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Ok. I reduced to 8 hours and 10% each color Channel. The last cloud water was probably caused by prefilter and filter cleaning a week ago. The days After the cleaning i had a surface opaque layer, resolved with surface skimmer. Another doubt Is tò not have sufficient movement of water. Can...

Hi all, I think you have some <"iron (Fe) availability issues"> and also that @simon_the_plant_nerd is right. cheers Darrel

I have a feeling I'm going to become very familiar with your index in the coming weeks and months!

Hi all, It just makes <"life a lot easier">, all you have to do is have a <"reasonably large plant mass in active growth"> and then keep it that way. All <"the measuring"> and <"heavy lifting"> is done by the plant / microbe biofiltration. I'm probably absurdly proud of the <"Duckweed Index">...

Thanks for all the info and reading material; I feel more confident in my next steps.

Do you find that they hide alot? I have some Parotocinclus Spilosoma but only see them rarely.

I can imagine 😅 Oh wow thats almost double. I ended up ordering some but 6for£50 would have been ideal.

Hi all, No, you don't. If you aren't going to have plants? You still <"need to cycle the tank">, but once you have a reasonable plant mass? You don't. Have a look at our thread where we talked to Dr Tim Hovanec - <"Dr Timothy Hovanec's comments about Bacterial supplements">. We now know that...

Yes absolutely right. There is no need to add ammonia to a planted tank to cycle it. Just plant and let nature do its thing. There is quite a lot of in-depth info on tank cycling and microbial communities here on UKAPS, thanks mainly to Darrel’s @dw1305 research. Just for starters...

I'd reduce to 8 hours and also reduce the intensity and see what happens. Algae is often because of excessive light. Also, the water changes will take out excess nutrients and organic waste. Finally, I wouldn't trust the Nitrate test reading. I'd add full Macro and Micro. However, one...

Lenght or intensity? About 7 hours should be fine? Try to do bigger WC. I have a large number of fish inside, i'm afraid it can be a cause. I have 2 scalares and about 30 Barbus titteya (they bred inside the tank) plus some otocinclus and 4 neon from the previous tank..

"That's going to get me so smashed so quickly, not to worry" :lol:

I have had the oase biomaster /heater (although I dont use a heater) 600 for several years now, never had any issues. Cleaned the filters regularly. I only have a 90lt aquarium with only one huge goldfish and two japanese sucker fish. Last week we came home to see it had been leaking - so I...

Have you tried reducing your lighting period? I'd also suggest doing larger weekly water changes - aiming for at least 50%.

Something is eating it. My money is on the shrimp. I couldn’t grow it in my tank as it was just eaten straight away.

I am feeding live daphnia to my newly hatched fish fry, but the daphnia are too large for the fry. So I hope the daphnia can give birth to babies tiny enough for the fish fry to eat. I’m crushing fish flakes to feed the fish fry and wonder whether daphnia will also consume and thereby multiply...

...in my tank. here a little description of the actual situation: (Re)Started with new soil, new plants and new ferts on 01/01/24 Tank measure: 70*50*50cm -> 150l net CO2 pressurized with PH control -> set up Ph = 6.65, with 4/5 dKH should be about 30ppm. Chihiros WRGB2 60cm Led Lamp -> from 9...

Thank you for the comprehensive response; this is such a great place to learn.

Hiya! I'm looking for fish recommendations for my existing tank. I'm using it to house Corydoras which is presently my favourite genus of fish. Unfortunately, they are bottom dwelling fish and some species are very shy, so my tank looks rather empty. I'd really like to see them more often and I...

Even this notion of high ammonia causing algae isn't really widely accepted. Some people fertilize with ammonia and don't report much of a difference in algae. It could be that other substances generated with ammonia during natural decomposition of organic matter would be the ones triggering...

It seems to me that this idea of adding ammonia to fuel the cycling process is based mostly on "making sense" than on actual research. I personally don't believe it is needed. My understanding is that a multitude of microbial species exist and compete for room in your tank. The ones with a...

