xXInkedPhoenixX

So to sum up from what I understand, for you doing a water change is almost like not doing one at all and the parameters and dosing are consistent enough there's no real disruption with the Rasboras....only when you're pulling plants out or trimming might they be a bit perturbed? Do yours swim from you? Mine are not fans of my hands though I'm in the tank every day and have never touched them. The fertilizers and other supplements do not seem to effect the fish?

I'll answer 6. My Otos love English Cucumbers with the skin cut off (I buy organic), they have turned their nose up at pretty much all the other veggies, but others have been successful with more. I have Repashy Soilent but weirdly my Otos, though they eat Soilent, seem to like Super Green better. Hikari Algae wafers is the first commercial food I was able to get my Otos to eat and what I've raised my fry on. The ingredients are pretty diverse if you ever read them and contain protein sources which many assume aren't present in an "algae" food.

This set has really neat camouflage- interesting contrast between the bigger and smaller ones. Will be cool to see the progress!

What a pretty plant the Wallichii is, that will turn pink? ...on another note, your Harlequins seem to weather the constant changes of the tank pretty good eh?

@GameCzar there is a lot ouf tousling between them that's for sure- but I cannot justify breeding guppies so fraternity it is in my tanks. I'm hoping the number of fish I've chosen keeps the nipping if any to a minimum as others act as dithers- I thought mixing Endlers and Guppies could also keep that to a minimum. While I've seen the Alpha Endler Drogon kinda pick at the bodies of the other fish it doesn't seem to be causing any physical harm at all so far. 🤞

Totally AGREE with @Hobbit. I also have total faith in your talent/skills- this is completely doable for you.

So. In my Fluval Flex I had 5 Embers and 5 (male) Endlers. This past week I added 2 more Embers (the 5 didn't like their number) and 4 male Guppies. I thought the tank was busy when the 5 Endlers were in there. The Guppies were already very active in QT, the Endlers have always been active as well. Now this tank is just ridiculous. What I've observed and maybe it's just because I'm keeping smaller numbers and I can tell everyone apart is that there is CLEARLY a leader in the Endler group (whose name is Drogon). He's the most active with his posturing- before I added the new Guppies- Drogon and another named Phoenix were pretty much always together and CONSTANTLY chasing each other. The other 3, Torchlight, Flare and NEL (interestingly to me the least colorful of the 5 though Torchlight looks similar to Phoenix) seem to only participate part time with the other 2 and generally hang out together. When I put the Guppies in Drogon immediately went into posturing with them and chasing individuals around- since they look similar to each other thankfully it seemed the behavior was distributed among the 4 and not with just one in particular. I haven't sussed out yet who might be the leader of the Guppies- if there is one. Anyone else have a story to tell about this sort of behavior with either of these types of fish? This I expect is totally normal. While I was watching them I was wondering what a group of Guppies or Endlers were called, and it doesn't appear to be an "official name" in my searches. Of course then I started thinking about it: Fury was my first thought because they are a fury of color and posturing and activity. Maybe even a Flourish!

Bacterial infections aren't like Ich (where temp helps speed up treatment time). Logically speaking raising the temperature on a suspected bacterial infection would only hasten the disease's progress.

I would QT as planned if it is bacterial infection the sick fish should be moved asap so the infection hopefully doesn't spread. You could still do water changes on the main tank IF you don't have a way to test the water. I would test for Ammonia and Nitrite for sure. Yes, you could use salt until the Kanaplex comes- some people won't use salt on "scaleless fish" which yo-yos fit into that category. If you are cautious you could use half dosages. HOWEVER I can say I've used Aquarium Salt at full dose with Otocinclus Catfish (also "scaleless") and they did just fine. Do what is more comfortable for you.

@Luis hate to say this though you've already purchased them, don't bother with Melafix or Pimafix....they fix nothing. I can say that from experience and have read this several times on the forum.

The mesh bag is easiest in a QT but you'd want something easier for yourself in a permanent tank, whatever that might be. In order to measure GH/hardness you would need a liquid test kit (API has one for KH and GH) or a water hardness test strip, and you'd want the QT and the permanent tank to be close.

