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Hi guys, Piece-of-fish and Foxfish, Now you made me confused! (I dare to say that John S may be confused, too). 1. 1. Bioload – I totally agree that the bioload of Cherries is negligible but there are 6 Ottos in a 35 litre tank as well... and plants... One of the fundamental principles of...

Oh, that's good - it is just sooo many people still think that "standing the water overnight" is going to make it suitable for a water change... I do not really know IF the injection of CO2 affects dwarf shrimps breeding but my shrimps tanks are kept either without the CO2 or with a...

Hi again John, Whils I was typing, some more posts came through - you say you "prepare 10 L the night before" the water change... What do you mean? Just standing the water is not good enough! You NEED to use a dechlorinator (and specifically the ones which neutrolize heavy metals) - if you just...

Hi John, Firstly, your high TDS is probably due to a very high bioload in the tank - I think 50 Cherries for a 35 litle is quite a lot - and the Ottos bring it even higher.... One other thing - please be easy on me with this one as it is not 100% confirnmed - CO2 injection is thought to hinder...

Hi all, I thought I would share some of my newly confirmed knowledge and experience on “fish and invert psychology”. This topic equally belongs to both "Fish" and "Inverts" parts of the forum. I have to start with a little story from a few year back. I have witnessed a conversation in one of the...

I agree with Viktor and have something to add as I have kept Amanos in various set ups with different level of success... Amanos normally, although extremely "energetic" do not attack reasonable size fish (in comparison to them) which is in good health and active. They can be intimidating to...

Amanos are very confident, quick and even slightly "aggressive" shrimps. They will not take any nonsense. The only worry is their size and the size of you Angels mouths... Even with this in mind, healthy Amanos are very quick. Heavy planting is a big help, too. Personally, I would try!:) I would...

You made me laugh Ian:clap: Honestly, I did make myself looking rather silly with all this fuss! I am not that bad or naive, honestly! I have had all sorts of spam - and was told I was far too suspicious! Diana's "stuff" was just different - firstly, I did communicate with her, it is HER email...

O.K. Folks, thanks for curing my pangs of conscience. I will PM Diana telling her about this. Worwood, if you can get any more info - this would be great (just to put things right and out of curiosity - sorry... I am a woman at the end of the day....)

Oh, thanks again Worwood. it is bellsouth.net

Thanks Worwood... I tried to do the search on the bits I found in the "raw message" - no luck. I even went to the forum where Diana visits and half written a PM to her about hacking...

Thanks Ady, That what I thought - I am normally good about such sort of thing... It is just there was (still is) something niggling at the back of my head saying "what is this is true and she just sent it to everybody on her email list?" I imagine, the first thing I would do is to go to the...

Hi folks, I hope somebody will be able to help.... I received an email from famous Diana Walstad (yes, that one which wrote "that" book). I have had some communication with Diana over 3 years ago, and have not been on the forum where she posts for quite a while... Today, out of the blue, I...

Hi all, Thanks to everybody for the thoughts/recommendations. I am glad there are some other opinions than the consensus on the forum: to be honest, I was nearly worried as this consensus reminds me of a very stale "I have not read this book but I know it is no good" - if you know what I mean. I...

I have been interested in JBL, actually, and I am tired of Eheims: I have too many and the quality is actually dropping (and the prices are not). Are JBL's quiet? And what about spares? They are not as easily found as Fluval or Eheim ones?

Right, I have been reading on the other forums and blogs and have had it confirmed that the Hydor heater on the intake pipe is absolutely fine - many people did this. However, the dimensions are still something which I would like to know. I got some info here and there but they do not match...

It is for £100 which is a very good price and I know the general consensus here on the forum but Fluvals otherwise have a great reputation (I am going to replace those ugly pipes, though). I remember there was an article in PFK not long ago where one of their guys actually rated Fluval...

Hi all, There will be a whole bunch of questions – sorry... I tried to find answers/information but for some reason I could not find anything satisfactory. Here goes. I am thinking about tidying up my equipment and slightly upgrading. I was thinking about buying Fluval 406 – never used Fluvals...

Hi, I have kept Botia Kubotai in the past and I know they generally prefer acid to just about neutral conditions... Signs of CO2 poisoning for fish are normally gasping at the surface, not getting pale and reclusive - in fairness these loaches do not normally go to the surface anyway... I would...

Evening all, No, I did not mean to "have a go" at this particular retailer: they do what they do: and they have regular deliveries of bettas which are sold very quickly - no sign of going out of business. And as I said they even had the bettas with the tolerable tankmates (for at least temporary...

