Flumpweesel

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.

I have finally found out what Cory's I keep, been struggling to match them to other sources so thanks for that pic.

Thanks all, looks like I'll be trying brine shrimp. I like the idea of getting the outflow to waft the frozen ones around. Kits seem a bit thin on the ground in the UK (aside from some strange and impractical looking things on amazon) so maybe its time to DIY. This really is hobby that expands a skill base isn't it. I had seen the tray thingy Jaredl described so nice to know that it actually works 😊

I hear great and positive things about feeding live brine shrimp however I feel its a lot of faff for my single community aquarium. What does everyone think am I better using frozen or dry food alternative or does the reward make the effort worth while. I have kribs, apisto's, corys (pygmy and standard), siamese algae eaters and harlequin rasbora's.