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If this tank is still being cycled with ammonia, nitrogen is likely present... although, if its heavily planted the ammonia might have been used by the plants already. I haven't read an update on the ammonia in a while. One thing I'd clarify, I read someone posted that 'acidic water' is...

That's debatable. Identical twins do occur in some human families on a more regular basis than others and so genetics may play a role. Personally, as with any 'abnormal' result from breeding, I'd say that she should not be allowed to breed. Keeping her alive is an individual decision... its...

The biggest question is what your tap water conditions are. Once that is established, the other questions can be investigated. As to the 'lots of dead fishes'... did you cycle the 20 gallon tank? That's going to be imperative for the new tank in order to avoid the same fate in the 33 gallon.

I feed my tank 5 times a week... once a day. Guppies and shrimp will both graze for algae and microorganisms as well... and its healthy for them to do that. Guppies, as with other livebearers, are gluttons. They will gorge themselves if there is food present. Its just what their instincts...

Excel is not the issue, as Steven points out, there is no nitrogen in that product. It is a "Carbon" supplement. One thing is that you are feeding a lot... more than you need to. I don't feed my fish every day, let alone twice a day. Reduce your feeding and you will reduce your nitrate...

Get one that offers you more options related to plant bulb options. LEDs are a nice option because they are rated by PAR... but, they can be pricey.

Might be time for a new hood...

The amount of PAR or PUR depends on the plants.

The simple inconvenience of the first post needing Mod approval before a member gets to immediately post to the board has made spam a thing of the past for our members on this board. Our spam software catches quite a bit, but not all. And when the software needed to be updated, this board has...

Just as a side note: lumens is how we see the light (visible spectrum) but not necessarily as helpful to the plants. PAR or PUR are more appropriate for plants. PAR (photosynthetically available radiation) or PUR (photosynthetically useful radiation). Some lights have ratings for one of these...

Nitrates are not needed by the fish. It is the product of the cycling process, as ammonia becomes nitrite becomes nitrate. There can be multiple reasons for the nitrate not coming up... the simplest is a testing error. Which is always possible. Cause 2 would be if you have a heavily...

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Sorry to hear that. Not sure what the trouble could have been.

There are a lot of places that focus only on the temperaments of the fish, and not the TEMPERATURES they prefer. Bettas do best in warmer water - 78+ degrees F minimum. Pgymy cories do best in much cooler water - Best under 75degrees. Sterbai cories work pretty well with the higher temperature.

I'd recommend skipping the cories for a variety of reasons: 1 - extra bioload... not good in a small tank 2 - cories are easily picked on and bettas (even females) can be bullies to other species, though not all are. 3 - temp requirements. Bettas need warmer water than is good for the cories...

Well, if you dose for the volume of the tank, rather than the volume of water added, that can cause an 'overdose'. The decor, substrate etc cuts down on the actual volume of water.

Small substrate is fine. Plant them as you would terrestrial plants... bury the roots. Wendtii is medium height, middle area. undulate can grow 14 inches when mature, background.

Answered your question in that thread.

Stick with doing nothing. You are getting results. Just as an FYI, when dosing ammonia using Dr. Tim's, it is recommended to follow their instructions. The bacteria in a bottle can be killed off by too much ammonia. In a situation like this, less is more. Dosing at 1 or 2 ppm would have...

Female bettas are far more capable swimmers than their male counterparts as they don't have the same fun age, so the current isn't nearly as big a deal. Bettas are also labyrinth fish, which means they can draw oxygen from the air if they are in a low oxygen environment. You can lower the flow...

White is male. Google 'gonopodium'. Btw, that only works with "livebearers"... plates, mollies, guppies, swordtails, endlers...

You will have a lot soon...about every 6 weeks.

Dalmatians... lovely.

I set up a Betta sorority just like you are describing.... 15 gallons, heavily planted, with 7 female bettas... Here's how I did it... Contacted a breeder, bought all 7 at the same time as juvies that were all kept together previously. And added them all at the exact same time... added to the...

Yup. He's a platy... and a he. :D

Yup. The carbon isn't necessary all the time either, but can be saved to remove things like medicines from the tank after treatment. Carbon also removes tannins from wood... but carbon only lasts for about 3 months or so before it's no longer doing anything. I keep carbon on hand, in case I...

Yes, you can. I had my HOB with this sand for two years with no trouble.

Most platys are all the same species...just different color morphs which go by all kinds of names. And they will interbreed all the time (and can even interbreed with swordtails).

Glad to help out. That's what this place is supposed to be all about.

It's far more popular than it once was... but like I said, I took years to track down an affordable option that would work for cories. I started with play sand... which they love by the way... but wouldn't do that again. It was too light in color and took way too long to rinse... I burned out...

That's tough to say... steer clear of "high tech", "high light" and you should be ok. There's lots of articles about 'beginner aquatic plants'... plenty of options. As far as sellers go... in the US, I can steer you to,some reliable private vendors. In the U.K., I'd say stick with Tropica.

Nope... garden hose and a bucket. Turn the water on, and just stir... the lightest stuff comes up and heavy stuff sinks down. Pour off the cloudy water.... and repeat and repeat and repeat. 50lbs of sand in a nylon? That would be something to see. :lol:

This link has some pictures of it in a tank... https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/estes-ceramaquartz.410106/

It took me literally YEARS to find a sand that was the color I wanted, fine enough for my cories and cheap enough that I didn't have to sell a kidney to buy it. This stuff is an additive for concrete, so you won't find it in pet stores. I contacted Estes directly to find a supplier near me...

It depends on the seller. But I've had a lot of success with ordering plants online. Some plants work for my tank... others don't. It's a nice fun (sometimes expensive) experiment.

Word of warning on sand.... be sure it's thoroughly rinsed before adding it, or else you will be very sorry. As a side note, I've had very nice success with Estes ceramaquartz sand... s grade. It's very fine, but comes in a variety of colors. I got black as it helps the color of the fish to...

Natural plants are better for fish under most circumstances. The negative circumstances really only come when the plants are dying... fouling the water. Beyond that they help to regulate the water chemistry, keeping the dangerous nitrogenous waste byproducts of the fish down... a mini...

Letting the water sit wil allow any dissolved gasses in the water a chance to dissipate. Think about when you first fill the tank... lots and lots of bubbles form all over the tank. These are gas dissolved inside the water and form bubbles on nucleation sites around the tank. CO2 in the water...

Mollys and platys are gluttonous grazers... and as with grazers, the more they eat, the more they poop. It's just how it goes. The biggest pooper in my tank is my Bn plec... Goldie's also poop a lot, but if kept in colder tanks, they require less food and that helps reduce the mess. But they...

The fish require far less food than most fish keepers realize. And in a fish in cycle, more food means extra ammonia. They need to be fed, but minimally. Without feeding them they can be more susceptible to ammonia poisoning, but feeding too much just makes for more ammonia. It's a gentle...