Susi

I don't have a second tank, so I will go out and get some more plants and see if that helps. I'll also stop using the flourish and only use it once a week.

the plants have not been growing very well over the past 2 month or though. I've about 6 different types at the moment. I'm not to good with plant names. But I know I've got hairgrass, brazilia, a big bunch anubis, ambulia, baby tears and some sort of tall steam plant - sorry for my spelling!

-180l Tank -3 Clown Loaches -2 Cory Catfish -2 Burneo Sucker -4 Glass Cats -7 Rummy Noses -1 Golden Bristelnose -1 Black Ghost Knife -Temp. 25C -PH around 6.8 - 7 -Ammonia 0 -25 -50% Waterchange every 2 weeks [weekley over last month due to algae] -2x 6800K 30W [10hr per day] -1x 1400K 30W [10 hr per day] -Nutrafin CO2 System -Via Aqua 230 filter -Airpump with 2 Airstones and one Aircurtain -feeding fish every 2 days Over the past 4-6 weeks the glass of the tank has been covered in green alge, whenever I clean the glass with a magnet or do a waterchange, it apears within 36-48 hours. I use 20ml of Flourish Exel every other day and also used Algae Cleaner [science Products] after the last waterchange. I thought the tank may got to much sunlight during the day, so I have closed the blinds for the past week every day, but it did not seem to make a difference. Can anybody tell me what to do to get rid of this problem? Thank you, Susi

Just got back from shopping! I got a CO2 system (Nutrafin), 40kg dark gravel, aquatic potting mix and peat moss ( they only seel that in huge bags. I'll never use all that, si if anyone needs some I'm happy to give it away!) I also found a pot of hair grass at the garden center, $12.95 for the whole pot! Then I went to the warehouse and got two 60l plastic bins with wheels and lit for $10 each - so I should be able to keep as much water as possible. I got some stress coat as well. Oh and a tin of blackboard paint. So think I'm pretty much sortet. I'll do some more reading tonight and will start tomorrow or monday. I have yet to tell my other half what I'm going to do... Matt - so you are saying 1 cm gravel then mix potting mix and peat moss, and then cover it with 4cm gravel? So do I still need fertilizer? I looked at laterite, but that is sooo expensive.... 2 more questions I almost forgot to aks! Jansens have some cool driftwood in some of there tanks for sale. What do I have to do with it (some of the tanks down there have some pretty disgusting algae in them) Boil it? For how long? Also for rocks, shops charge about $2 per piece - can I just go out and find my own and boil them? cheers, susi

No I haven't, but it sounds like a good idea to place the fertilizer only where you want it - to me anyway :roll:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Lifestyle/Pets ... 429732.htm Hi just wondering if that would be a good buy and if it is nessecary to have? Susi

I have used JBL florapol before, I should have read the instructions...it says your should mix it with unwashed gravel and then cover it with 4-6cm of gravel. Well I mixed it into wet gravel and did not cover it well enough - my poor fish! Luckily all survived but 1 molly. Anyway, I'd much rather use something different. I'll go the the LFS tomorrow and see what's available. There seem to be soooo many options available and as an almost newbie I just don't know what to use. But that Laterite sounds good, so does the clay...I'll do some more reading I think. cheers, susi

Thank you so much for all your advice, it has been very helpful. I will go for a CO2 Hagan, maybe one to start of with and then if need I'll get a 2nd unit. For the fertilizer I'm still not 100% convinced about the under gravel products. At the moment I think I might just use JBL 7 Balls. But I see, maybe I will give that powder stuff another go - but the memory of that last disaster is still very fresh! DriverJohn, I have got 2 flying foxes, a Borneo sucker and a black-eyed bristelnose to control the algae. Also in the tank are 4 clowns, 3 albino corys, 4 glass cats and a blackghost knife. I'm not 100% sure what plants I'll use at this stage. As for the water conditions, all I have been testing so far is ph. But I’ll get a kit for ammonia and nitrite as well. I will shoot to the Warehouse tomorrow and have a look at the plastic bins; and adding stress coat sounds logical to me. I really like the idea of black airline tubing, but I have never seen that. Maybe because I've never looked though. Is it quite common? Oh and I meant to ask, what is peat moss? Thanks again for all your help!

I used a whole pot of 'under gravel' fertilizer on wet gravel and I did not cover it well enough either... I took about 4 days till I could see my fish again and about 2 weeks and a lot of headaches to get the water clear again! Even now every time I vaccum the gravel that stuff still comes up. Will a liquid fertilizer be enough?

Hello all, I am planning to give my tank a new look, as I'm not too happy with mine anymore. I think I did to much browsing on the net and saw to many cool things and what can be done to tanks...now I want to try it myself. But I do have some questions before I start. I have a 180l community tank. I do think I have lots of plants, but prefer a much more denser planted tank with nice and healthy looking plants. My fish collection is so far complete, now I would like to concentrate on plants and aqua scaping. I feel my plants could all look a little healthier and with less algae (green-blue-black spots) on them. I wonder if I should invest in a CO2 system. I would not want to make one myself but go and buy one. Any recommendations? What do I have to watch out for if when using CO2 and fish? I currently have 3 3foot light tubes (2 daylight and 1 pink one, 30W each) Is that enough? What type of fertiliser would you recommend? I am happy to try anything except that stuff you put underneath the gravel. I do have a very bad experience with that. I'm planning on transfer fish and tank water in plastic bins, together with the heater and pump. How long can they stay in the bins - 24hr? I also want to paint the back wall (outside) of my tank black. What kind of paint shall I use and how long should I wait till i can transfer fish, water and plants safe back into the tank? To prevent algae from return in the new set up I thought of boiling? the current driftwood and rocks - good idea or not necessary? (Algae in the tank at the moment is not too bad, but I find it a little annoying) I also want to change my gravel. Is it okay to use new gravel and not cycle the tank? I'm planing on using 50% new water and 50% 'old' tank water? Would that be okay? I very much appreciate all your help, Susi

Has anybody had succes breeding albino corys? How do you sex them?

cool, thanks for all your ideas! I've tried the cardboard but it did get wet and started to look bad. I might try the waterproofed paint on it or give the polystyrine a try. thanx heaps

Hi all, we where so exited about setting our new tank up that we forgot to paint the back of it... Any idea how to attach something on it without moving the tank? (we couldn't move it anyway as it is a little heavy with 180l and 30kg of gravel ) I know paint would be ideal but how does that stick on stuff work? We want to have it black. Between the back of the tank and the wall is a space of about 9.5cm

I got 2 rainbows today, they where sold to me as madgasia rainbows, I can't find anything on the net about them. Is that a spelling error and should it be madagascar rainbow instead? cheers, susi

That article was very informative! Has anyone tried the bleaching method? It sounds quite drastic, but I imagine it would help. But how high is the risk in getting bleach into the tank afterwards?