Recent content by sisyphus

Thanks. I can hardly wait to experience such joy!

Thanks very much for your help. That guide looks great, so much detail, I'll go through it with a fine-tooth comb. I'm sure I'll be back to bump this thread with queries as I go. As to why I want to breed fish: it's hard to put my finger on, not doing it for financial gain, suppose I just...

Hey all, I'm hoping to breed my silvertip tetras eventually, so I thought I'd start a thread for queries etc to help me know what I'm getting myself in for. Initially, I'm looking for some advice on a basic breeding setup: How many fry should I expect/plan for? I'm thinking of buying a 15-20l...

I just wanted to say a massive thank you to @Byron, @essjay, @JuiceBox52 and @Retired Viking for all your advice. I finally added a dozen silver-tip tetras yesterday and they seem to be settling in really well. I couldn't have done it without your help, so thank you so much!

All being well, and I get zero readings for ammonia and nitrate for the next three or four days, I think I'll finally be able to add fish come the weekend :) Fingers crossed!

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll pick some up. I must avoid the temptation to just buy the cheapest. As I found out with the test strips before switching to API master kit, sometimes it pays to spend a little more!

Thanks a lot. A quick search reveals that Welsh Water does indeed add chloramine nowadays, so that's likely mystery solved. I don't suppose you have a good conditioner that you'd recommend? To the untrained eye, it's hard to tell much of a difference. My PH is more on the alkaline side (7.4)...

On re-testing, my tap water does seem to contain some nitrate and ammonia (0-5ppm and 0-0.25ppm). In that case, should I be using an 'ammonia remover' alongside a dechlorinator before adding water or do I just let nature run its course? After a 70% wc, nitrates in my aquarium are at 5ppm...

More the likely it's leftover food I missed. Frustratingly the tank was probably good to go when I added it. Ah well, you live and learn. I suppose all the patience will pay off when I eventually add fish safe in the knowledge that I've done all I can.

To clarify, I have tested my tap water and I got zero on all three. I'll test it a second time just to be sure. I did intially add fish food as a source of ammonia as I didn't really know anything about the silent cycle. I did a relatively thorough job cleaning up the fish food after...

Just a quick follow up on this a week on. I've had some good plant growth but ammonia (0.25ppm) and nitrite (0.5ppm) remain stubbornly just above zero. I've done a couple of water changes in that time (25% and 50%), but it doesn't seem to have a made much difference even though my tap water...

They don't seem to have a clue in there, worringly, so I'll be getting them elsewhere!

As an aside, I was grabbing supplies from Pets at Home t'other day, though I intend to get the fish elsewhere. I thought I'd bend a member of staff's ear: I was told you don't need to cycle the tank at all because it's new and I could have 22 silvertips but to introduce them in dribs. Seems like...

Thanks. Fortunately, I've got just the flow you describe from my filter. I've added some floating plants as I read that silvertips appreciate some shade too. Just waiting a week or two now, so I get plenty more plant growth and consistent test results that I'm happy with, before introducing some...

Thanks, I had read that that may be the case. Out of interest: is it prevent them from sorting out the pecking order twice? I will ensure that there's plenty of plant growth beforehand. Welsh Water Dŵr Cymru :) says my water's 'moderately soft', which chimes with my test results. Is that OK?