Recent content by docbanzai

My tigers sometimes zoom to the surface to grab floating food but I tend to mix a small amount of flake food with Nutrafin complete micro granules which slowly sink whilst the flake floats and is accessable to the surface feeders. Also try bloodworm or community mix frozen foods as they sink as...

That is a good filter without doubt. Why did you feel the need to get an external? I only ask as I have Juwel tanks myself.

I'm sure you're feeding them OK. Barbs are greedy and it seems to be part of their nature. I feed mine twice a day with a small pinch of dried food and around twice a week with frozen 'community mix', brine shrimp and bloodworm (which they love) and seem very happy with this. I occasionally...

Which external filter have you 'upgraded' to?

Yes when the cycle is complete nitrIte is still produced from ammonia and converted to nitrAte. Therefore nitrIte will be consumed as fast as it is created (thus showing zero visible nitrIte) and nitrAte levels will continue to rise as there is nothing to remove nitrAte (this is where the water...

I agree. I am sure that there are many fishkeepers who are more than happy with their biOrbs. I can only speak of MY experience with them. I purchased a 60L tank that was supposed to be suitable for tropical fish and found it unacceptable for that use. I felt the same way when I bought the...

NitAtes will go sky-high, this is normal. The cycle is complete when Amm & NitrItes drop to zero. Then do the big water change (to remove the nitrAte) then add fish.

Hi, I had a biOrb 60 tropical setup and found it hopeless for trops. I tried neons, platties, oto's and guppies. None of them enjoyed the experience. Keeping the biOrb clean and the water at an acceptable quality was nigh on impossible as the flitration system is poor to say the least. I...

Hi, Cloudiness is fairly common in a new tank. Most of it will be from your substrate and also any chemicals or additives in your water. You just have to wait it out. Sometimes it can be caused by extreme pH and the only cure is regular water changes (depending on your tap water...!)...

There really isn't much you can do at the moment. Keep testing ammonia levels and pray. If you're going to go into a 'new' cycle then all you can do is regular water changes and add any bio boosters you can. I have to say that my gut feeling is that you will be ok. I've had similar...

An airstone helps quite a lot. Also pointing your filter outlet toward the surface helps as well. In fact anything which disturbs the surface of the water will help. It sounds to me like you're doing everything right, so I really wouldn't worry. O2 is more important after you've got a stocked...

Never had this problem, but I've heard of it before... Just stick some plastic (well cleaned pop bottles cut to size) around the edge of the filter housing (high enough to reach the 'roof') with some aquarium-safe silicon. No problem. Make sure that you're not over filling the tank. There...

Try Here... I'm sure you probably know this but please remember that very few fish are considered 'hardy' anymore. About the only indestructable fish I know is the Zebra Danio. But even then things can go wrong...

Can you describe the smell? Is it eye-watering ammonia , stangnant pond, acid, stale, sulphorous (aka fart), sickly-sweet? You can get all types of smells from an aqaurium... :sick: Also would be a great help to know any water stats, tank size/type, filtration, what fish (if any), how old is...

Hi, as gnatfish said, most fish will adapt to pretty much any pH, but won't breed unless the environment is perfect. If you're not bothered about breeding them then don't worry. If you are going to transfer the Plec introduce him VERY slowly. Sudden changes of pH = One dead fish. Tapwater...