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Thanks for the help. I've now contacted both Pro-Shrimp and Aquael in Poland. Aquael told me to contact Pro Shrimp who even after two emails, one containing the reply from Aqauel, haven't had the decency to respond. I then went back to Aquael explaining that Pro Shrimp hadn't replied and they...

Thanks for all the help, really appreciated. I tried the heater in a jug of water but it looks like the element has gone, the body of the heater doesn't get warm at all. Really disappointed with Aquael, they've not replied at all and I can't find out how long the guarantee run for. This heater...

Not really sure what a photo would show but the temperature seems to have been dropping. It was 26 and now it's down to 22. I've put a cheap SuperFish heater in to stop the temperature falling. until I can get a replacement Aquael Ultra.

One of the Aquael Ultra heaters in my shrimp tanks has started flashing with the small light indicators sort of going around in a circle. Never had this before, I've tried to contact Aquael but no reply so far and no "troubleshooting" help on the instructions. Any one had or seen this before or...

Thanks for the help, I'll give it a try before doing anything else.

Thanks for the reply. The sand has been in this particular tank for about 18 months. The main reason for changing the sand is that bubbles are starting to come out of the substrate and I wasn't sure if this was gaseous.

The white Maui sand in one of my earliest tanks is now quite dirty and discoloured and I hope to change it by siphoning it out a patch at a time. Naturally as I siphon the sand, water is drawn out too and I'm just wondering how often I can do this (topping up the water) without causing problems...

Thanks for the help. Really appreciated.

Thanks for the help Mort, really appreciated.

Can anyone advise if Redmoor roots are the same as Azalea roots please? Another hobby I enjoy is Bonsai and one type of Bonsai design is call Tanuki which is basically combining living plants with dead wood. I've seen Redmoor available in quite a few shops but never Azalea roots. The Azalea...

Most years, Chatsworth House in Derbyshire host an exhibition of sculpture from famous artists the World over. This years exhibition comes all the way from the Arizona desert and is called Radical Horizons - The Art of Burning Man. To give an idea of how big the statues are, the lady in the...

Thanks Darrel. I was just a bit concerned that the 30PPI was a bit on the large side for shrimplets.

Another update. The Poret sponge blocks arrived safe and sound and fit the Mini Pat quite well. I've now set one tank up with the new combination before I go ahead and change the others too. The Poret blocks come with a central plastic insert that is a good push fit on to the Mini Pat housing...

Brilliant, thanks for the help Darrel, really appreciated.

As a bit of an update, I ordered a couple of the Poret Mini Pat replacement filters mentioned in a post above. As I only have one Mini Pat per tank, can I ask what would be the best way to colonise the new Poret filters please?

Thanks for the help, really appreciated.

This is what I'm using in the Scapers tanks at the minute. Aquael head seems really good, it's just the sponges that clog up so easily.

Darrel, do you have a link at all? Can't seem to find the post Konsa mentions

My large tanks have external filters but on my smaller 35l Scapers tanks I use Aquael Mini Pat filters running through two round sponge filters. Not sure if the sponge filters I'm buying aren't up to the job but within a short time of replacing them they start to bow in at the centres, even...

Thanks Nick. I'm not a great shopper, can I ask what area I would find this in Sainsbury's please, freezers or maybe in a specialist isle?

Can anyone please advise if these seaweed sheets OK to feed in a tropical tank? All the videos I've seen feeding seaweed were marines.

That's a new one on me, I'll try and find it. It's been a struggle even getting something as simple as Baby Spinach. Is it something like this?

I managed to get some Baby Spinach from my local Tesco but the bag I got was more old leather than baby spinach. I picked a few of the smaller, brighter green leaves out and put them in different tanks and the shrimp were on them more or less straight away quickly followed by the Ottos. Thanks...

Just as an add on, how often can I feed Courgette please? The Ottos really like it but don't want to cause them problems by overfeeding greens if that's at all possible. I will be getting some Baby Spinach as soon as I can find some so would be able to alternate with Courgette if that's OK?

Brilliant, thank you.

