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my opinion, that tear just looks like some of the smear out. if its not actually torn into the corner seam itself, i would not mess with it. especially since new silicone does not like to adhere to old dry silicone.

Picture of a Tiger Lily or my Betta? You be the judge.

Thank you all SO much. 😃 I wish I'd been a co-op member when I started my hobby 5 years ago. You guys could have helped me in my struggles, but I'm a member now and feel fortunate. I could not find a better bunch of enthusiasts, anywhere. You all ROCK!

The fish all seem happy, active, and voracious eaters. They're also not camera shy. It's to the point that they are harder to photograph because they get too close: It seems like the larger males have claimed the back corner and under the bank area while the smaller ones are around edge.

Jut snapped a few pics of my setup . These are meant to show how simple this can all be in theory. This first picture shows how small my waste water container is. The sump + float valve keeps up with my usage fine. A bigger waste water container would help if the flow of water into this tote exceeded its ability. In fact, I had a much large container there but realized that I was only using a small portion of its total capacity, so I downsized in order to squeeze another 10g into the room. The sump is connected to a simple garden hose that runs up 7 feet and across my basement, about 25", discharging into a slop sink. This second pics is of a simple DIY siphon hook for use when emptying tanks that are not hooked up to the auto-water-change system. These tanks typically have caridina shrimp or blackwater species who wont breed in my tap water. All my grow outs get tap water via drip lines on a timer. Waste water for the auto wc tanks flows out 1/2" bulkheads at the back of all the tanks. This discharges into ABS pipe. This is the black pipe the siphon is dumping water into. The ABS leads to the tote/sump.

As others have said, I would leave it alone. I have several older tanks in my fish room that have silicone that looks like that and they are all fine. To repair correctly would entail draining the tank down, removing all the silicone well and putting new down. New silicone won't bond to old, so you have to remove all the old. I wouldn't worry about it unless it starts to leak.

I got a good shot of my front yard in the reflection.

That doesn't look bad at all. If it's not leaking, leave it alone.

This would be a fantastic photo if I was trying to get the ramshorn. Unfortunately, I was trying to get the guppies. And here we have a beautiful photo of my heater. 🤦‍♀️

One thing I will say is that, when I was using UV, the tank would achieve that "next level" of clarity... 🙂

Tonight is my fish clubs Christmas party. I hope to come home with something good! I'll report back if I hit it big!

Sometimes I keep them just to mark the day the eggs were laid. I can’t actually see the eggs in the pic but I’ve got the laying date saved in the phone! 😂

What country are you in (this can help us figure out options, sometimes) and can you order in any medications? If you can’t get any antibiotics that you can put into food or water, do you have any topical medications you can use? Something like povidone iodine solution often used for people? Netting the fish, laying it on a bed of cotton balls or gauze soaked with tank water, then gently swabbing a wound like this with the povidone iodine can be very helpful. If you can get the supplies for this, have everything completely ready so you only have the fish out of water for a few seconds. Have cotton-tipped swabs already saturated with a few drops of the iodine solution, have the cotton or gauze “bed” already soaked with tank water in a clean, flat dish or lid. Then catch, swab, and release. Best if you can release the fish into a hospital tank for further care and close monitoring. The real question is: How did your fish get injured? Usually it’s another fish has done this, either directly or by driving / chasing this fish into something that caused the wound.

Showing the pictures I showed above, I reported back on the strips and was refunded. Customer svc 100% 💚 every time

He has a name now! Bluey. I say he, but I actually don't know yet for either of the new mystery snails. I've yet to witness breeding behavior and haven't gotten eggs yet.

I use the hygger 24/7 submersible lights. They worked great in a tote tank I had setup for snail grow out tank. They are the 12 inch model. And put out a ton of light for such a small unit. You can adjust the brightness as well. Now I used them mounted to the inside of my black plastic lids on a couple of 10 gallon tanks.

