SamH

Yes I often order from fish-street. Always had a good experience, shipping can take up to 2 weeks though.

IME 10L is plenty for a Betta, fancy tail types are actually less stressed when they don't have to swim as far to the surface. Aim to have broad leaved plants (tiger lotus, amazon sword, java fern) for him to rest on.

Start here :gopo:

3 T8s will be plenty. If going with the above plant list I would only run 2 for 6hrs a day or 1 for 10hrs a day. If you want to run 3 (especially on a longer photoperiod) then you will need CO2, liquid fertilisers and faster growing plants. It all depends on the sort of setup you wish to have, low tech (slow growing) or high tech (fast growing).

Fish breeding is a good sign the tank is healthy, well done

:cophot:

The allen key that came with the regulator is for tightening the joint between the regulator body and the sodastream adaptor. You might want to add another O ring in there (should be a small clear one on the outside of the hex hole in the regulator). The trick with the allen key in the sodastream adaptor is that it controls the height of the pin. Each sodastream bottle is a little bit different so you need to find the exact height where the pin will press on the valve. Set it too high and it won't open the valve so no CO2 will come out. Set it too low and it will press on the valve too early releasing CO2 before you can get it sealed up. It's all about finding that sweet spot, one way of doing it (if you're brave) is to put the pin as high as possible, screw the adaptor straight onto the sodastream bottle and use small allen key to tighten it until the CO2 just starts to come out. Some valves are pretty violent though so you could be in for a shock or cold burn on your hands. It's best to lower the valve a little, fit the adaptor to the regulator and then fit the bottle to the adaptor, safely testing if the pin is low enough.

I like to go as shallow as possible at the front (down to less than 10mm if no plants) for aesthetic purposes. I don't believe it stresses the tank much more than having water in it.

I use the last regulator you posted (from Raymond on TradeMe) and find they work well with sodastream cylinders. Getting one without a magnetic solenoid would be a huge hassle, running CO2 is all about timing so you will need to hook it up to an electronic timer. Don't forget to get a CO2 proof check valve and CO2 proof tubing too.

When creating an aquascape we tend to plant taller plants at the back and shorter plants at the front to give a clear view of the whole aquarium. Making the substrate deeper at the back facilitates taller plants. It's also used to create a sense of depth within the aquarium.

:iag:

3 and a half years late but thanks for the offer :lol: Keen for large HM females though.

Great stuff Jen 8)

Aim for the lowest possible substrate at the front of the tank (around 20mm) and slope it up toward the back for a maximum depth of 75mm. Most plants only need 50mm but if you grow monster amazon swords and crypts then the deeper substrate will benefit them.

If you're going to get more schooling fish (and especially if you want to breed them) then get more Black Widows. Schooling fish feel safer in larger schools and the effect it creates is far more powerful than schools of different species.

This one I had a while ago: This one I have now:

That seal will go between the adaptor and the cylinder, not the adaptor and regulator. Use thread tape between the regulator and adaptor if need be.

I've never made my own 4DKH water, I was lucky enough to know an aquarist up the road who gave me half a litre of the stuff he made himself. This seems like the most comprehensive guide out there, could be tricky but definitely essential if you're to measure how much CO2 is dissolved into the water.

I have used several of the first regulator, they work well and if something breaks fish-street is usually pretty good at replacing it. In my experience with sodastream CO2 I found teflon thread tape (99c/roll at Bunnings) to be a life saver. You might need an o-ring or two between the cylinder and adaptor and/or the adaptor and regulator too. Unfortunately sodastream bottles have no tap so troubleshooting them is difficult without spraying CO2 all over the place. Other than that, they're a good entry level CO2 system. As for the check valve, it's best to buy one for CO2, they're a piece of equipment you don't want failing, glass or plastic is fine as long as it says it's designed for CO2 use. Make sure you get a drop checker too to monitor the CO2 levels in your aquarium. I've found UP diffusers (from fish-street), both inline and regular, to be highly effective.

:iag: Currently growing buckets of twisted Val and crypts under a single 18W T8 in a 350mm deep tank, they're great for low tech applications.

No doubt 30 neons could fit in that tank, I once had 80 long fin mountain minnows in the same size tank and they were happy. With smaller fish, social fish like neons, putting larger numbers in smaller tanks isn't an issue so long as you keep on top of the water quality. 50% weekly water changes should do.

Double or triple the amount of neons, it creates a way better effect than 10.

They're nocturnal, for every one you see during the day there's hundreds more buried in the substrate. I think they're beneficial in a planted aquarium but if you don't like them, use the above method or decrease your carbonate hardness so they have difficulty forming shells. I've found almost none in any tank I use pressurised CO2 on.

Or want to move any decor or remove a single plant. I've found JBL Aquabasis under a layer of sand to be effective, as is Seachem Fluorite. There's no substitute for a good aquatic plant base.

It's all about balance, lower light simply means less ferts and less CO2 is required. Use trial and error until you get it right.