Thank you all!

Hi guys, I have a fish story to share.

Some months ago I bought a 16 gallon fish tank from a store I have re-named PetStupid. I ended up putting 4 african cichlids and a common pleco. Needless to say everyone died due to infection, overcrowding and aggression. The water in the tank was about as clean as a toxic waste dump.

I was ready to give up and say F* fish and I didn't want to just buy stupid goldfish so I packed it up and was ready to sell the tank. Somehow or another I found this particular web site and read a LOT.

Well I am so happy I found this site because though I did not post you people were the basis of all my research and I even found a real AQUARIUM STORE not PetStupid or PetDie. The store is GREAT and has so many fish that I keep hearing about on the forum but have never seen since I have been going to PetCrap.

In fact now I am running this on my 16 gallon bow fish tank which I call the Fishtrix.

1 red Dwarf Gourami (Frisbee)
2 Neon Blue Rams (the Ram Club)
1 Cory Cat (the Professional)
3 Otto (The Suckface crew)

Anyway thanks to everyone in here who indirectly helped me out. This is my first Post and there will be many more. I am so happy I got everything running good I am actually buying someones old 39 Gallon Wider Rectangle Tank because he doesn't want his fish tank anymore. I should have it this wed. so expect another post once it cycles.

O yah I forgot I meant to ask a question also. Because of the nightmare of my last tank I am using a Bare Bottom tank. I have been running this for 2 months now and water has been testing fine and nobody had died or seems uhappy.

I was thinking of adding a VERY VERY THIN layer sand or maybe larger flat rocks in the tank. Last time when I had gravel fish would either die of stress during the gravel cleaning process or leftover food would end up as a fungus.

Let me know what you guys think about this. I am trying to get some pictures of my tank up but myspace is acting up again.

*Edit* I do have decorations in the tank like potted plants and a cave log, just NO substrate.

Yes the gravel vac is the reason everyone got all stressed out. i tried to do it as gentile as possible. I read having a smaller tank is harder than a larger tank and now I know why. OK good so the substrate IS a personal preference and I prefer to not have one. Besides if I do change my mind it will be a while from now they are just so happy I would hate to lose someone to stress again.