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Does the aim of the perfect planted tank (little algae), conflict with keeping lots of Amano shrimp successfully. I have many Amano shrimp but have never had any climb out (although it would be easy for them to do). I have a highly fish stocked planted tank with plenty of algae & detritus, not...

Here's a previous thread on the San Francisco passive CO2 example from a couple of years ago, for further information: https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/the-best-diy-type-planted-tank-shop-in-the-us.53449/

Nice tribute to Peter Mayhew, the actor who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies who died a few days ago... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48142765

Interesting little things Goldcrest very curious birds. Seem to behave a bit like wrens, had one running around my feet a few years ago seemed to be looking for insects disturbed by my footsteps. It stayed next to me for quite a few minutes while I took its photo, it was a pleasure & here it is...….

Height is more important to Discus than tank width, mine could go anywhere in my tank but chooses to spend its time going up & down the glass. Some of them are shown turning so all appears ok. Although from the practical point of view, I bet the tank designer isn't the one cleaning the front...

Following the latest YouTube trend I dropped a Sweet Potato in my tank a couple of weeks ago. Hung it from a tie wrap & a couple of suckers. Has anyone else tried it & what were the results ? The roots have expanded nicely, will need to do a bit of topiary with the leaves pinching out the...

24 Hours later, 100+ Assassin Snails with a few Amano Shrimp have made short work of the body. Just a glass like skeleton remains, ghostly but rather beautiful. I'm afraid my camera work doesn't do it justice..... I watched the TV programme 'Blue Planet' the 'Deep Ocean' episode a while ago...

Just found a casualty in my tank :( but not before my inverts did...… Shame about the Columbian Tetra but my Assassin Snails & Amano shrimp are making the most of it. Not sure what killed it as they all seem healthy. Eleven tetra's left, all seem ok as is my Discus but time for a bit more...

Perhaps the fall in the value of the £ might have something to do with it. They seemed expensive in the UK for a very slow growing plant when I bought mine years ago. I bet the rarer varieties are extortionate.

Humans are part of nature, for us to live something has to die whether it be animal or vegetable. So called 'old minds' haven't forgotten this reality a few prefer to ignore it & pretend their survival doesn't depend on it. You cannot practically stun an entire net full of fish in a heaving...

Not sure you can extrapolate this behaviour from Cleaner fish to fish generally. Cleaner fish need to read subtle clues from other fish in order not to get eaten so nature evolves these traits in preference to others. Many other fish rely on schooling behaviour to survive & so evolution selects...

And it works..... "Moped Crime Drops 44%" https://www.metro.news/moped-crime-drops-44-as-police-take-hardline-and-ram-thugs-off-roads/1322114/ :thumbup:

Sorry I missed your original post same thing happened to me fry swimming through the holes even though they didn't look big enough. In the end I used a plastic milk bottle with no holes floated in the tank with a twice daily partially water change. As for fry food I found that Liquifry wasn't...

Fish corpses decompose incredibly quickly in a tropical aquarium temperatures it doesn't take long for fish,shrimp & snails to tuck in..... :dead:

Not sure this is true over time. I used to run 2 fluorescent tubes on my aquarium & had to swap them over carefully to maintain roughly the same light levels. If I didn't I noticed more algae appeared as the amount of available light fluctuated. Perhaps LED's suffer much less degradation over...

Your shrimp will just be expensive Angelfish food unless you use a plastic mesh tank divider for a smaller separate shrimp area within the tank. Shrimp may still cross into the predator side & be eaten depending on the divider hole size. You can tie wrap a smaller fly screen or garden shading...

They seem to appear randomly, just keep looking or ask your LFS for a special order. Are you sure they were medium sized ? I bought medium sized ones to stop my discus from eating them I'm surprised that mollies can handle them.

Thank you for posting this, I was looking at this system in my LFS to use a small amount of CO2, on a try it & see basis, but only saw the diffusers not the bell option.

5 for £15 at my LFS, medium size......

