Oh they would be very shiny. But i will still say How can you have one without the other ?

Well, my fish obssession is my mom's fault. When I was little, she had a 55 gallon FW tropical fish tank (she says the tank was for me, and that they were my fish). I had a 5 gallon and a betta hex when I was 10 or 11 years-old. When I was 18, I had another 5 gallon with 2 GSPs. November 2005, I got back into fishkeeping with a betta in a 1 gallon bowl. February 2006, I got another 5 gallon. Now, January 2007, I have 10 aquariums from 2.5 gallons to 30 gallons.

And when the bug bites, it bites Just one question though ARB what are GSPs ?

LOL No bug here. I'm armed with bug spray.

GSP = Green Spot Puffers. I was keeping 3 in a 5 gallon FW tank. (God, it hurts to admit to that.) GSPs are supposed to be kept 1 per 15 gallons in brackish water.

Like i have stated in other posts remember fish cant read, also just because something works for me, does not mean that it will work for you. Personaly i think that we should treat the books we all read as guidlines and not the diffinative answers due to the fact that, as we can see in the above posts that things that should'nt work have

I cured my MTS by getting big tanks, that way I don't have several small tanks scattered about the house.

Fish-wise, that's the way to go, anyway.

But placement becomes a bigger issue. When I first got the 4 footer, and actually got it all together in position, the wife says "I didn't realise it was THAT big !" (and not for the fist time.. ), as it appeared, in comparison to the previous layout, to take up quite a bit of space.

Now of course, you hardly notice it. But I had thought ahead. I knew a new lounge suite was on the way, and a couple of other things. Now it really looks like it belongs. And if you watch people in the lounge (friends and family alike), when the Ads come on the tele, all heads turn toward the tank.

Which is why i allways say to people buying a tank, get the biggest you can afford and have room for

my 2 'large' tanks are either side of my tv, more by chance than deliberate. i agree with Kana that when tv is dull or when adverts are on i tend to look at the tanks instead.

in the 2 large tanks i don't use a gravel cleaner. the 30 gal, that has all the corys in, can look a little cloudy at times, but this is just the corys stirring up the bottom and the dirt then gets filtered normally. in the 40 the 2 BNs stir up the dirt a little, not as much as the corys and probably due to water flow the dirt tends to gather at the back of the tank. what i do do, is when i am changing water i will vacuum the bottom a little by holding the end of the syphon tube roughly an inch off the bottom. this tends to lift any lose dirt without lifting gravel or sand.

i also believe that not using a 'gravel cleaner' (i.e. stirring it up) helps provide nutrients for the plants. i am sure i have read this and i think Mr Amano believes or does similar.

i think in general it all depends on circumstances. for example in a tank that DIDN'T have plants or bottom feeders or shrimps and DID have messy fish, then i WOULD use a gravel cleaner.

The plants would soak up a few of the bad elements anyway, nitrogen, phosphate, and such. I can only siphon along the front now anyway, which is where feeding takes place.

The plants are now too dense to get at the gravel throughout the rest of the tank. I've even given away on replanting the cuttings. I can't get my hand down there either !


And on tanks in the lounge, I was very focused on not having any wiring, or piping exposed (visible), when I set up. So I reckon a cabinet and hood, is really the way to go, in that type of location. All the food, and other accessories are out of the way too.

Plus the cabinet and hood can be a very atractive piece of furniture