Flumpweesel

I get the feeling that this is where the knowledge isn't as that complete. Do all fish do it? It's this something that has been observed in one fish and adopted by the hobby because it allows us to try fish we should probably leave alone What extremes trigger it? Would one type of fish hormones effect another. I'm my experience food effects growth more than space but this is only from keeping goldfish in a variety of tank sizes over many years. Also it evidently doesn't happen with many many fish we keep.. But to your question as those tanks are outdoors I suspect the weather will have altered the water considerably while they have been empty.

I think tigers barbs would work there is a lot of space in that cube. I know you hear the phrase long is better than tall but you have width and depth with cube that allows for a long diagonal I think it will surprise you how much it can take without being over crowded. This care guide has them for a 29G https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/tiger-barb Take your time and enjoy it, you'll get a good idea of the space when you start cleaning and setting it up.

That seems fair I was looking at something similar earlier in the year second hand for about £100 so about the same and I considered that to be a good deal. Went with something smaller in the end because my house is smaller in reality than in my mind when I'm shopping.

She needs the male with her to fertilize the eggs as she is laying them the best thing you can do is distract the rummy noses with some food away from her them collect the eggs yourself and pop them in either a fishless tank or a breeder box. My SAE's used to follow my corys around waiting for eggs . My krib killed my old female peppered by eating the eggs off her Krib has been removed to Cory free tank

I think this year needs to focus on my out of tank world so I'm aiming for a stable healthy year of seeing what happens. If I get my other stuff sorted in good time then maybe I'll have a tank based reward But happy new year never to late wish people well.

I was talking about the long thin ones.

Great Scape has a lovely natural environment look to it like a woodland pool. I also use my snaily shrimp tank to clean my plants it reminds me of the shark wash bit in a "Sharks tail"

I think popularity is affecting price. CPD's do seem very expensive here as well but I can't remember the price last time I spotted some but they where more than I would want to pay to get a school together. The wholesalers probably start upping the costs based on demand. Shrimp have crazy pricing that I blame on lockdown aquascpers even eBay is asking around £5 a shrimp.

Daft question time but could it be your or someone in the households hair. I'm a molter and I've found my hair in tanks before now and it looks pretty similar admittedly you have a few there. Pull one out and have a closer look.

My long finned and normal bronze corys do not seem to display a prejudice.

125l is a great size and not to tall to make it difficult. It's the similar hight as my 260l and I can reach the bottom ok (I do have kinda long arms though). I think cubes can be great if you have the spot for them most fish would have plenty of room and they can look amazing. Is the stand with it though they can be tricky to find things to stand them on

It's in my shrimp food and my shrimp only started breeding when I moved to this stuff so they certainly seem happy on it. I think trace elements will be in anything you try

My mate way home schooling his son for a couple of years while a suitable placement was found. We had some good night's on his class projects although never let a 9 year old pick the flavours.

I agree with @lefty o sounds like you have done what you can to make a good start. Just keep an eye on things once the fish are in and be ready to do the odd extra water change while everything gets established

It always tells me I need to add more filtration. I think it's sponsored by Fluval.😛

By my very basic understanding those substrates can absorb nutrients rather than throw more out so the leaves are the main the nutrient source so I think it will ok but as I said take your time with it and keep an eye on it. I was slightly worried you had put compost in those bags which could have made things a bit rich

oh and let us know how it works out - new things are interesting

I suppose it's like doing a layer of compost but it will take a bit longer to be available to the plants. Du those media bags contain inert media or something more soily? Cycle might do some strange things as they break down but I've no experience with adding organic matter to substrates I can't see it being harmful as long as you can keep an eye on things.

Love the neons

I use the JBL ones - well I say use I occasionally remember I have them and about twice a year they might get added. I just them more for new set ups. I can't say if they improve growth cause I'm so rubbish but they don't seem to do anything bad

You can get LED replacements that fit into the fluorescent fittings. I've got them in my fluval tank. The bulb that it is in will generally have it's size and type in it then just do a search for LED equivalent. Some shops carry them just measure your length to get the right one (maybe go metric there or both) I can't remember what make mine are they are pretty basic but plants grow and fish look pretty. I think they were from Amazon due to lock down. Aside from a timer on the plug I can't play with them if I can trace what they are I'll update you.

Yes a rain butt is barrel used to collect rain water usually by diverting from the house guttering. Something like this. Yes snow is fine if it's somewhere clean. As it's falls it's pretty pure but you need to keep away from yellow stuff (or any other colour) I'm not a reed bed expert but it's basically passing water through plants to remove organics (and some minerals) you could use the principal to recycle the tank eater and reduce the volume you need to buy / collect from family. Zeno uses the principle in his pond builds of you wish to look into it.

I always have the tank lights on when I water change as my lights go off at 22:00 so I can work on the tank late and have in emergencies. If I want to work later would just leave the lights on I wouldn't turn them back on after they have been off though because it really throws off my ott my more nocturnal fish.

Have you considered setting up a rain butt for tank changes? Or a reed bed to pass the water through before using.

They do get sleepy if it's cold let us know if warming him up helps but go steady.