Update: One year & eight months on.... Carpeting plants spread well, a little more algae than is ideal but still manageable, liquid fertilizer reduced to very little. Considering adding a small CO2 bottle to the tank but not really sure yet. Added 12 Columbian Tetra's to my setup a few months...

Just vacuumed my tank for the first time in 2 years as mulm was getting trapped in my carpeting plants. Prefer to blast plants with a turkey baster regularly to keep mulm in suspension. Over time the mulm tends to accumulate in one part of the tank due to water currents so easy to vac...

They can take a while to settle in, mine used to hide behind my internal filter before venturing out further into the tank as a group to forage (it was about a month before I saw them). If you over feed the tank you are likely to see them less as they have less reason to move around the tank to...

I generally add a small amount of fish food to decay then give it two weeks after setup & check the parameters. You should see the nitrogen cycle complete before adding a small number of cherry barbs. I mainly keep aquariums for the fish so I'm less sure what is perfect for the plants.

If you want a lighter background consider putting aluminium foil on the sides of your tank for more depth perception. It picks up the reflection from the lights, cheap & no power costs. I used radiator reflective foil, it also blocks light from outside the tank so less algae scraping.

I have one in a 33g (US) for extra algae control with Amano's, been in there for 2 years so doing well. I don't see him very often but he hangs around with my 8 large Sterbai Cory's. But in general the more the better, if you want to see them regularly.

Ignore this post, misread the question....

Thanks for posting the vid. brought back a few memories especially the puffers as I saw a large shoal of them swimming along a drop off when I was there (breeding behaviour?). The professional UW cameramen make it look easy with their steady shots but when you're fighting against tide/surge...

That name rings a bell, I seem to remember their were Hurricane Wings strapped to the sides of the hold, but that might be another wreck I suppose, it was many years ago. I remember a train like you said some distance from the main wreckage. Wish I had a UW camera then but never mind. Good it's...

I agree about the Egypt wrecks, dived them myself out of Sharm on a liveaboard many years ago & full of fish. Best one as I remember contained aeroplanes/BSA motorcycles in the hold & a steam train ! Scapa Flow gives it a run for its money by sheer scale, although the viz wasn't as good....

200 mile limit after Brexit..... ;)

Don't think there is one & they all get louder with wear. So I leave mine on a timer overnight. This guy compares four different brands for quietness but none are silent.....

Like keeping a few chickens on a small holding I suppose, keep it as a feature fish till it gets too large, then it's Caribbean Tarpon baking time...… Looks tasty, takes a while to remove the bones though... :hungry:

Be aware, when adding assassin snails that you're not replacing one problem with another. I added 3 assassin snails to my tank which did reduce snail numbers the only ones that escaped live above the waterline. But now I have hundreds of baby assassin snails, they're everywhere !!! :eek:

Depends on filter type / size. For example I use an internal filter correctly sized for my tank. When flow rate drops due to clogging I rinse the filter sponge in tank water. I've got it down to a fine art (every two weeks seems about right for me). Now I just need to find an internal filter...

If you keep debris in suspension it doesn't build up so much, the current will move debris to the filter sponge.

Wrong forum, try http://www.fungi.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=1 but I would suggest if you have to ask then they're NOT..... :sick:

Do the best you can & take comfort that whatever you do to despatch a fish it's passing will be easier than those caught on a trawler, gasping for air on the deck.

You could also put a heater mat on a timer, extending the overall fermentation period & reducing CO2 production overnight but increasing during the day when the mat warms up, though it might take a bit of trial & error to get right.

From my Home Wine making days I remember that you can buy heater mats for the bottle to control the reaction. Higher temperature for faster reaction & higher CO2 production for a shorter period. Very tasty.

Float bag for an hour in a dark tank, add water at regular intervals, drain water in bag & release fish.

I must admit some of the US electrical practices I've seen on YouTube are quite 'interesting' shall we say. Definitely a bit of a challenge catching the fish but after 40 years he must be good at it (two small nets & a lot of patience I think). The moss bridges on the surface were quite...

