Search results

Thanks for your thoughts, I'll try and up my water changes. I'm a lazy fish keeper, I know I need to do better. It's a community tank, so mainly the fish in groups 1 & 2. Less Angels, Discus & goldfish. I also have a lot of shrimps. I have gravel as my substrate.

My GH is 180, and KH 120. It seems high, but do I need to worry, everything else is fine. When I get new fish I lose a few, but the rest live forever. I have a 3 stage RO (not in use), so can bring this down with RO. But last time I did this my plants did not like it, so I stopped. Out of the...

I can get pub gas at a good price and the cylinders are a bit bigger. I think I have worked out what I did. I think the last cylinder I got was a Co2/Nitrogen mix, usually used for Bitter. Lager & Soft drinks is pure CO2 which it what I used previously. There are two reasons why I think this...

Hi, I've been neglecting my tank for the last 12 months but am now finding time to to get it back on track. 2 years ago I introduced CO2, within a week my plants were going crazy and I was pruning weekly thereafter. Having a 900L tank I needed a big setup, so I use 6.35KG pub CO2 cylinders. I...

Hagen got back to me, repeated what you have said. I double checked the manual and your both right. It states an actual flow rate of 2300 lpm. It just seems less than when it was new. I wish I had bench marked it when it was new. I'm happy now I know the facts.

I've been communicating with Hagen customer service on this. They have been very helpful and sent me some spare taps so I could carry out some tests. I cleaned the filter and run it with no media, I only get 2,300 lph when it should do 3,500 lph. Basically I timed how long it took to fill my 16...

Woke up this morning and he is even worse, looks like the whole of the inside of his head has come out through his eye. Looks very nasty and painful, so I took the decesion to end it for him, very sad.....

Still no better, is it time for euthanasia ?

I found a good article which explains, "EPA Guidelines set a maximum allowed level of Chlorine of 4ppm. Most water supplies target 2-4 ppm Chlorine. Note that 4ppm of Chlorine is actually 5.8ppm Chloramine. (The Chlorine is 69% of the chloramine molecule, ammonia is the other 31%) So, with a...

Thanks, done some research on CO2 levels, George Farmer recommends levels of CO2 are 20 to 35ppm. I found a calculator online, no need for a 4dKH drop checker, I have ph 6.9 and kh 7 so my CO2 is 26ppm "The formula used for this calculation is: CO2 (in PPM) = 3 * KH * 10( 7-pH ) where KH is...

Sorry I don't understand the 4dKH drop checker, I have a test kit which reads a dkH of 7, is this what you mean?

I had some Flubenol-15 a few years ago, worked for me, then when I went back for some more the web site had closed down, just had another look for it but can't find anything, can you still buy it? I have fairly good surface agetation, but I have never measured my CO2, what is the most accurate...

I'm injecting co2 and using a ph mionitor to keep it constant, so adjusting to 6.9 is no problem. You did mention about my stocking earlier and I will be taking your advise on some fish, although I have read others discus keeps do keep discus with Conga Tetra etc, so I'm gonna suck it and see...

Thanks guys, I'm gonna give it a go without dechlorinator

I have a mature 900 litre planted community tank, I have just discovered today that a lot of LFS & fish keeps just dont use it. Apparently Chlorine evaporates within 24-48 hours. I usually fill my resovior with 20/80 RO/Tap water 24-48 hours before I do a water change to allow the water to come...

I've been dosing with anti internal bacteria med by interpet for a week and a half now and the poip eye is no better, he has also developed are large bulging red sore under the pop eye, any more idea's?

Just finished doing my tank mates stats, please see below; Got these stats from http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/a-z_comm.htm Based on these stats none of my fish are compatible, even though everyone keeps cardinal tetra with Discus! Apparently the ideal temp for an adult is 29. Found...

So I take it your not using RO, or maybe a mix ? I need to get my head around these 50% water changes. Just been reading through previous posts in this thread, I know the water changes are designed to keep the nitrate low. One of the reasons I have heavy plant growth in my tank for that reason...

