nickc_1982

I have plenty of shrimplets that seem to make it. I'm sure the white clouds might get the odd one

Mine will eat anything I put in and have a great appetite. I try to mix it up between quality veg flakes, bug bites, Hikari micro pellets, frozen daphnia, cyclops, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae. They love all of it. Cooked chopped up peas also

I've had a Sicce Shark pro 500 in my 20 long for a couple of months now. I did consider the 700 but glad I didn't as it would have been a squeeze in my tank. So far I am really liking the Pro 500, I use the spray bar feature and only have the flow set to around 50% as any more seems a bit much for my fish. I cut the central sponge to make some space for ceramic media from my old filter and I managed to fit a decent amount in. I have serviced it twice and it was a breeze compared to my old filter. The flow has never noticeably slowed however although the sponges had definitely picked up plenty of gunk. The noise produced is absolutely minimal in my experience. My only issue with it is that it is definitely quite bulky. I have never tried the normal outlet or venturi purely as I am more than happy with the spray bar.

Would val get a bit much in a 20 long? I’m currently planning some background plants. I think Cory recommended the dwarf sagittaria in one of his videos as it doesn’t grow as much You can superglue it although it can get messy. Or just tie it down with string or fishing line to rock or wood

Thanks, I definitely feel bette not worrying about the temp dropping a bit too much. I will also probably take the heater out once temperatures start climbing next year.

Just an update to this, I ended up with an Aquael Ultra 50W which I have linked to a DD heating controller D-D Dual Heating & Cooling Controller | D-D The Aquarium Solution I don't think these are available in the US but from what I read they are highly regarded. I like the backlit display which means I can easily check the tank temp and it also doubles as a "moonlight" for the tank overnight I think. I have set it so that the heater is running at 21c (second lowest setting) and the controller will cut power if the tank temperature exceeds 23c. I am very impressed with the heater which seems to be running very close to the temperature the controllers probe is reading. The probe is not positioned close to the heater. My cheap digital thermometer that I already had seems to be reading 1c higher which isn't too surprising as these are notoriously inaccurate. I feel much happier now knowing that the tank temperature can't dip dangerously low overnight or if we have a cold spell. The added security of the controller also gives me peace of mind if the heater were ever to stick on although I have heard people allude to the fact that a digitally controlled heater like the Ultra is more likely to fail in an off setting. A few people in local stores I spoke to just recommended getting a low cost basic glass heater with no controller rather than spending extra on a fancy heater and even more on a controller but I personally feel better with the "safety net" and was happy to spend a bit more to have that.

For me at the moment it’s Panda Garra’s, they’re really fun to watch and so lively. My hillstream loaches try to chase them away at feeding time but the Panda Garras just seem to think it’s a game 😂

I’m just starting to think about Honey Gourami’s always liked the look of them and how they interact.

Yeah I had a feeling it might not be. More of a goofball than an oddball 😄

I’m enjoying Panda Garra’s so far, very active and interesting behaviour

I wouldn’t rinse it as much as it would be tempting to. The substrate will have plenty of beneficial bacteria in it. I think you’d be fine syphoning off some of the dirty water though

I’m sure they probably will. Thanks

Good to hear and gives me some confidence in the ultra heaters. I’m thinking go for a small one set at it lowest.

That could be an idea just in case it gets cold overnight if we have a cold spell. if a 50 watt for example got stuck on I’m assuming it might struggle to get the tank too hot in a hurry? Also if I set it to 20c I would imagine it wouldn’t be on much most of the time.

Just wondered if I could get any input or opinions on this. I currently have an unheated 20G long tank with Platies, White clouds, hillstream loaches a panda garra and cherry shrimp. I have a thermometer which I regularly monitor and currently the temperature is ranging between 20c to 21c (68-70F). I am in the UK and it can get fairly cold here at times over the winter so I have been considering adding a heater which I would set fairly low to prevent tank getting too low. Another part of me wonders if the tank will be fine as is. We usually keep the house fairly warm and haven’t even had the heating on yet. I think if anything it’s the Platies that would handle lower temperatures the worst. Heater wise I like the look of the aquael ultra range. I always read horror stories of heaters failing on and boiling fish but I suppose people only tend to report when they have a bad experience. I would consider using a heater controller if necessary. The aquarium coop heater looks good but not viable for me in UK. Any opinions or suggestions much appreciated