Recent content by Barakis

Agreed. Definately a bigger bio load for the cycle needed.

You probably went fishy a bit too soon, like I said I don't know salty as well as fresh, but doing fishless cycle you still need to do water changes whilst the bacteria develops, just don't clean the filter media or ornaments at all. Aquarium water is a massive balance to start, 1 day too soon...

If they don't survive. Shrimp is a good idea as above. Check your ammonia levels as often as you can (daily?) Every time it reaches amm4 then do a big WC to bring it back. Keep doing over and over until your nitrites appear, followed by nitrates. By the time your trates rise your amm should drop...

When I was new I crashed a cycle moving house, took the poor buggers weeks to go. It depends. 0.25 amm is not as deadly as it sounds if its dealt with. Imagine cutting your finger and not covering it. It's only a cut, but eventually you will lose a lot of blood. Big water change, say 50% or...

That's a lot of assumption... All apart from the clown bit I agree with. You need to do a nitrate reading. Low nitrate is good but no nitrate says bad cycle. Did you test after adding the clowns? If they have white spots, yes it may be ich, but sounds more like poisoning. If your power heads...

You could run an interpet ap2 (or something) through an air curtain accross the far wall of the tank. That way you get surface movement, air, and you can use airline to travel the distance instead of power. My AP1 happily runs a 12" air curtain. I don't know enough to say about the solar...

I think the key is the comment about plug sockets? Although tbh I agree, the filter is their as a filter, not really for a current. You could ofcourse upgrade to a canister filer so the in and out are at opposite ends, or even just add a small power head on an extension lead...

Their is, you can buy the elements of the API seperately, they all come with color card and tube.

Are goby sand sifters? I know some reef fish do fire it back out their gills, but I'm not sure which, I only keep freshwater.

not so much cant get, just exploring options. I'm not at home as much as i would like right now due to work, so it's hard all round to maintain. but to have a heater running 24/7 at 25 when im only home a few days a month, its a cost i would like to avoid. having a heater at 20 it would very...

I have read in a couple of places (including the website you linked) that most shrimp (except singapore flower shrimp) are fine at 60. ph and hardness might be n issue though. as far as fish, im strugling to find much info. i know some basic info about fish that will be fine with 60-64 ish...

Hi guys I have thought about leaving the heater out and stocking with "cold" water, but I don't really want gold fish, tank isn't big enough anyway. I have a 68L (17G?) And I don't know what cold water fish are really out their. I also like the idea of shrimp. Any advise appreciated.

sorry forgot this bit :) you could also try growing algae. get a large bowl, fill it with tank water when you do a water change, put 2 or 3 decent rocks in it (tank safe ones) and put it in the sun inside somewhere. the algae will grow in no time. then simply put one of the rocks in with the...

go out and buy a courgette (or zuccini if your american), slice it and blanche it (boil water, drop it in for about 2/3minutes, then dunk in cold water). they love the greens in their diet. just drop it in instead of a algae wafer. some larger pleco will also eat prawns as a treat. i fed mine...

Feed after dark and lights out. Pleco are nocturnal and generally don't eat in light, least of all fight for food. And the other fish won't eat at night in dark, they will generally rest. Wait till lights out and its dark, even just before you go to bed, its hard to monitor but you should see a...