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:hi: That's how it starts...I was an accidental breeder. Bred, grew out and sold about 350 fish last year and will do about the same this year! Not getting rich, but pays for food and incidentals. It takes Angel's a few broods before they get parenting down and some never do so eggs may need to...

@Colin_T has covered this well, but there is some concern since you've had the tank setup since July and on the surface it might appear to not be cycled. On the other hand, if your water is treated with chloramine, and you're using a conditioner, it will always test to having ammonia. Chloramine...

PVC cement or 'glue' is a solvent that melts the pipe and fittings together. Once cured it is aquarium safe. However, most aquarium uses are very low pressure so I often just use silicone to seal pipe and fittings. That way, parts can be reused for other purposes as needed. What are you looking...

How about a simple water bottle baffle?

My experience has been that set points on heaters can barely be used as guidelines. You might just crank it up until you achieve the desired 86°F. I like to take a 300w heater in a 5g bucket and adjust the heater until I get 86°F, then I just add this heater to the affected tank. :)

First I'd be willing to bet that there isn't one member on this site that hasn't made one or more mistakes and lost a fish or two. So as the saying goes, 'let he who is without sin cast the first stone'. Second, and I mean no offense, but you joined this forum less than a month ago and presume...

I gotta say that I feel that you are wrong - the members that come here come to learn, come for help, or come to help others. So your focus just seems misplaced to me.

Actually anyone continuing to frequent a forum like this one, simply can't be burnt out or they just wouldn't show up! However, it's likely that the average hobbyist is going to teeter between casual interest and pure obsession. As to the tropical fish related Youtubers, there will always be an...

I believe that the efficiency of biological filtration is reduced at faster flow rates as the 'food' just blasts by. The race doesn't always go to the swiftest. I can also make the case that as flow is reduced, mechanical filtration gets better - I have seen this in our pool with the sand...

I always felt that using newspaper on windows was merely an old school throw back of recycling to save money Nowadays paper towels and micro-fiber cloth works much better. :)

The interweb will tell you that you need 4x - 10x GPH flow rate relative to tank size. But good filtration is really about how well we filter the water, NOT how much or how fast we push water through media. There's a saying parroted about that "there's no such thing as too much filtration". This...

Hydrogen Peroxide is H202 - notice the base part of H20. It quickly becomes relatively inert when it contacts water. I have used it successfully in treating dreaded black beard algae by removing affected pieces and spraying with hydrogen peroxide, letting it dwell for a couple of minutes, then...

I would not transfer any tanks with water or decor. Drain tank water into 5g bucke(s), catch the fish and transfer them - any plants, substrate, and decor go in separate bucket(s). Empty tanks are moved and setup with old substrate/decor and fresh, clean water of appropriate temperature. Fish...

ALL fish are often mistreated often due to ignorance and because fish get no respect. Perhaps because it's a hobby and fish are inexpensive. If Rover or Kitty dies, it's tears for days...but when a fish dies, it often goes in the trash or down the drain and another one is purchased for merely $2...

Although largely genetic, colors can be enhanced with high quality commercial foods and good lighting - although I wouldn't go out and buy a new light so my fish looked more purdy! You might augment the high quality commercial food with frozen and/or live foods and of course for best health and...

I agree- black or blue construction paper on the back hides filter and cords. Fast growing floating plants not only good for cover but really aid in water quality as they convert nutrients (aka pollution) into plant tissue.

Whenever possible I buy flake fish food in large containers, then create what I call a Special Blend of flakes from different manufacturers. I package these in recycled 5-7oz fish food containers and put them in the freezer. Like putting anything in a freezer, it extends the nutritional storage...

@Colin_T has given you some great advice. Since you're new to fishkeeping and the forum I invite you to check out the Newer Hobbyist's Primer on my blog. It's links to a collection of articles that assist in getting up to speed with this fascinating hobby.

I once calibrated a spare heater to 86°F in a 5g bucket of water so that if/when ICH reared it's ugly head, I could just drop the "ich heater" into the tank and plug it in. No fuss. After the treatment was complete and all signs of ich were well gone, I simply unplug and remove the 'ich heater'...

