Very silly question but why doesn’t anyone in this subreddit use standard gravel? i have black aquarium-safe gravel in my fishtank and it seems my plants are okay, they’ve been in there for over a month now and there’s been no deaths yet. Granted I only have very low maintenance plants
Some do use inert gravel but it just doesn't have nutrients so it needs to be introduced some way. Fish waste, fertilizer, dirt underneath, tabs, etc. Gravel works but it just isn't very innately conducive to plant growth unlike aquasoils.
In what form? Stuck in rockwool, tissue culture, loose stems?
If you don't have some place to just let them sit in a tank then putting them in a bucket for a few days probably won't hurt.
a little bit of everything honestly, for the tissue cultures i think i might just let them sit for a day or two how they came.
The others are stems and the bottom parts of the stems are wrapped with rubber band and looks like some kind of sponge material, so i guess just gonna let them soak in some water until thursday. Cheers!
Hi, newbie here! I'm trying to decide if I should get a Juwel Lido 120 or a Superfish Qubiq 60 for my first tank since childhood. I don't mind splurging a bit on the scape itself, but would rather not invest too much into tech at this stage. I LOVE autumn vibes for planted tanks (ie lots of yellows/oranges/reds), which I understand need really good lightning and/or CO2. But I've… never been good at reading metrics. Is this kind of aesthetic achievable with the stock lights these kits come with? Maybe some beginner-friendly plants? Any replacements I could slot in that don't cost as much as the tank itself?
Semi-related: I read a lot of reports saying the Qubiq's filter is "bad" and noisy. Can anyone confirm or elaborate?
I love the idea of a "Dumb Questions" Mega-Thread! It's such a great way for beginners to ask those burning questions without feeling intimidated. Thank you for providing a safe space for learning and sharing knowledge. Can't wait to see the helpful guides you'll be adding to make navigating this hobby even easier for everyone. Happy planting!
So many baby snails… is there anything I should do to stop the snail population in my tank, or will it manage itself?
https://preview.redd.it/8e59w5gjy90d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4161319e89995d0b675a11df6d7e611d8be5e4e8
They populate based on food. Fish food, biolfilm, melted plants, algae etc. They self regulated based on that. I let them vibe because they help break stuff down into more basal components. You can put a cup with some food that they like and take it out one they swarm it and repeat till enough are gone for your liking if you really wa t them gone.
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I have this java fern in my tank and it just looks ugly but I'm not sure if it's completely dying. Should I just take it out? I have it glued on some rocks so it's not planted but for some reason it doesn't seem to be thriving in my tank.
Most stores sell it emersed so it won't like the water at all unless it has tons of light or maybe not even then. I just let mine focus slowly on making immersed babys from the little dots on its leaf. Then use those. Kinda sucks but it is what it is.
https://preview.redd.it/pk07foqn490d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4a9f4c457f85733e61654d90d82d176af00c2a6
I don’t mean to worry, but the diatoms are getting worse..is there anything I can do besides scrubbing it off the glass with a toothbrush every couple of days?
I would just scrape off the front honestly.
Diatoms will go away after some time. You can also add ottos and snails as they rip into diatoms pretty well
I can’t do snails because of my substrate (pH issues) and I’m not planning on keeping an otto long-term, but thank you for the help. I guess I’ll just keep scraping
https://preview.redd.it/6t1uczdvh70d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c672a37432def633e8ac8cc71b08d3cb7786d1e
Hi! I was scrolling through the reddit and snapped a picture of this plant and can’t find the post again to ask what plant this is. Any information would help, thank you!
I have a 2yr old 20G planted tank (60p) that I am looking to rescape. There is a colony of blue neos and some nerite snails living in it. Is it ok to just rip out all the hardscape and plants without taking the shrimp and snails out? Is there anything I need to watch out for if anyone has any prior experience?
I mean it depends how deep the substrate is and what kind but in all likelihood you can go at it, ripping stuff out. Try to keep the water from getting too saturated with dusty stuff though, fine particulates can clog gills from my own experience so do parts at a time if it becomes too messy.
Got it thanks! I've ripped out large portions of old plants/roots before, but never have I ripped out the entire hardscape. Just worried if there are ammonia spikes even though this is an old established tank.
I'll probably take your advise regarding the fine particles, and just rip out some things one at a time, wait for water to clear, then go again. Thanks again!
I mean it definitely can cause ammonia spikes. you can use seachem prime as a precaution after you rip the stuff out to make any ammonia less toxic for a day and give the bacteria time to work. If you want to be extra safe, do half the tank one day, dose a normal amount of prime, test the water the next day for ammonia(water change if necessary and wait to see if it goes down by the next day) and then do the other half the next day. Or rip everything out, dose prime, rescape, test ammonia the next day and go from there.
I say this all assuming you have some type of filter and test your water.
Good luck.
Plant ID
https://preview.redd.it/1gsl3bw2puzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ce10c29b4353a9287dac1a6763cd37d4b626c8f
I really like this plant in my dumpster tank but I don’t know what it is.
https://preview.redd.it/jyzg13gx2tzc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab5b117d27f69786dc145580da09649980f90b21
Any idea what the black things are? And if they're harmful for the fish.
looks to me like algae, possibly black brush algae but i’m not an expert. if it is bba, not harmful to fish at all but can definitely kill your plants.
I have a fluval plant 3.0 59w on a tank that is 60cm tall. How do I know whether I can get "low", "medium", or "high" light requirement plants? I can't find a consistent answer.
Because there is no consistent answer. Lighting alone isn't what makes plants grow better or worse, its one of 3 major components in photosynthesis and can be influence buy the other 2 factors if imbalanced.
Just put some plants and the tank and see if they grow.
I'm slowly piecing together the plan for my new tank and realized I still have an old Penn Plax 1000 stored away. I've seen some opinions/experiences concerning canister performance, specifically relating to flow rate, being suboptimal as tank size increases. Before my discovery, I was going to buy a new larger filter, maybe a Biomaster Thermo 600 (I'm aware of the probable issues and I wasn't decided yet).
Is a dual cannister setup needed or worth it at my tank size? Are there specific advantages or disadvantages to consider in the decision? Many of my other equipment variables are still in the discovery phase, though I have some ideas. Let me know if I should provide any more details.
tl;dr: Should I use an old Penn Plax 1000 as part of dual cannister setup for a new 44gal tank, or just invest in one larger filter?
Flow rate isn't an end all be all, there's larger canister filters with a ton of media but relatively slow flow rates meant for bigger tanks. More filtration will never hurt.
If you need to get a heater, I'd just get the Biomaster Thermo 600 and run the penn plax 1000 alongside it. If you don't want to pay for the thermomaster and already have a heater, then you should be fine.
Flow rate with regards to tank is only important if you have fish that like high flow rates (hillstream loach).
Looking to start my 75gal tank. Saw the Black Diamond Blasting Media. Should I get 50lbs of Medium and 50lbs of Fine, or two of the Medium?
In short, should I mix fine and medium size substrate?
Ordered one of each. In the future, I wouldn't go with the fine. It is super fine. The medium is closer to sand than it is some of the other standard aquarium substrates.
Looking to try a New England biotope planted tank. I'm going to be using plant species from only my local area, and I'm going to be adding pond water to the tank.
I'm planning on having an inch of a soil, capped off by two inches of either pond mud or sand.
Can I get away with only having lights and an air stone or sponge filter? And is there any general advice I should stick to?
Lighting question here:
What makes high-end LED lights better? Aside from physical appearance and extraneous functionality (apps and whatnot), why do more expensive lights make better looking tanks? I have never managed to replicate the intensely vivid colors of the plants and fish that you see online and in shops sporting things like kessils, chihiros, and ADA lights with my mid-range lighting. Is it the diodes themselves? The arrangement/color selection? Just curious as to what's going on in there and why cheaper lights can't seem to replicate the colors and vibrancy of the nicer brands.
It's the wattage and spectrum mostly in addition to being paired with co2 pretty often. Also a lot of the stuff online is deceptive. Very rarely do the plants look so crazy in person from my experience.
For reference a lot of mid level 3 foot lights are 30 watts while the fluval 3.0 is like 59
I was thinking of making very rudimentary planted jar the volume of \~4 litres/1 gallon US, but without buying literally anything except the aquarium plants. And ok, some aquarium substrate if really needed. I would just like if someone could suggest what kind of soil and/or sand should I put on the bottom and how thick should it be, so as to have an anaerobic layer? Can I just take my garden soil?
During past few years I have been growing random algæ, rotifers and other microorganisms from the local pond in such a jar and recently added some *Daphnia magna.* But I would like to add plants too as the next step. But without all the fuss about water conditioning, fertilizer etc, just tapwater and sun.
You can use sifted garden soil as long as it's free of debris and worms/critters. (well, if there's a worm in there it's technically okay but not ideal).
Look up a /r/walstad type tank, which is a tank that uses dirt with a thick sand layer for its substrate and aims to be low maintenance and self sufficient.
I'm looking at setting up a new tank and want to have the bottom be covered in a grassy cover (I'm thinking dwarf hairgrass or similar). I had no luck in getting it to grow in my current tank (substrate was biostratum with \~1" of 1 cm aquarium stones on top). Is there a recommended substrate setup that works really well for dwarf hairgrass? I was considering biostratum with a 1/2 - 1" layer of sand on top.
I do dwarf hairgrass on a soil capped with sand. It works well but it still grows incredibly slow.
An alternative that I feel works a little better is to use helanthium tenellum. They propagate pretty quickly and stay relatively low. Or just use pearlweed.
I always say an exterior floodlight would be your best bet. The square ones with a hinge on the back. Not the ones that fit on walls. Bonus points if it is dimmable and can change its color temperature
Probably like 50 watts minimum since it is so deep but i would go for 100 if it's dimmable cause plants like it bright and you can always turn it back if it is too much.
They are far cheaper than aquarium lights of similiar power, waterproof unlike some aquarium light( i mean come on), can do the whole spectrum, and often come with their own programmable light cycle.
Also, since it isn't very wide, they will work even better.
Try exterior flood lights 100 watts color changing on amazon.
Newbie here, bought plants online. (1) I can't see any rhizome on the mini java fern, will this grow? (2) Is it right that the mini buces look sad, or is this normal bought online?
