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Depending on what cichlids you have then they should be ok.

Hoplos get pretty big. When I used to keep one I found that it would uproot most types of stem plants by swimming through them after replanting, never mind carpet plants! One of my favourite fish though - makes me wish I had a big softwater tank filled with discus, angels, festives...

Water from tanks is a great fertiliser for all plants, though I wouldn't use it on orchids (unless you know what you're doing with them) as they generally don't like high nutrient water.

The right lighting and good food as others have said. I've fed red granular crumb for years and it really enhances colours imo and is cheap too.

Looking at the widely spaced growth rings and the compact root ball with no major tap roots I'd say that wasa softwood stump (probably a pine or cypress) and I wouldn't use it submerged in a tank personally. However you could soak it and see what happens if you really like the shape.

Flow in a tank isn't as simple as your diagrams unfortunately. Personally I'd go for having the inlet and outlet in the same corner in small or medium tanks. This will set up a circular flow in an otherwise empty tank but hardscape and planting will effect this.

You'd be fine with the substrate in place, done it myself a few times. It's the water that makes the weight. Just put a large tube into the base of the tank and drain out as much water as possible. You should only leave 10kgs of water in the substrate and that's not going to stop you lifting...

You could just drain the tank down and leave the plants in with just substrate and a tiny amount of water and move the tank complete. Just remove fish, save around 40-50% of the water and transport them separately. Then cover the top of the tank in cling film to keep the humidity up and...

If you're more diligent with adding fertilisers to the water column than I usually am then you don't need the fertile substrate and can just go about things as Clive suggested. You don't need a fertile susbtrate to keep high tech tanks - I look at the substrate almost as a buffer system...

I use a long clear pipe for water changes that pushes onto a tap adaptor at one end and a strainer in the tank. I fill the pipe using a hose pipe adaptor on the tap in my kitchen, then disconnect and let the water syphon out onto the garden outside or down the drain/sink. With the strainer set...

Bear in mind that running an overstocked tank, relying on large water changes and over-filtration, is all well and good as long as that regime is kept up. As soon as you slack off water changes or don't maintain your filter things will go wrong much faster! Also bear in mind that more fish...

The worrying bit would be a the list of permitted species. Look at what happened in the hobby in Australia and New Zealand - a new species can't go on until it's been added and that process takes ages, if it happens at all! A better solution would be licensing any species with wide temperature...

I've visited Uganda and can tell you the riverine biotopes are pretty sparse. In the Nile for instance it's mainly rocks with fine mud/sand sediments with the odd patch of water plant which looked vaguely ferny from what I saw. The other habitat was grassy overgrown puddles and dykes but a...

Don't just take my word on this - I'd look at the journals on here and ask others too. One issue with using powersand is that if you are going to be replanting lots of stems then it will be pulled up too that I didn't say earlier. I used 3l bag I think under the aquasoil at the back as I had a...

I think that's a rather sweeeping statement! You don't need aquasoil to grow plants so of course you don't need Powersand either. For those regularly setting up and taking apart tanks it's probably completely unnecessary but, personally, if I was setting up a long term planted tank again I...

Lovely photos and very interesting but it's shockingly irresponsible that so many people seem to be dumping tropical fish from all over the world, almost certainly carrying a wide range of parasites and diseases that may not be restricted to the tropical areas but could spread to the native fish...

Does he know the grade? Low grade stainless steel will rust under water - you really need food grade (316 if I remember correctly). However a bit of rust isn't a problem IMHO as long as you're doing large regular water changes, it's just that thin wire could rust through and then your wood...

I've set up 5 tanks in my school. The biggest issue you will find if you're half as busy as me is time to maintain things. I have switched them all over to more simple fish tanks with tough stock and very resilient planting such as the odd Crypts, java fern and mosses. I'd certainly look at a...

Think you're going to have to think a lot about the light levels lower down and pick plants for the lower layers that don't need high light levels. I'd look at scaping it with lots of wood with java ferns and moss tied to them. You could then have a few plants that have very long leaves -...

