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The Hardware

Full tank pics here

Hopefully we've covered some of the advantages. I was just pointing out that there are really a lot of concepts and technologies out there. Even with HOB filters for example, you can have them with and without a bio-wheel. You can put bio media in a canister, HOB, or sump. You can put carbon...

Depending on the size of your tank, it can be easy for a fish to want to claim the whole tank as his territory. Even if you have a 500gal tank, keep in mind that many aquarium fish evolved in a much bigger "tank". You may also want to look into dither fish. In this case, they might just help...

Wet/Dry sumps are easier to DIY. Of course, easy is all relative. I haven't priced the commerical setups. IMHO, you get some advantages over canister filters but there are some drawbacks too. Canisters are great. Some of them can be a hassle, messy, noisy, etc. Do the research and find out...

The tank was stocked too quickly. If everything was dumped on you, then it may not be your fault. Reducing the bio-load will help, but that means getting rid of some of the fish. Feed very little every other day at most to keep the produced waste and DOC low. Frequent pwc - even 30-50% are...

p.s. A Mystery Snail is actually a specifc snail, and not a mystery at all. :)

If there is a problem, it is not with that snail but with the ones you have not discovered yet. I have one snail in my tank, but that was intentional. You can remove the snail by hand and then just watch for more, if any show up. Many fish (loaches, etc.) that will take eat snails will get...

I agree. It is great to use old media from a running tank. But I wouldn't trust some that has been sitting unused (wet or dry) for a while. How long is a while... well, that's up for you to decide what you're comfortable with. If your friend took down the tank last week, that is one thing. But...

I don't know if it is sharp or not. But I believe that there has been a fair amount of research done using it in horticultural applications. It is minerals and unburned/unconverted carbon. There is also char-free slag, but I don't know where you would find that. My guess is that you may want...

Um, I don't think there is such a thing as "normal" filtration. Basically, a sump gives you: a) more water capacity, b) more water surface area, and c) more space. If you have a 55g tank with 20g of water in the sump, you have 75g of water when you think about stocking. Be careful, though...

Well, soon as you start pouring sand into the water, it will be wet. However, I found it MUCH easier to work with wet sand... scooping it out of the holding bucket, etc. Since you want to wash sand very well anyway, why not add it while it is still wet.

My Green Terror is quite happy in a 6.8 pH (CO2 injection). There are many things (additives, substrate, etc.) specifically designed for bringing up the pH for africans. If you go that route, I suggest you take the time (without fish) to not only make sure you get the pH high enough, but that...

Hopefully you bough a true submersible. You can put that entirely below the waterline - so much so that it is still 100% underwater during a change. I never turn mine off for changes. Maybe, as someone suggested, you should if the water temps are not close. However, I make sure they are close...

I still think your pH test is reading "7.6 or higher" and not just 7.6 since that is the top range. Again, though, fish may acclimate to the high pH, especially if the LFS has similar water. But if the change is sudden, your fish won't acclimate fast enough if at all. Rocks, coral, and...

I stand corrected. It seems the smaller shell dwelling cichlids can be fine for a small tank. I haven't encountered any personally, so I never bothered researching them. But now my own interest is piqued since I was planning a small tank (possibly cherry barbs).

Some fish (like loaches) are going to be happier with certain substrates. So you can decide on some fish, and then figure out what substrate is best, or decide on substrate, and figure out what fish work best. What I've read indicates that they are some of the pickier fish when it comes to...

He said a 10G... I don't think that would make a nice rift tank. A SW tank is one that has saltwater. So you can't do a FW tank that is like SW. :) There are many styles of SW: Fish only, fishless, reef, etc. But it seems that inverts are often an important part of any SW tank, where as they...

The problem with DIY is keeping it consistant. I'm learning just how much work that is with two bottles on a 29 G. So much, in fact, that I am really leaning towards removing it until I can afford pressurized CO2. Things to keep in mind: Always use at least two bottles and never change all of...

When a tiger is only a half inch (at most), I can't sex them. However, I'm sure they can know who is male and who is female. How unusual is it for some in a small shoal (5-6) to fight to the death, be it male dominance or whatever? What conditions could increase the chances of the ultimate fight?

Lots of fish acclimate to a fair range of pH even higher than 7.6. However, you said your test kit went up to 7.6. It is possible that your pH could be much higher and the kit just doesn't show it. If you are worried about pH, you can take a sample to the LFS and ask them to do a high-range...

The pic is a little blury... sorry. All fake plants (except for the algae), with a "typical" HOB filter, heater, and hood. All this is similar to what comes with a "deluxe" kit, though they have been replaced over time. It also has a basic air stone. Critters include: 1 unknown snail, 1...