Recent content by dwayne.aycock

Stay away from bleach!!!! That is nasty stuff and can be tricky to completely get rid of. You can get big bottles of hydrogen peroxide at your local dollar store.....avoid the drug store or grocery store where the mark up is over 200%. You may also find it reasonable at Wal-Mart. If not, hot...

If I was able to get it to work, then you should. You just have to sift the clay really well, or particlis like gravel or plant matter may keep clogging your nozzle. If I had to do it all over again, I would go for a sprayer with a wider nozzle, or try to rig up a bigger one myself. You have to...

I even found a way to use the liquid iron. I pulled it up in a basting syringe and slowly injected it under the substrate of my root feeders like swords. It did not stain the water and you can't even smell it. Since I am using a clay based (loam) it bonds quickly to the iron, and I am seeing a...

I solved the problem quite easily. I used laterite, loam and clay. I mixed at a ratio of 2 pounds of laterite, 4 pounds of loam and 8 pounds of clay. I mixed it in a home depot bucket to a rather loose consistency. After that I put the mixture in a simple garden sprayer and took off the nozzle...

I would continue the treatments for the next 7-10 days. If the problem is present in many fish, raise the tank temp to 84 degrees and try a few group salt baths to get on top of the ich. I can't say where you are picking up the ich, but is can't survive in temps over 84 degrees. I keep my Discus...

Are these live plants? If not, just run them through the dishwasher. Dont use heat in the drying cycle or they may melt. A few heavy vacs should eliminate or severely reduce the silicates, thus starving the diatoms. Reduce lighting and feeding which will help even more. D

A lot of barbs tend to be fin nippers. Cherry barbs, rosey barbs and angels do well together. Barbs can be sensitive to diet, so maintain a balance between proteins and veggies or the barbs get intestinal blockages. Addidionally, Angels like warmer water. I keep mine around 82 and my Discus...

I don't use R/O filters in aquarium filtration, but i use it in my resevoir water. I have a 64 gallon drum outside which i fill with 50% R/O water and 50% filtered tap water. At this ratio, my fish are fine and my plants are happy as well. It was really hard getting to this point, but with a lot...

I recommend a salt dip. Take the fish out of the tank, along with some tank water. Add to a holding container and salt that one. After a 30 minute bath, beta should be good to go back to the primary tank. It the beta in a tank all by itself?

It is perfectly safe for many years to come once it cures, which takes about 1 hour. Ask the guys in electronics for insulating / sealing foam in a can. It's the same foam you spray to keep out critters and cold air in residential applications. No worries mate! D

R/O is not an expensive system. It is easy to make yourself. i made mine out of spare parts and a few items off ebay and craigslist. D

java Fern In my case, I have used coconut shells which I attached to slate with clear fishing line. The java fern, I attached with cotton thread. 3 years later, all is well. Java Fern is 6-8 inches long.

It can be found in building supplies...stay away from fiberglass at all costs. You can also try a ziploc bag filled with spray foam from a can. Zip up the bag almost completely and use the spray tube (straw) from the liquid foam to spray into the small opening. Don't spray too much at one time...

+1 on the remedy...increase temp to 80 degrees, vacuum the gravel. Salt dips help, but avoid salting the whole tank. Salt does not evaporate, so several water changes will be required. D

You can take the plants out and give a 15 minute dip in 3% hydrogen peroxide. 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 3 parts water. You could also try peregen in your filter which will help. Reduce feeding, increase gravel vacs. If you happen to be using sand in your tank, the diatoms will be around for a...