Frank

I've been trying to figure out how big my "big" tank should be. I thought that I would get a 50gallon tank, but I wasn't liking the spot it would go. Then, I realized that if I moved some bookshelves, I would have an ideal place for an aquarium. If I did that, I would have 5 feet by 2 feet of floor space available. Now, I'm not real tall, but I have relatively long arms. I wear 34 inch sleeves. But, I know that I don't want to have to stick my face in the water, or even have my entire arm in there, to maintain it. Plus, I worry about "bit off more than you can chew" syndrome. On the other hand, I don't want to get another, larger tank, just to upgrade again, later. Do you have a tank that's just too big of a chore to maintain? How big is too big?

Why do I keep posting in the wrong place???

I want blue neon rasboras.

What they're telling you is just a fact about modern times. You, and some few of us, might pay $30 for a reliable heater, but the vast majority would rather pay $15 and forget about it.

Yeah. I think that that's all there is. As soon as the baby climbed off of mama's foot, they all went their separate ways. I left, for a bit. Now, I can't find it. ☹

I don't mind doing it. But, I'm retired. I probably annoy the fish too much.

Sorry the cellphone photo isn't better. I've had mommy and daddy for two or three days.

The people who use sumps have ways to quiet that noise. Maybe an inlet sponge would work? If you're going to keep shrimp, or fry, you might need one anyway.

Is there a mini-sump below the tank? If that's how it works, you might search out how to reduce the noise from the overflow/filter inlet.

I have a little internal filter, that gets air trapped in the pump, and it then makes a noise. I have to rotate it in all directions to get the air out.

98gph seems like a lot of flow.

Except for the mystery stuff, the tank looks nice!

Those numbers aren't horrible. The thing is, is that they can change pretty fast in a five gallon tank. So, you're right to be staying on top of it. Eventually, your ammonia level will hit zero. Then, it might take a week for the nitrite level to get there. Cory, our forum sponsor, has said that 0.5ppm (for ammonia and nitrite) is the point to stay below. Only my opinion.

Those numbers aren't horrible. The thing is, is that they can change pretty fast in a five gallon tank. So, you're right to be staying on top of it. Eventually, your ammonia level will hit zero. Then, it might take a week for the nitrite level to get there. Cory, our forum sponsor, has said that 0.5ppm (for ammonia and nitrite) is the point to stay below. Only my opinion.

What are your medications? Are they in powder packets for ten gallons? If so, you can add the packet to a measured amount of water, shake it up to help it dissolve, and put half in the tank for one dose.

The local pet store had pretty blue snails. They're aqua Japanese trapdoor snails.

Maybe stirring it up sped up the decomposition process? Then, the bacteria took a while to catch up to the extra ammonia? Now, the bacteria are taking a while to catch up to the extra nitrite?

Are those levels much higher before water changes and treatments? Those are relatively safe levels on a temporary basis. Our sponsor says 0.5 ammonia and 0.5 nitrite are the numbers to start worrying about.

Is the ammonia zero, and the nitrite at 0.25?

You might look at it under a magnifying glass. Take a strong flashlight and shine it from all around. If there are any small cracks, they might grow or stay small forever.

I'm just starting, with plants, so I can't be much help. A lot of mine look just like yours. They started pearling, then a week later, there was visible algae on them. I am still working on it. I reduced the lighting and increased both fertilization and water changes. Plus, I'm removing plants that look hopeless. It looks like things are turning around, but it's too soon to tell.

The pearling might be from algae growing on the plants.

I had a tank with four cichlids and some cardinal tetras. The biggest lemon severum was king of the tank. Somebody asked me to take a fish off of their hands because it was too agressive. It would sometimes harass my other fish for a moment. Then the normally placid King would zoom over there and chase it away.

Plant now, or wait? Yes! I don't think that it makes any difference.

I lost a lot of shrimp, when I first started my tank. Now, they're doing good. What I think is the difference is that there is now some algae and micro-creatures. People say to wait for the ecosysem to develop. That parallels my experience. pH 7.8.