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I leave the courgette in the tank, never take it out. I pop a 7mm ish slice in a small bowl, pour boiling water over, when it's cool enough to fish out without burning my fingers pop it in a clip that sinks it to the bottom. They usually show interest initially, then ignore it for a bit and go...

There is no maths because there are too many variables. You could have a long shallow tank with lots of length to swim or a tall narrow tank that a larger fish couldn't turn around in and they'd both be the same volume. Tank length effects swimming area which is relevant in fish activity levels...

Almond leaves, very clean water, oxygen and good foods - perhaps some live food if you can get it - its about all you can do. It's mostly about preventing infection to give it the best opportunity to heal.

That was my original intention, I'd probably have split the batch if I had more hatch although I also didn't hatch mine until July though so by the time they were more than tiny specs there wasn't much summer left. Once the weather warms up a bit more I've a tub for them to hang out in see if...

I got some eggs last summer, not quite that many! I had a bit of an issue with fungus (some of the eggs were clumped together and think I should have spaced them out). Anyway five hatched and all survived months, I've lost one since but four still going. I raised them on very fine powdered food...

I think everyone is right. You need to account for the fact previously some of the 'filtration' was being done by established plants and bacteria on surfaces other than the filter. A bare tank with the established filter can potentially still work but things like more water changes, light...

I agree, the scape looks great, but the banked soil means even more reduction in space/volume. 13L is too small for fish, their welfare should always come first. I would enjoy the shrimp which will really thrive without any potential predators and save the fish for a future setup.

It will be a best before, so it could mean it has less nutrients than claimed on the tub so wouldn't feed as the only food but mixed should be fine. If its been opened so could have had mould or similar introduced then I'd say chuck it.

They are more lower 6" slow sculking around slowly looking for snacks in behaviour, so I think unlikely jumpers. Not sure how they would get on with the honeys.

Scarlett basis maybe? They are micro preditors. They will only take babies so you might need to combine with physically removing some adults to reduce the visible population and baby production.

I think a lot of the variation you'll see on advice fish and maintaining a shrimp population will depend on the habitat you've created in the tank. You can get away with some quite larged mouthed fish if you have dense planting and hardscape... and possibly also linked in how and how much you...

You're welcome. They do genuinely have tiny mouths so you'll probably need to grind/crush your standard food to make sure they can manage it. Once they settle and colour up they are fun to watch sparring.

Threadfin Rainbows? They aren't that much bigger but the fins when displaying give them presense that makes them a bit centre piecey, but they have tiny mouths. No threat to shrimp at all.

Do you have the venturi attachment for the mini pat? (attachment with a bit of airline). If you don't already you could pop that on and it will help with aeration. I like the mini pat - I've one in my 180l for extra circulation with a hob the other end. You might consider a second one - it's...

It depends. If you've used an active substrate that initially leaches ammonia then you need to wait for that to stop which you'll need to test your ammonia/nitrate to determine. If not, then you can add a source of ammonia (fish food or actual ammonia) and when you stop registering...

Although they don't hatch, they lay eggs like little white spots. I've avoided them for that reason although they are popular so obviously doesn't bug everyone. Sounds like you might need another tank, they are addictive.

I agree, I don't think order will matter too much, the shrimp and snails would be a good early addition as they'll help with cleaning up any die back you get from newly added plants or biofilmy drift wood etc. I don't think your substrate will produce any ammonia spike so I'd probably add the...

Seriously fish is a good source for information a lot of places just repeat info where as that links to orginal references. https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/ctenopoma-acutirostre/ https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/xenomystus-nigri/ I can't see a page for black spotted eel but you...

Before disposing of it, perhaps contact the manufacturer and give them the batch code in case it's a wider issue. They'll potentially be able to trace the batch/wholesaler/shop etc. I hope the rest of the fish stay well.

