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^ This is the best post/advice on this thread so far. A quarantine tank removes a lot of the doubt you are be having about getting fish from a source you don't entirely trust. I've purchased fish from all 3 mentioned big box chains (plus 2 local mom/pop LFS). Sometimes they've worked out...

Yeah it could be BB blooming. How long has it been that cloudy? It could also be a lack in aeration/flow. If it's just a bacterial bloom it should clear up in a few days. If it doesn't clear up after a few days then try increasing aeration. You could split the existing airline tubing you have...

Yeah your tank is definitely re-cycling. Whenever you see your ammonia readings starting to "spike" (like they have been in your readings) perform a 20% water change & test your water again. This will help you keep ammonia levels from reaching dangerous levels for your fish & allow you to...

I use the 2nd suggested method in the video, peat moss. I buy a peat moss bale (it comes in bales of 3 cubic feet) at my local home improvement store from the gardening/landscaping section. How long a bale will last you depends on the size & number of your tanks & how often you perform water...

No problem, I hope the info helps & I can see why you are concerned. Anytime you lose fish you should be concerned, just don't let that concern drive you do actions that will compound the situation. Trying to achieve proper pH by the use of chemicals is a disaster in the making. Like I said...

Don't take offense but I think you maybe over complicating things. A pH between 6.0 - 8.0 is perfectly fine for keeping most fish without any ill effects. Only time you need to really concern yourself with the pH of your tank is if 1.) You see a drastic drop in pH, down to dangerous levels i.e...

Anything with a porous surface would house beneficial nitrifying bacteria (bb), that includes the "Bio Scrubber" thing..." you mentioned. As long as you didn't swap it out then your bb colony should be fine. Sponge filters provide great bio-filtration (because sponges are porous & house lots...

Based on what you're saying it sounds like a mini-cycle or recycling of your tank. As long as you 1.) Keep up with water changes 2.) Keep testing your water regularly until you get readings of 0 on both your ammonia & nitrite levels & 3.) Hold off on introducing anymore fish into the tank...

Thanks for providing your water parameters. I've got two more questions. 1.) How long has this tank been established? 2.) Did you introduce all of your fish all at the same time? Or did you introduce a few fish at a time (over the course of a few days - weeks)? Significantly increasing the...

Have you tested your water recently? If you have, post the results, your full water parameters (Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrates, pH). There's a few things that pH swings can be attributed to but it'll be hard for forum members to pinpoint what the problem might be w/o the water parameters. Also...

OK thank you for the clarification. Like I said before, I manually removed a lot of GHA. But without understanding the causes for it manual removal is just a temporary solution at best. Thanks again.

Ah ok, thanks for the reply :) I'm annoyed that the info I read was bogus but I'm glad to get it sorted out now. Thanks. How exactly does CO2 affect algae blooms? is it the ppm of CO2 present in the water or is inconsistent levels of CO2 (i.e. fluctuations) that plays a role?

Hey StandbySetting, I also had a problem with green hair algae. As a result I did some research & came across some info stating that an excess of nutrients (especially iron) in the water could contribute to GHA as well as excess light. As it so happened I was dosing ferts & one of them was...

I'm not sure how Ich affects inverts. I know that dwarf shrimp like cherry shrimp, bumble bee shrimp etc, are not affected by it, but I'm not too sure about snails. You'll have to do a bit of research on that. Like Karin said, snails don't have a big bioload so if you got a jar, filled it up...

Iyola, I empathize with your situation, it can be frustrating but unfortunately dealing with diseases is part of the hobby. All you can do is to try & identify the problem as best as you can & then treat it accordingly. Hang in there. With that said I would take Karin's advice about taking...

DOH! :X You did say gravel lol. I just assumed sand (fluorite) because a lot of people always have questions on how best to clean their sand bottom tanks, my mistake! OK for the gravel, since you are not doing any water changes or maintenance to the tank until after you're done with treatment...

haha yeah I might be right but hey I guess the good folks @ Kordon's have to eat too $$$ so I won't be too hard on them ;). But I hear you on the cost, that's why I like using salt. For one; I always have salt on hand for other things, it's relatively inexpensive (even Epsom salt is relatively...

