Pet Forum / Aquaria / General / March 2006

I need to eliminate the algae in my tank. I have been able to cut back
the lighting and to control the stuff on the glass. However, the black
beard algae is growing on my gravel. I tried removing the affected
pieces but it comes back. BTW, I have a UV sterilizer. Can I remove

Has anyone used www.java-plants.com  and if you did, what did you think ?
I'm swithering between a 48" tank collection, or a 10 potted plant
collection.
I'd really like one of those Java Fren Coconut caves too, but they're not on

I'm migrating an old tank that currently uses an undergravel filter to
an external filter.  I've had the two running in parallel for about 6
weeks now and am planning to switch off the undergravel filter shortly.
Is leaving the old plate under the gravel likely to cause any ...

I am new to aquaria, and would like comments on my choice of fish. I
have a 29 gallon tank about 6 months old. Use an aquaclear 70 filter.
My daughter picked out the following fish.
6 neon tetras, 2 Harlequins, 2 ballon mollys, 1 swordtail, 1 (sick)

"This is one of the strangest fish that I've seen in my whole career",
said Ralf Britz, zoologist at the Natural History Museum. No
wonder-it's the smallest fish ever discovered. Measuring 7.9mm long
and a member of the Carp family, Paedocypris progenetica is the world's

I've got a moderately planted 75G tank lightly stocked with about 20
tetras and 20 small shrimp. I have been lighting it with the 40W strip
light and a couple of smaller aquarium lights for about 6 months. I was
able to get from a friend a 220W Compact Flourescent light that had

My Red Oscar is a big eater. I breed guppies but even my culls won't stop
him from begging for food. Recently I have given him some bite sized pieces
of freshly thawed from raw frozen shrimp from the grocery store. He eats
them immediately when he sees them and seems satisfied ...

does anyone here use aquarium salt with their freshwater fish?    I've
read that it helps reduce stress and adds electrolytes, but how
necessary is it?  Any pros or cons?
"Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit.

An ordinary aquarium cleaning finished with bloodshed
[This appeared in the english-language version of "Pravda", russian
newspaper]
  A woman from the city of Saransk fell prey to piranhas, which lived

just a quickie. Was wondering if it is 'safe' to replace a sponge filter
sponge with any (new from wrapper) household sponge with same density? I
would just cut it down to size. Will the bacteria still 'work' in this new
sponge? My old sponge (going on 2 years old now) from the ...

I've seen recommendations about NOT replacing filter media but instead
rinsing it clean in aquarium water at a water change.  Question is, I
have a Marineland Penguin 350 with the bio-wheels and the filter
cartridges are plastic on one side and the polyfiber on the other with

Hi, sorry this isn't really a new topic, but I can't figure out where
to put the carbon in the media container that I just got for the magnum
350.  I open the lid, the mesh falls off, the little pole falls out.
no instructions.  Does it go in the centre core, or around it?  If

My Java moss is turning black and appears to be dying.  I have it in a
10 gallon tank with a few Neons, a few guppies, 2 snails and a hand
full of ghost shrimp.  Also a Amazon Blade.  I had a 40watt bulb but
increased it to a 200 watt fluorescent light ( or actually 2   100

I was debating last night on the cichlid forum chat what size tank I need to
prepare for.  On one side a 125 ( 72 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 23 3/8) has the same
bottom dimensions as a 150 (72 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 28 1/2) and is $100 cheaper.
The fish won't use the extra 4" high you get with the ...

It's not an April Fool's joke. We really have Spencer Jack coming to
talk about collecting in Bolivia on Saturday, April 1st.  I know a
good time (and maybe a few April Fool's jokes) will be had by all.  We
worked hard to bring our speaker out here all the way from Canada