Still illegal here. There is the occassional report of them being imported, but stamped on if found out. I'm not 100% sure who you'd report to though, maybe these guys: Home - Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) fhi@cefas.gov.uk

I don't know that it's necessarily related as you aren't having issues elsewhere, but GH5 seems quite high if you are using rainwater and no remineralisation or ferts. Likewise for your ppm to be going up by a third in a week seems a lot if you aren't adding ferts. I'd be curious what is causing...

I use prime. I dose the bucket - so do 0.25ml prime in 10l of new water (which is roughly 6l rain and 4l tap). Technically that's over what the tap portion would need by itself, but I know you can dose for the tank volumn so it's well under the standard dose once diluted in the tank (mines a 70l...

I think surface detritus is more down to individual tank flow, often there is a spot that collects it and the rest is clear but if there is less flow in visible areas you'll see it more. I only have one tank with sand (about 1" deep) and I can't vacuum it - there are too many fine roots...

Sorry for your loss, I can imagine you are kicking yourself. How cold was it? As others above, I regularly drop mine during a water change/top up. Mine go from 24oC to about 21/22. The heaters a bit oversize so heats it back up pretty quick. It's one of the things that seems to trigger breeding...

Do you have substrate? I read something suggesting sand improved survival over bare bottom, but there are others doing to opposite. I was wondering whether to add a dusting of sand.

That's a really interesting thread - I like experiments with controls and testing different species of snail! The alder cone is definately making a difference. I pulled two more eggs and both hatched in the cup of water + aldercone. I didn't add a snail as I have pond snails and it didn't seem...

Thanks thanks a good idea. I've bladder snails in the main tank, but they haven't made their way into the breeder box so I will help one along.

He was still kicking yesterday evening, but I was looking for him just now and can't find him so he might have popped his clogs and the shrimp cleaned up :( I will check again later as it's so tiny and see through it's hard to spot unless it's moving even in a 6" clear container. I did a water...

Just one, but atleast now I know they can produce fertile eggs!

Not particularly high light, but the breeder box was the brighter end and there are windows opposite - the cup is very shaded. The adults are about a year old I think. But, just checked now and one of the eggs has a tail! By torch I can't tell if it's mid hatching or just the yolk sack making...

Yes pegged to the side. The room temp drops at night so I thought floating would be best. I will change out the water regularly and see if the last two do anything. If not I think I will add to the numbers as hopefully more fish means more eggs to help the odds of them being fertile.

I think its from the tannins. The other batches I stuck to the side of a hob breeder box (main tank is 75l with a airline sized feed into hob), which has some small rice fish fry and a cherry shrimp but they all fungused within 24hrs so I thought I'd try an alder in a cup to up the tanin. The...

I was having trouble with my pygmy corys I have four left but they seem to be doing really well now. They are plump and really enjoying a diet of micro/grindle worms once a day and bug bites once a day. Over the last 6 weeks I've caught them spawning about four times. There is one female and...

I use HOB breeder boxes - I've superfish and a marina one - very similar. They do a couple of versions, the bigger one is 2l. Makes it easy to observe the fry. I feed the with an airline positioned in the outflow of the main filter and don't bother with the airlift part. I think that gives you a...

I agree, they're not going to bother shrimp at all. I don't think they'd get a tiny shrimplet in if they wanted to and they aren't hunters. You will need to make sure you have very tiny food available though.

I think you can do a newish setup, but it needs to be at the really grungy stage - diatoms everywhere and new wood covered in lovely slimey biofilm - and you have to be willing to leave it that way and not manually clean. I've done that for quarentining them. I second (third?) the repashy. I...

I've not pruchased from them, but I've heard this seller recommended and they have tank bred ones: Corys4u Price list:

At what point should I expect to see some improvement if Trichodina is the culpret?

Lost the worst looking one this morning - I don't have a microscope to hand to look closer. The fluke solve arrived and I've treated the tank. Did the other tank as a precaution too. Grindal worms still making their way through royalmail system.

