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  1. ceg4048

    Discus

    There are no limitations regarding the type of plants that can be used in a discus tank. The rules for keeping discus healthy coincide with the rules for keeping plants healthy. That means large and frequent water changes. What may be problematic is that you'll need careful attention to CO2...
  2. ceg4048

    Mikrogeophagus ramirezi in aquascape with hard water?

    Hi pal, Live foods fed almost exclusively, especially bloodworms, brine shrimp enhances colors as does spirulina based dried foods (or any food containing high levels of beta-carotene). Cheers,
  3. ceg4048

    Mikrogeophagus ramirezi in aquascape with hard water?

    Captive bred Rams really do not care that much about hard water. The two main things to worry about is clean water and temperature. The temperature is the real problem because like Discus, Rams seemingly prefer the range 84degF/29degC to 86degF/30degC, which can be a problem for other fish - and...
  4. ceg4048

    Botia almorhaeis

    Hi, In order to troubleshoot the first item on your list must ALWAYS be CO2. CO2 is extremely toxic and should be considered guilty until proven innocent. Simply turn the lights and gas off, do a large water change and even add an airstone for a few days to see if the fish's behavior...
  5. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Yes, manual cleaning of the leaves with the fingers is a really good idea. Have a look at this post https://ukaps.org/forum/threads/algae-problems-help-please.6331/page-2#post-72428 CO2 and Oxygen have a difficult time moving through water, so from the moment plants...
  6. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Diatomic algal blooms can be annoying even when you have already fixed the root cause. The only options are to continue frequent large water changes and to continually clean it off of the glass and eventually they go away if the plants continue to improve their health...
  7. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Looks like a type of diatom and it attacks newly set up tanks. It appears on my monitor as mostly brown, not green. It's very difficult to determine whether it was triggered during the last 10 days or prior to that. Again, there are only a few causal factors regarding...
  8. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, OK, that's a good plan. As far as the Vallis, you can simply cut them to the height you desire. You can also trace the particular leaf that is misbehaving down to the base and cut it off there. Some people like the effect of the Val draped over the top and if...
  9. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Glad to hear that you have your pH pen and thanks for the profile data. I'm not really sure about dawn and surise and so forth as it relates to the gas and percent power, but from a previous post in the thread it seems the gas goes ON at 1500 and the lights first come...
  10. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Well really, I would suggest that you stay away from the Nanochromis because you would probably never see them. They would just hide. If you want a start on dwarf chiclids the best option would be the standard Kribensis, which are colorful, do grow bigger and are a bit...
  11. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Yes, there should be a few sellers that will ship, but worst case, if shipping costs prove to be a problem, you can always get the salts locally from any agricultural supplier. I found this outfit in Malta: http://www.ortismalta.com/contact-us.html but check the garden centers on the islands or...
  12. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, No, it does not mean that it will never go away, it just means that it's very difficult to make it go away. Since we have not actually confirmed that it is GDA, then we don't really know what the situation is. If it does return then you will have the opportunity to take the photos...
  13. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Be advised that there are some algae types that once triggered, do not simply go away just because you improved the conditions in the tank. This is a really important point to understand. GDA and BBA are two such types that are infamous for holding on to the tank with...
  14. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Oh-ohh, soft green algae on glass sounds like GDA which is not good news at all. Yes, it's a CO2/nutrient related algae and it can become a real problem. We'll need good photos to verify. Yes, just continue with this setting. Sometime it takes a few days for the fish...
  15. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Well the pens range from about 10 Euro at the bottom end to perhaps 150 Euro at the top. You certainly don't need to spend 150, but I also would try to avoid the units that are in the 10 Euro range. Check this post from another thread...
  16. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Well, Emann, you have just realized the problem facing all of us and now you understand the second half of the enigma which is CO2. You must have an injection rate that will drop the pH by 1 or so within an hour or two, but if the CO2 continues to saturate the water after that too much, you will...
  17. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, This is really good news. Some of the bubbles of course, are the CO2 bubbles which adhere to the surface of the plants. This is excellent because the CO2 bubbles that stick are absorbed by the leaves in much greater quantity than if the gas were dissolved in the water...
  18. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Yes, I'm fairly certain that the pressure builds up along the entire circuit and perhaps coming out into the DIY reactor as large bubbles since this might offer a path of less resistance than through the UP. So it appears to take 2 hours to build up enough pressure to drive...
  19. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    OK, no worries. I can't quite make out the bar scale (sorry, poor eyesight) but I can just make out the inside scale which reads in PSI on that low pressure gauge. It looks like about 40PSI(?) which should be sufficient for the UP. The video clearly shows the bubble counter...
  20. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, OK, well, looking at the schematic, there are a few places where there could be leaks. No movement in pH for 2 hours means that the CO2 lines are not being pressurized properly. It's not that I distrust your supplier but something may have happened when you made the...
  21. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Thanks, yes, it was a restful weekend. Weather was nice as well, which is always a bonus at this time of year at my location! OK, I've had a look at your videos and the flow & distribution appear to be really good. If anything, it might be a bit much for high finned...
  22. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Yes, OK, polystyrene. That's the Euro-word. Sorry, my mistake. :p Yes, just take the readings from gas on till lights off and report back with the pH value and the time. Annotate so we can see when the gas on, lights on and lights off times are. No, all pump outputs...
  23. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Styrofoam is the plastic like material used, for example when shipping something in a box to prevent damage to the contents of the box. If you have ever bought something new from the shop, when you open the box you would have seen the white Styrofoam pieces surrounding...
  24. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, OK, thanks for the clarification. The CO2 diffusion seems to be already solved, however, it might be my imagination or optical illusion, but that latest photo seems to show the holes in the spraybar pointing down(?) Probably it's just the angle of the shot, but in...
  25. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, It appears from the photo that you have the filter on the right attached to a spraybar but the filter on the left only uses it's normal filter outlet? It's not clear to me which filter you are using to pump the CO2 through. I see the dropchecker on the right but no in...
  26. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi Emann, Thanks for the kind words. Apart from the compatibility issues, as I mentioned, it's not really a problem in a planted tank (assuming the plants are healthy). The consequence of overstocking is that the excessive fish waste results in excessive bacterial breakdown and...
  27. ceg4048

