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Bristlenose, if I'm not mistaken, won't take hair algae. True siamese algae eater might be an option. If I'm not mistaken, they and at least one of the species they get confused with will eat hair algae, but only the true SAE will eat a couple types of algae like black brush.

Goldfish aren't the only option by any means. There's a great many fish that can live unheated at the temperatures the OP is giving. There was a thread recently I can dig up that has a great many fish, even some generally considered tropical, that can easily live at reduced temperatures. If the...

I have one that goes in the outlet and you plug into that. Works quite well, though I use it on my refrigerator, not the tank. What type of wireless meter are you referring to?

Almost never. It's use is a relic from largely abandoned methods to reduce stress from high nitrate levels, effectively trading it for the lower stress salt puts on fish's fluid regulation. It's primary use is now accomplished by simple 20% weekly water changes, and in doing so, the stress salt...

Aside from what Tolak said, the part about 2 vs 3 is a bit off. If you have 3, and if two of them form a pair, the third will get picked on, potentially to the point of death if it isn't separated.

Sounds normal. The green and black pattern is their juvenile color, inherited from one of their parent species. As they age, they lose that and gain their adult colors, which is usually yellow or orange, but can be a few other colors or mixed.

One addition: guppy/endlers won't cross with platys or swordtails. Already covered, but for the sake of a complete list. An fun fact, in my experience, all the species listed here (haven't kept limias, but assume they fall into this, too) will mate with one another. Then again, male livebearers...

Changing the substrate could have caused the ammonia spike, but not so much from removing stuff as from releasing stuff that may have worked its way deep into the substrate. The bacteria on your substrate, as said, are a fraction of what's in your filter, and you can lose a good chunk of...

This happened to me, too, with a peppered cory. I only took my eyes off the siphon for about ten seconds while I moved my bucket to the other end of the tank and when I looked back I saw him struggling in the valve. I didn't think he'd make it, since he was pretty scraped up, but I still have...

With neons it generally goes the other way. All tetras are nippers to some extent, and the longer the fins, the more tempting they are. Bettas can bring out the worst in a fish that wouldn't bother much else. Bettas are just as if not more likely to be victims than aggressors in a community.

Did it work on the snails? It might not bacterial damage directly, but if you killed off a lot of snails, they decay quickly and can cause an ammonia spike beyond what your bacteria can handle.

Also make sure to get a firm identification of the type of algae, and make sure you get an algae eater that will eat it. Most algae eaters won't eat all forms of algae. A couple types of algae will call for a true Siamese algae eater to eat, and they're tough to come by (I rarely see them in...

I agree, definitely not a CAE. The site fishyfeet linked is an abridged version of my cheat sheet: http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/cyprinid.html The information is identical, however, this version includes a chart down near the bottom that gives very specific features to use as identification...

It isn't just fish poop. Fish do release ammonia directly via respiration, so it's always present where there are fish and not nitrifying bacteria, you don't need help releasing it. Mineralizing bacteria reproduce very quickly either way - even without adding a culture of them, they can...

Nothing here either, aside from water changes. pH out of my tap is 7.8-8.0, tanks are around 7.6, and I successfully keep angelfish, a plec, corys, and keyhole cichlids, all of which generally prefer softer water.

It is, however, I've use aquarium tonic salt to treat ich with plecs and corys without issue. At least one person on the forum had a plec in mid level brackish water for a couple months before it finally passed, so short term exposure for treatment should be ok.

If water was good, it's entirely possible about the bristlenose. I generally don't panic if a fish dies in the first month (unless I spent a lot on it), since I quarantine and it's a decent bet anything they develop they brought with them. Also, my petricolas took longer to settle in, even...

Unfortunately, 35l won't be big enough for long. Don't feel bad, it seems only logical that pet stores would give good advice, but fact it, they often don't, and it's something that most people on this forum have been bitten by. They might be ill informed or out of date, they might be a part...

I have a spatula that I did this to. It's fun to get bacon off the pan without brushing my knuckles on it.

Is it the tank you mentioned the other day? Not knowing more, I'd suspect possible ammonia/nitrite in the water, get a test kit ASAP. Also, if it's that tank, possibly one of that indeterminate number of severums and "heaps more" discus is starting to reach maturity and trying to establish...