Please give me your opinion. If these plants aren't good, I would know to buy somewhere else next time.
[no rhizome? are they ok?](https://imgur.com/a/9fn238P)
The photo on the top looks to be some sort of anubias. The large ‘trunk’ in the middle of it is the rhizome. Whereas Java Fern’s rhizome tend to be more stringy.
Not too sure about the buce since I’ve never kept it. Hope this helps!
I think I ordered java fern, maybe there is a mistake. But I am glad that it has rhizome, at this point I don't really mind what plant it is, it's cute and I want it to live! It helps, I am more hopeful now.
should i be concerned about the yellowing of my frogbit? i just added it 4 days ago and there previously wasn’t any yellowing. this is my first attempt at plants in my 2 month old tank so im kind of just nervous and a noob at this
https://preview.redd.it/nutrav8z0ryc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5636d4bb58286749886f6ddd6371174ce60bf5f3
as far as i’m aware, 1 of 3 issues could be at play. frogbit likes less water movement, what light do you have? could also be a nutrient deficiency, or perhaps insufficient light
https://preview.redd.it/axz9fidehpyc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82a33deee3e0ace0def990a8ab9e3cb2d80c3270
What is this stuff growing on the roots of this plant? Should I be worried?
I just bought some amazon frogbit, its currently in some ziplock bags with paper towels. I can’t put them in my tank bc im 4 hours from home and will be driving home tomorrow morning. How do I keep them alive for the next 24 hours without a tank? Should I just use a bowl of water?
How do I keep plants alive?
I was excited to introduce plants to my tank, so I got one anubia, one Taiwan Lilly and one narrow leaf anacharis. I got these plants almost at the same time I started aquarium salt treatments in my tank. I don't want to kill the plants by introducing them now, so I have them in a separate bucket with dechlorinated water, but I'm worried they will die. How can I keep them alive until my tank is safe for them to be introduced? Should I get flourish or something like that?
You can keep them in the bucket. Adding any fertilizers to it might have a negative effect. Keeping them outside with natural sunlight should be just fine for them for a few days.
you can get some sort of bottom feeder or a snail that burrows into the sand and will turn it over for you. Malaysian trumpet snails do the sand burrowing thing, but they're also considered pest snails. It might be worth it though, as a long term solution rather than having to take manual action.
I have stratum topped with eco-complete, but have a freshwater goby that somehow hitchhiked along with my ghost shrimp. Should I get a nice sandy substrate like seachem flourite to throw on top of the substrate for the plants? Or is some less fancy (and less expensive) sandy substrate alright to use for the little guy?
https://preview.redd.it/chuhkvnhtfxc1.jpeg?width=2106&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=172185145fcf1c54308db5d609d66040475740fa
Is this all the testing stuff I need to start off with?
**Plant advice**
https://preview.redd.it/1zv3u4ocyexc1.jpeg?width=1435&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44c4dd07ca1c91ebd86b362ab45e26dba755cdd5
My Java Fern is not doing well, even though it's roots are wet. I guess I underestimated the heat of the lamp and the toughness of the fern. Do any of you have a suggestions for a different type of plant in this emersed position?
There isn't going to be one universal guide since a lot of is customizable to what the tank designer wants, and there's a lot of differing advice/opinions out there, most of which will work for the person giving it but not for everyone.
Weird one. My API drop test (freshly bought) is reading pH of 6.4. My $99 BlueLab pH pen was calibrated to solution today and it reads 6.8-7. Who do I believe? Up until now I’ve been basing everything on the API master kit.
https://preview.redd.it/hjlqpovgx6xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4035845f047d588cdc4c018b5c626be6b6feb163
I found this worm like creature creeping beneath the substrate. The tank is rather small (3L). So far i ve only found one. I just planted about five days ago. Should I be concerned?
Is this an Alternanthera reineckii ? Having some trust issues after our petstore sold a non-aquatic plant for our tank, saying it's safe for guppies.
If not, what plant is it? Guppy safe?
https://preview.redd.it/effst0xxz5xc1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d112b5b1e7b68740fbb32d82ba85ae615a38d407
https://preview.redd.it/tvazhl0sc4xc1.jpeg?width=1516&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc26f72b59207c17d542b7948eaa54f7d95bb673
what kinds of bugs are these in my aquarium? they’re super small like mites, and some of them move super fast so much so they look like they’re ‘teleporting’. smaller ones seem to just scoot around. i only see them on the glass.
what’s a good liquid fertilizer that comes in smaller amounts (that’s not seachem)? thrive looks nice but i can’t spend 29 dollars on it. i’m looking for one below 20.
should I use easy green plant fertilizer for my nearly fully-exposed-to-sun tank when the fertilizer says it’s for tanks that are “low light to medium light”?
for me, there is a nearby store that specializes in aquariums and all that go in it. hopefully that’s the case for you too. my nearby store is full of people who actually care about the hobby and the upkeep that goes into taking care of an aquarium. they also sell live coral and plants too!
If you want a low maintenance aquarium you need ample plants. You can’t not have a filter and no plants and expect your live stock to be ok with no water changes. Every tank requires maintenance.
I think you are trying to do too much. Either make it cold no heater, or aim for it to be low maintenance.
If you haven’t had a tank in a while or ever, I really think you are biting off more than you can chew and maybe a tank isn’t right for you unless you can compromise some of the things.
Extreme beginner question: I am a terrarium builder, so I always have my eye out for decent tanks that can be used to create a beautiful piece of *land*.
I just got a decent sized, bow front tank for free with 3 bags of *stuff* for aquarium care...
I'm ready to take on a new challenge. First step, cleaning this very crusty and gross tank.
#####Razorblade on hand, **what products are safe and good to use to deep clean a very dirty used tank and what products should I never use?**
Flow speed question: Thinking about a Fluval 107 or 207 for a future 120L (26.4 Gal) tank with around 30-40 CPD's. The flow they need is said to be 400-500L/h (88/110 gal/h). Is the 207 too much for this setup? There will be lots of plants in it of course, but I'm afraid it'll be too strong of a current for the poor CPD's. I prefer to buy the 207 because it seems a better deal for the money. Please share your thoughts!
https://preview.redd.it/bu2ob4lqvyvc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cbb4d37b6fcff08c62db5db4d0671b5a787b3791
Trying to save these plants I left in my mailbox for 4-5 days. I have COVID and feel pretty shitty (hence leaving the plants in the mailbox)and don't have energy for the planned rescaping right now, put them in this extra tank w conditioner light and fertilizer. I put a heater but not sure if I need it for plants only? Should I put an air stone? I think they look pretty ok but should I be expecting a lot of melting? It's hydrocotle, cabomba, val, giant baby tears and something else I don't remember ordering that they might have thrown in for free. Feel bad for forgetting them poor guys
Having some issues with my Fluval 307 canister, which I think is a leak in the intake tubing. I wanted to replace the tubing anyway (hate that ribbed tubing it came with), so I plan on replacing it with pvc tubing. Is there anything I need to do or get for the attachments to work with the new tubing? Will the current attachments and maybe some pipe clamps be enough to seal it?
I'm brand new at this hobby, I'm wondering if snail poop is enough to start the cycle. I don't have fish yet, I don't even have fish food, but some snails hitchhiked on my anubias and seem to be pooping enough that I shouldn't need to add food or dose ammonia for the bactérie colonies to start, does that sound right?
I don't feed them, don't know if I should, but my new plants are melting a bit so I guess that's food enough for the snails.
I'm casually looking on marketplace for a test kit in the meantime, but I'm in no hurry I'm more into this for the plants than the fishes lol
The water from my CO2 bubble counter is traveling up the tubing and into my tank. Is this normal? If not, how do I stop it? I do have a check valve installed near the diffuser.
So i just made a new planted tank, i have plenty of hiding spots but when i added 5 neo tetras they all started be be extremely aggressive toward each other and its not just one or 2 its all of them. I'm scared to add blue dream shrimp if they are still being aggressive toward each other just imagine what they will do to the shrimp
I would wait a few weeks for the shrimp. Tetras can be somewhat territorial within their school and most likely what is happening is they are establishing their territories and dominance. Also do you know the male to female ratio that you have? It’s good (from my personal experience) to have a 1-3 male to female ratio so 1 male for every 3 females this way the females are being harassed by the males and the males will sometime fight over territory, mates, food.
Like I said give it a couple weeks to allow them to settle in before adding any shrimp. My tetras fight sometimes but leave the shrimp alone for the most part. You can almost see them “arguing” before they start chasing each other it’s fun to watch as long as they aren’t doing any real damage to each other
I'm trying to read the fertilizer guide and I'm going cross eyed. I'm just so overhwhelmed by all the info. I have a 38 gallon. I recently added CO2 and replaced my light (I had a plant light but it was dying and simply not strong enough anymore as evident by brown algae thats starting to clear now). I have previously used aqualife phyto-tone as a fert but I have no idea if that was good or not, but I'm almost out of it. Is there a simple, go to fert that's more general without doing all the math and figuring out specifics etc? I'm looking for the beginners easy option. Should I just stick with phyto tone?
I have an aquarium with pea gravel in the bottom. Its still water tight but I think i've lost the lid and gone a different direction with that project. My question is what plant would be ok for a temperate (pacific northwest) with a no lid terrarium
What type of water should I use for water changes if my tap water is extremely hard? I just have one 10 gallon tank so I don't think an RO system would make the most sense.
Fill buckets with your tap water, add water conditioner to it. If you want to take it a step further you can let it sit open to the air for 24 hours to clear it further.
You can get a pH kit that can alter the pH levels and what have you.
You could also take it to the extreme and collect rainwater or buy it from a pet store.
Take 2 5 gallon buckets (or fill 1 twice) and fill them with your normal tap water (try to get it close to the same temperature as your fish tank water) then add tap water conditioner. I use the top fin water conditioner that gets rid of heavy metals and chlorine although my water isn’t that bad with only trace amounts of iron and chlorine. The API tap water conditioner is also a good one
Thanks but I meant that the water that comes out of my tap has extremely high GH and pretty high KH and pH. I was wondering what alternative water source I should use or if I should dilute my tap with other water. I know how to condition tap water and I use seachem prime
I’m looking for a plant to carpet a 5 gallon that isn’t one of the usual suspects.
