http://forum.aqua-fish.net/ A forum devoted to aquarium fish, plants, techniques and fish keeping as a whole. en http://forum.aqua-fish.net/?topic=i-m-a-coffee-lover-aquarium-fish-lover-too-#1 I often leave the front opening (where I feed my fish) open, I'm guessing they get better air that way, since all I have is a filter that makes lots of bubbles. I love to sit and watch the fish while I drink my morning coffee and feed them. Always got to be careful not to hold the cup anywhere near that opening! So far everything has been going along pretty well. I've lost a few fish, but I am guessing that is normal for someone just starting out like myself. My tank is a 10 gallon, I only placed rocks and plastic plants in it; live plants where I shopped for the fish didn't look healthy to me, so I went with the plastics. I cleaned and boiled the rocks first, making sure they were safe as I could make them. No deaths recently... My fish are: a red male betta, 6 neon tetras, a long catfish that looks like a banjo catfish and eats algea (they just called it an algae eater) and 2 mystery snails. I keep the waterline about an inch and a half below the top, as this was suggested for the snails' benefit. Suggestions are welcome! (I've had the tank for maybe 4-5 months now...) sheilakathy 2012-10-07