HH Morant

I raised about 400 young angels. I sold 350, and I am trying to select a few of the remaining 50 to keep. They are about 6 months old - mature enough to see differences in color, fin length, fin shape, etc. One spawn is gold/platinum and the other is pure platinum. The golds pretty much look alike to me, but the platinum differ a lot in size, shape, and color. Some have blue flecs on their bodies which can only be seen in a certain light. Some fish have nice long tail extensions and others do not. For the golds I like the ones with gold freckles on their heads. Like the ones and these pictures: For the platinums I am looking for blue coloration in the fins and tails.

End view.

Here is the tank today with about 50 angels (a little bigger now).

I can't tell mollies from platies, but the other one looks like a chinese algae eater. My father had them in his tank when I was a kid.

I counted them when I put them in the tank and when I took them out. During the four months I have had various quantities of angels in the tank, I lost only one fish. Not sure why that one died. The little angels react like piranhas when you put food in there, so one day I noticed that one fish was not interested in food. The next day he died. His name was Grumpy.

Counting them was hard. Naming them was even tougher.

Here is the tank with 300 angels - on February 11.

I think I agree with the trend of the people who are responding. A 20-gallon might be the minimum for one angelfish, although a 29 high would be better. I assume we are talking about mature adult fish. I have found that mature fish vary a good deal in size, so a 20 might be fine for one fish, but cramped for another. I have 13 adults in a 120. They are all about the same age - about a year and a half - but some are much bigger than others I have had as many as 300 young angelfish (2-3 months old) in another tank, which I think is about 115 gallons. As I have sold the fish, that number has decreased, but I still have about 50 adolescents in there. It was a new tank when I started putting the young angels in there in late December, so my sump's efficiency and the fish have grown together. I used Dave Bogert's method of cycling before I put in any fish: 2.3. How I Cycle (aquariumscience.org) Thanks for the mention, @Wrencher_Scott.

Hey @PineSong! I don't mean to seem too demanding, but I would love to see a picture of the swordtails!

If they are eating you should be medicating their food. There is a Wattley Discus video (or two) on youtube about feeding food medicated with metronidazole. The articles below address the need to medicate the food and some methods of making medicated food. 12.5. Fish Don’t Drink (aquariumscience.org) 12.7. Making Medicated Food (aquariumscience.org)

30 ppi sponge is the best filter media for your situation. 30 ppi sponge is not mechanical filtration (the pores are too large for that). It is biological filtration which provides a lot more usable surface area than any of the expensive biological media available commercially. All sponge and no carbon and no mechanical filtration would be the best use of limited space. I think it is important to overcome the notion that the filter needs to be clean. The filter is a place for bacteria to grow. Bacteria does not grow in clean places. It is OK for your filter to have brown gunk in it, as long as the flow is not being significantly lessened. The filter should not be cleaned or disturbed unless the flow is significantly impeded, and even then a thorough cleaning is the worst thing you can do. A gentle shake of the sponge is all that is needed. That brown stuff is where your beneficial bacteria is. You don't want to pour it down the drain. See aquariumscince.org articles on filtration and filter media. 6. Filtration (aquariumscience.org) 7. Filter Media (aquariumscience.org)

I have two 100-plus gallon tanks. One has a lava rock substrate (Bonsai Jack) with undergravel filters, and the other has coarse coal slag blasting media. Both have their advantages. I like the UGFs with the lava rock gravel because of the biological filtration advantage. The UGFs plus the canisters keep the water very clear. I have found that biological filtration - not mechanical filtration - is the key to clear water. When I decided to have a lava rock substrate, I thought that with a UGF it would be a lot better than gravel. Not so sure about that anymore, but it is good. The coarse blasting media substrate (second picture) is good, too. It looks better than fine or medium grit blasting media, and it is still fine enough to keep all the poop and dead plant matter on the surface so it is easy to suck out during water changes. I have a sump on this tank so I don't really need a UGF to provide extra biological filtration.

