Lindsey

I've got them on my discus tanks as well as the temperature probe for my Apex Aquacontroller and the strips are usually off by 2-4 degrees Fahrenheit compared to the Aquacontroller probe. Apex should be using a probe that's accurate to .5 degrees C so it's safe to assume that the strips are out by at least a couple degrees. I find they're good at a glance to get a rough idea but like others have said, I wouldn't rely on them exclusively. Accuracy to .5 C is about the best you can hope for in "hobbyist" equipment.

Had a great time at my first auction. I'll definitely be more set up to buy plants next time because there were tons of really nice plants for great prices. I got a huge bag of Naja Grass, and a nice portion of Christmas moss. I also got some Green, Blue, and Yellow shrimp, an air pump, and a fluid bed filter. I drug my feet bidding on shrimp and found that they went higher nearer the end of the auction. Probably because I was bidding them up :P I will definitely be at the next one and might be selling shrimp, Rams and maybe some Discus.

I have not tried the shrimp formula but I do want to try the "Spawn and Grow" which Aquarium Illusions doesn't carry so I'll probably order from the manufacturer and try some of the other products.

Okay... not really, but my shrimp and snails are loving Repashy Superfoods Soilent Green. I originally wanted to try it for L018 plecos and they like it but the shrimp go crazy for the stuff. The gel food is nice because I'm able to feed a large enough piece that the snails have time to get their fill before the shrimp devour it all, or it breaks down. This could be a problem with other foods. I was feeding a lot of zucchini but this seems like a much better and easier option. I think Aquarium Illusions is the only place that carries it in Edmonton but it's definitely worth trying if you are keeping a suitable species.

I'm planning to use mine with a sump, Fishnerd. From what I understand they work like any other bio-media providing surface area for beneficial bacteria. The advantages are the large surface area by volume compared with other types of media, and the fact that the sand bed is fluidized, keeping all of the media in contact with flowing water preventing anaerobic zones you would get with conventional "bio ball" type media in a sump. The tumbling of the media also allows the bacteria colony to grow and die off quickly as necessary. Looking forward to giving it a try, though I won't really have a frame of reference to say that it's better than a conventional wet/dry, both because I'll have a conventional wet/dry in the same sump as well as it being a new system. I'll post a review when I've had it running for a while. Thanks, guys!

No one using these? I'm going to give the Lifegard FB-300 a try. http://www.lifegardaquatics.com/products/product.php?id=7

Thanks everyone. Good advice. I've basically just been doing water changes by draining and replacing water. Good to know others are doing the same thing. The community is doing really well and I wanted to be sure I wasn't going to get caught by something because I haven't been vacuuming the gravel or cleaning the sponge and have a die-off. I also have Spixi snails in the tank but I'm not sure they're the best choice for this tank because they seem to like eating plants.

I've got a 10 gallon RCS tank that's thriving, but it's been up for a while and I'm starting to wonder what the best option is to clean the tank without losing a bunch of shrimp. I'm using a sponge filter and there are TONS of shrimplets living in the filter. I've also got about 2 inches of gravel and I'm thinking that vacuuming it will probably result in huge losses as well. How are people keeping their shrimp and maintaining their tanks? Should I be running the tank bare bottom and just accept that there may be some shrimplet losses when I clean the sponge?

Wondering if anyone is using fluidized sand bed filters and what experience they've had with them. They seem like a great option for larger systems and I'm wondering why I don't see them in use more often. I'm considering one for a 300ish gallon grow-out system.

Looks awesome! I love the one on the bottom right. What strain is that?

Count me in that group Or one Mermaid!

Awesome! I think I'll start with the GBRs and plecos. Do you know a good source in Edmonton for GBRs and L18 plecos?

Thanks for the advice! Good point about the Electric Yellows. I'm starting to lean toward Discus and German Blue Rams. Do you think it is a good idea to have Discus, Rams and Plecos in the same tank? I was thinking maybe 6 of each and try for some pairs. Then move the pairs to their own tanks. Maybe 90 gallons for the community? Then I would need to run RO for the breeding tanks. Thanks again.

Hello, Alberta Aquatica users. I'm considering breeding some African Cichlids (Electric Yellow and Strawberry Peacocks). I haven't set up the tanks yet so I'm looking to get some opinions on demand for these fish. I'm not doing it to make a profit, just for fun, but I also don't want to have a hard time finding new homes for the fry. Are these fish a good option? I have also considered Discus and German Blue Rams. I realize those fish have totally different requirements compared with the Electric Yellows but those are the two options I'm interested in. I've also considered L018 plecos. Which do you think is the best option? Thanks