reefhugger

Thanks so much for this. I've been in the process of setting up/cycling/growing plants and biofilm for neocaridina shrimp. Your information helped me avoid some pit falls I was heading into, including not waiting long enough for the tank to have enough life in it to support them. I'm taking your advice to not overfeed to heart. That has been a hard one to conquer with my fish tanks and would be a disaster with shrimp. I'm in a rural area with lots of oak, banana and magnolia trees so its been fun to gather and boil leaves. The shrimp arrive this afternoon! I've got a drip setup all ready. I'm bit anxious but mostly determined.

I've got a 10 gallon tank I'm "aging" to get ready for cherry shrimp. I'm tempted to add some amano shrimp too with the goal of getting them large enough to add to other tanks to eat algae and detritus. I know they won't breed without quite a process, but I do think they're fascinating. Does that sound like a reasonable plan?

I'm not sure either, but removed my beloved Mystery Snails out of caution.

I really dislike hydra obscuring the view into the tank. @MandatoryDenial mentioned No Planaria which works a treat in making hydra go away quickly. I just pour the doses near the glass. It doesn't harm fish or plants, but I do get snails out before use.

Me too. I have led lights that were right above it for several years without issue. I've raised them a bit now and all looks well.

Garbage can on wheels! wonderful for syphoning water into while cleaning tanks. Goes right out to the garden for watering plants. Quilt stuffing from Walmart etc for hob filter material. And me too with the turkey baster.

Prime Time Aquatics is one of the very few sources I pay attention to, in addition to Corey and Irene.

LOL one of the fun/frustrating things about aquariums, not always a clear yes or no. Thanks for the reply.

I've been gravel vacuuming under the probably mistaken idea it it keeps the water parameters in check from ammonia, nitrites. nitrates? When I vac during water changes it looks like I'm pulling out a ton of debris that would cause water spikes as it degrades. I do have planted tanks . I am getting better at not over feeding but probably still need to cut back more. By vacuuming am I reducing BB? Does the garbage in the gravel affect water parameters?

Look on Pet Mountain...they have replacement hinges https://petmountain.com/products/marineland-perfecto-black-plastic-replacement-hinge-for-glass-canopy-aquariums?variant=47087776891156

I live in hurricane country so devoted some thought to how to sustain fish tanks. We've gone a week without power in the past, happily before the aquarium addiction hit. I found a DC to AC converter that uses car-size, golfcart-size batteries which is powerful enough to keep heaters and larger pumps going. When hurricane season approaches we make sure to have batteries charged/available. We do now have a generator that can manage some functions after the storm passes (run the home well pump, refrigerator some inside circuits etc.} but that has to be managed as its not a whole house one. I highly recommend looking for one, they can be found on sale for good deals and are a wonder to have when needed. I bought inexpensive battery packs that hold 4 AAA batteries that work well on sponge filers pumps that can run off a usb cable, and stocked up on the Amazon batteries. They worked very well, and the whole setup was pretty cheap. I grew up in Michigan, and well remember ice storms and downed power lines.

I woke up to three dead fish yesterday in one tank. Turned out another fish had died inside one of the ornaments....I don't think he was stuck, that's just where his body wound up. That caused ammonia spike I didn't catch. What really hurts is I had cleaned the three other tanks the day before, but decided to clean this tank the next day I'd have saved them if I'd cleaned or done a water test. I've gotten sorry about doing tests as the perimeters have been so stable. I wish my tomfoolery hadn't cost the fish their lives.

Okay, here it is. I decided to gift myself some nice looking light holders instead of having the lights splayed inconveniently across my tanks. The holders are mounted on the side rims of the tanks. I carefully measure the width of the tank rims and the lengths of each light. I order the holders...they are attractive and well made. At NO time does it dawn on me that the glass covers over each tank fit flush to the sides. And this is even after LIFTING the glass covers so I can measure! So do I get the idiot award for the year?

I had no idea they "hatched" that fast. This post is wonderful...thank you. I'm looking forward to the next baby pictures.

Irene created an excellent series on aquarium lighting on Aqurium Co-op. It helped me begin to understand lighting and plant versus algae growth. Here's the youtube link for the first on, She provides the next links in the video.

A noobi-ish question....why do you keep the trimmings in the constantly renewed bucket? I've tended to compost them. Your post has me seeing I'm overlooking something. Fun to see those babies...have you id'ed them? Thanks.

I don't know if this will apply to you, but the only local fish stores near me are the big box variety. In general I've learned its worth the extra cost of overnight shipping for me to obtain decently breed, healthy fish from online suppliers. I have found two I trust, and receive young, health fishes.

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.

That's a splendid idea,

Hillstream loaches are among my favorites. I do have algae surfaces for them but feed them a varied diet. They love Repashy foods, as do most of the other fish in the aquarium. I usually feed a variety of Community Plus, Soilent Green and Igapo Explorer . I've had the Hillstreams for several years now, and to my surprise and joy they've started breeding...I found the tiniest, cutest little rascals!

I also see you have it on carpet. Are you going to put something down around the tank and stand to protect that? I've got hard floors and haven't had to deal with that, but I have seen large rubber mats with rims you might explore. I manage to create a bit of a mess while trimming plants, cleaning the sides of the tanks and water changes.

I read mine as 300 too thinking the scale goes from blue to purple, and it defiantly purple. I'm not sure if the logic holds and will be interested in other opinions.

Access to children and other pets should be considered too. And yes, my back would dislike that very much...poor old thing.

Check Dan’s Fish. They have them in stock. So pretty

Oh those are lovely. My water won't permit it, so please share some photos.