@Schuyler Thank you! Unfortunately the first little guy had a rough time getting started but if we were going to be goldfish people my heart couldn’t keep them in a small tank 😂 I am slowly considering plants. I’ve been watching a lot of ACO for plants. 😃

Spike is having some kind of color explosion; I began to notice it yesterday. Day 1 Spike: Today, in natural light and LED: I’m in love with those reds poppin, but the stripes.. I raise an eyebrow. Time to do some water tests. First up, ammonia liquid test. [insert several EXPLETIVES here] Now, was I doing my due diligence along the way? Indeed. But you see, Things were looking great. (This test taken immediately after liquid test above). Upon receiving said strips and first use, I had reported them as possibly faulty. Said I’ve used these before but this time the strips looked more yellow than previous orders. I mentioned that possibly moisture affected the contents of the container? Even though sealed with silica gel. Was reassured the coloration of strips is fine/normal. Accepted this response at face value and have been using them for 1+ month, but today was the true test/proof; no longer a hunch. Anyway, after the expletives kerfuffle, I did a 50% water change with a few extra dashes of Prime, and the new tank dosage amount of Fritz Zyme 7 (Dear past self, thank you for helping present self by thinking ahead and replacing the near empty container of Fritz Zyme 7, despite not having a specific purpose for it at the time.) Everything else is cool (normal readings) and these kids are ok too, but they grouped up because they didn’t like the siphon in their vicinity, plus the additional light. Spike did eat some worms for me today. When I get home again I will be moving some seeded filter media to this tank).

I would agree with others on this. I wouldn't worry about it. I have a small 3.7 gal tank that has several places on the bottom and sides like that and it has never leaked.

The worst habit I had to overcome was chronic over-feeding. It's fun to feed the fish, watch them chase around, and the little beggars always swarm to the front when I walk by. I had to overcome that! It does a world of harm to the fish and the amounts of algae in the tank. Adding in a fasting day and being strict about how much and how often I feed has helped considerably.

I agree. It probably doesn't need to be repaired.

Fish are looking incredible!

Tupperware to a 60 gallon with friends, that's quite the transition! Welcome aboard! Colorado is a beautiful place. I lived in Parker and Canon City for a while Have you considered growing plants out of your aquarium. Like pothos, peace lily, or spider plants? It would help remove nitrogen from your tank

My brackish paludarium is looking the best it's ever has! The only issue is that the buce and anubias died off. I may try one more time with them or just switch to bolbitas fern which seems to do better in low end brackish. Moss are another option. I'm open to suggestions for what would look good on the wood and rocks. Fiddler Crabs This one is missing their big claw, but seems to being doing well otherwise. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I later saw my flagfish biting at one of the other fiddler crabs big claws so I think they are the culprit and I moved them to my 75g. The claw should grow back on their next molt. Ghost Shrimp bumblee goby Pacific blue-eye rainbowfish 75g "Pomegranate" the indian lilac crab surveilling her kingdom from on high. Look out below! "\Reticulated hillstream loach Roseline shark Rainbow shark Siamese algae eater "Blueberry" the red cheek crayfish 40g "Aileen" the green dragon pleco Apisto Borelli "Marmaduke" the dwarf araguia acara "Gogo" and "Hazel" the fantail goldfish 10g Guppies Cherry shrimp

you can just use an airstone, drop the waterline, and drop all your ceramic media into the tank for a few days. It should keep everything going. That being said, it's incredibly difficult to repair a seam line that. The silicone prep you need to do in order to get the bond to hold over time is going to be something that isn't as simple as adding some to the portion that was damaged. The way the glass tanks are bonded there is two beads of silicone. The first is the ones that is used to seal one pane of glass to the next. This is the portion you see when the glass is placed against one another to form the cube. The second seam is the internal one that is along all of the edges to try to fully waterproof the tank. The portion that is damaged is that inner seal and it looks like what you would want to do is just keep and eye on it and make sure you don't see things progress. Take photos and keep a record for yourself to look back at. It's a weak point, but not might actually be damage to the seal itself. Let me elaborate... This gives you an idea of how to repair a seam and what happens when you try to do layers of silicone as opposed to proper bonding of the silicone to the glass. The fish corner ran into a similar issue where they had a leak... Ohio fish rescue same thing.... and they did a similar thing of trying to clean it, prep it, and then add more silicone, but ultimately it is very difficult to prep it properly and get the silicone to bond. You might get bubbles, you might have it just peel off after a short time, there's a lot of ways where it may not do anything if you just add some to that area.

