Who Gives A Fish Forums

Honestly, I've never tried those products myself, but after a quick glance at online reviews, they seem decent. The ones I checked out actually looked pretty positive. I've personally stuck with Hikari pellets for my cichlids, but that's because I've mostly kept South Americans.

Tank size is 8g, been running for a year now but moved six months ago - kept the BB on the filter media so the tank stayed cycled.
Current stats:
- pH is around 8
- ammonia and nitrite are 0
- nitrate is 20-30
- kH and gH, I don't have those readings
- temp is usually 25C, ranging from 23-28C ...

You're saying your pH is fine, but you mentioned it's 8.something. For betta fish, pH should be around 7.0 max. I know they can handle higher pH levels, but it's not ideal. A pH of 8+ is way too high for them.

After doing some research, I found that the absolute maximum pH for betta fish is 8.0 ...

In the photos, I noticed some white dots that caught my eye. Could Ich be the culprit here? It's tough to say for sure, especially with the first image, since those free-floating bubbles might be what I'm mistaking for white spots on the fish.

reelpro wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 1:28 am I'm just starting too, gonna follow this thread. My tank's smaller, 20 gallons, but I'm running similar gear. Any tips for keeping nitrates in check with a mixed reef?

For a nano, skip the heavy feeding and add some chaeto in the sump if you've got one. Also, a good skimmer helps a ton.

You'll wanna keep the Acros higher up with strong flow, maybe 80% power on the Nero. Zoanthids can chill lower down with less direct flow. What's your PAR reading at the top and bottom?

Just finished cleaning Sushi's tank and I had to toss one of his decorations - the paint was chipping and I didn't want it to harm him. Been thinking of going for a more natural look, maybe change the colorful gravel too. If you guys have any suggestions for natural decorations or gravel, I'd love ...

To better assist you, it'd be helpful to know the type of fish Sushi is, as well as the tank size. Although I'm going to take a guess that Sushi is a betta based on your avatar, it's always good to confirm.

If Sushi is indeed a betta, the substrate isn't a major concern, and you could use sand ...

I'm planning a new tank, probably a Waterbox 30 gallon. I've got corydora and pseudomugil rainbows in mind, but I'll add more later.

I want to create a slope in the sand, either on one side or the back corner. I'll have live plants like my current tank. To get the slope, I was thinking of adding ...

I've never worked with a sand substrate, since I use under gravel filtration which doesn't play nice with sand. That being said, I think a structure that matches your desired slope, placed under the sand, would be a big help. You could even use vertical 'fins' in this structure to create a terraced ...