flash_oesc

When my cichlids had fry, I used a spoon to crush NLS pellets. They ate the powder/crumbs from it. As they got bigger, I crushed them less and less...

I remember paying power 5 tanks ago...didn't hurt nearly as bad. At least I baby stepped my way up, didn't hurt as much.

If he starts now, you'll have your answer by new years... 2015

I have 5, sitting at 199 gallons. I'd like to get down to 3, but have 325 gallons (240, 75, 10)

Should be good. I had 3 nerites that kept my 10G spotless.

I use well rinsed target playsand.

I have ramshorn and pond in my planted tanks. I don't like them, but they do an awesome job keeping things clean. I pull out some adult ramshorns every few weeks, but the population stays pretty balanced... I do need to find some MTS to turn over my sand...

That's the sad part about a lot of box store 'Experts'... I find that common plecos slow down on algae cleaning as they get bigger, but as for Bristlenose, I feed mine twice a day, and they still clean everything off all day. I also have an aversion to snails...that being said...Nerite snails can't reproduce in fresh water, so no population explosion. They lay eggs that wont hatch. Apple snails lay eggs above water line (easy to control). The ones that go 'boom' in a tank are MTS, Ramshorns and pondsnails. Those are also the ones that usually come free :eh: with plants.

Love my eheim classics. Also have a couple fluvals that do the trick. Then again, those are the only 2 brands I've used. I have a classic 2215, 2217 and two fluval 205s.

+1 on nerites cleaning algae...but they leave unhatching eggs on EVERYTHING! I have bristlenose in 3 of my 5 keeping the tanks clean.

Plecos need to be fed, algae on the tank isn't enough to sustain them. Different plecos have different requirements for food - some need wood, some need more protein...etc. If you get a regular bristlenose, you can feed them algae waffers, supplemented with fresh zucchini, cucumber...etc

One happy looking fish!

Hello and welcome! I'm one of a few from Fort McMurray. We have to be creative at importing to get what we want up here in the extreme North

My betta agrees with creekbottom Though I see shrimplets for the first time....my overall population is lower than when I started. Although, this is a betta tank with shrimp, not a shrimp tank with a betta - and I believe I have the happiest betta ever...haha

I'm interested to see the answers, my angels are skittish in their new tank...

A little kanaplex does go a LONG way...

Hmmm. That's up to you! Haha. That's a lot of meds to dose the tank. Could start with food.

I used kanaplex to clear up my last batch. Depends if it's bacterial or not if it will clear up on its own. I had some cories in rough shape, liquid fungus cure treated the fin rot, but once those meds were out, the bacteria progressed. Kanaplex saved em.

I have a fugeray on a 30G bow. Pretty deep tank, and that light caused an algae boom. I almost went with the ray 2, which would have been brutal for my low light plants, and no CO2. I have a marineland double bright on a 55G corner (also tall) and it leaves a couple dark corners, though the shape and lid might be to blame. Never used the Current USA, but have heard great things... Check your PAR data, and what setup you want.

Finnex fugeray.

I have a bunch more sand, I was afraid to put it in until I could secure some MTS. I can't source any locally, so I need to try and get them from Edmonton at some point. Right now I'm hoping my cories and snails turn it over enough. I'll add more sand before adding more plants and see if that helps. I was wondering about potted plants as well. If people just add them with the pot still attached, and then hide the pot with rocks, wood, slate...etc

That messy ball of plant in the middle is a mass of floating plants. They were sunken along the bottom, did a big WC, then they were floating...now they are what they are...haha

Good evening! So, I started fish keeping awhile ago, and always thought that fish were the primary focus in the hobby. Apparently, I was wrong. It's about décor, plants, lights, substrate, temperature, readings...and many more things before the fish. I started a 10 gallon betta and 4 shrimp tank. I added a couple silk plants and a piece of driftwood...quite shortly after, I had 4 dead shrimp. I felt they didn't have enough hiding spaces, so I started to think. I scored some plants off a friend in town here. I got some wisteria and duckweed. I liked the floating look of both. I planted some wisteria, and kept some floating. I then added an amazon sword. I liked it as well, took a long time to get it to root, but I did it! I then ordered more shrimp with some mini pellia and moss balls. The moss is doing well, the pellia has been clinging to life since I got it (it was lost for a week in the mail, with the shrimp). I've now added 2 hunks of java moss and some corkscrew val. This is what the tank looks like below. I feel like it's doing pretty good, and the shrimp, betta (AND SNAILS) seem to all enjoy it SO, I was feeling pretty confident, and decided that I would make a nice looking tank for my sons room. I got a 30G bowfront tank. I used playsand as a substrate, added a hunk of wood, popped in some fish (and cycled media). I went through some hell with the cories (that's a different thread)...but I'm happy with the fish now, and everyone's good. My apistogramma cacatuoids are even raising fry. That being said. I killed xmas moss. I figured it might have been the meds, or crap light. So I got a new finnex fugeray light (super bright!) and BOOM! Algae. everywhere. Brown, Green...etc. My new BN pleco took care of the brown, and a team of snails is currently working on the green (DAMN SNAILS). I got some new plants, purple cabomba and flame moss. I've killed the moss, and having a brutal time keeping these plants in the sand. My angelfish is redecorating I think, as well as plants are just floating away, and dragging others out with them. This tank has become a mess. I'm looking for suggestions. Is playsand a viable substrate? Any good plants that will root well in sand? I don't want to get into CO2 and fertilizers...I'd just like some plants for the fish to play and breed in, and to stop floating at the top! lol

I meant the empty shell looks sort of milky when mine molt... So I was making sure it wasn't just exoskeleton you were seeing. As for temp, I'm told if it's too high (over 80) they 'cook' and become cloudy. Again though, I'm not the pro...just started in the shrimp world. I've been on google a lot...haha

Two questions from me, but I'm by no means a shrimp expert...- you're sure it's not molting? What's your temperature at?