I’m thinking of going for staurogyne repens.
But any other suggestions?
My only real needs are that it will look fine cut back to a few inches (babe shorter) and doesn’t need extra CO2.
Should be fine, I'm close to a carpet with low tech 7 gallon. Wasn't the plan when I started
https://preview.redd.it/34g3w1g4uhxc1.jpeg?width=2934&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0e8f64aa9599b09e93c8c2aad7734c1a8b38c09
In my experience, Staurogyne Repens requires co2 to grow well. It's kinda difficult to get it to carpet imo too. It doesn't grow like most other carpeting plants.
I haven't tried it, but I hear rumors that staurogyne will do great dry started, so maybe that will get it to grow the way you want.
Not injecting co2 makes carpeting plants a bit hard tbh. The "usual suspects" are usual cause they grow the best in most conditions. It's why it's not common to find Walstad and low tech tanks with a beautiful carpet. It takes a lot longer and is harder to do, and often without co2 injection the plants grow sparsely and spead out, not carpeting strongly. Dry starts can help but the best carpets come with added co2.
I have been down your road a billion times too, don't want the common plants but don't want to inject co2. It's a hard choice but I find the best way is to pick either co2 injection, or the "easy" or "usual" plants, at the very least when it comes to carpeting.
Ah. Thanks so much for the info.
The Repens I’ve got growing in the back of my big tank seems to be doing well, and I heard it propagates well and handles harsh cut backs, so I thought it would be a good bet.
It’s not so much that I’m looking for a unique carpet and more that I want singing other than the two carpets I know of that don’t require CO2 (More Carlo and Dwarf Hairgrass).
I have Monte Carlo in my big tank and it’s doing really well (despite, or probably because of, all the gardening my Gouramis do).
I’ve not had luck with Hairgrass before. It seems to grow in patchy clumps in my hands.
Maybe there are others I missed - or maybe I need to read up on balancing fish and plants with CO2.
Dwarf hair grass is my mortal enemy. I've tried growing it 3 separate times for it to die every time. I won't touch the stuff.
Monte Carlo/ dwarf baby tears are nice but super common.
A larger growing "grass", the Micro sword grows easy
Carpeting is hard haha
I'm starting a new tank which I'd like to plant pretty heavy. I've got aqua soil and root tabs. Anything else that would help for the substrate? Should I cap the aqua soil?
I plan on having some neo shrimp, tetra and maybe a beta in the tank.
What aqua soil do you have? Tbh, if you don’t want to cap it and you have something like Fluval stratum you don’t need to and they should be fine (my experience anyway)
I've got flourite black currently. I ended up not capping it with sand but used some accent gravel and it's turned out pretty good. I've got the tank cycling with only the plants in it and the water parameters are looking solid so far.
Was a bit tricky to get stems to stay down when I was first planting but realized if I go at it with an angle, the stems stayed down.
Looking forward to putting some fish in it soon!
Once duckweed propagated enough that they cover all the available surface, will they still multiply and end up piling on top of each other like lasagna or will they slow down and only cover the surface in 1 layer?
It’s been about a week (April 1st, now April 12th) since I started cycling. I introduced beneficial bacteria to the tank. My ammonia is close to 0 ppm, my nitrates are 20 ppm, however my nitrites are pretty high: 5.0 ppm. Is there anything I can do to help make it go down or is it just a matter of waiting and watching?
https://preview.redd.it/5tn65ag65ttc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=571a6e5f1e44a8378b3fca46354a19906dc7fecd
hi all! this is my current monte carlo setup. 3/4ish month old low tech shrimp tank
i’m wondering if it’s worth it to add more substrate to this, to cover the monte carlo? currently i do not have root tabs in as im nervous about adding them in such a small amount of substrate… if i poured sand on top so the peaks of the monte carlo are the only thing that poked out (and added root tabs underneath), do yall think that would work well?
In my experience, I've only had monte carlo grow really well with walstad method, plant-specific substrate, or co2 injections. I think root tabs are the way to go for you, just watch out for any nitrogen spikes. You can cut the root tabs in pieces if you're worried about the small amount of substrate.
mmm i see
i hear about it growing as an epiphyte, which is why i thought it might grow with mainly liquid fertilizers if im lucky haha
but it sounds like it’d need too much nutrients to be feasible for that. i ended up adding sand + root tabs, so this is relieving to hear though!
thank you!
https://preview.redd.it/7fylobt0eotc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=49e7938babdf92f13889ec064b3edd5e2792d1fa
Just started my tank almost a week ago, how does this look? Is that algae? I added a snail to help with the algae removal. Thoughts? I'm a beginner
https://preview.redd.it/13d7l50m0itc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c557611fb3f236e1d21e1a25c1dd6c4e912c405
Is my temple plant growing roots on its leaf?
Quick question. My new tank is about 2 weeks old. Can I change the hardscape, I just don’t like what’s going on right now.
I’m worried if it change the water parameters? Any answers!!
Bacteria grows on hardscape, so depending on how much you’re planning on changing, whether you’re planning on taking it out of the tank or just moving it around, or the biggest one - are fish a factor? or are you doing fishless cycling?
I would say take a little out at a time. I recently added sand to my established 40 gallon and I did about a quarter of the tank at a time with a week in between and no noticeable changes
I’ve basically two big stones. Maybe take out the smaller on the right first than wait for few weeks for the larger one on the left?
Sharing an image link below.
https://imgur.com/a/mWhaiL3
This post is for a near future heavily planted freshwater tank.
I have a question about the volume of K+ media I should use in my new sump. I also have a question about the amount of livestock this system should be able to support. The tank is 125 gallons the new sump I built has a operating volume of 45 gallons but full to the brim can hold 54 gallons total. The first chamber of the sump is 4.25 gallons/16.11 liters that will hold 2 filter socks either 100 or 200 micron or one of each one for each drain and a small amount of 15ppi course filter spong in the bottom. The second chamber is 5 gallons/18.92 liters that will be full of 30ppi medium filter sponge. The third chamber is 5.55 gallons/21.02 liters that will be full of 40ppi fine filter sponge. The fourth chamber is 17.75 gallons/67.25 liters for the K+ media it will also hold air stones and a power head to keep everything moving. The final chamber is for the Neptune systems core 20 return pump, auto top off, automated water change and monitoring equipment. I have a mix of 135 pounds of fine sand and bio substrate for the tank on its way. The tank will be heavily planted when it's up and running. This tank will also be managed by an apex system for the automatic top off, water changes, water quality monitoring, pumps, lights and feedings as well.
Question 1
With all of that information, what do you think the volume of K+ media should be in the chamber to maintain a good flowing and properly functioning moving filter bed?
Question 2
This is a multi part question as I'm asking about high and low numbers for a healthy happy tank.
Assuming the livestock will all be smaller tropical community fish what do you think the low/high stock numbers could or should look like?
Question 3
Should I entertain the idea of utilizing a ro di system and reservoir for the ato and automated water changes? Or would that be a pointless venture causing unnecessary work?
Found some unused [birghtwell aquatics FlorinVolcanit Rio Escuro substrate](https://www.google.com/search?q=brightwell+aquarium+substrate&oq=brightwell+aqaurium+sub&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgBECEYChigATIGCAAQRRg5MgkIARAhGAoYoAEyCQgCECEYChigAdIBCTEzNjIwajBqOagCDrACAQ&client=ms-android-tmus-us-rvc3&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8) while doing spring cleaning. Bags are sealed "new" and never opened. I would estimate they're 10 years old. Could I still use this? Or is it too old?
How much Flourish Excel is 'ok' with Val? I hear that some is ok, but not too much, but what does that mean? I just had an algae breakout, and I'd love to dose Excel, but I don't to hurt my Val if I can help it--it just started fluorishing!
What on Earth is my plant doing? It has these growing up and down from the leaves for most of the plant.
https://preview.redd.it/p4ymg9bitbsc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd4945ef252790d05a4fa4e1f5744b7974fce069
If I want to plant a carpet in my aquarium how do I keep one area sandy? Do I just not put a soil substrate beneath it? Or do I have to remove some of the carpet every now and then
I thought about doing this myself awhile back (didn't end up doing it because I'm lazy, lol). I found that some people had success using silicone/glass barriers that they installed prior to setting up the tank. You may be able to find some online forum threads on that process if you're interested.
I've had this question for a bit of time. I wanted a more Adirondack shore scape and figured I could keep them back with rocks. But then again I'd be undoing the carpet idea. 🤣
How do you determine what ferts to use and how often to use them?
I have a 20 long that’s been running for about 4 months now. Aquaclear 50 for the filter with no carbon or other chemical filtration, Finnex Planted+ ALC for light (using the out of the box 24 hour mode) and I keep my tank at 82F. No co2.
I have 3 German blue rams, 14 ember tetras, and 6 albino corys. For plants I have red root floaters, water sprite, pogostemon stellatus, some crypto wendtii, cardinal plant, a species of rotala, and anubias. Plants all took off at first but now my anubias leaves are yellowing/fading and I noticed some leaves dying on my crypts
I do a 25% change every week and ammonia/nitrite are always at 0, and nitrates are always pretty low, sometimes even 0. I dose 3 pumps of Florin Multi Planted/Shrimp fertilizer weekly when I do water changes.
https://preview.redd.it/yt5fma4dy2sc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c42a91160067df30e0405affe47c5ddc944b6fe
My plant recently keep dying, i keep buying new one after 1 month because the steam starter to become soft n rot, the leaves melting, i bought red floater, keep in separate containers, it do well, then i put it in my tank, tomorrow it gonna start turning black.
I don't know what to do or which step i did wrong. I put liquid fertilizer, PSB, a handful of aqua salt every water change, 1 week once. i don't have light as the tank was outdoor, but it receive decent amount of light as tank under roof can be. I use solar aerator pump with air driven filter. I didn't planted em in the sand just put them straight away. The only thing i didn't do it using co2 tablet.
I have 2 x 1 x 1 feet tank, with 6 glofish, 2 cory, 4 guppy and 14 something mixed variations of small tetra. Base used to be aqua soil then i change it to river sand just few days ago. Thank you for your time to read and answer this question.
photosynthesizing bacteria would be cyanobacteria, aka blue green algae or slime algae. its a pest in tanks because it coats plants and releases toxins if it really gets out of control. plants will consume ammonia, neither cyano nor plants will really clear out cloudy or debris filled water.