Surly you need to add something for the plants if your using 100% RO

Have Chens got a web site, also, what water conditioners do other Discus keeps use? EDIT: Found the web site http://www.chensdiscus.co.uk

Checked my water parameters last night, nitrate: 10 kH: 7 gH: 10 PO4: 0.25 Water is a little hard, although I have not been using RO water recently as I have been trying to promote plant growth after the Silver Dollars wrecked my plants. 2 Now gone, 2 to go when I find homes. I'm gonna start...

Sorry, that was a bit ambiguous. I meant, do I need to do a water change before using Internal bacteria by interpret, but I have now done a 95% water change to be on the safe side. How soon should I notice a difference, his eye is massive.....

Can I mix with Melafix ?

One of my Redline Torpedo's has got pop eye. I noticed it last week, at the time he also had luike small baloons coming from his gil on the same side. I instantly caught him and put him in the quarantine tank. I have been dosing daily with melafix for 7 days now. The balooning in his gils has...

I told my LFS I would not be ready for a few weeks. I'll google Chens shortly and check them out. I'll definetly mention your name. I'm not fussed about losing the silver dolllars, two have gone already and I'm looking forward to the last two going as they are eating thier way through my plants...

Thanks for all the advise, it's gonna be expensive if I need 5 - 8 as a start-up. My LFS has quoted £25 per fish........ Why would you particularily single out Silver Dollars as a no go?

How many would you recommend as a starting point in a 900 litre tank? So your saying they not bothered by tap water?

Thanks for the advice, I'm gonna hold fire while I research my tank mates. In the mean time, you mention massive water changes. Is this really necessary in a big tank like mine. 50%, that 450 litres. I'm now thinking of getting a pair to start with. Also, should I be using RO. I typically use on...

okay, main concerns appears to be temperature, I'll check out temperature guides for current stock, paying particular attention to the fish you mention. What about ph though?

Hi, I am thinking about introducing Discus into my 250g planted community tank. I was thinking about buying a single Discus to begin with and see how I get on, then increase stocking levels if I am succesful. Basically my water parameters are ph: 7.2 (maintained with co2), Temp 25. Please see...

First off all I have mislead you, my quarantine tank is 80 litres not gallons, sorry. I only intend to keep the male in quarantine until he is better and I can give him to a friend or back to the LFS. Also, I have only filled my quarantine tank half full (40 litres) I use a Eheim ProBall (I...

Damn, you did indeed say that, I've moved her back to the main tank. I thought it was just males that fought, I put her in there for company. Thanks again

In both instances it was a very gradual problem, actuially the first time I cleaned the propeller on both filters was because it started to lose power, then I remembered I ought to clean the propeller, became second nature after that. I'm surprised you never had to clean yours, how long did you...

Thought I should give an update, I decided to only put a single female in with the male so they don't fight. I was not concerned about leaving a single female in the large tank as she can hide in the weeds and so far both females are in tact. My quarantine does not look that big, due to its...

I've got an 80 gallon quarantine tank, I'll put them in there with some melafix. Have to see how the girls get on, currently no fighting in the main tank. Once all okay I'll see if any friends want them. (As long as they have no tetra or Angels!) Thanks for the advice, you have probably saved...

With my first filter I had origional 1" pipe in/out nothing else. Even with an empty filter I still only got 2" after time, but as new 8" even with both Blue and White filters at the same time. With my second filter I plumbed all my extra bits at the outset and I had 8" Nothing has changed...

Thanks for the info, I'll get them out and see if I can give them back to the LFS. My tank is 250G, the one in the picture below. Will the male recover?

Sorry, you are correct, it is 16mm. I am already using 2 * 300W, but you also need a third @ 16mm so the flow rate is not reduced. I have my CO2 reactor on the third.

I thought it was only the males that fought and you could keep as many females as you like? They never seperate the females in the LFS, only the males! Also, if I rehome him, will his fins regrow? Finally, I used to have Guppies with my Cardinal, Rummy Nose, Glow Light & Harliquin with no...

I got a siamese fighting male and two females a few weeks ago and someone is nibbling his fins and there nearly all gone! The Females are fine. I have the following fish in my tank; 55 Cardinal Tetra 2 Harliquin Tetra 1 Glowlight Tetra 6 Mollies 6 Cherry Barbs 2 Clown Loaches 1 Yo-Yo Loaches 3...