Hi all, That sounds promising. I probably would carry on with water changes, but you can definitely lessen their frequency. It shouldn't make really any difference in their time to reach microbial maturity. HOB filters actually have the advantage of a greater gas exchange surface area. Both...

Page 8 of the manual suggests that it is possible.

You'll need to provide a bit more information to get the best help: https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/please-read-the-guidelines-for-plant-help.60671/

I'd suggest that's a form of pollution in the aquarium and is to be avoided.

Just a thought: I will wait until the plants are healthy and growing before adding any fish, but during that interim period before adding fish, do I need to regularly add a source of ammonia to help cycling, or will the plant fertiliser provide that? Cheers

I have use it with out any issues. Actually one, being fluid, will tend to be washed and get collected on the surface of the water. So I'm using it very thin in places where I can't spread silicone grease. (For example on the water stops, taps and other difficult to reach gaskets).

Hi Any idea what’s wrong with these, I have co2 injection, hard water, shrimp,Congo tetra orange lemon tetra,

The Helialux smart controller comes with 5 preset profiles. My question is can I set the Standard profile for each day of the week, adding different light settings myself. Alistair

Quite entertaining, I expect to see some totally pissed posts by @zozo very soon - they may be better than his normal ones 🤣

Mine usually surf in pairs or trios and based on results, it is a mating pattern in my case. The females are larger and being chased if I look at the behaviour closely. I've seen glass surfing from other fish in the past, solo. There wasn't a source of stress that I could point to in those...

I've always left floaters in when carrying out a water change.

My floating plants grow so fast, I just leave them there. If they get in the way, they just get plowed through. Either they’ll break down in the tank and snails will eat them or they’ll get chucked out into the compost when I need to cull them anyway.

Congrats!

If you haven't already made plans to visit the attractions at Mandai Wildlife Reserve I would definitely recommend that you do. I'm sorry for suggesting something touristy but I absolutely love it there. River Wonders is a must visit if you're into freshwater habitats (and since you're on this...

I always leave them in, that is if you don't intend to do a massive or 100% water change. Then fill back up carefully, most should be fine and orientate themselves the right way up, those that don't you can give a helping hand to. I think S. minima is smaller than S. auriculata. Maybe Tropica...

I haven't drank alcohol for 25 years and now i want to buy a soda stream and get started! This guy is great!

Great, will take a look. Thanks for the advice.

I recently picked up some Salvinia minima for the Shrimphaus after seeing it in action at @Aquarium Gardens at the recent get-together. How do people deal with floating plants during a water change? Do you just suck out the water working around the floating plants or do you scoop them out and...

Yes that would be a good idea. But it’s a balancing act between light intensity and fertz dosing. It's one you’ll get the hang of with experience. Once the tank has become established it is possible to slowly increase the photoperiod to 12 hours. For frets dosing take a look at Darrel’s Duck...

All the masses ,volumes and costs are editable by design, so the end user can update the costs of the products they are using locally. Then it is just the currency symbol which is wrong. Just checked myself and when the currency is changed there is no exchange rate conversion it is just the...

If you ever get bored with your aquarium... :lol:

Thanks, I'm planning to go heavy on the Anubias and Frogbit; hoping that the latter provides shade for the former. E2A: Am I right in thinking that when I first plant I should start with c. 6hrs of light and about half liquid fertiliser dosing?

If you’re planning a low-energy tank, I’d just go ahead and plant. Media from an established filter is always good. But also there will be enough microorganisms on the plants to inoculate the tank and get the cycle going. Plant very densely from the get go, and you’ll be off to a good start.

Welcome

It’s not a cut and dry as this. Each tank is different and requires adjustments depending on plant and fish growth. AIO fertiliser mixes are a great way to start.

Hello! :wave:

Welcome 🙂

Community tank

What species?

I think that’s what I paid too, that’s a pretty big jump in price!

I have a friendly LFS, so I will definitely ask them for some media if it saves some cycling time. And yes, my thinking behind a species tank rather than community was that I could accommodate more corys, and hopefully that would make them happier 🙂

I use this and think this is a good All in one, l imagine it's similar to Tropica Specalised in that it contains all essential nutrients, My low tech aquariums l just add at weekly water change weekly. No difficult plants but the Amazon Swords are 15inches in sand no root tablets,l do add a bit...

