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I can try checking with the glass of water in the morning, but I definitely checked the concrete floor with the level and it was a perfect 0 degrees. I do realize that the photo I took makes it look like the floor is sloped, my bad. The way drainage works in this particular area is through...

Everything Byron and GaryE have said is correct. I will add though that while technically anyone can do the work of describing species, it is incredibly difficult without an in-depth knowledge of both the morphology (physical characteristics) and DNA of the organism you're trying to describe...

So I have an opportunity to grab an unused 25gal tank for free from one of our storage closets, which would be fantastic. The only problem is that when I filled it up to do a quick and dirty leak test before taking it home, I noticed that the tank is sitting noticeably uneven with the water...

Well, I've collected some wood over the past couple days! Most of it salvaged from a local beach as driftwood, some collected as dead sticks in the woods. I'm fairly sure none of it is conifer, or if it is, it's weathered enough to have lost its terpenes, resins, etc. I did my best to find...

Hey Magnum Man, if you're ever looking for some more interesting Congo fish, the banded african barb (Barbus fasciolatus) might be a nice fit. They have a much wider distribution than just the Congo, but they are definitely found within the drainage basin and should overlap in range with the...

The topic of the article you linked is absolutely the fault of our deteriorating education system here in the U.S. Most of an individual's personal memories fade away over time. Similarly, the collective memories of community and culture only last as long as they're taught. True for the...

It's true, backlogs of samples are the scientist's most common enemy haha. And yes, field research is some of the most difficult and rewarding work I've ever done. I completely agree that more effort needs to be put into involving locals with the research that happens in their homes. It's...

I'm so curious about this, as someone who works closely with scientists who identify and describe new species. Were you the one who collected this unknown Platopochilus? Do you know of any researchers or institutions who might have also sampled this undescribed species? If you have the time and...

My vote is for Agate! His colors remind me a lot of the agates we get on the beaches where I live

Good to know and keep in mind, thanks. I knew softwoods don't last as long as the hardwoods, but had read conflicting information on how much quicker they decay. We have hardly any deciduous trees here, which greatly limits my options for foraged wood (buying aquarium wood is just so damn...

I hear soooo much online about how all conifer wood is evil and dangerous and will kill everything in your tank (only a slight exaggeration... I've seen some very animated online comments). But then, I also hear from a significant chunk of experienced aquarists that it's fine, given a few...

Haha! I should be clear that I was somewhat joking here. I mention in the post that I know I'll end up with multiple tanks, I was just wondering if getting two at once would be getting ahead of myself. I have decided on getting both though! As pointed out, the second one would be good as a...

Definitely. I knew I'd need a quarantine tank, and had plans in place already to make one out of a plastic tub, but honestly the 20g will be better. Good point about potential future leaks too

So in my search for a used 20 long, I've come across two incredibly cheap listings. Solid $1/gallon. Most tanks I've seen listed in my region, even well-used, go for more than that. These both look to be in pretty good condition too. I'll ask and double check about leak testing and everything...

Definitely. I think the cheap metal skewers tend to have somewhat rounded tips already, but it's always good to have sandpaper at the ready. We might sand them anyway just to be safe. Thanks for all your input!

Background So, I'm an ecologist and, more importantly, a pedant. I originally started out brainstorming for a 20gal long setup with the goal of having a nice, lush, heavily planted tank with fish that simply looked good together. This is a sane and normal way to plan a tank. So anyway, I've...

Well, the aquarist really liked this idea! I think we are going to go with the metal skewers though. I'm not sure when we'll be able to prototype, but she thinks it could work really well

Hmm... I see what you're getting at regarding softness and digestibility of wood. I would still worry about the bamboo or balsa holding onto water and getting gross and moldy over time though. Maybe not an issue since they're so cheap to replace, but still. I might also worry about splinters if...

No, this is actually a really good suggestion, thank you! I'll bring it up to the aquarist when I go in tomorrow morning. Are you thinking of those bamboo skewers? I'm wondering if a metal one would be even better. It could be dried off, for one, and I really don't think it would be possible for...