Caridina nd Neocaridina (Cherries) do not interbreed. And although Caridina are more demanding, Neocaridina is fairly easy (unless you have intensively bread strains). So, I do not see any problems at all - providing your tank water is not too hard (I am going from the assumption that your new...

Yep, that was my thought - Snow Whites came to mind straight away. Albeit, I have never seen them being so pinkish colour. Caridina that is, then?

To revive the topic - I am pleased that my message to that Ebay seller has worked. They are still selling bettas now - now with a sky high postage :lol: At least, each betta seems to be in an - "allegedly" - appropriate environment when photographed... On a side note, I just got a gourgeous...

I may be horribly wrong but they look like some Caridina to me rather than Neocaridina (which Cherries are)... I must say I have never seen Caridina of that colour but they somewhat remind me of the Caridina Cntonensis - albeit with a wierd colour..

No, they actually do NOT know their offspring is never going to materialise. As everything in nature, they breed because they "have to". I am surprised that you are surprised, really...:) They will be going berried all the time. Mind you - in the nature, they do get berried and release their...

Thanks Ian, My main "goal" is just to understand the way carbon filters work. I suspected myself that the increase of TDS in carbon filtered water is due to suspended particles of carbon media...:) Yes, our tap water is not too bad, really - but to be honest, I hoped that the filter would remove...

Hi all, I need help! I have been involved in a discussion/argument about carbon filtration... I need to confirm that I am right (or wrong) in this discussion. I am not a chemist, unfortunately... I really hope that Clive will see this post and will put things right as I am curious as well. I...

Hi Martin, Betta Splendens (the one I mean in my "Cruelty" thread and the most traded ones) would be - to my opinion - "sort of" suitable for your tank if not the flame gourami (I agree with Palm Tree on this one). These Bettas (and Gouramis actually) vary in personality but a gamble is not...

EXACTLY!! I totally agree with this and cannot quite understand you "arguing" with me earlier. The thing is that the concept of the "natural habitat" for Betta Splendens is hugely inaccurate and, like many other "old wives tales" in the hobby, is being spread and repeated over and over again -...

Yes, this is all true but it does not mean this is correct way. Wild bettas, indeed, come from "tiny pools" but these pools are in fact part of a much wider ecosystem which speads vast and in total provides much better filtration, water circulation, etc., than in any tiny jars offered by human...

A quick update. I had to go away to attend a funeral (a sad matter) and that meant that my tanks were left even longer without a proper water change (a friend was asked to look after my cat and feed the fish once during my husbans and I being away for a few days). I can say that the result of...

Hi Ant, Yes, I mean Micro nutrients. I must admit: I never used ADA substrates (yet) but from what I read I believe that most of them leach some NH3 at first. Depending on how old your substrate is this could be another possibility of a problem (sorry if you posted before elsewhere on the forum...

Hi Ant, I totally agree with Darrel. Loosing Amanos seems to be extreme to me – I am under the impression that these are tough little things not giving up when all other types of shrimp cannot stand it. Some time ago and on another forum, I managed to help with problems related to overdose of...

Yeah, I know this one. This is the one I tried to use first time - did not succeed as the option offered for complaining were "Item is not as described", etc., etc. - nothing on the topic. I even rang Ebay then... Never mind. Perhaps they have some more relevant options now. I must admit, I did...

Hi Martin, Bettas will be just fine with EI - as long as your main water change water (tap or whatever) is neutral or soft or even just slightly on a hard side (if you have really hard water from the mains, this is a bit of a challenge but otherwise it is not a problem). Little Rainbowfish...

It does not matter to me if the practice of measuring bettas is 10+ years old. It does not make it it humane or acceptable. I always think of "little creatures" as a "projection" of human beings - if we don't like being treated in any particular way, why on earth we have an authority to treat...

Thanks Gill - this is really good to know. One question: how do you report to Ebay on such matter? In the time of finding the betta getting measured out of the water, I could not find any any way on Ebay to report this...

Thanks Martin - I am starting to feel I am not alone here... Bettas are the most "real pets" fish with wonderful personalities, like "cats and dogs" of the water world. I sort of understand the tradition in the Far East, but civilized Europeans treating the fish like they are not living things...

Hi all, I thought I post this here as this is the best forum I know... Yesterday I was looking throught things on Ebay and discovered that some seller was offering a betta in a jar... well, maximum 1 litre one, I could guess, fancy shape jar where you could not fit a filter or even a smallest...

Thanks Darrel and Ed. I did try to find detailed information on Sera's website. On the tub, they proudly display "Mg, K, Ca" and say that these are the salts for treating RO water... Never mind... That is what I ended up doing. Will have my own mix as Darrel suggested ready for the future...