First, I don't believe there is anything you can pour in your aquarium that detoxifies ammonia or nitrites, temporarily or otherwise. Here is what the chemist who writes at aquariumscience.org says about hydroxymethane-sulfonate (and hydroxymethane-sulfinate) [spoiler - they don't detoxify ammonia]: Sodium Hydroxymethanesulfonate Another chemical which is claimed to be able to remove chlorine AND to safely neutralize the ammonia from chloramine is sodium hydroxymethanesulfinate (SO3) (the SO3 is important, it is a sulfinate, NOT a sulfonate). This is used in the products Tetra AquaSafe Plus, Kordon AmQuel, Kordon AmQuel plus, API Aqua-Essentials, ClorAm-X, Fritz A.C.C.R. and Hikari Aquarium Solutions Ultimate. Sodium hydroxymethanesulfinate (SO3) does remove chlorine via the equation: The sodium hydroxymethanesulfinate (SO3) reduces the chlorine gas to chloride, forming sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate (SO4). This is just the good old sulfite to sulfate of ALL conditioners. ...* As a chemist, neither sodium hydroxymethanesulfinate (SO3) or sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate (SO4) simply do NOT do anything to ammonia, temporary or otherwise. Per some patents these chemicals supposedly safely neutralizes ammonia to form harmless aminomethylsulfinate (SO3) or aminomethylsulfonate (SO4). This “fact” is stated in forum after forum. The reaction is supposedly: This looks all well and good to most people. But to a chemist this is off, way off (I’m a degreed professional chemist!). The C-N bond is a much higher energy bond than the C-O bond. Thus, this equation is simply bogus. It doesn’t occur except at very high temperatures and very high pressures in non-aqueous environments using metal-based catalysts. Note there is a HUGE amount of bogus chemical names various patents use for this chemistry (like “glyoxal.2NaHSO3“). And a huge number of made up chemical equations. They are ALL bogus. The patent for this compound’s use in aquariums dates to 1988 (EP patent EP0278515A2, Günter Ritter, “Chloramine Removing Means” assigned to Tetra [technically Baensch Tetra Werke its German division]). It makes interesting fictional reading. In the 1980’s the patent law was revised to allow a person to patent the impossible. This patent appears to be a classic case of just such an occurrence. And in case you do not believe that patents can be obtained for just about ANYTHING, here is a patent for a Warp Drive Machine: United States Patent 20200130870 The European patent for ChlorAm-X is even more interesting. The equation in this patent is: Heh! I can’t make this stuff up! Question marks! In a patent no less! This patent then has a whole series of completely bogus, made up tests where the product neutralized ammonia. I won’t bother to insult your intelligence by refuting each test. As a professional degreed chemist with 43 patents let me make this very clear, neither sodium hydroxymethanesulfinate (SO3) nor sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate (SO4) detoxify ammonia in any form, that claim is just marketing hype. And the testing above confirms that. * HH Morant deleted a statement which could have hurt the feelings of some pet product manufacturers. You are encouraged to read the whole thing. The description of the testing is not included here.

