I plan on having a 55 gallon high tech tank. I am dirting it of course.

Several questions regarding substrate:

Sand?

-If so what kind is the best and will plants do okay?

Gravel?

-Done it want to try something new.

Which one would you say would do best with congo tetras, 2 silver zebra angelfish, and around 5 Corry Catfish.

Need some help if anyone can help..

The other day the power went out and I really messed up my aquarium from it. When the power finally came back on my filter wouldn't start. So I took the top off the canister filter before shutting the water off from the tubing. What a disaster!!!! I had about 5 gallons of water on the floor and on the the electrical power outlet that everything for the aquarium was plugged into. So nothing was working and I had to clean up my mess. I was in a rush for work so I plugged in the filter some…

Diatoms is a algae problem that we all go threw. New tanks especially.  After seeing them grow and dealing with it i have finally found a couple of ways, alone or combined, that can help the issue(s). 

First thing is we have to look at what make Diatoms grow.  Light is one of them, you could not be giving your plants enough light to grow to use up all the extra nutrients in the water.  I did update my Lighting to a better LED system with that one on a 8 hour timer to insure…

so my 44 has a 250w metal hilade hanging over it high enough so most the light is disapated by the time it hits the tank its a 2 foot tall tank with around 2 inchs of dirt most the plants (jungle val crypts and ludwigia) are doing great but my drift wood and anubias are flat out over runs with algae(its like a mariomo moss ball type algae) and i keep having fish die i got plenty of filtration im big on biological filteration, the tank is around a year old it nw has one discus about 2-3 iches…

I am setting up a high tech 55 gallon and so on. I will use dirt to get the plants growing with clay and all. My question is what should I cap it with? 

I have gravel in my 29 which it looks okay. I like the way sand looks in a tank. I would use play sand or pool sand from lowes to cap my dirt. I will have congo tetras and Corey's in my 55 with a heavy amount of plants.

Give me your ideas on what is best sand or gravel? 

Wow, can't wait to find a new home for these guys.   I picked up "something hardier" than the rummies I lost,  to put in my newly replanted tank.  SO MUCH for that.   These guys destroyed my temple plant, green foxtail, and really chewed up my pennywort.   What a mess.   Just posted them on craigslist.  Pretty little things but WOW. 

I plan on setting up a 55 with dirt around 30 to 40 Lbs of dirt. Then add Co2 with an aquaticlife t5 HO 48" light strip. possibly adding an additional one. I will be doing injected Co2 with a regulator attached to a inline reactor which will be attached to my out take like of my 305 canister. 

Live Stock

-11 Congo Tetras

-4 Corey catfish

-1 or 2 Siamese algae eater. 

-(maybe) two decent size angelfish…

This is day 8 of water changes in this new dirted tank and yesterday I did a 50% water change and the water was much clearer with just a little bit of cloudiness. I added my heater & prime thinking I would add a few fish to begin the cycle. Well when I woke up this morning this was the result.

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At this point its been 8 days of water…

I'm thinking of putting some shrimp in my new  "Fluval Flora"  7.9gal tank that I aquascaped - I have heard that a tank with shrimp should have a lid on it or the shrimp can get out .  The Fluval Flora has a lid but when it is placed on the tank it leaves about a 1/4 inch  gap around the top of the tank - would this be OK or would the shrimp be able to get out ???

If you can help please reply ..........…

Okay so I've been reading on some forums via google posts and seeing that some fish benefit from a more natural "moonlight"lighting scence,But my concern is doesn't algea feed off of any light it can get?Also with the added wattage will my moms electric bill double? I have 5 tanks fully opperational now. All have fish in them with the last being a QT that only has a heater and filter.I turn all filters off at night execpt then 90 which is downstairs in the family room so I can't hear it.…

Hey guys, I want a puffer, and I'm wondering if anyone here has kept one. It 

obviously would have to be a freshwater species, but I also want to know if there is a

certain species which I can get that does well with other fish AND plants. Also I know

that puffers require a diet of snails to keep their…

I bought a new " Fluval Flora " 7.9 gal aquarium that I'm currently using to raise 10-12  baby Angel fish. Long story but my two adult Angels had laid eggs in my 65gal six times b/4 and ate the eggs every time - so this last time I moved the amazon leaf that the eggs were on and put it in a 10 gal by itself - most of the eggs died but 10 - 15 eggs hatched. I have been feeding them frozen bbs and first bites and they are doing good. Soon I want to move them out so I…