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Help! I've been battling BBA in my tank for a while now, and it seems to be getting worse. Details: The tank is 15g, planted with a couple of small swords, one crypt wendtii, several crypt parva, some bacopa monnieri and a couple of vals. I also have lots of anubias - barteri, petite and...

I can't seem to keep shrimp alive and I think it may be related to my ultra-soft water. GH an KH are both 1; pH is about 6.8. I don't want to add crushed coral because I'm happy with my pH where it is. I've been looking at Seachem Equilibrium - would that do the trick? I know it's just for GH...

I have a rather large mystery snail who is very active and appears healthy. Earlier today I noticed long, stringy stuff with some kind of dots coming from him. There was quite a lot and it doesn't look like his usual waste. Also, I saw him doing his biz yesterday so it's unlikely that he was...

Hi there! I need some help. My water is very, very soft - Kh and Gh are both 1 (tested with a reliable API kit). My Ph is about 6.8 and has been quite stable. I have soft water fish - tetras, etc. I have a mystery snail and seems to be doing just fine, although he has some cracks in his...

I found a pond snail that I don't want in my tank. I'm sure there are more. I know how to trap them, etc. What I don't know is how to kill them. Assassin snails or loaches are not an option because I have mysteries that I want to keep and I'm close to overstocked as it is. So, maybe this is...

I've been looking everywhere, but I cannot seem to find any reputable website offering Cochu's Blue Tetra, or Boehlkea fredcochui. Part of the problem is that people frequently confuse them with Inpaichthys kerri or have their own names for them. I've checked eBay, Aquabid and every online...

Around midday today I did a 50% water change. I rearranged a bunch of things in the tank (rocks, clay pot, fake driftwood, fake plants, etc.), then re-filled the tank. I didn't add anything, just moved things around. Everything seemed fine and the fish seem content. About 6 hours later I...

After many fits and starts, I've made enough progress on my tank to start keeping track of everything. First, the plan. I had this theme going - I wanted to do something evocative of a dead/shattered volcano and the idea of new life coming back into an area of desolation. This began because I...

I'm one UPS delivery away from finally starting my 55g! I've read every thread I can find about how to start a planted tank, but I can't find anything that tells me how to physically put the plants into the substrate. Is it as simple as just sticking them in? What tools do I need? I'm going...

I bought some driftwood from ebay recently. I soaked it for a few days then decided to boil it last week. After about half an hour there was a pretty gross film of tan-colored gunk on the water. I took the wood out and stopped boiling - it's actually ruined the pot I was using because it...

I thought I was set with budget lighting - I purchased the Odyssea T5HO fixture last week. The problem is that I bought it from Aquatraders, who seem to have disappeared. Website down, number disconnected, emails unanswered, etc.. I filed a claim with Paypal and I'm sure I'll get my money...

I'm trying to find options for hanging my lights that don't involve too much construction, given that I don't have a garage or any outdoor space in which to work. Is there any reason I couldn't use shepherds' hooks? I saw some heavy duty ones at Home Depot today that are pretty tall. While...

I'm almost ready to start setting up my 55g planted tank and I have a few questions. First, I bought the Odyssea T5HO 4x54 "plant version." I know the reviews are mixed, that the ballast is usually for NO and not HO and that the bulbs are crap. I'm going with it stock for now because I intend...

Edit: My betta has died. Feel free to read the post below to get some idea of what has been happening. Otherwise, I could use some help identifying the problem so I know if my other fish are in danger. See photos below. I have abbreviated this post significantly to include only the basic...

I have a standard 55g (48" x 13" x 21") that I'm almost ready to start up. I'm overwhelmed with lighting options; perhaps there is such a thing as too much research. I would like to have medium lighting and do not intend to use CO2. I think I would like to avoid Odyssea products - the reviews...

I need a rock ID please. These have been found in and around a freshwater lake in Maine. I'm referring to the darker rock; the others are a different kind. This is wet. I'm thinking shale, but I'm really not sure. I'll do the vinegar thing, but I know that's really inconclusive. Any...

So I have this lonely, empty 55g tank finally on a stand and in position, but I don't know what to put in it! I've been thinking about this for weeks (seriously) and I'm finally stuck. Please won't you help me? Overall, I want t a tank with lots of movement and color. I don't intend to plant...

I picked up a GH/KH kit today. I'm planning a 55g and figured this would help narrow my stocking choices. While I know that most fish can adapt to varying degrees of hardness and pH, I'm a chemist so I wanted to know. With my background you'd think this was all fairly easy ... not so much...

I have 3 albino cories, 2 males and 1 female (they were impossible to sex when I first got them - they've grown considerably since). It appears that two have paired off and the second male stays away. The only time he's ever with the pair is when I feed them wafers - when it's pellets or flake...

Hi hi! Back to fish after a long hiatus. I'm definitely enjoying fishkeeping in the internet age - so much info and help! I have a well-established 15g so far, and courtesy of the PetCo $1/gallon sale, I have a brand new 55g. I also have an empty 40gB that was given to me by a friend. I...