Well done, nice work! @JillianGarcia05 I send this video and it's not sarcasm or a joke in any way. It's not a clickbait title. It's just honest conversation and it's the place I start and remind myself constantly whenever I have an issue. One thing I will mention or specify here as a major note is that understanding your water is key and critical to success. You have the tank cycled, so learning about filtration and how filtration works might help. Understanding KH and GH might help! Understanding the basics of plants might help. All of that touches on and focuses right around what is the water doing..... testing when you need to. https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/ph-gh-kh

My personal favorite which I make every Christmas, Cherry danish. Yep, making the dough is alot of work but danish still warm from the oven is so good.

I'm John Kings, a Melbourne local with a passion that runs as deep as the ocean – aquarium fish keeping! The mesmerizing world of aquatic life has captured my heart, and I'm excited to dive into this aquarium fish forum to connect with like-minded enthusiasts from around the globe. Living in the picturesque city of Melbourne has provided me with a front-row seat to the wonders of marine life, inspiring me to create and maintain my own piece of underwater paradise. Whether it's the vibrant hues of tropical fish or the graceful movements of freshwater species, there's something truly magical about the way these aquatic beings bring tranquility and beauty into our lives. Joining this forum is not just about showcasing my own aquatic endeavors, but also about tapping into the collective wisdom of a community that shares my love for aquariums. From troubleshooting tank-related challenges to discovering the latest advancements in aquatic technology, I believe that being a part of this forum will not only enhance my expertise but also provide a platform for fruitful exchanges with fellow fish enthusiasts. So, here's to swapping stories, sharing tips, and building a community that celebrates the diverse and captivating world of aquarium fish. I'm eager to soak up knowledge, make new friends, and contribute to the collective enthusiasm that makes this forum a haven for all things aquatic. Cheers, John Kings

Hi Fish Friends- I have a 20 gallon high, and so far I have 6 pandas, 6 Amano shrimp, and 5 red racer nerites + a good number of bladder snails. I'd like to add a Honey Gourami and some schooling fish. Do you think my tank is large enough to handle this? Thanks for your advice. Natalie

Bettas are commonly bred for colors and looks and Im not sure to what extend people care about the diseases that are highly related to some certain lines and their overall health while breeding. Breeding fish requires more responsibility than putting a male and female together and attempting to breed, if you ask me, especially if those fish are known to have problematic lines. Those dragonscales, marbles, double tails, constantly coloring up kois and many more. Super long tails and fins, big ears... People even breed dragonscales (which are likely to be blind due to growth of scales on eyes) and sell blind ones under the name of "diamond eye betta" and stuff. Out of 11 bettas Ive kept so far, only 3 didnt develop a disease/symptom and seem healthy in the long term. That is a very low ratio I would say. Now at this point, I think they are one of those healthy ones, but this time, it feels kinda late to breed them potentially as they are not young anymore. That makes it harder to potentially have healthier generations. The common point of all those three is being plakats and no development of further coloring other than showing their color under good care. I LOVE bettas but I hesitate to get them anymore. That being said, there are plenty of wild betta options, which tend to be much healthier overall from what I see from my friends. But many of them are under risk in nature so sourcing them tankbred and still from a good source is important. Many crossbred bettas or versions like aliens are sold as "wild" which are not wild.

