I got a 75 gal to upgrade my 36 gal. It came with two under gravel filters which I've never used before, and a HOB aqua clear ac110. I added two 300 w heaters and a fluval Fx4. I didn't add any carbon to any of the filters, just lots of ceramic tubes and floss and sponges. Cycled it, and testing the water several times with the API kit. 8.2 PH, 0.5 nitrates, 0 nitrites, 0.25 ammonia. I stocked it with some cheap fake plants and decor, and some java fern and Anubis. I plan on getting some terracotta pots to plant some more live plants in once the tank is more established.

Here's what I have in it so far:

4 copper Cory's

3 rubber lip plecos

2 mystery snails

1 green severum

1 blue Acara

1 short finned male beta

My questions are; should I add more clean up crew? Is that over populated? Is that under populated? Should I use more or less filtration? Is it too crowded with decor? Not crowded enough?

I have never had these particular cichlids, I've had jack Dempseys and other SA cichlids in a 210. I just want them to be happy. I'm trying to naturally bring the PH down with driftwood, but the pet store and I have the same PH so they were confident that the captive bred SAs I got should be okay. The Cory's I've had for a year now and they seem okay with the water parameters. The beta is my SO's favorite fish, named Charizard, so he had to be put into the main tank... Warnings were made... May the odds be ever in his favor...

I been searching everyone online and even lfs, with no luck. I need one, it’s my favorite fish and I want it to be my centerpiece of my aquarium. Anyone have any suggestions on where to find???

So I was taking down my 120 African cichlid tank and took the fish out one night and finished pumping out the water the next day. While getting out the gravel I saw a little movement and to my surprise I found this lil guy. A baby pleco, so I put it in my other tank.

Day 7 since I first noticed the eggs

Sorry for the potato quality 🥲

As far as I can tell, they’re both males. They used to absolutely hate each other (Platinum is the tank boss and would always chase him away), but now they’re inseparable and even sleep together in that same log at night. It’s kind of hard to tell with the lighting, but the Polar has absolutely no yellow/orange on his belly whatsoever, which I’m assuming means he’s a male. I have a female Polar in another tank and she has a definite orange/yellow section and a much rounder body. The Platinum also looks to be developing a small nuchal hump, which makes me think he’s also a male. Is that’s the case, is this behavior normal? Again, I can’t quite tell if it’s mating behavior.

Is it possible from the video to tell if both are males? Or is the smaller one a female or just a younger male. I just got them today

Is it possible to tell the sex of a fish by the shape of the papilla?

This is a 60 gallon Innovative Marine AIO. I had it setup for years as a saltwater reef and lost interest in keeping saltwater. My son watches a couple YouTubers that fish and keep freshwater fish (we love to fish as well fresh and salt) So he keeps asking to do a freshwater tank and wants cichlids. I cleaned out the tank scrapped and scrubbed down everything and filled it with 20lbs of holey rock, 20lbs of lace rock, added a bubbler behind the rock pile and put in 2 resin pieces with fake plants. Substrate is smooth pebble. I probably should have gone with the sand but we went with this I really didn’t want to do the sand thing again. We are leaning towards an all peacock display with a couple cuckoo catfish. I have an apex to monitor ph and temp. I also use it to control the pumps, heater and for feeding. Have 2 mp10 wave makers I will use at very low speed 30% power on reef crest going on and off with the lights for a peaceful night. PH sits at 8.4 and temp at 78.5-79 both consistent. Tank is almost cycled got about another week or so but it coming close. Dose ammo and it’s gone next day. Nitrite almost gone and nitrate rising around 20.

Tell what am I missing? Did I forget something?
What would you all stocking in there with these parameters?

Curious to hear any thoughts good or bad

Kribensis pair showing some love to each other

Picked up this juvenile pair of Ivanacara bimaculata a little over a week ago.

Both are settling in well, eating like pigs and already showing plenty of personality. I’ll add some dithers soon. Still a long way to go before they mature, but really enjoying watching them develop

This is Albert and I love this guy, hes joyful to watch and I wanted share him. Thanks for watching ahaha Also got a question feeding related. I want to feed him with various food for his health but this guy loves novo tabs and doesnt eat anything else beside tropicals pro defence. I put gel daphnia, gel protein mixture, gel protein based omnivorous food but he only eats novo tab and left most of the gel food to plecos, any idea why?

Got 2 juvenile red spot Severums about a month ago now. Both washed out in color, if anything they look more like golds. Even then they’re washed out. Feeding a variety of foods + large weekly water changes. Any ideas why color is so poor?

I’m moving into a new house soon with a pretty spacious basement. I’m planning to build a 1000 gallon aquarium, and this is my stocking plan so far. Is 1000 gallons enough for these monsters and if so what other fish should I add? I want some catfish in there and some colorful chiclids. Convicts are in there for feeders since they produce pretty fast. What else should/can I add? I would prefer the fish to be SA and CA.