I have a small koi pond (400g) in a greenhouse. It is really well insulated, as is the greenhouse itself, and without a heater to even out temperature swings it was causing issues with whitespot. A tank would be subject to pretty bad temperature swings I think so not a good idea unless you can...

I'd bet that they're nerite eggs. Apple snails lay eggs in a mass above the water line.

IMNSHO live bacterial potions are snake oil and best ignored! You can possibly suspend heterotrophic bacteria that break waste down (or sludge as this product so nicely describes it) in liquid in a bottle but not the nitrogenous bacteria that you need for the nitrogen cycle in your filter...

Nice idea but trout are going to be rather problematic. They'll grow quickly and need cool, very well oxygenated water - if the tanks are inside they're going to get too warm quickly. I'd look at smaller natives such as gudgeon which will live in shoals on the bottom of the tank (and are...

I'd rather have all three if it meant I got the dance teacher who teaches my mate's kids and does this as a warm up most weeks!!!! :lol: :roll:

You will get a mini-cycle as you will have lost the huge bacterial population in the substrate, decor and even on the surface of the plants in the existing tank. If you re-use the old substrate then you will move some of that population across but the move will still set it back and reduce the...

It sounds like there is some algae in the sand that is photosynthesizing and releasing gas. It's nothing to worry about IME unless the algae gets too thick and stirring and syphoning off the sand during water changes usually keep it in check.

Metallic veins are usually reflective and actually look a bit like metal. If they don't then they're probably so low in metals that there's no problem. As to any symptoms you might see well I'll be honest and say I'm not sure but I'd check out copper poisoning symptoms.

A tank like that is very ambitious as a first attempt at a planted tank! There's so many things to balance and keep an eye on and, as Clive said, a larger tank makes all that harder (as does a really small tank!). What fish were you planning to keep in the tank? You have the right sized tank...

While the algae's a sign of not enough CO2 it could well be that you're putting enough CO2 into the tank but the flow around the tank isn't enough to get the CO2 to where it needs to be! IME the filter from the Juwel tank does not give anywhere near enough circulation on it's own for a planted...

Personally I like the look of tannins in the water in a blackwater style tank, but they can go along with very acidic water which your plants won't like (one of my tanks got down to pH4!) so you'll need to monitor things. If you want to dilute them I would also use large water changes too as...

Help with what? It isn't going to make a rock's chemistry change and prevent the carbonates dissolving. All it would do is kill anything living on the rock I would try our two sponsors; Green Machine or Aqua Essentials.

Testing with acid only tests whether the rocks will harden the tank's water. For most planted tanks with 'standard' fish, filled with tap water and changing 50% of the water each week it really doesn't matter what rocks you have as you will be diluting the carbonates dissolving from the rocks...

Mix it into your garden or even potting compost in pots Clark. Sand and gravel will improve the drainage so good for plants that don't like it too soggy. All the organic material in there (dirt) will break down and even help feed the plants too!

The answer you got from the two guys earlier really covers everything! It will raise your GH, KH and pH. You say you're putting some expensive fish in. What are they and what conditions do they need? If they like soft, acideic conditions and you're prepared to use RO water to give them...

As a fishkeeper first and foremost I tend to have a type of fish as my inspiration for a tank. Or in my new tank it's the shells from Lake Victoria that have got me to go back to a Tanganyikan cichlid tank again.

The other option would be to have a moss wall of similar with wood and bark to provide decorative elements and maybe a java fern or two as well.

I have a tank just like that and wrote a tutorial based upon it here. It might answer your questions.

From your diagram I'd say planaria Clark. They're a sign of overfeeding usually.

Don't give up mate. You're much better to syphon any mulm out during your water changes rather than use those powered 'cleaners'. Most of the time the detritus simply goes through the machine and back into the tank! As Clive said, up the water changes for a while and you should get rid of...

