[Lights on 20 Gal High]

@Platosdogif you’re  doing lower light plants the Stingray 2.0 will give you plenty of light. I have them on most of my tanks with the 20Ls being the exceptions. They’re too bright for these shallower tanks. On my 120 (2ft deep) I grow a mix of low and med light plants with good results. This is a mid priced light. If you’re budget is a little tighter Beamswork & JC&P are all good lights just make sure whatever model you chose is UL or similar certified. I use both of these lights on my 20Ls

[Best fish for outdoor freshwater pond]

@King gold Start with fancy goldfish Comets, Sarasa, and Shubunkins they’re reasonably inexpensive, tough as nails, and breed easily once mature and very interactive. Good luck.

[What did you get done today?]

Added a trio of Apistogramma hongsloi to the collection(from Red Fish Blue Fish). They're sitting in quarantine until I set up their new home. This is not my picture.

[Breeding Tank]

3 minutes ago, Fish Folk said:

Well . . . no word of experience here . . . so, this is just based on a few tips from different breeders we've watched. A 29 gal. will provide greater volume for fry to grow out in, but more volume to change out in order to keep water quality up for adults. Still, it's probably a better tank. Wrap 3x of the 4x sides in sky blue paper, and never fill the water above the black rim. Fry need the parents to be the darkest visual object in order to be drawn to them for eating off the adult slime coat. A breeding cone will probably provide more suitable area for the parents to spawn on. Soft, soft water with nothing to trouble the slime coat is essential for parents. Temperature up . . . 87 . . . 89 . . . even 90 can be Ok. Nothing to spook them in the fishroom. But Paul, you probably know all of this stuff! (or could correct anything wrong I've stated here) 

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!!!!! Would be so happy for you to get a healthy batch of fry going. Keep us nerms updated.

I wasn't going to pull these two out of the display tank since it's planted which makes it  a pain in the butt to catch anything but they keep spawning. It's a good thing that PETCO has the $1 a gallon going on again. You've got your info down. 

[Mating Ritual of the Gulf Coast Pygmy Sunfish]

10 minutes ago, Daniel said:

@Paul I actually think it was Hwy 70 going East headed into New Bern. Do you know that long straight stretch that goes on for miles just before you get to Hwy 17 outside of New Bern? It was about midway down that stretch.

I caught nice natives on both the eastbound and westbound sides. The pygmy sunfish that day were Elassoma zonatum.

@DanielI know exactly where that is. Thanks.

[Breeding Tank]

I've got to pull a breeding pair of Discus out of the 120 Discus tank. I'm thinking 20 or 29 gallon.

[Mating Ritual of the Gulf Coast Pygmy Sunfish]

@Daniel where on I40 did you catch them?

[Silver tip tetra chasing females]

@Linda Scott that's what Silver Tip males do. The best thing to do is add more Silver Tips.

 

[Whats your favorite type of schooling/ shoaling fish???]

4 hours ago, Daniel said:

For me it is discus.

A small school of brothers and sisters grazing together.

^^This^^

[Substrate]

All my tanks have gravel substrate. The Corys are all fat,healthy and spawning. 

[accent cabinet as stand]

Check antique or consignment shops for library/sofa tables. 

[Filter’s 40 breeder]

@Duke on my 40 breeder I have a Penguin 275 and a Ziss Bio Filter.I think they do their job very well.

[Tank background?]

@AdamTill I paint all my tanks empty. I suppose you can roll paint on while they’re full but you’re making the job difficult.

[Tank background?]

Krylon black spray paint. It’s dry within 1/2 hr.

[Corydora cohabitation?]

@Lexi B in my Discus tank I have a large breeding school of Sterbai and two smaller schools of Agassizi and Julili. They swim together all the time. 

[Cold water aquarium plants]

Anacharis over wintered in my Goldfish/Koi pond in North Jersey even when the ponds were covered by several feet of ice & snow.

[How many discus in a 75 gal?]

@Patrick M. Bodega Aquatics in a 75 you could do up to 7 Discus. If your budget allows get them all at once. Start with 2,5 inch fish, they're reasonably priced and will grow up together in the tank which will reduce aggression (remember Discus are Cichlids). If you want a Ropefish put it in another tank they're not a match made in heaven for Discus. Good tank mates for Discus would be any of the schooling Tetras Rummy Nose, Cardinals, Silver Tip, are good examples, Pencilfish, Ottos, and of course a school of Cory's you could also do a trio of Apistos. For plants you may want to consider Java Fern,  Pogostemon Octopus, Dwarf Aquarium Lily or Tiger Lotus. For you filter go with something that will process the tank at least 3X an hour. Good luck.

[Any tips on getting Corydora’s less shy]

@Louise white add more. I've got 10 in a 29 and they swim all over the place.

 

 

[Are there any good heaters anymore?]

All my tanks have Inkbird heater controllers. Plug the heater into the controller set a min/max temperature range and the controller then runs the heater.

[Aquarium Water]

3 hours ago, Danny LeVeck said:

Prime work?

Yes.

[I am thinking about breeding discus]

7 hours ago, Daniel said:

Discus are cichlids.

Breeding discus follows the same path as breeding other cichlids. Obtain a pair, feed generously, provide a roomy environment with clean warm water. Easy, right?

Mostly, but:

• Males and females look similar so you either have to buy a known pair or start with half a dozen young fish and let them begin to pair up as they mature
• I like to feed high quality foods like live blackworms, but this can be expensive and it is not a well round diet as discus need a varied diet that includes vegetable matter
• Breeding size discus can be in the 6 inch range and the smallest breeding tank I have used is a 55 gallon although others have used smaller aquariums
• High quality warm water means a thoroughly cycled aquarium with water in the 84°F - 86°F and because discus are big fish that eat a lot, your aquarium needs to be able to process that or alternatively you need to do enough water changes to keep up with the waste produced
• Like many cichlids discus will eat the eggs the first few times they spawn, but unlike other cichlids you don't have the option of removing the eggs as the discus fry need to stay with and feed off of the parents bodies for the first week or two after they are free swimming

Like all fishkeeping, everyone does it a little different like what they feed their discus, but clean warm water is a must as is leaving the fry with their parents. If you have bred and raised angelfish, then you are well on your way there, so good luck!

@Daniel nailed it but don’t downplay the importance of water changes! Many Discus breeders do 100% water changes daily. You’ll be feeding lots of high protein foods often, any uneaten food will foul the water. They swear by this method in that it produces large healthy Discus fast. Good luck.

[Warm/hot? water fish]

@54DutchmanCardinals and Neons will have no problem with those temps. They’re in my Discus tank. Rummy Nose as well as most other Tetras will thrive in warm water. 

[USB run Ziss?]

@Loretta It can run a small sponge but I don't think it has enough juice to push the media.

[Any tips for preparing hardwood for tanks?]

@Sunny Doan Spray it with peroxide. It cleans and disinfects and leaves no residue.

 

[Best glass lid for 20G high?]

@KyleKVKif you’re looking to buy an off the shelf lid stick with one made by the manufacturer of your tank. They all make their tanks with slightly different measurements. With that being said I bought an Aqueon 40 breeder with a Versa lid and the lid didn’t fit. It was a 1/2” to wide front to back.