or any others) any lasting harm.

My wife and I have always been accepting of each others hobbies. Because of that - I've never felt the need to push her into the hobby. I just make sure to keep the tank clean and attractive and let her enjoy watching the fish. She does to a point - but not enough to really engage. I am quite...

Cruel for the fish and cruel for the human are two different things. I would put the poor thing out of its misery in whatever manner you can handle.

There are 2 concerns when considering stocking levels: 1) Space and 2) Bio Load. I think you're fine with space since the cories spend most of the time on the bottom. As far as bio load it depends on your filter and your maintenance. Assuming you stay on top of water changes you should be...

Sounds like a good plan. 10G definitely not enough room for two - and you can almost never go wrong with a cory...

How big is your tank? Gouramis are very territorial. If they don't have enough space they will continue to fight. If your tank is large enough then eventually the dominant one will claim his preferred territory and things should settle down.

When you buy a new 5 gallon tank every time you go to Walmart. (You're not buying the tank at Walmart, you're saving another Betta.)

Thanks for all the replies. My original thought was to differentiate between general pets stores and specialty fish stores. Most of the replies have taken this in a better direction - appreciating differences at the individual level - common sense I guess. I just was hoping to get some...

Seriously, if any of us had that tank, would we cover it with three TV's? I'm not even talking about the impact the electric signals could have on the fish - but why cover any part of that tank????

I have a question for the numerous folks that have relayed bad experiences at the dreaded "LFS". Are your bad experiences really at Local Fish Stores or Local Pet Stores? I've been at the big pet stores and experienced the lack of knowledge similar to what has been described by so many...

Thought I would say hello. I've been reading lots of good information on this site and thought I should register so I could join the fun. I took about a 15 year hiatus from fishkeeping due to the mobile nature of my job - but I'm staying local now and can rejoin the hobby. (There were no...