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Thank you all for your input. Since my original post I have continued with precautionary water changes and another canister clean. Things seem securely back to normal and all fish are doing well. I have contacted Aqua One Australia (who export the root) to see if they can shed any light from...

On Friday I bought five pieces of azalea root (also known as spider wood) from Maidenhead Aquatics to replace the equivalent amount of three year old 'Sumatran Driftwood' that had become a tad too rotten for my liking. (My aquarium has been running for about eight, features driftwood and a lot...

I currently have 8 Salt & Pepper Corys. I was under the impression that these were an active schooling fish, however, mine barely shoal, let alone school. They are also quite subdued and only become active when food is on offer. I am just wondering what other people’s experiences of this little...

On the 20th of January 2010 it will be exactly a year since I set up my 20gal. It also means that my external (Eheim Ecco Pro 200?) hasn't been cleaned in a year. Currently, water stats and fish health are status-quo. Should I clean it? Or should I adopt the mantra: "if it aint broke don't fix...

In Bromley. North Kent/London border. I live within 2 mins drive of Keston Aquarium (it's in the Wyevale Garden Centre in Keston. It small in size but well stocked (freshwater + saltwater), v-well maintained, and the staff give good advice on stocking and cycling. Very impressive for a small...

I had a Black Skirt with something similar - but on its lower jaw and right pectoral fin (started as a raised black lump at base of pectoral). It didn't end well for that fish, but it was a few months from the start of the problem to its (enforced) end. That's not to say that your fish has the...

Filter is essential. Air pump isn't! I like to run my air pump at night to break the surface tension; aiding natural the CO2 transfer (when the plants aren't photosynthesizing, of course). A tropical tank doesn't cost too much, but it is a luxury. Then again, what price can you put on...

Slate's a winner from your local gardening centre. Got the slate for my tank for peanuts from the garden centre near me (Wyvale). My advice, pick out a big bit for £5'ish, get a hammer and a chisel and become a stone mason for the day (You'll pick it up surprisingly quickly). Or pick off the...

Black Skirt Tetra: Cheeky little chappies who sqabble amongst themselves. After a coming together they sqare off, like the crabs in Finding Nemo "A!" ... "A!" ... "A!" ... "A!" Also, fully grown they're about the same size as juvenile Silver Dollars. I like Silver Dollars when they're small...

That tank was AWESOME! The Congo Tetras were a particular highlight. Yellow Labs looked amazing as well. Could easilly be mistaken for a saltwater tank.

Oto's are great! They keep to themselves and none of the other fish are bothered by them. Just two of the little critters cleaned out my algae ravaged tank in 24hrs! I think it's a myth that they behave like Chinese Algae Eaters.

Not really, no. I have 4 Black Skirts and they spend most of their time bickering amongst themselves and arguing with my Emperor Tetras. They avoid each other when they can. Perhaps a group of six or more would shoal, but I've not tested that theory. Don't let it put you off though, they're...

"Its silver with a black stripe running along its body." Emperor Tetra? http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_palmeri.php

I feel your pain. I had to dispatch a dwarf gourami this evening. I feel bad about it, but I'm sure I did the right thing. If big enough, take your fish... grip it using kitchen towel... and bash its head against the ledge of a kitchen/shelving unit several times. This will knock the fish out...

4 Black Skirts, 8 Neons, 3 Emperors, 2 Otos.

Is there a good way to decrease his dominance? He has half of the tank to himself, and as soon as one of the other Black Skirt, Neon or Emperor Tetras enter his zone he chases them out. He ignores the Otos though (in fact they chase him, on occasion). So now I have half a tank full of fish...

The gun? Or the lamp hanging precariously over the tank?

Been looking into getting some of these little guys as part of my community tank (further down the road). Can anyone offer any advice/opinion as to what they have to offer? Thanks.

"So far, there is no announcement to phase out the sale of ornamental fish, by concessionaries operating within the company's stores. Animal Aid will be pressing Wyevale to stop these sales too. After all, fish are animals and are deserving of the same level of care and consideration." From the...

I do have the outflow pointed at the bottom of the heater. So it should be getting good circulation. I'll be keeping an eye on it today.

Reasonably cold, yes. I'm happy to give it time, I just wanted to make sure that it was on the right track and not taking too long. The only other thing that concerns me is that only one of the fillaments seems to be lighting up red. This surprised me, I thought they all would. Is this normal?

To the question "did I fill it with cold water." Yes I did, it was about 6C when it first went in. The thermostat light is on, so i assume that it is aware that it needs to keep heating. I've set it to 26C overnight just to get it going, but it is still coming up short. Obviously I will give...

As stated, the tank is 85 litres (roughly), with a Visi-therm 100w heater. How long should it take to get the water temp upto 24-25C? It's been plugging away for about 16hrs now and it has only just broken into the 20's (room temp). Is the heater under-powered? I can't see any of the...

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I think I'll give Dwarf Gourami's a chance, but i'm still open minded. Heard that Zebra Danios can be fin nippers? They do look pretty lively though! Loking into Oto's at the moment. Could they go in after the fishless cycle; will there be enough for them to eat?

My set up will have black substrate with a black background, flourescent light, green plant-life etc. So what I'm really looking for (in an ideal world) is fish that will pop against this backdrop; thus the choice of Neons and Dwarf Gourami. Any suggestions for hardy fish that will look good in...

That long for the Neons? Well I'm not in a massive hurry, so i guess it doesn't matter. What about the Dwarf Gourami? How long should I wait for that one, and what should I put in in the meantime?

I've been keeping fish for over a decade, but this is my first foray into the freshwater tropical domain. I'm still in the research and development phase, but I have a reasonably clear idea of the look I want to achieve. My question is this: Once the fishless cycle is complete, what are the...