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In my opinion, those filter insert cartridges are a waste. I don't use them. I replace them in favor of filter sponge that can be gently squeezed to clear them of debris and to preserve my cycle. In trade, you lose a little flow, but that may be in your favor. You can purchase the sponge...

What about some bright male cherry barbs? That would add some color.

Sounds like it's getting sexually mature and preparing a "nest".

Sounds like breeding to me :) Some people told me that they never breed in captivity, but mine did :) They deposited eggs on the underside of the leaves of my plants.

Female gold barbs will get gravid (full of eggs) when well fed and well cared for when mature. There's nothing to worry about! This is a good thing! Secondly, many fish are compatible with gold barbs. Most fast moving fish without long flowing fins are suitable (tetras, other barbs, etc)...

I tend to avoid including these in the "hardy" category. Most people have trouble with these guys for some reason, but they stay small enough to fit in. I would think because of the potential for fin nipping with the lemons or the specialized feeding requirements? Maybe the OP can enlighten us?

That depends on a few things. What are your water parameters as far as pH, hardness, nitrates, water changing schedule? Possibly P. gertrudae, P. furcatus, P. signifier, M. parva, or M. kamaka. Really, it depends on what is available to you and what tickles your fancy. Mostly rainbows are...

You could try and make a wick and attach it to a point of the glass with superglue just before where it runs out of the tank and out the back. This would put the condensation back into the tank where it belongs. Superglue once dry is nontoxic to your tank's inhabitants.

I just use vinegar and a razor blade to get off hard water stains. Vinegar in contact with your tank water won't hurt (white distilled vinegar). A small amount won't even lower your pH. I know it's a fair amount of work, but it works and won't hurt your glass. Don't try this with acrylic...

If you've got plants in there, they will eat the micro organisms that are naturally present with the plants, but you could try to hatch some brine shrimp and feed the freshly hatched ones (within 24 hours of hatching) Hatching and feeding baby brine shrimp There are much simpler ways than that...

I used a python to drain for a while, but the extra water cost to drain seemed a waste since gravity is free. But if you have no way to take advantage of gravity, a nospill by Python is great.

+1

I've seen penguin tetras breed with my own eyes. It's no myth, tetras DO tank breed. Some species are more difficult than others. I heard that harlequin rasboras have never been bred in captivity either until they bred in my tank. :yahoo: But try to get someone to believe it who has their...

Hi Wyatt. Not to be a bubble buster or anything, but you said that you want to make sure that your fish have the best chance at being happy and healthy. Bala sharks need a very large tank, 6 foot in length if I remember correctly. These guys get 14 to 16 inches in length and dart when...

1 part bleach to 10 parts water will do the trick. Scrub it off and rinse three times and let the wood dry completely. Soak it until it sinks. After that it will be safe to add to the tank.

Food does play a big part in your fish's activity/health/color. That being said, you can over do it. Over the years I have run the gambit with feeding a wide variety of specialist foods to just the basics. In my experience, water quality and tank health plays a much more important part...

I used to breed M. lacustris. Color variations are normal even with good stock. Examples in my own stock Stress can play a big factor as well. A stressed fish usually shows much less color than a less stressed individual. Also, rainbows show less color later in the day than they do in the...

+1

I've found that the same holds true about rainbows. I had them over sand and their color was washed out, but when I put them over dark substrate their colors intensified.

A gravel vacuum :) Honestly the presence of snails isn't a bad thing, in fact they are an excellent indicator of overfeeding. If there are large numbers of them, then you are overfeeding. Unless of course you are wanting that many snails. Then it would be okay to overfeed your fish.

Here's what they look like today:

Good luck with salties (I want to have a saltwater tank too, but my income won't allow it :))

LOL I KNEW you plant people had a sense of humor! :D

Freshwater fish are easy compared to saltwater in general. Saltwater is also inherently more expensive. Think of all the salt you have to add with EVERY water change, plus water conditioner unless you use RO which is also more expensive, plus all the extra equipment. So if you have the time...

Yes, that tank is fine for threadfins. Remember to feed them food that is small enough. They have tiny mouths and rainbows also have narrow throats. Supplement their diet with freshly hatched brine shrimp.

I tend to think for myself, and usually out of the box. This may lead to more mistakes on my part, but for me this is the best way for me to learn and often results in a greater understanding on my part (and sometimes a different perspective or answer). Like I said above, I know I CAN mix my...

It seems that the main issue with people not venturing into planted tanks too seriously is the extra cost associated with it. I'm a tinkerer by nature with loads of curiosity, and I enjoy a good problem. But I am also on a budget, so DIY is my forte. I made my own lighting system using...

Rainbows are sensitive. The fungus you were mentioning sounds like columnaris, which rainbows are particularly sensitive to. If you have recently acquired the rainbows they were probably over stressed. This reduces the fish's immune system and with the presence of ammonia (any amount) it is...

Hardwood leaves are fine as long as they come from a pollution free area (leaves catch a LOT of pollution)

Here's the skinny on (most) angelfish. The rule of thumb is the tank needs to be a minimum of 18 inches tall and at least 29 gallons for a pair. P. scalarae get pretty long fins and they do actually need the full 18 inches for proper fin development. Some variants have shorter fins and some...

yes it appears to be a female melanotaenia boesemani.

With any luck, I might be able to get them to spawn. If I do, I might be able to ship out a few specimens, but that would be months down the road. I'm going to focus on the plants for now. In the past I've been focused on breeding fish, now it's time to try something new to me. I've been in...

30 gallon long (breeder) 36 long, 12 wide 16 deep

Very nice. I'm glad to see someone keeping them :)

The nitrifying bacteria have a die off rate of about 10% per day when deprived of food as long as they stay wet. One day isn't going to be too noticeable as long as the media didn't dry out.

Unfortunately the tank's "footprint" is too small for sharks. Their aggression can be pretty intense if they aren't given enough space. In my opinion you would need a 4 foot tank to keep sharks and angels, and the tank must be at least 18 inches deep for mature angelfish (a standard 55 gallon...

If I had an empty 29 gallon around, I think I would buy 5 young angelfish and keep a watch on them until they paired off. After I had a pair, I would trade in the other 3 angels for some supplies etc. A 29 gallon is just enough space for a pair of angels.

I'm not a gardener so I didn't realize that John Innes no.3 was a mixture and not a bagged brand name. I believe I can make that. We have all the necessary materials available to make it in this area, so it's just a matter of gathering all of the materials. Do I need to add a separate...

I want to do a carpet, but I'm still not sure on the species yet. I also was planning on adding some java fern between the bigger rocks and some stems for the back. I was going to try and iwagumi this tank, but I think I should save that until I can get some better equipment. Also I think I...

Here's the full tank. It's a work in progress :)