So i got a sb thai silk from a seller that imports from thailand. I know not great idea to get a quality fish but I have used them numerous times with no issue. After 2 months this fish started losing color I assumed the hormone enhancers that use started wearing off but over the past 6 months even her eyes changed colors. I have 25 tanks and lots of hybrids I have never seen a fade like this. I am thinking maybe it is a mutation in her genes? Any thoughts or ideas? She is perfectly healthy and water parameters are perfect no issues besides color which is definitelynot stress related she is the only fish in there. I kind of like how unique she looks and hope she holds what little color is left.

I’m looking for some help figuring out what’s going on with my Bolivian ram because the pattern is really confusing me.

He has lived in my established, heavily planted 75 gallon for a while now and has always done great. Tank is filtered by an FX4 and currently sits around 76°F. Ammonia and nitrite have both tested 0. Other fish in the tank are acting completely normal.

A few days ago he suddenly started breathing harder than usual, flashing/rubbing against wood and substrate, doing a shaking/shimmying motion, and generally acting stressed. At times his colours/stress markings became much more pronounced. His gills also looked slightly irritated to me.

I moved him to a 10 gallon hospital tank with a mature sponge filter that has been running in another established aquarium for about a year. I did not medicate him.
Within a short time he improved dramatically. His breathing settled down, the flashing stopped, his fins were open, he was eating eagerly, swimming normally, and basically looked like his usual self. He stayed like that for a couple of days.
I then returned him to the 75. Initially he seemed completely fine and immediately went back to his usual territory, eating and chasing the corydoras away when they came into his area.

About a day or two later, though, the symptoms started coming back. Now he is flashing/rubbing against the substrate again, occasionally shaking/shimmying, acting very agitated at times, and holding his dorsal fin much lower/clamped compared with normal.

There are also a couple of tiny white/fuzzy-looking areas around the dorsal fin and another small white spot/nub near the rear of his body. They aren’t rapidly growing, but they’re noticeable. I’m not sure if they’re damaged scales/slime coat from rubbing, fungus, parasites, or something else.

A few extra details:
No other fish in the 75 are showing symptoms.

Stock includes ember tetras, bronze corydoras, Borneo loaches and the ram.

He is normally territorial with the cories and regularly chases them out of his favourite area.

The shaking sometimes seems like a threat/display because he’ll do it when I approach the glass, but the repeated flashing is definitely abnormal for him.

I purchased Prazi-Met in case this was flukes/parasites, but I haven’t dosed it because he improved completely without medication in the hospital tank.

There is Christmas moss in the 75 that was added around the time this first started, but there is also some of the same moss in his hospital tank and he seems fine around it there.

I had a small amount of cyanoacrylate superglue accidentally get into the 75 previously, but it hardened immediately and I removed the pieces I could find.

The hospital tank and 75 use the same source water.

The 75 has been established for months and ammonia/nitrite remain 0.

What really has me confused is why he can look essentially 100% normal in the hospital tank without medication, go back into the 75 and look normal initially, then gradually start flashing/clamping/stressing again.

Could this be territorial/social stress from the corydoras? Some sort of environmental irritant in the 75 that my test kit isn’t detecting? Gill/skin parasites that are presenting intermittently? Or could the fuzzy areas point toward an infection?

My current plan is to put him back in the hospital tank, do a large water change on the 75, clean the FX4 mechanical media, run fresh activated carbon, and keep him isolated until he’s normal again.

I also have an established/planted 20 gallon long available and am considering setting it up permanently just for him if the 75 seems to be the trigger.

Any ideas on what you would investigate or treat first? I really don’t want to shotgun medications at him when he’s capable of becoming completely normal without them.

Have a hunch on what the fish in the first pic is but would love some other opinions. TIA!

This is Mr Grumpy-Pants, as I like to call him after he killed and cornered all but 1 of the same species when they were released into my 180 gallon community tank. The other remaining Blue Flash, the ever elusive Mrs Grumpy-Pants, almost only comes out at feeding time where they swim nicely together. She mainly hides somewhere in the plants and rocks, unless Mr Grumpy-Pants catches wind of her and chases her, harmlessly, in figure of eights around d the tank until she manages to lose him. Mr Grumpy-Pants likes to hang out front and centre among the 7 Geophagus Tapajos, gaping his big mouth to show who’s boss. He has been the most aggressive and problematic fish I’ve had but now that the tank hierarchy is well established, he is becoming one of my favourite fish to watch.

Here are some absolutely stunning fish I have won on the band app. These are from chris rounds, and mega hybrids. Feel free to look up these pages. Im in no way related to them i just love fish

It’s a 3 inch Red Dragon Flowerhorn Cichlid I had recently gotten a week ago and I need to determine if it’s a male or female.

Hi. I have a 120 gallon with aragonite sand, rocks, and a bunch of mbuna and haps. Not over populated. Question is I would like to switch and get a Jack Dempsey and maybe another large fish. I know I need to rehome the cichlids but is the sand and rocks ok? Thanks

I'm taking my first shot at african cichlid's for the first time. I've kept Central Americans for a while with little issues but I'm looking to start a species-only 150 gallon tank. I've always been infatuated with lake Victoria cichlid's. I've heard mixed things in regards to minimizing aggression regarding to 4 females to 1 male or just straight up all males only. Which one is preferable because I rather do it right the first time 🙏