DennisP

Hi.

Well... Turns out parents had planned a trip to the gold coast since about june/july... without us finding out... So yup, thats what this mystery turned out to be. Got back and I have a new love for my firemouths! I must have forgotten to turn on the filter/heater before we left and came back to 18 degree and almost stagnant water (STINKY!) but my 2 FMs are fine! Did a water change just now and will do a big one tomorrow... Just thought I'd share.

What I've found with lots of hiding spots is... (especially with those hidey BGKs) When there is lots, they hide lots. When there are few, they are much more bold. Since you moved them, they're probably nervous and they can hide very easily so they probably wont come out for a while. :lol:

Nice! Congratz :lol:

I quite like keyhole cichlids. They're pretty cool.

Pretty much. They're very small. About 1cm across, and almost triangular in shape I find. Looks kinda funky tbh. :lol:

I read on some site that there are a few types of riccia. It said something along the lines of only 'japanese riccia' which T. Amano uses grows well attached to things. Not sure if its true or not, or what we have here. So.. ... I'd say no.

They don't live in much bigger in pet shops so I assume it'd be fine. As long as they can move mostly any tank for 2 weeks would work. Make sure there is a lot of swimming space though. EG: no big driftwood. (Maybe floating plants if timid.)

Sand??? If it was out of the tank, then its a mixture of the crust peeling/contracting, dust and all those other things floating in the air. My driftwood looked like that for a while.

I would assume the one in the right of the center. :lol:

Shouldn't fish be able to handle such a pH swing in the wild? So why not in a tank???

This sunday. Horrible people they are.

Well... ... ... ... WHAT COULD THIS POSSIBLY MEAN!? She wont tell me. Also, got 2 Firemouths for now.

:evil: What then?! I want something affordable, nice and "not ur usual"

New rocks. Just a few hours before fish come home! Will arrange that rock pile so they are more horizontal. Looks a bit odd.

Shhh.. I'm sleepy.

Basically only reason you water change is to remove ammonia. You can do this with about 10-20% WC. The more you remove, the more you remove good bacteria which could potentially lead to a spike in ammonia which is bad, and in a small tank, conditions can change QUICK. I do about 10-20% each week. Mostly just 1 or 2 buckets full over the week. More frequent changes > 1 big one. ^^^ Just incase you didn't know. As for the question, I'd say about 50/50 should be fine.

Thanks, yeah, should be interesting... Might have to add more sand if needed. As for the scape, its pretty sturdy so it wont fall over. (hopefully)

Yes, I am back! No need for any welcomes or anything. Doesn't algae LOVE your holidays?! 2 tanks SPOTLESS and clear of algae, 1 recently set up, the other reasonably well established, BOTH now full of brown, thread algae. (Haven't ID yet). THERE ISN'T EVEN ANYTHING IN THE BIG TANK AND HASN'T BEEN FED FOR A WEEK! Also, its very dirty... STUPID STUPID ALGAE. I actually yelled when I first saw it! :evil: :roll: More importantly though, brought back some nice rocks which blend in well with the tank. They all seem to blend in better after they've been in there for a week. Will update pictures soon after water settles and also I can be bothered. Tomorrow is the big day! The fish will be bought tomorrow! But not without a sacrifice (more than $$$)... ... stupid minor operation on my big toes after stupid friend decided to jump on them... grumble grumble grumble... Thought I'd share my arrival home as I'm sure others have had such experiences too.

-Apistos -Cories -tetras of sorts -Killies?

Sounds more complicated and expensive than necessary for my circumstances. :lol:

If I can get it dark enough, I will add tannins. Only if its dark enough though so it doesn't look like tea...

Thats actually a good Idea. But they cost like $80 per reflector don't they?

I've got some Riccia in there atm. Could do with some more though. I'm so impatient. :lol:

Exactly.