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Due to plants I don't like anymore, I'm constantly (every 6 months or so) making changes to my 135, but here's its current state.

Fine fine :))) Mine is definitely not a dutch style so I am posting a low tech low light low plant tank 95 gallon

120gal

Get a python water change kit. It hooks to a sink and makes it easy to drain and fill. I have used one for years, and if I had to do the five gallon bucket method, I wouldn't have a tank bigger than 20 gallons. If you don't want to waste water when draining, you can just run the house into a bath tub or even out a window, letting gravity do its thing. https://www.amazon.com/Python-Aquarium-Maintenance-System-50-Feet/dp/B000255NXM/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3AT4S4TOB3O2N&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.28jg1ABWj1kdShoaiEUpZMccgcb_m8F7hcdeCRfts4UYOJX8lOOuGaofx0ZdYWVJ1TJroNwcVQmwqMJ21VSa9AIrhy2IX0kzI9e8jvrk4i6HL9ug2BH8C9rNjJtSe0O2eQWsDLX92By-suSepcA4u3l9kmQUOIZONufH9Q2sn9-yQiK6llmUYqDe8V5IPVfGXa_N79Prgk7PQwI_9H9A3n87d5v71OeMWD-rA2sOMe-Txy_sOFeX17CLAZk8mZF_2e5ts2jcbvxy0vrlaG-erhG3COGwvDcoFSqBGPK18Bs.6lSCDCv7UuW56WPZEoL7lNNkYDHT4MFqAgRp4MXP3zE&dib_tag=se&keywords=python%2Bwater%2Bchanger&qid=1709551739&sprefix=python%2Bwater%2Bchange%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-5&th=1

The trumpet shaped objects are stentors

Here is my 75g low tech, low light. 😁

Possible epistylis they can attach to glass and form colony's

Post it, it's not a competition. I post only to inspire and try to get more people into true Dutch aquariums.

If you do find then and want to be sure there are no zebra mussels Reverse Respiration will eliminate them. Moss especially in the marimo family also love this treatment. I often use it just to give them a boost.

Hi local Washington customers! Here is your first update for March! Our retail store in Edmonds, WA got in some amazing fish and plants in our deliveries this week! The store got in some beautiful blue fish that were locally bred as well as some other community tank favorites and oddballs. Our plant orders also came in with some incredibly full pots of plants this week, too! For more info head over to the full newsletter linked below or reach out by leaving a comment below or emailing us at the retail store directly at store@aquariumcoop.com. Click Here to Read the Full Newsletter! Which highlighted fish is your favorite? 😋

Looks amazing

I also found some differences in the ACO test strips and API liquid test kit- but in hindsight the color change for nitrites/nitrates can sometimes be very subtle. The test strips are just so easy to use so I still use them on a more frequent basis, and if there is even a subtle change in color will do the API master kit. This helped me very recently with one of my tanks that had the pH drop. I was using API master kit just for nitrite/nitrates but wasn't doing the pH to save time. The test strips were helpful to catch the pH drop which I nearly missed. One thing I also noted is sometimes my city water fluctuates so if you are getting readings that don't make sense be sure to check your tap water parameters.

True in most instances we really need to make things consistent other than the nitrogen cycle and that's really to keep the ammonia in check

I use the test strips. I believe that the API test can be more precise than test strips. I do not believe that most of us require that level of accuracy at the hobby level. I have a problem with the pH measurements. My test strips indicate 6.6 ppm, the API test indicates 7.2 ppm. The API kit won't expire for another month, and there is no way of determining when the test strips expire. The Coop sent me a replacement bottle, and I got the same results. It is possible that the API bottle has expired prematurely, or was misused. The other liquid tests that I have agree with the test strips, so I will continue to use them.