I have to shamefully admit to not being a shopper but will it actually say 'Baby Spinach' on the packets or do I just feed the smaller leaves?

Thanks for all the help, really appreciated.

My Ottos and shrimp have just taken a liking to blanched Courgette but they don't seem to bother until it's been in the tank for a few hours. How long can I safely leave the slices of Courgette in the tanks please?

Brilliant, thanks for all the help. Really appreciated.

Never thought, but I would probably better off if I had a couple of separate rocks I could use just for Repashy. Pour it on as you say, let it cool and then put them in the tanks.

A couple of videos I've watched mention spreading Repashy on rocks for Ottos to feed on. Can anyone advise how to do this please? If I try to add it to rocks once it has set, the cubes just break apart and I wondered if there was a way I could spread it before it sets.

That's great, thanks for all the help. Really appreciated.

Thanks for the reply, I do use them but I find they're not as good as the scouring bit on the supermarket sponges.

To help with cleaning the inside of my tanks, I pull the coarse white scrubber part from the supermarket sponges and attach it to the end of a tank scraper. Does anyone know if you can buy the coarse white material separately? When I pull the white away from the sponge, there is quite often...

Brilliant Mort, thanks for the help. Really appreciated.

As a bit of a follow on from the first question, I managed to get a number of new round sponges to replace the ones that are collapsing in. If I replace the sponges in the tanks one at a time, how long should I leave before I replace the second one? I'm hoping the bacteria from the old sponge...

Thanks for the help, really appreciated.

In a couple of my shrimp only tanks I use the round air driven filters attached through a Mini Pat pump. Recently the filters like the ones in the photo, have started collapsing even though they were only cleaned a week or so ago. By collapsing in, I mean the shape of the filters looks like an...

I'm starting to get a problem with snails in one of my shrimp tanks. The only way I can describe the snails is 'small'. The largest they seem to grow is roughly 3 to 4mm. Can anyone advise on a safe way to get rid of them from the tank please? I have been picking them out when they're on the...

Thanks for the help, really appreciated.

Thanks for the reply Mort, really appreciated. I wouldn't say the Cardinals were nice and plump but I do take your suggestion. Not so many visible shrimplets about lately but they do have plenty of moss for cover and places to 'hide'.

Thanks for the reply, really appreciated.

A couple of months ago I added 8 Cardinal Tetras to one of my shrimp tanks but I'm finding they are very 'picky' eaters. I've tried Tetra Micro Crisps, Bug Bites and even bought a tub of the Dennerle Neon&Co booster food but they're still not really bothered. JBL's Nova Tabs stick on tablets are...

Cardinals have been in a couple of hours now and so far, no problems. If anything, the shrimp are more interested in the fish than the other way round. Thanks to everyone for all the help, really appreciated.

Brilliant, thanks for all the help. Really appreciated.

Apologies for the dumb question but can anyone please advise how I should be feeding live Daphnia to the fish in my tanks? My local store should have some in tomorrow and I'm told they are in 100ml sachets? Not sure if I strain them through a net or put the contents of the sachet into the tank...

Early morning at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire.

I've only ever fed the Harlequin Rasboras I have with frozen Cyclops but I've just rung around the local stores and most seem to have live Daphnia available. Never fed live before so it will be a new experience for both me and the fish.

Brilliant, Mort, Shangman, thank you both for the great replies. Really appreciate the help. I happened to call in at my local store this morning and one of the first things that caught my eye was the Cardinals in a tank with a black background, they really stood out. All my tanks have black...

Thanks Ian.

Having a number of tanks with Blue Dream shrimp and I'd like to try and add a few Cardinal Tetras into one of them. Has anyone had experiences of this mix please? Or Cardinals with any shrimp. I do have other tanks with Red Sakura that have small shoals of Harlequin Rasboras and they get along...

I started with RCS probably 18 months ago, buying 12 Red Sakura and I can only repeat what Zeus said above, they are pretty bullet proof. I have a number of tanks and all seem to do really well without any particular care or attention. A couple of the tanks have Harlequin Rasboras but they are...