I've ordered fluke solve should be here tomorrow via the wonders of amazon prime. Also waiting on grindal worm delivery. I've a window sill tank with asellus at my parents I will transfer some over next time I visit.

Sounds like there isn't a lot of downsides so worth a try. Would you suggest treating my other tank at the same time (ember tetra/amano/cherry shrimp) so if it is a parasite I'm not leaving a potential reinfection source? I'll have dunked equipment/swapped plants from one tank to another at some...

I disturb the top surface but it's very dense with roots so difficult to go any deeper with out disturbing them and having loads of fine roots then stuck out of the sand. The sand is less than an inch total. I will rotate the filter outlet so it points down so if that alters the flow, it's...

Got some better photos using camera rather than phone. I've got some frozen copopods I've fed occassionally. I will up that and see if I can order grindal worms to start a culture. What else should I be doing? The pale ones are still coming out to feed.

Thanks for the ideas, here are the answers to questions... The tank was set up September 2021 so approx 18 month old. It's 1-2mm fine gravel at the bank and sand at the front. There is a thin layer of tropica substrate under the gravel. The crypt/sword roots are all over the tank. No trumpet...

The tails look fine, but the barbels on the pale ones look short, but fine on the others - so I'm not sure if it's just a symptom of the issue rather than the cause. I'll try and get a better photo tomorrow when the lights ramp back up. I've some very little patches of cyano bacteria in spots...

Oops, just attached it :)

I'm not sure how clear it is from the photo but I don't think these pygmy cories are really thriving. Not sure how clear it is from the photo, but the one on the right and second from the right have gone very pale. I started with nine a few months ago, and now down to six. They are in a 70l...

You could try contacting the local news with the story and you might get some offers of suitable local homes :)

Keep in mind a male bristle nose at 5" is a fairly big (and messy - they poop a lot), so you might like to look at Asian Stone catfish - they are very catfishy looking but much smaller: Hara jerdoni (Asian Stone Catfish) — Seriously Fish bit harder to find but like the harder end of the scale...

It's a steep learning curve, but it's great that you've noticed they aren't doing great and are looking for how to help them :) I would drop the temperature, gradually, to around 24oC. The current is a little warm for those species, and the lower temperature will mean more oxygen availability...

How much cover do you have? A lot of nano fish will pick off some shrimp babies, but if there is enough cover you can usually maintain a shrimp population as enough babies survive to slowly increase/maintain numbers. If there isn't much cover you'd want to be even more selective with fish if you...

Would one of the badis species work? Bit smaller that apisto. I found the scarlet badis reasonably outgoing

Little shoal of these: Sundadanio axelrodi — Seriously Fish

In the UK antibiotics are only available with a prescription from a vet, we don't have free access to the way you seem in the US so it's not something most people will have had to consider. You'd definitely want to avoid contact with the skin undiluted with most meds, I'm not sure about the...

Soft or hard water? Some male guppies or platties might be a good option. They are tough fish, medium size and their colours will make them stand out from a distance.

I think size is probably a big factor - most pick smaller fish either because they want a lot of small fish as they can then accommodate a bigger shoal or because tank size is limited. Platties/swords and female guppies are relatively big fish compared to some of the rasbora/tetra options...

I think the clown killi are meant to be jumpers. Sundadanio (see my profile pic) - small, softwater, tannin loving, and not particularly active swimmers: Sundadanio axelrodi — Seriously Fish

Does it have a lid, or do you need to avoid jumpers?

No problem, it's worked well the couple of times I've had to use it. Hope it clears up quick for you :)

I use Esha Exit and don't muck with the temperature at all.

What are your plans for plants? I'm not sure how compatible clown loaches and plants are - I've a feeling they like to snack on them but I haven't any personal experience.

