Silverback

Did you get the purigen in the pouch or loose in the bottle? If you bought the pouch I would just attach it to your sponge filter and tie it in place with thread. I did get tired of that method and started using a large rubber band so it would not squeeze the sponge filter but loosely hold the pouch along the sponge. At first it is an eye sore but the purigen does get darker as it gets exhausted. I would rotate the sponge so the purigen is facing the rear of the tank. You will easily see the purigen as it changes color.Of course this does depend on the size and shape of your sponge filter. Another option could be getting a small air driven box filter. You could fold the pouch into a filter box or if you got the loose purigen you could put it in a media bag. This could be an option if you don't want to get a H.O.B. filter. Make sure you rinse the purigen really good the first time you use it. If you don't it will cloud your water. The picture shows an exhausted pouch that I haven't recharged yet. I usually place the rubberband in the middle so the media doesn't all fall to the bottom of the pouch. I do replace the rubber band usually when I clean the filter. Hopefully that will give you some other ideas. Good luck!

Is your tank heavily scaped? By haveing some tall plant (fake or live) and some rocks or wood to provide cover/hiding spots and break up line of sight might help curb the aggression. Tony s gave you a great recommendation about trading him in for a different one if possible. Like you mentioned, adding some large females would help spread out the aggression. You could fill your 2.5 with tank water and use it as a penalty box to give the others some rest and maybe some extra feedings with the bully on time out. With out filtration or steady temp I wouldn't keep him in there long term. Good luck!

My Aquarium Sensei would say "No bark." I think it depends on the type of wood and condition of the bark. It will eventually come off. In can release more tannins in your water and release excess nutrients into your water causing algae blooms or fungus/mold to grow. Bark will usually decompose faster in the water then the wood and can cause changes in your water quality. I like the contrast it provides in your tank. I hope it works out for you. Good luck!

Everyone I know that has a harlequin shrimp has a second tank with chocolate chip starfish that are used as food for the shrimp. Having both fresh and saltwater tanks myself I would agree with the advice already given. Do your research. Plan out if you have a local store you can buy saltwater from or if you have a R/O system and can make your own saltwater at home. Also do your research on best tank and equipment. Buying cheap and upgrading later is more expensive than just buying the right equipment the first time. I had an arrow crab in my reef tank until he started eating my corals. It can be an expensive lesson when you don't do your research and impulse buy. Good luck!

You can try and stack the two pieces on the left together. They look like they could be combined well and use some gel super glue to bond them together if worried about them falling apart. I use the small gel super glue from the dollar stores or harbor freight You can also try to place onto of a pile of rocks or push your substrate higher on one side to achieve some extra height.. The island look is good too. Look nice with some Java Ferns attached to your wood growing out of it. Good luck!

Is your filter DIY or a specific brand? Did you use sand or media provided. If you used regular sand it could be breaking down further. Can you see through your filter and notice cloudy water in your filter when you start it? Have you tried reducing the flow into your FSF. If you clean your other filters is your mechanical filtration the same color as your media that you're using in the FSF? At first I thought you might be having a bacterial blume. I think it might be related to your media. If so you could try and change out your media. Lifeguard makes a fluidized bed filter media that I use to use when I had chiclid tanks like yours. K1 media is a plastic media used in fluidized bed filters. Might be a good option for you. Maybe run your filter using a bucket to see if it clouds the water if you can't see through filter. Your Albino Heckling is so cool looking. I like your severum and your blue acaras look really good. I think a red shoulder severum would look really good in your tank too! I had some severums in with some affrican butterfly fish. I would feed the ABF live crickets and the severums started eating them. Made their colors pop! Good luck!

Hard to tell from photo. Can you take a closer Pic of them on the glass. My guess is they are limpets but not 100% sure. If they are limpets should be harmless to shrimp. Eat algae and uneaten food. Scrape them off or gravel vac them out to control population.

I wouldn't add more iron unless you see a deficiency. If your new plant growth is pale or yellow then you may have an issue and need to supplement with iron. You could always purchase an iron test kit to check your level. Just adding extra iron when your plants don't need it could cause an algae bloom making more work for you in the long run.

Do you know how many pounds of substrate you have in your tank? Do you have live plants rooted in your substrate? I think an empty 29 gallon tank is around 40lbs. If you have 20 lbs of substrate in tank and around 5 gallons of water for your fish your at around 100 lbs. If your able to lift the tank and stand onto a furniture dolly and move it as one unit might work or even if it is just your tank. I have moved over 30 tanks in my life time. I've used furniture dollies and brute force. I've even dragged a tank and stand on a wood floor using a carpet runner. It is always easier and safer when drained and the majority of substrate is taken out. If you do keep the substrate and water in while moving it. Remember to only grab from the bottom, watch your fingers and keep the tank as level as possible. Keeping all that weight in the tank can put stress on the seems while you move the tank. I had a 40 gallon develop a slow leak from a bottom seem aftet I moved it keeping the substrate and some water in it. Have an action plan in place incase something goes wrong. Save as much water as possible in case you need it. Try and move the tank during the time your local store is open incase you need to replace anything. Such as tank, filter or heater. I would sometimes use a move as a chance to change my scape and substrate. Good luck!

I would just feed your fish a couple extra small feedings the days leading to you leaving. I've been gone seven to eight days on a regular basis without feeding my fish with no issues. Just make sure your tank is topped of incase evaporation would expose a heater or cause a filter return to splash. ZooMed and other companies make banquet food blocks that release food slowly. Usually they have guides as to how many to use. Also some make their own fish food or use Repashy and dip rocks into it for the food to attach to it. Depending on your fish load the gelatin food should last a couple days decreasing the amount of days without food. Good luck and have a safe trip!

Is the tank glass or acrylic. Depending on the age of the aquarium if it is glass manufacturers usually recommend Resealing the tank every 10 years. Any tank can leak. I usually will only buy used acrylic tanks from popular manufacturers 75 gallons or above. Depending on the age of the tank and if you needed to seal it or how much it might cost you to get the tank resealed would help to determine if it is a great deal. I think it is a good price If the tank is glass, only a couple years old and comes with stand and filter.

What are you trying to do? Is this a filter replacement or are you starting a new tank. If it is a filter replacement I would place it on your tank and place bio media from your existing filter in your new one If you're not ready to put in a tank you can put a piece of shrimp or small chuck of fish in the bucket to break down and produce ammonia. If you're worried about the smell throw a bunch a fishfood in your bucket to keep your filter cycled.

In a five gallon tank I would do two or three max. Depending on how the tank is scaped (if you have decorations that breakup line of sight), bumblebee gobies can be territorial. They usually like live foods. Ask what they are eating from the store you are going to purchase them from. Ask if they will feed them infront of you. If you do try six make sure you have a plan to rehome a couple if necessary. Good luck.

When I'm looking to add some height I like using media bags filled with small lava rock bought from a home store. I use media bags that plant roots can easily grow into. I'll stack them on top of each other and then cover them with the media I'm using. If I ever break down the tank or change substrate I don't have to worry about them mixing.

Do you use any chemical filtration? I think your wood might be a big factor in your algae issue. I started using seachem purigen in my tanks with driftwood and it keeps my water crystal clear. I like that it is color changing when exhausted and can be recharged. Maybe adding some Amano shrimp or American flagfish can help eat your algae. How much surface agitation do you have in your tank? I had issues keeping floating plants too until I decreased my surface agitation by creating rings with airline tubing to put the floating plants in. Good luck!