Just a few questions...

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I can't remember what fish you intend going forward, but if any are substrate level fish (cories, loaches, etc) I would not use any construction-grade sands. You can buy aquarium river sand which is expensive, or you can use a quality play sand. I've no idea what play sands may be available in Malaysia. But quality play sands are the smoothest you can get (aside from the aquarium river sand). All other construction sands, including pool filter, is not advisable for the fish mentioned. With no substrate fish, it doesn't matter.
 
The bigger the tank, the better it is for the fish. Tanks that are long and wide are better than tall narrow tanks. The smallest tank for neon tetras and virtually any tetra or other fish, is 2 foot long.


You can use peat moss to lower the pH. Put some in a mesh bag and put that in the filter. However, if the GH & KH of your water is high (above 150ppm), peat moss probably won't drop the pH.

If you have hard water, then mixing it with some reverse osmosis (R/O) water will reduce the GH, KH and pH, and you won't need peat moss.


Have a coverglass on top of the tank. Get glass that is 4mm thick because thinner glass (2mm and 3mm thick) chips and cracks easily.


Do not cover light units with material because they can heat up and catch fire.

You can put floating plants in the tank and they will provide shade for the fish. Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) is one of the better floating plants and grows rapidly on the surface. It can also be planted in the gravel.


The GH and KH doesn't normally change much but it's still a good idea to check the GH and KH a couple of times a year to find out what it is. You don't need to buy test kits for this. Just take a sample of tap water to a pet shop twice a year and get them to test it for you. Some shops do it for free and others charge a small fee to cover the cost of the test. When they do test the water, write the results down in numbers and ask what the test is done in (ppm, dGH or something else).

If you are using mains water, contact the water supply company (via website or telephone) and ask them what the GH and KH are. Again write the numbers down at the time and find out what the tests are measured in (ppm, dGH).


Avoid buying sick fish. Neon tetra disease is sometimes seen in newly imported fish but is rare in the home aquarium. When you are at a pet shop, look in all the tanks and see if there are dead fish, any fish rubbing on objects, fish with swollen or cloudy eyes, fish with a cream, white or grey film or patches on their body. These are all signs of diseases and fish that are not healthy.

With neon tetras, look for the above list of symptoms, and look for any fish that has a faded blue or red line. If any fish in the tank has a faded blue or red line, do not get any fish from that tank. Go home and come back a few weeks later or visit another pet shop. Part of the blue or red line (usually near the middle of the body by the dorsal fin) will fade and go white if the fish have neon disease.

At home, do big regular water changes and gravel clean the substrate, clean the filter regularly, and feed the fish a varied diet to reduce the chances of them developing diseases. Quarantine all new fish for at least 2 (preferably 4) weeks before adding them to an established display tank.


It doesn't make any difference for neon tetras. However, the substrate should be as dark as possible and not white or yellow. The light coloured substrate will reflect light and stress the fish causing them to fade.


No.
GH and KH are not needed, I have only ever tested PH with my 3 tanks and it has been fine. Neon tetras can go into 5 gallons so no need for a 15 gallon.
 
Neons actually need a bigger tank than 5 gallons, the smallest recommended is 60 cm/24 inches long.


GH and pH are important. We should aim to keep fish in similar GH and pH to that in the water in which they come from.
 
This thread has been left alone for a month. Ok so...
I found a dead cockroach(yuckk) in my brine shrimp culture. Removed already. All nauplii still alive. Is it safe to feed my fish the nauplii?
 
This thread has been left alone for a month. Ok so...
I found a dead cockroach(yuckk) in my brine shrimp culture. Removed already. All nauplii still alive. Is it safe to feed my fish the nauplii?
theoretically it should be fine. I don't know brine shrimp so I could be wrong, but if it's a cockroach and all the shrimp are fine, then it should be fine to feed them. if anything it's extra protein
Also - how did it get in there? Just a genuine question - how

if it's open top don't bother answering
 
The sponge filter that I put in my community tank to make a current so it will maintain the temp is a terror to my floating plants. They're leaves are turning yellow. Should I remove it and put a chiller instead?
 
The sponge filter that I put in my community tank to make a current so it will maintain the temp is a terror to my floating plants. They're leaves are turning yellow. Should I remove it and put a chiller instead?

Not sure I follow this...why a chiller?

I very much doubt the sponge filter is killing the floating plants, mine certainly do not. What plants do you have? Are you using any plant fertilizer? And is this the 5 gallon tank?
 
Not sure I follow this...why a chiller?

I very much doubt the sponge filter is killing the floating plants, mine certainly do not. What plants do you have? Are you using any plant fertilizer? And is this the 5 gallon tank?
Since my tank is outside, it can easily overheat in the hot tropical weather, and also the growing lights are hot.
They multiply very easily without the sponge filter, the sponge filter's bubbles pop and splatter water on my frogbit leaves, causing them to turn yellow. I have frogbit. I use Fluval gro+., 4ml weekly. This is the 55gallon.
 
Since my tank is outside, it can easily overheat in the hot tropical weather, and also the growing lights are hot.
They multiply very easily without the sponge filter, the sponge filter's bubbles pop and splatter water on my frogbit leaves, causing them to turn yellow. I have frogbit. I use Fluval gro+., 4ml weekly. This is the 55gallon.

The water drops are not the Frogbit issue, unless it completely submerges the leaves. This is a nutrient issue (assuming the light is adequate). I had the same.

I've never used the Fluval Grow+. It seems to have most (but not all) nutrients. What is your GH (this is the source of most of the calcium and magnesium, both of which are not included)?

I had good luck with Sechem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement which does have these two minerals (though in limited quantity because they expect them to be in the source water).
 
The water drops are not the Frogbit issue, unless it completely submerges the leaves. This is a nutrient issue (assuming the light is adequate). I had the same.

I've never used the Fluval Grow+. It seems to have most (but not all) nutrients. What is your GH (this is the source of most of the calcium and magnesium, both of which are not included)?

I had good luck with Sechem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement which does have these two minerals (though in limited quantity because they expect them to be in the source water).
My GH is 3.
 
Since my tank is outside, it can easily overheat in the hot tropical weather, and also the growing lights are hot.
Why do you have lights above a tank that is outside?
Can you raise the lights up a bit so they don't heat up the water as much?

They multiply very easily without the sponge filter, the sponge filter's bubbles pop and splatter water on my frogbit leaves, causing them to turn yellow. I have frogbit. I use Fluval gro+., 4ml weekly. This is the 55gallon.
Some floating plants will rot if they have water constantly splashing on their leaves. Water lilies, lotus, water hyacinth, water lettuce and a few others need their leaves to remain dry most of the time and they need good air flow above them otherwise they rot. If there is a coverglass on the tank, that increases the humidity and also causes them to rot.

There are a number of plant diseases (mostly fungal) that occur in the tropics and regularly kill floating plants.
 
Why do you have lights above a tank that is outside?
Umm the tank is in the shade and not far out so it doesn't get much sun, if it has no lights it is very dark.
However my breeding tank only has a yellow light since it's closer to the sun.
Can you raise the lights up a bit so they don't heat up the water as much?
How?
I have no coverglass, I have a mesh cover. I think it's because of the water constantly splashing on the leaves.
 

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