It is, but also fine, provided it's stable, pH is not a critical water stat. 6 is low, 8 is high, but anything in that range is ok for the majority of commonly sold fish, despite specific preferences. However, by the sounds of it, you're getting fluctuations, which isn't good, especially in the...

Off my cheat sheet: True SAE: zig-zag edged stripe, black edged dorsal scales, the stripe extends into the tail but is clear False SAE: straight edged stripe, stripe stops at the tail, yellow fins, small non-clinging suckermouth Flying fox: straight edged stripe, stripe extends into the tail...

The earlier aggression was probably the fish sorting out dominance, since it subsided, it's probably alright now. You might have to rehome the pair, they'll probably continue to harass the others. Tolak and others can give much better info on this, however, if they do lay eggs, the stores in my...

Leaving it run after adding mature media won't help - the bacteria will die off unless you're doing something to feed them. In the short term, it might get dust out of the water that didn't get washed out of the substrate, but past that, you're refiltering perfect water. You can run the new...

It's set as your personal photo, not your avatar.

I have 6 in a 10 gallon tank. They're nice little fish, and not at all like white cloud minnows, more like a dwarf cichlid IMO - they're bottom dwellers for the most part, and they spawn in caves akin to cichlids. I've gotten a few spawns in small flower pots, but haven't tried raising any fry.

How are your water stats? Some fish just come in unhealthy and can't cope with the stress of transport on top of it, but water stats can often explain sudden deaths like your bristlenose. Petricolas are somewhat social, if you get a couple more you might see them more. I have two, and they can...

Since your water stats are 0 where they have to be, 20-30% with a gravel vac should be sufficient, I'd do that daily until the bloom clears up and then step back to weekly. Monitor ammonia and nitrite through the process, as well. If you get any non zero readings, treat them as described in...

There are a lot of products that say safe that simply aren't. Another good example I've started seeing recently is antibacterial nanosilver products - while they are effective antimicrobials, they're also indiscriminate killers and will wipe out virtually all single celled (and some...

Only if something is killing them, like high copper levels in your water, or a fish. I've seen skunk loaches barely 1.5 inches pick at a massive apple snail, taking bites out of its foot until it eventually died. They won't bother healthy plants (a big apple snail is like a bulldozer, though...

If they're similar color pattern, but slim and long, also look up leporinus, which are another potential monster fish on parity with clown loaches.

They're likely stressed from bagging and transport. Give them a few days to settle in and hopefully they'll perk up. You got a good number, which definitely helps them feel secure.

Well, nitrifying bacteria do live in soil, as well. Some of the same species, in fact - nitrospira lives in just about every environment people have looked for it. Never seen it recommended, as you can bring in all sorts of bad stuff as well.

Is it white? If so, it's a bacterial bloom. There's a good bit of confusion and misinformation on this, so here's the rundown: Since it sounds like you just filled the tank and added fish, your tank will be in a cycle as nitrifying bacteria build up to process ammonia and nitrite. Review this...

Should work, as long as there's room in the filter. I cut sponges to seed new filters, but I don't know much about fluval internal filters.

Most likely a good idea. You don't want to risk bringing that into your tank. If I have a fish get sick in quarantine, I sterilize the filter media before putting the quarantine filter back on my main tank to cycle.

My nerite snails do a good job with algae on glass. They won't touch it on plants, though, they seem to only stay on hard surfaces. When I added my ramshorns, they did a good job with algae on plants.

You need to review this thread ASAP: http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=175355 A cycle is how you prepare the filter to support a bacterial colony that removes certain types of highly toxic waste from the water that fish produce. An uncycled tank does a few things: Fish are more...

Apistos are peaceful, much like rams. They're still territorial, but as long as they've got space to set up shop, they're good community fish, should be just fine with what you list.

Not just adult size, but temperament. You say they're 3 inches and get along great, but many cichlids undergo a personality change as they reach adulthood. What may be perfectly peaceful at 3" can turn territorial at 4-5", and (granted the species you list don't get to this extreme) clean out a...