Flumpweesel

I've kept them around that temp with no issue or notable change in behaviour from when at lower temps.

Pre filter sponge, I highly recommend the co op ones you need to make sure it is a very course foam or it will clog and risk damage to the filter motor..

Nothing that I've seen recently but my pygmy Corrie's seem to manage their numbers. I have no idea how many fish I have in that community tank I made them far to many nice hiding places. I'll start feeding more BBS soon so that might get them going again

Fair enough if the price is right give it a go then.

Will you be putting an airline in the tank? Why favour this tank over your larger vase that is already in use if your not going to add any powered items to it I don't see an advantage in buying something smaller. Try your ideas with that you have. If you are thinking about fish that might be sensitive to cold I would check what my overnight low can be my unheated tank dropped to at least 9C some nights this winter. Get a thermometer which tells you min reached. Just to save a disappointment

I think there are easier ways of having a colourful tank this could be pricey and heartbreaking challenge I had two female betta and the first month they were fine with each other, then they weren't. I divided the tank until they had healed up and then put one in a community tank, but that took a bit of messing about as the first fish I tried hated being in there and I had to swap them around. You need a contingency plan in case it all goes wrong. I'm not sure and of these Betta sorority tanks last a long time. The 12 month on vids are certainly a scarcity

I have both but I prefer the rimmed for hiding the water line and blocking the glare from the lights. It depends so much on the were you are going to keep the tank and what you are looking for.

I hadn't really thought about until writing my earlier response I only had one tank for most of my fish keeping so it's a new thing to think about. Cleaning in hydrogen peroxide sounds like a perfect solution.

I don't have many tanks but anything used in the quarantine/hospital tank is kept separate and stored in the tank. I rarely net my fish but I only have one gravel vac so that goes from tank to tank. So having differentb sets of everything else would be pointless anyway for me. Hospital tank is bare bottomed as rule so no need to vac that just wash after use

I'd say 7 on Sera and between 6.8 and 7 on ACO so your somewhere around that.

Will keep you in the loop.

Hmmm I'll keep an eye on that and see if more details unfold. It's a fair bit more than 10 mins away for me.

Is there a lid on the tank? If so keep it closed. Add more blankets to insulate top and sides. Warm up the room.

I generally find that filters reseed pretty quickly in an established tank (bacteria live on everything). I would change the filter media but not so a water change & glass clean for a couple weeks if your schedule allows. Obviously keeping an eye on things for going iffy.

Most break down over time and will be resolved with water changes but if the medication says it's harmful for inverts I'd wait awhile before adding any snails or shrimp to the tank. I've never worried about meds lingering. But I use gravel, maybe some good the porous plant substrate people will have different opinions

I use the rule that if you are happy with the maintenance level your stocking is fine. It's as much about maintenance as space my tank is technically overstocked but most of the time only 50 % of my fish are visible so they certainly aren't cramped. If you want the new tank get it, be aware that it's free but how much of your existing equipment can be used and how much you'll need to buy. And you will buy more fish odds on this is going to be an extra tank not a replacement one. Do you have the house space for the tank? Is it a long or a tall so shapes are better than others. How easy is this tank to get to? Bigger is generally always better for those in the inside but your going to be doing the work and I find it much easier to work on my small tanks than my big one is not tricky just a bigger time commitment it's not a massive difference between the sizes so you might not notice. Just make sure you yes the free tank is water tight outside before you set it up in the house. Free can be great but nothing wrong with caution.

Cheeky

I have been clean from Facebook for 7 years now so I'm forum only. Facebook is to marketing based too enjoy.

I see where you are going but in general I'm trying to reduce organics in my tanks not add. Rabbit poo will probably release more ammonia than you want in the tank as it breaks down. What is safe in the garden is not always safe in the tank

I kept stick insects as kid but they bred and we had 100s and it got a bit wiggly so back they went to pet shop. This was in the olden days when village pet shops would have all kinds of random things.

Loved the books, accept the films really enjoy the very old animation - might be nostalgia talking there but would take it over the new films anyday. In a aside I live not that far from the school Tolkien was teaching at when he wrote the stuff and have walked the routes he allegedly based the book on. Hard to see the link but a nice walk non the less. Also from friends that have worked in the same school it pretty strange in there.

M mixI add fish is in groups, so if I want a new school of something I get six then a few weeks later if the tank is stable I add another six. Depending on the set out up you are building your tanks bacteria level which is based on how much feed as much as it is how many fish in there. So basically slow and steady wins. I have a school of 18 cardinal neons and another school of 12 harlequin rasboras in my community tank both group where done in stages of 6 and a few weeks apart. This lets the tank develope with the additions and hopefully avoid a crash

I've used these under gravel and had no issues but I'm not very good at remembering to replace them so I'm no judge on how effective they are. I gave fine smooth gravel and my corys are absolutely fine with it. My planted tanks are full of anubias and Java fern (I more than I can cope with). I do have a few Amazon swords, Val and some stem plants (name unknown) that all do fine without me adding ferts. My lighting is pretty basic and just on timer for about 6 hrs a day.

Mine are in two distinct groups they don't interact with each other much.

Holding the test next to it's test card take a photo then convert it to grey scale using the phone camera settings. Works with both test strips and liquid tests gets easier with practice. Can help anyone some of those colours are tricky.