[What would be a good bottom dweller for my 125 gallon?]

My tank containing the hoplos is 120 gallons.

[Share your angelfish pictures]

These orange/black angels are growing. They are about 6 or 7 months old.

[Share your angelfish pictures]

This one was hatched in my aquarium. He is about 9 months old. Big for his age.

[Help. I can't get my ammonia level down updated reply]

Prime is good for dechlorination, but I am convinced it does nothing to ammonia. See articles regarding detoxification claims at aquariumscience.org. Most dechlorinaters claim to  detoxify ammonia. Its not just Prime. Nobody regulates what they put on their labels. You have to use water changes to keep the ammonia level down.

[Share your angelfish pictures]

On 6/18/2022 at 8:31 AM, Odd Duck said:

Some of the kois that were sent to me have imperfect operculums...

 

OK, you made me look up operculum. It means gill cover. I never heard or saw that word before. Learn something every day. And beautiful fish! I especially like the first picture.

On 6/18/2022 at 8:31 AM, Odd Duck said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[How long does a seeded tank take to cycle?]

Seeding the filter is the right thing to do, because a seeded filter will cycle faster, but I don't think there is any way to predict how long a seeded filter will take to cycle. In different aquariums under differing conditions, cycle time will be different.

[Share your angelfish pictures]

Under the right light, blue highlights show on these platinums

[Share your angelfish pictures]

Young angels are growing

[Options for biological filtration?]

Beneficial bacteria needs 2 things -  surface area and flow.  The high surface area claimed by matrix and similar media is meaningless because there is no flow through the media, so no beneficial bacteria can grow there.

 People use matrix and similar media and believe it works fine, and it does work fine for the purpose of removing ammonia and nitrites. But for clean, clear water with low bacteria counts in the water column (the bacteria in the water column is the bad kind, not beneficial) 30 ppi foam is much better.

When I changed my canisters to 100% foam, I noticed the difference. The water was clearer.

If you switch media, do it in stages. It took me a couple of months to convert to 100% 30 ppi foam.

One benefit of 30 ppi foam - and zero mechanical filtration - is that I rarely open my canisters now. The foam does not clog easily and it does not need to be changed. You only need to open the canister if there is noticeably less flow.

I highly recommend the aquariumscience.org articles on filtration and filter media.

 

[Options for biological filtration?]

Sponge is the best. 30 ppi is good because it has more surface area than 20 ppi, but does not get clogged up like 40 ppi. Aquariumscience.org has a great article on filter media.

[Share your angelfish pictures]

On 6/5/2022 at 2:57 PM, anewbie said:

One large male - is that the same one you posted earlier in the thread? It seems to have less red.

Yes, it is the same one. The extensions look more or less red, depending on the day.

[Pleco and cucumber]

OK, this is zucchini, but I just stick a lead weight through it an drop it in.

 

 

[Share your angelfish pictures]

This pearlscale platinum has really gotten big.

[Share your angelfish pictures]

Gold Angels

[Share your macro photos!]

A platinum showing his blue.

[New Discus Journal]

It is worth it for those beautiful fish.

[Share your angelfish pictures]

Fish yawn, more angelfish pics!

[Mother's Day - Mama's tank]

Here is my Mom's tank, taken on Mother's Day. It is a 55-gallon tank, built into the wall.

 

[Photo Challenge: Atypical Tank View]

Wow! That is crystal clear!

[What did you get done today?]

I sold the last 63 angels from my upstairs tank (I kept 8). That makes 414 angels I sold from 2 spawns in my short career as a breeder of angelfish. The 8 fish I kept (5 platinums and 3 golds), plus 5 orange/black angels I bought are now alone in the upstairs tank.

Downstairs I sold 7 of the adult angels, keeping 6. 

When I get discus for the upstairs tank (that will be a while), I will move some of the angels in that tank downstairs. 

 

 

 

[HOB, Canister materials]

I recommend 30 ppi (pores per inch) foam as a biological media, with no mechanical filtration (floss) or chemical filtration (charcoal, etc.). I open my canisters only once every 3 or 4 months because the 30 ppi foam does not clog - the pores are too large to serve as mechanical filtration. I have nothing in my canisters except 30 ppi foam and my water is much clearer than when I used other filter media.

I like the articles on filtration and filter media at aquariumscience.org. The comparison of different kinds of biological filter media is very enlightening. When I saw how well the foam worked, I threw away my ceramic rings and the other biological media that came with the canisters.

[What did you get done today?]

You know, the thing.

[Hello first time posting, wanted to share my 55g LOTR themed aquarium.]

Precious!

[Aquariums in Movies and Television]

[Selecting Young Angels to Keep]

Here are some pictures showing the blue flecs which are visible only when light hits the fish at a certain angle.  It is not easy to get a photograph that shows them.