I hate to be the bearer of potentially bad news but Jack Dempseys are not South American! They are found naturally in waters from Mexico to Honduras (so North and Central America). Maybe this might be a better set of species and conditions to emulate?

If you're using EasyCarbo then you are adding a source of carbon so will need to keep up the water changes. The El Natural approach with no water changes adds no extra carbon source at all. I don't see the point of starting with 30% water changes then going up to 50% when you would be best...

I'm afraid Congos will make short work of any shrimp. They're pretty voracious predators on small things and shrimp would be a tasty snack !

If you look in the Tutorials section this article is all about higher tech planted tank basics really. After that there are lots of threads detailing dosing including Clive's article on EI dosing in the tutorials bit too. As to CO2, I would say that should be a priority. As soon as you put...

I don't think you can have 'too much flow'. You can reach a point where you have enough and don't need any more flow but I don't think you can have too much for the plants. I'd rather err on the side of too much rather than not enough. The biggest issue with flow might really be with some...

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I'm definitely a long term person. I wouldn't particularly use the term scape for any of mine though! :lol: My main tank (Rio 180) is now 1 year and 2 months old and the only major change is that the Crinum's have been removed as they were too big for the tank.

We were hoping it would add to the forum with info about UKAPS events, updates about what's been going on plus some featured tanks and possibly some extra, special features when we get going.

Re: BECAREFUL WHEN BUYING FROM THESE SHOPS I'm afraid that does not work legally to remove the responsibility of the site for the content on it - including posts. Responsibility still lies with the owners that nothing is posted that breaks the law. Or at least it does in theory.

If it's coming from the AS Amazonia II then it's probably really fine particulates. Try really fine filter floss. I have a sheet of really fine filter mat from JBL that could be cut to fit on top of your juwel filter foam and should remove it. Or maybe has disturbing the substrate caused a...

Or put a short piece of 12/16mm pipe on the fitting and then put the 16/22mm pipe over that. Nice water-tight fit with the only reduction in diameter being at the fitting itself.

Carbon in the filter will remove it as will Seachem's Purigen. I'd use carbon at first as it is cheaper to replace but you can recharge Purigen with bleach so it's your choice!

180l tank with 2128 (mostly filled with sintered glass material). I used just over 1 bag of Amazonia with no Powersand in this one. Maybe with more AS I would have seen a more pronounced spike! Some more details in this journal, http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1420

When I rescaped my last tank I moved all the fish out for the ammonia spike but never had one register! The mature filters took care of it effortlessly! I would recommend having a QT tank set up for few days to house the fish if you can, but if not then 50% water changes every day should...

If you want to use RO water because of the fish or plants you keep or through choice then you can still get rid of the buckets by using one of these pump systems in conjunction with a RO reservoir of water. My RO system feeds into a 100l slimline barrel fitted with an automatic shut-off kit...

Interesting, cheers Garuf. None of my tanks lose 3l a day in evaporation (thought they aren't open topped) so less than a person!

Is that per week?

I'm sure you'll breathe out more water vapour per day than a small tank will produce! Every time you breathe out it's full of water vapour!

I agree with Sam, go with the smaller heater. The larger one will be fine until it sticks on and as it's oversized it will cycle on and off more regularly too. I wouldn't go with that heater linked as it has no thermostat. It will constantly heat the water whatever the temperature and in a...

http://www.ta-aquaculture.co.uk/Midland_Auction/December_2008.htm

I am not familiar with the product but if it's anything like all the other ammonia removing products then to be honest you don't really need it. IMHO the best thing to do is make daily large water changes as, as well as removing the ammonia you will also be removing algae spores, debris and...

A dark background and then plants in front is what 've done with mine. I don't really notice it that much to be honest.

Sorry mate!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: You should have PMed me and I would have deleted my answer so you could have posted yours!!!!! :mrgreen:

As they're so cheap I'd probably get one of each to make sure you got the right one! I would have thought the smaller one would be the one to fit best though.

