Sophia

:thup:

Yes they are all in there. Histrionica I really like but don't have a big enough tank. One day it will happen though.

From point 1 - you have suggested this before and I haven't done it as I like to gravel vac up the most obvious poop from the front of the tank once a week. Thinking on this I can put off WC to once a fortnight but changing some every day would be less likely to succeed as it wouldn't get done on days I would forget or not have time. But I do like that sparkly clean look so I will keep pondering. Point 2 - what do you suggest re adding nutrients? If there is something in particular you recommend and a frequency I will give it a go. Point 3 - I think that the ambulia took off when the crypts melted. I had done a gravel vac and disturbed them and trimmed and replanted the ambulia. Then it seemed like over a couple of weeks it all took off like when I was doing a lot of fertilising. So perhaps I had reached the point of too many plants for nutrients just before the melt. Why does the top quarter of only some of the twisted val get the algae and only a few threads of hair in a few places? Is it just a matter of time before it creeps elsewhere?

Josh did you dress up as a pirate?

Please see what you think of my now-established low tech tank and if any tweakings can/should be made to banish algae and/or tell me if I am being too much of a perfectionist. Over the past couple of months there has been slowly growing a few threads of hair algae in the christmas moss area on the right, very minimal but noticeable to my beady eye. A month ago I removed the threads by hand, it's taken this long for 1 thread to grow back. In the top quarter of the tank in some of the twisted val and the needle java fern there are small patches of either staghorn or blackbeard tufts. Again, you wouldn't see them unless you are looking for them, which of course I am. There is green spot algae on the glass that needs to be removed every couple of weeks. Specifications: This morning I did some tests after not having done so for months and for the first time ever there has been an almost zero nitrate reading. Nitrite and ammonia also zero. Tank has 1x 14000K T5 8 watt tube. Lights are on from 1pm to 7pm. Little or no sunlight in this room, the tank is quite dim when lights are off. Inside glass measurement: 26.5cm front to back, 28cm base to water level, 49cm long. Stocking - 8 celestial pearl danio and 2 fry - 1 oto deceased a week ago. There will be one algae eater of some sort at a later date. Plants - lots, though for a month+ no crypts as they melted, now growing back fast. Ferts - JBL balls in substrate that are still alive, occasional dosing of flourish comprehensive. Water changes once a week, usually around 4-5 litres

how much lighting have you got in there? the loach book says they prefer subdued lighting, which is what mine have, though they are active at the shop and it's bright in there.

I think they all get a mention and there are some good photos

I am dedicated to my loaches :slfg: in other news, leaving the water to settle overnight has done nothing, I still can't see through so am going to put the filter in with filter wool instead of it's sponge and see if that sucks out more of the crap. this exercise is taking much longer than it should have and is messing up the lounge :an!gry

So the tank is 53cm long (external) by 25cm high but I'm calling it 22-23 because of the substrate, and it's 33 from front to back. That makes it about 38-39 litres of water. After thinking some more I can't bring myself to put the cories in there as I'd still rather have more loaches, maybe get 3 more so there are 7.

You mean it says Josh,LikesFish? :sml2: I saw your friend the fire eel today, all I could think of was that his name was Ernie after Henward's. Also I like the ghostknives, they are going on the list for the day I have a big tank.

am having thoughts about moving my pygmies back in to this tank again after the move is done, then at least I can see them when they aren't hiding... then I could use the tank in the garage for breeding something that will actually breed. hmmm. 45 litres for 7 pygmies, 4 loaches, 7 rasbora and a shrimp... I daren't check the tank stocking calculator :facepalm: 'YOU SHOULD ADD MORE FILTRATION!' it said

lefthanded

Cut my hair again, this time it's short-short .... phew I feel normal again, long and mid length hair was not for me 8) In other news I began the transition from small loach tank to less-small loach tank but in transferring the sand from tank to tank the water has gone white-cloudy and I can't see anything in order to arrange the plants. So the loaches are going to spend the night in the chilly bin in the hope that the water settles by tomorrow. :spop:

icanseeLiamisatitagain :sml2:

typicalLiamandhislongwords

true... start making a shopping list then hahaha :digH:

put it off till end of August and any unclaimed bits lent to us for the Expo can just get moved straight into your shed :sml1:

I haven't used it for ages but I do remember it has a less invasive smell.

I've only ever seen it in chemists and health food type stores.

Written by Loaches Online people, get em while they're hot.... Auckland ordered 3 copies, 1 is at my house already and 2 are still available for loan: :bounce:

for me dwarf sag is not very dwarf, compared to hairgrass it's half way to being as long as twisted val. I have some echinodorus tenellus tenellus and that is more like a dwarf dwarf sag, my biggest plants have leaves that are about 10cm long. You're welcome to come and have a look and see if you like it. Or you can find a photo of it in my old killiefish tank thread too.

I forget the actual measurements now, about 53cm long and has a total of about 45 litres so I could keep all the same fittings. It's a Monster-Nano 8)

After the visit from the plumber the tank appears to have stopped leaking and the water is heating as normal now so fingers crossed whatever it was is fixed. Will know for certain when the power bill arrives.

minor

So this weekend is Loacharama Moving House. The last of my new plants have arrived so will be swapping them to their new slightly larger tank. I will offend them significantly by putting them in a chilly bin while the move occurs but that's the price to pay for a bigger bedroom. Photographic update afterwards, before the crypts melt.