Edwin Jagger De89lbl for $23 on Amazon

fusedpro · 2 months

Yeah, I wasn't expecting the deal to be that big when I posted it. Good to know that community over there appreciates a good shave as well.

fusedpro · 2 months

Yep, that was also me that posted it there as well. Surprised it took off as much as it did.

fusedpro · 2 months

Yep, that guide has been read quite a few times, so thanks for showing it to me awhile back.

As for the brushes, I'm pretty sure my next acquisition will be that mixed Badger/Boar brush. We'll see how things go from there.

h1p1n3 · 4 months

While it isn't quite set up yet, my 40g breeder will be running two of the Coralife T5NO fixtures. These fixtures have one 6700k bulb and one Colormax bulb rated at ~21w apiece, so total I'll have about ~84w of light spread across the tank. I can't remember the PAR rating at substrate level, but I think it was close to 30 micromoles.

Deaddard · 4 months

Spirit World, while not a bar, is having a scotch tasting this Saturday for $20 if that's of any interest.

WonTonBurritoMeals · 4 months

Good to hear on the plants.

I'm pretty sure your shrimp will be relatively unphased by the addition of some otos. They aren't the most active of fish and, obviously, not very big, so the shrimp don't have to deal anything looming over them.

WonTonBurritoMeals · 4 months

10g isn't a whole lot to work with, fish-wise, but perfectly fine for shrimp. The only fish that is 100% shrimp-safe is the Otocinclus (tiny catfish thingy). You could probably fit a couple of them in there without any harm...

You didn't mention it in your post, but if you don't already have any live plants, that's another route to go assuming you have sufficient lighting. I know your shrimp would love some java moss to chill in.

DankasaurusRX · 4 months

Saltwater is going to have a lot higher start-up cost than freshwater and is generally not recommended for a first timer.

There are a lot of good forums out there with a wealth of information -- - http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ - http://www.fishforums.net/ - http://forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/ - http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/ - http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/

cralz · 4 months

You can definitely use a filter meant for a larger aquarium and it won't do any harm to the aquarium itself, but it will create flow issues with plants and fish. While certain fish prefer a gentle flow, others prefer the water to be calm, so you'll have to plan that out in advance.

All in moderation, of course. I doubt any fish would like a waterfall pushing them around all the time.

On a somewhat related note, aquarium filters are rated for the maximum flow rate, so using cralz's equipment, his filter has a maximum flow rate of 220 gallons per hour. The average is more than likely much smaller than that, so you should be fine. Obviously when you start adding fish, just make sure they aren't being pushed around too much.

The general rule with this hobby is to go the next size up for whatever aquarium you have. So for a 30 gallon, an AquaClear 50 or 70 would be perfect, for example.

fusedpro · 4 months

Some research basically states that 2 pounds of substrate for every gallon. With that, play sand or pool filter sand are both highly recommended -- one, because it looks nice and two, because it is extremely cheap and very common at any home improvement store/pool supply store. A 50lb bag will run anywhere from $5 to $15. Only downside is that play sand needs a lot of cleaning/rinsing before being put into the aquarium, pool filter sand, not so much (but still some).

Keeping it clean, since it is so light, I have read that you can't just plunge the gravel vacuum straight into the substrate. People have had success by just hovering the vac right above the sand.

fusedpro · 4 months

Do you think that CaribSea's Instant Aquarium line will work as well? Their website lists the "fine gravel" as having a size between 0.1 and 0.3mm, just like the Super Naturals, but unlike the super, the instant also has beneficial bacteria. I'm unsure on the diameter of pool filter sand, but do you think this is close enough/the same?

fusedpro · 5 months

Something I forgot to ask, but I assume the substrate never needs to be replaced under normal conditions, correct?

Also, I'm not seeing any bags on eBay for $15 + free shipping. Could I trouble you for a link?

fusedpro · 5 months

Holy... thanks for the amazing reply. I was planning on just using pool filter sand for the substrate and picking up some rocks (slate, etc...) from Home Depot or Lowes, no idea where to get driftwood though, but I will look into that Eco Complete stuff.

As for the fish, I'm still at a loss. The two species that interest me the most are Kuhli Loaches and Dwarf Puffers. Since puffers seem to hate EVERYTHING, they'll probably be left fr later when I decide to do a species only tank. Bettas are always welcome, but I'm not sure if they'd get along with other fish (say, kuhli loaches). Any recommended sites that detail a good amount of tropical fish?

EDIT -- AqAdvisor says I have plenty of room for a shoal of loaches (6), so that's good to know.

fusedpro · 5 months

I thought dwarf puffers were freshwater (and generally pretty small)?

fusedpro · 5 months

Thanks for the info on the underpowered components bit. I don't think I have to worry about "upgraditis" when it comes to this, though. I'm generally pretty happy with my initial purchases on things that tend to draw in victims (quality headphones and mechanical keyboards, for example). That, and a big tank has never really interested me.

fusedpro

TROPHY CASE

you'll need to login or register to do that

create a new account

login