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I thought we could all put together tips we've learned, the hard way or otherwise, about our hobby..
Aquascaping, filtration, fish compatibility.. Anything and everything..
And have it as a sticky here..
Yay, nay?
We could break it into subheadings, so it's not so willy-nilly..
Here's some of mine, if we're a go..
AQUASCAPING
1.
Instead of ONE rock, which would look artificial, get 2-3 smaller stones together.. Also make sure the driftwood, rocks, etc are the same TYPE.
2.
Remember the golden rule of having ONE focal point, at the 1.618 mark of your tank..
Measure the length of your tank and divide it through 2.618 to get your result..
So tank with a length of 48", your sweet spot would be 18.3" from the right or left side of your tank.
3.
Get either a blue or a black background for your tank, and a black or brown substrate. The dark contrast will really help make your fish, plants pop..
4.
Give at least 2" of space from the sides of the tank all around for no plants, so they don't smoosh up against the plants, and the fish can navigate around them..
5.
A new tank should not be trimmed for 3 months.
6.
A stem plant on first trimming should be allowed to grow to the top, then cut in half.
7.
Moss on rocks is great for edge work, blending an open sandy area into a planted area.
FISH
1.
Be sure to take the growth factor of the fish you want into account. Some fish will outgrow your tank, fast (common plecos, Chinese Algae Eaters)! While some will stay relatively small (tetras, corys).
FILTRATION
1.
If you can afford it, and have a tank bigger than 50g, consider getting 2 cannister filters.. It's better filtration, it's better for water flow, and it reduces the chance of algae blooms or ammonia spikes, as you are able to alternate filter cleanings (clean one one month, and do the other one next month). So perhaps get 2 filters rated for 100g, rather than one rated for 200g..
2. Make sure you have a established temperture before adding new fish
3. Test your water at least twice a week
__________________ My Current Aquariums 10 gallon, six albino coreys, one blue gourami. 20 gallon, Two blue gouramis, One German blue rams, Two Danios, and three red guarres. 75 gallon mbuna tank, six yellow labs, seven rusty cichlids, Two red zebras, Two blue johannis, pair of Eureka peacocks, One red tailed shark 10 gallon planted- Six Caridnal tetras, two bumblee bee gobys. another 10 gallon
__________________ Stock the tank you have, not the tank you plan to have. Always have and use patience. - 29g FW - Blue Ram, Cherry Barbs, Swordtails, Zebra Danios, and Green/Bronze Cories - 55g SW - Blue Watchman Goby, 5 Pajama Cardinals, Royal Gramma, Red Fairy Wrasse, and various corals and inverts - 10g FW - Male Betta http://traville101.myminicity.com/ind<--Click this if bored, please and thank you.
Put every plant or snail or whatever came from another running tank for a minimum of two weeks into a seperate tank without gravel or anything, except a little filter and some food if necessary. Otherwise you might discover, that you have got some unpleasant things (like planaria) in your tank. It is very hard to get rid of such things, so it is better to watch your new plants/animals very, very carefully before you let them in. Might keep away a lot of problems...
Stuff I've taken for granted, but what the begginer really needs to know..
Here's some more stuff I've come across:
Tips for caring for moss (Java, Christmas, Willow): from the Aquatic Eden site
- Mosses love light. Although they will survive in minimal light (especially the ever hardy Java Moss) they will grow scraggly and stringy and grow very slowly. The more light you give your moss, the faster and fuller it will grow.
- Mosses grow best attached to something. This is their epiphytic nature. They can attach to almost anything using strong anchor fibers, but the best options are rocks or driftwood. Simply tie the moss down onto an object and within a week or two it will be safe to remove the string. If you let your moss drift around, it will grow stringy and be much less attractive.
- Mosses grow much better with CO2. Although not needed, growth is dramatically affected by CO2. When I first added CO2, my Christmas moss took off and grew very rapidly. Combined with higher light and being attached to something, it also makes the moss more dense and healthy looking.
- Avoid moss eating fish and bugs. Siamese algae eaters top out the list here as the worst offenders, but there are also reports of small bug-like animals that can also devour whole stands of moss in days. If you see stripped fronds or notice your moss looking more stringy than usual and you have an offender in your tank, you are best off moving them or trying to feed them enough so they don't take to snacking on your moss.
- Periodically clean out your moss. Moss works as an excellent filter, trapping all sorts of debris. The trouble is, this also encourages nasty types of algae to grow, including Blue Green Algae. When you change your water, run your fingers through the moss and shake out any loose debris, making sure to remove as much of it as possible from the tank.
- Avoid algae at all costs. It is next to impossible to clean any type of algae out of moss. Often, if your moss becomes infested with algae, you'll have to rip it out the affected areas completely. The fronds are just too small and delicate. Instead, maintain adequate CO2 levels and fertilize regularly to fend off algae.
- Mosses love being trimmed. As much as a pain in the butt it can be to try to trim moss and clean up all the cuttings, it will grow back thicker and fuller. There really is no strategy, just trim it back with scissors and try desperately to catch all the small pieces (otherwise you'll have moss sprouting up all over your tank!)
Tips on feeding otos and herbivore plecos (bristlenose) from Practical Fishkeeping Magazine
Potato is a good source of carbohydrate. It's especially useful with newly bought Otocinclus and Royal panaques as these catfish quite often arrive in the trade with hollow stomachs as they will not have eaten before being transported.
When feeding potato, care should be taken to avoid polluting the aquarium. Uneaten potato should be removed after a few hours. Only feed raw potato, not boiled, mashed, roasted or chipped!
Frozen peas are an excellent food for most of the suckermouthed catfish. If you allow peas to defrost and then remove the outer layer, the peas can be lightly crushed between your fingers and allowed to sink to the bottom of the aquarium where the catfish will feed on them.
Lettuce is probably best blanched first in order to make it more palatable. Again, this can be tied to a rock or attached to weights.
Tips 
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