bela

nobody?

My main tank now is fitted with an undergravel filter and...gravel. I cannot change this setup nor do I really want to do it. The thing is that I have found a store near home that has some Satanoperca Jurupari in stock. This is a fish that I have not seen in stores for ages and would not mind buying right now. In fact, I would love to have some. Some people say that a sand substrate is a must, some say it is not. I will be grateful for all comments but, for obvious reasons, those coming from people who have kept Satanoperca/Geophagus with gravel (if there is anybody) would be most appreciated. Can it be done? Would the fish be just fine or not? Thanks

Hi: I have been given a very nice piece of olive wood root (I am based in Madrid, Spain). The previous owner said that he has used this particular piece in his tanks with no issues but I would like to know if any of you has any experience with this type of wood for aquarium use, because I do not have any. Thanks in advance

Hello. I am looking for suggestions for a filter for a 40 gallon breeder. No water can flow outside the tank and back so no canister, hob, etc are allowed by wife. Sponge, undergravel, internal (please recommend brand/model)...? Thanks very much in advance

Hi there. I am relatively new in the use of a TDS meter and there is something that I do not quite get. My tap water is around 75 ppm which I presume is on the soft side. I have nothing calcareous in the tank right now, just some wood, lava rock and inert "normal" gravel. Can any of these things make the water go from 75 to almost 200? Has any of these things absorbed some compound (I used to have dead live rock in this tank) and now they are slowly releasing it back to the tank (I am thinking about phosphates or silicates or the like)? How can it be that if I make an 80% water change, the TDS measurement remains almost the same?. I mean, if I change 50% of the tank´s water, shoud not the TDS go down 50% also? Unless there is something in the tank that keeps "dissolving and dissolving" and maintaining the TDS up. I am not worried about the TDS per se, but I think the high TDS is the responsible of the algae problem that I am suffering. Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks

I guess the answer is no but ... For personal reasons I cannot install any external filtration in my tanks. I run them with Ugf but I want to polish the water a little bit. And i do not like internal filters or HOB. So i thought maybe there is a canister that i can put on top of the glass top of the tank. Ugly as hell but it would hopefully be a temporary measure. Would it work or no, by pure design? You may say that it is still an external filter, but the key point is that if it breaks or leaks, the water would fall back into the tank

I have got a bottle that I was thinking about using, but who knows for how long it has been opened and I do not want to kill anything in the tank. Can I? Thanks

yes. That is exaclty it. Thanks!! I am going to watch the videos now but the key factor, in my case, is if those filters are built in or added on. ...and where to buy the containers

I have thought about the corner filter, but most of them are two small. I would have to buy 3 or 4 and I am not sure I would like that. I would need a big pump to run all of them, or 4 small pumps or 4 small power heads. Unless I find a really big corner filter (if that thing exists), I think I am going to pass.

I have got 7 of them in a 40 gallon tank. They get along reasonably well, even though I have got two pairs that lay eggs once in a while. But they have killed everything else I have tried to put in the tank. The last one was a juvenile green terror. Go figure. I was keeping him in a breeder box temporarily while I was preparing another tank. He jumped out of the box and was killed overnight. If the tank is big enough...maybe. But in my experience is a no go.

My favorite fish ever. I have had it several times when I was into marine tanks. But now I can only have small tanks, so I stick to freshwater.

Last friday I went to a fish store that had some bare bottom tanks but with the bottom glass divided in two parts via another piece of glass. One occupying the front two thirds of the bottom and another part being the third back part. The divider glass was about 10 cm in height. I do not know if I am making myself clear. The back portion of the bottom was used as an UG filter. It had plates, gravel and an uplift, leaving the remaining part bare. In some other tanks they had sand or some other substrate not suitable for using with an UG. I think this is a clever idea. You can leave the part without the filter empty, which would make cleaning easier or use sand or another substrate you cannot use with the UG. As I do not want to empty my tank, take all the gravel out, dry it and silicone the glass to the bottom to make the filter compartment, I have thought that maybe I could buy a smaller tank and just put the plates, gravel and uplift in there and then put the whole thing inside the main tank. Am I nuts? Any other method to get the same thing? Aquascaping tanks tend to be quite short in height so maybe I could use one of those. If you think the idea is feasible, would you put the small tank directly upon the existing gravel? Would you put something between the gravel and the small tank? Maybe I shoud use a tank with a bottom plastic rim? Some of you may think I am stupid, but this would enable me to, for instance, run an UG filter (which I love) and have fish that love sand (bolivian rams, cory, geophagus) at the same time. Thanks for your feedback