    current setup and recommendations

    Hi, I believe Enano_1 has confused the term "Koi Angelfish" with "Koi". These are angelfish so they are tropical, not coldwater. He may have a point about the shrimp though. Predation could be an issue. Also, as mentioned by Enano, is this a planted tank and are you planning on injecting...
  28. ceg4048

    at a loss and need some advice, please!

    Decomposing fish waste produces NH3 and NO2 which are toxic to fish. Furthermore they decomposition results in anoxic conditions further elevating the toxicity of these two primary toxic Nitrogen agents. Again, this is exactly the same problem that many researchers face, lumping NO3 in with the...
  29. ceg4048

    at a loss and need some advice, please!

    Yes, correct. As Darrel has pointed out: 80-100 mg/L Nitrate Nitrogen is equal to 344-440 mg/L NO3. This is far above anything that we dose and it is far above what any European municipal water supply contains, as the Euro limit is 50 mg/L. Furthermore that data is for trout which does not...
  30. ceg4048

    at a loss and need some advice, please!

    Hi, Nitrates are not responsible for irritating any fish. Fish do not really care about high nitrates. Irritants would more likely be attributable to a parasitic or pathogen attack. There may be other chemical causes such as ammonia, chlorine and so forth. In any case, increasing frequency...
  31. ceg4048

    Acclimatising to CO2?

    Well, yeah, I mean, when fish are imported from jungles 8000 miles away they stick them in a large bag with plenty of air space and send them on a journey that will last at least overnight. Stress increases the heart rate and breating. The weaker ones don't survive. Animal transport is brutal...
  32. ceg4048

    Acclimatising to CO2?

    http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/help-fish-being-gassed.31654/#post-333978 Cheers,
  33. ceg4048

    Bioluminescence/ Fluroescence in Tropical marine Fish/ invertebrates?

    Bio-luminescence is not the same as florescence. In bioluminescence light is produced by the chemical interaction of various compounds, typically, a light producing substance known as a "luciferin" acts as a substrate and light is produced when it combines with some other compound, such as...
  34. ceg4048

    Discus in a high tech planted tank

    Hello, There are no tricks necessary to keep discus in planted tanks, and there certainly are no requirements to choose a specific strain. In fact, the larger the fish the more susceptible to CO2 toxicity the fish is. Therefore, theoretically juveniles have an easier time than adults would...
  35. ceg4048

    Whitespot treatments and EI.

