David Ellsworth

If it is a big enough concern about temperature, just make sure that you keep the tank far enough from the window that you can access it a little. Then use those plastic window sealing products to seal the window inside during the winter in super cold climates. that should help keep the temp more consistent with a heater. That might be an option for you.

If you watch it does it stretch out to be really thin (like double their body length or more) and flat and scrunch much smaller as it crawls along the glass? Do you ever see them free swimming like little flat ribbons in the water? I have some just like I described from plant hitchhikers in a dirted tank. Mine is a type of leech. The type I have look to be harmless to fish, but they predate on the microfauna in the tank. I'm not an expert, but my internet research tells me that if they are wormlike and stretch out and contract it is almost always a leech of some type. Not much else that has that characteristic. If they are always on the glass, never free swim, and inch along the glass without contracting, then it could be planarian like the above poster mentioned. If it is a leech some fish will eat them.

From what you said when the tank leaked and you had to move to a new one you lost your cycle. But if they were gasping soon after getting put back in the fixed tank and die quickly that is some kind of poison. Maybe something toxic, but it could be not enough dechlorinator. Municipal water supplies can sometimes dump massive amounts of chlorine/chloramine in the water to flush things out, so I always put in way more dechlorinator than I need like 4 or 5 squirts in a 5 gallon bucket when 1 squirt treats 10 gallons. I also have chloramine in my water so there is ammonia in my tap water. Regardless I think you lost the cycle when you fixed the tank. Some beneficial bacteria is in the water but most in on the surfaces in the tank or the filtration system, anything in contact with the water. So if the tank dried out the bacteria died. It sounds like you are doing well introducing stuff from another tank to seed bacteria. It will take a while for the cycle to establish again so keep up with the water tests to monitor ammonia and doing your water changes. Be sure to let the water set a few minutes for the dechlorinator to do its job and be safe. I'm sorry to hear about all your fish. It can be heartbreaking and difficult to lose so many over such a period of time, especially when you're not exactly sure of the entire cause.

I have the black aquatop airpumps from aquarium co op. They sell one or 2 outlet ones and are very quiet, especially if you put them on a foam mouse pad. They also sell very quiet USB nano air pumps. I have one Tetra whisper and it is the loudest air pump that I've ever had. It has this loud buzzing sound that is very distracting in my living room. I'm going to replace it soon and keep it as an emergency backup.

I agree, rapid temp change is likely the culprit if the tank parameters are all up to snuff. Fish would need time to prep for winter temps. Fancy are more delicate than comets and koi, but it also depends on the pond depth, insulation, and your average winter temps. Koi or gold fish ponds that over-winter here in the midwest (we get really cold here like -40 F or more at times in South Dakota) you want something 6 foot deep or more. That gives better water stability temp wise and the top can ice over at the top and have a separate warmer water zone at the bottom of the pond. So you get temperature layers. You really can't do that with the pond tubbing with totes that is popular with many of the youtubers in really colder temps. Lucas from LRB Aquatics had some whiteclouds in Indiana (I think) with a thin ice layer over the top and they were fine, but he has his tubs in wood enclosures that are covered and insulated too. His guppy ponds are heated with a 500watt heater and covered. I don't know about the different goldfish, but I do know that koi don't feed below a certain temperature so you need to build up their body fat and keep them healthy the rest of the year so that they can go into low maintenance mode. So there is body metabolism based on species.

Yeah, you can literally buy 2 fluval 3.0s and be cheaper than just one kessil a360x, then come the add-ons. The price point hurts. It also hurts with the ADA lights. I'm still trying to decide the lighting on my 90 gal tank. Two 3.0's are about $440 but there is that center brace, 2 kessils and that's over a grand with the hanging arm. I don't wanna spend that kind of money. Also still trying to finalize what I want in there.