Not big enough for any of the fish options I'm afraid. You could spawn a very peaceful apisto species in there if you removed the male after spawning and had a larger tank spare to grow the fry on. You could also have a pair of killies in there but would need another tank to grow the fry on as...

I used DIY CO2 and EasyCarbo on my cube and it worked very well. I found the CO2 on it's own was too inconsistent and caused algae issues. As to the substrate I imgaine a 3l bag of Aqusoil would be enough as long as you don't want a huge slope or very deep substrate.

I've got the 25l version (Free from PFK :mrgreen: ) and it was a great little tank. Except for the filter - the little internal was useless and needed replacing. I also had to add a heater. Get a little external filter if you can, one of these little Eheims would be great if you don't mind...

I usually say UK Aquatic Plant Society!!! We'll have to wait for one of the founders to come along and see what they thought when they created the name!

As Egmel says they won't be a problem. As soon as your fish are in there they will probably polish them off in no time at all. They may be Ostracods, or seed shrimp, or cyclops (among many other things). They have eggs that can survive drying out in substrate or on wood and then hatch and...

IMHO lampeyes are too active for such a small tank. You could keep a pair, or trio (1m, 2+Fs) of more sedate killies such as Aphyosemion spp. as long as the tank is well covered as they will jump out the tinest gap.

The problem is the kits might have been sitting on the shelf at the shop for ages though! Or there could simply be a bad batch. If you take a sample of water to your local fish store to test it as they should have kits they use for their testing that they know will be working correctly as they...

I agree with Clive - there is something wrong with this test kit. I would be tempted to take a water sample to a good LFS and ask them to test it for you. They should have new test kits that they use fairly regularly and so you will know you have the right results. Your LFS should also know...

Where do you live? Those are not readings that should be coming out of tap water!

Re: bog wood killing plants Where do you live? Water has to be supplied above pH 7 here otherwise copper and lead dissolve into the acidic water far more readily to dangerous levels! If you had hard water then it's very rare to have hard acidic water and you need to test the water more...

Re: bog wood killing plants First thing would be why do you want to keep it near neutral? Unless you have fish that need a specific pH (and there are very few of them) then the fish will cope with most pH changes. However that is a big drop in pH. I think you'd be best upping your water...

What you'd have to do is have the order come to one central place and then that person re-packages and sends them on. It's a hassle but postage when I ordered a year ago was nearly $30 alone and unless you're going to order a lot of stuff or their postage charges have gone down then it might be...

Re: bog wood killing plants Definitely don't use the bath unless you (or the rest of your household!) are happy for it to be stained brown!!!! :shock: Use a large bucket or tub that you can get pretty cheaply from a DIY store and then chuck if it's ruined. If it won't fit in a bucket then...

I think officially you do need one but I have to admit I didn't know this at the time when I ordered mine! Mainly it's a US thing as their Customs are very very OTT about these things (and I think we're too slack about it to be honest, but it's convenient for us personally!). If you're...

Yeah Synodontis will soon polish the shrimp off! I'd look at Ancistrus and Nerite Snails to start with. You could add Otos if they don't deal with the algae. If you're stocking some decent sized cats to the tank I'd definitely let the plants establish well as their sheer bulk will probably...

It's still best to let your tank get established and growing before adding any fish though. As it's only a 60l tank you could use Excel or EasyCarbo to provide a source of carbon - you really do need some sort of carbon supplmentation for all but a very low light tank. Also Excel and Easycarbo...

If your filter is properly matured already then you could stock fish straight away, but putting a new filter on a old tank for a while doesn't guarantee this (but it will help the filter mature more quickly and was a good move). The other thing is that leaving fish out of the tank for as long...

The Lampeyes in shops are usually Poropanchax normani. If you see any Micropanchax kingii then let me know as they're dead rare and I'd love to get a shoal of those too! I actually wouldn't put these in too small a tank as they do like to be in a good sized shoal and like good water movement...

What media are you using? I had large plastic bioballs in mine and they will be too large to block the outlet.

