sandman

I don't hear alot of talk about undergravel filters these days. Years ago they were everywhere and years ago used them and they seemed to work. The question is then is there any merit in using them again? Would anyone recommend using one in a 100 litre planted tank with 12 Fish?

I have just set up a new tank 120 litre fine black sand a few river stones and a nice piece of drift wood. A good collection of plants and around 6 fish. Two of theses fish are bristle nose plecos. These two arn't big but my do they poo, thy are on that driftwood all the time and that's the poo drift wood. I have a aqua one clearwater h500 but it doesn't seem to clear the stuff out. I have to vacuum every two days which is a pain. Is there anything else I could do to control this other than removing them

After maybe 3 years of work this is how it turned out

Thanks you give me alot to think about, great advice. :gopo:

Can someone give me the lowdown on night lighting for my freshwater tank.What could I use and were would I put them if I had them and how long would you keep them on for.Are they just for viewing the after dark activities of the fish or do they have other applications. Thanks

Thanks for all your help people, my tank and it's population are all good now.Water cleared up two days after my first post so I am happy again.Thanks again :thup:

yes i use a conditioner and yes i gravel vac as well

Thanks for that , water changes about once every 10 days or so then? and about 40 liters at a time or less.Tank size is around 120 liters

tank has been up and running for over a year with no probs.Mountian minnows and plants thats it. power filter is running fine and has under gravel for good measure

every 20 days or so , it often goes cloudy for a night but then clears the next day. Water is not grey or green just a light milky shade

I changed my water a day ago approx 40 liters and the tank has gone cloudy for some reason.It is no different than the last time and the fish are not distressed what could it be????

Thats great thank you all :thup:

Hopefully this is the right area for this question. I found a piece of driftwood in the sea a week or so ago.I want to put it in my fresh cold water tank. Question how long would I need to soak it in fresh water before i place it in the tank.It is not very big,maybe about 500gms dry.It was pretty well soaked in the sea as it wasn't floating much as it was sinking

Thanks for the advice , sounds like a plan.

so you can uplift them once you have cut them?

Yes thats the one

I hav a large clump of ....... which is sending out heaps of runners and i would like to know how to cut them so I can grow more. The name of the plant I can't write as the key on my keyboard won't work but it is named like the second word in our countrys name... please....

I was a bit like you, my tank was a mess to start with.All the plants were covered in this brown muck and the gravel was all brown and yuck, and it didn't look very nice at all.After a while though with alot of water changes, some triming of the plants and about three months have gone by and it now has started to look much better, infact it looks like a river scape and my fish and plants are starting to grow.Time is your friend just let it be for a while and you will see.

Our puppy likes to eat cat poo that it digs up from the garden.I shouldn't think it would be good for it, but when you try to take it of the beast it runs for the hills with the turd it it's chops. YUK

Thank you for that Zev.That link to loaches online was a very interesting read, good info.I have the tank set so it has a good current and plenty of bubbles and the like. The WCMM love it and the loaches do not seem to have any problems yet, so fingers crossed.I have placed some stones out side in a sunny place, so they can go green,hopefully that should keep them happy.Thanks again for answering.

I have just picked up two young borneo suckers.They have been it my tank now for a week, and I am really not to sure if they are feeding or not.I have been putting in spirulina discs in and the flakes that I feed the WCMM's, some fall to the bottom.I have not seen them eat anything from the gravel at all. They do go up and down the glass all the time, and I have seen waste hanging out of there behinds, so they must be getting something.Do they feed at night when the lights are out? Or am I just not looking at the right times?

I found that anchoring it makes it rot, it doesn't like being clumped together.In time it will anchor itself but it tends to be weak.The weed itself is strong and the goldfish don't really maul it too much.

I found that taking weed from the river next to Western Springs and putting it into a small tank with a couple of guppys, the weed grows well enough that I am able to harvest enough to keep my comets in salad and not have to go fishing in the river every month for more weed. The only problem I have found is that the weed is alive with snails, but comets eat anything.

Thanks snowman, I will try that.

Thanks Stella google was helpful.It did say that a increase in light would help.Would that be a increase in light hours or a increase in the tube size.At the mo I have the smallest wattage tube, and it is on for 8 hours.