Excuse the the stains on the glass, it's still a work in progress. Does anyone have experience with Vallisneria? Worth it or too invasive??

I usually plant straight away with inert sand or soil capped with sand, though I do mainly grow stem plants. One of the best ways of starting cycling is a squeeze of dirty water from a mature filter sponge! Or even a piece of sponge you can tuck into your own filter. That has everything you need...

Sounds good, welcome!

Ah OK , so even without aquasoil it's worth it as it gives the filter a chance to grow nitrifying bacteria without the "competition" of the plants? Do you have any personal experience of an effective ammonia source to cycle the filter if using an inert substrate? The internet being the...

Welcome! :wave:

Its actually TNC

Just kind of randomly appeared in my Instagram feed. Check out some of their other posts/reels. This Las Vegas-based custom aquarium manufacturer & installer has some nice show pieces exploring the broad & shallow tank idea with other really nice hardware. I have seldom seen freshwater...

Unfortunately I don't have room for a cansiter filter in my room Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

Is it ok to feed dried mealworms to tropical fish

Yeah it makes sense. I'm using in pounds, cos I am a little bit more used to it. At the end of the day, it's just a symbol, I can write whatever it may cost in Reais and forget about conversion, because I feed it with the prices I get in Brazil. But thanks anyway, I was just to eager to ask it...

I always thought it was more to do with oxygen than temperatures, as in fish will be fine with 30 as long as you keep an airstone running. Speaking of Singapore, I'll be visiting end of May for a week - do you have any tips or suggestions of what to see besides the usual tourist things ? :D...

You can do dark start to cycle the filter without fish but you will need ammonia to start the cycle which is normally provided by rich aqusoils like ada amazonia or tropica soil. You could just add ammonia or ghost feed with some fish food / frozen shrimp. I have became a firm advocate of...

I do and my wallet definitely isn't happy. 😁 The Parotocinclus haroldoi they have are £16 ea or 6 for £90. They were 6 for £50 the last time I bought them, I wonder if Parotocinclus are contributing towards headline inflation 😅

Hello all, I'm in the slow process of setting up a 70 litre low-tech tank (Ciano Aqua 80). It will have pool filter sand substrate, and I plan to have mostly wood for hardscape. In terms of plants, I plan to attach plenty of Anubias to the wood, as well as have Frogbit floating on top. Once it...

Stop doing water changes imo . Leave it be now light at the end of tunnel is not too far away. Aerate the tank at night to increase oxygenation. One thing i have learned with this hobby is be patient, if you try to force things it can have adverse effects

Some close ups

100% water change and plants in place... I think it looks good

Hang on the back filter are not my cup of tea , i used them in the start and took months to cycle, external filters are preferred choice for me now and they look better aswell with glass lily pipes and have larger space for biological filtration

Do you have a full tank shot? They could be stressed out if your tank doesn't have enough hiding places.

High nitrates was a bad time to introduce some new buce from a tissue culture - all leaves melted, perhaps some rhizome survived. Also lost a few leaves from one variety of buce that was well established, but it's recovering. Refilled my bubble counter, and it leaked CO2 afterwards which I could...

Welcome! :)

Yes it is possible But not going to happen. The cost breakdown was installed for a relative cost comparison of commercial ferts compared with diy Ferts with reference to the size of your tank and fert regime. Plus the prices was taken from the web at the time done in English pounds and then the...

I know high ammonia levels cause algae and high nitrate doesn't buy what about Nitrite? I'm still cycling my tank and my ammonia levels have subsided and my nitrite levels are high. Do high nitrite levels promote algae growth? Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

If anyone was wondering, I started the tank with local river sand and collected driftwood. Botanicals, mosses and plants sent from friends on this forum. Snails from my pond. I’ve gone down the sterile tank route before so decided to try something different this time. I was aiming for...