All of the products below say they remove or detoxify ammonia and nitrites. They all have proprietary formulas. Proprietary means it is secret and not like anybody else's formula. So you can see there are at least a dozen different secret formulas that detoxify ammonia and nitrite. The chemists who say that is not chemically possible must be mistaken. AquaLife Complete Water Conditioner – "Removes Chlorine, Ammonia, and Chloramines." AquaLife Complete Water Conditioner – "Detoxifies Nitrite and Heavy Metals." Aqueon Ammonia Neutralizer: "Neutralizes ammonia and nitrites that can build up in the aquarium water" API Ammo Lock: “API Ammo Lock ammonia detoxifier is proven to convert poisonous ammonia into a non-toxic form. Ammo Lock ammonia detoxifier works instantly in both fresh and salt water aquariums, removing ammonia, chlorine, and chloramines. Note that if your aquarium tests positive for ammonia, it is necessary to perform a partial water change first, and then neutralize the ammonia." Brightwell Aquatics Erase CL – "Removes chloramines, chlorine, ammonia and nitrites from tap water as well as aquarium water." Brightwell Aquatics Shrimp Prep – "Safely removes chlorine, chloramines, and ammonia and detoxifies heavy metals…." Brightwell Aquatics Shrimp Prep – "Removes chloramines, chlorine, ammonia, and nitrites present in tap water and/or aquarium water." Fritz Complete: "Detoxifies Ammonia, Nitrite, Helps to Reduce Nitrate." Fritz Complete: "Use when setting up new aquariums, performing water changes or to quickly alleviate high ammonia, nitrite and nitrate." Fritz Complete: FAQ - "If I remove all ammonia, will it harm the bacteria colony? Fritz Complete binds with ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate making them harmless to the inhabitants while still bioavailable to the beneficial bacteria." Fritz Complete: "Does the ammonia or nitrite get released back after a certain amount of time? No, the water conditioner does not only temporarily bind the toxic ammonia or nitrite, and won't be released back into the water column after any period of time. The detoxified ammonia and nitrite are removed by nitrification or water changes." Fritz A.C.C.R. – A.C.C.R. Stands for "Ammonia, Chlorine and Chloramine Remover." Fritz A.C.C.R.: "Using this dosage, 1.0 mg/L ammonia will be instantly eliminated … .” Fritz A.C.C.R.: "… Avoid water changes by adding ACCR to detoxify one ppm ammonia per dose.” Fritz A.C.C.R.: “… binds with ammonia making them [sic] harmless to the inhabitants while still bioavailable to the beneficial bacteria." Fritz A.C.C.R.: FAQ "Does the ammonia or nitrite get released back after a certain amount of time? No, the water conditioner does not only temporarily bind the toxic ammonia or nitrite, and won't be released back into the water column after any period of time. [sic] the detoxified ammonia and nitrite are removed by nitrification or water changes." Kordon Amquel Ammonia Remover (some labels say "Detoxifier" rather than "Remover," which is the label shown on Amazon) – "Removes Ammonia, Chlorine & Chloramines." Kordon Amquel – “A True One-step Liquid Chlorine, Chloramine, And Ammonia Remover." Kordon Amquel – Kordon Amquel, developed over 20 years ago, is the original product that established the state-of-the-art in water conditioning technology regarding ammonia removal." Kordon Amquel – Amquel is the first to be a true one-step liquid ammonia and chloramine remover that is simple to use." Kordon Amquel Plus - "Amquel Plus does all that Amquel does and a significant number of additional tasks as well." Kordon Amquel Plus –“Amquel Plus is a remarkable new discovery that is … safely detoxifying natural nitrogen compounds in the water, including nitrites and nitrates. Thereby, the use of Amquel Plus greatly reduces the need for continual water changes…." Kordon Amquel Plus – Amquel Plus should be used for setting up aquariums or ponds, for water changes, overcrowded aquariums and ponds, the control of toxic nitrogen compounds commonly found in water while the nitrogen cycle is established… As well as afterwards as nitrogen compounds accumulate in the aquarium and pond water." Microbe-Lift XTA16 Xtreme Water Conditioner – "Removes toxic ammonia." MicrobeAct Ammonia Remover - Every ounce removes 1.25 bpm of toxic ammonia per 150 gallons of pond water by forming an irreversible complex to reduce free ammonia to safe levels; treats ammonia burn in pond fish. Seachem Safe: “Removes Chlorine, Chloramine, and Ammonia.” Seachem Safe: “Detoxifies Nitrite and Nitrate.” Seachem Safe: "It contains a binder which renders ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate non-toxic, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them." Seachem AmGuard: "Detoxifies ammonia for up to 72 hours." Seachem AmGuard: "Removes ammonia in Marine and Freshwater." Seachem AmGuard: “Detoxified ammonia will not harm fish, but is still readable by "Total Ammonia" test kits. Do not be alarmed if your Total Ammonia test kit continues to register ammonia after dosing AmGuard. For most accurate dosing, it is recommended to use the "Ammonia Alert" to detect toxic ammonia." Seachem AmGuard: FAQ -"If AmGuard is removing ammonia from the system, won’t that starve the beneficial bacteria? A: AmGuard does not remove ammonia from the system. It simply binds ammonia making it harmless to the inhabitants and still bio-available to the beneficial bacteria." Seachem AmGuard: "AmGuard safely, rapidly, and if efficiently removes toxic free ammonia.” Seachem AmGuard: "AmGuard works within minutes to detoxify free ammonia, and unlike competing products, converts it into a safe non-toxic form that is readily removed by the tank’s biofilter." TankFirst Water Conditioner – "instantly removes chlorine, chloramines, ammonia, and nitrites from water." (On label, seen on Amazon) Tetra AmmoniaSafe tablets - "How to reduce ammonia in your aquarium and one-step! AmmoniaSafe is a one-step water conditioner that provides superior relief to fish suffering from high ammonia conditions." Tetra AmmoniaSafe tablets – "Tetra AmmoniaSafe works to rid your tank of dangerous ammonia. This proprietary formula was developed by Tetra to provide superior relief to fish suffering from high ammonia conditions. AmmoniaSafe converts toxic ammonia to a non-toxic form by long-lasting pH reduction…." Tetra AmmoniaSafe tablets – "Detoxifies dangerous ammonia." Ultimate Water Conditioner – "Destroys Chloramines, Removes Ammonia, Removes Chlorine, Detoxifies Nitrite…." [It also does a bunch of other things]. Ultimate Water Conditioner – "To fully condition water for (1) new aquariums or ponds (2) after or during water additions, or (3) before adding new fishes, amphibians, invertebrates or plants…." Ultimate Water Conditioner – "Because We Care: Ultimate has been developed to offer a completely safe environment for aquatic life and for ease of use by the user. Look for the Cloram-X logo and the U.S. patent number to assure yourself you are getting the original ammonia removing product!"