Hi all, An update – and a kind of warning for the others. I have bought some RO water for water changes. I already have a tub of Sera Mineral Salt which I planned to use to get the RO water fit for water changes.... HOWEVER... I measured the Sera salts in sufficient quantities, added them to the...

Thanks again everyone - really appreciated. Thanks Darrel - The Company says that there may be "discoloured water" running which is: Quote from their website: Whilst we appreciate any discoloured water will not look pleasant, we assure you it is not harmful to health and it is completely safe...

Hi Clive and Darrel, Thanks! The flusing period started today, unfortunately... So, no water stock apart from two water buckets (about 20 litres - I do not have large water storing containers, as I probably should have)... However, I did water changes on every tank this week. Low tech tanks...

Hi all, We received a letter this week from our water supply Company. They were informing about "improving our water supply" and doing an "essential cleaning of water mains" in our area. This is not the first time and it is good of them to let us know. However, the period they stated is much...

I agree, also, there is an issue of an optimal temperature for the Otos - if your ambient temperature falls beyond 20 degrees at any time, you will be keeping them in the water far too cold (again, sudden fluctuation of temperature during the water changes should be avoided).

The blokes at work suggested I was our own version of Trinity, so no coming back for me...:drowning: Waiting for the rainy weather to come (the forecast is for a dry week), I occupied myself with creating a little concoction of a slightly different mix than a standard EI – I based the “how much...

Yep, I agree about osmocote. I am not suggesting that it is completely impossible to keep corys with laterite but it needs to be really-really well covered. Interestingly, I just tried to remember if I saw any really artistically scaped tanks with corys or other fish which digs – and could not...

Because I’ve been there myself a few years ago – overzealous on my new experience with planted tanks. The first batch of corys died. I did think, indeed, that it was a “bad batch”... Then another... Then another type of corys... then another one... Famous Diana Walstad was kind enough to reply...

Well, this is what is killing your Cory's, unfortunately...

Hi all, I am still convinced that the reason of the Cory’s misfortune lies in the substrate. The fact that the Ottos are doing fine just proves this. I am sorry, I did not know your tank was new –so, this eliminates the H2S poisoning. HOWEVER – this must be the substrate (Ottos do not dig like...

Really impressive! Maria, I am absolutely amased how you manage to keep these tanks to look good!

Hi all, Ironic this may be but I was disappointed this evening when it started raining and the rain stopped after about 10 minutes! It was raining most of the time during the whole 2012 and it is not raining properly now when I actually do want some rain ideally during the weekend when I have...

Hi, Corys have a reputation of hardy and easy adaptable fish. They do come originally from a relatively soft water environment... Also, being relatively “soft water” fish, they should have much higher levels of tolerance to metals in the water (so EI should be fine). So, I don’t think either...

Hi all, I am glad that my question led to a much wider discussion... I am thinking now about trying some rain water. It will be collecting “on the cheap” – without buying any water butts, etc. Just putting out a bucket and waiting for the rain to fill it up – that’s all. I have been under the...

Hi all, First of all - I am not a supporter of treating fish without a clear idea of what you are treating the fish for. It is like treating a human for a heart disease when they have cancer. This will only stress them even more - adding to their misery... From the symptoms you describe, I can...

Thanks Clive. I think I have pretty much made up my mind on what I want/need to do and how I should do this. :)

Thanks again. One of my aquariums I had in mind for RCS is definitely overfiltered – small 30 liters one with an external. I don’t think (or hope rather) that NH3/NH4 should not be a problem there. It has a CO2 addition but not overwhelming (I think). There is enough of oxygen from plants and...

Thanks for the reply Clive. I was half expecting that not many people will be confident enough to have some suggestions on this apart from you. No, I don’t have a fear of NO3/PO4 – far from it. I am just trying to find a comfortable solution for myself wanting to try Red Crystals and a lush...

Hi all, Just a theoretical question about EI. Everybody knows the formula which brings macros to an aquarium. Is it worth it to “tweak” it to suit individual requirements or is it not worth it? I’ll explain what I mean – dosing slightly less of Nitrates and Magnesium in a sensitive shrimps tank...

I totally agree with Sanj – it seems to be bacterial and something that your fish fight successfully off when younger but cannot cope with when reaching a certain age... One thing on the life span – if you buy from an LFS, you never know how old your fish really are, so all the fish you lost...

Very nice looking tank - those Fluval Edge ones< to my opinion, look very nice but not practical for fish and plant keeping long term. You managed to get it just right. (How did you go with planting with such a small opening?!). Echinodorus Radicans will get too big for the tank, indeed, so...

