Flumpweesel

I noticed that adding a pair of air stones last year reduced the amount they surface gulp. If they are doing that a lot maybe add an air line.

Mine are very active and slightly more skittish than others. I have lots of caves and cover that they exploit. But seem happy b enough in their frantic manner. Had them years and even those hatched in the tank behave the same

Jealous I never get mystery stowaways from my lfs

Hopefully once pecking order is sorted it will all calm down. Don't have much experience with tiger barbs but you can an bully in any population. I have an angry pygmy cory that will periodically go on a ramage where no one is safe. It's aiming for smallest tank boss. Life with a community tank.

If they are alone in the tank they will not feel the need to school tightly as that is more of a defensive action than social if they are happy and relaxed they will be in a more open schooling style.

Is iodine bad for fish? Most living things need it (why it's added to salt in America) so in low / trace concentrations would it do any harm could it even be beneficial? Just pondering. The few sites I've found suggest there is enough in fish food to keep happy healthy fish but I have found details of it being dosed. Also commonly used inb salt water set ups. You would have very little control over concentration with iodinated table salt so agree best avoided.

Sinking wafers for the bottom dwellers that sink quite fast the Betta might chase one down but they will be to big for them to gorge on, and once the corys are feeding they aren't going to get a look in.

Just a quick note to add that those stem plants won't need any root tabs until your back on cycle. Other than that @xXInkedPhoenixX has said it all. But I'll also say welcome, I feel your pain fish in cycles are not fun hopefully your BB will recover soon.

I float for about 30 mins unless they seem stressed then add them. I don't have the patience for drip acclimation.

What a lovely project, well done it looks great.

Hmmm I wouldn't say normal but I didn't have airstones last time I cycled a tank so it might be, doesn't look filmy and as you said no smell so see if it goes as the bloom dies back. I'm all for wait and see with cycles they seem to do their best the less you mess with them. (One of the many bonuses of cycling before you add fish is time) Others might have more relevant experience though

I would get the Betta and pygmies they are little but very active mine like sitting in plants and are active in most areas of tank not just the substrate. Once you have those two in place have a think about weather or not you need the neons. Remember smaller tanks often need you build slowly on the stocking or risk a cycle crash.

I'm a big girl and happy to be corrected (be gentle though I still have feelings). I have been countered a couple times often when I have over simplified something to avoid confusion or when I've explained something badly and that is all fine. If I disagree with something I have a think and decide does this matter, if it does I state my opinion but I do not argue I give my thought and reasoning and that's it. I don't enter an back and forth argument that is never going to productive.

Just popping in to say that the second season of "raised by wolves" is shaping up very well and possibly better than the first season.

Have you got a way of testing your water? Unfortunately there is no golden number with cycling you just have to wait and testing helps you monitor what is going on . You are looking at weeks rather than days, but as someone who has had to do fish in cycles with goldfish they are a lot of work twice daily high volume water changes and the cycle takes much longer as you can't risk letting anything spike. So it is well worth avoiding that and doing the waiting now.

You could grind it into a finer powder to increase solubility and it would make measuring easier. However 2 mins isn't very long to wait

I found this forum after watching some of the live streams during lock down. Searching for ways to have voices around me while I work. I'd tried fish forums before and just received negative comments about goldfish so I thought I'd see if this lived up to what Cory claimed about being a positive place, and so far I'm happy to say yes. I killed all my social media platforms about 6 years ago as I was finding them increasingly negative and market driven. I try to help were I have an answer but I'm aware my knowledge is limited. I don't consider myself to be a hobbyist or aquarist I keep fish as pets no plan no project just keep them happy and healthy for as long as possible this forum has helped me think about how I do that which is great. I should also add here that I was very close to removing my tank before I came here I was running the population down so the first "new fish" post I made was a very significant step for me. It's also great to get input from people living real lives with real issues and real day to day I think that brings the world closer together than all the insta fakery and resit soapboxing. So I don't know how useful I am but I do try, and I am very grateful to everyone who gives their time to help me or humour me.

If you ever have a yard sale you'll have to keep that young man away from the customers, he'll sell your car for $5

Wow that stuff is good value, I have just estimated my usage it would be 1g a water change so a 1kg tub would give me 1000 water changes I change water every 8 weeks ish. So what would be me covered for the next 153 years. All for under £7 I'll have to use up all my prime first though. Looking forward to hearing how it works out for you. Oh and I noticed in list of applications for this stuff it is an antidote to cyanide poisoning.

Those blue acaras are making me think about going single species next time I get to a reset point. Stunning to watch.

Black could look good just check the labels . I have discovered that the basics silicone at our hardware chain store is also safe (additive free) which is handy to know as I sometimes use it on heavy hardscape so it stays put better in my very thin substrate.

Keep the lights low and add some things for them to hide in/behind the less "in the open" they feel the more they will hopefully relax

Any pure silicone sealant is useable stay away from those marketed as bathroom sealant as they often contain anti fungal agents that we don't want in the aquarium. I used this last time I needed some BOND IT CLEAR HA6 RTV Silicone Sealant Marine Aquarium Safe Water Fish Tank Adhesive https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BBIARNA/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_4D420PTFSYMJQ2B5HEHC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

They'll know when they are ready. However they might not get on very well until they are. The female will really colour up but from those sizes shouldn't be long.

Are you using the filter before adding to the tank or adding carbon to the tank filter? You will have to constantly monitor the effectiveness of the carbon filter they do expire and different rates depending on the water passing through. I would expect dechlorinator to be cheaper than though