phoenix44

All the more for them to chew on.

Oh that's good. My pair is much happier now that he is not in the tank. 30 mins, once a week :happy2: That's what it takes to do a water change, crop and do the ferts etc.

Awesome! They are quite nice!

I have a fluval M 200W and it hasn't broken. I know luke lost a couple, but I don't think it's the norm for them to break. Then again I first recommend the eheims/jagers to clients, friends and those who seek advice. The old fluvals are no longer available and so you basically choose between the M series and the E series. You don't want to buy an M unless looks are paramount to you. It is more expensive than the eheim and not worth it. The E series is also great, but when you can get an eheim for the same price I don't get why you would buy one. It's blingy but I'd rather have an eheim. Also I'd rather buy a second hand eheim over a new sunsun or aqone or other such brand. Then again it's important for us to understand that for $18 it is quite implausible to get a jager or fluval or even a renaFor some the $18 risk-return trade off might be worth it.

I just added more comprehensive at that time and CO2 and the staghorn was banished. You don't get it. That staghorn was single handedly the most devastating thing that happened to this tank. I lost almost all my fish overnight when I tried killing it. I never want any thing like that to happen again, so at this point I'd just rather not mess with too many things and risk it all. I'll monitor the levels and all but seeing as I have only just added the nitrate yesterday I'll have to see how things go.

:happy2: Thanks! Glad to see you guys actually like the tank I feed all my fish a very vast and varied diet ranging from mossies, mossie larvae, insects like flies etc etc and mainly colourbits and JBL discus pellets. They also get bloodworms and that fish tucker made by that australian fish food company. The bottom feeders and plecos get JBL pleco tabs, hikari pleco tabs, courgette, prawns, shrimp tabs, potato, cucumber, fish, tetra bottom feeder tabs, tetra vege tabs and bloodworms. Basically I feed them a lot of different things hoping that they stay healthy because of a varied diet. Get some! I have 50 now I think! Cardinals are awesome and they do not dart about like rummy noses. Plus cardinals would 'fit in' with your theme!

Ok so I bought a phosphate and Nitrate test kit. Nitrate = 10ppm Phosphate = 0.5 - 1ppm. I do not want to increase these levels any more / fix what isn't necessarily broken. :nilly:

That's Australia.

or.. stuff the africans! :lol: AND get some real fish. Geos, Firemouths, Electric Blue Jack Dempsey etc. You want them. :happy1:

Tropheus are so much cooler! Smidey has some nice ones for sale. BUY THOSE! :nilly:

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo If you really do want africans, get only tangs and shellies. Nothing else!

Yeah, just the stock standard bloodworms. They're not animates bloodworms - the company doesn't own them. I used to get these really nice aq. one premium bloodworms. They were good, but cant get them here now. Plus a worm is a worm, as long as I'm not eating it, it doesn't really matter. :dunno: !drool:

Any thing over 18W I think will be fine, but really - you don't NEED a UV sterilizer. I have one of those big 24W ones and all it does it sit outside the tank. Only get a UV if you have a specific need for it. Probably good to have one on hand but don't run it 24/7; there is no need. Have a good WC regime and filtration system instead.

:lol: It's either that or I'll be poking the bird in the face. At least the fish are used to being troubled if they want to eat! :nilly: Vivaldi is all good! I was hunting for a different one, but then I figured I had about three and a half minutes of video to fill haha. doddle - there would be over 100 fish in there. 50+ cardinals on their own. I like not being able to see all the fish all the time, so its nice to have lots of hiding places in the tank with silly fish popping their heads out once in a while.

I do a minimum of 12 hour photoperiods.

Just filmed a short video of my tank this evening. Tell me what you think!

There is no comparing hi-tech to low-tech no matter what the fert regime. I have all the hi-tech equipment so it was pointless doing anything low tech.

I did on my crypt tank when I reduced the lighting to a 6500K CFL. Switched it back now.

No... Week of Dec 11 (or the week before) was the last day I used comprehensive. Then I think Dec 18 is when I dosed with the macros I mixed up. First nitrate mix went in yesterday morning. Basically I've been doing the whole - I can beat flourish comprehensive routine. Also; I have no test kits :lol: I should go and either get a master test kit or take some water to animates. On a side note that means that plant I've grown for Adrienne has taken exactly 10 days to grow from when the flower first appeared I'll have to email you in a while.

I'm trialling my ferts remember? Haven't used any ferts except for what I've told you about since we corresponded last week.

Yes.

Whole bunch of whiptails, some apistos for simon, and an apisto for me :lol:

Today would be a good day to come and get some of that media / filter water!

should be able to get a sony dsc something-or-the-other in that price range. Can't really go wrong with them.