PaigeIs

Thank you, this is really helpful. I've already found a place to get refills. A local homebrew supply store will do it while I wait. The information about the features is useful, and I will take all these things into consideration when making my purchase. @AllFishNoBrakes How big is the tank and how long does the 5lb tank last?

Hi, I have a 20H planted aquarium, and I've been using a CO2 generator (baking soda + citric acid) for a couple of years. For various reasons, it's time to use pressurized CO2 canisters instead. I want a reasonably small CO2 tank, but it must be refillable. Does anyone recommend a particular canister and/or regulator I should get? Any tips and tricks? I'd love a kit for the easy setup. Thanks!

That's what I was planning to do. Thanks for the reassurance! I'm always afraid I am going to kill all my fish, and THEN someone will say, "You did WHAT?" 😁

LOL... You and your fish can share! https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252108/japanese-cucumber-salad/ 😁

I have found that freezing cucumbers is not a good idea because they become slimy and soft when defrosted. However, I have had success with freezing zucchini and broccoli to use for my fish. I don't blanch the vegetables before freezing because the defrosting process will soften them. I slice the veggies into portions and freeze them individually on a plate. Once they are completely frozen, I transfer them to a freezer bag. They will stay fresh for a couple of months.

Hello All, Question? Has anyone ever fed their fish artichoke stems? I usually give my platy, gourami, otos, and amano shrimp vegetables, such as broccoli stems, green beans, and baby carrots. Tonight, I am making artichokes for dinner. I know that the stems are edible, but I don't eat them, so they usually end up in the compost. Thanks!

I put a piece of black sponge filter material on the inside of the filter to block fry/shrimplets/plants from getting sucked into the filter. I also have a sponge covering the intake tube. I just cut a little piece of course sponge and slide it inside the filter to block the intake. The sponge stays in place, and I give it a rinse when I service the impeller.

I dumped approximately 1/3 cup of nano pellets into my 20H this morning. I scooped out what I could and then thoroughly cleaned the gravel, including moving hardscape so I could clean the nooks and crannies. The cleaning resulted in an approx 60% water change. All the while, my fish gorged themselves. Besides monitoring the water for ammonia spikes, is there anything else I should do? I am not planning on feeding the tank again for at least a few days.

Yep. Sort of white and milky-looking. It's almost gelatinous sometimes. The fish, snails, and shrimp LOVE it. When I cycled my 20g, the spiderwood was covered in it. Once I added fish, it was gone within days. I had a few otos I moved from another tank, and they gorged themselves. Remember, those pristine tank images you see online are either fully cycled and cared for by experienced aquarists with plenty of time for maintenance, or the tanks are new builds. You are creating a new mini-biome in a box of water, and nature is messy looking sometimes. Be kind to yourself. I don't have a pic from one of my tanks, but here is an example of the new wood slime I "borrowed" from Fishlore.

I use rocks and driftwood I find on the beach in both of my tanks. I give them a good scrub and a rinse with the hose, and then into the tank they go. I like the rocks with holes in them (made by burrowing piddock clams).

The hardest part of setting up a new tank is the wait. The murky water is not a problem in a fresh set-up. Most likely, it's tannins from the wood decorations and dust from the gravel. Over time, the filter will clear up particle debris. Eventually, the wood will stop leaching tannins into the water. Over time and water changes, the water color will clear up too. The best thing you can do at this point is nothing. Changing the water and most other interventions will slow down the cycle. Go ahead and add your new plants; the tannins in the water won't hurt them. The color will not harm the plants or fish once you add them. Some people make their water "tea" colored on purpose! Check out the forum posts about blackwater tanks. You may also want to prepare yourself for a bacterial bloom. They are common in a new tank but also a bit panic-inducing. (Hint.. bacterial blooms go away on their own.) Finally, sometimes new wood decor will form a weird "slime." It's also normal. It will go away on its own, and fish, snails, and shrimp like to eat it.

I often collect shells (abalone, sand dollars, and large clam) and rocks from the beach near my house and use them in my freshwater aquariums. I rinse them well, give them a good scrub and then dip them in boiling water for a few minutes, allowing them to air dry thoroughly in the sun. You purchased shells from a retailer, making them even less likely to carry some pathogen as they've been out of the water for a long time. The little salt they may leach is unlikely enough to bother your fish. I have snails and ADFs along with the fish. I've never noticed ANY change in tank behavior or animal health.

LOL.. that happened to us this morning. My 9 yr old came in and nonchalantly said "I don't know what you did Mom, but my fish tank is really quiet lately." I went running into her room and found the HOB unplugged.

Hello, My daughter came home from the LFS with three cherry shrimp. Based on the blurry photo, can anyone tell me if this is a female? I've only kept Amano shrimp so I never cared about sexing them. I looked up how to sex cherry shrimp online but am not confident in telling males and females apart. I can confidently say that this shrimp is bigger than the other two. Thanks!

It's better err on the side of caution. Your wet-pets and your security deposit are in good hands. 😄