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How long ago did you set the tank up?

It depends on the brand. The manufacturer's web site usually lists recommended replacement times. 

It's a common problem reef keepers face. As their bulbs age algae begins to grow because as pointed out above, plants and algae thrive in the red spectrum. T5HO bulbs last about 6-10 months before they begin to shift. Vital for reefkeepers, less so for planted tanks. But at some point it becomes...

It's also true that as florescent bulbs age they drift toward the red spectrum. So this can be a sign that the bulb needs replacing. 

I think they just aren't all that popular so don't get ordered much. I saw a peacock and tire-track at one of my LFS last week so I know they are out there. But at the main stores I don't see them. If you can find a small local shop, a mom and pop place, they can likely order one for you. 

We've created a new sub-forum in the journal section for what we are calling "field reports".    If you are out in the wild and spot some interesting fish, snails, crabs, corals, etc. You can post your observations and photographs in this new area. Also, if you visit a public aquarium and want...

That's just the behavior I was talking about! 

When my assassins were done with their job of eating the other snails I traded them back into the LFS where I got them. 

I'm assuming you are talking about the assassins' shells and not the dead snail shells laying about. As time goes on the assassins' shells often get coated in algae. Try taking one out and rub it gently with your finger and see if it polishes up again. 

This thread just reminded me how much I love clown loaches. I had a tank with 5 of them and they were so playful. Just great fish. But yes, they do get big and do so pretty quick.

One way to tell is their movement. Copepods tend to move more quickly and in a slightly jerky fashion. Almost like twitching.    If your phone or camera has a macro mode try taking the picture in that mode. It allows you to take photos of things that are small and close up. If not, try to obtain...

Here in Arizona they go for around $14 USD or less most of the time less. 

It's hard to see anything in your picture, but it's likely copepods. They are crustaceans that live in both freshwater and marine. Many fish eat them and they are able to breed in a tank. They are harmless and work as tiny little scavengers and a food source for fish. 

There are a couple of the Fluval fancy tanks I wouldn't touch, for just the reason you mention, cleaning. I feel like they learned with this one and made one people could actually work with. 

None that I can think of. That would actually be a good tank for a betta in my opinion. 

It is expensive. And there are some that cost even more. That's why community is so important. I can get a frag of many of the expensive SPS or soft corals and many LPS from someone locally and just wait until it grows large. Then I will take a frag and share that with someone else. By doing...

Yes, corals are costly for sure. For me it's a mindset. I'm a patient person. If I want something and don't have the money I can save it. But if I want something and I know this will be my one and only chance to get it, then I really cook the books to make sure I have enough money. But, I do...

I paid $185 us for a purple tang. That was a bargain. I'm about to buy a valentini puffer, it will likely be $35.    My point. Go for it! ;)

If you are missing parts, which is highly possible considering how it is packaged, you will need to either return it or ask for the missing parts from where you purchased it.    I've used this before and I hated it. I much prefer either using my mouth (yuck if you do it wrong) or a pump (which...

I ran across this article that I thought I would share with you all. It's about putting orange peels in the tank to improve health and eating habits of sick fish. Read it for your self.    Has anyone heard of this before? It's a new one on me but very interesting.      "Tyler credits...

Shrimp are probably small enough for them to want to eat. I didn't keep shrimp with mine.  

I've never kept two together so I can't answer that question from experience. I don't know if they would be aggressive toward conspecifics or not. Some fish, while tolerating fish of other species, will attack their own in territorial disputes. I'm not sure if the peacock is one of those. 

He might hide in the PVC but if you have river sand that's probably where he will spend his time. That was one of my favorite things about them, how they hide in the sand with just the tip of their head sticking out. If your substrate is close to their body color (mine was) they can be hard to...

I have kept a couple of peacock eels over the years, great fish. It can be difficult to acclimate but once it's established it's hardy. Water conditions must be good. If you have plants put rocks around their base or the eel will knock them loose when it hides. They are a great community fish...

I one that is okay with a pair as long as it's not two males. Since it can sometimes be hard to sex them most people just shy away from pairs. At least that's been my experience. My pair was purchased as a pair and the previous owner knew they were male/female and had them for a while.    But...

Looking at the tank I'm thinking the danio would look good in there and provide a contrast to the shape and color of the angel. 

To each his or her own...I think they are lovely. I loved mine. They were so well behaved and interesting to observe.    But...since you are a chichlid bigot there's nothing I can do about that. ;)   The problem I am having is the size you want in a mid-water swimmer that is shoaling and gets...

Ha! Childhood issues shouldn't stand in the way of a beautiful fish. ;)

I wondered about that. Good thing you were noticing their behavior! 

What about Pelvicachromis pulcher? Kribs do well in several water types and tend not to be too territorial with other species. They pair up and breed in the aquarium so mating behavior is very interesting. They also are about the right size you are talking about. And, they are stunning.   

Yes, it's good it's okay!

Sounds like you can rest easy. It's level, and it's a scratch. But it gave us a good chance to talk about level tanks and water alarms! I'm glad it wasn't anything major. Could the sound have been related to the tank's heater?

You can't level the floor, but you can still use shims to level the tank. I did that with my 210 gallon (795 liter) tank. The floor wasn't level but the tank had to be...at 3000 pounds (1361kilos) it had to be!    You still haven't figured out 100% if it's cracked so not a time to panic. It...

  It does. From my experience reading about failures it's most often due to stresses put on the glass, not by the water and decor, but by the tank not being level.  

I've never had that happen either. My only scratches have come from either me scraping algae wrong or a rock rubbing against the glass. 

A lot of hardware stores sell them. They are meant for basements but work great for fishtanks as well. Of course they sell them on Amazon too. You're in the UK so this isn't the right link for you, but it still shows examples of water alarms. 

Oh, that is rough shape. 

It would not necessarily be spewing water. If it is a crack it may widen over time and eventually open up but that doesn't always happen right away.  Unless you are 100% sure it's a scratch and not a crack, not sleeping well is probably a good idea. You can get water alarms for the tank which...

Yes, I agree. Starting a new tank or giving someone the offending fish is the most sure solution. I would not count on them staying small.