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  1. Ben Rhau

    Any suggestions for a tap water fish for a 10 gallon?

    I specifically wanted something lower maintenance, interesting, and that I hadn't kept before. So I'm not collecting all the killi species, but I'm enjoying my tank. I'm keeping Aphyosemion gabunense with emerald lampeyes. They breed a lot slower, just a couple fry at a time, so I'm not...
  2. Ben Rhau

    Any suggestions for a tap water fish for a 10 gallon?

    A lot of different kinds of killifish would great in a 10g, and don't require specialized water or live food.
  3. Ben Rhau

    My pair of Mcmasteri red necks,really pleased with them, just trying to crack the breeding programme.

    I usually see this strain listed as Macmasteri “Gold”
  4. Ben Rhau

    How dangerous are bbs shells or how to remove them ?

    2 or 3 days
  5. Ben Rhau

    HTH pool filter sand for agassizii

    I use Caribsea sand in the 0.25mm - 1.0mm size. I know you don't prefer it, but I've never had a problem with it. I also think that anything marketed as "aquarium sand" is likely overpriced. But it was easy to find the grain size I wanted. So that's what I did. If I had a very large tank (50+...
  6. Ben Rhau

    HTH pool filter sand for agassizii

    I found with HTH that the grain size was definitely larger than it said on the package/website. Does it work? Yes. But it's certainly larger than the grain size in nature. I also think the finer sands are more optimal. I haven't had a problem with anaerobic pockets, but also I never make a very...
  7. Ben Rhau

    Acclimation

    Some additional info: BW Aquatics recently posted a couple videos that briefly describe their quarantine protocol for wild caught fish. The green liquid (acriflavine or methylene blue) is consistent with what I've seen fish shipped in when they're wild imports. In this case, I would expect a...
  8. Ben Rhau

    apistogramma cacatuoides mouth deformity?

    For borellii, I have seen a lot of inbreeding in the "Bella union" lineage. Since that catch location has been inaccessible for some time, there were some hobbyists trying to preserve the line. But there wasn't enough coordination to maintain genetic diversity, so the last ones I saw for sale...
  9. Ben Rhau

    apistogramma cacatuoides mouth deformity?

    Here's an example of a particularly striking wild caught cacatuoides:
  10. Ben Rhau

    apistogramma cacatuoides mouth deformity?

    It depends on your goals, since "ideal" is subjective based on the keeper. The wild forms are healthier and in my opinion more beautiful. However, most buyers are looking for strong colors, and therefore the domestic strains are much easier to sell.
  11. Ben Rhau

    Water Testing Kit

    Your mileage may vary, but for softwater tanks I very infrequently need to test water chemistry beyond regularly using a TDS/EC meter. GH and KH I only need to do once, so that I know how my tap water breaks down (or not at all if I use RO). NH3/4, NO2, NO3 I only need if the tank is...
  12. Ben Rhau

    Aquatic Clarity

    He’s also just one guy might be busy with installations, etc. He posted to social the other day about blackworms being available.
  13. Ben Rhau

    Good single male tank setup?

    There are also nonstandard dimensions for 10 gallon tanks (e.g., cube). For apistos, more length along a single dimension is best. More height is not as useful. Cheers
  14. Ben Rhau

    Species and sex id ?

    That makes a lot of sense that you would prefer a lot of tetra species (in the other thread) since that's the behavior you find interesting. The more individual behavior is what turned me on to pencil fish.
  15. Ben Rhau

    Species and sex id ?

    Have you tried taking the picture when the room is completely dark and the tank lights are on? I have gotten pics of shy fish that way, but yours might be even more skittish.
  16. Ben Rhau

    Species and sex id ?

    I have seen apistos breed at that size, though usually an adult with one of its offspring. What do you like about the N. marilynae? I've been curious about them, but have never pulled the trigger. Cheers
  17. Ben Rhau

    Apistos and Rams

    Short answer: Your fish can definitely survive without leaf litter. And they would really benefit from it. The decision partly depends on whether you want the environment to be closer to the natural habitat or not. A lot of prevailing aesthetics in the broader aquarium hobby lean toward...
  18. Ben Rhau

    Keeping an apisto?

    It is also usually impossible to find a female Dario dario.
  19. Ben Rhau

    Acclimation

    Just received a shipment of Poropanchax luxopthalmus (wild caught) from Wet Spot. Bag water is EC 1950 μS. Their water varies a lot, so it's always safe to measure.
  20. Ben Rhau

    Should I get a pair or a single male?

    Yeah sorry about that. Wasn't sure about your plans. It opens up the options more for sure. I would put in a plug for pencil fish if you haven't kept them before. Their behavior is pretty different from neons and I think theyr'e really interesting.
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