Now I’m ready 😁

From left to right Pogostemon Stellatus Cobamba Furcata Samolus parviflorus Ludwigia Natans sp. red

I use pill containers like this:

Python systems work great. Unfortunately they don’t always connect to some of the sink or tub faucets. Especially unique ones from Koehler. I still use the bucket method for outbound. for inbound- For tanks that need RO water, I use a gray plastic trash can with attached wheeled dolly, A small sump pump, and a food safe garden hose ending in a python hook. Really easy to use and you can install a valve at the end to reduce water pressure. Stopped the water from blowing everything around in your tank. Spent around 120 initially. Then figured out that the pump didn’t have enough lift to get up to the second floor (by inches😕). So upgraded the pump. If you’re not going up. Should work great. The wheels are great as you can move the can into an out of the way space.

My frogbit has some black ones when I first got them in. I picked out what I could and did a quick dunk in the water to drown them. I lost on 2 bunches of leaves. There were some individuals that yellowed too. The rest were fine though and are sprouting babies left and right. For added precaution you could also dry the leaves after with a paper towel if you're worried.

@lefty o smoky mountain rain is one of my all time favorites. I believe I can still sing it. I’ll just spare everyone that experience though

Nice score! I actually found my 75G on marketplace for free. Currently have it set up as a native tank. That should be perfect for some shrimp and maybe some snails if thats what your into.

Whoops I nearly forgot about this part: ADHESIVES ADDENDUM I'm going to add some information about adhesives here, since I have come across a couple of instances where this has been relevant. Super glue: Any cyanoacrylate glue will fall into this category and is safe for aquariums. As with all adhesives, please use in a well-ventilated area or outdoors, and use proper PPE to prevent injury and illness. Super glue cures by evaporating a solvent and hardening the dissolved polymer material, which is accelerated by chemical catalysts or water/humidity. My favorite type of super glue is BSI (Bob Smith Industries) "Insta-Cure/Maxi-Cure" CA glue. It comes in several different thicknesses that are great for different purposes and the bottles/applicators for them are excellent. You can even get precision applicators that work extremely well for putting glue in hard-to-reach areas. Please note that BSI makes lots of adhesives, and any that are not in the insta/maxi cure family have not been tested to be safe for aquariums. The thin glue is great for soaking cotton, dry sphagnum moss (orchid moss), or areas of substrate that you want to solidify without adding bulk. This will soak into things via capillary action and cure extremely quickly, but the exothermic reaction can be substantial due to the fast cure time. If you use too much glue and the heat from the reaction causes it to cure too fast, it can turn white. This can be easily covered later, but something to be aware of, less is more with thin glue. Be aware that the exothermic reaction can and will burn you if you aren't careful, and it will releases gasses that can burn your skin/eyes/lungs. If you have a vapor fan, use it. The medium glue is great for sticking hardscape together without a bonding material like cotton or sphagnum moss, but takes a bit longer to cure. You can use a catalyst if you want, but I prefer to just use clamps and let it cure over time to avoid the white cast that is common on accelerated cures. You may be tempted to spritz some water on it to cure it faster: Don't. This will cure the exterior of the glue blob, leaving the interior encapsulated, which usually takes even longer to cure because now there is a hardened shell that the solvent has to evaporate through. You are better off just leaving it alone and letting it air-cure. The thick glue is what I generally recommend for gluing rhizome plants and moss to hardscape. It takes the longest to cure of the 3 options, however the thickness of it helps grip the plant and the slower cure time helps prevent the glue from overheating and burning the plant. Go ahead and dunk this one in water to cure it, the thickness of it helps prevent the gooey center problem that the medium thickness has, and it will help prevent your plants from drying out while waiting for it to cure fully. Catalyst is also effective, although you'll want to rinse the glued item before adding it back to your tank to get any catalyst residue off if you don't want to wait for it to evaporate. Gorilla glue is terrible. This is just my opinion, but i feel like this opinion is warranted. If you're going to get any other brand of super glue, get the stuff in little metal tubes like this and stay away from Gorilla glue. In the model making community we joke that it's a rookie mistake to start with Gorilla glue because it's essentially the worst product with the most marketing hype. Epoxy Putty Please use PPE and in a well-ventilated area. Epoxy fumes are still toxic, even though the cured material is very safe. Usually the way this is sold is in a flexible rod, with one part of the putty inside the other part so that all you have to do is cut a section, fold it a bunch to mix it, and then apply it to the area. It's very user-friendly and great for reef applications where heavy chunks of reef rock need to be stacked precariously together. Safe for aquariums unless it contains metallic compounds, as mentioned above. Great for gap-filling and ensuring heavy objects stay stuck together, but is extremely expensive compared to other methods. Usually epoxy putty does not degrade or get brittle like super glue can. Silicone Use proper PPE and do not forget the gloves, this stuff is not fun to get off of your hands. Can be mixed with sand, dirt, or other substrate material to coat foam, glass, and other areas where you want to hide construction materials/processes. Can also be mixed into a putty using substrate material to fill gaps in hardscape or create support, as a cheaper alternative to Epoxy putty. Adhesion to certain materials may be limited depending on the surface and how thick the putty is mixed. See above for more info on silicone.