A friend of mine years ago had a fish room in his basement and the basement did not have a sump pump or floor drain in as the house sat up very high and never had flooding issues. Anyways, for water changes he had a 50 or 55 gallon Brute type trash can plumbed in one corner of the fish room. Inside was a sump pump, he would drain water into the trash can and the sump pump would automatically pump the water out when the float switch was activated. IHe had it plumbed into the main sewer drain of his house so that it would just drain out into the sewers.

One thing to note is that UV lamps have a limited lifetime. If you run them 24/7 they won't last too long (check with the particular product you are interested in to see if they specify a lifespan). It might be easier to replace the lamp on an in-tank, powerhead style UV unit rather than needing to remove an in-line unit from its hoses...

It can take 40+ days to cycle a new tank (if you didn't bring over any new filter media). This would be after you add a source of ammonia. Was it ever the case that you saw nitrite and then it when down to zero (then went back up)?

I wanted to get back to you with an update. I tried to get a better picture, but he must be doing fine because I can't pick him out from my others now. Bit relieved, here.

I'm going to second @Fish Folk's Killifish suggestion. Your LFS can probably get you some Aphyosemion Australe or Fundulopanchax Gardneri. Both with add a ton of color and plenty of activity. I have Fundulopanchax Gresensi and they love darting around and swimming between plants: A well planted 10 gallon will also be enough space for them to breed and for fry to survive. I've heard that Panda corys can be touchy but I personally haven't kept them.

@Rewcolee1 oh yeah 🤣 This whole fish thing has felt like a huge jump right into the water, good or bad! Lol

Welcome. You are certainly jumping right in!

Everyone's experience varies. I have decent amount of anubias in various tanks and I personally never seen rot spread to other plants, but maybe I'm just lucky so far. I trim off the rotting matter with an exacto knife and keep only healthy green rhizomes. Both my nanas and nana petites really bounced back surprisingly fast. Now my anubias coffeefolia is another story, after a year it's just as small as my nana petite. It's a tough thing to deal with anubias because they're slow growers. It frustrates me when I accidentally break one when cleaning lol

@KCobbl Welcome aboard!

Some hob motors are not meant to be submerged. I would sit the media in the tank after rinsing in tank water. I would run a seasoned sponge filter in it. The repairing I know nothing about.

Under the rubber drum looking parts in those round plastic cylinders are two little flapper-type valves, two in each cylinder. They serve as check valves for the air and can fail or get dirty, limiting the airflow. If one is bad and you have access to wider rubber bands and a X-Acto knife, you can carve out replacements from the rubber bands using the old ones as a pattern.

I keep my tanks stable by focusing on consistency rather than chasing numbers. I feed basically the same every day, all my lights are on timers, and I do the same water changes weekly. Consistency is key, for me.

pythons come with a shutoff valve right near the suction end. if yours dont have one, have no fear, you can buy the parts.

I've been using two of these for the last two years and they have been great. I have been thinking about setting up some sort of semi-auto system myself, but I have some additional utilities that you don't have so not sure the thoughts bouncing around in my head are applicable for your situation. Plus I don't have a rack, but I would like to semi-automate just a couple of tanks, basically. Thought about making some PVC overflows (I think King of DIY has a video of how to make one) and setting the height of the overflow to XX% of what I want for the water change. Basically putting a valve on the outflow, turning that on and being able to walk away, then just come back and top everything off that drained. That's what I do with my discus tank, it has a dedicated siphon line that runs through the way and down into the basement sink with a splitter valve that allows me to drain from one line and then flip two valves and fill from the same line. It's worked well and makes things quite easy for me. It takes about 15 minutes to pump 70 gallons of water about 15 feet up from my basement to my discus tank. To get an idea of flow rates. It moves a lot of water. The second one I use in the basement to refill tanks from my aging barrels and it's *a lot* of flow when pumping just a few feet of head.

What I do is use the tube without the suction cups, and I point it at the fish I am trying to target feed.

@Chris, how's the saltwater tank doing?