I meant to post this before but forgot, plant heavy shop visit to San Francisco aquatic shop by Aquarium Co-Op, 40y years old ! Deep Sand beds to de-nitrify (seen it in salt but not freshwater) DIY CO2 in tank bottle chambers with foam float for CO2 in multiple tanks Moss bridges on tank...

Tie a bunch of them to an airline sucker with cotton & stick them on the side of your tank till they're bigger.

This fella built a fish tank in his old car. I don't think the plant is real, but I think cleaning algae from the glass would be hard work :wacky:

Anglers return fish in many countries (with quotas for taking some) this is due to that popularity of the sport & so that it doesn't affect fish stocks which is especially important in smaller countries such as the UK. Anglers also fund legal action against polluters who kill fish by releasing...

Used to have a rabbit who chased our cat around. The cat would stalk it then get chased by the rabbit when it got too close (that bunny was rock hard).

I agree which is why the governing bodies need to change the 'breed standard' for different dog breeds. That way they would maintain value but eventually return to a healthier dog breed. It's a long term problem requiring a long term fix (unless cloning takes off but that's a different debate).

90% is stretching it too far but I agree there is a problem with breed standards that put aesthetics above the health of the dog especially pugs, bulldogs etc. A little 'mongrel mutt' genetics required in the mix I think.

I'm not sure you should try to analyse this sort of thing too hard you should try to provide the best you can reasonably with the current knowledge available. The legislation itself is in conflict if we were to follow part (c)its need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns we should...

All fish keepers are psychopaths its just a question of degree...……. https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/blog/articles/are-fishkeepers-psychopaths

Depends on light direction from inside/outside the tank for how reflective a particular wall is. I can only speak of the fish behaviour in my tank.

I prefer to feed my fish smaller amounts four times a day (that's four hours interaction/hunting food a day).

It does have a friend, it can see it's reflection in the glass (budgie with a mirror situation). It's the reason my Cory's surf the glass sides of my tank. It's happy to see its owner for the same reason my Discus is, I feed it.

I've been using Flourish Excel for about 6 months now. It seems to work ok & less algae than I've had in other setups in previous years.

Sounds like its just moulted. It will hide away but return to normal self when the new shell hardens - Normal predator avoidance behaviour (mine do the same)

Always buy a second heater you can generally tell by fish behaviour & confirm with temp. gauge any temp issues. I found this many years ago when I had a heater go faulty but couldn't get a new one quick enough I lost discus & a few of the more sensitive dither fish. Lesson learnt :(

Just a thought if you had to disturb your substrate when transplanting your plants it may have released trapped toxins. I had the same happen to me when I replanted some Staurogyne Reopens in my tank my Discus wasn't happy turned dark but recovered ok. These people may have more specific answers...

Consider increasing aeration & trimming any surface covering plants. Its been a bit warmer recently & my tank is a couple of degrees above normal (higher temps. hold less oxygen etc.)

Personally I would take the opportunity to rinse out out the butt if you've not used it before (use the water in it for any houseplants). Only you can judge if you think the existing waters been stood too long. I generally only do large water changes after periods of heavy rain, but then I only...

I use rainwater from a water butt for my tank. The only extra measure I take is to put a piece of aquarium foam in the box that leads from the downpipe to the water butt to collect the sediment. I been doing it for more than 15 years now with no problems. Unless you are in a heavily industrial...

https://ornamentalfish.org/oata-offers-pond-plant-alternatives-aquatic-species-no-longer-sale/ Amazon Frogbit (surface plant) is a good alternative I have it in my Discus tank at higher temperatures 82/28 & it does well

If you are planning high density plant roots I would separate it with the acrylic sheet. My Discus got stuck in plants I had on the side of the tank near the surface it managed to work itself deep into the roots chasing a piece of flake. Discus shape means it's can be hard for them to turn...

Only bred Cory Sterbai before myself but hardest thing I found was encouraging them to lay eggs in a place I could easily see. Solution was to put a stem plant with easy to see individual leaves 'Ludwigia Glandulosa' as the only plant near the highest water flow area (internal filter outlet). I...

