General Update

hiya, latest update, I'm glad to say all going well in fish world, although I didn't realise how easy it was to spend a whole weekend visiting every lfs within a 40 mins drive, reading fish articles, trimming plants, cleaning filter and general pottering around the tank, slightly afraid it won't wear off and will just get worse 

Anyway stock now 15 Harlies, 14 Rummy nose, 12 5 band barbs and 11 Skunk Corys, I've also decided on Sue's suggestion of 3 Pearl gourami's just not got round to getting them yet as none in stock  . That'll take me to 56% on the community creator so should probably leave it at that for a bit as the tank only been going 3 months. The I need to figure out what else to get 

I wonder if I'm over feeding them, everyone one says it quite easy as a newbie and I can see why (Al keep telling me I'm starving them), as I've finally got a nitrate reading of 5ppm and can't think of any other reason for it? 

I also really want floating plants and and a few unsuccessuful goes I tried some duckweed, thinking it'd be easy, well it was easy, but it was also all eaten within 2 days!! I'm I actually starving them and it's something else with the nitrate? 

I've added some carbon fertiliser as Matt suggested for the slight flagging Echindoras and keeping fingers crossed, and Matt loved your tip for getting sand back in the tank with the plastic bottle, really works 

Think it maybe time to finish the bank holiday off with some more pottering, maybe try to figure out what the next fish will be.

Have a great remainder of bank holiday weekend everyone. 

Fish choices sound brill too... 

I also have fiveband barbs and they do look like two different species. The males have developed very red fins and nearly pink bodies, whereas the females look more yellow bodied with colourless / yellow fins. Adds to their charm, imho.