    There is no relationship between any medicine and the nutrient load of the water column. In fact you should dose MORE because this will make your plants healthier and the healthier plants will help your fish recover sooner. Cheers,
  36. ceg4048

    Anabantoidae, Polpteridae and CO2

    Hi, It's a very complicated issue because first of all, it depends on the species. Labyrinth design and efficiency greatly depends on what fish we are talking about. Secondly, the fundamental design of the labyrinth is focused on dealing with hypoxia, not hypercapnia. The role of CO2 excretion...
  37. ceg4048

    EMERGENCY? Help!

    Other than to high a CO2 injection rate, I can't see anything related to plants causing this. Are you still using nitrogen test kits? Haven't you seen enough information that they are useless? The 0ppm means nothing and the 100ppm means nothing so it would be a bad idea to draw any conclusions...
  38. ceg4048

    Newly Acquired Fish Dying - Advice Appreciated

    I'm closing this thread for exactly the reasons eloquently summarized by Steve and others. The OP is encouraged to seek advice from other sources consistent with his views, in lieu of insulting the individuals here who have been kind enough to offer their time and assistance. Cheers,
  39. ceg4048

    Best Schooling Fish

    Hi, Click here=> Search results using "best schooling fish" as a topic title search parameter Cheers,
  40. ceg4048

    bromo blue + fish

    Actually, I think the anti-fungal agent is Methylene Blue. I use carbon all the time and I'm gonna use more. There are so many applications where it makes sense and it's is a cheap(er) alternative to a lot of those high priced fancy snake oil media being pushed by companies nowadays. I just...
  41. ceg4048

    bromo blue + fish

    Hello, I really don't think you need to worry about a few drops of Bromo Blue in a tank. The Bromo Blue molecule is based on the Bromine atom as the name suggests. The toxicological effects of Bromine or Bromide compounds to fish, plants and invertebrates are low. You would need to...
  42. ceg4048

    Are co2 enriched tanks really fair on the critters?

    Really, I don't think this is fair at all. I mean, it's not even close to being fair for the following reasons; 1. There is nothing natural about keeping fish in a glass box, whether CO2 or non-CO2, whether biotope or cheesey pirate's sunken treasure chest. As far as I can tell, there are no...
  43. ceg4048

    Are co2 enriched tanks really fair on the critters?

    Hi Tom, Maintenance of bloodstream pH is a necessary feature of every fish and animal. This feature is necessary because all cells burn glucose for energy and the result of metabolized glucose is CO2 + water. As a result of heavy CO2 production by living cells, and as a result of the...
  44. ceg4048

    Gassed Neons?

    This part is very true. This part is completely untrue. CO2 dissolved in the water has no effect on Oxygen dissolved in water. I think you're confusing this with the way that a CO2 fire extinguisher works against fire in air. This does not happen with dissolved gasses in water. Think about it...
  45. ceg4048

    Problems finding Ottos - insider knowledge?

    Wild caught Amazonian fish are typically hard to come by between the months of November to May. That's because it's the rainy season in the Amazon and therefore it's very difficult to catch fish, especially those that hide among the weeds, when the water levels rise 15 meters. This is now the...
  46. ceg4048

    Cardinals with EI + hard water

    Yes and if you research carefully, you'll find that nearly all literature suggest that nutrients cause algae. If you buy a dropchecker made by reputable manufacturers, the literature that comes with it suggests that you fill the checker with tank water. These are all wrong, as we ourselves have...
  47. ceg4048

    Cardinals with EI + hard water

    Exactly. The majority of cardinals found in LFS are wild caught but they are also being bred quite regularly. For best breeding success soft acidic water is the way to go, no doubt. For general keeping, as indicated by the other posters, hardness is much less relevant. The fish are sensitive to...
  48. ceg4048

    Cardinals with EI + hard water

    Hi, You need to stop worrying about hard water and just get on with it. Unless you are trying to breed cardinals there is little to no effect. Changing your water will keep your tank clean. You have a personal guarantee from me that keeping your water clean is 100X more important to...
  49. ceg4048

    Hi and some questions

    Hello Angela, Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry to hear of your loss. That couldn't have been easy to deal with but I admire your courage and I think it's a great idea to honor his memory with the tank. It's not really clear from your post whether your tank will be CO2...
  50. ceg4048

    stocking levels for a very well filtered 10 gallon

    Yeah, go for it. Remember that plants and fish like a clean tank so as long as your maintenance is commensurate with the stocking levels you should be fine. CHeers,
  51. ceg4048

    worms to maintain substrate?