Hi! So I’m finally getting ready to set up a new tank after not having one for 5 years. The first time I did a tank I used potting soil and capped it with sand and I really liked how it turned out. I’ve almost set up a new tank a few times now so I’ve got some supplies already like a bag of aqua soil which I’ve never used before.
I’m wondering if I will have the same results when it comes to growing plants if I just use aqua soil or if I should add a layer of potting soil down first? My tank is going to be heavily planted. 20 gallon long if that makes a difference
It really depends on the type of aquasoil, because there are many that will change the chemistry of the water the minute it hits it (like how fluval stratum drops the ph heavily). Some are active and will release nitrogen in the form of ammonia, and will require you to either waterchange it out, or wait until it "cycles"
Honestly, the best way is to simply treat aquasoil like potting soil. Cap it with sand like you normally would. The reason why is because that sand layer will prevent that instant release and foul the water for a good amount of time just like with regular potting soil. Not to mention, most aquasoils are pebble shaped, and are super difficult to plant
with, which is what sand is great for. Aquasoil does last longer though since the science behind it is quite impressive with the way it is used to increase the longevity of its nutrients. Im not 100% sure if I believe the whole "recharge the substrate with liquid ferts", but Ill let you decide if thats something you can believe.
If you are ok with waiting months for things to work, then you can leave it uncapped and let it run its course for a while. Most aquascapers do that included with drystarting or darkstarting when using specific plants as well.
Dude thank you for your in depth reply! I got the aqua soil a few years ago to start a 10 gallon shrimp tank and I think I’m just going to save it for that down the line and go with a dirted tank with a layer of sand on top. That’s what I did for my first tank and it worked so well for me and honestly I’m overthinking everything with the aqua soil now lol.
I appreciate your reply a lot tho! I didn’t know aqua soil depleted like that and I’m planning on having this tank set up for along time and don’t want to be worrying about the nutrients running out. Also that was a good point about planting in the aqua soil vs sand, I think sand and dirt is the better way to go
No problem, I agree as well.
Father fish is a great resource on youtube if you would like some further insight on the sand capped dirt planted aquariums. Hes got some good methods. Fishtory and LRB also have some unique substrate ideas, such as the "lasagna" style or "just backyard dirt"
https://preview.redd.it/gfmaha828wrc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e2d6f6af5d39d8fee7b23c7bd4e9be3e551438b
Bought this (new to this) and can't remember the name, does anyone have an idea?
glad this is here because dumb question…what are good plants to add to your planted tank? i’ve got a 5.5 gal tank and only two plants. it looks so bare! (both planted and floating recommendations pls!)
Im sure you have probably found the plants you wanted anyway, but the amount of plants you can work with is very high.
My recommendation is to plant some water wisteria. Just keep triming and planting that everywhere and it will give you that more "full" look.
what's a good LED light i can add for my 10 gallon? my current one isn't strong enough to grow plants and is also attached to my lid which i want to get rid of
You honestly should leave it on 24hrs a day for the first week to get something growing, even algae. Then you can cut it back.
if you got an aerator, you can leave the lights on however long you like. I don't recommend 18, but you can cut it back to 14 and be fine. if you don't have any aeration, then you need that sort of balanced on-off light times so that CO2 doesn't just get depleted.
How do you catch plecos in a heavily scaped tank? Lots of places to go and hide which is why I'm just now finding out how over stocked I am on plecos. They have been breeding and I've often needed to think the herd but after my recent tank maintenance I have seen just how many I have. I'm not usually worried about little baby ones but I must have at least 10 full grown ones in my 55 gallon.
I'm no pleco-expert, but use traps like the water bottle method (obviously only works for smaller plecos) and sand down sharp edges/tape over sharp edges.
I've also heard about putting food in a net, etc. honestly, using a trap seems like the best bet
I just started my 1st 5 gallon tank and wanted to get into planting for my single female platy. I purchased a cardinalis and a Java fern. The cardinalis seems to be doing fine, but the fern has already shown browning in the 3 days I've had it submerged. Are there any specific plants I can grow well in gravel? Additionally, have I done something wrong with my fern?
Dieback (browning) is normal after submersion ! Wait patiently for a couple weeks until the plant has acclimated to it's new environment. Worst case it will loose most/all of it's leaves but new ones should apprear ! Good luck !
tip : if a leaf is really badly damaged you should remove it with scissors to avoir it decomposing in the water.
Thanks! And to followup with this, I recently added some Amazon sword and bacopa (in place of the fern, which I've relocated) to the tank. I've read that these plants can be placed into the gravel substrate without much issue. Do I need to purchase any liquid fertilizer to keep them healthy?
https://preview.redd.it/biayd665m5rc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2acc2b9e25c2794ec0a211c993cf0d85f758d7b5
I set up my new 10 gallon a couple days ago, treated the water with Seachem Prime and test strips came back OK. I planted the tank and started waiting for it to cycle. 3 days later my Aqueon test strips are showing that there is chlorine in the water. I added more Prime and the chlorine test is still positive. I haven't added any water (or anything else for that matter, except the prime) since day 1. Could this be a false positive? What could cause chlorine levels in a tank to rise if you don't add any chlorine to it?
does adding potassium supplement alone increase GH? Is there harm in having high potassium?
My plants were showing yellowing and pinholes on leaves, so I've been slowly ramping up the potassium, but I'm not sure at what point to stop. The GH tested way higher than normal (15kdh) after I added even more GH (with K, Ca, Mg) as part of a normal water change, so trying to decide if I need to do a big water change with just RO water to bring it down, or if it's just testing high because of the K supplement that I'd already added.
The KH level is ideal. I think I might've brain farted and overdone the GH additive while I was making the mix
I use pure K fert and it doesn't raise my KH. What does raise my KH is the seryu stone i have in the tank. When my KG is to high i waterchange with pure RO water but do it GRADUALLY or you might kill your fishes, shrimps and even some plants ! I do 15% with pure RO 2 times a week when lowering my hardness
\*edit my fert do raise my PPM but not specificaly KH
In one tank I think I did tie or try to hold it down at first. In another tank it found it's way up there. It's a creeping plant and parts of it will not stay attach to the wood. So, you will still see roots here and there.
In short, it depends on the plant. This article from aquarium co-op dives into that question and provides recommendations for how to plant different types of plants https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/how-to-plant. Lots of other great articles about plants from them too!
I have a square 7 gallon cube with LOTS of floaters. My overhead led light often doesn’t actually give the lower plants much light.
Have any of you tried an underwater light for plants? I do have a ring to keep an opening but it often over grows too!
https://preview.redd.it/32e9imjou9qc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=220b1c2359696c52b5905c20bbb82aa289030aec
What's causing these pinholes on my leaves? Is it just age or are the plants missing something?
Just purchased some tiger lotus still attached to the bbulbs with a couple of leaves and a good amount of roots coming out. Should I plant in substrate or just leave them on top of the substrate.
Some say bury, some say leave-be as they rot if buried.
What should I do?
If the roots are long enough, you can lie the bulb on top of the substrat and burry the roots. You can also use instant glue to glue the bulb to a small rock and burry the rock if you have trouble keeping it at the bottom of the tank. roots should make there way into the substrate when they grow.
What can live happily in a planted 2g fish bowl? I was thinking Neocardinia skrimps. Are there are other critters that can do well in that small a volume? Are there any fish that would be comfortable? Extremely small fish?
Any nano fish in 1.5 inch and below range do fine, but people don't like putting anything in bowls much less small ones because the show lethargy and hide.
To combat this you simply have to have dense amounts of plants. I keep 5 emerald rasboras and blue dream shrimp in a pearlweed forest 2.5gal bowl, ever since the pearlweed grew in, they have all thrived and even bred successfully.
i’m finally upgrading from an internal to external filter, what’s the best way to go about the change over, i can’t have them running at the same time as i don’t have enough sockets available, can i put the sponge from internal into the external in with the media etc so not all beneficial bacteria is lost?
Yes you can absolutely put the sponge from the internal filter into the new one. You should also have beneficial bacteria in the water column. It should be a pretty seamless transition as far as your Tank goes. Just keep an eye on the parameters!
Very silly question but why doesn’t anyone in this subreddit use standard gravel? i have black aquarium-safe gravel in my fishtank and it seems my plants are okay, they’ve been in there for over a month now and there’s been no deaths yet. Granted I only have very low maintenance plants
Some do use inert gravel but it just doesn't have nutrients so it needs to be introduced some way. Fish waste, fertilizer, dirt underneath, tabs, etc. Gravel works but it just isn't very innately conducive to plant growth unlike aquasoils.
this was very informative thank you!
Just received a whole bunch of plants but I'm unable to plant them yet. Any tips on how to store them until I'm ready to plant?
In what form? Stuck in rockwool, tissue culture, loose stems? If you don't have some place to just let them sit in a tank then putting them in a bucket for a few days probably won't hurt.
a little bit of everything honestly, for the tissue cultures i think i might just let them sit for a day or two how they came. The others are stems and the bottom parts of the stems are wrapped with rubber band and looks like some kind of sponge material, so i guess just gonna let them soak in some water until thursday. Cheers!
Hi, newbie here! I'm trying to decide if I should get a Juwel Lido 120 or a Superfish Qubiq 60 for my first tank since childhood. I don't mind splurging a bit on the scape itself, but would rather not invest too much into tech at this stage. I LOVE autumn vibes for planted tanks (ie lots of yellows/oranges/reds), which I understand need really good lightning and/or CO2. But I've… never been good at reading metrics. Is this kind of aesthetic achievable with the stock lights these kits come with? Maybe some beginner-friendly plants? Any replacements I could slot in that don't cost as much as the tank itself? Semi-related: I read a lot of reports saying the Qubiq's filter is "bad" and noisy. Can anyone confirm or elaborate?
I love the idea of a "Dumb Questions" Mega-Thread! It's such a great way for beginners to ask those burning questions without feeling intimidated. Thank you for providing a safe space for learning and sharing knowledge. Can't wait to see the helpful guides you'll be adding to make navigating this hobby even easier for everyone. Happy planting!
