Jennifer

If you really must add salt, maybe you can try adding the salt in a net just before a water change. That will give you all the benefits of a brief dip without the long lasting exposure.

That's a great song - thanks for reminding me of that. Makes me remember being a small child as my mum partied hard in the 70's. :oops: I added it to my workout playlist. Next thing you know I will be listening to Steve Miller. :roll:

I suspected as much...trying to grow some more plants are we? 8)

The diffusers you have are excellent P44. They are small and they work brilliantly. In fact, I have several!

Wow, that tank looks great!! ....nice fish too. 8)

Lack of pressure shouldn't damage the frit. The pores on the frit vary in size depending on what it will be used for and in the case of gas diffusion, the pores are quite small so if anything, excess pressure would damage it. The diffusion pressure of the gas and the atmospheric pressure on the other side of the frit both are issues that affect the diffusion. With most DIY setups the CO2 gas pressure builds up to a point that it begins to diffuse through the frit. Whether the bottle is set up to withstand that pressure is another issue altogether.

Metronidazole is a prescription-only medication so you can only legally get it at a pharmacy or veterinary clinic. It comes in a tablet as well as a liquid suspension but as I have said before, it is not very soluble in water so the medication quickly settles out - the suspension needs to be shaken very well before it is administered. Salt dips stimulate the mucous cells in the fish's skin and concentrated baths can help to dislodge external parasites (including mouth and gill parasites) but it will not treat intestinal worm burdens. Concentrated salt solutions (over 3%) should not be used long term in true freshwater fish as it can cause dehydration and predispose the fish to dropsy over time (usually as a result of kidney failure).

I used to use the Eheim type on discus fry tanks and they worked well, including the fan but I fed mostly pellets so there wasn't really an issue with clumping flake anyway. :roll: These are very cheap in the states (around $30 new). Not sure why there are 4 times that price here...

A large clean chilly bin makes a good holding 'tank' as do large plastic storage bins and most good heaters will be fine and not overheat a smaller volume (take care to ensure the heater does not touch the plastic sides of the bin). No need for a filter, just carry out daily water changes if you can.

Check the tank temperature.

I have a lot of different types of anubias, all with good light, and they throw about one leaf per week or two. The leaves come from the centre (the tip) of the main stem.

Grrr, I clearly was in a hurry when I wrote that. :roll: Yes, on both accounts that they could be eaten. They certainly are succulent enough to make a nice salad. My metynnis would mow through anything I put in the tank but this was over 10 years ago so I can't really recall what plants I sacrificed to them.

Test it. Fill a bucket, any size, with the water you use for a water change, then add a dose of the water conditioners and test it after a few hours and again in the morning. If there is no ammonia spike then it must be in the tank and have little or nothing to do with the water you are adding.

Both of those have pretty succulent leaves so my guess would be 'yes' on both accounts.

+1 The ammonia may be visible on the test kit but it should be neutralised from causing harm; however, if there has been some sort of chemical instability with the water conditioner, that neutralisation process might be inhibited. That would be an awful lot of chlorine to cause that much of an ammonia spike though...a bit of a long shot but it might pay to get some fresh stuff and see how that goes. I also wondered about the substrate, and about what the council has put in the water recently. That snail migration is a bit alarming.

Perhaps, but your 'sprightliness' is yet to be proven! 8)

:lol:

Don't listen to P44. 8) We all have our preferences. Do what you like! White silica will be fine, just use JBL fert balls and the plants will go brilliantly well. As with any enriched substrate, uprooting will cause excess nutrients in the water column (and usually some amount of cloudy water) so be warned if you ever plant to move the plants.

Yes, mine grows very compact and the purple is just amazing.

This day is a logistical nightmare. I've got fish and people coming and going all day! I was thinking of something later (not too late, mind you), just a little visit. What time is the exec meeting due to finish?

Common? Well, I haven't seen it around until recently. John at Organism had some - he is good at getting some unusual plants though.

The loaches will be fine as a cleanup crew, just get more of them if you are worried about it. 8) +1 about Dalton's, although plants will actually grow fine in most substrates. No need to over think it, just get what you like.

+1 IMO if you are wanting to do a good planted tank, stock it with fish that will facilitate that goal. You could always just have another tank for the geos.

Yeah, that looks like it. Your top photo doesn't show the amazing purple colour of the new leaves that mine has (maybe its the photo) but it does have the same leaf shape and starburst arrangement. One of my favourite plants ever.

Fun begins on Friday the 4th...for reasons that shall remain off-topic. I propose we start the celebration Friday evening at the Dux de Lux (maybe I picked there because they have a tank.... :roll: ). Anyone keen?