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A couple of sponge filters, usb air pumps, easy green and root tabs, med trio and a few more things. I hit my goal of 1 year no smoking on Sept 9th and this is my reward.

One of the benefits of being in the freshwater hobby is that most things don't tend to deteriorate and poison the water like they do in marine tanks. I've taken this to heart and wanted to share a few of my applications: All of these decorations below have been in the tanks for six months or more, with no ill effects. (I name my tanks after fictional worlds to make them easier to refer to in conversation.) 1. ENDOR This 6 gallon Marineland Portrait houses 2 pea puffers that are getting along for now (I'm watching them closely and may be separating as they mature). The two Imperial walkers you see are Micro Machines toys, and I gave them a light wash in watered-down black acrylic paint and wiped it all off. This had the effect of bringing out some details. To enable them to stand up in the gravel, I superglued a half-inch of plastic drinking straw to the bottoms of the feet. 2. DAGOBAH (See a trend starting here?) This is a 38-Long, stocked with Congo tetras, serpae tetras, and a single platinum angel. It's on continuous drip water changes (future post about that coming). The vines come from the floral department of Hobby Lobby. I glued them into floating foam using a technique The King of DIY demonstrated recently. The crashed spaceship is a brand-new Hallmark ornament. I drilled some holes in the bottom to allow water in so it would sink. 3. SPACEBALL This 20-Long has no live plants in it, so my water changes are frequent! With some assorted tetras and a single moonlight gourami as a centerpiece fish, this is my strangest tank. The floating planets come from a kids' educational solar system "mobile". The crystals came from eBay, and the astronauts are part of a Mega-Bloks Halo toy set. They don't fall over because I superglued a half-inch of drinking straw to the feet. I also gave them a light black acrylic wash to bring out detail. And for that extra alien touch, I mixed in a bag of rainbow glass beads into the black coarse aquarium sand. 4. ATLANTIS: Also a 20-Long, this tank houses a colony of multies with rummy nose tetras who stay out of the way. These statues are called the "Argonath" from Lord of the Rings. They're really a pair of resin bookends that came with one fo the DVD sets, and you can find them on eBay now. I drilled holes in the bottom to let water in, so that they would sink. So there you have it. What unconventional decor have you put in your tanks? Thanks for reading! Bill

You been stealing art from my channel Randy?🤣 Looking good, about time we got a proper fish sticker! 🙃

Having a fish room full of African cichlids made having grow out tanks pretty important so I made a grow out setup in another room. When I was trying to take these pictures I stepped back into the unused closet... Then I thought to myself, why have a closet in my fish room? For all the fishes outfits? The result was me starting this. And now my fish room has a baby fish room. The bottom 2 shelves are spaced to accommodate 30B's. Once I source a couple I will have an extra 60 gallons for fry and another 90 for juveniles. And I no longer have to move fish between rooms now.

No, but I am going to start now! Next up, Corgi sticker!

Technically it's the "guest room" and I kinda like napping with the fish or stretching out to watch stuff my wife doesn't like (like Poker or fish videos). But I'm trying to get rid of the queen size and replace with a twin xl. Extra 20" of room would make working on the bottom tanks easier and give a better view of them.

You could easily duplicate the original riser with flat stock aluminum available at most hardware stores or home centers. I wouldn't use 1/16 inch thick as shown, thats just all I had on hand. I think 1/8 inch thick x 3/4 inch wide would work better and be more sturdy. I would take the light with you to the store to check fitment. You can easily bend aluminum to get the 90° angle required to hold the light. Clamping it in a bench vise is the easiest way to bend it. If you want a perfect 90° bend apply a little heat from a propane torch and tap it with a hammer. Measure and drill holes where the screw comes into the mount to get the desired height. You could route the cord using stick-on cable clips.

I was finally able to make my first order from the Aquarium COOP today. I am excited for the things I ordered and to support Cory and the team. I dont have a LFS just big box stores where I am at so it feels good to at least support a LFS. Keep it up with all the good things you guys are doing.