It's a bit small for otos really - they tend to sit quietly a lot of time, but when they get the urge to swim they are very speedy so need a bit of length. Probably best leaving space for the shrimp/killie to multiply. If they multiply out of hand you could pop a scarlet badis in, they are too...

What do your other fish look like? The harlequins on the edge of the shot look quite chunky too but it might be the camera angle?

I used a hang on the side breeder box and then connected a piece of airline to the outflow of my filter, which continually flowed water into the box which spills back into the tank. Added almond leaf, and a baby cherry shrimp for clean up.

A TDS pen might be helpful to you to monitor the change. Have a read up on osmotic shock - that's the issue you encounter moving fish from one hardness to another rapidly. I'd also suggest considering lowering the hardness in your main tank - even if you mix that to 50/50 tap/rain it would give...

That's interesting. Maybe that's the way to go then. I think the kids would really like some slightly easier to spot fish. I need to move a tank around and then maybe have a go at the eggs as I haven't seen them available in any LFS. It is a shame there doesn't seem to be the colour options...

I added four albino white clouds to mine (5th keeled over in the bag) the others have done fine though. They do show up against the black tub. However, I do find they stay in the bottom six inches - they don't really come up to the surface - where as in a tank they tend to be more upper level...

Very cool. I've zero experience with this sort of fish, but have you considered some indian almond leaves in with the fry? They provide a bit of cover and food source as they start to break down and get a bit of bio film and are meant to be a natural anti-fungal etc.

I've just got a 90ltr (30 cm deep) tub and set it in a raised planter. I was contemplating the same question. Trying the ricefish eggs might be interesting. The other option I've thought about is albino white clouds (to make them a bit more visible) or just some male endlers. They could be...

A single scarlet badis - they will potentially eat baby shrimp but they only grow to the length of an adult shrimp, so other than very tiny shrimp will be safe and I'd expect you would still find your shrimp population grew. The neon blue rasboras are lovely too and not an issue with shrimp...

If you are just seeing that behaviour at the point CO2 would be highest then I'd be tempted to skip a day and see if that changes the behaviour - if it does you know it is the reason and can adjust it - maybe start a little lower and build up over time to help them adjust.

Just as another option - maybe look at the badis/dario group. They are a smaller but similar looks.

Depends to where the fish are coming from - for example a LFS on the same water supply you probably don't need to acclimate. However, if your LFS runs on tap and your tank runs on RO there could be a much bigger difference. One of the benefits of a quarantine tank is that you can set it up to...

I like the mini pat too - you can get extended tubes and foam blocks for them here: Filtration | Hamburg Matten Filter | Poret Polyether Foam Media they also do pipes and flat sheets that might work for your setup too.

What sort of thing do you like the look of?

Just as another option, have you considered adding some leaf litter to the bottom and collecting some pond critters - you could add freshwater shrimp (can't remember the name someone will know), daphnia, snails, etc. so there was lots to spot. I agree, I wouldn't keep fish in such a small volume.

What's your water like? That's not a huge tank, so I'd be more inclined to look at male guppies/endlers over mollies. If you stick to males they won't multiply. You can get quite a range of colours, including yellows. Ember tetra would suit but are bright orange rather than yellow. You could...

I'd be inclined to leave them in place. Up the water changes as that will dilute anything in the water, add air, because it never hurts to make sure fish have as much oxygen as required, don't accidentally overfeed if they aren't eating. Check the heater/pumps etc. to make sure everything is...

Thanks, that's confirmed for me no corys - I like them with eyeballs intact! To be fair the plants are doing well even with the current low TDS. I know the swords/crypts have access to the substrate but the floaters are multiplying very successfully too. I've just done a water change and added...

I'd like some advice on stocking. I'd like to try a pair of apistogramma - first time I've kept cichlids. I think I've narrowed it down to cacatuoides on the grounds they look pretty, and small and seem to be one of the easier options? I like corys, but I've read corydoras are a no-no with...

Black window tetra? Come in albino version too. My parents had some long fin albino ones but I've not seen them available since.