Good evening, I hope the poor little Danio will get better with just water changes. I have done a little more research and I think I can suggest a medication definately safe for shrimps. I remembered I read that it had been used successfully with much more sensitive shrimps species than Amanos...

Filters should be run at all times!

Hello again, I never used Tetra Tonic. However, I found more detailed info on the product: http://www1.tetra.de/tetra_cf/tet_internet_import/import_data/TetraMedica GeneralTonic UK.pdf From this information – no, you definitely cannot use it when shrimps are present. Any medication treating for...

Hi, Do you mean this: Tetra Tetramedica General Tonic And do you mean Amano Shrimps (Caridina Multidentata) when you say “algae shrimps”? In any case, the Tetra Tonic is a medication and medications only need to be used when absolutely necessary and when you definitely know what exactly you are...

Hi, Just to clarify - do you mean this: TMC Aquagro Expert CO2 Set | Charterhouse Aquatics If this is what you mean, this will be far too small for 210 L tank - you will use the 95 g bottle of gas in no time. I use them on a couple of my nanos. I also use the V2 for my biggest tank - unlike...

I used Interpet's Anti Internal bacteria with Amanos present - no ill effects. The shrimps are all in good health over a year now from being exposed to the treatment. Not sure about the RCS though... I would treat the fish in a quarantine tank if possible - just in case...

Hi, I would suggest sticking to the barbs – ironically, as he has the barb bully... The reason for that is that Rummy Noses need a longer tank more than the Cherry barbs. Increasing the numbers will hopefully take the bullying out of equation – or at least it will be “diluted” (another old...

These are ABSOLUTELY fantastically stanning! What ferts are you dosing?

Hi, First of all – I really hope that your dad’s Fluval Edge is the one of 46 litres, not 23. Both Rummy Noses and Cherry barbs ideally need more than 46 litres for a group of each – and your dad has both! Bullying problems may be the result of a psychological stress to the fish from the crowded...

Oh, yes – shrimps in the filter! I have this with the RCS and a small external on a regular basis. My method is quite time consuming, I admit, but I cannot think of anything better... The shrimps together with the gunk are put into a plastic container (tank water of course). Another plastic...

Hi, To be absolutely honest, your tank looks to me like the one which will be difficult to grow plants in long term. I can see some plants which look like Cabomba to me – am I right? They look O.K. for the moment but I am not sure they will be doing well long term. It seems to me – I might be...

Hi again, Here’s the link to one of the freshwater inverts dedicated sites (page about interbreeding): http://ukshrimp.co.uk/freshwater-articl ... patability Adrian (Ade) from this forum is Wolfenrook here on UKAPS. There is one more thing you probably need to know: whilst interbreeding...

Congratulations on your new babies. :D Just a word of warning: there are shrimps which cannot be kept together because they interbreed and the offspring – alas! – will not combine the colours of the parents but will be dull at the best... Orange Sunkist shrimps are Caridina and Red Cherry...

Well, I’ve got an update. I have had the most enjoyable time shopping around and making up my mind. There are still a few things to buy but I already know what and where from I will be buying. I also decided to ease the task for myself and widen the region I am going to stick to. I just got...

Hi, I started with using API filter. This proved to be relatively expensive and instead of buying branded cartridges I thought I will start buying just resins and filling them in myself. I contacted one of the RO water filters manufacturer in the UK. They were a little interested at first but...

An update. I think I have the problem sorted! I emailed them and they replied straight away. They recmmended a retailer in my area which could order the adaptor. I will hopefully collect it from them some time soon. Now, I have the best of both worlds: my system will allow me to use ANY bottle...

Hi everybody, Another suggestion/idea which somebody will hopefully find useful. Instead of RO water I use de-ionized water. I filter the tap water and thanks to my husband’s brilliant idea how to run tap water through the filtering unit I don’t waste any tap water at all. Of course, I must say...

Thanks everyone, really appreciated. I really feel silly - it was soooo stupid! I have emailed TMC and will try to ring them as well. My problem with using a FE is that there will be probably too little space in the new cabinet for it - hence a choice of a smaller bottle (which did not go...

Thanks. Yes, I have had a very quick look and could not find anywhere else either... Perhaps contacting TMC and asking them? I have got some time before the new tank arrives but Aquaessentials might still not have them in stock... The alternative is to sell the bottle and go with my initial plan...

Hi all, I appear to have had a “daft” moment when I was ordering my new TMC regulator and a brand new bottle. They arrived today and it is only now I realized what I’ve done... :oops: I bought the regulator with DIN477 connection (as you do – I wanted refillable bottles rather than...

