jvision

Large frequent WCs will keep you NO3 and PO4 at low levels. I've done 50% weekly WCs for ever and haven't tested in years. No problems

I use a few tricks to keep the nutrient load down 1) Feed only every-other-day 2) Run a refugium with fast-growing macroalgae, run its lights opposite your display 3) Use a protein skimmer rated for more than your total volume

Excellent

I've got plans in the afternoon, but I'll stop by in the morning.

If you want Cherry Shrimp in there make sure there's a good chunk of moss or something for them to hide in. I agree that Ammano would be better as they're bigger and less likely to be eaten

Some of the LFS get some nice Plecos in, and Canadian importers like Cichlaholics (Spencer Jack) bring in quite a selection, too

Yeah, if you're going to be doing WCs, you'll want to make sure to maintain that same salinity to kill any free-swimming ich

The fish you have right now do well in warmer water (78-82F), while most livebearers do their best in the low to mid 70's. See if you can find some hatchet fish - I loved having Marbled Hatchets in my warm tanks!

Go for 82-86F with lots of aeration for 10 days. The high temp will speed up the lifecycle of the ich and the salt will kill the free-swimming stage. Don't stop just because the spots are gone - keep that temp and salt up for the whole 10 days to make sure you get as much of the free-swimming ich as possible. When it's a cyst on your fish or an egg in the gravel, it's pretty immune to most treatments - it's that free-swimming stage that we can't really see with the naked eye that is susceptible to treatment.

Like Niki says, there's lots!! Panaquolus are small and relatively easy to keep. Hypancistrus also stay small, but can be a little tougher to keep - they tend to like their water softer, more acidic and very clean. All of the Bristlenose varieties are pretty hardy and stay small. If you go to PlanetCatfish.com, you'll see so many plecos! Some are tougher to aquire than others, really depending on season and shipping restrictions from South America or if they're being captive bred.

I had 40-something Oranda in a 180 gal with Java Fern and Anubias. If the fish were hungry, they'd pick at the plants a bit, but the leaves are pretty tough and stood up well enough.

I have a 125 gal w. mostly Fancy Plecos and a 90 Gal SW Reef. Had a couple aquaponics systems going, but I'm moving in the spring so cut down a lot!

What else is in the tank? If it's just shrimp, you'll see the little babies around when they hatch. If there are ANY fish, you might get a few that survive, unless you have some thick moss/plant growth for them to hide in.

NICE! I'm moving in a few months, and will likely post a build of my own.

There is a TONNE of great content in the forums, just start digging! Seems like some of us are going to resurrect this Forum, so we'll have some good discussions going soon.

If you go on vacation, make sure whomever is looking after your tank doesn't feed everyday - people who don't keep YOUR fish always seem to overfeed. When I'm gone for a week or less, I don't even bother - my fish are healthy and can go several days w/o feeding. That way my nitrates don't go up much. If I'm gone for longer, I tell the caretaker to only feed every 3 days - again, keeps the nitrates down. Like you have read, a gradual climb into the 30s won't be detrimental - and a nice big Water Change when you get home can induce spawning bc they LOVE some fresh clean water!!

I have a 5' 125 Gal tank beside the couch, and during a slow part in a movie this weekend, a bunch of my plecos were out, so I took some shots! (Trying to figure out how to post images directly from Google w/o just a link). Male L128 Blue Phantom Pleco Male L128 from his home Male L200 Green Phantom Pleco Unknown Hypancistrus (I bought these several years ago under the wrong L#, if you know what it is, please let me know!)

I'll start logging in every couple days again. I'll find me some pics to post in the Pleco Forum!!

It never really ends! Welcome to AA. We're not as busy as we used to be, but there is a wealth of info on this forum! I peak in every week or so

There are a few Cory breeders that might still frequent this site, but I'm sure all of them will tell you that a razor to get the eggs off the glass, then into a container with moving water (airstone) and maybe a drop or two of Methyl Blue. Don't feed until their yolk sac is (mostly) absorbed, or you're just fouling the water.

Since the forum is pretty quiet these days, I'm not sure the Admin get around to things as often. Try sending a PM to Tanker

Everything except the BN plecos will need a bigger home, and depending on the overall health of the Bala, it may need to be euthanized. You did well by adding filtration and a heater, but you should rehome those fish ASAP.

Welcome!

That really looks like an hybrid. The odd body shape is reminiscent of the parrot cichlids. That coloration looks like a firemouth, so I'm wondering if someone crossed a firemouth with something like a midas, or one of the smaller CA cichlids

I should be able to hook you up with lots of easy plants when your tank is up and running - I've got some common Anubias and a couple Valisneria spp. I still have some Cryptocoryne spp. as well.