Thanks Gill, I'll have a look for them.

When removing algae from the glass, I've always used one of the Tetra glass cleaners, the ones with the razor blades. For some reason it no longer seems to work so well even though I keep replacing the blades. It just seems as though it will work on one end as I move it up and down the inside of...

Trying to get an image of Whitby Abbey without people in the shot is far from easy. This one was taken just after the grounds opened to visitors and it was still busy. If the people didn't stay in one position for too long, it was just about possible with the help of a 10 stop filter. This was a...

It's great to see the farmers creating wildflower strips in the fields around Chesterfield in Derbyshire. It's really good for the pollinators too.

This one's from the tiny village of Pilsley on the Chatsworth House Estate here in Derbyshire.

Not sure if there are any Oasis fans on here but this is a shot of The Old Waiting Room at Cromford Railway Station in Derbyshire. It was featured on the cover of their first hit single, Some Might Say. The building fell into a bit of a state but was recently refurbished and it's now a holiday...

No Jamila, this is at the far end of the canal near Whatstandwell. The main navigable stretch between the point you mention is fine and still well looked after.

What looks like Duck Weed covers the unused part of the Cromford Canal neat Matlock Bath in Derbyshire.

How about this in one of your tanks? This is Robin Hood's Stride near the village of Winster in Derbyshire. Legend has it that the outlaw Robin Hood often stood astride the two main rocks looking out over the landscape.

Darrel, Tom, thanks for the help, I'll give the cold tap a try.

In my three shrimp only tanks I use the standard round filters attached to the Aquael Mini Pat powerhead and I always struggle to get all the muck out of the filters which naturally slows the flow down. Does anyone have any ideas for getting the filters really clean at all please? At the...

Thanks for the help.

Thanks for the help. Really appreciated.

The 40cm one please. I have a number of Dennerle Scapers 35 tanks and they fit those really well.

Brilliant, thanks for all the help in identifying the differences in the A and A Plus series. If anyone knows where the A Plus lights are still on sale, it would be great if you could please let me know.

The short answer to that is, I'm not sure. I know they look a little different but as far as the output and functions go, I couldn't really say. I do remember there was a lot of talk about the Plus series when they first came out and most of it was good.

Does anyone know if the Chiros A Series Plus light units are still available at all? I've searched the usual places but found nothing. I want to start a new Scapers tank and I like to keep all the tanks looking uniform if at all possible.

I have only needed to use the Clarity on five or six occasions since the first time back in August. Neither fish (Harlequin Rasboras) or Shrimp suffered any ill effects or showed any signs of discomfort whenever it was used.

Thank you Paulo. Really appreciate the comments.

Rebel, Wookii, thank you both for the kind words. Really appreciated.

Really pleased to learn that my image of the Winter Blue Tit has won the Matlock Photographer Of The Year competition for me. The competition theme for 2020 was Derbyshire Wildlife. It's a great feeling to know that others enjoy the work that I do, makes all the early mornings and late nights...

Thanks for all the help Darrel, really appreciated.

Thanks Darrel. Most of the larger blocks I've seen are a bit on the coarse side for the tiny shrimp babies. That was why I went for the round sponges. I've also seen some recently that have a sort of cup at the base for holding ceramic media.

Thanks for that, it makes more sense. I read it on the Aquael website. Even with the "tanks up to 120 litres" wording I think I should be OK with just one in the 60 litre tank.

Thanks Nick, I always get confused between Biofiltration and Mechanical.

I have 5 or 6 of the Aquael Mini Pat filters running through the double sponge filter conversion in my Dennerle 35 litre tanks and they are really good. I also have an older Juwel Rekord 60 litre tank that still uses its own Juwel square box filter which I'd like to get rid of and install one of...

For the last couple of months, every time I do a weekly 50% water change in my Harlequin and Shrimp tank I get what looks like a bacterial bloom. This only last for roughly 24 hours and then clears up again. This tank is one of the earlier Juwel 100 litre tanks with their usual internal filter...

