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I wouldn't use dirt to eliminate your problems - I currently grow plants in an inert substrate using traditionally hi tech methods, you just have a lighting or nutrient deficiency. Can we have some more information on your set up? That way we can better help you

I've always used superglue for moss. The only time I didn't was when I used a fine stainless steel mesh (316 series) and hen covered with fine cotton mesh, took a few weeks to fill through.

Instead of using the priming pump you could just suck on the outlet pipe to fill it via siphone, let it fill, replace the outlet pipe and switch on.

CO2 and airline tubing aren't too dissimilar in price, CO2 line is definitely best, if I also remember correctly CO2 gas makes airline go brittle and prone to splits. I can't recommend a regulator as I'm not sure what you have available in the US, other members may be able to help, or perhaps...

Are you in the U.K.? Personally I'd advise getting hold of a CO2 fire extinguisher, 2kg is nearly double the 2.5lb cyclinder you have and will cost the same, I'd probably spend a bit more on your regulator as well, a decent reg and solenoid will set you back a but is a worthwhile investment...

From a business point of view if a department is profitable it will remain, which means you need to dissuade people from shopping there. We don't have Walmart in the UK (unless you count ASDA) but it would appear that our animal welfare laws are a lot tighter than yours. It's frustrating but...

I'm lucky if I see a cat outside my house.... I visited Australia twice, I hope to emmigrate one day, the wildlife really is incredible.

Believe me LED's get hot, depends on how powerful they are, I have heat sinks on my LED rigs but I'd imagine manufacturers would probably cool their LED's. Are they under warranty?

I can't think of any fish that would be suitable for a 5 gallon tank, keeping water parameters stable in a tank that small will be a mammoth, its only really be suitable for saltwater shrimp.

Are there any instructions with them that mention additional cooling? I can only imagine they've over heated.

Anaerobic pockets are harmless in home aquaria, hydrogen sulphide is oxidised upon contact with oxygenated water, infact they can be beneficial as they can harbour nitrogen fixing bacteria.

I'd use filter floss personally as it is designed to catch small particles.you could also sit the intake inside a plastic bottl with the top cut off to stop it from sucking in the substrate.

It's suitable for freshwater and marine, the reagents are different to most other nitrate hobby test kits, they're more reliable as the reagents don't separate when stood for a while.

The only reason I ask is a dechlorinator I was using recently would give me false positives on my nitrate test kit up to 48 hours after dosing. The primary ingredient in dechlorinator is sodium thiosulfate but many have additives in for binding ammonia as well as heavy metals, I'm unsure what...

Half inch should be fine, I've always used quarter inch polystyrene.

Foam should work provided it is adequately thick and dense enough.

As long as you use polystyrene you should be fine, the plastic surround would be there to act as a floating base to stop any uneven surfaces from causing fractures in the base pane of the tank.

It sounds like your plants aren't doing so well, is your CO2 injection coming from a pressurised cyclinder or a yeast fermentation reactor? How are you diffusing it. Algae is usually a sign of a nutrient deficiency, but eratic CO2 levels can trigger algae also. What are you nitrate an phosphate...

What dechlorinator do you use?

People have been buying fish online for years, provided they're packaged well there're no reason why they shouldn't arrive in good health, plants usually fair quite well in the post.

Digital thermometers are generally woefully inaccurate, unless you spend big bucks. Just sick to an alcohol thermometer, the £2 one I have hasn't failed me yet, it's robust.

It's probably the lack of light causing your carpet plant issue, have you tried cryptocoryne parva?

I also use superglue, as long as it is the cyanoacrylate type.

The coral bones will be fine Your chambers are fine, is probably add a nitrate and phosphate remover, using tap water was a bad move given you want to keep coral, live rock is very porous and will have absorbed many of the total dissolved solids from the tap water, which if copper is present...

If you decide to try it have a back up plan in place should it not work out - not all Betta's are created equal - personally I've had success with Lampeyes.

It's difficult to see from the photo but if it's white and on a fin it could be a calcium deposit, which would make sense given your water is very hard, but it does look rather large for a calcium deposit, without a clearer photo it's difficult to say.

Take a look on planet catfish, it is quite a comprehensive resource for plecos and other catfishes

Hey OP - I would stop using the DIY CO2, it's very unstable especially on a tank as small as 5 gallons and will only go towards promoting your algae growth, if your lighting is very intense I would suggest adding some floating plants in order to shade your other plants providing they're low...

Fix the root cause of your algae problems before masking it, do you keep plants? If not the cause of your algae will be too much light, reduce your photo period. As above the tank is way too small for Oto's, the best place for shrimp is eBay or gum tree etc, get them from other hobbyists

Tropica premium plant nutrition is designed for low tech planted tanks in the same way that seachem flourish comprehensive is - N+P is provided by fish food, break down of organics and fish waste. The N+P content of flourish is negligible and is present in concentrations of less than 0.01% A...

Consult a structural engineer, nobody on here can give you an accurate answer without examining your property

tropica plant growth premium plus is one of the better fertilisers available, it is complete. Compact fluorescent tubes have low light output, it may be that there isn't sufficient light for your stems - how long have they been in the tank?

Old thread...

Restricting phosphate will give you more algae problems, it is an essential macro nutrient required for plant growth, the cause of your existing algae will most likely be a nutrient deficiency. If you could provide tank and lighting details this will help, also for what duration are your lights on?

Ensure any bleach you use is unscented and free of surfactants, for reassurance after your bleach dip you could dip them in a solution of dechlorinator and water. Bleach dips are mostly unnecessary, as long as you buy your plants from a reputable source, my preferred suppliers being tropica and...

It depends on what you want to achieve, a small external filter would be fine - you could even use glass lily pipes for aesthetics. I used to have a 35 litre rimless tank with a tetratec ex 700 on it, obviously you'll need to ensure the filter isn't too powerful or it'll blow your fish around...

Khuli loaches are typically shy and are more likely to feed during lights out/darkness. Try feeding before you got to bed.

Personally I would never buy a fish that hasn't been quarantined on arrival from a fish store, it is irresponsible of the seller to offer fish for sale before quarantining them.

Personally I'd do a 20% water change to bring it down a touch.

I had an azoo mignon - very good filters and they come in a variety of sizes / flow rates too, as flchamp89 states the put out is adjustable.