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  1. AbbeysDad

    OMGoodness, never seen the aquariast community disagree like this.... salt & plants

    There are many myths in the hobby. One is that routinely adding 'aquarium salt' to the water is beneficial to fish. With the exception of using salt along with higher temperatures to kill parasites, using salt is of no real benefit...and you won't find it in most natural freshwater eco-systems...
  2. AbbeysDad

    When will my Molly give birth?

    The gestation period for black molly's is about 4 weeks, but sometimes they can carry their young a bit longer. Also, as with many/most live bearers, they often come with a 'payload' and can have multiple broods from a single fertilization.
  3. AbbeysDad

    Can I use sand with a sponge filter?

    As long as the sponge filter is off the very bottom, it should be fine.
  4. AbbeysDad

    Bio-Load for 29 gal Tall

    I think stock level is very subjective and is based on many variables. If you're shooting for a nearly natural habitat, you want to try and match the bio-load to the plant mass so the organic nutrients feed the plants that purify the water (with little or no chemical ferts). Then the...
  5. AbbeysDad

    Tank cycling question

    You don't mention how long the canister filter has been running or what kind of bio-load you have in the 55g.....so it would be unlikely anyone could predict the amount of ammonia and how long it would take beneficial bacteria colonies to increase to handle. On the up side, 55g does give you...
  6. AbbeysDad

    Consistently high nitrate

    My first thought was high nitrates in the source water, then a bad test kit, but both have been ruled out. Clearly there's some unseen evil in the tank making it a nitrate factory. When all else fails, it's time for a tear down.
  7. AbbeysDad

    Glofish swims up into my HOB filter!

    My bad - thanx for the heads up.
  8. AbbeysDad

    Aquarium leakage insurance

    Unless required by law, insurance ensures nothing and is just money lost to fear and sortof peace of mind. Think of it this way....lets say you could get tank insurance and it was gonna cost $50-$100 a month or $500 - $1000 a year. Instead, in your minds eye, just tuck this money away in the...
  9. AbbeysDad

    Glofish swims up into my HOB filter!

    Consider a Fluval sponge pre-filter for the inlet strainer... http://www.amazon.com/Pre-Filter-Sponge-Pack-Fluval-Aquarium/dp/B004K9A15G/ref=sr_1_8?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1313977053&sr=1-8
  10. AbbeysDad

    What do you feed?

    As I wrote in the newbie forum, not all fish food is created equally. Many simply list fish meal as the main ingredient. Many 'fish meals' are made simply from the waste of fish processing. These fish meals require copious amounts of starch in wheat, oat, soy or rice flour as binder/filler and...
  11. AbbeysDad

    mail-order aquarium heaters.

    'Good tools aren't cheap and cheap tools aren't good'. In the interest of redundancy, I have two heaters and each has sufficient wattage to maintain the tank at room temperature. I'm less concerned about a heater sticking on as one simply failing to work. With the two heaters dialed in, they...
  12. AbbeysDad

    Fish Foods.. Flakes / Frozen Bloodworm.

    As others have set you straight, frozen foods like blood worms, daphnia, and brine shrimp are treats, but lack the nutritional values to be fed routinely. Also, not all flake fish food is created the same. Many use low quality fish meal (often the waste from fish processing) that requires...
  13. AbbeysDad

    Cloudy water ???

    Seachem Purigen is a synthetic resin that adsorbs dissolved organics. In the process it turns from white to brown. It is regenerated typically after a couple of months in a 50/50 solution of chlorine bleach and water (which burns off the organics), then treated with dechlorinator and reused...
  14. AbbeysDad

    Best method of acclimation?

    The best way too acclimate is drip acclimation. First, depending on the travel time, I'll float the bag to better equalize temperature while I get set up. I'll use a smaller bucket/container inside a larger 2.5 or 5g bucket. The bag and fish are carefully emptied into the smaller bucket. The...
  15. AbbeysDad

    Best aqueon filter

    For a HOB, I'd switch to AquaClear which allows you greater media flexability. I like Aqueon, the company, but I'm just not a fan of cartridge type filters. Just my $.02 :-)
  16. AbbeysDad

    new here have ?

    Why not reserve the 5g tank for fry grow out and QT and use the 10g for something else? For a true QT tank, assuming lights on a timer and proper temperature, just a pinch of food every other day or so and maybe a snail or two are all you need to keep bacteria going.
  17. AbbeysDad

    Why I lost my fish

    NO, Prime detoxifies ammonia, nitrite and nitrate for 24-48 hours but does NOT remove it. From Seachem: Prime® also contains a binder which renders ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate non-toxic. It is very important to understand how those two functions work together. All dechlorinators operate...
  18. AbbeysDad

    Cloudy water ???

    Cloudy water is typically one of two things. Most often it is a bacteria bloom of heterotrophic (decomposition) bacteria the result of excess dissolved organics in the water. This has nothing to do with, or is a pre-cursor, to the N2 cycle. This often happens in newer setups following water...
  19. AbbeysDad

    This is what happens when you have a bad memory

    Hope this helps lol
  20. AbbeysDad

    Using Sand as a Substrate?

    First, as Glabe describes, sand should be well washed/rinsed to remove fines (dust like particles of sand). Many have success with play sand. I am using [well rinsed] pool filter sand. You 'can' use a depth of 1", but I prefer deep sand of around 3" or a bit more as it makes for an excellent...
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