So, the skates live in a fairly deep tank, and we target feed them (normally we have juvenile salmon in the tank with them and those are ravenous little beasties, so target feeding the skates at the bottom is important). Of course, this means we have to get the food down to them somehow. We've...

That is absolutely my guess for the cause of her death. The aquarist was hopeful, but I had my suspicions the longer she went without passing the zip tie piece and not eating. Unfortunately, we're a very small facility (we only have two full-time staff. The rest of us are volunteers), and the...

I think what Jaylach was saying is that the duration of salt use, not the amount, is the potential issue here. Freshwater fish shouldn't be exposed to salt for much more than ~2 weeks (edit: my bad. closer to 3-4 weeks is the recommended limit), as it can cause kidney damage. They aren't...

Heard from the aquarist at the small aquarium I volunteer for that one of our big skates (Raja binoculata) passed today :( Her name was Annie and she was beautiful and healthy just two weeks ago. We're still not fully sure what the cause was, but she ingested a piece of wayward zip tie a bit ago...

There's no way... That's basically vinegar! Do you know your typical tap water pH? 6.5 would be low, even for me living in a place with incredibly soft water. Mine tends to sit pretty comfortably at 7.2 Does your tap water or the tank water have any tannins in it, do you know? Definitely...

Thanks! I've done a couple ~30% water changes since posting this and have obviously been cutting back on feedings. My nitrates hover around 10ppm, usually, so that should be alright, I think. My efforts seem to be working though! There's still some, especially down by the roots of the plants...

I feel like we might need more information. The platy that died, did it show any symptoms aside from rapid breathing and lethargy? What's your water temp, and do you have any airstones or other methods of surface agitation? If your water conditions are fine and they aren't showing any other...

This is all really helpful, thank you. I've dipped my toes into the SF site a bit, and they seem like a really good resource. Glad to get an endorsement of it! Not sure how I didn't find their page on hillstream loaches in my initial searching haha

Good to know. I'll definitely have to keep this in mind. Thanks for the filter info. I definitely figured it'd have to go on the narrow side of the tank, but I couldn't find much information on how much actual power in GPH was ideal for a river setup. Do you happen to have any experience with...

This is all great! I appreciate all your notes and photos. Looks like maybe I'll just have to wait until I'm able to have a larger tank setup for these guys. Oh well... Someday! In the meantime, I'll continue to research high-flow river setups in the background while I work on other tank...

So, I think a lot of us are enamored by hillstream loaches. When I first learned about them, my immediate instinctual thought was "I must have these creatures in my home". I initially looked through the care guide by Aquarium Co-op and was thrilled to see they could do well in a typical tropical...

I'm happy to hear that my knowledge might be of some use! I do have to admit that my knowledge and experience with tropical marine fish and reef care is limited. But hey, for those brave enough to attempt a temperate water tank (45-60F), I could probably provide some insights!

Curious about ways to deal with a cyanobacteria issue in a tank I've adopted from an acquaintance. I've already manually cleaned out most of it and will continue vacuuming the gravel and doing water changes, but I couldn't get it all and I can tell it's starting to creep back a bit after only a...

Hi everyone! So happy to have found this community. Oh, how I miss the heyday of internet forums. Glad to see this one's so active! I "kept" bettas as a young child, back when I didn't know better. When I did start knowing better, I fought against disinterested parents. So it goes, the classic...

This is really helpful, thank you so much! I'll go ahead and hold off on getting more neons until I can get the 20gal set up, then. Good to know that it could just be scarring or a cyst. The spot hasn't spread from yesterday, so I'll keep that possibility in mind, but I'll still pick up or order...

Hello! I'm relatively new to this hobby and have a question regarding disease and how that might affect introduction of new tankmates. (Also posted this over on the C.A.R.E forum, but hopping onto this one in hopes of getting more eyes on my question, and I love forums anyway, so win-win!)...