Oh we might laugh it up.... but remember the pet rock!!! Dollars to donuts (royalties aside) if someone came up with a Sponge Bob Square Pants filter, it could quickly become a youngsters favorite and a fortune could be made before the bubble burst. Okay folks, you heard it here first. :rofl:

Sponge filters are GREAT bio-filters, but get low marks for mechanical filtration. And ALL sponge filters catch the eye and detract from the potential natural beauty of a planted tank which can look like a window into nature. Now if one will have colored gravel, air driven treasure chests, deep...

Around here (USA) you just go to WM and buy a bag of Original Polyfil. Inexpensive and works great.

I 2nd the suggestion for the Aquaclear HOB filter, But I would opt for one AC70 filter instead of two AC50's. I have two AC70's on my 60g planted tank (using AC50 impellers and both are totally filled with sponge material. Alternatively, you might select the Seachem Tidal filter. Note: Sponge...

Ich is 'interesting' in that it seems that stress can cause ich to flare up even in what had been very healthy fish. I often wonder if the stress of chasing, catching, bagging, and transporting fish may just cause enough stress to sometimes trigger ich. I know that many prefer salt and/or...

Yes, I have plants in every tank. Plants, especially fast growing floating plants are a HUGE benefit in achieving and maintaining high water quality included in my article The Very Best Aquarium Filter. Plants will use ammonia as their source of nitrogen and also take up other nutrients (aka...

Also, I culture Red Russian Daphnia. Daphnia are very sensitive to water quality and are sometimes used to test water for quality (like canaries in mines). Since they flourish and reproduce in my well water, I have to believe it's OKAY. :)

You pay $15 for a screw(s)? Do you make an appointment or do they just see you coming? :rofl: (I crack myself up!)

Well if the neighbors go bald or my fish get hairy, I'll get a little concerned. As for us, we only drink bottled water.

I don't know without paying for extensive water testing. I can say that dozens or maybe hundreds of homes get their drinking water from this same water table so I doubt there are any issues of alarm for aquarium use.

I'm fortunate - although I've had my Nitrate Fight I have untreated well water so I don't need/use a conditioner (although I have Seachem Safe on hand in the event of an ammonia spike).

You should tear it down and start over .... or maybe just give it a trim! :rofl:

Or like using stainless steel screws to rejoin human bones. Stainless steel will not rust under water. Matter of fact, I'll use a stainless steel nut over the end of an air line just above the air stone so it will stay down underwater. :)

This was previously posted on Aug 10, by @FishBR. EDIT: Just imagine these fishermen/women sell Cardinal Tetras at $3 USD per THOUSAND !!! As I mentioned in the previous post, the take away (at least for me) was how with perhaps the best of intentions animal activist groups looking to ban wild...

Well I began fishkeeping in the 60's and the internet wasn't released to the public until 1993. So what one learned was from other fishkeepers, the LFS, available books, and the school of hard knocks. But I don't think hobbyists have changed that much. Probably most folks aren't thinking of...

And your town was an exception to the chlorine/chloramine 'rule' as it applies to tap water for aquarium use. But to later point out that you 'really' use rain water appeared deceptive. How was I to know you were reminiscing about what you did years ago, but no longer because you've been using...

For many. many years I have questioned whether fishkeeping is really a 'hobby'. I mean, in essence, they are pet fish. I have a dog but don't consider her care a hobby. Abbey has a couple of rabbits and a guinea pig (that I clean cages and feed every day) - are they hobbies? In any case, I've...

So this explains why you don't need a conditioner AND it also explains why you can't do any more than a 20% partial water change! Unpolluted rain water, like RO water, is too pure for most tropical fish and a large volume water change would quite possibly crash a tank. Your posts have been...

To your first question I'd suggest dropping a frozen cube into the tank. You could pre-thaw in tank water, but the cube will thaw pretty quickly right in the tank. I suggest feeding frozen brine shrimp sparingly for two reasons. 1) cost and 2) a balanced diet. I tend to feed a Special Blend of...

2 (or 3) WRONGS don't make a RIGHT! I spend a fair amount of time attempting to assist fellow hobbyists in proper fishkeeping - even created a website/blog of articles for that very purpose. But I don't examine every post in every category of this (or any other) discussion forum(s). If I had...