Flumpweesel

I'd suggest starting with 3 Cory's and see how they do, they are pretty efficient breeders so my initial 5 are approximately 12 in community tank with no intervention. And you can always add more later if you feel the floor space is can take it. I use a fine smooth gravel wish I could send a link I've been trying to get more for months now.

They are a game changer, remember you can cut them down to get many many uses out of each sponge. I use quite small pieces it's quite impressive how much you can do with a tiny square. They generally state if they have cleaning solutions in them in the package (excuse to charge more). You could always check them my squeezing in tap water in a jug and see if anything comes out.

I keep corys on gravel however I did change to a finer smoother grade when I spotted that my corys barbels were shorter than a friends fish after the swap out the barbels grew back. The fish fed and bred in both substrates and didn't seem to sores or infections so while the course substrates might not be perfect they probably aren't a problem.

My oldy goldy lost its tail due to stress and bad water (I was learning about cycling the hard way due to an emergency aquarium replacement ) . A weeks of keeping the water perfect with extra water changes keeping the strong lights off and things improved . The red cleared up and it did eventually grow back in full that. I wish I had been told about salt back then as this as it would have probably moved things along a bit faster , I used melafix as in the uk most other meds are not available. Good luck and don't give up it.

Do they really hang out in the top third ? Always feels like wasted space in my tank. Never seen them for sale at LFS but i've only really been looking for them recently.

Maybe think about space and therefore what size aquarium you will be getting as that may govern your choices of fish. You'll get lots of help on here if you keep asking I agree with everyone cheap community fish are a great way to start.

I don't have any HOB experience but if you left some new media would just swapping it out after a couple of weeks be enough to ensure it kept flowing from what I hear that isn't to much of an ordeal with those. Obviously a bit more wasteful than cleaning and reusing. And let them know its ok to ring you with questions if anything looks off really ram that message home people hate to make a fuss when your on holiday .

A alternative to donating to a school would be to see if you had any local clubs we have a "hack space" here which would consider such a donation as covering your membership so then should the need arise you still have access to the item ( well when they are open). I am now considering making a petra style cave scape for the back of my tank or maybe something a little less ornate 🤔

They are the cutest I had a lovely pair that hung out together all the time in with my goldfish they seemed really bonded. After them I got two panda gaara's equally as cute but didn't get on quite as well. Gaara Rufa are sometimes hard to get due to bans on the use of them in the pedicure industry and often overlooked. I think they have a goby look to them when they sit up on their fins.

As long as I can bare, but at least until I'm sure my tank chemistry is happy and I've not been bounced into a new cycle. But the longer I wait the better stock decisions I make and adding slowly lets you focus on each new pet properly. Learning to enjoy going slowly saves you the most money in this hobby but that is certainly hindsight in my case. Oh and I'd pick cory's personally I have really enjoyed having them in my tank.

the morning after you have just done a water change and trimmed and tidied all the plants got everything where you want it got all the root tabs in tucked the airlines neatly behind decor. Then the next day the lights come on and you find out where the fish wanted everything, which is mainly on the surface in my case.

Just remember water getting under a waterproof mat could do more damage than the water landing straight on the floor (especially on the wooden floors) as the water wont evaporate and you might not spot it to dry it. I put bath mats down when I'm working on my tank and as it will soak up everything and will wash and dry quickly.

I think it is to discourage people arriving in pick ups and harvesting the place clean rather than frustrating aquascapers otherwise every spaniel owner would be constantly fined. The driftwood does form part of ecosystem so it is vital a certain volume remains to support wildlife. I grew up near tidal salt marsh where the driftwood can damage the food defences (constantly bashing the banks on hightides) but again collection is not allowed due to the marsh being a private nature reserve and they don't want every man with a log burner dragging stuff off and causeing havoc and probably equal damage. The river authority turn up a few a times a year and cut all the wood up so it will leave again on another tide ( but they do seem to tip my dad off so he can stock up before the tide) . Never considered using it in my aquarium although interesting pieces are rare might start having a rummage next visit. No idea how long I'd need to boil/soak it for to get it aquarium safe though.

As for the party I think I spotted s siamese algae eater in the tank that will be your wrecking ball at a guess I have 4 and they do seem to have a mad 10 mins most evenings quite a clumsy fish.

Welcome, the best way to start is keep asking questions and take your time learning to enjoy the whole process.

Welcome, warning I think this site is full of MTS enablers

My goldfish would splash you if they felt ignored. They would also do this this to cats that spent to long near the tank. The aquarium was lidded and their aim was good. They also threw stones at the side of the tank to get attention. There are chairs either side of the aquarium and they generally aimed at me no matter were I sat.

I have a pair in my 60gal community tank, they are pretty easy going (bit pouncy when they have something to protect). I have Cory's (pygmy and standard size), siamese algae eaters, harlequin rasboras, Ottos and apistos. The only fish they have issues with is the apistos but that's not overly aggressive. Lots of plants and caves and I agree with Colu about food but they aren't the fastest at getting to the food drop so you might have to keep an eye on that if you have more voracious fish with them. Oh and I established a male then added a female which worked very well. But the other way round did not work well for me at all.

We are going through times that have tested all of us and removed (or restricted) our access to what we do to stay strong and often we don't even know what those things are. The first thing I do when things seem hard is visit the doctor and get a blood test. Quite a few vitamin deficiencies affect mental health dramatically and once figured out a cheap and easy remedy. No matter how good your diet is it is nearly impossible to get everything you need in the right amounts. Once you know you are physically fit you know you need to look for talking therapy and some decent self care. Going for a long walk with a good friend can work wonders. So as to your point about buffering yes we need it but I probably think more like easy green for nutritional benefits.

I got 4 Ottos about a month ago, they are in my community tank (didn't medicate). All are eating well (they had plenty to go at). I do see them sitting on the gravel occasionally however they don't seem to react when the algae wafers go in. I'm thinking I'll need to try repashy on rocks over winter when the algae growth subsides. Anyway one of the 4 seems to struggle with swimming it seems to frantically corkscrew when ever it leaves a surface but inevitably ends up where there is something to eat I'm really surprised it's still going. I also note they are sold as schooling however I've never seen mine together since adding so I wouldn't worry too much about yours being solo for the time being.

Sunny Lancashire

the classic game of "hook a duck" at the traveling gypsy fair.

I have plants around my heater and never give it thought . I would expect that it would have to get very hot to hurt them the water flow should disburse the heat enough. I think your fish and inverts would be struggling if it was causing a damaging hot spot in there.

I love the idea of building a positive community, I kept goldfish for years and every time I needed help it was a world of aggression aside from a few brave souls who would step up with advice. I kept that goldy for 25 years after winning at fair ground we had been through a lot together. Lost him back in 2018 and I have only really come round to taking a interest in fish again over the last 6 months so thought I'd give tropical a go.

I haven't got insurance for my tanks but after returning from a holiday to wet carpets and dead fish I rang them just to see. I was covered for escape of water and that policy did not specify what the water had to escape from so that got my carpets replaced. Since then I have added accidental damage to my policy's which should provide a bit more protection. I admit I had a very helpful assessor who made it easier to claim, my distress was probably quite evident over the phone.