Changing the biomedia is a bad idea, especially in response to a nitrite spike. When you take the old media out, you remove bacteria that was converting the nitrite to nitrate, making the problem worse.

I used flat black paint on the back of my 120. If I had it to do over again, I would probably use a product called Plasti-Dip. You spray it on, it dries fairly quickly and it is not shiny. Of course, flat black paint is not shiny either. Plasti-Dip is a plastic coating - not a paint - so it should be easier to remove if you change your mind. It only comes in a few colors. I have only used black.

I have UGFs in a 120. The tank is 6 feet long, so the UGF has 3 plates, each less than 2 feet long. I use small powerheads ($11 each) on three tubes, one for each plate. The tank background is black, so I sprayed the tubes with black plasti-dip. The UGF is extra bio-filtration which helps keep the water very clear. I also have two canister filters on the tank. When I change the water, I clean the top of the substrate, but I do not do a deep gravel vac. The gravel is the filter media for the UGF, so it is best not disturbed. I like the articles at aquariumscience.org on UGFs.

I changed the water in the upstairs tank and re-arranged the wood a little. There are 2 pieces of wood and they can fit together in a lot of different ways, so every time I move them they are in a little different position. There are about 50 adolescent angels in the tank.

Beautiful fish. Great photography.

A wise man once said that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics. Maybe that's a bad rap for statisticians, but in the aquarium hobby it might be more appropriate to say that there are three kinds of lies: Lies, damn lies, and manufacturer claims. Below are some detoxification claims from manufacturer websites, labels, and videos. Although some parts of the listed statements may be true, each claim contains a component which I believe to be false. All these manufacturers purport to have a secret proprietary formula or ingredient, all accomplishing much the same thing. But be careful. Once you decide that a manufacturer is not telling the truth about everything, it could lead to critical thinking and that is something that could burden you for the rest of your life! Nobody is policing these people. They can - and they do - say anything. Detox Me AquaLife Complete Water Conditioner – "Removes Chlorine, Ammonia, and Chloramines." AquaLife Complete Water Conditioner – "Detoxifies Nitrite and Heavy Metals." Aqueon Ammonia Neutralizer: "Neutralizes ammonia and nitrites that can build up in the aquarium water" API Ammo Lock: “API Ammo Lock ammonia detoxifier is proven to convert poisonous ammonia into a non-toxic form. Ammo Lock ammonia detoxifier works instantly in both fresh and salt water aquariums, removing ammonia, chlorine, and chloramines. Note that if your aquarium tests positive for ammonia, it is necessary to perform a partial water change first, and then neutralize the ammonia." Brightwell Aquatics Erase CL – "Removes chloramines, chlorine, ammonia and nitrites from tap water as well as aquarium water." Brightwell Aquatics Shrimp Prep – "Safely removes chlorine, chloramines, and ammonia and detoxifies heavy metals…." Brightwell Aquatics Shrimp Prep – "Removes chloramines, chlorine, ammonia, and nitrites present in tap water and/or aquarium water." Fritz Complete: "Detoxifies Ammonia, Nitrite, Helps to Reduce Nitrate." Fritz Complete: "Use when setting up new aquariums, performing water changes or to quickly alleviate high ammonia, nitrite and nitrate." Fritz Complete: FAQ - "If I remove all ammonia, will it harm the bacteria colony? Fritz Complete binds with ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate making them harmless to the inhabitants while still bioavailable to the beneficial bacteria." Fritz Complete: "Does the ammonia or nitrite get released back after a certain amount of time? No, the water conditioner does not only temporarily bind the toxic ammonia or nitrite, and won't be released back into the water column after any period of time. The detoxified ammonia and nitrite are removed by nitrification or water changes." Fritz A.C.C.R. – A.C.C.R. Stands for "Ammonia, Chlorine and Chloramine Remover." Fritz A.C.C.R.: "Using this dosage, 1.0 mg/L ammonia will be instantly eliminated … .” Fritz A.C.C.R.: "… Avoid water changes by adding ACCR to detoxify one ppm ammonia per dose.” Fritz A.C.C.R.: “… binds with ammonia making them [sic] harmless to the inhabitants