The following was originally posted in Photos, Videos, & Journals, but I have received a request to post it here. I hope it is helpful 🙂 ----- This will be an ongoing journal of my materials science knowledge related to aquariums. Questions welcome. Please alert me of any errors or new science that I am unaware of, I am always open to learning and updating my knowledge! My credentials: ~Certification of completion in Composites Materials Science from Lake Washington Technical College ~5+ years of experience in the fields of woodworking and composites fabrication ~63 credits of materials science and chemistry courses at various technical/higher education institutions ~9+ years of experience as a hobbyist fabricator Glass and silicone Glass and silicone are unique materials, and are oddly similar in chemical properties in spite of their very different physical properties. Both materials have a molecular structure known as a siloxane bond, made up of silica and oxygen. The most important thing to note about siloxane bonds is that they are very strong. Materials made with these bonds are resistant to chemical degradation, extreme temperatures, and even radiation. Because glass is so chemically resistant, it is very difficult to glue together with materials that do not share a similar molecular structure. This is why silicone is our go-to glue for aquariums. Even though Silicone is the most effective glue, it still is not perfect and degrades at a very fast rate in comparison to glass. This is because in order to maintain the flexible physical properties that silicone is known for, it contains organic (carbon atom) compounds that can change certain physical properties about it. The organic compounds found in silicone can alter its shore hardness (how firm the silicone is), its UV resistance, heat resistance, and whether or not it remains a liquid or cures into a solid. It should be noted that silicone that cures into a solid does so thorough a chemical reaction, and once it is cured it is very non-reactive. This type of polymer is called a "thermosetting" polymer. Polymers that can be melted into a reactive/liquid state again are called "thermoplastic" polymers. There are other factors that can be affected as well, however these are the most obvious and useful to us in this hobby. Because silicone degrades much faster than glass, is so chemically resistant, and is only in a reactive state when it is first applied, old silicone does not stick to new silicone. This is why when an aquarium needs to be re-sealed, you cannot just scrape the inside bead and put a new one down, you must take apart the entire tank and scrape off every tiny bit of old silicone and rebuild the whole thing with fresh, new silicone. Any old silicone that remains stuck to the glass will create a potential path for water to escape, and so will any material that prevents the silicone from adhering to the glass. It is advised to wear gloves and clean the glass panels thoroughly with alcohol, as even oils from your fingers can disrupt the silicone's adhesion to the glass. One of the most common myths I see about aquarium silicone is that chemicals and medications can seep into the silicone and then leech into the aquarium water later on down the road. This is untrue, silicone is incredibly resistant to chemical penetration due to the siloxane bonds. What can happen is silicone separating from the glass in certain places, and things getting stuck in those spots where it can't easily be cleaned. It is also likely that certain chemicals have leeched into the lid and upper frame of the aquarium, and evaporation/condensation washes those chemicals back into the water. Filtration equipment can also be made of more porous plastics, making chemical contamination a higher risk for those items. Plastics PVC Thermoplastic. Can be glued using several types of adhesives that include solvents. Generally safe for aquarium use. Can release chlorine gas if heated, heat bending requires proper ventilation, do not melt. ABS Thermoplastic. Can be glued using solvents. Generally safe for aquarium use. Heat bends very easily, but melting can release toxic fumes. Great 3D printing material for aquariums, but requires proper ventilation. Can be used for structural components as it does not break down as quickly as other 3D printing materials. Acrylic Thermoplastic. Can be glued with solvents and epoxy. Two kinds, extruded and cast. Cast acrylic is much stronger because the crystalline structure is allowed to form naturally. Cast