Recent content by tropical-fish

I would try adding Epsom salt. It works as a laxative for fish and might help her pass out all that junk. Dosage 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. If she is still eating you can also try de-shelled peas. That should help to clear her out.

I agree with V227. You are doing a good job. Neon tetra don't produce much waste but your tank will cycle given more time. I wouldn't add too many more fish just yet. One or two would be ok though.

Sounds like it could be bacterial bloom in the water column. That will go away after a while. But it could also be the flakes polluting the water. Or a combination of both. The readings do look positive but difficult to confirm as I never cycled a tank using flakes. If it was my tank I would...

This one is quite good as a general guide http://aqadvisor.com

Looks great. Any ideas on the stock you want to keep in there?

A dark colour bristle nose would work. Nothing colourful or albino which would attract attention from the labs.

Bare bottom is definitely the best way to go for young discus. I've seen breeders over here doing massive daily water changes of 80%-90% with bare bottom tanks. That way they can feed messy high protein food to get maximum growth rate without having to worry about water quality. In regards to...

It's best to have 1 male with 3 or 4 females. Males can be very aggressive with the females. In regards to the tank setup. No need for substrate but a few rocks would be good to provide hiding places for the females when needed. And females usually lay the eggs on a large flat rock.

Rays grow fast. Even if you got a juvenile it would out grow the tank in less than a year. Some suggestions: Pictus catfish Gold nugget pleco If you want something a bit more odd ball Palms Polli Bichir would work with discus but may eat your dither fish. https://youtu.be/FxrZKegikUk

20 long may work but really you should add more females to keep the male occupied.

Hopefully this will help. http://njananoob.blogspot.sg/2013/02/identifying-algae-eaters.html?m=1

Wisteria is a good plant to put in the back corners. Grows fast and you can plant the cut offs to spread it out a bit along the back. It's going to take a bit of time to get the tank the way you like.

By the way .... I just had a look at your tank photo again. Some of the plants will need to have the pots and wool removed and to be planted into the gravel. Check this out when you get a chance. :)

The milky color of your tank water looks like bacterial bloom to me. If so it will clear given some time. It could also be the CO2 booster causing the milky water. So long as your fish aren't showing signs of stress I wouldn't be too worried about it. I only use Seachem Safe (a concentrated...

I think 5 male guppies is a good option since you're looking for color with long fins.