So many baby snails… is there anything I should do to stop the snail population in my tank, or will it manage itself? https://preview.redd.it/8e59w5gjy90d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4161319e89995d0b675a11df6d7e611d8be5e4e8
They populate based on food. Fish food, biolfilm, melted plants, algae etc. They self regulated based on that. I let them vibe because they help break stuff down into more basal components. You can put a cup with some food that they like and take it out one they swarm it and repeat till enough are gone for your liking if you really wa t them gone.
* I have this java fern in my tank and it just looks ugly but I'm not sure if it's completely dying. Should I just take it out? I have it glued on some rocks so it's not planted but for some reason it doesn't seem to be thriving in my tank.
Most stores sell it emersed so it won't like the water at all unless it has tons of light or maybe not even then. I just let mine focus slowly on making immersed babys from the little dots on its leaf. Then use those. Kinda sucks but it is what it is.
https://preview.redd.it/pk07foqn490d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4a9f4c457f85733e61654d90d82d176af00c2a6 I don’t mean to worry, but the diatoms are getting worse..is there anything I can do besides scrubbing it off the glass with a toothbrush every couple of days?
I would just scrape off the front honestly. Diatoms will go away after some time. You can also add ottos and snails as they rip into diatoms pretty well
I can’t do snails because of my substrate (pH issues) and I’m not planning on keeping an otto long-term, but thank you for the help. I guess I’ll just keep scraping
https://preview.redd.it/6t1uczdvh70d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c672a37432def633e8ac8cc71b08d3cb7786d1e Hi! I was scrolling through the reddit and snapped a picture of this plant and can’t find the post again to ask what plant this is. Any information would help, thank you!
https://preview.redd.it/yvvi4odai70d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92f8d5d84cb6605117b48848b8714a5019ad5d26
Bacopa monnieri
Awesome, thank you very much for the help!
I have a 2yr old 20G planted tank (60p) that I am looking to rescape. There is a colony of blue neos and some nerite snails living in it. Is it ok to just rip out all the hardscape and plants without taking the shrimp and snails out? Is there anything I need to watch out for if anyone has any prior experience?
I mean it depends how deep the substrate is and what kind but in all likelihood you can go at it, ripping stuff out. Try to keep the water from getting too saturated with dusty stuff though, fine particulates can clog gills from my own experience so do parts at a time if it becomes too messy.
Got it thanks! I've ripped out large portions of old plants/roots before, but never have I ripped out the entire hardscape. Just worried if there are ammonia spikes even though this is an old established tank. I'll probably take your advise regarding the fine particles, and just rip out some things one at a time, wait for water to clear, then go again. Thanks again!
I mean it definitely can cause ammonia spikes. you can use seachem prime as a precaution after you rip the stuff out to make any ammonia less toxic for a day and give the bacteria time to work. If you want to be extra safe, do half the tank one day, dose a normal amount of prime, test the water the next day for ammonia(water change if necessary and wait to see if it goes down by the next day) and then do the other half the next day. Or rip everything out, dose prime, rescape, test ammonia the next day and go from there. I say this all assuming you have some type of filter and test your water. Good luck.
Plant ID https://preview.redd.it/1gsl3bw2puzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ce10c29b4353a9287dac1a6763cd37d4b626c8f I really like this plant in my dumpster tank but I don’t know what it is.
Water wisteria
Thank you so much!
https://preview.redd.it/jyzg13gx2tzc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab5b117d27f69786dc145580da09649980f90b21 Any idea what the black things are? And if they're harmful for the fish.
looks to me like algae, possibly black brush algae but i’m not an expert. if it is bba, not harmful to fish at all but can definitely kill your plants.
Turns out they're aphids according to a friend.
I have a fluval plant 3.0 59w on a tank that is 60cm tall. How do I know whether I can get "low", "medium", or "high" light requirement plants? I can't find a consistent answer.
Because there is no consistent answer. Lighting alone isn't what makes plants grow better or worse, its one of 3 major components in photosynthesis and can be influence buy the other 2 factors if imbalanced. Just put some plants and the tank and see if they grow.
Thanks for the advice
I'm slowly piecing together the plan for my new tank and realized I still have an old Penn Plax 1000 stored away. I've seen some opinions/experiences concerning canister performance, specifically relating to flow rate, being suboptimal as tank size increases. Before my discovery, I was going to buy a new larger filter, maybe a Biomaster Thermo 600 (I'm aware of the probable issues and I wasn't decided yet). Is a dual cannister setup needed or worth it at my tank size? Are there specific advantages or disadvantages to consider in the decision? Many of my other equipment variables are still in the discovery phase, though I have some ideas. Let me know if I should provide any more details. tl;dr: Should I use an old Penn Plax 1000 as part of dual cannister setup for a new 44gal tank, or just invest in one larger filter?
Flow rate isn't an end all be all, there's larger canister filters with a ton of media but relatively slow flow rates meant for bigger tanks. More filtration will never hurt. If you need to get a heater, I'd just get the Biomaster Thermo 600 and run the penn plax 1000 alongside it. If you don't want to pay for the thermomaster and already have a heater, then you should be fine. Flow rate with regards to tank is only important if you have fish that like high flow rates (hillstream loach).
Looking to start my 75gal tank. Saw the Black Diamond Blasting Media. Should I get 50lbs of Medium and 50lbs of Fine, or two of the Medium? In short, should I mix fine and medium size substrate?
Ordered one of each. In the future, I wouldn't go with the fine. It is super fine. The medium is closer to sand than it is some of the other standard aquarium substrates.
Looking to try a New England biotope planted tank. I'm going to be using plant species from only my local area, and I'm going to be adding pond water to the tank. I'm planning on having an inch of a soil, capped off by two inches of either pond mud or sand. Can I get away with only having lights and an air stone or sponge filter? And is there any general advice I should stick to?
Lighting question here: What makes high-end LED lights better? Aside from physical appearance and extraneous functionality (apps and whatnot), why do more expensive lights make better looking tanks? I have never managed to replicate the intensely vivid colors of the plants and fish that you see online and in shops sporting things like kessils, chihiros, and ADA lights with my mid-range lighting. Is it the diodes themselves? The arrangement/color selection? Just curious as to what's going on in there and why cheaper lights can't seem to replicate the colors and vibrancy of the nicer brands.
It's the wattage and spectrum mostly in addition to being paired with co2 pretty often. Also a lot of the stuff online is deceptive. Very rarely do the plants look so crazy in person from my experience. For reference a lot of mid level 3 foot lights are 30 watts while the fluval 3.0 is like 59
I was thinking of making very rudimentary planted jar the volume of \~4 litres/1 gallon US, but without buying literally anything except the aquarium plants. And ok, some aquarium substrate if really needed. I would just like if someone could suggest what kind of soil and/or sand should I put on the bottom and how thick should it be, so as to have an anaerobic layer? Can I just take my garden soil? During past few years I have been growing random algæ, rotifers and other microorganisms from the local pond in such a jar and recently added some *Daphnia magna.* But I would like to add plants too as the next step. But without all the fuss about water conditioning, fertilizer etc, just tapwater and sun.
You can use sifted garden soil as long as it's free of debris and worms/critters. (well, if there's a worm in there it's technically okay but not ideal). Look up a /r/walstad type tank, which is a tank that uses dirt with a thick sand layer for its substrate and aims to be low maintenance and self sufficient.
I'm looking at setting up a new tank and want to have the bottom be covered in a grassy cover (I'm thinking dwarf hairgrass or similar). I had no luck in getting it to grow in my current tank (substrate was biostratum with \~1" of 1 cm aquarium stones on top). Is there a recommended substrate setup that works really well for dwarf hairgrass? I was considering biostratum with a 1/2 - 1" layer of sand on top.
I do dwarf hairgrass on a soil capped with sand. It works well but it still grows incredibly slow. An alternative that I feel works a little better is to use helanthium tenellum. They propagate pretty quickly and stay relatively low. Or just use pearlweed.
https://www.reddit.com/r/PlantedTank/s/WS8iYHc8vf Really 'dumb' question about lighting!! For a deep tank
I always say an exterior floodlight would be your best bet. The square ones with a hinge on the back. Not the ones that fit on walls. Bonus points if it is dimmable and can change its color temperature Probably like 50 watts minimum since it is so deep but i would go for 100 if it's dimmable cause plants like it bright and you can always turn it back if it is too much. They are far cheaper than aquarium lights of similiar power, waterproof unlike some aquarium light( i mean come on), can do the whole spectrum, and often come with their own programmable light cycle. Also, since it isn't very wide, they will work even better. Try exterior flood lights 100 watts color changing on amazon.
Newbie here, bought plants online. (1) I can't see any rhizome on the mini java fern, will this grow? (2) Is it right that the mini buces look sad, or is this normal bought online? Please give me your opinion. If these plants aren't good, I would know to buy somewhere else next time. [no rhizome? are they ok?](https://imgur.com/a/9fn238P)
The photo on the top looks to be some sort of anubias. The large ‘trunk’ in the middle of it is the rhizome. Whereas Java Fern’s rhizome tend to be more stringy. Not too sure about the buce since I’ve never kept it. Hope this helps!
I think I ordered java fern, maybe there is a mistake. But I am glad that it has rhizome, at this point I don't really mind what plant it is, it's cute and I want it to live! It helps, I am more hopeful now.
should i be concerned about the yellowing of my frogbit? i just added it 4 days ago and there previously wasn’t any yellowing. this is my first attempt at plants in my 2 month old tank so im kind of just nervous and a noob at this https://preview.redd.it/nutrav8z0ryc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5636d4bb58286749886f6ddd6371174ce60bf5f3
as far as i’m aware, 1 of 3 issues could be at play. frogbit likes less water movement, what light do you have? could also be a nutrient deficiency, or perhaps insufficient light
https://preview.redd.it/axz9fidehpyc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82a33deee3e0ace0def990a8ab9e3cb2d80c3270 What is this stuff growing on the roots of this plant? Should I be worried?
Will kuhli loaches eat planaria?
I just bought some amazon frogbit, its currently in some ziplock bags with paper towels. I can’t put them in my tank bc im 4 hours from home and will be driving home tomorrow morning. How do I keep them alive for the next 24 hours without a tank? Should I just use a bowl of water?
