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Most fish adapt their colours dependent on the substrate, it is a survival tactic to help them avoid predation in the wild, darker substrates results in dark fish so they 'blend in' better.

Have you been dosing ammonia? If not the bacteria will be mostly dead and they will have been starved of ammonia/nitrite. Making your tank unsuitable for fish, I know doctor tims has been shown to work, but personally I'd add the dr tims and dose with ammonia and test daily just to ensure the...

There isn't enough copper in flourish to kill inverts. What is your pH and kH? Have you added any other medications or treatments?

It is fungus, usually harmless, when you do a water change aim your siphon hose at it and it will be sucked out.

I'd be more inclined to change the substrate and just do regular water changes to ensure good water quality and they should grow back no problem.

OP - what plants are you hoping to grow? There are two main stream methods when it comes to planted aquariums, there are other methods but these two are the most popular amongst the planted community: Low light, low tech setup: Inert substrate Minimal fertilisation - generally just trace...

Could you provide a little info on your setup please? Tank dimensions and lighting specifially Plants are all about balance, the determining factor in their rate of photosynthesis is light, the more light - the higher their nutrient requirements. My suggestions would be Cryptocoryne's -...

When are you feeding? Plecos are more active at night, if I were you I'd feed just before you go to bed so that the room in which your tank is located will be in total darkness. I rarely see my pleco feed in the day time, he will only consume bloodworm during lights on. Anything else I feed last...

Are there any plants in the tank at all?

A quick way of determining as to whether or not rock will change your water chemistry is to drop a weak acid on it, vinegar or lemon juice - if it fizzes avoid it.

Consult a structural engineer, they are the only person qualified to tell you.

Agreed, the pink belly is generally a pretty accurate way of determining the sex of these fish. I'd just add however that Blue Rams demand higher temperatures than most other tropical fish, 28-32oC is best, I can see in the photo that you have neon tetras, which are unable to handle these...

First off apologies for the previous post, thanks to Charlie for the correction, memory failed me. Personally I believe doing a fish in cycle without a test kit to monitor water quality is just reckless and deeply unfair on any fish you intend to use. I'd advise waiting until you can buy a...

Before buying fish you really should be buying a test kit.

Are testing your water? You need to aim for 5ppm of ammonia.

Given that light drives plant growth whether or not CO2 is required depends on the lighting arrangement. CO2 is perfectly safe when dosed correctly. When you say you bleached the tank, I'm assuming it was empty - any residual chlorine will have been neutralised by your dechlorinator solution...

As I failed to post pictures before here is a FTS- I couldn't be more happy with how things are growing in at the minute, not only that the fish I have are getting on great, this is one of the most enjoyable set ups I've had in a long while: Current stock list: 6 angel fish 2 keyhole cichlids...

Honestly - I wouldn't, maintaining stable CO2 levels with yeast based systems is impossible and will only lead to algae and poor plant growth. You will need a diffuser of some kind, the pressure generated by DIY systems isn't sufficient to operate a ceramic atomiser, your other option is a...

Given your water is fairly hard you're really going to be limited to tank bred specimens, your water chemistry is in fact very similar to mine, I've had many dwarf cichlids breed in my tanks, over the years I've successfully kept: Bolivian Rams if you can find decent ones - most of them are...

Fish TB is always a risk but a rather low one, just keep an eye out for any swelling.

Sounds like the fish could be ill, you need to find out your water parameters. Blue Rams are notoriously fussy fish, not only that they demand quite high water quality low in TDS and nitrate and also higher water temperatures than most other species.

There are some great power heads on the market at the moment that have high output but don't cause high pressure water movement, the displacement of water is much more spread out, I'm currently using a fluval cp3 in my 200 litre, it provides great water circulation without blowing the fish...

The only problem I see is if there is any farming nearby as fertiliser can run off into the stream and your wood will soak it up.

Just be careful when using malachite green as it is toxic to inverts, if you have any shrimp or snails you'd be better treating the fish in a hospital tank.

The easiest and most cost effective way to have LED lighting is to build your own circuit, if you can solder you can do it - it's really simple and the results are amazing. Not only that for under £20 - not sure what this would equate to in USD, you could have a more powerful LED setup than is...

Unfortunately the tank is too small for a pair of clown fish. Clown gobies are one of my favourite fish and would be perfect for a tank this size. Or for added interest you could add a shrimp/Goby pair - some species live symbiotically which is quite interesting to watch. Obviously you could...

Looks like a planaria worm to me, and the predatory type too, they are generally present in tanks with poor water quality and a polluted substrate, remove and dispose as you see fit and clean the substrate thoroughly, do not over feed. It's likely there are others if you have one.

Instead of buying a fish which you are 'okay with dying' which may I add is inhumane, and unnecessary, return the fish to the store and resume the cycle by adding ammonia daily, this is called a fishless cycle and will allow the growth of filter bacteria without the unnecessary suffering of...

Sometimes it's just a case of repositioning the Powerhead, but you should find that things will more than likely be ok from the off.

If you're cycling I'd actually bet good money that it's the ammonia causing your algae issues, especially as you have diatoms. its best to keep the lights off when cycling. But obviously with you having plants you need some lighting, what species do you have?

10x tank volume is usually sufficient for CO2 injection, it can be a bit of trial and error, you can soon see dead spots as detritus and algae will build in those areas, so adjust your power head as necessary. The filter inlet and outlet should be positioned on the same side when using lily...

Cherry shrimp will do fine without a heater provided the water temperature is stable. Bamboo shrimp I wouldn't put in a tank this size, they filter food from the water column, a tank this small wouldn't be able to provide ample food. Brine shrimp would work but the eggs need to be dried before...

Most female have pink bellies - it's one of the easiest ways to sex them.

I always change 50-60% a week, I've done it this way for years with no adverse effects, my young fish grow like they're on steroids, you have to remember that water changes don't only replenish minerals etc, they remove hormones that are secreted by fish.

If you want them to breed a pair of Keyhole or dwarf cichlids would be a good choice

They're both blue rams, it looks like you have a male and female (top) too.

I wouldn't put fish in a tank this small personally, any bottom feeders are out of the equation because of the course ceramic media in the biorb. Take a look at shrimp

You could use just the aqua soil on its own, I have done in the last, just remember that it leaches ammonia

Spend as much or as little as you wish on subrstate, I'm currently growing hi tech plants in an inert substrate so it can be done, the cheapest way would be to use clay cat litter and cap it with gravel- though the ADA substrates really are worth the money, they are excellent and I would...