Recent content by astroguy

Hi and welcome to AA. You definitely need to read about the nitrogen cycle. Click on the articles link at the top of this page. Look also at faq.thekrib.com. A goldfish will not be happy in a 5g. I suggest one single betta splendens (siamese fighter). They fare OK in a 5g tank. However, in the...

notice that my first questions were never answered... and other high-fish ranked members seem to request the information. If you can post them that would be nice...

Can you post details on your tank, water params, fish stock?

less light (8hrs/day) for 1 week. If it does not help, no light for 1 week. Make sure sun light is not coming directly onto your tank, too. And finally reduce the food.

Hi and welcome to AA and to fish keeping. There are several types of filters, but one which is sufficient for a 10g is a power filter. There are several brands, but one I find *very* good is the Marineland Penguin with Bio-wheel. A 125 gph is sufficient for a 10g. My suggestions is to buy it...

Keept the T up for the necessary amount of time, even if you see no spot on him.

I once believed the first option to minimize the water changes to make cycling quicker. However, I recently cycled my 29g performing large (25-30%) water changes almost daily to keep the concentrations low (it never reached above 0.5-0.75ppm), and after only 3 weeks, today, the tank has just...

I am not sure about this 2-3 inches limit... And it is not only an issue of size but of natural environment. Cories and plecos are not made for a 5.5g. As for being happy, the more I am in this hobby, the more I realize that nobody *knows* whether their fishes are happy. I doubt it personally...

put him soon in the 125g, as you may stunt his development by letting him grow in the 5.5g.

Hi, First off, that's 1 small pleco too much, especially if you have no large tank to put it when he grows. I suggest to move it or return it. If at all, use a oto. Now on ich: ich is always present in the tank, but most of the time, the fishes are immune to it. Stress and bad water...

Carbon filter: several people in the hobby think that the carbon filter is of no use since its effect disappears in a few days. So, I guess my recommendation is to get rid of the carbon, and do not care about it.

Being on of the culprit, here is my contribution: 5 or 6 gallons http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=27155;category_id=2173;pcid1=2253;pcid2= is an excellent example. I personally recommend it. See if shipping+cost is smaller than buying at your LFS. On this page, you...

Menagerie, on the second part I agree, it was a misconception. On the first part, I disagree. Not that I personally know the solution, but from many websites and forum I read and participate, where (apparently) knowledgeable people claim that a negligible amount of bacteria is available in the...

No the nasty brown stuff is decaying food, decaying feces, or decaying plants if you have some. The bacteria are not so visible. You should clean your filter with *water* tank every month or so (depending how fast it clogs), and put it back. That will not destroy the baterial colony. However, if...

Menagerie: could the round white stuff be some cysts that fell on the algae?