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Hi all. I'm not too new to fish keeping but still learning alot as I go. I have a 29 gallon, 20 gallon and 10 gallon tank.... and I have a cycled 55 gallon freshwater tank that's been up and running a little over a month. I used bio-spira and a powerfilter from another established tank to seed my eheim 2026 canister. I'll narrow this post to one question even though I have many more....

Is my canister filter "enough" filtration in a heavily planted tank with 5 angelfish (almost full grown), 4 baby botia striatas (new additions as of last Friday - and more bio-spira), along with 1 bristlenose, 1 whiptail, one blue ram and one krib pelvicachromis subocellatus not pulcher, and 4 nerite snails? I have a scum on the surface and the food always stay floating unlike when I just had a penguin 330 on my 20 high, though that was an extreme and food was pulverized to the substrate... Ok, sorry to babble on ..... The botias seem happy enough... I've tried a few different power heads and hated the blast they gave my plants and angels.... any ideas / suggestions would be soooo appreciated. I've changed the outflow of the water from the filter so that it's just a stub shooting the water across the tank, not longwise but back to front.

Thanks again!

-Tracey

try dropping the water level 2 inches

also watch out
Bushynose plecos
eat many species of plants

Thanks for the warning on the bushynose, thankfully he didn't bother the other planted tank I had him in... As far as lowering my water level, it would bring the output too far above the water and I'm trying to keep co2 in with diy yeast. My plants were doing great at first but now lots of fun startup algae, along with the dreaded bba. I used seachem excel and lost 2 blue rams, coincidence? I hoped so til I used the stuff in another tank and lost yet another fish.

Have you heard of siamese algea eaters _ on angels like I've experienced (when I was totally ignorant) the evil chinese algae eaters do to a large shark?

Do you carry harlequin rasboras, and if so, do you think they'd be too zippy for my angels (who by the way are constantly laying eggs, I have 2 pairs and one odd man (girl) out, before she was one of a pair but her man dissed her for a blonde (gold) angel. So it's a war zone and I was thinking something zippy might be "good" for them!

I was also trying to figure out if a surface skimmer was worth it.. .I have mollies in other tanks and they are very shy.

Thanks for your help.

I used seachem excel and lost 2 blue rams, coincidence? I hoped so til I used the stuff in another tank and lost yet another fish. Sad
COINCIDENCE I THINK, OR YOU USED TOO MUCH ?

Have you heard of siamese algea eaters _ SAE'S ARE TOTALLY PEACEFUL EVEN WHEN LARGE

Do you carry harlequin rasboras,
YES
and if so, do you think they'd be too zippy for my angels
NO

I was also trying to figure out if a surface skimmer was worth it
I TRIED SKIMMERS IN FRESHWATER TANKS, THEY DIDN'T WORK RIGHT

Cool - Thanks for the fast feedback! I actually kept underdosing the excel, I swear I have a black cloud over me sometimes with stuff that works for others but gets quirky when I use.... no I'm not paranoid at all ;0).

What's your take on 5 angelfish I got from a breeder at the NH aquarium society since they were small babies... they all battle in the 2 pairs and then the 2 pairs pick on the odd girl out. Think finding an adult male for her would just cause 3 pair wars? I have a friend with a heavily planted 75 gallon tank, with discus, several angels, etc. and they all get along! Errr....

Also, any suggestions on other interesting but hardy fish for the 55? I think I've got enough bottom dwellers. Wally the whiptail is still adjusting to the youngin loaches.

I researched saes before but read a few things about possible aggression and got scared off. I'll try them though for the damn black algae, should 3 be a good number, won't my angels snack on them? One loved my last neon tetra a few months ago, I thought he would hide ok, stupid stupid me.

I had considered an elephant fish but they sound way to picky/difficult and it's another bottom dweller. Think I have enough filtration with my eheim. I hate to add a hob and lose precious co2... sorry for all the questions!


Thanks again for your great advice. Can't wait to check out the store, hopefully within the next few days. Just sanitized the qt tank.