acrylic is stronger, visually clearer, and more heat and chemically resistant. This means that extra care needs to be taken when gluing and polishing cast acrylic. Extruded acrylic is forced through a die, so it is more consistent in thickness, but it is structurally weaker and less visually clear when compared to cast acrylic. Popular choice for aquarium building due to high clarity and strength, but needs more structural support due to being less rigid than glass. Hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water over time. This can cause bowing, overall degradation, and weakens the crystalline structure over time. Does not make a good aquarium lid in spite of fantastic light transmission, due to the tendency to bow from hygroscopic absorption. Scratches easily, meaning it may need regular surface restoration to maintain clarity over time. Cleaning algae can be difficult Acrylic is susceptible to something called "crazing" which is a crackled appearance along the surface of the plastic. This happens when the crystalline structures of the plastic are broken down by chemical, heat, and/or UV exposure. Crazing cannot be repaired, so tanks with this type of damage are to be avoided at all costs. Crazing weakens the structural integrity of the plastic and makes it more brittle, a crazed area of acrylic can spontaneously burst under pressure, or crack if impacted the wrong way. Bonus: Acrylic paints All basic acrylic paints, including aerosols, will be aquarium safe once cured. Polycarbonate/lexan Thermoplastic. Very impact resistant and much higher chemical resistance compared to acrylic. Chemical resistance makes this plastic difficult to glue with solvent, or any other material. Not as visually clear as acrylic, but allows light to pass through just as well. PLA Thermoplastic. A popular choice for 3D printing, non toxic and very predictable. Made with plant-derived polymers, so this material breaks down faster when exposed to water. Parts made with PLA should not be structural, but filtration upgrades, decor, backgrounds, etc are fine. Can be glued with solvents. PETG Thermoplastic. Lesser-known 3D printing material. Aquarium safe and does not degrade as quickly as PLA, but is more affected by chemical, temperature, and oxidative stresses than ABS. Can be clear, makes excellent custom tubing. You can purchase "PC cooling tubing" and heat bend it to create your own intake and outflow for filtration. Polyester resin Thermoplastic. Not recommended for aquarium use unless sealed. Polyester resin is a thermoplastic that cures by quickly evaporating the solvent that melted it with a catalytic additive. This solvent can continue to leech from the plastic for a very long time. Not as UV resistant as other materials. Can be glued with solvents. UV cure resin Thermoset. Aquarium safe once cured. Great for gluing applications, but degrades over time with exposure to UV. Cannot be glued with solvents. Two part epoxy resin/putty Thermoset. Comes in a variety of colors, clarities, and hardnesses. Aquarium safe unless it contains additives are not aquarium safe. Some epoxy putties are impregnated with metallic compounds to increase weight and strength, these should not be used in aquariums. Some can be applied and cured under water without harming aquatic life. Cannot be glued with solvents. Polyethylene Thermoplastic. Extremely chemically resistant, so this material cannot be glued with solvents. Used to create fittings and other various aquarium components that need high strength and high chemical resistance. This type of plastic is used frequently to make power head and filter impeller blades. Can be heat formed, but only with proper ventilation as melting this plastic will create toxic fumes. Can only be heat-welded using special equipment. Styrene/polystyrene Thermoplastic. Brittle, degrades quickly, very cheap. This type of plastic is what foam packing peanuts and foam padding is made of. Can be clear, but does not have good visual clarity. Can be glued with solvents. Produces toxic fumes when melted, not recommended for heat forming. Concrete/cement Cement is the powdered stuff used to make concrete. These two materials are often conflated, but this is similar to conflating flour and cake. Cement is a mixture of Lime, silica, alumina, magnesia, sulfur trioxide, iron oxide, and calcium sulfide. Cement can be mixed with a number of different aggregates to achieve different textures, strengths, and appearances. The typical concrete mix is made up of roughly 