I'm not sure on eggs v snails, but it might work once they are wriggling. I stuck the eggs to the wall of the box, but it depends if you have plastic or mesh. For circulation, I used an elastic band to fix the end of a piece of airline in the outflow of my tank filter and that was enough to...

I raised some in a hang on the side breeder box. Same sort of thing, I added almond leaf which they liked hiding under. I also added a juvenile cherry shrimp (just incase you have any hanging around) to clean up any uneaten food. I didn't treat with anything, and only had a couple fungus (the...

How do the grindal compare to microworms in size? I've done microworms before for fry, I'm bad at the refreshing culture in time though. The grindal sound easier if they last that long just eating cat biscuits! Threadfin rainbows are probably my smallest mouth fish.

Same here (although recently broke it down after a leak) - a planted tank that is basically empty. I have duplicate sponges for the filter kept in my main tanks filter. If I want to quarantine anything then I instantly have a mature tank with actively growing plants and a cycled sponge filter. I...

I would up the water changes, just on the grounds cleaner water means less chance of secondary bacterial infections and dilutes any bugs in the water. You could try esha 2000 - which is aimed towards fungus/bacterial and (double check) is shrimp safe.

So about 30l? I'm guessing Andy read that wrong (or I have). Thats too small for rummy noses. Is the problem tank different? I wouldn't add more fish until you've resolved it and left things a few weeks. 30l is pretty small for a shoal - you could do a betta, or other single, or a few male...

Threadfins are very nice, don't show that well in the LFS. Don't bother shrimp at all. I like the sundadanio axelrodi (fish in my profile picture) they are also too small to bother shrimp - about the same size as embers but a nice colour contrast. Not sure how easy they are to find, seem a bit...

I think your instinct is absolutely right, volume wise it's too small to sensibly stock with fish. You'd be ignoring their welfare to try it and it sounds like you aren't that sort of person or you wouldn't already be worrying about it. Lovely scape though! I would look at invertebrates. It...

Might be a better fit for a single fish that's not a rapid mover, rather than a shoal. A betta maybe? Single pea puffer, badis, etc.

I've been wondering the same thing, I haven't kept cichlids before and I'd quite like to try a pair. I've a 90x30x30 to set up and my waters about the same gh (once I've cut it 50/50 with rain/ro. What are the different species like behaviour wise? I've got ember tetra that I'll need to temp...

Scarlet badis? They will threaten baby shrimp but they are too small for adults. They so of skulk around and have a bit of personality.

I would experiment with conditions first, if you search this site for embers you'll see a few posts on making them bolder. Current seems to help. I've 10 ish in a 180l and they are the only mid water fish and still out front.

You might find this thread helpful: Why are my ember tetras so shy?

There isn't a ton of fish I can think of that would be happy in a small tank and low numbers. Any chance you could go a bit bigger on the tank? 30-40L would give you lots of options for small shoalers.

Yes, they hunt shrimp babies very well, but will leave adults (well anything over about 7mm) alone. They are active hunters and attracted to movement. As they are small they slink around easily in the plants/decor to hunt. I wouldn't expect the shrimp population to grow, or if it did slowly. You...

No idea on the answers but congratulations on the babies. Worth talking to your local fish shop, mine would give store credit for fish but it just depends on the shop. If they will take them they will tell you the size and they might prefer to stagger it in batches.

I found a hang on the side fry box worked really well for raising cory fry. You can run then off an air powered filter, but I just used an elastic band to position a bit of airline in the outflow of my main filter and that was enough to give a constant trickle of water through.

I would say cover is important as much as numbers. I have 8 in a 140L and they are always out front, they don't hide at all. But, they have a lot of options for cover. The more places to run too, the more more bold they can afford to be. It sounds backwards, but I think if you want to see your...

Depends on the shop I think - mine will give credit but there would also be a limit on how many they could take.