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They are cool fish, and can get quite tame. They are piscivores though and can eat surprisingly big fish for their size. Just be aware.

If you increase bioload at all I really think you are going to need more filtration. I am not an expert on large well planted tanks (which I know will help with some waste removal), but I run a 135g with a load of tetras and sterbai corys. For the large fish I have one large blue acara, one...

I also completely agree with the FLuval tech. Floss will clog and reduce filter flow very quickly indeed. Only use if you desperately want or need that removal of the finest particles, and then only for a short time. Personally I don't own any and would never use any. Clear water is generally...

I have been really happy for many years running 3 x EHeim 2217 classic filters on my 135g.

I have 300 litre and 25 litre RO storage tanks. I have never overflowed the large one as it is so slow to fill and is in my living space so I get so much warning that it is getting full. The 25 litre buckets are another matter and I regularly have had small floods. I now tend to put an alarm on...

I have owned a tanganyikan spiny eel - a very similar species. It was very satisfying to own and got tame enough to swim up from his rock pile and eat treats from my fingers. Unfortunately it didn't have the longest lifespan with me (lasted about 2 years) but I blame myself as the water I was...

My guess is that you have an active substrate in the 10g, absorbing the carbonates (KH). These are designed to absorb all carbonates (KH) and buffer to a pH in the 6's. I suspect you are overwhelming its buffering capacity with your super high KH water, hence it is not absorbing all the KH. Be...

Yup, just use the mature media form the old filter, and fill up any extra space in the external with the new media. It will be a seamless changeover in biofiltration capability.

This is exactly my experience as well. Mine is a 3 stage, so I simply just notice the output ppm creeping up (independent of how new the prefilter stage cartridges are). I do not notice a slowing of RO output as it ages. I produce nearly 300 liters a week so my RO filter membrane only seems...

Good call, sponge is all you need, and it won't get blocked like a pad. There is a reasonable amount of evidence now that all these ceramic media are actually no more effective than 20-30ppm sponge, in filters. The manufacturers will, of course, claim they are, but independent comparisons almost...

Can someone confirm if this is a baby Oto ? I have Otoinclus, Cory hastatus and Cory pygmaeus in the tank, with a shedload of shrimp. I saw one, even smaller, a few days ago on the glass and I sucked it out with a turkey baster and disposed of it because I stupidly just assumed it was some...

And here is the key. Worth every penny extra IMO

6 adults in a 50 gallon is pretty much full. Personally I wouldn't want to put angels or an acara in there too. Red rainbows are decent sized active fish. Also, my experience of them is that they can harass Corys and steal their food. Mine used to follow the corys around (almost nose to nose)...

My thoughts exactly. Also, I would expect a TDS somewhere around 285 ppm with a GH of around 200 ppm.

Two or three of the double sponge filters pictured early on in this thread would be perfect. I agree with others that air driven ones are better for shrimp than electric motor-driven ones. The bubbles increase aeration and thus oxygenation which is always good. Air bubbles reduce any surface...

I have not kept Sulawesi's but I do know that Equilibrium is an awful remineraliser for shrimp of any sort and you are not alkaline enough for long term success. Equilibrium is all Potassium and not enough Ca and Mg. You would do far far better to use one of the dedicated Sulwesi shrimp...

Please ignore this awful, awful advice for a canister filter.

Important point, and well made ! I'll look forward to hearing the results of your test ! Exactly. However, I know that I do have a slightly clean-obsessive personality and have a tendency to clean out my filters too often. In fact I just completely cleaned the media in 2 of my 3 canisters...

Interesting links and videos guys. I was not even aware of Biohome Ultimate as I haven't shopped around for filter media for a long time.

Thus .... I'm still convinced that the big drop in nitrates I have experienced in this tank is down to changing to having 20 ppi foam only in all canister filters. Absolutely nothing else has changed, not even food brands. This tank has been running for many years. For the sake of complete...

Read Comment #5. Test kit is a good one.

Nope, just standard Eheim sponge discs.

Another good thought but I use the same (Sera) nitrate kit on other tanks and those are reading their normal expected readings, so I am confident the test kit is OK. I am pleased, but completely stumped as to what's going on.

No, its remineralised RO, zero nitrates going in. Excellent question though !

Roughly 5 months ago I changed all the filter media in my 3 x canister filters on my 130g tank to all foam. Previously having had a bit of foam but mainly Seachem matrix and other ceramic media in them. THis tank had not been having any problems but I had been convinced that all foam was at...

It sounds like you need to look into your water. Get the parameters right and the colony will thrive. GH is a common one that is either too high or too low. Or nitrates - most shrimp don't generally get on very well with a long term nitrate concentration of much over 10-15 ppm. I'd certainly...

Just to comment on your quoted water parameters. 35ppm GH is not compatible with life for Neocaridina shrimp. I suspect a testing inaccuracy. But, anyway, I guess your water is fairly soft, so OK for species which prefer it on the softer side. A small group of pygmaeus corys, or even khuli...

So the store were both right and wrong at the same time. Guppies should not harass adult shrimp at all, so your current shrimp will be fine. However, they will eat shrimplets if they can find them, so your shrimp colony may not grow or even maintain its numbers over time if all the shrimplets...

I agree that your tap water does come out really hard, although Neos can usually adapt to amazingly hard water - IF acclimated slowly enough. I have tried to read the whole thread and you don't seem to have taken on board the fact that you killed your shrimp by your method of introduction. Your...

I'm not sure what evidence base this statement come from. But its not my experience and I am extremely dubious that there is any truth in it.

Stiphodon are mega-characters, especially the males. However, the males are pretty territorial. If you can keep a good group it will share out the bickering. However, they are generally obligate algae eaters and feeding them is not the easiest. I used to have a decent group of Stiphodon ornatus...

I think if you bought an acara as big as, or bigger, than the krib it should able to establish itself in the tank. However if you have a really territorial krib and you and a smaller acara then it could possibly end badly. Adding American cichlids to other's territories is as much luck as good...

How about a small shoal of Congo tetras. Its interesting watching the males display and occasionally spar etc. Glorious fish. Another midwater favourite of mine are scissortail rasboras. They grow to a good size (up to 4-5 inches) but are nowhere near as active as Rainbowfish for example and...

I have found head and tail light tetras to be a good upper half type of shoaling dither fish. They'll hang out very much in the same zones as red eye tetras. For a centrepiece fish, how about a blue acara or similar sized other SA cichlid. I almost suggested an Angel fish, but if your barbs are...