nabokovfan87

depending on what the manufacturer of the tank is, you should be able to look up "critical dimensions" for that vendor and have their list for every tank they produce.

I had mine with similar behavior. When I was trying to find out what it was, I was looking into this exact thing. I also have a clown that does the exact same thing and literally never has any patterning at all. 9/10 it's going to be just pleco camoflauge (they do that it seems) and it could just be from stress. Keep an eye on behavior, but you should be totally fine. When the fish settles in or gets more comfortable it should be a lot more reliable to notice. If it is a disease you're looking towards bacterial (from rubbing on something) or fungal just based on what you're seeing. Considering the pleco is hanging out on the white rock...... I would lean towards camo https://www.google.com/search?q=bristlenose+pleco+camouflage&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjmiYn_lPL2AhUeADQIHSICC1QQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=bristlenose+pleco+camouflage&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIECAAQGDoFCAAQgARQsRRYiChgpyloAHAAeACAAWGIAbEHkgECMTOYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=6JFGYub1H56A0PEPooSsoAU&bih=698&biw=1525&client=firefox-b-1-d

If you can, take a video of both fish. If you have two males it could be a territory issue. Having hides for both on opposing sides of the tank may resolve that issue (flat base, 3 walls, generally) I would dose some salt right away just because you're seeing some issues with oxygenation. Try to hand feed some blood worms or something and see how the behavior is. When my ram started acting this way it was temperature related. Try slightly increasing it (if you can) just a degree to see if you notice any improvement. (probably best to do this before you add anything so you can ensure one variable changes at a time) The lack of coloration is what looks concerning to me.

I would love to see some of the stuff you have going on. (maybe a tour with the coop?) Congratulations and awesome work and perseverance. Best of luck catching up with Dean!

Sounds like a perfect plan. Best of luck with it!

You can also just Dremel out a hole for the light if you really needed to. They do also have glass bowfront lids which you may or may not get lucky finding one to fit.

There is a variety of "plastic adhesive" that would work and should bond the plastics to one another. That being said..... I worry about the chemicals added to the tank and long term viability given how wet that atmosphere is going to be. There might be some heat dissipation requirements to make sure the light doesn't melt the plastic. I would just use silicone on each end of the light. Easy to remove it if you need be and that light won't go anywhere, also gives you the ability to have an air gap if need be. (apply a dot of silicone and let it dry, similar to a bump on, and then put the light on place and use the silicone as needed to attach the light like it's hot glue)

When I had mentioned earlier I had 3 cories and ended up with 20+ that tank was a 55G with about 20+ green tiger barbs and panda Corys. The Corys are bottom dwellers and absolutely don't get bossed or harassed by the tiger barbs. Tiger barbs are generally calm except when food is involved. They swim around, very active, and are at a different level of the tank. I wouldn't he concerned in any way stocking Corys with Tigers. The only concern with the tiger barbs is going to be the tetras. Either the TB could eat small/thin tetra or the tetra has a similar body shape as the TB and that might cause some feistyness. Having salt on hand and having some bacterial meds would be helpful if that does happen.

It doesn't have to be extremely thick. 1/8"-1/4" is sufficient and the standard used depending on the density of the material. Someone told me somewhere to just get a yoga mat and cut that by hand, that's what I did for my tank. It should do the trick. A lot of tanks without rims will come with that mat already. To give you an idea of the thickness needed. So it's about.... .012", you should be fine with that difference in flatness especially with that size of a tank.

You can add a clown type pleco if you wish. It's a pretty beautiful fish and is something that would not eat the same types of food as your bristlenose. My clowns like their caves, they have different hours, they definitely want some wood in the tank and that will absolutely lead to some mulm being added to the tank. I don't know if that's "active enough" for what you're trying to do. Plecos, and especially one per tank, are generally stated because of the amount of waste they produce compared to other species. Yours will definitely help with algae on the glass, but other varieties would add to that waste and I don't know if you want to have that added mess. another one to check out might be a panda garra I started with 3. I have about 20+. Don't worry, you'll get some more just having them in the tank and being happy. I don't think the oto will thrive. They are absolutely a beautiful fish, but with the snails and pleco it's likely to be out competed. Tigerbarbs are pretty fun and amazing and a 55G is a great tank size to have. Here is a video to check out to see them in all their glory. That being said they will kind of "bully" other fish depending there is in their swimming space. they will generally occupy the mid or top of the tank depending on the scape and layout of the tank. What kind of tetras do you have? What is it your specifically trying to achieve by adding more fish to the tank? This is kind of what I was thinking too. Great choice with the pygmy cory. If it's a generally peaceful tank, something like white clouds or fish with that type of a personality would do really well and add some life to the tank.

basically a 75G in terms of depth, or anything bigger. I also wish someone would make a 12" tall lowboy that is 2-4 ft square (I'm sure the corys would love that). Right now they are 10" tall and it's just not great.

