whetu

A lot of stem plants get their nutrients from the water column rather than the substrate, so if you like the look they will grow well as floating plants. In my experience hygro and ambulia will both grow indefinitely as floating plants. Depending on what look you're going for, you could plant the base of both plants, then just leave the tops to grow longer and longer until they cover the surface of the water.

Yep, sounds like a combo that would be fine together. Just make sure everyone has plenty of places to hide so they're not over-stressed. The pleco and the loaches both occupy the substrate level of the tank, so they will need space to move around, but neither of them will be aggressive. I am assuming this tank is something with a large base, rather than something tall and narrow.

I found flourish excel for BBA didn't work long-term. I now have three black line flying foxes (siamese algae eaters) in my tank and they're fantastic at keeping it under control. Try the flourish excel first, but keep the siamese algae eaters in mind if that doesn't work. As for the oily scum, make sure you're really diligent with keeping up with your water changes.

Sounds like there might be a lot of sediment in the pond, which is being stirred up into the water column by the movement of the fish? Is the murkiness brownish or greenish? (If greenish it could be an algae bloom.) In my opinion a filter would be the most effective option, and will also help to keep the aeration up, especially during the warmer summer weather. You can buy products that help to clump the particles together and make them drop to the bottom of the pond, but I usually prefer physical solutions rather than chemical intervention, so personally I would go with the filter.

ummm... aren't those youtube clips just how we drive every day on the road? At least, that's how I drive. :evil: Watch out world, here I come!

I only use them just before I'm going to do a water change. I put the frozen cube in one of those cones that sticks onto the tank glass and has holes in it. As the cube thaws the fish can suck the worms out through the holes. Blood worms are one of the most popular foods when i use them (which is rarely). Theye is a complete feeding frenzy as soon as the cube goes in, and it doesn't stop until every last worm has gone. Then I do the water change.

Hi Jaide, why should lettuce be blanched before putting it in the aquarium? I prefer to just rinse vegetables and put them straight in (weighed down to stop them floating away).

Two dead fish sounds like something might be broke, snookie!

These are good questions and might help to identify the problem. The Stress Zyme might come in useful if it turns out to be a cycling problem (as far as I know it's a product designed to kick-start the cycle by adding beneficial bacteria).

Hmm... my first thought with pH dropping is driftwood, but a piece that size shouldn't make too much of a difference in that volume of water (unless it is rotting). My second thought is decomposing waste - either under the gravel or in the filter - but it doesn't look like that is an issue either. What effect does Flourish Excel have on pH? I know pH can drop dramatically in a soft-water tank if CO2 is added via other methods (ie injected from a tank or using a yeast reactor). Does anyone know if the available carbon in Flourish Excel might have a similar effect?

Mine loved the kiwifruit I put in there - but I left it too long and it made the water all cloudy then stimulated a green water crisis! Beware of leaving high-sugar foods in the tank too long, or putting too much in at once. Try out all kinds of fruit and vegetables on your fish. Each time you're eating some, but a little aside and see if your fish will like it. Mine love anything green and leafy (eg lettuce, spinach). They also devour corn (another high-sugar food), peas, brown rice, courgette etc. For some reason they don't seem to eat carrot. Cautions: 1) Make sure the veges have not been cooked in oil. Just use them raw, blanched, steamed or boiled. 2) Keep an eye on the food and take it out before it falls apart. 3) Brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli) give off a toxin from damaged cells to deter insects from eating them. Only feed these in small quantities to ensure the toxins don't poison the fish.

I don't know specifically whether fresh vegetables serve a nutritional purpose, but I think they probably do. Like humans, the more variety of food and the more fresh/live food, the better in my opinion. Also there is the psychological benefit of giving the fish some new experiences - new tastes, textures, smells, and new problems to solve. I think even fish deserve mental stimulation in their lives.

