Yes, I do a 50% water change about once per week and I vacuum up as much solid debris about every other day. Plus, I get a lot of assistance in "cleaning" the glass and everything else in the water from three mystery snails. I am using TWO sponge filters and they get a good wringing out each week ...

Please keep us up to date as to how she's doing, yes?
I hope it all works out.

-Baba

I KNOW this is quite basic, but still I need some help on how to raise the total alkalinity in my 10 gallon community freshwater tank. I have three Cory aneaus', three Cory pandas and ONE male Betta plakat. All tests seem fine with the exception of the "alkalinity" (or Buffering Capacity) which ...

Hi Everyone! Its been exciting here on Cape Cod with my fish tank. I have cory anaeus (spelling???) and yesterday early morning I awoke to see them spawning! :-O I had been being very careful lately with checking the water quality and I guess that did it! Finally they "got down to business". However ...

Thanks Mats.....So, I won't waste my money then. But what do you think about my adding the use of a powerhead and maybe a carbon flter or canister filter? What do you use? What would you recommend for cory cats along with bettas?

Thank you for your help. I do know that the fish that I have like a more acidic water type....but what IF i wanted to try out African ciclids that like a higher pH?
Would I just need to use a regular does of something like "Malawi/Victoria Buffer"??

I just did a water test strip:
*Nitrate is 20ppm *Nitrite is 0ppm *GH is 25ppm *Chlorine is 0ppm *KH is only 40ppm *pH is 6.2

My water hardness (KH) seems to always be from 0 to 80ppm, but I know that it should be 120-180ppm. How do I increase it? Just by using that "pH UP,pH DOWN" or maybe a ...

Has anyone here had any positive results from using a substrate/gravel cleaner along WITH their sponge filter? I am looking into two brands of this liquid in order to "speed up biological breakdown of toxic organic waste and to clarify the aquarium water"- one brand is called, "Liquid Gravel Vac ...

Yes, I agree....can you give some specs? You have a beautiful set-up there and I'd love if mine could look just half as nice. I have a great interest in the planted aquarium! I'd love to have a complete ecosystem in there, if I could. So, yes, anymore specific information on your set-up would be ...

Okay- I HAVE to ask: just HOW do you get such great pictures of the fish in your tank??
Mine never come out very well, at all.
-Baba

I hadnt thought of that, really! I just assumed that each species stuck to their own. No? Okay, good to know. I do have more tanks, I guess I can move the albino(s) into another 10 gallon tank. Thanks for the advice!!! -Baba

Hello everyone, how's everybody doing? I'm a bit stressed out. See, I have Multiple Sclerosis and have a fair amount of cognitive dysfunction- memory lapses being the most problematic in the last year or so. Anyway, last week, I checked my tank, and found I was short one albino cory! I freaked out ...

Thanx for your reply, Calicocat! With what would I treat the eggs? And how would I do that? Would I just put the fungal treatment into the entire 10 gallon tank? Also, do you think that if I put in a lot more plants and hiding places, the betta may stop his "teasing"??? (He doesnt do it often, but ...

Thank you very much for the picture of the Brochis splendens (or what I've been calling an emerald catfish). I can rule out that one since the length of my fish's dorsal fin is much shorter (I can only count about 7 rays that end abruptly), although that fish's coloring is VERY close to mine.

So ...

Yes, I am confused! No one can seem to tell me the difference between a Bronze Cory and an Emerald Cory. Sorry for such a dumb question as I am sure this is very basic, but then again....I am quite new to catfish.

Can anyone help clear up my confusion???

Thank you very much, Baba

Hello everyone! For a few years now I have had bettas (Plakats, not the long-finned splendens that everyone knows), and for the past 8-9 months or so, I have had my plakat in a 10 gallon tank with 5 albino cories and three emerald green cories (two smaller males and one fat female). Anyway, they all ...