Yes. Remove the gel medium completely under cold tap water. The gel is a nutrient agar that is harmless to fish, but it breaks down in the tank and can cause a temporary ammonia spike. Split the portion into 4-6 smaller clumps before planting — you will get faster spread that way. Expect a brief melt period in the first week while the plant transitions from emersed to submersed growth.

Seiryu is a limestone, so it will gradually raise your GH and KH. In a 60-litre tank with moderate Seiryu you might see KH climb 1-2 degrees over a few weeks. If you keep soft-water species (Crystal Red shrimp, for example) you would be better off with Dragon Stone or lava rock, which are inert. We label every bag with its calcium carbonate content so you know what you are getting.

All our driftwood ships pre-soaked, so most pieces will sink straight away or within 24 hours. Manzanita is the exception — being a very dense hardwood it usually sinks immediately. Malaysian bogwood can occasionally take a couple of days if it has dried out slightly during shipping. If yours floats, weigh it down with a rock for a day or two. It will waterlog. If it still floats after 72 hours, email us and we will sort it out.

For Monte Carlo or Dwarf Hairgrass in a standard 30-35cm deep tank, you want at least 50 PAR at substrate level. Our Twinstar 600E hits about 80 PAR at 30cm, which is more than enough. Without CO2, you can still grow Monte Carlo under moderate light (30-40 PAR), but it will grow upward instead of hugging the substrate. If budget is tight, the Chihiros A2 series at around £65 does a decent job for tanks up to 45 litres.

Yes, and we would actually encourage it if you are buying hardscape — you can hand-pick the exact pieces you want. We are open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Select "Glasgow Pickup" at checkout and you will get an email when the order is ready to collect. There is free parking directly outside the unit.