Put houseplants down the back of your tank like I have (Belt & Braces approach) currently I have: Peace Lily, Pothos, Flamingo Plant, Baby Tears like so.... Water change needs are minimal despite having a heavily stocked planted tank. I also rate Frogbit & Java Fern to use the nitrates as well.

While I knew corals could produce toxins when threatened I didn't realise they could be airborne :eek: Also found this http://nationalpost.com/news/world/homegrown-coral-reefs-can-spew-dangerous-airborne-toxins-if-handled-incorrectly

That's an awful lot of words............ 1) Decide what fish you want 2) Research their needs 3) Provide the environment they required You won't go far wrong........ (However cats in costume are funny :))

All Dr. Pittman did was chemically alter his Zebra fish so it cared less about the environment it was in. You couldn't infer it was depressed. I'm sure if you gave most well adjusted people anti depressants they would get a temporary boost. The difference between 'feeling a bit down' &...

Have a look at this 'Aquarium/Paludarium with fish and reptiles' for a bit of inspiration

Sorry to burst your bubble, but don't order that Rolls Royce yet.... :( https://phys.org/news/2017-08-algal-biofuel-production-environmentally-commercially.html However Algae flavoured tea is the next big thing I have two varieties Green & Black with an inexhaustible supply. I'm gonna be so...

Thanks for the feedback - gives me a bit more confidence to persist Also thanks for the magnetic clip tip (I've noticed that some suction cup are better than others Algarde seems to be ok some others don't last long).

I'm running out of space on my substrate & surface to grow plants on. So using airline suckers cups to place Buce, Anubius & Java Fern on the glass sides of my tank. I've also started propagating Ludwegia 'stem plants' by tying bunches of the trimmed plants to suckers with fishing line & it...

I take action if Nitrate gets to 40mg/l (occasionally measured by API test strip) but generally rely on my Discus & plant behaviour to monitor water quality. However my tank is heavily stocked with fish/shrimp/plants plus houseplant filter & Nitrate removing resin in an internal filter. I also...

I think it depends: For the most popular tropical fish captive bred is the way to go as wild stocks could probably not sustain heavy commercial pressure plus it gives an income to the breeder & cheaper fish so everybody wins. For less popular & rarer fish a combination of wild & captive bred...

Quarantine period Tank Labelling How long has it been open ? If its good likely to be longer Specialisation - Freshwater, Sea , Koi (is it a jack of all trades master of none) Does it look cared for No dead/ill fish, clean substrate (if any) Customer Care - can they retain knowledgeable staff...

Just a thought check your tank temperature - I keep mine at higher temps. for discus with crypts but in summer with the warmer weather they melted but came back ok from the roots. Also ensure you aren't dosing liquid CO2 above the recommended level as I had a few Crypt leaves melt a little when...

Here's mine growing emersed next to my filter outlet its called Bucephalandra 'Red' & rather nice (with Anubias & Ludwigia in the foreground).

Me too, here's my latest acquisition 'Bucephalandra Red' looks really nice. Also useful if you want some peace, just talk about them in great detail & you will find they get the point (unless they also have a tank). Either way everyone's a winner. :lol:

You might want to move the Crypts further left to hide the left filter. Move the Vallisneria a little right to hide the other filter when viewed from the front. Change the angle of the tubes slightly & face the open end more towards the front glass to open up the Kuhli/Shrimp tubes insides for...

Try using a cheap salt/pepper mill to grind pellets for fry instead, it saves a lot of time & elbow grease.

Found reduced price 'Flamingo' houseplant (Anthurium Scherzerianum) in local supermarket love a bargain. Split it into three. Dropped it into the top of my tank roots trailing (in between my Peace Lilies & Pothos) Has anyone else tried a 'Flamingo' houseplant in a tank & did it survive ?

I only use dried food in my tanks (stored near the tank). As long as you avoid damp & high temperatures mine lasts for a year or more. Can't see a use for frozen food unless you have a species of fish or a wild fish with particular requirements. Its more important to ensure that each species is...