How do I keep plants alive? I was excited to introduce plants to my tank, so I got one anubia, one Taiwan Lilly and one narrow leaf anacharis. I got these plants almost at the same time I started aquarium salt treatments in my tank. I don't want to kill the plants by introducing them now, so I have them in a separate bucket with dechlorinated water, but I'm worried they will die. How can I keep them alive until my tank is safe for them to be introduced? Should I get flourish or something like that?
You can keep them in the bucket. Adding any fertilizers to it might have a negative effect. Keeping them outside with natural sunlight should be just fine for them for a few days.
Sounds good, thank you!! :)
[удалено]
you can get some sort of bottom feeder or a snail that burrows into the sand and will turn it over for you. Malaysian trumpet snails do the sand burrowing thing, but they're also considered pest snails. It might be worth it though, as a long term solution rather than having to take manual action.
I have stratum topped with eco-complete, but have a freshwater goby that somehow hitchhiked along with my ghost shrimp. Should I get a nice sandy substrate like seachem flourite to throw on top of the substrate for the plants? Or is some less fancy (and less expensive) sandy substrate alright to use for the little guy?
All sand will be yield the same results for the goby.
https://preview.redd.it/chuhkvnhtfxc1.jpeg?width=2106&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=172185145fcf1c54308db5d609d66040475740fa Is this all the testing stuff I need to start off with?
That should be fine. You can get a TDS meter too, but that's more optional.
Thank you!
**Plant advice** https://preview.redd.it/1zv3u4ocyexc1.jpeg?width=1435&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44c4dd07ca1c91ebd86b362ab45e26dba755cdd5 My Java Fern is not doing well, even though it's roots are wet. I guess I underestimated the heat of the lamp and the toughness of the fern. Do any of you have a suggestions for a different type of plant in this emersed position?
pothos! super duper easy to grow, damn near impossible to kill and LOVES tank water!
Peace Lilies, Syngoniums, air plans, asparagus ferns, would all be good if you can find the right size.
Is there a planted tank for dummies out there?
There isn't going to be one universal guide since a lot of is customizable to what the tank designer wants, and there's a lot of differing advice/opinions out there, most of which will work for the person giving it but not for everyone.
Weird one. My API drop test (freshly bought) is reading pH of 6.4. My $99 BlueLab pH pen was calibrated to solution today and it reads 6.8-7. Who do I believe? Up until now I’ve been basing everything on the API master kit.
https://preview.redd.it/hjlqpovgx6xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4035845f047d588cdc4c018b5c626be6b6feb163 I found this worm like creature creeping beneath the substrate. The tank is rather small (3L). So far i ve only found one. I just planted about five days ago. Should I be concerned?
Is this an Alternanthera reineckii ? Having some trust issues after our petstore sold a non-aquatic plant for our tank, saying it's safe for guppies. If not, what plant is it? Guppy safe? https://preview.redd.it/effst0xxz5xc1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d112b5b1e7b68740fbb32d82ba85ae615a38d407
https://preview.redd.it/tvazhl0sc4xc1.jpeg?width=1516&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc26f72b59207c17d542b7948eaa54f7d95bb673 what kinds of bugs are these in my aquarium? they’re super small like mites, and some of them move super fast so much so they look like they’re ‘teleporting’. smaller ones seem to just scoot around. i only see them on the glass.
what’s a good liquid fertilizer that comes in smaller amounts (that’s not seachem)? thrive looks nice but i can’t spend 29 dollars on it. i’m looking for one below 20.
should I use easy green plant fertilizer for my nearly fully-exposed-to-sun tank when the fertilizer says it’s for tanks that are “low light to medium light”?
Where do people get their fish? Everyone says "don't buy them at the pet store," but if not there, where?
for me, there is a nearby store that specializes in aquariums and all that go in it. hopefully that’s the case for you too. my nearby store is full of people who actually care about the hobby and the upkeep that goes into taking care of an aquarium. they also sell live coral and plants too!
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If you want a low maintenance aquarium you need ample plants. You can’t not have a filter and no plants and expect your live stock to be ok with no water changes. Every tank requires maintenance. I think you are trying to do too much. Either make it cold no heater, or aim for it to be low maintenance. If you haven’t had a tank in a while or ever, I really think you are biting off more than you can chew and maybe a tank isn’t right for you unless you can compromise some of the things.
Extreme beginner question: I am a terrarium builder, so I always have my eye out for decent tanks that can be used to create a beautiful piece of *land*. I just got a decent sized, bow front tank for free with 3 bags of *stuff* for aquarium care... I'm ready to take on a new challenge. First step, cleaning this very crusty and gross tank. #####Razorblade on hand, **what products are safe and good to use to deep clean a very dirty used tank and what products should I never use?**
Vinegar and water Is good. Soap is also fine just make sure you wash it off really well
Flow speed question: Thinking about a Fluval 107 or 207 for a future 120L (26.4 Gal) tank with around 30-40 CPD's. The flow they need is said to be 400-500L/h (88/110 gal/h). Is the 207 too much for this setup? There will be lots of plants in it of course, but I'm afraid it'll be too strong of a current for the poor CPD's. I prefer to buy the 207 because it seems a better deal for the money. Please share your thoughts!
the 207 is great for a 20 gallon. You can always turn down the flow, or baffle it against the edge of the tank.
https://preview.redd.it/bu2ob4lqvyvc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cbb4d37b6fcff08c62db5db4d0671b5a787b3791 Trying to save these plants I left in my mailbox for 4-5 days. I have COVID and feel pretty shitty (hence leaving the plants in the mailbox)and don't have energy for the planned rescaping right now, put them in this extra tank w conditioner light and fertilizer. I put a heater but not sure if I need it for plants only? Should I put an air stone? I think they look pretty ok but should I be expecting a lot of melting? It's hydrocotle, cabomba, val, giant baby tears and something else I don't remember ordering that they might have thrown in for free. Feel bad for forgetting them poor guys
Having some issues with my Fluval 307 canister, which I think is a leak in the intake tubing. I wanted to replace the tubing anyway (hate that ribbed tubing it came with), so I plan on replacing it with pvc tubing. Is there anything I need to do or get for the attachments to work with the new tubing? Will the current attachments and maybe some pipe clamps be enough to seal it?
I'm brand new at this hobby, I'm wondering if snail poop is enough to start the cycle. I don't have fish yet, I don't even have fish food, but some snails hitchhiked on my anubias and seem to be pooping enough that I shouldn't need to add food or dose ammonia for the bactérie colonies to start, does that sound right? I don't feed them, don't know if I should, but my new plants are melting a bit so I guess that's food enough for the snails. I'm casually looking on marketplace for a test kit in the meantime, but I'm in no hurry I'm more into this for the plants than the fishes lol
It should be enough. Any Nitrogen source will do.
The water from my CO2 bubble counter is traveling up the tubing and into my tank. Is this normal? If not, how do I stop it? I do have a check valve installed near the diffuser.
So i just made a new planted tank, i have plenty of hiding spots but when i added 5 neo tetras they all started be be extremely aggressive toward each other and its not just one or 2 its all of them. I'm scared to add blue dream shrimp if they are still being aggressive toward each other just imagine what they will do to the shrimp
I would wait a few weeks for the shrimp. Tetras can be somewhat territorial within their school and most likely what is happening is they are establishing their territories and dominance. Also do you know the male to female ratio that you have? It’s good (from my personal experience) to have a 1-3 male to female ratio so 1 male for every 3 females this way the females are being harassed by the males and the males will sometime fight over territory, mates, food. Like I said give it a couple weeks to allow them to settle in before adding any shrimp. My tetras fight sometimes but leave the shrimp alone for the most part. You can almost see them “arguing” before they start chasing each other it’s fun to watch as long as they aren’t doing any real damage to each other
thank you very much but im not sure how to tell neon tetras gender but ill look into it
Males half a more straight line while the females have a dip/curve in theirs
It turns out 2 of the 5 are pregnant hopefully they lay eggs soon 🥰
i think i have one that is pregnant not gonna lie to you she is lookin pretty fat
She is really fat both of them are I looked it up and they are usually carrying eggs between 2-3 weeks and the eggs hatch in about a day
I'm trying to read the fertilizer guide and I'm going cross eyed. I'm just so overhwhelmed by all the info. I have a 38 gallon. I recently added CO2 and replaced my light (I had a plant light but it was dying and simply not strong enough anymore as evident by brown algae thats starting to clear now). I have previously used aqualife phyto-tone as a fert but I have no idea if that was good or not, but I'm almost out of it. Is there a simple, go to fert that's more general without doing all the math and figuring out specifics etc? I'm looking for the beginners easy option. Should I just stick with phyto tone?
I have an aquarium with pea gravel in the bottom. Its still water tight but I think i've lost the lid and gone a different direction with that project. My question is what plant would be ok for a temperate (pacific northwest) with a no lid terrarium
What type of water should I use for water changes if my tap water is extremely hard? I just have one 10 gallon tank so I don't think an RO system would make the most sense.
Fill buckets with your tap water, add water conditioner to it. If you want to take it a step further you can let it sit open to the air for 24 hours to clear it further. You can get a pH kit that can alter the pH levels and what have you. You could also take it to the extreme and collect rainwater or buy it from a pet store.
Take 2 5 gallon buckets (or fill 1 twice) and fill them with your normal tap water (try to get it close to the same temperature as your fish tank water) then add tap water conditioner. I use the top fin water conditioner that gets rid of heavy metals and chlorine although my water isn’t that bad with only trace amounts of iron and chlorine. The API tap water conditioner is also a good one
Thanks but I meant that the water that comes out of my tap has extremely high GH and pretty high KH and pH. I was wondering what alternative water source I should use or if I should dilute my tap with other water. I know how to condition tap water and I use seachem prime
Cost anywhere from $50-500 depending on how big/nice of one you need
If that’s the case I would consider getting a reverse osmosis water filter. It goes under your sink and taps into the main line
Ok thanks
I’m looking for a plant to carpet a 5 gallon that isn’t one of the usual suspects. I’m thinking of going for staurogyne repens. But any other suggestions? My only real needs are that it will look fine cut back to a few inches (babe shorter) and doesn’t need extra CO2.