    You don't need to mix the substrate. Aquatic sediments have different dynamics than terrestrial sediments therefore worms are not applicable. The important aspect of aquatic sediments is the population of nitrifying bacteria which detoxifies the sediment. The oxygen level in the sediment...
  52. ceg4048

    Fish selection and stocking for 260l

    Well, try to look at it as that your enthusiasm will build. This happens a lot, where folks think I'm raining on their parade because, naturally, we envision the final product of lovely, healthy plants, arranged in a beautiful scape adorned with happy healthy fish. There's nothing wrong with...
  53. ceg4048

    Fish selection and stocking for 260l

    Yes, I would completely forget about fish until you've figured out how to grow your plants and how to manage CO2. You have all the time in the world to add fish. I would suggest to focus on building the infrastructure of your tank, which is plant health first. Fish are a severe handicap when...
  54. ceg4048

    The value of the Khuli Loach in the aquarium

    No. It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that you have a good quantity of healthy plants to do the job. This is not difficult at all. Keep the lighting levels low and the plants do the rest. Some people are switching over to non-CO2 tanks because of the lowered levels of...
  55. ceg4048

    The value of the Khuli Loach in the aquarium

    Hi, This is a Matrix induced denial. Free...Your...Mind. Instead of resisting the comparison of a planted tank with a sewage treatment works, try considering a sewage treatment works as a low tech tank where poop is recycled into viable nutrition and returned to the system whole and clean...
  56. ceg4048

    The value of the Khuli Loach in the aquarium

    That's correct. You can't get something for nothing. Whether fish/fauna eat food and excrete it as waste or if the waste rots directly, there is no way to avoid organic waste buildup in a closed system. This is why water changes in a high light, CO2 enriched tank is so incredibly important...
  57. ceg4048

    Apistogramma cacatuoides/RO water

    As Viktor states, RO water is not really necessary for Apistos. it's more important that the water be very clean. And you certainly don't need RO for plants, most of which do better in tap. Only a very few species prefer low KH/GH water, such as Tonina, otherwise tap is fine. Cheers,
  58. ceg4048

    Blue Rams and nitrates

    Hi, If the CO2 level is too high then it will kill any and all fish. For that reason I highly recommend that you check the Tutorial section of the forum study the article CO2 MEASUREMENT USING A DROP CHECKER Cheers,
  59. ceg4048

    Blue Rams and nitrates

    I've heard this and so I decided to test it. The test failed and the blue rams didn't pay attention to the high nitrates. They just carried on. What blue rams don't like is poor maintenance and foul water. I believe that if you keep your water clean, nitrate will not be an issue. Cheers,
  60. ceg4048

    Advice from ADA OZ?????????

    Hi, There is no conflict between any of the stocking level suggestions. There is only one imperative related to your stocking level and that is to keep the water clean and oxygenated. So that means you can put 100 fish in there if you want, but guess what? You'd better have Mondo-filtration...
  61. ceg4048

    Help me sex my Ram's :) PICS ADDDED!

    Hi Vito, As per Ed's guidelines, which are pretty sound principles, I'd say that the first photo is male due to finnage. Photo 2 shows probable female at top, male at bottom ( you can see the black spot in the upper region of that first vertical stripe), and the same for photo 3...
  62. ceg4048

    Which fish in hard water?

    While I agree with Ed, at the same time i always wonder what all the fuss is about with hard water. Once accustomed to it, the fish don't really have a problem with hard or alkaline water as long as the tank is kept clean and as long as one is not expecting them to breed. I see no reason at all...
  63. ceg4048

    unusual fish

    No. That only qualifies as the second most ridiculous thing. I'll bet that shop will try to sell you a PO4 remover. That's the most ridiculous thing you will have heard. :shock: Cheers,
  64. ceg4048

    SAE eating moss?

