TheDukeAnumber1

The test strips are a must buy IMO. All I used to be able to buy were way overpriced ancient expired tetra test strips. The Co-op's blow them away.

I've done misc projects with DC motors too. With my usb air pumps I did the whole tear down of the pump and tested the motors alone and they would not turn over. In my case I believe the motors themselves died. I don't have a data sheet for these motors but in the realm of brushed DC motors getting 8000 hours of life isn't outside of what is a normal range for brushed DC motors. You seem to be talking about extreme temps or spots for the motors to be in, but increased torque demmands (potentially caused by back pressure in this case) over many hours is what's going to wear down a motor and cause failure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVMntyRFaA0 It's on Jimmy's channel. Starts around 13:15

Yup, I've been using the check valves the Co-op sells.

That's interesting, I've taken apart a couple that died on me after about a year and they didn't have any shredded plastic inside. In my case the motors themselves were dead.

Shows it within the first few min, are you looking for more detail than shown here?

(not a Dean quote, only mean in good fun)

Neat, I've had success following the PPS Pro method if you want to take a look. PPS Pro <- Link

From PPS Pro IMO this will only matter if you're really dialing in setup.

Not super on topic but IIRC light attractants aren't very effective on mosquitoes, I think you need a trap that uses CO2 to bait them into the trap.

Cost effective ways to retain heat in outdoor tubs and techniques to keep tubs from freezing solid in cold winter areas.

If you could let us know a little more, like a brief history of the tank, size, fish stock, feeding and maintence schedule, it would be easier to help. IMO step 1 of diagnosing a smelly tank is to start feeding less.

Neat, I may lean on you for some medaka advice next summer since last summer was my first time keeping them. I caught some of the Hformosa out with a normal aquarium net but getting them all would have been impossible in a reasonable amount of time. So this winter I'm experimenting with leaving the pond out and seeing how the fish do weathering an IL winter with me making efforts to keep it from freezing solid. The medaka are fine so far, it has been fun to see them swimming under inches of ice, but unfortunately it looks like all the Hformosa died out quickly when the cold snaps started hitting. Next year I'm planning to either bring in as many as I can or move them to a pond closer to the house that I can keep warmer.

Thanks, I had them together last summer in a 100g stock tank and they did well. The Hformosa bred very well and I was able to collect medaka eggs from a spawning mop throughout the summer.

This next update has weighed on me for a while now, feeling that I owed it to the log, and now even more so that you asked @PedroPete 🙂 The Jungle Tank as of a month ago is no more. The last update was the peak of the jungle look and I was able to maintain it for a few months, but hair algae began to take hold and become more and more of a problem. Over time the dwarf sag slowly won the battle with the val until the entire tank was carpeted with it becoming so thick that the substrate was locked in and my ability to suck out the mulm layer was very limited. The hair algae kept growing faster and faster rivaling the duckweed. I generally don't mind algae and even like some in the right spots, but when it comes to hair algae.... the stuff is pure evil IMO. I tried individually and in combination a UV sterilizer, excessive amounts of Easy Carbon, salt, photo period adjustment, hard/soft water, and fertilizer adjustment to combat the hair aglae with no success. I ended up removing as much hair algae as I was removing duckweed. It finally got to the point where the tank needed a hard reset, I pulled all the plants and gravel vac'd the substrate until it was clean, took about 15 gallons to do it. I redecorated with tank with flag stone and replanted some of the dwarf sag. After some thought I decided to move the tank to the 'dungeon' of my house. Lately I've really fallen out of enjoying keeping a tank looking good for 'company' and have been enjoying the natural cycle however it looks, minus the hair agae of course. Anyways this is getting long, it has been a while, but here are the update pics. First photo shows the tank shortly after the hard reset, in the corners are "bubble sticks" my wife named them. Just PVC with airstones inside that acts as a flexible filter I can put heaters, UV lights, or filter meda in. They also control where the bubbles pop which made it easier to keep the top clean. Second photo, shows a colony of bryozoan I discovered on my heater! There were present in the very beginning of the tank setup and appeared to die out early on. Seeing them again felt like being greeted by an old friend. Third photo shows the current setup of the tank. I have been very much enjoying just keeping the fish happy until pond season starts up again.

Would want to see a water test and know the substrate, feeding schedule, lighting ect to help diagnose an issue. Often a photo helps. Personally I've seen improvement in my snail tanks when I have a long light cycle or window sunlight for the plants and algae to grow, feed well, and keep an aragonite substrate or have plenty of crushed coral in the tank. @Tanked I've also had the issue recently with my trumpet snails competely dying out in a tank while the ramshorns survived. Still trying to puzzle out what the issue was.

Stainless steel is fish/shrimp/snail safe.

Searching for dry ferts sold for hydroponic use can work too.

I would be tempted to try reinforcing that spot from the interior too.