Well, fish wise, there is a selection of Rainbows, Peacock gobies, Morngunda and Stiphodon species, some Gouramis – there is quite a long list of endemic and native species. In fact, after researching this, I can say that it is much easier to get the right fish than the right plants. The...

I am feeding mine once a day reasonably generously. They have a selection of dry foods (Hikari, TA Aquaculture, etc.). They get frozen food once a week, pea meal once every week to two weeks, some veggies (like cucumber) sometimes and a day of being on a “diet” each week. They get live foods as...

Oh, yes, forgot to mention - this new tank is planned to be "inspired" by the island of New Guinea, so only certain plants and fish are going in... Making things far too complicated for myself, aren't I ?! :lol: I have always been the one for a challenge...

Hi all, I am back after one of the most stressful weeks at work and happy to report that I ordered the tank and cabinet and will have them delivered in about 4-5 weeks from now. Darrel, Thanks very much for the links. I have been reading them a little every evening. My brain was nearly “fried”...

Hi guys, Thanks for the support! :D I no longer feel that I am doing something wrong but am just lucky... (Realistically, it cannot be I am lucky like that for months and months with not one but 4 tanks run like this!). For the record: I do have CO2 enriched tanks as well which I dose with more...

Hi Hudsonpd, You will be absolutely fine with Easycarbo and shrimps if you use common sencse – do not overdose and generally access how well you tank is planted: heavily planted – you can go just about the recommended dose, two thirds of heavily planted – reduce the dose by one third to a half...

I know another site which is just generic but I am sure that you can negotiate specific care and terms with some of the van delivery services posted on this site (including liability): www.anyvan.com

Hi all, Thanks very much for the opinions/advice. I pretty much made up my mind about everything now. I cannot go with any other shape rather than a cube because of the space I have for this tank but I have changed some things I initially was thinking about. My only “still thinking about”...

Hi Sanj, Well, I am only a petit female – 1.65 m tall.... I have a tank (“temporary” one which is about to be replaced with this new one) which is just about 50 cm (20’’) from the top to the top layer of the substrate. I just about can comfortably (half comfortably) plant things using my hands...

Hi guys, Thanks very much! You did convince me about the Optiwite with clear silicon. Having all 4 sides in it will set me off nearly a £100 in comparison to all float glass one but yes, you are right – at the end of the day, it is something I will be ordering only once and live with it for a...

Hi all, I am not sure if this is the right place to post - I have a few questions/thoughts which each are of different category... I am about to order a new tank which I want to be perfect in every aspect... So, what do you think about the following: - it will be nearly a cube shape - 60 cm x...

Re: Potassium Bicarbonate and Potassium Phosphate = overdosi Hi all, Well, I’ve guessed that... You are not bad either, Clive, to be honest. However, I take my hat off to real geniuses! :) Well, I guess the topic is old now and asking DW about her opinion is too late now... Never mind.

Re: Potassium Bicarbonate and Potassium Phosphate = overdosi Of course, he does! And I am being "sort of" an apprentice right now. :)

Hi Emyr, Well, I ordered some Ranunculus, waiting for it to arrive. Yes, this is my concers as well - water (and subsequent nutrients) flow. I will have to lift the "cloche" for a minut or two as often as I can (will not be very often, unfortunately, with the full time job). I will report the...

Re: Potassium Bicarbonate and Potassium Phosphate = overdosi Hi all, Thanks Darrel, I have been just reading the article and bookmarked it. Clive, I don’t think you are obnoxious/argumentative at all. I do like “argumentative” conversations – I tend to learn from them! :) This is just a very...

Re: Potassium Bicarbonate and Potassium Phosphate = overdosi Hi all, Hi Darrell, Yes, Iron binds much stronger than other metals and often releases them by the process of binding itself. As all of us know, Chelated Iron is added as a fertilizer. This is because Iron is released under the...

Re: Potassium Bicarbonate and Potassium Phosphate = overdosi Hi Darrel, Hmm, perhaps I have not made myself perfectly clear... This is of course true for the natural ponds and lakes... However, to my experience of what I’ve seen, koi keepers in this country do not have many plants in their...

Hi all, Yes, I have plenty of other plants which they do not touch and they have their “veggie” portions every day in the form of varied algae tablets/sticks, etc. They do not touch hairgrass or Saggitaria but I actually saw them joining each other to pull a bit of Glosso out and than share it...

Re: Potassium Bicarbonate and Potassium Phosphate = overdosi Hi all, Clive, these are really impressive planted tanks! This is the best ever confirmation that EI works wonders. The main fundamental factor as I understand is the correlation of different plant biomass percentage to livestock...