Recent content by Polly

Hi@Jaisol – Thanks for the suggestion but I’m not even considering Fire Extinguishers, two reasons – I don’t have the space for one, and the nearest place I can get a refill is an 80+ mile round trip ! So it’s a non starter really for me. Hi @The Miniaturist – like you I just want to give the...

Hi G H Nelson, Having run the numbers again and read and reread the explanations by confused squid on reddit, I think this is probably the least complicated way to go. At least the whole thing comes as a kit and I could get a good few months of use from one reaction at my present rate, or...

Hi everyone and thank you all for your replies. G H Nelson - I was all set to get a 1L CO2 generator, but when ordered on ebay before Christmas with a UK seller, the seller accepted the sale then cancelled it ! Meanwhile I've watched them relist several times and keep raising the price...

Have been struggling to transition plants and grow them so that they look healthy for the last year, and have thrown in the towel. Was using liquid carbon but it seemed to be annoying my Peacock Gudgeon, they'd swim around shaking their heads and flicking for an hour after it was added (via the...

In this case it seems that adding the gravel cleaner has completely upset the balance of the tank. Possibly because it killed a whole swathe of beneficial bacteria that colonised the substrate. Hence a bacteria bloom. If there's a handy healthy mature aquarium, it makes sense to transfer...

The only time I had a cloudy tank that wouldn't clear, I added a litre of water from a mature tank with clear water. It worked like a charm. I'd still add an air stone though, it will help with water turnover.

Hmmm. I think mine is possibly a little bigger, but it can be difficult to say from photos. I've been thinking about the naming. For mine, I think Hisonotus leucofrenatu s would be a good descriptor leuco meaning white, frenatus meaning bridle. And looking at mine there are very light...

Thanks John Q it's just the one fish. First photo a few months after I got it, and the other 2 from this year. I've had it since 2018. Size is between my male Oto and the females. Certainly not as big as the females. It's quite a dainty fish. Mat H I'm so happy to hear about others...

Have had one of these little beauties since 2018. Wish I had a group as it doesn't seem to hang with my other Otos much and I'm sure I'd see it more if it had company. From all the research online I've done, it seems to be Hisonotus notatus, but is recorded in the Baensch Aquarium Atlas 2 as...

For those having trouble finding the pink Moler Clay Cat Litter, I have accidentally found a dark grey version (with some pink bits !) Colombo Flora Mano Base Black sold by Aqua Essentials. As no one seemed to have tried this, I took a chance on buying it. I loved using the Cat Litter...

For anyone still looking for Moler Clay Cat Litter, I accidentally found an alternative. Colombo Mano Base Black, is a dark grey version of the Cat Litter used in Aquariums. It's very dark grey inthe bag, and if you wet it, looks black. But once in the tank looks like the image It can be...

Back in the early 80s I set up an undergravel filtered aquarium run with an air pump. Fully planted. The plants thrived. Various Fish species were thrived and bred. We had regular babies grow out in the tank with no help from me . Water - crystal clear. Didn't feed the plants...

Yes. We're looking at rainwater collection for this reason. Our local authority claim they don't use Chloramine, but public health trumps everything so I doubt they could promise they'd never use it. I'm just not sure how to keep the rainwater tub free of mozzies. Had a nasty shock when...

This is all very well if you absolutely know that your water company .only. doses the water with Chlorine. It will evaporate out of water if a full bucket is left with an aerator, although how long that takes depends on turnover and size of bucket. However in the UK, some water companies...

Hi Miguel, Thanks for your reply. How long have you had it in the tank ? And does it break down? I've read some suggestion that it might be very soft ?