I've never felt like you come across that way, just always positive and helpful. My wife has to remind me to show my support by just giving the Coop business. I think 2-3 times, in a video, you'd be needing help or something (like that last members video) and I'd say to my better half "He's only about an hour away, I should offer to help" ... only to realize from "the look" that I'd maybe just look like a crazy fan instead of a helpful guy who appreciates all the help and advice. I have to resist the same thing with Bob since I live by him too lol

Congrats on the year! It's easy to support the Co-Op since besides how much they do for the hobby, their prices are pretty darn good and you know it's always a good product. I've only been back into the hobby for about 3 months now, but I've placed 5 of the free shipping orders and I'm about to put in my 6th. Love getting that box.

Not sure if you guys have seen this one yet or not.

I wrote a blog post on heaters and at the time, we recommended the Fluval E Series heater because of its 5-year warranty (and other features). I haven't owned my Fluval heater for 5 years yet, but so far it's been rock solid and is one of my favorite "higher end" heaters.

Fully agree with what Bill said. If your plants have plenty of nitrate but are lacking in another nutrient (or CO2), they won't consume as much nitrate because they can't use it. @Danielposted this awesome diagram of a leaky barrel that shows how plant growth (and nutrient consumption) is limited by the scarcest element. In this example, the plant growth is limited by nitrogen since it's the lowest plank of wood in the barrel. However, in my aquarium, I was lacking in potassium so my nitrate kept rising because the plants couldn't use it. Once I increased my potassium, the plants started consuming nitrate again. Hope that helps!

It's been interesting. For making green water the successful recipe is Easy Green, cut grass and always leave 20-30% of the old water when refilling. I am using 1 gallon jars and that matches well to my 6 gallon kritter keeper I am raising them in. Using green water over any other food is 100% the way to go. The next most important thing is not to let the population get too big as it is easy to crash the culture with Nitrate buildup or they eat the green water so fast too many starve before you notice and they crash. I have also found I am not successful in anything less than 5 gallons. That one has me a little nervous as I don't have a second backup culture working right now. I am also using 12 hours of light which I read they like in a scientific paper. My next big challenge is figuring out a successful formula for green water indoors as the weather inches closer to freezing at night. I have not hooked up the drip system yet with all the chaos of life/works/kids/remote learning/starting fish room renovation etc but I will hopefully soon.

I'll start this off by simply stating I have no idea what I'm doing. I have packed a two bedroom apartment with more aquariums that most people would consider reasonable. The story of how this all came to be may eventually get unpacked little by little going forward but the rundown is this: I left a job and lifestyle that kept me away from home for prolonged periods of time, I found myself with an unfamiliar amount of free time, and I moved in with a girlfriend who has no problem with fish tanks completely taking over every room. From there, things just kept going farther and farther down the fish keeping rabbithole. One tank turned into two, two into four, and four into concrete blocks and 2x4 racks across two walls of a bedroom. Its been insane. I decided the next evolution in this hobby would be to actually interact with other fish keepers. Aside from the occasional YouTube comment, I do not engage with any other hobbyists. This is my first foray and hopefully when things in the world are a big less complicated with social interaction I would be up for driving a few hours a month to join a local club, but for now, this will do. So, what is this Journal? Basically I am going to go around the apartment and feature a tank at a time. Talk about that tank, its story, what I've learned from it, its inhabitants and any other thing that comes to mind. Like I said in the beginning, I have no idea what I'm doing. This is going to a real life look into whats going on with these aquariums. I am going to likely have some things people think are good ideas, and I imagine some folks with look at a tank and wonder what was I thinking. Cool. I want to get better at this. Eventually, someday, maybe, we can ditch the apartment and find a house and really get crazy about this stuff. There is alot out there I want to keep. Endless projects I want to pursue. Lets see how this goes.