Just remember if you boil it you will make it break down much faster. Lettuce in particular is mostly water so will collapse when you cook it. I had an outbreak of bad bushy black algae a few months ago so I scrubbed then boiled my wood, then put it in the microwave and zapped it. About a week after putting it back in the tank the nasty stuff had started growing back. :evil: When the end of the world comes, all that will survive is cockroaches and BBA. :roll:

Sounds like this might be a cycling issue. It's quite likely you have high ammonia and/or nitrite in your water. Do you have test kits for these? If not, take a sample of your water to the pet store and ask them to test it for you. Then post the results here - we will be happy to help. Meanwhile do a large water change (about 50%) but do not do anything else to clean the tank - especially do not clean out the filter. As Caper asked, I'm keen to know what you do when you clean out the tank. Apart from the water change do you clean the gravel, filter, ornaments, etc? It's possible you're being too clean - especially in a tank that has only been set up for a few weeks. When you transferred everything over from the old tank did you give them all a big clean? It's tempting to do so, but again too much cleaning might be the culprit!

Actually there are only two possibilities: you either win or lose, therefore you have a 50/50 chance. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: That's what I choose to believe anyway :lol:

You'll soon know when it's time to take it out - it will go kind of dark and wilty-soft and look like it's about to start falling apart. Good idea to feed your fish some fresh greenery. My barbs love it.

Alan has identified the two key points: - Spread the load - Stick close to the joists Putting the tank close to a load-bearing wall is a good way to ensure the tank is close to a part of the floor that can withstand the load. The wooden floorboards are nailed down onto the joists, so by looking at the nail pattern in your floor you will be able to map the pattern of joists.

Thanks Stella - I'm not a paid-up member so I will look forward to receiving my first ever magazine! Writing an article is a small price to pay for that privilege! I've been experimenting with the egg over the last few days. Nutrafin micro granules work really well in it. And the naughty bristlenoses have learned how to get more than their fair share! Their sucking power gives them an unfair advantage because they just latch their mouths over one of the holes and SLLLUUURRPP out all the food. Now they've got me thinking again how I can foil them...

That's a good idea Stella. It would be a very short write-up (in fact it would say exactly what I said above) but a pic could make it a bit more interesting. How and to whom do I submit an article?

Yeah that was what gave me the idea. Years ago I had a friend who had a kunikuni pig and she used to put those dried catfood biscuits in a ball with holes in it. The pig used to push the ball around with his nose to make the biscuits fall out through the holes. Actually I think the fish like to make their pet human so some thinking. I'm always looking for new challenges to keep the fishes' lives interesting. Sometimes I wonder who's in charge around here! :lol:

My clowns have their fins crossed for you, crazyzoo! Sounds like you have a good setup there, and the larger loaches should be fine in it.

Ok Ira share with us - what would you have done with $30 million? Specifically, what would your $29.5 million fish tank look like?

Yeah last week I told my partner "We won lotto!" I obviously didn't sound hysterical enough because he just sighed and waited. We won $31.

And it also depends on how the load is distributed over the floor area. If your tank stand has four legs and all the weight is on those legs, then there will be a massive weight on the spot of floor right under each leg. If your stand has a good structure of horizontal and vertical bracing, ending with a large base area, there will be less strain on the floor. It sounds like your underfloor is nice and accessible. Go down there and check that everything is structurally sound - no rot or insect damage. Then take a photo of the area under where you plan to put the tank, and post it on here along with measurements between each of the floor joists. Also take a photo of the base of your tank stand. We will soon tell you what action you will need to take to make everything safe.

Actually I'm quite glad five people got 6 million each, rather than one person getting the whole lot. I mean really who needs $30 million? Unfortunately I didn't get any of it. :roll: LOL I bet every single person on this site had already planned their dream tank in great detail. Mine was the size of a swimming pool, solar heated, and had one glass side so I could view it from my underground fish room. :lol: Everyone from here would have been invited to come over and swim with the fishes. :bounce: Oh well maybe next time.