while still bioavailable to the beneficial bacteria." Fritz A.C.C.R.: FAQ "Does the ammonia or nitrite get released back after a certain amount of time? No, the water conditioner does not only temporarily bind the toxic ammonia or nitrite, and won't be released back into the water column after any period of time. [sic] the detoxified ammonia and nitrite are removed by nitrification or water changes." Kordon Amquel Ammonia Remover (some labels say "Detoxifier" rather than "Remover," which is the label shown on Amazon) – "Removes Ammonia, Chlorine & Chloramines." Kordon Amquel – “A True One-step Liquid Chlorine, Chloramine, And Ammonia Remover." Kordon Amquel – Kordon Amquel, developed over 20 years ago, is the original product that established the state-of-the-art in water conditioning technology regarding ammonia removal." Kordon Amquel – Amquel is the first to be a true one-step liquid ammonia and chloramine remover that is simple to use." Kordon Amquel Plus - "Amquel Plus does all that Amquel does and a significant number of additional tasks as well." Kordon Amquel Plus –“Amquel Plus is a remarkable new discovery that is … safely detoxifying natural nitrogen compounds in the water, including nitrites and nitrates. Thereby, the use of Amquel Plus greatly reduces the need for continual water changes…." Kordon Amquel Plus – Amquel Plus should be used for setting up aquariums or ponds, for water changes, overcrowded aquariums and ponds, the control of toxic nitrogen compounds commonly found in water while the nitrogen cycle is established… As well as afterwards as nitrogen compounds accumulate in the aquarium and pond water." Microbe-Lift XTA16 Xtreme Water Conditioner – "Removes toxic ammonia." MicrobeAct Ammonia Remover - Every ounce removes 1.25 bpm of toxic ammonia per 150 gallons of pond water by forming an irreversible complex to reduce free ammonia to safe levels; treats ammonia burn in pond fish. Seachem Safe: “Removes Chlorine, Chloramine, and Ammonia.” Seachem Safe: “Detoxifies Nitrite and Nitrate.” Seachem Safe: "It contains a binder which renders ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate non-toxic, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them." Seachem AmGuard: "Detoxifies ammonia for up to 72 hours." Seachem AmGuard: "Removes ammonia in Marine and Freshwater." Seachem AmGuard: “Detoxified ammonia will not harm fish, but is still readable by "Total Ammonia" test kits. Do not be alarmed if your Total Ammonia test kit continues to register ammonia after dosing AmGuard. For most accurate dosing, it is recommended to use the "Ammonia Alert" to detect toxic ammonia." Seachem AmGuard: FAQ -"If AmGuard is removing ammonia from the system, won’t that starve the beneficial bacteria? A: AmGuard does not remove ammonia from the system. It simply binds ammonia making it harmless to the inhabitants and still bio-available to the beneficial bacteria." Seachem AmGuard: "AmGuard safely, rapidly, and if efficiently removes toxic free ammonia.” Seachem AmGuard: "AmGuard works within minutes to detoxify free ammonia, and unlike competing products, converts it into a safe non-toxic form that is readily removed by the tank’s biofilter." TankFirst Water Conditioner – "instantly removes chlorine, chloramines, ammonia, and nitrites from water." (On label, seen on Amazon) Tetra AmmoniaSafe tablets - "How to reduce ammonia in your aquarium and one-step! AmmoniaSafe is a one-step water conditioner that provides superior relief to fish suffering from high ammonia conditions." Tetra AmmoniaSafe tablets – "Tetra AmmoniaSafe works to rid your tank of dangerous ammonia. This proprietary formula was developed by Tetra to provide superior relief to fish suffering from high ammonia conditions. AmmoniaSafe converts toxic ammonia to a non-toxic form by long-lasting pH reduction…." Tetra AmmoniaSafe tablets – "Detoxifies dangerous ammonia." Ultimate Water Conditioner – "Destroys Chloramines, Removes Ammonia, Removes Chlorine, Detoxifies Nitrite…." [It also does a bunch of other things]. Ultimate Water Conditioner – "To fully condition water for (1) new aquariums or ponds (2) after or during water additions, or (3) before adding new fishes, amphibians, invertebrates or plants…." Ultimate Water Conditioner – "Because We Care: Ultimate has been developed to offer a completely safe environment for aquatic life and for ease of use by the user. Look for the Cloram-X logo and the U.S. patent number to assure yourself you are getting the original ammonia removing product!"