Chatsworth House in Derbyshire Two of Chatsworth's colourful Flame Trees near the James Payne bridge are well into their autumn colours. Shame it's so difficult to get to the house and grounds at the minute as every visit has to be pre-booked due to the restrictions.

Thanks for the help. Really appreciated.

Thanks Darrel. Yes, they come off quite easily, one on each side of a centre column sitting on their own intake pole. Sort of like the one below which was on YouTube. The Aquael Mini Pat comes with quite a coarse filter as standard and it's not the best best for baby shrimp. The Aquael head...

In my Blue Dream shrimp only tank, I'm running the Aquael Mini Pat head with the double sponge filter setup and it's the first time I've used this type of internal filter. Although everything's working really well at the minute and I guess it all depends on the tank loading but how often should...

Talking of foam degassing, in my office there is a stack of mail trays, each having a grill type base. In one of the trays I had a foam tube which had been sitting in the tray for quite some time and as I was searching for a USB stick, I tried to move the tube. After a bit of tugging, the tube...

Your "population" will expand without much doubt. When I started with Red Sakuras, I could easily count them all without having to take my shoes and socks off. Now there are hundreds.

From my local reservoir, a fairly large family of Kingfishers.

As a follow on from my earlier Baby Blues post, and now my eyes are getting more used to spotting the new blue babies, I'm a bit confused. The only shrimp in this tank are Blue Dream, and, unless my eyes are failing badly, I'm 99% sure I have at least one red baby in with all the blue ones. Is...

Just spotted my first babies from the Blue Dreams I got from Steve. So much harder to spot than the Red Sakuras. The Blue Dreams were my first experience of buying shrimp online. I was worried about them coming by carrier but they arrived safe and sound as their new offspring show.

Sunrise over the church of St Barnabas. Early morning mists and a decent sunrise too. I normally have very early starts to reach venues for a sunrise within the Peak District, luckily for me, this one was less that a couple of hundred metres from my front door. Didn't even need to start the car.

Thanks for the help, really appreciated. I initially thought of using one of the Soching Oxydators but all the usual stockists seem to be struggling to get hold of them at the minute.

Just watched one of the videos on Mark's Shrimp Tanks channel. In the video he talks about adding a percentage of H202 to the tank water and lists the advantages this can bring. Does anyone on here use H202 in this way at all? A number of people asked How Often Mark used the H202 but for some...

Thanks for all the help and advice. Really appreciated.

After Googling Betta with Shrimp, I found conflicting answers. Does anyone on here keep a Betta with their shrimp? I’ve searched Google and there are conflicting answers

That's what I was hoping for. I made a bit of a daft mistake when I set the Blue Dream tank up. As with all my other tanks, I used a black vinyl background and the blue shrimp get lost against it. Hopefully the Embers will add a bit of colour until I can get round to changing the background.

I have a tank with Blue Dream shrimp in it and at the minute, they look a little lost. Just wondering if Ember Tetras would make good tank mates for the shrimp? My other tropical tanks are shared by Harlequin Rasboras and Fire Red Sakura shrimp and they continue to thrive and they have always...

In Kishan's earlier post about water conditioners, Zeus replied: "Prime if straight from the tap (mains) double dose in summer months when water companies increase agents to compensate for higher tap temps" Not wanting to muddy that thread I thought I'd start another one. I had no idea at all...

This was the Weeping Moss bush taken some time ago. If you can imagine that with an extra two months of growth, it was taking up half of the tank. It was glued to the rock you can just about see in the bottom centre of the bush.

While trimming a very large bush of Weeping Moss I was a bit to aggressive and must have loosened it from the rock it's glued to. Is it safe to try and spot glue the moss back to the rock with the fish and shrimp still in the tank? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Finally starting to see the temperature come down after a combination of cooler weather and a fan blowing across the surface of the water. I have for the short term removed the glass lid and I think this has helped too. The tank upstairs has 12 Blue Dream shrimp in it and now the temperature is...

The thinking behind the freezer blocks is that the liquid in them stays colder for quite a bit longer. The ice cubes in a plastic bag do not last very long at all.