BuzzDaddy21

I`m not smart enough to know why, but I also have same stuff mainly on the glass. I just scrap it off with a razor blade and leave it alone. I had one filter hose that would fill up with that stuff and drive me crazy. (Hose was plastic, doesn`t happen with a clear rubber hose.) I get green algae on the glass of another tank, same thing I just scrap off and don`t worry about it. I`m not sure if anything is wrong with your tank.

Now, I know the long-time fish and critter folks have had this happen. Last week I noticed that the spray bar flow seemed low, and I looked at the last cleaning date and thought that was odd, so I cleaned the canister filter (Not very dirty, I actually did that twice that day.) and hooked it back up and went to bed. (I also thought that maybe the pump was going bad.) Next day the water flow was slower still and so I had to do some thinking on that, (Yes that took me a while.) I looked at the sponge on the intake (This is the only tank with shrimp.) so I took apart and cleaned the sponge and it didn`t seem very dirty, well I thought maybe it was compacted too much, this sponge was maybe a year of so old, so I found another sponge and put on. Now the slow down on the out flow didn`t just happen, I just didn`t pay enough attention to this tank. Crisis averted. Well, I learned something today, change the intake sponge more often. (I really didn`t think that would clog up.) I had a sponge on a HOB intake and never changed that one, maybe I got lucky. I also want to know, those who use a sponge on the intake line how often should they be changed. Thanks for any input.

I have never heard of such a thing, but I can see where it might do harm. Like when I enter the room and turn on the lights seems like the fish and the Amano's are startled at first and I keep lights on low. One thing I won`t do again is after lights out, I will never go back and turn lights back on. I did just that awhile back and startled a hillstream loach and it ran into the glass, next day poor guy was dead.😕

Only reason I don`t care for a 55 is the width and for that reason is why I like the 40B. In the next several months I will move up to a 75 Gal., I have a HF workbench that will support 1000Lbs. and naturally it will have a plenum and an Fzone can and no idea about stocking.

Yep, one packet for one 10ml of water. Just checked phosphates in my 40B and they are 0.69ppm. Nitrates on the 40B are 0.05ppm. Hanna checkers aren't cheap but I feel they are a lot better than other tests kits.

Yes. The nitrate kit is complete where the phosphate kit isn`t. Phosphate kit is for freshwater.

I got Hanna checkers for Nitrates and Phosphates a month ago or so and really like them. (I found one for freshwater the other one is marine, but it works just fine.) If you look around online, you will find good deals on the reagent powder and also kits. Last Nitrate check on a 40B was 0.11ppm and the 20T was 0.06ppm. I will never go back to test strips or the API test kits. Next up will be a Hanna checker for PH. I don`t check for anything else.

I should also add that the substrate above the plates is around 4" to 5" deep.

Yes, they do I would go with the small Amano`s, seems like the last time I ordered these it was a pack of 10 I think I still have all 10.

What I use is Popetpop 5.91" x 5.91" x 1.06" square grids and a 20L will take 10 hot glued together also some mess screen from Joann's or a hobby shop and the uplift tube from a Lees 1- or 2-gal filter. (This will be a slow-moving plenum that will work very well) Good luck.

Well, I just started getting some Hanna checkers and so far, they seem really accurate. (I only have the Nitrate and phosphate checker so far.) Last reading on my 40B nitrates were 0.14ppm and on the 20T nitrates were 0.11ppm. Last phosphates check on the 40B was 0.41ppm and the 20T was 0.11ppm. Next Hanna checker will be a PH. Also, not many plants in these tanks. Good luck.

Yes, there is, it's called a Fzone canister along with a slow-moving custom-made plenum.

I don`t think there's any difference but I might be wrong.

Nice looking aquariums and fish and shrimp. Myself I will never do CO2.

Might be possible to have too much filtering but might depend on how the tank is set up and how many fish and critters there are. I have a Fzone 10L can on a 40B and that's all I need. I think being to clean has its own problems. Good luck.

How big is that tank? I would only use 1 tube cut down and slow down the air IMO. What kind of filter are you using.

Yes, I know what went wrong but if I say it here, it will ruffle some feathers. I have been put in my place some time ago and was told not to make comments. (I hope I don`t get in trouble again.) However, I know what I`m talking about.

It's possible, I haven't done a water change in almost a year and it really doesn't matter what kind of filter is used. Depends how you set the aquarium up.

That would be my choice. I also tried just about the same thing a while back and it was a disaster. I wish you luck.

I agree with nabokovfan87 about the shims. But instead of a pad I would use 3 layers of foam board and the aquarium will level itself on the foam. (I did this with some 40B, and it worked well.)

I was thinking about a 5ga. with shrimp on a countertop this might be interesting, of course on a lower stand or floor this would be neat. Thanks for sharing.

Been thinking about a new light but not really into tech stuff or spending $300. So, I got one of these Asta 120 80w. LED light to try out. I wanted to get the light a little higher off the tank. Don`t ask me why😕 Problem #1 is these are made for a rimless tank but thought how hard could it be to make something. Problem #2 what to use. I even spent some time online looking but then decided to use some dividers from a box that holds fishing lures. Problem solved I think, and hot glue worked fine, if the glue fails and the plastic falls out its going to make one heck of a noise. 😟 I have never had a light that shows a shimmering effect also reflects off the ceiling which is distracting to me. Are all rimmed tanks the same as far the space edge to glass inside at the top, if so then a spacer should be included maybe too much to ask for. Has anyone else tried this light, might make algae a problem. A few pictures. On a side note, directions say this is for a 24" cube. Maybe I need two (40B) Please let me know what you think.

I have a Fluval 107 on a 20L and have it cut back to about half flow it seems ok. I prefer a round canister filter because they hold a lot of whatever you want to pack into them. I haven`t looked into how many canisters have a replaceable pump but that's the way to go.

Nice job.

Just that you may close down both shutoffs to slow the flow into the tank so if the valves are full open then if you close halfway its 50% or more but not sure if that would hurt the pump. I would say caution needs to be used. Overheating?? I use a DC pump that can be adjusted for flow, right now I have set to 25%. I use a spray bar that works very well. (Eheim 594) I forget who told me these. Guppysnail told me about the Fluval and I got a 107 and 207 series they work fine and yes you can adjust the flow. I hope this helps somehow.