Hi : I need your help and/or opinions. I have got a 40 gallon breeder tank with an UG filter. Two uplifts with two 130 gph powerheads. The fish are ok. The water is clear. I only have anubias that are ok and some vallisneria that do not die but do not grow or propage neither. I have tried to run the powerheads to full power, half power and minimun power with no difference. The thing is that I have got a lot of debris/dirt/whatever you wanna call it in the bottom of the tank and, when I change some water and vacuum the stuff, I notice that the gravel is compacted, not loose. Just the surface, for I do not deep vacuum. I think the UG is not clogged because I think the powerheads are working fine. The water flow is adequate. But then I wonder why all that debris does not go through the gravel as I think it should. I have tried to reduce the amount of food, but it is not helping. The size of the gravel is medium. 05-08 mm maxium. Do you think the UG may be clogged? Would you increase or decrease the water flow? What am I doing wrong? Thanks

I am not in the USA, but thanks anyways

Hi: I do not know if I am going to be able to get more rainbow shiners anytime soon and I do not want this guy/girl to be alone so, is there any fish that would get along? I do not mean share the tank and not kill each other, I mean swim together and all that stuff. Maybe zebra danios? maybe white cloud mountain minnows? Some small barbs? Thanks in advance

Ok. Let´s say I change the filtration system. I may put an internal or a sponge. Do not know yet. Would I be safe if I just remove the powerhead from the undergravel´s uplift and install the internal/sponge or it would be more advisable to keep both filters running for a while? I mean, the bacteria would still be in the subtrate for a while, wouldn´t it?

Yes, you are right. That is how they work. The problem is that the bacteria needs a certain amount of water flow through the gravel to thrive so, removing that flow you get with an undergravel and air pump or powerhead and throwing in a sponge filter, imho would will at least kill part of the bacteria, if not all. But undergravel filters work best if you do not touch them (almost no gravel vac) so they tend to accumulate debris which is what is coming up as the fish dig, making the water "dirty". And that is what i am trying to avoid.

An answer from the man himself! Thanks Cory and greetings from Madrid! Do you think the beneficial bacteria in the undergravel would all die if I do that or would I be able to "reuse" it in the future if I wanted to?

Hello: I have got a 15 gallon tank with a Mutifasciatus colony. They are doing just fine. The problem is that the tank has an undergravel filter and it is becoming (the tank) very dirty because the fish keep moving the gravel around big time. I do not plan to change the filtration system any time soon so I was wondering if I can make something to stop them digging so much. A couple of ideas that have come to my mind are 1.- putting a layer of medium sized lava rock all across the bottom. Heavy enough so they cannot move it. 2.- putting some type of net or mesh between the gravel and the shells They would keep their shells anyways Any help would be great Thanks

I have managed to get some hemichromis exul but not too many, as they are quite expensive. I have bought 7 of them. Some people that have kept them say that it is better to lightly overstock to avoid agression. Do you think I could throw in two or three bimaculatus or lifalili to complete the colony or do they will not get along? The tank is a 40 breeder Thanks

I have just discovered this thread and all I can say is WOW. Congratulations @gardenman I have been keeping fish for 35 years. I have UGF in both of my tanks (40 and 15 gallon). They have been running only for a couple of years so I do not intend to take them apart now but, if I get the chance to set up a new tank or if I, for whatever reason, have to reset them, I am trying this method 100%

Do you think it would be fine with just one uplift?

This thing is making me nuts. I have a 40 gallon breeder tank with undergravel filter. Two uplifts. On each uplift I have got a 132 gph powerhead. Those are the smallest I could find. They have ajdustable power/flow. My question is if you would run the powerheads at 100% power, 50% or 25% or if it does not really matter that much. Please chime in

I have plenty of fish (maybe too many) in my 40 gallon. Everyone is ok except this T.Ellioti I bought 10 days ago. I bought 3 of them and the other two are also fine. Ph is 7,5 26 degrees celsius. I am sure there are no amonia, no nitrites. Actually I have not measure those, but if it that was the issue, other fish would also be in trouble, right? Nitrates aorund 25ppm GH 5 (I live in Madrid and our water is VERY soft). Any clues? Thanks