LiQuiD
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hi Everyone!
I've been reading advice on this forum for a while now, so I thought it was time I joined in. I got my tank last July and instantly became a N.T.S. victim (New Tank Syndrome), thanks to not doing research and trying to please my 4 year old daughter. I had to cycle my tank the hard way, and had a few casualties along the way, but have learned a tremendous amount about this new hobby of mine and have a great tank now. I started trying to have a basic communal tank, but after losing a few along the way, I have started shifting my stock to semi-aggressive.
My Tank: Marineland 20 Gallon Kit w/ heater and Penguin Filter
*Upgraded the filter to an Aquaclear 70 after not being satisfied with the stock filter it came with. Very happy now.
My Stock: 4 Neon Tetra, 2 Male Guppies, 2 Angles, 2 Electric Blue Rams, 2 Albino Tiger Barbs, 1 Cory Catfish, 1 Yoyo Loach, 2 Mystery Snails (Black & Ivory)
Few Questions for the Group
1) Feeding: I have heard many different things from many different people, so I want to see what other aquarist are doing, and go from there. I am feeding my fish every other day. I feed a few pinches of flakes, a couple of small shrimp pellets, and a couple of algae wafers. Some people have said feed every day, or multiple times a day, or every other day. Thoughts?
2) Mystery Snails: Anyone else snail fans? Curious if mystery snails get territorial or fight each other. I had one snail (gary) thrive in my tank, so I got him a buddy (shelly). As soon as I introduced Shelly on the scene, Gary was always on top on her/him. (not sure of their sex) Anyway, a few days of this and suddenly Shelly was dead. I picked up another snail, and the same thing happened, but this new Shelly lasted longer. Last week, Gary passed away and im thinking it was natural causes. He was HUGE, so no one picked on him. Also, are the things im feeding enough for them to thrive?
3) Gravel Syphoning / Water Changes: I am cleaning my tank a little over once a month. I use a tank brush and scraper, and will remove the plastic plants and rocks and clean them off as well. My tank does get quite dirty. I then syphon the gravel until about 20-25% of the water is out, then add a tiny bit of conditioner and refill with the fresh water. Does any of this cleaning sound excessive? I like my tank to be clean!
Thanks in advanced!
I've been reading advice on this forum for a while now, so I thought it was time I joined in. I got my tank last July and instantly became a N.T.S. victim (New Tank Syndrome), thanks to not doing research and trying to please my 4 year old daughter. I had to cycle my tank the hard way, and had a few casualties along the way, but have learned a tremendous amount about this new hobby of mine and have a great tank now. I started trying to have a basic communal tank, but after losing a few along the way, I have started shifting my stock to semi-aggressive.
My Tank: Marineland 20 Gallon Kit w/ heater and Penguin Filter
*Upgraded the filter to an Aquaclear 70 after not being satisfied with the stock filter it came with. Very happy now.
My Stock: 4 Neon Tetra, 2 Male Guppies, 2 Angles, 2 Electric Blue Rams, 2 Albino Tiger Barbs, 1 Cory Catfish, 1 Yoyo Loach, 2 Mystery Snails (Black & Ivory)
Few Questions for the Group
1) Feeding: I have heard many different things from many different people, so I want to see what other aquarist are doing, and go from there. I am feeding my fish every other day. I feed a few pinches of flakes, a couple of small shrimp pellets, and a couple of algae wafers. Some people have said feed every day, or multiple times a day, or every other day. Thoughts?
2) Mystery Snails: Anyone else snail fans? Curious if mystery snails get territorial or fight each other. I had one snail (gary) thrive in my tank, so I got him a buddy (shelly). As soon as I introduced Shelly on the scene, Gary was always on top on her/him. (not sure of their sex) Anyway, a few days of this and suddenly Shelly was dead. I picked up another snail, and the same thing happened, but this new Shelly lasted longer. Last week, Gary passed away and im thinking it was natural causes. He was HUGE, so no one picked on him. Also, are the things im feeding enough for them to thrive?
3) Gravel Syphoning / Water Changes: I am cleaning my tank a little over once a month. I use a tank brush and scraper, and will remove the plastic plants and rocks and clean them off as well. My tank does get quite dirty. I then syphon the gravel until about 20-25% of the water is out, then add a tiny bit of conditioner and refill with the fresh water. Does any of this cleaning sound excessive? I like my tank to be clean!
Thanks in advanced!