Recent content by KatyLLL

I use wave makers, which are little powerheads that move water around. People do not conceptualize that fish actually breath. Their gills are specially evolved to remove oxygen molecules from the H20 of water. People get into planted tanks because the plants add oxygen into the water (they...

First advice. Add fish slowly to a new tank system. Second advice use circulation pumps or air stones and keep a ripple at the top of the water. Unoxygenated water will kill fish faster than not being "cycled." Third: Always consider your tank as one of your animals. A well-working tank is a...

It is a parasite, not a disease. It is often caused because the fish gets stressed, and mostly hits new fish because they are stressed during transportation (in a box), so really any new fish can have this. It often will show up a week to two weeks after the fish arrives, so if you got it at a...

It all depends. A new 10 gallon doesn't cost very much. If you re-seal the price of the caulk and the labor (and if you need a new frame) might come up to over the price of buying a new 10-gallon tank. So, I suppose it all means how much money are you willing to spend?

Plywood under the tank is fine. The way you have it is fine. Keeping kids away from anything is always going to be a problem. I have never gone more than 2 high because cinderblocks are also very heavy and that is adding to the weight of the tank. The support of the tank always needs to be on...

I don't have german rams but do know that the smaller gouramis (pearl, dwarf) get along fine with angel fish, and as long as there are hiding places, no one hurts my Khuli Loaches. 25 gal is a rather small tank, so you will want to limit your fish load.

I did not like the white sand. I don't know, but I think sand gets dirty faster, so I took a week and re-did the tank with black eco complete. I also added all the Vallisneria from my 75 gallons and put it in, and pulled up the swords and put them in the 75. I will probably source some black...

Actually, I was faced with a similar situation. My big blood parrot got a huge scrape on the side of his face. It was white and kind of dangling like I see in yours. It took 3-4 weeks to heal, but each day I saw improvement. It ended up covering over white, looking like scar tissue and I thought...

It is true. The fish can also die. These are cool river fish, not warm tropical fish. They cannot take as much heat. I am using the heat to speed their life cycle up. The medicine will kill them when they are most vulnerable. This method is the quickest and safest. And I do not doubt that your...

Heat only will speed up their life cycle, and they will drop into the water, grow and multiply and infect other fish and it will start all over again. The heat does not kill them. Heat with a protozoan killer will speed up the life cycle, they will drop off, multiply and be killed in that...

I got Kordon Rid Ich today. I raised the temp in the tank to 86, but I am confused about whether to both raise the heat and also to dose the rid-ich plus. I got a smaller tank ready as a QT tank, but since the Rid-Ich says that it is okay for most loaches and catfish I think what I should do is...

They all have ick now, so I'm taking care of it.

get another water testing kit? perfect parameters should not end in death.

After about 7 years of aquarium ownership, with a few disasters, I understand that water circulation is even more important than manual filtration. Keeping that water agitated at the surface (choppy) or making waves is how the air gets into the water. An HOB filter with the water falling a bit...

It will happen. Using root tabs might help the new emersed growth, but the leaves will all melt. Have you tried Crypts? They melt for any change at all. Growing underwater plants requires patience and a whole new way of looking at plants. If you have a place to put a second tank, like a 10...