    It's always worthwhile considering the possibility that the plant failed due to malnutrition and was immediately set upon by algae which then attracted the attention of the algae eater. Plants turning brown is almost invariably a result of poor CO2. Cheers,
  65. ceg4048

    Will these be suitable?

    Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Why are you obliged to adhere to, and to live out the dreamy personal vision of the seller? Who cares what his/her pride and joy is/was. You paid the money so you're entitled to do what you want. I too vote for tossing the whole lot and getting on with your own...
  66. ceg4048

    Babies :) - Mystery solved - Sparkling Gourami fry.

    Happy days Steve! Why not try hatching baby brine shrimp? takes a couple days to hatch but the will be feeding on the egg sacs for a few days and then will eat protozoans that are already in the tank for a few more days. Cheers,
  67. ceg4048

    Apistogrammas?

    These are Apistogramma agassizi. One of the less demanding of the dwarfs. Cheers,
  68. ceg4048

    I think I have baby fish!

    Well, I'm not sure about the shrimp, but fish rarely lay their eggs within a gelatin substrate. Normally they would spray the eggs over a surface individually or they would be in a clutch. There is no correlation between the change from tap-to-RO and the appearance of these algal forms. BGA...
  69. ceg4048

    I think I have baby fish!

    Hi, You know, that looks like snail eggs. Do you have snails? It also looks like you might have BGA. Should probably review your dosing and maintenance. Cheers,
  70. ceg4048

    Algae Eaters?

    Hi sanj, I guess everyone has a different take on this but the way I look at it algae eaters don't really control algae. If you have an algae problem it will be because you are doing something fundamentally wrong: poor nutrients, poor CO2, too much light, poor maintenance etc etc...
  71. ceg4048

    Nanochromis transvestitus

    Yes, the powders really do drive the TDS through the roof. Driving the pH using CO2 was never a problem for me with the more common Apistogrammas. They bred in this tank without the use of peat. It seems inconceivable to me that peat lowers TDS but if it works I'd have to give it a try. I'll...
  72. ceg4048

    Nanochromis transvestitus

    I would of thought with pure RO one would be able to drive to that pH easily with CO2. Wouldn't adding peat effectively increase TDS? Geesz, unreal levels of complication :( ...
  73. ceg4048

    Nanochromis transvestitus

    Re: EI DOSING USING DRY SALTS I'm seriously tempted mate! But zero GH? :shock: There must be some upper TDS limit that would give me a fighting chance, no? That would complicate water change day by a factor of 10! :roll: Cheers,
  74. ceg4048

    Nanochromis transvestitus

    Re: EI DOSING USING DRY SALTS Hope it proves useful. Ed, I've had 2 pairs of the Nanochromis in that same 6 foot tank for a month or so and I only ever catch a glimpse when one or more of them get chased from the undergrowth by a peer. It was sheer dumb luck that I was even able to catch those...
  75. ceg4048

    Just curious

    Hi, I share Ed's opinion on this. Dwarf cichlids are much more interesting in form color and character. I'm not even enamored with ottos from an aesthetic standpoint but they do serve a purpose by helping with algae control so I tolerate them and never feed them so that they stay hungry and...
  76. ceg4048

    red line torpedo barbs (puntius denisoni)

    Hi, Welcome to the forum! :D Required reading here: http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=467 Exam next Thursday... :P Cheers,
  77. ceg4048

    Blacked Winged Hatchet

    Agreed. I would never consider keeping them in an open top aquarium. They fly out of the water in their native habitat to evade predators when frightened or attacked. Since the specimens we get are always wild caught they never really seem to completely settle. You'd think by now someone would...
  78. ceg4048

    Blacked Winged Hatchet

    Hi eds, Yes I've kept the marbled as well. Was amazed to discover that they don't really like the brightly lit tanks and became nocturnal in my tank. Unsure of whether this behavior was natural or was in response to the bright lights. The hard water may be a problem but high...
  79. ceg4048

    Blacked Winged Hatchet

    Hi, Does anyoe have experience with the Blacked Winged Hatchet (Carnegiella marthae)? I'm having difficullty finding these as well as the Marble Hatchet. I believe that the collection is seasonal but all the shops I've visited only sell the Silver Hatchet. Cheers,
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