JettsPapa

Yes, you can, but after a generation or two you will have a big percentage of brown and/or very nearly clear shrimp. That percentage will increase over time.

For some reason back when I had an 8-track player in my truck and it was raining I would listen to Chicago's Hot Streets album.

At least one LFS in Houston sells ACO merchandise, so I assume other stores do also. Have you looked around locally, or asked one or two if they would consider handling it?

I would too, but I'm not aware of a convenient place to buy RO water. Maybe some day. Same here. Yes, everything I've seen and read about them says that most of them need soft water and relatively low pH (<7.0).

I agree. It will need a good amount of rinsing, but that's not a big deal.

In all likelihood caridina shrimp would be the best for your tank, though as stated above knowing your hardness would be helpful. If you don't have a kit to test for gH and kH, there's a simple test you can do for general hardness that's free. The next time you take a shower, after you've rinsed the soap off, rub the palm of one hand down the length of the opposite forearm with just a little bit of pressure. If it slides easily, like it was still soapy, you have soft water. If the movement is jerky you have hard water.

I'd also suggest trying blue dreams. I have a couple of nice colonies going. When I first started out with them I had taken some to a store to sell and mentioned to the guy evaluating them that I had culled some for being too dark. He looked at me funny. Apparently, with blue shrimp "too dark" isn't a thing. By the way, if you do try them I'd definitely recommend a light colored substrate. They just about disappear on dark ones. I'm glad it's not just me. I started a colony of them, but it seems like every generation gets worse. I finally added a few of my best colored solid reds just to see what will happen. In the meantime I've quit trying to sell any. I don't have the same problem with my blue, red, and yellow colonies.

I'm a big fan of the small nets marketed for catching shrimp. The net portion is generally fairly stiff, so it doesn't collapse around the fish (like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087614NSC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). By the way, someone posted about this set a while ago: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0948ZMFBD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. I ordered a set, since the price was right, but I'm not a fan. The net part is too soft. I like the small nets that hold their shape.

Like you, I also don't like pickles on a hamburger, and always order them that way. On the occasions where I get them anyway I open up the hamburger, remove the slices of pickle, and eat them alone, then eat the hamburger. I don't dislike pickles, but the taste tends to overwhelm all the other flavors. I feel the same way about yellow mustard. I don't really dislike it, but if it's on a hamburger it's all I can taste.

The strongest way to set them up is with the holes running vertical (top to bottom). That way all of the weight is directly supported all the way down. If you turn them the other way and there's a load above one of the holes they can collapse. I agree about covering the cinder blocks with plywood, but I've never seen 1" thick plywood. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but if it does it might be difficult to find. 3/4" should be fine.

I agree that as long as the top of the stand is flat, and I'm sure it is, there really isn't a problem structurally. I don't think you'd run into any problems shimming both corners on the low side, but it shouldn't hurt to add one in the middle on the same side, like the image @nabokovfan87 posted.

I'm glad you liked them. It's difficult to tell from those pictures, but while the front/top of the leaves on that variety are green, the backs/bottoms are a reddish-bronze color.

. . . or a 65 gallon tank. It has the same footprint as a 40 gallon breeder, but it's taller.

As promised. Please excuse the photo bombing fish.

I would guess the parasite dip has a better chance of being the problem than parasites.

About your second question, getting a Python system is certainly an option, but not necessarily the only one. Instead of a 5 gallon bucket I use one that holds 2-1/2 gallons. I'm 61, and not as strong as I used to be, but I can still lift that much when adding water to the 65 gallon tank. The top of the tank is about even with my shoulders.

I always laugh at the line that starts with ". . . but he was a gentleman about it."

Cryptocoryne usteriana is my new favorite, and is doing well in one of my tanks. I'll try to remember to get a picture this evening and post it.

I'm not a big fan of his, but I always liked that song. It reminds me of another "novelty" song I'm fond of:

I agree with the replies above. I'm convinced that in most situations netting the fish, putting them into another container, and then netting them to return them to the tank causes more stress than just leaving them in the tank while you're working in it.

Assuming I could get a count on the guppies, it would probably break that website.

Hello, I don't have much experience with them, but from reading posts in this and other fish keeping forums it seems like it depends on the betta's personality. Some wouldn't bother the kuhlis but would eat the shrimp, some wouldn't bother either, and some will kill anything in the tank with them.

No, but here's an alternative method you might like (I'm pretty sure I saw a video where @Coryused the same method, but I can't find it).

. . . and there are probably 15 small pieces you didn't find.

I've shipped quite a few guppies, shrimp, and plants, and I always use USPS Priority. It usually gets there on the third day, but it's not unusual for them to arrive on the second day. I remember one time I took a package to my little local post office in southeast Texas around 4:00 pm and it arrived in California just over 48 hours later. I've had similar results shipping to Ohio, and other locations at similar distances away. There have been a few times when it took longer, but those are unusual. I do remember one time when I shipped a nearly grown pearl gourami, and it took seven days, but the fish arrived in good shape. As a disclaimer, I suspend shipping anything alive in December.