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Box filters have been around since Moby Dick was a minnow and they work just fine. They work on the same principle as a sponge filter but probably do a better job of mechanical filtration and not quite as good a job of biological filtration. IMO, they're most useful in smaller tanks (<10g) and...

I don't know any secrets for making it profitable but I would have to second (or third) the suggestions for breeding angels. Breeding pairs are prolific - my gold marbled pair are laying eggs every ten days, regular as clockwork. They grow relatively quickly - I have about fifty right now that...

Thanks a million smb! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!

Well, the color in the photo is off but everything else in this picture and especially the dorsal says pristella tetra. The only two I've ever seen is the regular (silver/gray) one and a gold color morph. Neither match the color in th photo but everything is so right on that I think this is...

Smb, I 'd be interested in your thoughts regarding why bio-wheels are an advantage or even necessary with cichlids compared to canisters. Let me say up front that I know nothing about cichlids. Do you believe that cichlids can produce enough waste to exceed the capacity of canisters? I'm not...

OK, I know I'll probably get killed here but...why is a bio-wheel better than a canister? Bio-wheel manufacturers claim that bio-wheels support 30,000 times more bacteria. Sounds impressive but my question is, so what? The biological filter in a tank, any tank, will grow only to the size...

Inchworm said it all. Water chemistry is not something to mess with unless there is no other option. You can open up a whole new can of worms and it can spiral out of control before you know it! :fun:

I've gotta second Lateral Line's approach. GuppyMonkey, I understand and share your feelings. But the bottom line is, many folks simply do not have that many options when it comes to stores. And the reality is that pet stores sell injected fish because folks. most which don't understand the...

Definitely not looking for a fight here but IMHO, relegating gph to "means absolutely nothing" is a bit of a stretch. Gph is often cited as a measuring stick for determining filtering requirements with 10x considered sufficient in all but the most unusual situations. I think a case could be...

I would recommend against the Chinese Algae Eater. Especially with the angel. CAEs do a pretty good job on algae when they're young but when they mature, they get lazy...and aggressive. They are bad about attaching themselves to broad-sided fish (like an angel) and eating the slime coat which...

Two ac 500s would turn 1000 gph and I think the Fluval 404 turns approx 350 gph. That's 1350 gph on a 55g tank. IMO, that's a LOT of filtration for a 55g tank. If you turn 10x the tank size, i.e. 550 gph, that should be enough to handle any fish load you're likely to put in there. I've run a...

These guys are sometimes called Threadfin Rainbows. I've never seen one except in pictures but they certainly are spectacular. You can get a little more info at http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/iri-wern.htm and if you Google Threadfins or Iriatherina werneri there is a lot of info out...

Smb - any special reason other than the obvious possibility of some food being picked up by the filter? I'm assuming that your comment is not limited to feeding fry but all feeding? TIA!

IME, you probably don't have to worry about turning a sponge off when feeding BBS. Even if some shrimp get drawn to the sponge, you fry will probably just pick them off the sponge.

Friendofthefish, I live within spittin' distance of you and my wife bought my 80g for me for my birthday at PetSmart. The tank has been set up for almost a year and I haven't had any problem with it. But to be honest, I've also purchased smaller Visio and Eclipse tanks at a couple of different...

I do 35-45% combination water changes/gravel vacs once a week. As has already been pointed out, I don't think there is much concern about the biological filter as long as you have a good filter. If you are concerned, you can always vac half of the gravel one week, and the other half the next...

Rachel, IMO we need to check the basics here and go from there. Forgive me if you've posted this before but what size tank do you have and what kind of filter do you have on it? Do you have a test kit? If not, you need to get one before you start stocking your tank with fish. If you do, what...

Rachel, you'll find a lot of very knowlegable folks on these boards that are passionate, not rude. Our assumption is that you bought your tank, set it all up, maybe waited a day or so for the water to warm up, and added your fish. You took the advice of the folks at your LFS and assumed that...

I would just add one thought to the discussion on sand. It is especially important with sand not to use too much. Most experienced aquarists recommend that sand be no more than a half inch deep and I've read some very experienced guys that talk about depths of 10 to 15 mm. Since sand compacts...

A water change should clear up a lot of the cloudiness in your tank from the sand. I'm not sure how much difference it will make to the plec but if you ever get into bottom feeding fish like corys, they'll love the sand. Gravel can cause barbel erosion whereas fine sand does not. IMO, it's...

The shells float and the newly hatched shrimp sink/swim to the bottom toward the light. It definitely works. I have two 18g tanks right now full of gold marbled angel fry that will be eight weeks old on Thursday. I bought two hatcheries at my LFS that are just a plastic base with a small...

I've used the silicone and gravel that pondfreak suggests and it works like a charm. The plants don't float and you can often just set them on the bottom or just bury them slightly and they look great. Makes vacuuming a lot easier and you don't have to mess with weights. I've also done it...

In addition to what's already been said, keep in mind that baby brine lose most of their nutritional value about 24 hours after they hatch. The shrimp are born with an egg sack which they feed on for the first day or so. When fry eat the shrimp, they eat the sack which is about as nutritious...

Angels may or may not be good parents. It's really a matter of trial and error. Sometimes you have to remove the male but the female is fine. And sometimes the other way around. Some breeding pairs become good parents after a time or two. Some get the idea after six or eight times. And...

I have a female leeri (pearl) gourami that is hanging at the surface and appears to be gasping for air. She looks a little thin (could be my imagination) but there are no other symptoms. She's in a well established 80g community with four other leeri's and everyone else, including all of the...