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Have another go at this - it's the way I've always done it. Submerge the whole syphon. Turn the ends up to force most of the air out, it should bubble out. Then keep a finger over one end and take it out of the tank, lower it so that it's lower than the end in the tank and let go. It might take...

I haven't seen the scientific evidence in detail, either. When I was thinking about trying it, one person (can't remember who) did say that it was due to the shorter photosynthetic period that algae have, which means that they have to keep "switching on and off" - I'd be interested to do a bit...

My tank was looking SO unsightly with all this stuff, it was growing much faster than I could pull it out. Two weeks ago I changed the lighting so that there's an 'off' period in the middle of the day. That seemed to slow it down. Then last week I added three SAEs which went to work straight...

Sprouts and courgettes have gone down well so far with my otos and SAEs :nod:

Yes, one of my otos had only one eye when I bought them, but he's just as happy and active as the others :)

Yes, my lfs has quite a few of these "picture aquariums". I wouldn't have thought fish would survive for long in them - hardly any surface area, for starters, even for the smallest of fish.

I believe it lives on any surface, including rocks, glass, etc. The purpose of filter media (gravel, filter sponge, bio-balls, whatever) is to give a large surface area that it can colonise.

Reading the blurb I'm not sure that it would get rid of the brown stuff on your decorations. Otos are supposed to be good for brown algae, that might be a more permanent solution perhaps?

Surely they also have some value whatever the tank size - I'd rather avoid disease outbreak and the necessity to treat the tank in the first place.

UV units only kill off free-swimming organisms and so they don't harm your beneficial bacteria. They're not necessary in the aquarium but they do help prevent algae blooms, and they also kill off free swimming parasites etc and so can help prevent disease; I run one as a precaution.

Real. Yes they're more work but they're definitely worth it :nod:

And here are the SAEs getting stuck into the hair/thread algae - go for it little fishies! :thumbs:

At the moment the male BN runs away whenever I get near! - but here's the female, if the male doesn't fall in love with her then there's something wrong with him :P

That's a lovely tank design you've got there, I especially like the way you've shaped the sand. And the plants look really nice too. :)

Krusty.....

They've probably just started to settle in. Tetras often don't school unless they feel threatened - my cardinals are scattered around the tank more often than not.

Fair enough, look for bargains, but IME the cheapest places, and the pet shops with hardly any experienced fishkeepers, don't generally sell the healthiest of fish.

Very nice looking neons. I too find it hard to get pictures of a gang altogether, they won't stay still when the camera comes out!

Yes, definitely FOTM, that is one super fish! :)

I've started putting in vegetables for my otos. I peeled some leaves off a frozen sprout, boiled it for a minute or two in the microwave in a dish of water, then used a lettuce grip to attach it to the side of the tank. Didn't want to put it on the bottom, as although otos are classed as "bottom...

For algae eating, otos, though they like there to be plants around - but plants are a good idea anyway! Also some of the smaller plecs, especially bristlenoses, but make sure you know what species you're getting as the common plec will get too big for your tank. For fish which will generally...

Your rams and cories won't harm the plants. Don't know about the rainbows, and it depends what kind of plec it is, do you know the species? It's unlikely that the gravel you bought will have had fluorite/laterite in it, you usually have to buy it separately. Or is this a tank you've inherited...

I haven't used UG filtration for years - as alaskan says some people swear by them but I think they're really impractical because you can't get at the things! I'd use a canister filter instead.

Angels and discus are cichlids :nod: Sounds like a nice size for a discus tank but I'd do LOTS of research first as they need more specialist care; there are several threads about them on the new world cichlids forum here.

Unlike me, spending my working at home day either watching the fish or posting about them :*)

Since it finished cycling I haven't had a nitrate reading from my tank at all. I think the plants must be mopping everything up straight away. Having said that, it's a relatively new setup so this may not last!

Update - the male BN has come out of hiding now :)

I had some new fish delivered today from Trimar. :) It WAS going to be a tank with all South American fishies, but masses of hair/thread algae coupled with advice all saying the same thing eventually persuaded me to get some Siamese Algae Eaters. And within half an hour of going into the tank...

I'm going to try and post this link before modernhamlet gets in and does it first :D : SAEs, CAEs, etc

SAEs are supposed to be very peaceful. CAEs have the repuation of getting nasty as they get bigger. (Sorry, modernhamlet, their behaviour gets instinctively more aggressive ;) ) SAEs had BETTER be peaceful anyway as I've invested in some to help me with my algae :D

I'm glad you're keeping them too. We certainly do all make mistakes, I mentioned one a few days ago that caused me to lose some cardinals :( I know it makes you feel really bad. But that's because you CARE, and that's what makes you a good fishkeeper :nod:

I'd echo what advice the others have given you, Bonnie. Fish stores often seem to blame pH when it's very unlikely to be the problem - a stable pH is more important, and there's not much wrong with 7.6. Messing around with it can do more harm than good. It's very strange that your nitrates kept...

Yes, a lfs recommended a siamese flying fox/algae eater for the hair algae, so it's interesting you should say it worked for you. I'm just a bit reluctant... First because I hadn't really planned on one, so it'd take up space I'd earmarked for other fish. More important, though, I've heard that...

Yes, it's holding the food there. I hadn't tried them with veg before so I put it here because they spend so much time on the glass. In answer to the other question, they do spend virtually all their time eating algae! - though they don't eat hair algae, which I'm battling at the moment. They...

And here's one of them surrounded by a swarm of cardinals - they play nicely together! :D

Here are my 3 otos - you can see the one on top of the lettuce grip is the one with a missing eye :unsure: but he seems fine otherwise. Tried them with some sprouts for the first time, they're avoiding it so far!