I would definitely add the neoprene sheet. It gives the tank some "cushion" against the issue your facing. You shouldn't need the adhesive version (might be one without it that's slightly cheaper) Can you stack some paper and use that to measure the gap you're seeing? (stack paper and see if you can still slide it underneath, repeat until you can't, then measure that dimension) If is .063 or so, I would think you're fine and the mat is more than enough to fix any issues. Inspect the stand itself, how thick is the top piece of wood and do you see any issues internally in terms of water damage?

I reference this just to demonstrate the point. Again, not going to say go buy biohome or anything, but media definitely comes in various qualities and there is good and bad. There is a logic behind what works well and why. We are talking about aerobic not anaerobic bacteria which is a pretty "easy" thing to grow. More oxygen feeds that bacteria. A clogged filter doesn't as well as a clean one. And for someone having issues with how clogged is clogged.... See some of the videos posted above for filters that have been ran for far too long between cleaning. Sponge is generally regarded as a means to remove much, not specifically for bacterial growth in every single use. Yes, there is sponge filters, that's what we are talking here. I'll go back to my point about (just like ceramic media) there is a difference in media quality, be it sponge or anything else. Certain materials and production methods mean different variables.

yeah, my issue for me was just trying to force too fine of a bubble. I haven't had to replace the felt, but simply clean it off. Yeah, it's all dependent on what kind of a setup the tank has. I totally understand what you're saying. I was also referencing not just surface area, but the ability of the bacteria to populate with ease. Some foam materials are very low friction, very smooth, others aren't. Plastic (or closer to that) would have a harder time sticking around but the bacteria that does would be stronger. If it's clogged, surface area doesn't really matter anymore and there is no flow / surface area for the bacteria to clean the water on. Ceramic media, sintered glass media, sand vs. gravel substrate, there is a lot of variables that would cause better or worse sustainability long term. Simply put, even if you're running sponge only, adding a bag of some half-decent ceramic media (or rocks) or something to sustain bacteria in a high flow region wouldn't hurt in this situation, especially with the OPs concerns. But yeah, sponge absolutely works as proven 100000000x over and over with sustaining a colony to keep a tank thriving. There are variable for what is "best" and it's totally subjective in some of those variables (like air vs. pump). Definitely interesting to see the chart you referenced, good little bit of knowledge to check out.

ACs have pretty course filtration if you aren't running filter floss. I run a ziss on everything that is 29G or larger because I like having the flow and when doing water changes there is still air going and things moving so I can take my time. In my 75G I had two Tidal 75s and two ziss bubble bios. The Ziss filters do "polish" the water a bit nicely and there is a product from seachem I use in the case of really *needing* to clear out fines in the water. (Clarity is the name) There is also another filter from sicce that works but it's so fragile I do not recommend it. (shark series) For your issue, you probably can get away with just running a fine filter pad from now on in addition to any other media.

As long as the cory has a piece of wood or something to give them a place to feel hidden, a solo cory will manage just fine. I would look up / purchase a fluval brand hang on breeder box and use that for observation. For a full on hospital tank it does need its own filtration, especially for medications, but if you are just running observation, a hang on box is perfect.

125G you wont necessarily need high light, but based on what the schedule is (and intensity) you can get a pretty good balance with the lighting needs compared to the root tab needs. Jungle val loves to grow and depending how you run the light will change up what the plant wants. I think this video will be a big help to you, please be sure to tag me / ask if you have any further specific questions 🙂

here is a good conversation on the topic. In my experience with the co-op sponges, I've had the ziss "never clog" airstones clog because they had too much mulm on the felt. I have also had the sponges themselves fill up with mulm and detritus slightly quicker than I thought because of the flow they were running on was probably higher than others would run them. I took the stones apart and loosened them a bit. cleaned them, but I would recommend treating the airstones themselves like an impeller on a HoB filter. Every week or bi-weekly clean the sponges, then once a month check and clean out the stone itself.

Even with the sponge being course, I would still suggest you clean it at least once a week or bi-weekly. I would suggest trying to get the mulm on the substrate and not the filter itself. Shrimp will graze on the filter and some species also prefer to root around on surfaces embedded with mulm, but with that being said I think that any rocks or other surfaces in the tank, wood, or slow areas of the tank would be a place where you would be able to let that mulm build up. I used some of the morimo moss balls to create a calm area where the fry would hand in and out. As to your other question.... Yes, the sponge will clog over time and you will lose filtration. It should not cause a nitrate spoke (that is likely from food). The sponge is a very "poor" surface for bacteria but it does work. You're going to have more bacteria on the rocks, sides, substrate, and surfaces of the tank. If you're really concerned you can add a pile of lava stone, or media in a bag near the sponge and that can also help the tank to "seed" more bacteria. High flow = more success holding the strong bacteria. Reduced flow means that the bacteria might not be as strong. Example being something like the..... anoxic type filtration compared to the bubble bio filter available on the co-op.