Hey there I'm Brie! I have been a co-op member now for over a year, and in the hobby for about 3 years heavily. I grew up with pets, from Anole to Dogs in the home. I can't have any fur babies where I am so I dove into the world of aquariums. I currently have a 20, a 15, three 5s and a few small tubs full of guppies. Learning to breed them and experimenting with different ways of raising the fry. I also have an interest in Ants and I have a Camponotus colony growing since this spring. I have a bit of knowledge of them, but it's a new learning curve for sure. I've learned so much and youtube has been my go to when I don't know what to do. I love how much info Cory has and all the awesome people he has on his channel to make it so great. I hope to visit the store one day but until then I support through membership and following along on facebook. I'm so happy to be able to be a part of this forum and look forward to meeting new people in the hobby too!

i havent added anything new to the bowl since i set it up a couple weeks ago so imagine my surprise when i see a single tiny fry chugging along. it is tiny and impossible to photograph cause of the distortion from the bowl. looks like it has been living off of algae and biofilm although i do drop in a couple krill flakes for the shrimp 1-2x a week. had to circle him so we could see 😂 its been a while since i bred goldfish so this should be fun to do. it’ll stay in the shrimp bowl till it gets a bit bigger but i will make sure to feed him some fry food in addition to the krill flakes. now im just very curious which of the two goldfish are the mom and dad and what he will look like 🤔

Hello all! My name is Steven Chong-- found my way here from the Youtube channel and wanting to say hi! I live in Tokyo, but originally come from the United States, my home state is Hawaii. But I still represent the US in the International Aquatic Plant Layout Contest, with competitive planted aquarium design being my main hobby. This is my tank from this year, but in the last 3 years I have been fortunate enough to find myself in the top world rankings. I look forward to making a simple journal thread, and meeting many of you. Take it easy! 😄

If you were to ask my plecos they would tell you that biofilm is the tops!

I always leave my back walls coated in algae/biofilm, as well as any decor. Depending on viewing positions of various tanks, I'll keep one or both side walls coated as well.

Ah, forests and trees. Happens to me all the time. 🙂

You know what. I absolutely didn't even think of that. And I have 8 under my bed right now.

Doesn't a breeder box serve that purpose? I must be missing something. 🙂

@CoryWe need some pictures for those of us in the cheap seats, who spend all our hobby allowance at the store (living close by is both a blessing and a curse!).

Anybody who thinks you only care about the people who spend money havent been paying attention all these years.

I love new sticker day! I wonder if @Bentley Pascoe will like this one??

@ItsHutch Congratulations on quitting for a year! That's fantastic! 🏆

@Its HutchCongratulations on your 1-year milestone! 🎉 I always love seeing that Aquarium Co-Op box with their special packaging tape in my mailbox.

Does your wife ever tell you to watch out or you will be sleeping with the fishes?😆

If you have hard water with decent GH/KH, you probably don't need Seachem Equilibrium. Equilibrium contains a bunch of minerals for raising GH and is a godsend for people like me who have soft water. Here are some recommended plant nutrient values that I found when I was researching online: CO2 content: 20-30 ppm Nitrate (NO3): 10-25 ppm OR 10-20 ppm Potassium (K): 5-10 ppm OR 10-20 ppm Phosphate (PO4): 0.1-1 ppm (dose to 0.5 and let it drop to 0) OR 0.5-2.0 ppm Magnesium (Mg): >10 ppm OR 2-5 ppm Calcium (Ca): 10-30 ppm Calcium-magnesium-potassium ratio = 2:1:0.5 Iron (Fe): 0.05-0.1 ppm OR 0.1-0.5 ppm Free non-chelated iron (toxic) ≤ 0.1 and chelated iron (nontoxic) = 0.25-0.5 ppm General Hardness (GH): 4-8 degrees Carbonate Hardness (KH): 4-8 degrees

I currently see all three sizes of the Fluval E Series for sale on Amazon right now, but you're right, the extra features do make it a bit pricier than other models and brands.

@Ben_RF that is exactly what i do. i check in every couple of days and only check the topics that seem interesting to me or that i feel like i can help with. i think cory designed this forum so that you dont feel like you have fomo and that you can check in once a week if needed and pick up where you left off.

