lefty o

agree with you on reading 1-3 star reviews. many will be off in space somewhere, but you can get good info if the product is truly bad, or was just a bad fit for that person. one really doesnt need to read a 5 star review.

for that many tanks, i myself would have to have automated water changing, or it would get ugly before long.

this, as surprise many bottled waters just come right from some city's water supply.

id ask if they will hold how ever many you want for a week. just to be safe. its no fun getting ich into any of your tanks.

on occasion a particular molly will be a fin nipper. best to find it a new place to live.

not everyone has basic common sense. ive read the reviews before, and do find it funny 1 star, but what they say is totally opposite of what 1 star should be.

assassins, one of the good snails!

youll get more eyes on this if it was in the disease section of the forum, but if in fact you have ich, ichx, and or salt will be the primary treatments.

trim old ends off, warm it up if need be, or just toss it out. airline all eventually hardens to where its all but useless.

its a nice clump for $6.

for sure only try a small number of shrimp when you do, as betta's are hit or miss if they will kill em. if it doesnt find the shrimp tasty, you can always add more later.

there is definately a shock when you see just how much substrate you end up wanting to look good, etc.

its fine!

they will lay eggs regardless of amount of salt, the eggs being viable is a whole nother matter. i dont think just adding a little salt will work well.

they are cute!

assuming your tank is somewhat established, it can probably handle all of them. always best to add a few at a time if you can, that allows the bacteria colony to adapt as the waste increases.

nerites should come with lo-jack tracking devices, just in case of escape!

most plants will do well with 6-8 hrs of light a day.

find one of the co-op videos on hot rodding your hang on back filter. buying filter cartridges isnt really needed, unless you just like giving the manufacturer money.

you probably need a valve in each line, and will have to slightly restrict the flow on the one that is getting all the air.

hoooboy! best bet is to run your tank day 1 like it will be with fish in it. and yes, pretty much all heaters thermostats suck, better yet many heaters will stick on, and youll exceed your 85, and boil your fish. approach things a bit slower please.

i would start with the ember tetras first. let them get all cozy for a few weeks, then add the nerites. give it another week, and add the gourami. give it another week or 3 then add the amano. shrimp really need to be put in a fairly well established aquarium. even though amano's are as tough a shrimp as they come, id still do them last. as for amano food, besides them nibbling on stuff growing in the tank, they will nab the fish food that hits the bottom or gets in the cracks/crevices. id not feed them directly.

feed lightly, and watch them for a few days, then decide.

whatever guppy that catches your eye can be a good breeding project. especially if you mix and match color strains, they can produce endless variations.

some people do get worked up about that kind of thing, but thats nature. she's a cruel one!