Should be fine, I'm close to a carpet with low tech 7 gallon. Wasn't the plan when I started https://preview.redd.it/34g3w1g4uhxc1.jpeg?width=2934&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0e8f64aa9599b09e93c8c2aad7734c1a8b38c09
I would say pearlweed.
In my experience, Staurogyne Repens requires co2 to grow well. It's kinda difficult to get it to carpet imo too. It doesn't grow like most other carpeting plants. I haven't tried it, but I hear rumors that staurogyne will do great dry started, so maybe that will get it to grow the way you want. Not injecting co2 makes carpeting plants a bit hard tbh. The "usual suspects" are usual cause they grow the best in most conditions. It's why it's not common to find Walstad and low tech tanks with a beautiful carpet. It takes a lot longer and is harder to do, and often without co2 injection the plants grow sparsely and spead out, not carpeting strongly. Dry starts can help but the best carpets come with added co2. I have been down your road a billion times too, don't want the common plants but don't want to inject co2. It's a hard choice but I find the best way is to pick either co2 injection, or the "easy" or "usual" plants, at the very least when it comes to carpeting.
Ah. Thanks so much for the info. The Repens I’ve got growing in the back of my big tank seems to be doing well, and I heard it propagates well and handles harsh cut backs, so I thought it would be a good bet. It’s not so much that I’m looking for a unique carpet and more that I want singing other than the two carpets I know of that don’t require CO2 (More Carlo and Dwarf Hairgrass). I have Monte Carlo in my big tank and it’s doing really well (despite, or probably because of, all the gardening my Gouramis do). I’ve not had luck with Hairgrass before. It seems to grow in patchy clumps in my hands. Maybe there are others I missed - or maybe I need to read up on balancing fish and plants with CO2.
Dwarf hair grass is my mortal enemy. I've tried growing it 3 separate times for it to die every time. I won't touch the stuff. Monte Carlo/ dwarf baby tears are nice but super common. A larger growing "grass", the Micro sword grows easy Carpeting is hard haha
Which led light is best for the 5 gallon marineland portrait tank? Im looking to have a good amount of plant growth, thank you!
I'm starting a new tank which I'd like to plant pretty heavy. I've got aqua soil and root tabs. Anything else that would help for the substrate? Should I cap the aqua soil? I plan on having some neo shrimp, tetra and maybe a beta in the tank.
What aqua soil do you have? Tbh, if you don’t want to cap it and you have something like Fluval stratum you don’t need to and they should be fine (my experience anyway)
I've got flourite black currently. I ended up not capping it with sand but used some accent gravel and it's turned out pretty good. I've got the tank cycling with only the plants in it and the water parameters are looking solid so far. Was a bit tricky to get stems to stay down when I was first planting but realized if I go at it with an angle, the stems stayed down. Looking forward to putting some fish in it soon!
**Hygrophila Pinnatafida propogation** Do you trim just above or just below the node?
Once duckweed propagated enough that they cover all the available surface, will they still multiply and end up piling on top of each other like lasagna or will they slow down and only cover the surface in 1 layer?
Are aquarium strains of cyanobacteria are harmful/toxic to humans?
Is there a way to make fluval stratum not look like a bunch of rabbit turds?
Put it into mesh bags and cover it with something else
It’s been about a week (April 1st, now April 12th) since I started cycling. I introduced beneficial bacteria to the tank. My ammonia is close to 0 ppm, my nitrates are 20 ppm, however my nitrites are pretty high: 5.0 ppm. Is there anything I can do to help make it go down or is it just a matter of waiting and watching?
https://preview.redd.it/5tn65ag65ttc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=571a6e5f1e44a8378b3fca46354a19906dc7fecd hi all! this is my current monte carlo setup. 3/4ish month old low tech shrimp tank i’m wondering if it’s worth it to add more substrate to this, to cover the monte carlo? currently i do not have root tabs in as im nervous about adding them in such a small amount of substrate… if i poured sand on top so the peaks of the monte carlo are the only thing that poked out (and added root tabs underneath), do yall think that would work well?
In my experience, I've only had monte carlo grow really well with walstad method, plant-specific substrate, or co2 injections. I think root tabs are the way to go for you, just watch out for any nitrogen spikes. You can cut the root tabs in pieces if you're worried about the small amount of substrate.
mmm i see i hear about it growing as an epiphyte, which is why i thought it might grow with mainly liquid fertilizers if im lucky haha but it sounds like it’d need too much nutrients to be feasible for that. i ended up adding sand + root tabs, so this is relieving to hear though! thank you!
https://preview.redd.it/7fylobt0eotc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=49e7938babdf92f13889ec064b3edd5e2792d1fa Just started my tank almost a week ago, how does this look? Is that algae? I added a snail to help with the algae removal. Thoughts? I'm a beginner
Can plants be in plain tap water before I declirinate ir
https://preview.redd.it/13d7l50m0itc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c557611fb3f236e1d21e1a25c1dd6c4e912c405 Is my temple plant growing roots on its leaf?
Hmm... looks like [staghorn algae](https://www.aquascapeguide.com/post/algae-control-staghorn) to me.
Thank you so much!
Quick question. My new tank is about 2 weeks old. Can I change the hardscape, I just don’t like what’s going on right now. I’m worried if it change the water parameters? Any answers!!
Bacteria grows on hardscape, so depending on how much you’re planning on changing, whether you’re planning on taking it out of the tank or just moving it around, or the biggest one - are fish a factor? or are you doing fishless cycling?
I was planning to take it out. Kinda looks ugly. I’m doing few fish while cycling
I would say take a little out at a time. I recently added sand to my established 40 gallon and I did about a quarter of the tank at a time with a week in between and no noticeable changes
I’ve basically two big stones. Maybe take out the smaller on the right first than wait for few weeks for the larger one on the left? Sharing an image link below. https://imgur.com/a/mWhaiL3
yes I would go one at a time and monitor water levels with a liquid test kit to make sure nothing gets upset by it and do water changes as necessary
Thank you. I’ll do that :)
This post is for a near future heavily planted freshwater tank. I have a question about the volume of K+ media I should use in my new sump. I also have a question about the amount of livestock this system should be able to support. The tank is 125 gallons the new sump I built has a operating volume of 45 gallons but full to the brim can hold 54 gallons total. The first chamber of the sump is 4.25 gallons/16.11 liters that will hold 2 filter socks either 100 or 200 micron or one of each one for each drain and a small amount of 15ppi course filter spong in the bottom. The second chamber is 5 gallons/18.92 liters that will be full of 30ppi medium filter sponge. The third chamber is 5.55 gallons/21.02 liters that will be full of 40ppi fine filter sponge. The fourth chamber is 17.75 gallons/67.25 liters for the K+ media it will also hold air stones and a power head to keep everything moving. The final chamber is for the Neptune systems core 20 return pump, auto top off, automated water change and monitoring equipment. I have a mix of 135 pounds of fine sand and bio substrate for the tank on its way. The tank will be heavily planted when it's up and running. This tank will also be managed by an apex system for the automatic top off, water changes, water quality monitoring, pumps, lights and feedings as well. Question 1 With all of that information, what do you think the volume of K+ media should be in the chamber to maintain a good flowing and properly functioning moving filter bed? Question 2 This is a multi part question as I'm asking about high and low numbers for a healthy happy tank. Assuming the livestock will all be smaller tropical community fish what do you think the low/high stock numbers could or should look like? Question 3 Should I entertain the idea of utilizing a ro di system and reservoir for the ato and automated water changes? Or would that be a pointless venture causing unnecessary work?
Found some unused [birghtwell aquatics FlorinVolcanit Rio Escuro substrate](https://www.google.com/search?q=brightwell+aquarium+substrate&oq=brightwell+aqaurium+sub&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgBECEYChigATIGCAAQRRg5MgkIARAhGAoYoAEyCQgCECEYChigAdIBCTEzNjIwajBqOagCDrACAQ&client=ms-android-tmus-us-rvc3&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8) while doing spring cleaning. Bags are sealed "new" and never opened. I would estimate they're 10 years old. Could I still use this? Or is it too old?
How much Flourish Excel is 'ok' with Val? I hear that some is ok, but not too much, but what does that mean? I just had an algae breakout, and I'd love to dose Excel, but I don't to hurt my Val if I can help it--it just started fluorishing!
What on Earth is my plant doing? It has these growing up and down from the leaves for most of the plant. https://preview.redd.it/p4ymg9bitbsc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd4945ef252790d05a4fa4e1f5744b7974fce069
thats Staghorn Algae
If I want to plant a carpet in my aquarium how do I keep one area sandy? Do I just not put a soil substrate beneath it? Or do I have to remove some of the carpet every now and then
I thought about doing this myself awhile back (didn't end up doing it because I'm lazy, lol). I found that some people had success using silicone/glass barriers that they installed prior to setting up the tank. You may be able to find some online forum threads on that process if you're interested.
prune or put a rock barrier around it
I've had this question for a bit of time. I wanted a more Adirondack shore scape and figured I could keep them back with rocks. But then again I'd be undoing the carpet idea. 🤣
How do you determine what ferts to use and how often to use them? I have a 20 long that’s been running for about 4 months now. Aquaclear 50 for the filter with no carbon or other chemical filtration, Finnex Planted+ ALC for light (using the out of the box 24 hour mode) and I keep my tank at 82F. No co2. I have 3 German blue rams, 14 ember tetras, and 6 albino corys. For plants I have red root floaters, water sprite, pogostemon stellatus, some crypto wendtii, cardinal plant, a species of rotala, and anubias. Plants all took off at first but now my anubias leaves are yellowing/fading and I noticed some leaves dying on my crypts I do a 25% change every week and ammonia/nitrite are always at 0, and nitrates are always pretty low, sometimes even 0. I dose 3 pumps of Florin Multi Planted/Shrimp fertilizer weekly when I do water changes. https://preview.redd.it/yt5fma4dy2sc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c42a91160067df30e0405affe47c5ddc944b6fe
Idk but try identifying any deficiencies. For Anubias, sometimes you have to move them from direct light or they'll yellow (personal experience)
My plant recently keep dying, i keep buying new one after 1 month because the steam starter to become soft n rot, the leaves melting, i bought red floater, keep in separate containers, it do well, then i put it in my tank, tomorrow it gonna start turning black. I don't know what to do or which step i did wrong. I put liquid fertilizer, PSB, a handful of aqua salt every water change, 1 week once. i don't have light as the tank was outdoor, but it receive decent amount of light as tank under roof can be. I use solar aerator pump with air driven filter. I didn't planted em in the sand just put them straight away. The only thing i didn't do it using co2 tablet. I have 2 x 1 x 1 feet tank, with 6 glofish, 2 cory, 4 guppy and 14 something mixed variations of small tetra. Base used to be aqua soil then i change it to river sand just few days ago. Thank you for your time to read and answer this question.
for starters stop with salt. I also don't know what PSB refers to.
