Recent content by New tropical gal

Hi there I'm also new - my tank has been up and running for 4 weeks and has cycled. Having read a few reviews on here I see that my cycle time (by comparison) has been quite quick. I largely attribute this to the fact that I added live plants from the outset. Take now for instance, my tank...

Absolutely! Thanks for your help

Thanks Drobby & Enthusiatic re-beginner! Yes, used an API Master Test kit to obtain my readings. Just checked my levels again with the following results:- - Ammonia - 0ppm - Nitrite - 0ppm - Nitrate - 5ppm Looks like everything is headed in the right direction :D

Hi all Thanks for the prompt replies. Well, I started the cycle fishless and added ammonia, however, the reason I bought my new 100litre tank was to rescue my fish from the terrible Biorb within which they sadly lived. The Biorb was awful from day one. Unfortunatley, I bought the Biorb...

Hi all My new 100litre tank has been up and running for 4 weeks now. During this time I have had ammonia peaks (which subsequently declined) and nitrite peaks. For the last two days I have received the following readings:- - Ammonia: 0 ppm (mg/L) - Nitrite: 0 ppm (mg/L) - Nitrate: 5 ppm...

Dear all I have a tank which has been running for 3-4 weeks. Within my tank I have planted some Carolina Fanwort (Cambomba Caroliniana) plants. The plants have been in the tank for around 3 weeks now. Over the last two days I have noticed long, thin strings growing from 3 of the plants -...

Hi there I'm having exactly the same issue. For the last 5 days I have conducted water changes daily to rid the water of ammonia. Each day I have changed no less than 50% (typically 75%). Tonight I went the extra mile and drained 90%. Its certainly hard work to daily drain a 100litre...

Thanks to you both. Re the pots being unsightly, I have burried the pots in gravel so you can't really see them.... that said I layered the base of my aquarium with Laterite and if my efforts will be in vain due to the pots then I'd rather take them out of the pots so that they get full...

Hi all I'm new and I'm currently trying to plant up my new 100 litre tropical tank. I see that most pet shops sell aquatic plants in pots but some hobbyists remove the pots and plant by the roots. In all honesty I'd rather keep my plants in their pots (for simplicity) but my concerns are:-...

Thanks for the tip - I'll check the sponge for signs of clogging and will see if I can find something to fit in the middle compartment in place of the crystal dose. Many thanks to you for your help.

I see. At present the filter seems to work on three levels: foam in the first compartment, 'crystal dose' cartridges in the second (said to remove odours and cloudiness), and carbon stars in the final compartment. I installed an air pump too whcih seems to improve circulation. I'll keep you...

Thank you for your assistance & for the warm welcome. It is a cube shaped aquarium with a built in filter column in the corner, contains a water pump (which doesnt feel overly powerful when I place my hand over it). Definitely not an under gravel filter. Should water pumps be very powerful...

Hi all I’m relatively new to the hobby of tropical fish keeping, I started out with a Biorb which had appaling filtration and recently splashed out on a new tank. I’ve purchased a 100 litre cubic tank with built in underwater filtration. It’s said to be a good build quality and spec – it’s...

Old Man, Fiona & Dave Thanks very much to you all for your assistance. I think I've read so much literature with differing perspectives that it becomes difficult to decipher how best to progress. Dave, very informative article provided in your link - I had not heard of Zeolite before and I...

Hi all I'm currently cycling my tank (fishless at present) and would like some advice re adding live plants. My new cubic 20gal aquarium has been running for 3 days. I have a clay-based plant substrate lining the bottom of the aquarium followed by gravel. The readings of my tank are all...