That really stinks. I've never cracked a tank (knock on wood) but I have had leaks & those are annoying so I can only imagine how disheartening it must have been to hear the cracking sound & then realizing it "yup it was the TANK! :shout: " Stuff happens, be you get over it & move on. Cheer up...

Ahh Kordon's Ick-Attack. Well Kordon's is a trusted brand, I've used their dechlor before (AmQuel). Never used their Ick-Attack, but I've heard good things. I like the fact that it's organic & doesn't contain malachite green or formalin :good: . That stuff can be pretty harsh (especially...

If you're using meds (which you are) then you should adhere to the manufacturers recommended dosages & you should be fine. Like I said before, I use salt because in addition to the meds being a bit harsh on some species of fish, adding meds to your main tank can sometimes wreak havoc on your...

As you pointed out, you'd think the cories would be showing spots as well, but not necessarily. Perhaps they were about to start showing spots as well but by you starting the dosing of meds you staved the spots off on them. There is a chance it's not Ich at all. But those spots are white/whitish...

Oh I by no means meant to imply that you shouldn't cap fluorite, I was just wondering why YOU chose to. Reason I was wondering is because I know a lot of people like to use it solo to get that nice contrast between their plants & substrate. I also know people that mix fluorite with sand to...

Oh & as for your wood... Is that wood new? It's very common for wood, especially new wood to develop fungi on it when introduced into an aquarium. I wouldn't worry too much about it, as a matter of fact your pleco should love munching on that wood & in the process consuming the fungus spots...

lyola, I'm sorry to read of your troubles. Really can't tell from the pic because the spots look more yellowish than white, but if you say they are white (in person) then I'd say that pleco has Ich. I wouldn't right it off as not being Ich just because it's only your pleco that is showing spots...

Ahh OK, that's what I figured but I wasn't sure. I can see you guys having an issue with spammers abusing the PM system this being an active forum with a lot of members & traffic. Thank you very much for the quick response & resolution. And thanks for the welcome! I'm really digging this forum...

Hi, I'm new on these forums. Up until now I've been able to figure out most of the features of this forum except for the PM system (Private messaging, personal messaging.. whatever you choose to call it). I received a notification that a forum member has started a "personal conversation" with me...

Yeah I'm personally not a fan of using after market meds for treating Ich just because some of them can be pretty harsh & IME do more harm than good. In addition I keep a lot of tetras & stuff like Malachite Green, QuICK Cure, etc, are too harsh on them & call to be used at half strength on...

Nice looking tank! :good: I especially like that nice big piece of driftwood situated on the right. Once everything grows out & the Cryptocoryne Parva spread across the front it should look absolutely stunning. Just one question, it looks like you got at least 3 - 4 inches of multilayer...

The "flicking" you mention is commonly referred to as flashing & fish do it when they are experiencing skin irritation usually as a result of a skin condition or parasites attacking their skin (Ich is one such parasite). It can take awhile before you start seeing the tell tale signs of Ich...

In a 55g, I would go with 5 - 6 juvies & let them pair off like minnnt suggested. It's a lot more inexpensive than trying to buy an already mated pair. A proven mated pair (that is a pair that has successfully spawned & reared fry can easily fetch + $100 USD. With 5 - 6 juvies you should get a...

Thank you all for the welcomes ;) I am sure I'll enjoy it here. I've been browsing through the forums & I'm coming across a lot of interesting posts being made by knowledgeable (& helpful) members. Like I said, I'm always eager to learn more & by the looks of it, this place will facilitate that...

Hey all, I've been into fish keeping for years & I've dabbled with planted tanks too (with varying success). Recently I've been getting into keeping invertebrate only tanks & I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I'm always eager to learn more & willing to share what I've learned. I look forward...