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Welcome! Sorry about your MTS. The only cure is lots of money!🤣🤣 (MTS = multiple tank syndrome) I would say take your time with your setups and match your fish/livestock to your local water parameters. You can test your tap water, but it might be better to get your water provider's regular water...

One thing I'm learning, the hard way, is to ask the LFS when the fish came in. I try to wait until the fish have been in the LFS's tank for at least 5 days. The way local stores get their fish sounds really stressful, and, sadly, it's not that surprising that some die as a result. Waiting a few...

Hi. Looks like you already suffer from MTS (multiple tank syndrome). You'll fit right in!

Both, but it depends. I know that the liquid tests are more precise, and if you're in an emergency situation, precision is important. But for general maintenance testing for a well-established tank, strips are generally sufficient. In those cases, I'm just looking for stability across test...

Thanks for the insight. I think that rules out the acara for now. When Lady B (the kids call her that because she's a bully) is gone, we might have to rethink kribs altogether.

Thanks. I guess I hadn't noticed that his black mask is wider than the others'. I am definitely keeping an eye on him, and I'm hoping to add one or two more the next time they become available.

Thanks the feedback, @Collin_T. Thinking back on his history (her? its?), Grumpy came home as part of a group of 6 in 2020, but five died within a week. No other fish in the tank had any issues, so maybe that stress hormone that corys can give off did them in, or who knows? We've since built up...

Wow, they are beautiful! Do you think the acara and the kribensis would bicker? She's already rather territorial about certain areas of the bottom of the tank. Do they dig up plants?

This is really interesting. Thanks for sharing that. It totally explains why our red-eye tetras are so spastic. I like the look of the Beckfords, so I'm going to see if anyone stocks them around here. Thank you. When we set this tank up years ago, we were always trying to fight our city's hard...

Maybe uploading a video from this source will work:

I'll try to do that here. I'm not sure how to post a video. Grumpy isn't being real cooperative today.

I'm definitely going to have to pass on the hatchet fish as the lid has multiple gaps in it. I'd like to find a different lid but haven't found one that works for my configuration of filters (AQ 30 on the back, AQ 50 on the side). I'm researching pencil fish and emperor tetras now.

We're trying to keep this planted 65 gallon (36" x 18" x 24") to South Americans so everybody will have similar needs. But, everybody seems to swim in the lower half of the tank except for the ancient red-eye tetras that will not be replaced when they're gone. We have 7 Schwartzi corydoras, 8ish...

I've got 7 Schwartzi corydoras in a decently planted 65 gallon (36" x 18" x 24"). One little guy always seems to be off by himself, while the other 6 happily hang with a Zebra loach. The lone ranger doesn't seem stressed, and it will go hang with the others during water changes. I =think= it...

Oh no. I've learned a lot from his posts, and I see that see many others have as well.

Welcome!

Those D-cell powered bumps saved our butts when we lost power for 85 hours last year (Texas just does not have the infrastructure for freezing rain events). We had actually bought them for when we changed out the 45 gallon breeder for the 65 gallon, and just held on to them. During the long...

That's perfect, thanks! I wonder why that one has never come up in an Amazon search for me? Off to order the 20" one.

Hi again. It looks like the gravel vac has some splitting hose, so it's time to replace it. It is a Large Top Fin with a siphon bulb (is that what you call the squeezy thing that starts the suction, instead of doing it with your mouth?) and a 16 inch tube has some splitting hose. However, it...

It does look kind of like gel, like in @MattW3344's photos, but it's in the middle of the tank, toward the back, so it's hard to get a great look or photo. If y'all think they're snail eggs, then that's probably what they are. The snails must be coming out at night when I'm not looking. It...

I don't have any intentional snails ... that's what the loaches are for. Maybe the loaches are too well-fed and falling down on the job!

I just noticed these on the side of a big log in the middle of the tank. Any idea what they might be? Potential suspects are zebra loaches, Schwartzi corys, lemon tetras, cherry barbs, and some ancient red-eye tetras. I have noticed the loaches getting really frisky with each other since the...

<hugs> Just know that grief comes in waves. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere years later and knocks you on your you know what. I've learned, slowly and painfully, not to fight the waves so hard and just let the feelings happen. It's hard, so hard, to lose your parents, especially after having...

Well, this looks so much nicer, IMO. I wish the big log hadn't wound up quite so centered, but after all that work, I'm not moving it again! The corys have deigned to sit on the new sand. If the new plants will take, it will look even nicer. After all that effort, I think it will be months...

Well, we did it! We rescaped quite a bit and got some Super Naturals Torpedo Beach sand in. Standing the big log up will make the tank easier to clean and give the tetras more racing room. It also seems to show off the anubias better. We also planted an Amazon sword in the back and gave it...

Thanks for starting the thread @Seisage! I would love to see some photos, in addition to @AdoraBelle Dearheart's, of tanks with mixed substrate, in particular gravel and sand. We've always had gravel in this tank and its predecessor, but we've fallen in love with Schwartz corys. They're thriving...

I think starting a new thread about mixed substrate tanks would be preferable. I don't want to hijack @JackGulley's thread anymore! (Though I hope you're feeling more hopeful with all this great insight, Jack.) Thanks for the benefit of all your experience. I'm feeling more optimistic myself...

OMG, thank you for sharing this! That's how we can get sand for our Schwartzi corries in our 65 gallon. We've been dreading trying to change out the gravel with all the live plants and fish and such, so we keep putting it off. If we can create a sand beach in the front, where there aren't a lot...

My 60 gallon made it through 86 hours with no power during an ice storm. We wrapped it with old quilts to try to slow down the temperature decline. We spent hours trying to find some C batteries in the dark but finally got a battery-operated aerator going. Then we just didn't look in at all, or...

Thanks Colin. Also, just to be clear, the fungus is not on any of the fish, only on plant stems and a bit on the gravel. All the fish seem just fine. Where could the fungus have come from? The driftwood in the tank has been there for at least 10 years. The only thing added recently were some...

Maybe this shot will be better? The phot is actually not out of focus. That's what the white stuff looks like.

This planted tank has been running for 20+ years, though it has had its ups and downs. Other than the addition of some plants, there have been no significant changes to the tank for months (at least since the ice storm/power failure of Feb. '23). In the last few weeks, we've noticed this white...