Recent content by Mrs Pancakes

Former smoker myself. When it gets tough, think about what you hate about the habit. For example, When you think, "I want a smoke so bad! But I don't want to wheeze when I walk upstairs. I don't want to smell like cigarettes. I don't want to give up on all my progress" If you stumble, keep...

Thanks! That study swayed my understanding of AV in tanks. Thankfully, I have rarely used Stress-coat, but the bottle I have on hand is promptly going in the trash.

I should have been more specific in my zero nitrates statement. It was in reference to her non-planted tank. Also, I'm curious about your take on aloe vera. I can't find any studies that confirm the claim that aloe is damaging, but I have found plenty that confirms the benefits. Such as this...

It doesn't sound or look like your tank has adequately cycled. The reason I say this is because you said you have only had the tank a little over a month, and your readings indicate a non-cycled tank. You can do all the water changes you like, and your Nitrates will never be zero in a fully...

LOL! I have zebra danio fry coming out the wazoo because I had so much time to save all the babies in my filter and gravel vacuuming.

My plecos won't eat algae wafers. Algae is only a small part of a pleco's diet, and I allow enough of it to grow in my tank as a natural part of the ecosystem.

I don't blanch veggies for my girls (2 plecos and 3 mystery snails). I know, I know, it's against every Google search result out there, but I don't see a need for it. A peeled chunk of cucumber rarely makes it 24-hours, and it still has all its nutrients. I could see blanching something like...

Welcome! I'm new to this group, too. I've been in the hobby for about ten years and still learn something new every day. You're going to have a blast! Cheers!

I just think it's interesting how women in ads are posed vs men. Envisioning men posed the same way cracks me up.

Hit me up when you find an ad that has a male posing the same way in shorts. :P

I have danios in with lyretail guppies and don't have problems with nipping. However, in the beginning, when my 55 was understocked, I had a male danio establish territory. A few more friends and a rearranged tank solved the problem.

Oh sure! My 55 holds 28 longfin zebra danio, four lyretails, and six standard guppies, three apple snails, a clown, and a standard bristle nose pleco. Gravel substrate. Spider wood and driftwood and couple of flowering aponogeton ulvaceus. Fifteen of the danio are adolescents that are just about...

Your lady is fat because A) She is full of eggs or B) Just ate a huge meal. These guys will breed easily and are not all that aggressive to their fry, so if you have the right conditions, you'll likely get babies without your interference.

Well, I finally did it. I finally broke up with FB, but I lost the kids in the divorce (all my tank groups). So, I'm glad I found this group. I have been in the hobby for about ten years. I currently have a 55 planted and a 20 gal breeding tanks and hope to one day dabble in the saltwater realm...