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I'll look into KCl for the softener. That's a good idea, even just for us. So, I should mix the un-softened water with distilled or RO water? And that will bring the GH and KH down to manageable levels? At what ratio should I mix it? Why is the high iron problematic? I'm not doubting it is...

Specifically what kind of crap would I have to add to it? Minerals to raise the GH, but I don't know of anything to lower KH. Or do I even need to lower the KH? What problems would a high KH cause? Because that might be my simplest option. A RO unit is not in the budget right now. I could...

If I should do anything at all, that is. out of the tap (goes through a softener and an iron conditioner) pH 7.4 immediately, about 8.4 after sitting a day GH 1 KH 19 pretty high iron out of the well, untreated pH 7.4 initially, about 8.4 after sitting a day GH 29 KH 19 super high iron - as...

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In theory you could do something like you're suggesting for pH as well, but it would get a lot more complicated. The pH test is measuring a concentration, just like the other tests. It measures the concentration of hydrogen ions. The difference is that pH it isn't a linear scale like the other...

My first tank was so tiny that it was impossible to get the siphon started the traditional way, and I didn't want to use my mouth, so I came up with another solution. I used a bulb syringe aka nasal aspirator aka one of these: Amazon.com: BULB SYRINGE 2 OZ: Health & Personal Care Available in...

After reading a bit about diatoms I'm almost certain that's what it is. I guess I'll keep scraping it off until it goes away. It doesn't make much sense to add a fish to solve a problem that will clear up on its own given a little time. Thanks for the help!

I have a new 5gal tank and I'm starting to see quite a bit of algae. It's brown and it grows in patches on the tank walls and both the live plant and the fake plants, and it's growing fast. It looks terrible. Anything I can do about it, other than try to keep up with scraping it off? Tank is 5...

I suppose I owe an update... It seems I was worrying over nothing. Apparently this isn't an illness at all. I watched the gray spots over the course of the next few days, and they come and go, sometimes within a matter of minutes. They vary from stark black when he's excited (in chase mode...

Help appreciated asap as this seems to be progressing very quickly. TIA 1~What type of fish is afflicted? In addition, please describe what is wrong with the fish to the best of your ability (i.e. cotton like growth, bloated, etc.). 2 male guppies gray area on fins and possibly near mouth of...

Thanks! I took the little band off. It looks & feels like lead.. is it? That can't be a good thing to have in the tank. Anyway, it's only been a few days, but so far so good, anacharis is still green and healthy looking. Except I noticed last night that the tips are starting to bend/grow...

Hey thanks! I'll check it out next time I get up to GB. Good luck on the job application. Let us know how it goes. I haven't had much luck finding a place in the valley. I stopped at Just Pets this weekend. It was ok. They had a good selection with some really unusual fish, prices were...

I'm in the fox valley area. AngelsNgolds- I know exactly where Pound is. My family has a cabin near Coleman/Pound. :)

I leaped before I looked. I planned to wait until I did some research and my tank was well established to add any live plants, I really really was, but I am weak. On impulse I brought a little anachris home last night. When I got home I realized I have no clue what to do with the thing, so I...

Not much help at this point, but I had the exact same issue. Yes, that light blue/gray color on the nitrite test means it's WAY too high for the test kit to measure. As I was cycling I watched nitrites rise from the measurable 5 to a muddy red-brown color to that blue-ish color. And not...

Thanks! I assumed the lot numbers on the bottles were date codes, but but without knowing how long they last that was no help, so thanks for filling the missing peice! Cycling is still going. I think I stalled it by overdoing it with the ammonia once it got started so I did a massive water...

Thanks for the tip. I have noticed that bulb throws off a lot of heat but I didn't realize it was a standard socket and I could swap it with a CF any time. Duh! (where's the slapping my forehead icon?) Thanks, that's what I'll do. Hopefully it'll be like that watched pot that never boils, and...

Thanks for the help. Cycling is going well in the 5gal. Ammonia goes from ~4ppm to 0 in less than 24hrs. Nitrites are still very high, too high to measure with my test kit, but they seem to be dropping now. Nitrates are ~10ppm and rising. Yay! So now I'm back with more questions. 1) I'm going...

I tried to cycle my tank with a fish (hadn't heard of fishless cycling until a few days ago) and I lost the fish :( See previous thread if you want more details: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/need-help-cycling-fish-104562.html I'm starting over and doing a fishless cycle this...

When I got home last night the fishy was dead :cry: I feel terrible. It was such a cute little fishy, and it depended on me to make a safe home for it, and I totally failed. :( Something I didn't learn until yesterday-- the higher the pH, the more toxic ammonia is (in a nutshell, I know it's a...

Thanks, that makes sense. I'll keep it a bit lower than I had been. But the poor little fish isn't doing too well. :( It's been sitting in its "cave" more or less motionless all the time. Sometimes it will come out when we turn the light on or feed it, sometimes not. It seems weak when it...

I did a search, but everything I found was at least 2 years old, and knowing what a big difference a change in management or staff can make, I'm hoping to get some more current recs. Something in Appleton/Neenah/Menasha would be great. Thanks :)

I've had a small fantail goldfish in a 5gal tank for almost 2 weeks. I'm pretty new to this, but I know enough to know that a new tank needs to cycle, and I've cycled with fish semi-successfully before (see below). I'd never heard of fishless cycling until I found this site, and if I could start...