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O.k., I just got back from the LFS with 4 panda cories. They are pretty cute I will admit. I didn't buy the plants. They had some anubais but as I looked at the plants, I saw at least 3 snails on the one I was thinking of getting. I hadn't thought about the quarantine idea. Plants can...

If I stick with the anubais and swords, do I have to upgrade my lighting as well? I literally have the hood and lights that came with the 10 gal. kit. Also, what am I looking for to avoid snails?

O.k., maybe today I'll get the panda cories (so they can help clean the tank - :)) At one point last year, I thought I wanted guppy babies, but now I'm not so sure again (especially if the babies have babies and the babies from those babies (phew) are not very colorful). So, today panda...

do I need to get 4-5 pandas? couldn't I get just 2? or do they prefer groups of 4-5. also, I'm shooting to be under my stocking max, because I'd rather not be stressed out if I overfeed or miss a water change. I was hoping to do like 10-12 small fish... maybe 1 or 2 guppies? here are some...

Yes and yes. Just kidding. I like colorful fish, but I also enjoy schooling fish. I think my tank is a wee bit small to really get a good schooling effect. It's awesome to see 20 fish (like cardinal tetras) moving in one direction and then changing again. does it matter which cories? do...

O.k., I finally have Nitrates! Hurray! I have an 18 gal. tank. My water is fairly hard. I plan on using about 50% R/O water and 50% tap water. I have a Rena XP1 cannister filter (it's awesome so far!). In the tank currently, I cycled with 2 red belly platies and 2 mickey mouse platies...

sorry to belabour an earlier point, but Nitra-zorb isn't like a bad VCR that will just stop playing one day. It will gradually fade out and gradually lose its effectiveness (say in 30 days). presumably, he'll either revert back to the same problems he has now (which could be due to...

Isn't the Nitra-Zorb supposed to be place as the top thing in the cannister and the cannister forces water up from bottom to top? Thus, wouldn't the colonies of bacteria grow and live on your media whether they be sponges, ceramic rings, or bio-stars? It's not like you're filtering the water...

ALMOST A MONTH! and I have nitrates (well 5 ppm, anyway). I still get zero on the ammonia and nitrites. I guess there is such a thing as a non-ammonia spiking fishy cycle. I'm now ready to add 2-3 ottos and some seashells we picked up from the beach today. I probably won't get a chance to...

O.k., I am still getting negative tests. I'm starting to notice little spots of algae. In the intake and out take tubes of the cannister filter, there are lots of brown spots. On the inside glass, I noticed some spots of algae (not sure what color), but it seems a bit stringy. I have a lot...

I just bought the test kit on the date of the first test, so say, June 2006. Only plastic plants in the tank. :)

O.k., I admire your tenacity. Just remember, the leak could be coming from *anywhere* and it may just be coming down the middle crack because that is the path of least resistance. Water is pretty lazy that way. One other suggestion: The python is generally loved on this forum and you can...

O.k. that really sucks. I saw your other post and thought nice set-up too. I would just offer this as food for thought: Time is money. You don't know what is causing the leak. If you completely strip the silicone and re-seal that is days of work considering the drying time, etc. And, you...

All right. I'm going to credit the Rena XP1 cannister filter which allegedly moves 250 gallons per hour. I thought it may be too much for my little 18 gal. tank, but decided on it because it would be quieter and hopefully less maintenance. Perhaps I was right? I did at one point change...

Update: Here are the numbers: Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate 6/8 0 0 0 6/10 0 0 0 6/12 0 0 0 6/14 0 0 0 6/16 0 0 0 6/18 0 0 0 6/20 0 0 0 6/22 0 0 0 6/24 0 0 0 6/26 0 0 0 6/29 0 0 0 I may be hallucinating - on the last two tests, I could have sworn that the color on the Nitrate...

that 25% water change I did was with tap water. I can do another one. I was thinking of doing another 25% water change with just tap water and from there forward doing water changes with 1/2 tap water and 1/2 R/O - what do you think?

It's just weird that it's been almost two weeks and I've done one 25% water change. In those two weeks, I know the little guys have been pooping and stuff and I don't think they eat all the food (I have granules and some of it falls down to the gravel before they can get to it). Weird, weird...

O.k. - it's still strange here are the numbers so far: Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate 6/8 0 0 0 6/10 0 0 0 6/12 0 0 0 6/14 0 0 0...

All right - you all freaked me out so that I took about 3 gals of water out of the 18 gal. tank and replaced with treated tap water. I also threw in a handful of aquarium salt. I guess I'll go looking for R/O right. It's too bad petsmart doesn't have it. What does the baking soda add? It...

O.k., this is why I'm confused. One person says, mix tap water and R/O. The other says R/O is the best and implies that I should only use R/O. I checked the nitrates of my tap water and it's 0. I'm so confused.

O.k.., when I first started 2 years ago, I just used tap water. It's free (relatively), throw in some dechlorinator and you're good to go. My water is pretty hard around here and after a few months, I had lots of algae - lots and lots of algae. The LFS said go with R/O. I tried that and my...

Hmm, but as someone who only as plastic plants, I assume that using the Purigen is more beneficial than not?

That's funny, when I called Rena, the customer support guy said that the stars were superior to the ceramic cylinders, so I didn't get any. why do you recommend the ceramic cylinders?

O.k., this is my first time with a Rena XP1 and I'm just sort of looking for some validation here. It does not have a lot of room for more media (and frankly, the XP2 and XP3 would have been too much filtration for my 18 gal. (would have been like an ocean)). I have from bottom to top: black...

Had a 10 gal. tank - last fish of 2 years died the day before we left on vacation, - went on vacation for 2 weeks - didn't think about tank for another week. Decided to get a marginally bigger tank (more water = less maintenance?) Set up 18 gallon - completely new gravel, new cannister filter...