I'm using a single 48in. stingray on my 75g with low light plants; crypts, java fern, dwarf lily, and some kind of val. Working great. I only do 6-7 shots of Easy Green once a week if I think about. I'll take a picture of it later today.

Red root floaters would be another idea

I purchased both potassium and phosphate kits and found out my potassium was basically 0 ppm. However, my nitrate was already at 20 ppm, and you're supposed to dose Easy Green up to 20 ppm. Since I didn't want to go overboard with nitrate, I ended up getting Flourish Advance, which primarily adds more potassium (and a few other nutrients). I also have soft water, so I found out via another test kit that my GH (water hardness) was too low. Easy Green is designed to be used by people who have soft or hard water, so it doesn't do much to impact GH. I ended up having to dose Seachem Equilibrium to increase my mineral levels. I'm so glad I made the leap to buy those extra test kits for my plants! 🙂 Before testing (too much light + not enough potassium and GH = dying plants and algae): After testing (less light + correct balance of plant nutrients = thriving plants and minimal algae):

First off, I've been right where you are and it's obvious you're trying to do right by your tank inhabitants! I am not certain but you are most likely seeing pond snail babies on your glass. I personally embrace the snails since I have plenty of stowaways that have ended up in my tanks. If they ever become too much you can put a slice of cucumber in the tank with the lights off and a couple hours later they will be munching away and you can take the cucumber out. I'm not sure I see any issues with your beautiful betta's fins, if it were my fish I would just keep up with your regular water changes and observe him. If you can get your tank closer to 25 C it will definitely benefit Valentino. I have noticed for my bettas (all 18 of them, not including fry lol) when the temperature is too low they are not as active, their colors dull a little and the stress of being consistently cold can open them up to different illnesses. You might be trying to do everything right all at once, maybe just pump the breaks a bit and just see how things settle out by just doing the basic tank maintenance. In my experience it has been when I stop trying to futz with things that may not even be broken and just go back to the basics, my tanks do the thing I was trying to force them to do whether it is growing plants or having the parameters level out or spawning Time, patience and water changes.... There is so much content out there it can be overwhelming so I've had to learn to practice pause, its annoying but it works. Not sure if any of that helps, but thanks for posting your gorgeous betta and sharing your troubles! I bet every person in this forum has had a similar experience, even Cory!

Hi!I When I was 10 I wanted a 10 gallon tank full of guppies and live plants for my birthday. Naturally, my father bought a 55 gallon and filled it with rocks and African chiclids. I was allowed to name ONE, and wasn't even allowed to feed them. Then he got bored and sold it a year later while I was at school. I have had a few tanks on and off over the years, mostly for children or husbands or boyfriends--they chose the fish and bought the tank, I kept them alive. This year, alone and bored, a friend who was moving rehomed a aquascaped planted tank with me that was on the verge of crashing. I rescued it...and kind of went nuts. I have 3 small planted tanks set up, with snails, red cherry shrimp, a few fish, a 29 gallon cycling, and 2 10 gallon quarantine (haha) tanks that will be repurposed into guppy grow outs eventually. Busy gleefully imagining my stocking list for the 29g. Let's see how many tanks I can cram into a tiny apartment... Thanks, Cory for helping me get connected--no fellow fish nerds in my local circle, but I am within driving distance of Aquarium Co-op!

OMG, I found old pictures! Circa 2007, back when I cared about saltwater over fresh. How little I knew...

I would go with fewer water changes and more live plants. There needs something to compete for the nutrients until they are exhausted and that's where the plants come in. I had to wait 10 weeks once on a tank that I had put a little too much fertilizer in and it tried my patience, but it did clear and has been clear for the last 13 years.

The closest thing I have to non-fish pets. This was two days after I moved into the new house. They seemed very interested in my kayak.

Snakes! I have a total of seven (they are addictive), but here is Josephine:

Penny is our 13-year old American Water Spaniel. She is such a sweetie and loves walks and swimming. Cleo is a 38-year old Goffins cockatoo. They are smaller than the other types of cockatoos. I’ve had her since she was about 6-months old.