Python works. I use a hand version (aqueon) but the cheaper recommendation is to use a hyggar version if you want to save a little bit of $$. Bentley Pascoe has a very good comparison video on youtube. When I clean my 29G I just use two 5G buckets and don't hook it up to a hose. For a larger tank, I'd definitely recommend one. I would also add to your list (and I am listing this based on the available items on aquarium co-op): 1. Fritz salt 2. Med Trio (with the additional item available from fritz for additional internal parasites) 3. Fluval E Series heater (nothing better available, amazon cannot comprehend how to ship / package these without damaging them, so just keep that in mind) 4. Hang-on back filter (or sponge if you prefer). I recommend the Tidal series, Aqueon Quietflow series, and others would recommend the aquaclear or fluval brand HoBs. 5. Ziss Airstone also is useful if you would prefer to add some aeration. 6. When they are available, the Aquarium co-op battery powered air pump with USB-C connection. They are switching to a new supplier, I would suggest waiting for that. 7. Seachem prime (or another water conditioner) 8. Hang-on box for breeding or the "catch bin" type of devices where you can hang them on the rim of the tank and use them when cleaning or for storing equipment behind the tank easily. 9. Towel 10. 5G bucket (or two) 11. Lid for the aquarium

Everything mentioned isn't really going to need a ton of easy green. The plants that are not swords/crypts will be slow growing and won't excessively grow by dosing more. You should only need to dose about 50% of the tank volume per week. If you have a 20G tank, dose once a week with 1 pump, and then see how the numbers change. Nitrates above 40, is an automatic water change until you get the numbers under control. You might need to do this every 24 or 48 hours until you have it under control. Test the water every 12-24 hours so you can verify the water changes are helping. A few things I would suggest.... Firstly, is to verify all of the root tabs are deep enough in the substrate. If they aren't, they could be leeching and causing the high numbers. (someone from Aquarium Co-Op, we would really appreciate some experienced use and verification on that comment). Secondly, If you don't see nitrates lower after 48 hours, dose salt (or move the fish temporarily) and then go ahead and pull 1/2 of the root tabs you have in the water. The reason for this is just that you might have placed too many. I would think you only need 1-2 per each sword or crypt and no other plants would need any. Third, please report back with your light, lighting schedule, and parameters for the light. Note: Anubias and and java fern are very slow growers and prefer indirect sunlight. Some plants are labeled as "lowlight" but most anubias and plants that grow extremely slow prefer to be in off-direction / shaded areas of the tank. Generally, if the plant has wide broad leaves that is how to view it, but there are some variations to that rule. I would make sure the plant is overhead on the sword / crypts and that the anubias and fern is indirectly lit. They can be under the light, but you would simply need to adjust the lighting settings / schedule accordingly. Finally, if you have any issues with the BBA longer term, I highly recommend adding some amano shrimp.

Definitely interesting. In general, yes this is a very interesting design issue. As someone who has designed stuff with plastics with specifically wear in mind, I would wonder what the thickness / materials of everything is in your stress locations in the design. I am pretty sure you can basically remove all design faults with some material or tolerance changes.

If I had the room / means to setup a sump I would: 1. Filter socks (large particle size) 2. Foam in various sizes (Coarse / Medium / Fine) 3A. More filter socks, but smaller particle size 3. fine particle pads 4. floating bed media / refugium 5. media storage (sintered glass variety) 6. Exit pump / thermometer / co2 dosing / dosing chamber

I would highly suggest just ordering it online via the coop. Other options include just using plaster of paris, pumice, and seiryu stone (with heavy white marble patterns.

underrated, I loved my little aqueon HoB. For a 10G tank, try out the 20G version, especially if you can adjust the flow. (I run a seachem tidal 35 on mine). I see that's what you upgraded to! Hopefully it's working well for you. I would be interested to know the difference in temperature between the two setups. To answer your thread title question.... Yes, absolutely. Especially when we elaborate on what you mean by "perfect balance". I know some people will argue about planted vs. non-planted tanks and how that balance presents itself. In my experience you notice the balance a lot more easily with plants because the plants themselves tell you the tank is well balanced. This meaning, the nitrates are feeding the plants and the plants are growing with enough lighting, the fish are behaving normally, and the tank is not being decimated with algae. In terms of a non-planted tank, I would suggest that a "perfect balance" speaks to the tank having a large enough volume of water, that the fish are healthy, parameters are setup for the fish to thrive, plants can be added (like anubias), and you are performing water changes regularly to avoid algae from taking over. Either one of those situations I would call balanced and the hobbyist (and fish) in question are happy. The issue might also just be substrate depth and the depth at which the plants are planted. Photos would help us clarify that one. If you don't want duckweed because of the tidal surface filter (it doesn't work on the 35G version) you can also try to track down some salvinia.