Search results

Hey all, after three planted tanks and some real serious algae problems, I think I have it down now. First off, (and all of this is from my experience, ymmv) I think one of the prime things we do wrong (and one of the main causes of the algae) is that we introduce too much light, too soon...

While my algae problem has slowly been diminishing, yesterday I stumbled across a tank of SAE's in San Jose. Despite it being 106 outside and four and a half hours from home, the SAE's are now residing in my 65 - and chowing down on the algae! I'd gone the route of plecos (no help - wrong...

I'm using an XP2 on my 65g and wanted some opinions on the media stack I am using since the last filter change. From bottom to top (which goes with the flow of water) it's 4 layers of foam (which fill the first media basket), then about 2" of ceramic media followed by 1 more sheet of foam and...

Hi all. I've come to rely on your expertise and experience and would like a little help here. I've got to the point where I want to move some fish out of my 65 and into the 29 which is done cycling. I'd like to move my rams and my synodontis, leaving just the discus, clown loaches and plecos in...

I would like to move a couple of my current 65g inhabitants to my new 29g. One of them, a fiesty little synodontis, is proving very difficult. The gouramis were easy - I put some food in the net and they basically did the rest. The syno isn't that dumb. Without pulling everything out (or giving...

I know the old adage of feed no more than they'll eat in 15 minutes. Now I hear it's feed no more than they'll eat in 5 minutes. Well, my fleet eats everything within about 1 minute. Usually two brine shrimp (frozen) cubes two or three times a day. I add some sinking pellets most nights for the...

I hope you all can help me on this. From my sig, you can see my residents. I think one of my rams has a bit of ich on him and I want to raise my temps up to around 84 to combat it. I'd rather not use too many additives with the loaches and discus in there, so temps seem the best way. Given what...

I've been pretty amazed. I started my first tank just two months ago and with the sole exception of a pleco that I introduced way too early, everything has gone pretty well. Ok, the pleco and the algae problem I still have! My clown loaches have increased in size and seem so happy! My golden...

I have most algae beat, except for the green fuzz on the edges of several plant leaves. Java fern, mostly. The oto's don't eat off those, for some reason. So, does anyone use the Weiss stuff? I dose Excel, Iron and Comprehensive right now - just ordered Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus...

I've raised orchids under lights for years and always used 5500-6500k lights. I've seen some T5 HO lights for my aquarium that are 12000k and are a good deal. Will aquatic plants use the 12000k or should I be looking at the same kelvin rating as for regular plants? I'm really interested to know...

OK, from my sig you can see I have the bottom pretty well covered. I'd just like 4-6 mid-top swimmers to complete things. (BTW- before ya'all tell me how big the loaches will grow, we have a 180g in the works for the end of summer and the loaches are only about 3" right now) I was originally...

I am looking forward to my first addition to the tank since the gouramis and I was wondering...since much of the center of my tank has a pretty decent current and it circulates under and through my driftwood 'tunnel', would they need a separate place to group where no current is moving? The ends...

While I think the batch of Val's I got from my lfs basically sucked, I am wondering if the fact that they are touching the heater has anything to do with their failure. Repositioning it might be a bit difficult, but should it have any effect?

I'd like to start dosing my plants and I'm still in cycle. Just wondering if either will have any effect.

Do dwarf gouramis eat plants??? They didn't touch my anacharis or african sword or java fern! Now they are slicing and dicing my val's and that unknown broadleaf! Are they known for this or am I starving them?

OK, so does that mean with 2wpg we MUST use CO2? Or it's best that we do? I've read so much conflicting information that I'm in analysis paralysis here. I want to keep a planted tank, but I'm not sure I want to go the whole CO2 route. In my 65g, would I NEED a pressurized system or would one of...