No worries. I am thinking about building one too so will be very interested to see how you get on! I just hope it all works now!!! On a side note you are going the have the water going in at the top aren't you and then flowing down against the bubbles of CO2? You'll get a pocket of gas at...

Can totally agree with that! I was looking at the online shops and the manufacturers ranges seem to start at about £50-60. To be honest I've only used an old Fluval 203 (which ran for 15 years and was/is excellent - it was retired for a larger Ehiem) and an Ehiem 2128. Just looked and you...

Sounds like a good plan, but I would get a larger filter than the Eden. It doesn't hold much media and the build quality isn't always as good as some other brands. The smallest model in any of the mainstream filter brands would be a better buy IMHO. And you can always turn the flow down using...

Right I hope this table displays correctly! Edit - and it doesn't!!! It's compressed the tabs so it looks a mess unless you're looking at it in the edit or quote windows!!! Item Quantity Cost Total 2" pipe (6m) 1 £39.66 £39.66 2" tee (2 plain sockets with 2" threaded on tee) 1 £3.51...

I'd use the metal screw-in airline fittings for the CO2 injection and gas-off point. Just drill a tight hole into the PVC where needed and add some glue around them. I'll have a quick look and sort out a plan for you.

It might be best to see if Santa can stretch to a slightly better filter too, maybe a small external filter? :mrgreen: You ideally want turnover around 10x the tank volume with lots of filtration capacity and the little internals often supplied with these kits don't really do that. Other...

I think you might be best using the PVC fittings onto threaded fittings and then stepping the threaded fittings down onto Barbed LDPE fittings, which you can get in a range of sizes. Let me klnoow what diameter pipe are you going to make the body of the reactor out of and I'll work out the...

Best place I know and use is Henderson's Plastic. Not a great website but they have all sorts of fittings in imperial and metric sizes.

Do you mean the larger diameter fittings or 6mm ones? I would rather use glued PVC rather than push fit domestic fittings if it was mounted under the tank. The rubber seals can degrade over time or leak slowly and you don't want that over the carpet!!!

I'd go for the biggest you can fit in the cupboard with the highest flow rate. I think that's the FX5 but you may need to change the ribbed hose for standard hose before you get to the fittings and the heater, CO2 reactor etc.

I think you can have too much flow, but the volume of filter media can't be too high as above a certain point it simply won't be colonised fully and, while unnecessary, won't be a negative thing! An FX5 with the flow turned down a bit would be fine on any small tank and it'd certainly up your...

And to add to Dan's comments my 2128 is working fine but the extra cables always annoy me at cleaning time! I'd go with 'normal' externals with Hydor heaters on the pipes as then you don't need to disconnect the heater when cleaning the externals and have the heaters tucked away. If money's no...

Actually just realised you could do this with glass too. All you'd have to do is have a normal overflow in the corner then another piece of glass infront of it to take water from nearer the base. It'd work great and no surface skimming. On that subject I'm not sure it's really be too bad on...

Not actually true, it's just that that's the most common and probably easiest way of doing it. All you have to do is have an intake comes up vertically from the bottom (or lower down the side) and that goes up to the height you want the water level at where you then have a 180 degree bend (with...

A nice deep and wide Opti white tank and custom cabinet. Hanging silver lighting unit. Very large external filter in cabinet with inline heater and CO2 reactor plumbed into the filter return. Pressurised CO2 (probably FE) with Beetle counter (to measure high bubble rates more easily)...

I used sections cut from the side of sweet tubs. Clear and food grade.

I'm with James here. The only fish I ever take to LFSs are ones I've bred and need to sell and I do get store credit for these from my LFS. If you want a change set up extra tanks!!! I can move my fish around when I get bored of them and have a couple of tanks that are 'reservoirs' with some...

You got the right idea - remove as much as possible as often as possible by syphoning it off during large water changes. Personally I wouldn't do more than 50% from now on unless things get a lot worse. You might also want to make sure the filter's clean as this will be gunging that up to...