HH Morant

@MattHasMTS, your water clarity looks very good. How do you do it?

Here's one of the blue paraibas alongside my pearlscale platinum.

I would recommend that you read the aquariumscience.org articles on filter media in order to see how bio-balls compare to other filter media. The articles describe testing to compare different kinds of filter media for effectiveness. If I were setting up a sump from scratch and I could do anything, I would do a moving bed filter with K1 media, I would have no mechanical or chemical filtration, I would use all the available space for a moving bed filter. That is the most efficient biological filter. I have two canisters on my 120-gallon, and they are full of 30 ppi foam, the best static filter media according to aquariumscience.org. I have no mechanical or chemical filtration. My water has never been clearer than it is now. That is my two cents.

These two seemed to be posing today. Electric blue acara photo-bombed.

Here is the aponogeton ulvacious, which arrived today. A bulb with a small plant emerging. I put it in a clear planter so it will be easy to see its progress. Maybe I will be able to see the roots when it establishes itself. It is in a 27" tall tank.

How silly of me.

Isn't it "Morehead State?" I wanted to go there once. Can't remember why.

I think getting a biological filter really clean is bad because it means cleaning away the gunk where a lot of the beneficial bacteria live. If foam is used for biological filtration, it is generally best to use foam that is course enough (30 ppi) that it does not clog easily and can be left in place for months without cleaning. But the cleaning should just be an un-clogging, not a thorough cleaning. One of the interesting things about this experiment is that 40 ppi foam is being used. While 40 ppi might clog too readily in a canister or sump, the flow rate with an under-gravel filter is slower, so maybe that will make the difference. Cleaning the foam in place (rather than taking it out) would be best, and @gardenman has plans for that. We'll have to see how it works. Because getting the foam perfectly clean is not the goal, maybe it will. @gardenman, I appreciate the idea, the effort, and the reporting. Thanks.

I changed the water in all 3 tanks. The downstairs 120 is the 1st picture. The 20 gallon quarantine/grow-out tank in the kitchen is the 2nd picture. The last 3 pictures are the new upstairs tank - about 115 gallons - between the dining room and the kitchen. I put away all the tarps, towels, and equipment so it looks like I hoped it would.

They are beautiful fish, @gardenman. Seeing your swordtails is making me consider using them as a way to bring more movement and color to my tanks, which feature angels. And you never run out of swordtails..

Thank you for the update, Gardenman! Looks like your idea is working. On the aponogeton crispus, maybe it is in a dormant stage, I don't have any aponogeton yet, but I understand they can shut down for weeks or months at a time. I am really coming to better appreciate your swordtails. Are they pineapple? Neon?

I don't have any experience with dwarf petricola. It is a nice-looking fish, though.

They are hard to find in pet stores, but albino marbled hoplos are available on Aquabid and from several commercial sellers online. They can get 5 inches long. Mine are just under 4 inches right now. Brown hoplos are a little harder to find, which is weird because they are an invasive species currently invading Florida. They get bigger - 8 to 10 inches - and may be less popular for that reason. Mine are just over 4 inches right now at about 18 months old, so I am hoping they don't get to 8 inches.

There is definitely a resemblance to porthole catfish. All are from South America. My hoplos (both the brown hoplos and the marbled hoplos) pretty much ignore other fish. They are not aggressive, but they are not timid, either. They are covered with boney plates, so they are not afraid of my electric blue acara or my angels.

Thank you for your advice, everyone. I ordered ulvaceous,. I like madagascariensis, and I may try it as well.

As far as I am concerned, you can smoke whatever you please. Okay, now that I read past the title I can see that is not what you meant. I leave plants in pots for weeks, sometimes months. They generally survive.

I agree on marbled hoplos. I have three albino marbled hoplos and they are active eaters, digging in the substrate for hidden food. I like the albino form because they are much more visible on my dark substrate. Brown hoplos (a separate species) are a bit bigger, but are even more active. I have 2 of those.

How long has the tank been cycled? I don't think it is unusual for a tank that is not yet mature to have an episode of ammonia/nitrites. The toxicity of ammonia depends on your pH. The higher the pH, the more toxic they are. See the aquariumscience.org article on ammonia toxicity. I think the best course is to monitor the ammonia and nitrites and do water changes to keep them at a level the fish can tolerate. Your beneficial bacteria needs a little time to catch up.

I have a 27-inch tall aquarium and I am considering adding an aponogeton. But which is the best? My pH is 7.6 or so and my aquarium is usually at around 79-80 degrees. I don't like fertilizing through the water column, but I do use root tabs. I would like to get a variety that has only a short dormant period. No dormant period would be best, but I don't know if there is a species of aponogeton that has no dormant period. I would use a planter rather than planting in the substrate Any help is appreciated!

Put cat outside.

That may not be ich. These latest pictures look like epistylis. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between the two. The spots seem to stand out and they are a little fuzzy. Here is a chart from the aquariumscience.org article on epistylis. The article is very good to learn causes and treatment.

In my upstairs tank I put in plants for the 1st time and turned on the UV sterilizer for the 1st time. Working with a peninsula tank is definitely different. Even when I was putting in the plants, the angels were already checking them out.

I think if they have spots on the eyes it is epistylis and not ich. Maybe more knowledgeable folks can confirm.

I have never used a heavy metals detoxifier. I have never tested my tap water for heavy metals. I have never heard of heavy metals in tap water killing any fish. Ever. Is this a thing?