Evolution

I'd switch one or both of those fx5s to eheims. fx5s are poor biological filters and the eheims are the best biological filters and they will be cheaper on power consumption and media replacement within a year. fish 12 - black phantoms tetras 12 - columbian tetras 12 - diamond tetras 12 - red phantom tetras 50 - cardinals 50 - marble hatchets 3 - different sets of 12 cory species 3 - pairs of different species of SA dwarf cichlids. 3 - BN plecos 12 - oto cats 2 - twig cats

Does your wood float or sink?

Same here. Rubber mail plastic is nontoxic. Keep them filtered and to prevent the heaters from burning the plastic I floated mine with styrofoam.

Most Alternantheria sp, Bacopa monnieri, most Cabomba sp and Ludwigia repens are all C.A. I use brown sand in my tanks and sometimes add a bit of pea sized gravel for looks.

Has cleaning up the pinned threads ever been considered? Some pinned threads are out dated and require updating and some of the pinned threads are not necesary for pinning, it seems, anymore. Maybe have a public vote on each pinned thread as to what needs to be done with it, if anything. If a pinned thread needs to be updated and the origional author doesn't want to do it and allows some one to update it, then that creates some awesome new activity for active members new and old to partake in on a community level. Also, I think no other board is doing this, but how about putting the members first and by that I mean put the freshwater community tank first and add the cichlids to it, then next put genneral and add the photo forum to this and remove the sponser forum and put it in with this forum. After general forum add the salt flats and then added this forum to the bottom. I under stand that the staff and sponcers make this forum function, but this forum wasn't created for staff and sponsers, it was created for fish hobbiests. Reorganize the forum. Instead of just a diy sub forum, why not make a whole forum for diy. one for diy tanks, diy filters, diy lighting and so on. Just some thoughts.

Nice! I side mount my Liberties sometimes.

This is just a memo from Hagan head office... You're fired!

I'd not use the melafix for this, if you can use stresscoat for the healing properties of aloe that is in it and lifebearer for possible gill flukes. This problem sounds either parasitic or possibly gill damage from ammonia, which is likely given the length of time the tank has been set up. These fish already have strange behaviour do to their natural life style and small swim bladder. The flag motion sounds like shimming, but it is also similar to their natural behaviour. If their gill filaments have been damaged by ammonia they will scratch. In time the gills will heal and the problem will go away. To paraphrase, Jayba, does your water conditioner remove chloramines and ammonia?

Yes, when did Calgary start using chloramines? That stuff is deadly and I use API Tap Water Conditioner, which breaks down chloramines but doesn't nutralize ammonia. I have healthy biological filtration, but the last thing I want is for my fish to be subjected to ammonia for even 20 seconds! That being said, I change 50 - 75% H2O in all my tanks every week and I smell the chlorine coming out of the tap, but after I declorinate it I smell water only and no ammonia.

I don't think BlueRam is concerned so much about Chlorine, pH or Chloramines. I believe the OP wants to reduce the hardness for proper osmotic pressure for breeding purposes of fish that have naturally evolved in soft acidic waters.

Good on you for wanting to provide the best possible water quality for you fish! Osmosis is so important for long term health and vitality of fishes. I have no recommendations for you other then I have a Spectra Pure and probably alway will. However, I really like werner and fishyfishy's recommendations.

If there isn't any debries or sand in it, then it probably needs a new impeller, impeller shaft, motor unit or a combination of all three.

Pisces for sure.

Great article, I've had a man crush on Bleher for about 20 years now. Have you read his AquaGeo Mags? Specificly how he rediscovered M. preacox?

Are these holding tanks or are these someone's personal collection and aquariums?

The bigger the tank the easier maintenance. I would put a couple of pro 3s on it and get a good 3 inch layer of sand and it will be crystal clear for 10-15 years with just bi-weekly 25-50% water canges. It's beautiful, really awesome job! How did you line and seal the inside?

Did you find it at Community?

I recommend the Powerline by Eheim, it's the best of the best and the cheapest to use. http://www.eheim.com/base/eheim/inhalte/indexd471.html?key=liniendetail_27502_ehen

You really think so?

There is always the canister's bucket!? sorry

I figured that from what I know of pond filtration. I guess a flow reduction valve could be fitted for such an ocasion. However, I'm not sure how much wear or if at all any it would have on the motor head? What kind of volume of bio media is capable of going in one of these things?

For Chlorine and heavy metal removal, Aquarium Pharmacueticals Tap Water Conditioner. There is nothing better.

I'm pro Melafix and Pimafix. I use both and with good results. I also use tea tree oil products for myself. The stuff is fantastic. I believe much of the negative hype about tea tree oil and other holistic remedies stemed from the pharma companies. Bottom line is i do not want to use pharma products, because it is the second highest killer in the US. I want to use natural holistic remedies. Today we see that pharmacies are about 1/3 holistic products and much of which is tea tree and that is because tea tree and other holistic remedies work and without the deadly side effects. Well that and because big pharma now controls the legalities of holistic remedies. So for my fish and for me it is tea tree!

Wow! I love the way it is sitting in the current. My guess is the threads are for navigation. Most of the cats that have them come from white water rapids. I believe they are used to let the cats know what is behind them while navigating blindly in these rapids.

I want 12!