You can add crushed coral that way, use it as part of the substrate, it deteriorates over time. Some people use it in theirr HOB or filters (obviously not in a sponge filter). Some people put it in mesh bags and hide it in decorations or behind plants.

@PineSong Their bio load is so small. I have that 40+ in my Accidental Oto tank (10 gallons). I never have an Ammonia or Nitrite issue there. I do run 2 filters. I also have 14 or so in my 20 gallon with 10 Harlequins and a whole buncha snails.

Easy answer (again, and I like them) Crushed Coral and/or Wondershell. @Guppysnail is right though, you want your QT similar to your ultimate home for the fish. If you get hardwater fish, both tanks will need to be similar in hardness. You can accomplish this by the 2 things above- this is the easiest way, there are other ways.

I'm with @Streetwise on this, besides maybe mild finrot I've never seen Bettas recover on this site from anything beyond that...and we have some EXCELLENT fish keepers including yourself on this forum. You did the best you could, and he was in good hands.

I've enjoyed using privacy film/window cling, lots of neat colors and patterns, I've used 2 so far on 4 tanks, easy to cut/apply with a water bottle and stick!

Honestly, the reason he says that and it's a good one is so the fish don't create MORE ammonia by peeing/pooping. So yes, not feeding every day is a good thing. Every 2 or 3 days is fine. I personally fed every day but I feed very, very sparingly anyway and I was doing water changes every day when I crashed a cycle so I felt at the time like it wasn't going to make THAT much of a difference plus hopefully keep my fish happy. Fish can actually go many days without feeding. It will definitely help your situation to not do it every day.

Everything I've ever seen says this would be an absolute no combination for any length of time. If it's just temporary and the water conditions are good the only way I'd do it is a hang on the side breeder box or very least floating breeder until there is another tank for Betta.

Yes, that is correct. Thing is your work isn't necessarily done then either, after ammonia is at 0 you have to make sure Nitrite is also 0- this would also require water changes as this is also toxic and basically step 2 of cycling. When/if Nitrite is at 0 and you start reading NITRATE things are good again. 🙂

Welcome to the hobby! As long as your water isn't too soft I'd highly recommend keeping a small group of male Guppies or male Endlers, for a small tank they pack a big colorful, active punch and most of the time you can tell each individual apart and see their personalities!

Yes adding a rock, decorations and/or plant from an established tank can help that QT for sure. Sponge filter/filter best/easiest way- sponge filters aren't expensive (you can buy a cheaper one if you're on a budget, I get it)- should always have a back up because well, you never know! 🙂

This is the easiest way to have a QT at the ready IMO: Keep a sponge filter running in an occupied tank. Pull it for a QT and have a replacement at the ready to run in the occupied tank again. My QT tanks are just holding tanks and are empty when I have nothing to put in them.

Every. Day. Water change, dose Prime. Until your levels go where they need to be.

I love my Otos. My first batch of 7 lost 6 despite algae availability. Some say it is because they are already starved by the time you get them via shipments and impossible/near impossible for them to come back from that. My second batch ALL made it through QT and are part of my breeding colony of Otos. Yes most LFS are going to get them wild caught- I originally got them BECAUSE they wouldn't breed- but it is possible and they can. I'd only recommend Otos for well established diatom algae, biofilm developed aquariums- once you get them past the 1st month they're pretty much with you. This is not uncommon with wild caught fish. They are adorable and an irreplaceable part of my aquarium life. Clown Loaches and Panda Cory are great fish- but not algae eaters- just bottom feeders. So if you were looking for that- you'll not get that from them. You will get fun though. 🙂

If you start as you are right this moment: Essentially you'll be doing now what is called fish-in cycling. What that means in simple terms is this: monitoring ammonia and nitrite levels and daily small (sometimes larger if testing is really bad but I found 25% daily when doing it worked) water changes, treatment of water with something like Prime (my personal preference) until you see ammonia disapear, nitrites 0 and nitrates anything above 0 and below lets say 40 just to give a number.