Recent content by sparkyjf

Hello all, I was just checking in on my tank inhabitants today, and I discovered that my male angel fix has some sort of white growth protruding near his left eye. He also has a kind of white growth around the top of the eye. I've tried to get a picture of it but not sure how well it shows it -...

Thanks so much everyone for your detailed and informative responses - I had no idea what it was! Truth is, I actually quite like it, and although I didn't know where it came from (it just appeared one day, and I hadn't bought any plants for fish recently), I was quite excited as I thought it...

Hi all Over the past couple of weeks I have had this (see photo) spread across the surface of my tropical aquarium. It seems benign as far as I can tell - all life in the tank is currently happy, and they look like tiny little floating plants/leaves - I couldn't get a good photo of the...

Please forgive my inexperience - how should I check for the contaminant? I have test kits (API) for the usual suspects - Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, Ammonia - plus some test strips that will show Cl2, KH and GH. These tests have all come back ok this morning, but for example you mentioned Chloramine...

Understood - I only have tap water as my source of water and can't get out today owing to work committments - is there anything I can do (other than perhaps change more water)? Temperature is reporting at 24.9C. Would contaminated tap water be a likely cause of the issue, given that was used...

Thanks both for your replies. So a quick update and some answers to questions. I changed about 20% of the water last night - that's about normal for me. In the hour or so since I posted, the fish have stopped gasping and the colour has returned to my angel fish. So my immediate thinking is...

Dear all Need your help urgently this morning. I came down to my 185l Fluval tank to find all the fish breathing incredibly fast (mouths opening and closing fast, constantly), and my angel fish near the top of the tank and he has lost almost all of his colour - he was mostly black, and this...

Thanks to both - I'll certainly investigate the water quality angle - will do some more testing to make sure it's a consistent issue. In the meantime I've ordered a water filter from an aquarium supplier that claims to remote nitrates - reviews look pretty favourable so I'll see how that goes!

Hello all I've kept tropical fish for a few years now, and it has been a fairly casual hobby but recently I've decided that it was high time I learnt more about it and so I will be the first to admit I don't know as much as I should. Please be gentle... I have a Fluval 180l tank which came...

Hi all, I recently purchased (admittedly second hand from ebay) a Python Gravel Cleaner. I'm still getting the hang of it, but it seems to work really well and I'm loving it. On thing troubles me - it looks like it stood around for a while, presumably damp, before the ebay seller sold it, and...

Thanks everyone for your replies - I love this forum - I've not had the opportunity to participate much, but when I do everyone is so helpful and friendly, so thank you! Really appreciate all the advice - I had planned not to "rush" the setup of this tank and given the possibility of leeching...

Hi all, I am setting up a new 180l tank and am going for my first ever planted aquarium. I have laid out Prodibio AquaGrowth Soil on the base of the tank, and then a layer of Prodibio AquaShrimp Powder Soil which was recommended. I have purchased a selection of plants from my local aquarium...

Just wanted to thank you both for your input - very helpful and I have cleaned out my old tank and put a fresh new gravel substrate in - all seems to be well so far.