I agree with those above that by gallonage is mostly wrong. With LEDs they look more at watts, lumens, and kelvin for a quick reference, especially if your going the shop LED light route. Going by tank depth is better for gauging what light will work for your needs. I think that the watts per gallon metric is a way to take into account larger tanks with more depth. They were more popular with metal halides, T5HO, etc. That changed with LEDs. I agree with Daniel that depth is a great measure. Like he says if you have say a 12" deep tank then a stingray is generally sufficient. You don't need much to punch through that much water. However, if you have say 18-24"+ then you need to take that into account if you want more than floaters/very low light plants. You also have to take into account aesthetic. While a stingray is sufficient for lighting shallower tanks, that quality of light is vastly different than higher end fixtures. I picked up a Kessil A360x tuna sun for the thanksgiving sales and it is by far my favorite light for the crisp attractive lighting. I have it over a new 40 breeder I set up and the shimmering effect is amazing. I even prefer the look over my Fluval 3.0 on my 30L. Both are 36", both the 3.0 and the kessil handle the 36", but the light aesthetic are very different. So price point and aesthetic can be a major factor as well. If your setting up a shelly tank on the cheep and want some anubis/ferns in a mostly sandy/rocky scape then slap a cheep stingray on there and call it done. You just need to see the fish in a tank like that or in fish only cichlid tanks unless you have money to spend and want a certain look for a display tank. If you are doing aquasoil and CO2? then your going to need a better light and it will cost more. So right tool for the right job.

I use a bare bottom 10 gal with a small sponge filter and a cheap all in one led plastic hood from Walmart. You could set up a spare sponge filter, or put a bag of media in a display tank or sump to seed with beneficial bacteria so it is ready for use. Just sterilize it between uses. Also in an interview with diana walstad, I believe she said if dealing with fish TB or micro bacterium, bleach won't kill it. Isopropyl alcohol won't be stopped by the lipid barrier. Not to scare you, just an fyi. For cover I bought some fake plastic plants, several tall ones and 2 long low ones that are rows of fake grass. This makes the fish feel safer and they can school between the grasses. I've seen a lot of people do pvc elbows 2-3" elbows and straight sections for small caves. I like the fake stuff because it can all be taken out and bleached, vinegar, or isopropyl alcohol. You can also use meds or salt in the water with fake stuff.

You could make a tall rockscape column with plants and anubis/ferns on it and tall bushy growth in back? If it is big enough maybe some pencil fish for the top to swim and because they go vertical at times and apistos in the bottom? I've always wanted to try a pvc network of pipe tunnels in a securely stacked mountain scape for fish that love hiding places. That might work here. Maybe do this with the rock dwelling dwarf african cichlids?

I only scrape the glass on the front panel for most of my aquariums. I leave the side and back. I find it beneficial because I keep some blue bolt shrimp and cherry shrimp. The biofilm is great for shrimp and my snails. I've neglected my 10 gal blue bolt tank and plan to clean up the stuff off my plant leaves today, but took a picture before so you can see. It has hair algae and the viewing panel isn't cleaned yet. You can see the green on the back glass. I saw some tiny shrimplets fluttering around the tank today, my first blue bolt babies since i got them about a month ago. My 30 gal guppy tank has mystery snails, bladder snails, and cherry shrimp. All those like the biofilm so i only scrape the front panel. It is a little dirty atm. I even add Bacter AE, and other shrimp supplements to the water occasionally to help keep the biofilm going for them. I have some pretty green hair algae in my 20 gal rainbow shiner tank that i think spread from a moss ball to my eco-complete substrate. That is starting to spread so I'll see how well that turns out.

He stays upper midwater and swims around in circles, I'm guessing to avoid the hardscape in the tank. I may need to separate him from the others cause they are all fast during eating and he is clumsy. Maybe a breeder box will give him time to find food. Could the high nitrate have caused this? Did it just stress him out so he has caught something? I saw one fish persistently agressing another's head and eye area, could it be physical damage?

I've bought fish several times online and I have only lost 1 fish. I've bought through online sellers including aquahuna and others. I also bought some from fish breeders that sell online. Buying fish online is pretty reliable for me.

Have the tidal 35 and wanted to correct this issue. I bought some knee high nylon socks from the women's clothing section and cut off the toe area with enough material to stretch over the whole pump and strainer assembly. I then used a rubber band to secure it. It has worked well since then. In hindsight I'd look for a black stocking and try it instead of tan. It was a super cheap solution.