I would suggest that you start your research with aquariumscience.org. There are articles there on filtration in general: 6. Filtration (aquariumscience.org) and on filter media (including K1): 7. Filter Media (aquariumscience.org) The best thing about the site is that the author is not trying to sell you anything. These articles changed my approach to filtration and filter media, and made my water clearer and my fish healthier.

I am not sure they were videos. I edited my post to say "photos" instead. But I think there were some videos. It is a long thread. The thread on this forum is entitled "A bottom of the tank Matten filter?"

I don't have swordtails but I really want some of the red ones. I need something to add some motion and color to my angelfish tank, and I started looking at swordtails when I saw @gardenman's photos of his tanks with bottom-of-the-tank Matten filters. I am sure @gardenman's swordtail density is higher than any expert would recommend, but they look great and they are healthy. So I think you have a great deal of leeway to decide how many you want and see if you can make it work. I think most people buy a few and end up with many.

My plecos had a real battle today. They fought for several minutes before I started the video and for 5 minutes or so after I stopped filming. I broke up the fight by feeding. I never noticed before how they fight. They seem to be trying to attack each other with the spines just in front of their gills. You can see the spines are puffed out while they fight. As far as I can tell nobody really got hurt.

There is disagreement as to whether Prime does anything to ammonia or nitrites. See my post "hold my beer while I detoxify this" and the responses. You can find it by using the search function. Of course detoxifying ammonia would be inconsequential unless nitrite is also detoxified, so Prime - and some other de-chlorinators - claim to do both, a remarkable chemical feat. In fact, most de-chlorinators now claim to at least detoxify ammonia. Each manufacturer apparently has a secret formula. The best way to protect your fish during an ammonia or nitrite spike is to test regularly and do water changes until there is enough beneficial bacteria to do the job. I believe that is really the only way. I don't care if you spend money on a product that doesn't do what it claims. It's your money. But if believing that ammonia or nitrite is detoxified causes you to decide not to do a water change, that could hurt or kill your fish.