Recent content by Mick Frost

It’s fairly overwhelming looking at the aisles of stuff. Very few companies label their products with “this is what it does, and how, and why you want to use it, and why you don’t.” Carbon is fine for use, just unnecessary in most situations. Highly recommend to have some on hand for removing...

Short answer, yes. Ammo-carb is a zeolite carbon mix. The zeolite is removing the ammonia from the water, effectively starving your beneficial bacteria. Worse yet, if the zeolite is left in for too long it will leach ammonia back into the water. Carbon removes chlorine and a few heavy...

Hmmm, Ill concede, but gonna have to do a side by side. And yeah, I dream of Marsilea

If you like it, keep it. Youll need to remove the carbon eventually, but all you really need back there is biological media (and some polywool if you like clear water). If you do have to replace it due to a crack or a motor snafu, AquaClear is what I recommend for a HOB.

Lighter fluid and a rag

The Whisper filter will eat your fish. Trade up for a sponge filter. Water Sprite and Ambulia will tolerate low light, and fry love them. I sell my culled females as feeders usually, maybe someone in your area has some hungry piscivores.

All plants require some CO2, and all carpeting plants require more. Cuba can be done without CO2 injection, it will just grow a lot slower. Monte Carlo is recommended for beginners, but requires more CO2 and light than Cuba does (along with being picky for PH and temp in low tech). Marsilea...

First off, don't buy more AmmoLock. AmmoLock is for emergency use only, and will not allow your filter to build up bacteria. What is "a lot" of Ammonia? Seachem Prime or Tetra SafeStart+ are good alternatives to AmmoLock, but daily water changes are cheaper. MicrobeLift or Dr Tims (there are...

My sons bed is strapped to the frame with 3 1000lb ratchet straps, and the frame is bolted through the wall with 3/8" carriage bolts, and he still manages to move it. The bolts are actually a recent upgrade because he pulled 8 #10 4" screws out of the studs. Better to be safe.

No salt?

Marsilea (Minuta is stuck in my head, but there's better for low tech, maybe someone can specify) and Hemianthus (Cuba, not Monte Carlo) come to mind.

I think you'd be disappointed with Rummynose in such a small school (they're amazing in groups of 50+ though). You may want to consider one of the Danio relatives (CPD and Emerald Rasbora come to mind).

I have a son with Autism. This is a good point, you want your children to be safe, but that doesn't always mean you have to deprive them of fun. A DIY stand (check out @UaruJoey on youtube) can be built so it's impossible to climb. Lock the doors and screw it to the wall just like you would for...

I had a dirted sunlit tank years back that was filterless, only a circ pump plugged in, and it was probably the lowest maintenance tank I've ever had. It was really hard to see the fish through all the plants though. Any of the broad leaf Anubias will do well with no fert, low light, etc and...

The sponge filter will seed, but it won't be enough to add a bunch of fish right away. You're doing it right, just make sure you add your fish slowly. Start with maybe 6 Guppy-sized fish, wait about 2 weeks, add 3, wait again, add 4, wait again, then finish. The biggest thing is to test your...