My nano shrimp tank is almost ready. I’ve got plants growing in, plenty of moss and some healthy tannins. Lots of detritus and leaves. Some snails from the pond have been on algae duty for a few weeks now and I’ve got one or two invertebrates scooting about. Seems like a nice home so far. One...

I’ve not seen any dead ones so I guess they’re just not breeding as freely as they were?

Are you actually seeing lots of bodies all of a sudden or is it that they just haven't been reproducing enough and the population is decreasing as a result? That would still be a problem, but not exactly the same as a die off event. I agree that lack of mineral content could be the problem...

Mmm... seems the tip of my c. Nurii is getting some colour. Interesting! To the right on the rock you can spot my bucephalandra 'red scorpion'.

Hello there!

Plan was to have a reactor be built by someone else but the delivery time could be up to 4 weeks. Since i am between jobs as a plumber atm i have some spare time to do it myself. To be continued :cool:

I’ve had a look at the link Darrel. http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/RO.htm I’ve got some gram scales I use with Fertiliser salts so I could get those listed in the link. I’m not sure exactly how I’d use the resultant 25K solution though.

Oh I love this. It looks really natural and a bit more dirty, which is probably heaven for the fish. Excellent job!

Thanks for that Darrel. I’m still on the original small bottle of Replenish I bought over 5 years ago. I didn’t use it very often but perhaps the last dose I put in a few weeks back has caused the problem. I’m going to leave things as they are for a while but I’ll try adding some tap water...

Another slightly quirky question. I'm taking delivery of a replacement 3D printer and wondering what applications folks have put these to in their aquariums.......again, maybe this is a separate post!? 😊

I should probably post a separate thread, but I'm looking to restock my shrimp population. Any recommendations on where to purchase these from? My limited experience has been that the local shops (I'm in Surrey, near Guildford) rarely have what I want and ordering online has ultimately...

Finally organised the cabinet and have things laid out how I want them :)

They’ll ship to you. They’re actually one of the best when it comes to mail order, I’ve had them send me tetras individually packed. I have had Parotocinclus Haroldoi from them. They’re not like your usual dwarf loricariid and are feisty little things. They were originally in a two foot tank...

at 80% humidity i'm not surprised!

Hi all, I've only passed through the airport a couple of times, and both times the weather was wet and my first thought was "wow, it is incredibly hot and sticky". cheers Darrel

Got home kinda late. I've been getting home later these days so i've adjusted my lights to turn on half an hour later and turn off half an hour later too. Also adjusted my CO2 to turn on later and changed it to turn on 1 hour before the lights turn on instead of 1.5 hours. Anyway, just wanted...

Hi all, That is quite a lot of salts (ions). The bogwood won't make much difference, the TDS meter is measuring conductivity and non-ionic compounds don't add electrical conductivity, although they would add ppm TDS if that was what we were actually measuring. I'd definitely stop adding...

How I wish I lived near Pier Aquatics (although my wallet would not be happy). Have been told they had a brazil shipment with Parotocinclus Haroldoi in for anyone looking for them.

Hi all, I'd guess the water has got too soft for them. It has rained a lot in the last 18 months, which will have washed all the limestone (calcium carbonate (CaCO3)) dust from both roofs and the atmosphere. I measured the conductivity of the water from the water butt at home recently (not a...

Welcome to UKAPS.

...Acids and Bases | Introductory Chemistry">. What the calcium hydroxide doesn't add is any carbonate buffering (dKH) because <"it is a strong base*"> and the hydroxide ions (OH-) go into solution (solubility is only 1.73 g/L (20 °C)). It will raise dGH, because you've added calcium (Ca++)...

So I have good news, after doing multiple tests spread throughout the day I'm glad to say that my cycle has transitioned to the next stage and I no longer have high ammonia readings (my tests have shown 0.2ppm) and I have 8ppm Nitrites. My question now is Do I have to do excessive water changes...

Thank you for your replay Darrel. I think I was just inpatient, Tuesday evening pH was already bit lower, and Wednesday morning reached 7.5 and didn't go above 8 since. I can forget my worries of harming fish when I let them in. (I'm using calibrated probe with fresh, trusted standards) My tap...