I had a similar problem with whitish and hazy water in my 30 gal guppy tank. It could be a bacterial/algae bloom like you and others above have mentioned. I placed a chunk of fine filter mesh in my Aquaclear HOB. I ordered some from online, but you could buy some polyester batting from the Walmart fabric department, the cheap stuff without any chemical flame retardants. I then used some Fritz Clarifier and things quickly cleared up. I made sure and rinsed out the batting in tank water in a bucket when it got dirty and replaced it in the HOB. The water has been clear since then. I think my problem was I was overfeeding and I have cut back a bit as well in that tank.

I have a 20L tank with 12 rainbow shiners. I realize I have neglected water changes for quite some time and I believe I have been over feeding looking back at things. I noticed something was wrong when one fish had problems with his eyes and was acting erratic. He swam strangely and bumped into the driftwood and plants. He doesn't shoal with the others and I think he may be blind now. This is because when I netted him out he didn't know the net was there and wondered into it when he was bumbling about. I tested the water immediately and my nitrate was off the scale of 160ppm. Here are the test results: PH: 7.3 (two months ago it was 7.74 which is closer to normal with my water) temp: 73 Ammonia: 0.25 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 160 + TDS: 656 I looked online and did a rapid nitrate reduction water change I found that targeted salt water hobbyists. I drained the tank to 20% and then filled it to 40% with dechlorinated tap water 2 times. Then one more time I drained the water from 40% to 20% and then filled it up full. My water after the changes: PH: 8.49 Temp: 73 Ammonia: 0.5 (I have chloramine in my tap water so some ammonia is present) Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 5 ppm TDS: 652 I will keep an eye on the tank and the fish in question still is by himself, but looks like he is picking around the moss and substrate for food. So I think he may not know where the others are in the tank? Also one of the pictures looks like there is some discoloring on one of his gills. Here are some pictures of him and the last picture is of a healthy looking tank mates for comparison.

I purchased a betta from a box store and he spent a few days in his cup with no change. My apartment is cool about 70 degrees so the water was cooler than I'd like for him so I set up a 10 gal tank with a heater, bare bottom, a sponge filter, a few nano dragon stone rocks, and a fake castle for basic cover for him till my planted tank for him cycles. The only light he has is ambient room light. The water in his cup was low 6 pH or high 5 pH. I drip acclimated him before putting him in the tank. He has been rapidly swimming back and forth along the back glass and sides for about 2 days, almost nonstop. He swims between the heater and the back glass and all over the back glass from bottom to top. At first he was flaring a lot, but not as much now. Is he just seeing his reflection, reacting poorly to the water, or is there other cause for concern? Is it normal and will take a few more days to settle in? I posted this here because I didn't think it was a disease. My water is very hard out of the tap, and has chloramine in it so has a little ammonia on set up. I of course used dechlorinator. My parameters are: pH = 7.62 Hardness/GH = 17 drops (about 309 ppm I believe?) KH/Buffer = 3 drops ( 50 ppm) TDS = 748 (it was about 700 ppm out of the tap) Water Temperature = 78 F Ammonia = 0.5 ppm Nitrite = 0 ppm Nitrates = 5 ppm

I find them entertaining when they float around and upside down on the water surface.

Indeed. Like ChemBob says, no harm in giving it a try, and like he says it is in your sump so if your plants struggle just rip some of it out. You can have the light on in your sump for a longer period than the display to aid in nutrient uptake. Saltwater use Chaetomorpha algae because they can use longer light periods. Some run it 24 hrs and the plant can handle it. However, many plants do well with a rest period so I don't know if fresh water has a plant equivalent that could handle 24 hr light. Any fast growing plant should do.

As long as you keep it running it is fine. I just find it annoying to have to add a cup of water each time I need to restart the aquaclear. The aquaclear is a proven aquarist favorite for many years and reliable too. The seachem tidal is newer and similar but the pump is in the aquarium so no siphon to lose. My tidal also runs quieter than my aquaclear because it has a little curved ramp that takes the water down to the water surface, so a gentler water entry if you keep your water level up. The aquaclear drops further so a little noisier. If you have fry or shrimplets then the tidal will be a bigger risk as you can't put a sponge over the intake (it has a surface skimmer) like you can with the aquaclear. The surface skimmer may also be an issue if you have or plan to have small floating surface plants. Both are great, however, the Aquaclears are cheaper if that makes a difference. I like the tidal, but cory and the co-op really don't like it as much based on his videos so your mileage may vary.

