Pet Forum / Aquaria / Freshwater / January 2007

I have a beautiful 55 gallon Lake Malawi Cichlid tank fully stocked
with happy, healthy friends. I also have a house full of kitty cats!
Generally, the cats ignore the tank, but lately the "Alpha Male" of the
group (appropriately named Maximus) has taken an interest to my prized

I just tested my tank and all is good accept the Alkalinity (KH) is
40ppm, and I know the ideal is 120-180, is there anything that I can do
to raise it, but slowly so it doesn't spike?..
Also my Water hardness shows (GH) 75ppm... Is that acceptable for sword

Can activated carbon used in our aquarium filters be reused if you clean
it, dry it, and then bake it in an oven at 300 degrees?
Or should it just be thrown away?

I followed directions from several websites:
1. Separated from the main tank
2. Changed water in the main tank and washed with hot water
3. Put betta in his old 1/2 gallon tank and other fish back into main

I usually run a full fishless cycle with a new set up but this time I
am setting up a 40 litre nano tank (low tech planted) and it happens to
be time to change one of the sponges from my mature 90 litre planted
tank filter so I've taken the old sponge and cut it to fit the little

A couple of threads have made comments about cycling in a new tank that
I disagree with.  For example, that it is impossible to cycle a new tank
without harming the fish and hence you must use "rubbish fish".
I have never lost a fish in cycling in a tank.  Probably the main reason ...

There is an amazing new ebook called "Discus Fish Secrets". It covers
everything you need to know about keeping healthy discus fish and
breeding them.
Imagine having the best shaped, most colourful discus in your tanks.

i'm looking for fish i could add in a couple weeks to the 2 dwarf
gouramis and 5 zebra danios i have in my 29 gallon tank. any
suggestions  welcome please
David

I am planning to sell off my 9 inch wolf fish, does anyone have a idea
how much does a wolf fish cost, i need to sell it because i dont have
budget to buy a huge 125 gallon....help would be appreciated..thanks

I got a 75 gallon freshwater thats got a mixture of flourite and gravel
with all live plants.
currently i know i am way under lit...my dad is making me a nice wooden
hood to replace the perfecto light strip.

This is my first time raising betta fry.  I only had 6 or 7 to begin
with.  Some of them are dying off. It seems like they have a red spot
on the top of their head and the ones that die, their bodies are all
white..  I read somewhere that it could be a broken blood vessal.  Do

This is my first posting. I'm considering buying a new beginner's tank
and I am looking at either of the following tanks -
20 gallon High  24" x 12" x 16"
OR