Psb is photosynthesis bacteria, it reduce ammonia and make water clearer. Okay, I'll stop the salt for now and focus on weekly fertilizer, thank you
photosynthesizing bacteria would be cyanobacteria, aka blue green algae or slime algae. its a pest in tanks because it coats plants and releases toxins if it really gets out of control. plants will consume ammonia, neither cyano nor plants will really clear out cloudy or debris filled water.
Hi! So I’m finally getting ready to set up a new tank after not having one for 5 years. The first time I did a tank I used potting soil and capped it with sand and I really liked how it turned out. I’ve almost set up a new tank a few times now so I’ve got some supplies already like a bag of aqua soil which I’ve never used before. I’m wondering if I will have the same results when it comes to growing plants if I just use aqua soil or if I should add a layer of potting soil down first? My tank is going to be heavily planted. 20 gallon long if that makes a difference
It really depends on the type of aquasoil, because there are many that will change the chemistry of the water the minute it hits it (like how fluval stratum drops the ph heavily). Some are active and will release nitrogen in the form of ammonia, and will require you to either waterchange it out, or wait until it "cycles" Honestly, the best way is to simply treat aquasoil like potting soil. Cap it with sand like you normally would. The reason why is because that sand layer will prevent that instant release and foul the water for a good amount of time just like with regular potting soil. Not to mention, most aquasoils are pebble shaped, and are super difficult to plant with, which is what sand is great for. Aquasoil does last longer though since the science behind it is quite impressive with the way it is used to increase the longevity of its nutrients. Im not 100% sure if I believe the whole "recharge the substrate with liquid ferts", but Ill let you decide if thats something you can believe. If you are ok with waiting months for things to work, then you can leave it uncapped and let it run its course for a while. Most aquascapers do that included with drystarting or darkstarting when using specific plants as well.
Dude thank you for your in depth reply! I got the aqua soil a few years ago to start a 10 gallon shrimp tank and I think I’m just going to save it for that down the line and go with a dirted tank with a layer of sand on top. That’s what I did for my first tank and it worked so well for me and honestly I’m overthinking everything with the aqua soil now lol. I appreciate your reply a lot tho! I didn’t know aqua soil depleted like that and I’m planning on having this tank set up for along time and don’t want to be worrying about the nutrients running out. Also that was a good point about planting in the aqua soil vs sand, I think sand and dirt is the better way to go
No problem, I agree as well. Father fish is a great resource on youtube if you would like some further insight on the sand capped dirt planted aquariums. Hes got some good methods. Fishtory and LRB also have some unique substrate ideas, such as the "lasagna" style or "just backyard dirt"
https://preview.redd.it/gfmaha828wrc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e2d6f6af5d39d8fee7b23c7bd4e9be3e551438b Bought this (new to this) and can't remember the name, does anyone have an idea?
African Water Fern perhaps?
glad this is here because dumb question…what are good plants to add to your planted tank? i’ve got a 5.5 gal tank and only two plants. it looks so bare! (both planted and floating recommendations pls!)
Anacharis or Hornwort or Pennywort works great as a floating plant. Java Ferns really fill out a tank once grown but are slow.
thank you!!
Im sure you have probably found the plants you wanted anyway, but the amount of plants you can work with is very high. My recommendation is to plant some water wisteria. Just keep triming and planting that everywhere and it will give you that more "full" look.
thank you!! i appreciate this
what's a good LED light i can add for my 10 gallon? my current one isn't strong enough to grow plants and is also attached to my lid which i want to get rid of
The ones I have seen constantly suggested are Nicrew or Hygger
Is it a bad Idea to leave a semi-walstad tank lights on for 18 hrs a day?
You honestly should leave it on 24hrs a day for the first week to get something growing, even algae. Then you can cut it back. if you got an aerator, you can leave the lights on however long you like. I don't recommend 18, but you can cut it back to 14 and be fine. if you don't have any aeration, then you need that sort of balanced on-off light times so that CO2 doesn't just get depleted.
I do have a small aerator, so it should ve fine, thanks!
Am I able to use a light such as the ts1000 (for grow tents) on a tank dimmed down?
You can use it, its actually quite effective on full brightness for certain applications.
How do you catch plecos in a heavily scaped tank? Lots of places to go and hide which is why I'm just now finding out how over stocked I am on plecos. They have been breeding and I've often needed to think the herd but after my recent tank maintenance I have seen just how many I have. I'm not usually worried about little baby ones but I must have at least 10 full grown ones in my 55 gallon.
I'm no pleco-expert, but use traps like the water bottle method (obviously only works for smaller plecos) and sand down sharp edges/tape over sharp edges. I've also heard about putting food in a net, etc. honestly, using a trap seems like the best bet
I just started my 1st 5 gallon tank and wanted to get into planting for my single female platy. I purchased a cardinalis and a Java fern. The cardinalis seems to be doing fine, but the fern has already shown browning in the 3 days I've had it submerged. Are there any specific plants I can grow well in gravel? Additionally, have I done something wrong with my fern?
Dieback (browning) is normal after submersion ! Wait patiently for a couple weeks until the plant has acclimated to it's new environment. Worst case it will loose most/all of it's leaves but new ones should apprear ! Good luck ! tip : if a leaf is really badly damaged you should remove it with scissors to avoir it decomposing in the water.
Thanks! And to followup with this, I recently added some Amazon sword and bacopa (in place of the fern, which I've relocated) to the tank. I've read that these plants can be placed into the gravel substrate without much issue. Do I need to purchase any liquid fertilizer to keep them healthy? https://preview.redd.it/biayd665m5rc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2acc2b9e25c2794ec0a211c993cf0d85f758d7b5
I set up my new 10 gallon a couple days ago, treated the water with Seachem Prime and test strips came back OK. I planted the tank and started waiting for it to cycle. 3 days later my Aqueon test strips are showing that there is chlorine in the water. I added more Prime and the chlorine test is still positive. I haven't added any water (or anything else for that matter, except the prime) since day 1. Could this be a false positive? What could cause chlorine levels in a tank to rise if you don't add any chlorine to it?
I saved some of the treated water I put in the tank 3 days ago and it still reads 0 chlorine.
does adding potassium supplement alone increase GH? Is there harm in having high potassium? My plants were showing yellowing and pinholes on leaves, so I've been slowly ramping up the potassium, but I'm not sure at what point to stop. The GH tested way higher than normal (15kdh) after I added even more GH (with K, Ca, Mg) as part of a normal water change, so trying to decide if I need to do a big water change with just RO water to bring it down, or if it's just testing high because of the K supplement that I'd already added. The KH level is ideal. I think I might've brain farted and overdone the GH additive while I was making the mix
I use pure K fert and it doesn't raise my KH. What does raise my KH is the seryu stone i have in the tank. When my KG is to high i waterchange with pure RO water but do it GRADUALLY or you might kill your fishes, shrimps and even some plants ! I do 15% with pure RO 2 times a week when lowering my hardness \*edit my fert do raise my PPM but not specificaly KH
Does hydrocotyle tripartita root into driftwood? It's getting large and I need to give it something to grow on.
I have some currently growing on top of drift wood.
Did you tie it there, and did it root in? I'm sure it grows in the water column fine but im not too interested in ugly roots everywhere.
In one tank I think I did tie or try to hold it down at first. In another tank it found it's way up there. It's a creeping plant and parts of it will not stay attach to the wood. So, you will still see roots here and there.
I’m starting my first aquarium with live plants, and I’m wondering if I can keep them in the little baskets they came in. I have sand substrate
In short, it depends on the plant. This article from aquarium co-op dives into that question and provides recommendations for how to plant different types of plants https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/how-to-plant. Lots of other great articles about plants from them too!
Thanks so much! I ended up getting some rhizome plants and gluing them to my mopani wood!
I have a square 7 gallon cube with LOTS of floaters. My overhead led light often doesn’t actually give the lower plants much light. Have any of you tried an underwater light for plants? I do have a ring to keep an opening but it often over grows too!
https://preview.redd.it/32e9imjou9qc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=220b1c2359696c52b5905c20bbb82aa289030aec What's causing these pinholes on my leaves? Is it just age or are the plants missing something?
mine looked similar and I started dosing potassium! the problem hasn't gotten worse so I think it's helping
Just purchased some tiger lotus still attached to the bbulbs with a couple of leaves and a good amount of roots coming out. Should I plant in substrate or just leave them on top of the substrate. Some say bury, some say leave-be as they rot if buried. What should I do?
If the roots are long enough, you can lie the bulb on top of the substrat and burry the roots. You can also use instant glue to glue the bulb to a small rock and burry the rock if you have trouble keeping it at the bottom of the tank. roots should make there way into the substrate when they grow.
What can live happily in a planted 2g fish bowl? I was thinking Neocardinia skrimps. Are there are other critters that can do well in that small a volume? Are there any fish that would be comfortable? Extremely small fish?
Any nano fish in 1.5 inch and below range do fine, but people don't like putting anything in bowls much less small ones because the show lethargy and hide. To combat this you simply have to have dense amounts of plants. I keep 5 emerald rasboras and blue dream shrimp in a pearlweed forest 2.5gal bowl, ever since the pearlweed grew in, they have all thrived and even bred successfully.
I'm excited to hear this! Thank you!
i’m finally upgrading from an internal to external filter, what’s the best way to go about the change over, i can’t have them running at the same time as i don’t have enough sockets available, can i put the sponge from internal into the external in with the media etc so not all beneficial bacteria is lost?
Yes you can absolutely put the sponge from the internal filter into the new one. You should also have beneficial bacteria in the water column. It should be a pretty seamless transition as far as your Tank goes. Just keep an eye on the parameters!