I like aquaclears, but if you want to turn it off to feed your fish it siphons all the water back out and you have to reprime it same with power outages. I like the seachem tidal because it doesn't siphon out, but it is harder to protect fry or shrimplets from the impeller due to the intake and surface skimmer slot size. I like a hang on back with some filter floss to help with polishing sometimes, but use sponge or matten filters usually. I'm setting up my 90 gal with a sump though and that should be interesting.

I'm not sure this is permitted so I apologize in advance if not. I have an old The Filter Guys 5 stage reef RO/DI so I can't help there, but I bought some replacement filters and resin from Marine Depot that worked well. Caridina shrimp can be sensitive to KH so RO and remineralize with GH only could work with that. It is also helpful with me to add top off water to very hard water tanks 530 to 670 ppm tap with chloramine. The ammonia can be challenging with newer set up tanks or hospital tanks. So my unit sees some use. I originally bought it to get into saltwater, but decided on freshwater.

I'm not sure how that would work out. It really works well in salt water tanks because barely anyone plants saltwater tanks with plants, they all want fish and corals. Both of these need little to no nutrients in the water such as nitrates/phosphates. They use it as a nitrate absorbing filter in salt water. So in freshwater if you have cichlids or other fish that demolish plants like locusts that may be a great addition to such a fish only tank with a sump if you have a fast growing plant that pulls from the water column in the sump for nutrient export. But if you have a planted display then you have to carefully look at which plants you are keeping. If you have only root feeders then it could help with water column cleaning, but if you have anything like stems, epiphytes, etc that pull from the water column you are basically stealing food from them by giving them fast growing competition to stunt or starve them out. You may have to fertilize more to compensate and that might defeat the entire purpose. It may have limited usefulness in Freshwater.

This sounds like a great start for some tanks. I have two 20 gal dirted tanks I set up at the same time. I used Miracle Grow Raised Bed Soil 100% Organic about 1.5 to 2 inches deep, sprinkled some Montmorillonite Clay powder over the dirt, and then put 0.5 to 1 inch pool filter sand cap. I left all the little wood chips in the soil, there were a lot. Many people online recommend removing them, but I think it is just more organics to break down over the long term. I get frequent carbon bubbles from the substrate and both are run with no air. One tank has an eheim surface skimmer pump (had a green bubble/slime either algae or bacteria on the surface). The other tank has no air and no filter and it doesn't have any major algae or problems. I did have issues with the occasional wood chip float to the surface with a bubble, but I just picked those out and I haven't had that issue for quite a while. My tanks have been set up for 2 months now and my dwarf sag, water wisteria, and pogostemon gayi is all growing like mad. I have a $24, 4000k (5,000 lumen) shop light and my dwarf sag is growing so well it is taking over the tank on the side it is planted on. I put a couple stem plants and one floater in to see how they did and they were doing really rough once the cycle was done so I have to give a shot of easy green every so often and they are doing much better. About 1 week ago I added 2 hillstream loaches to the tank overrun with algae with the surface skimmer and they are going to town on it. But those two are the only fish in there. The other tank has 1 Amano shrimp, but both have pest snails too. All your root feeders should do Incredible in there. I haven't used blasting sand, but many people online have with great results. I'm really interested to see how well the eco-complete and all the set ups do for you. There is a massive difference between my first tank which is gravel only and these dirt tanks. The gravel tank used some root tabs and better lighting, but the dwarf sag is less than 1/4th the spread of my dirted tanks when the gravel was set up for 5 months, (dirt only 2 months and insane growth.).

Oh, the poor little guy. I'll just monitor then. I didn't see anything like this before and didn't look like any of the common diseases. Thanks for the reply all.

I went to feed my guppies this morning and saw all of my fish looked fine except for one little guppy fry. He has a strange white blob/bubble near his backside. Is it something to be concerned about? This is a heavily planted 30 long aquarium that has been set up since July 2020. PH: 7.62 Temp: 72.4 F GH: 180ppm (10 drops) KH: 50ppm (3 drops) Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 5