Well I love it - but would have made it narrower & added wild discus. When I graduate to 'super villain' status & my plans for world domination are on hold I know I'll be building this tank. :mad:

I think there has been a problem with Dwarf Gourami's as a species in the aquarium trade for many years. I remember more than 10 years ago seeing tanks of Dwarf Gourami's arrive at fish shops only to go into rapid decline. Only the Dwarf Gourami's seemed to be affected other type of Gourami were...

The blue stain disappeared gradually as I did my normal weekly water change but didn't spoil the look of the tank.

Used Esha2000 myself a few months ago to treat a fungus problem with one of my Cory's. Treated the entire tank as directed the water turned blue during the treatment. Seemed to slow the fungus down but didn't cure it on the Cory concerned it eventually died but it was a stunted fish so proberbly...

Or buy a Snail Catcher (not tried it myself but worth considering I suppose) http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/snail-catcher-2381-p.asp

New year so Thought I'd update my journal. Added new plants 'Cryptocoryne Balansae' trying to carpet 'Staurogyne Repens'. No full tank shot as have baby Cory's in floating fry tank on the front spoiling the view. Been playing around with YouTube video of the parents in my tank.

If you really need to squish them you need to group them together first. On my tank I attached Anubias plant on a airline sucker emerging from the water on a corner of the front glass if you wait till the light comes on they gather in the shade of the Anubias you can then user an old credit card...

Learn to love the snails :happy: I have some in mine but they don't do any harm (aside from looking a little untidy on the front glass). If they bother you then reduce the amount of food & vacuum your tank.

I had a similar problem but with the Fluval U3 (same design but an internal filter a size smaller). The Fluval U3 had only small sponge media on either side of the filter it used to clog very easily. Personally I think that the old Fluval 3 was better & easier to maintain. Why it seems to be...

Had a similar happy event with my Cory Sterbai fry a few days ago here's one eating ganules on my Anubias leaf. Dropped in another six Cory fry today they are playing hide & seek with my discus (very sucessfully, so I put them in at the right size).

I would have thought that more is better in a mature heavily planted tank. Sheer numbers should mean they interact as a shoal & you see them more. I only have one Otto in a 125L tank I don't see him very often when I do he seems healthy but seems to prefer to eat algae off the wood/plants rather...

After many years of using a turkey baster to deliver exact amounts of food to my fish I have discovered the delights of a salt/pepper mill. I crush granules to powder for my Corys stopping my Discus from eating all the food before they get the chance (saves me a lot of time). Anyone else know...

I did the same again dosing with Excel & it grew ok I could also propagate it but made the mistake of planting it too thickly which seemed to encourage detritus to gather about the base. Tried another pot and this time planted it a bit further apart which seemed to work better. The plantlets on...

I've used Easycarbo with my 5 large Amano shrimp but noticed no change in their behaviour before/after use. They have always been inconsistant in their behaviour when moving around the tank. What I would say is that they seem to establish a base together somewhere they feel safe (between my...

It a shame Cory's seem to be quite resilient after a few years in the same tank. So a coincidence I would hope especially as their were no previous signs & Cory was relatively young at 3 years old. I don't know your tank setup but I would consider. Overstocking as your stock may have grown in...

I had a Syndontis Angelicus & Synodontis Multipunctatus (I think) many years ago I seem to remember that I used ribbed rubber pond pipe stacked in trio's cable wrapped together & covered with Java fern & Anubius (I think I had a lot of crypts in the tank as well). What I would say is your...

I think you might mean "How to breed Corydoras Eric Bodrock's talk at Cataclysm 2017" An excellent presentation. The part about age being more important than size is near the end of the presentation (about 55 minutes in) but the whole talk is brilliant.

Your absolutely right I realised after I posted. So perhaps they can't reach the surface in deep water if their swim bladder is not fully developed (as I see my Cory fry do occasionally).

I too read reports from collectors in the wild about some species of Corys burying their eggs under sand in shallow water I wouldn't have thought that this would be due to atmospheric pressure as they don't have any airspace within them (unlike human divers who notice pressure due to the air...