10% cement, 20% air and water, 30% sand, and 40% gravel. This is known as the 10-20-30-40 rule. Concrete will harden water and raise pH, as it contains lime. Coating concrete with a surface treatment will prevent this. Drylok masonry paint is a popular choice, but acrylic paint, pond sealant, and liquid flex seal are also great options. Foam There are two types of foam, open-cell, and closed-cell. Open cell foam is the foam that allows water and air to pass through it. Closed-cell foam is impermeable and is commonly used in gap filling, waterproofing, and insulation. Almost all foam that does not degrade in water is safe for aquariums. Great Stuff foam is commonly used for 3D aquarium backgrounds as it is a cheaper alternative to the Pond and Stone variety, but is nearly the same material. General purpose urethane foams must be used with caution, however most are stable and safe when cured. Latex foams are not recommended, see section on latex below. Other stone/rock products Most stone and rock is safe for aquariums unless there is a high metallic content. Rocks containing lime will raise pH, KH, and GH, but are not toxic. Quartz-based rocks are mostly safe, especially clear crystalline quartz. The vinegar test is a great way to tell if a rock may contain lime. To perform the vinegar test, drip some vinegar in one spot on a rock you wish to test. If you notice any fizzing, or any sort of reaction, the rock contains calcium carbonate and will affect the water chemistry of the aquarium. Crystals and stones that are known to be toxic to aquatic life include, but are not limited to: Malachite Azurite Chalcopyrite Lapis Lazuli Turquoise Chrysocolla Lepidolite Actinolite Amazonite Angelite Garnet Hematite Labradorite Lodestone Pyrite Serpentine Tiger's Eye Unakit Cinnebar Chalcanthite Stibnite Torbernite Latex, urethane, and other rubbers Latex Latex is a natural rubber, derived from the rubber tree. It is one of the few rubbers that is 100% biodegradeable. Due to its high biodegradability, latex is not recommended for use in aquariums. The breakdown of this rubber can cause algae outbreaks. Urethane Urethane rubbers are typically used in tires, they are high strength, however they tend to oxidize and degrade quite quickly. Because of how quickly they degrade and how chemically reactive their makeup is, urethane rubbers are not considered aquarium safe. Vinyl rubbers Most vinyls are inert once formed/cured, and are safe for aquariums. Lots of airline tubing is made out of vinyl. Wood Most non-aromatic hardwoods are aquarium safe when fully dry. Aromatic hardwoods may still be used if they are properly seasoned and all aromatics/resins are oxidized/degraded. This process can take many years. To be the most safe, avoid coniferous/aromatic species as these can sometimes take much longer to cure fully and aromatics can be toxic in an enclosed ecosystem. Conifers like pine will leak resins long after being dried, which makes them absolutely unusable in an aquarium. Woods that cannot be used in aquariums are those that are too soft and which rot too quickly, causing a decomposition overload that the closed ecosystem of an aquarium. You can "cure" collected driftwood by leaving it in the sun on dry days when the outdoor humidity is less than 60%. Most Aquarium driftwood is kiln-dried, but the outdoor sun will work just as well. It is possible to build a solar kiln to dry driftwood, however there is a fire risk to be aware of and size/cost limitations may make this unreasonable. Examples of hard woods that are known to be safe include, but are not limited to: Mopani Azalea Ash Apple Cherry Basswood Beech Cholla Elm Oak Hawthorne Madrone Malaysian Manzanita Mesquite Pear Rosewood (Dalbergia spp) Birch Sycamore Alder Bogwood Examples of woods that are not recommended for aquariums include, but are not limited to: Grape vine Horse Chestnut Yew Walnut Pine Spruce Ivy Lilac Cypress Willow I know I have forgotten some things on this list, and if you have suggestions please let me know and I will add them as long as I'm confident in my knowledge of the material. Fin (Original post exists at this link)

Hello Friends, I have two aquariums (20g and 10g) and recently thought I would put some floating plants in for my betta. I have Red Root Floaters (RRF) and recently added some Frogbit (FB) to both tanks. Last night while maintaining my 20g, I noticed little green flying bugs on my RRFs. I took tweezers and fed them to my Betta. I checked thoroughly for and an hour and didn't see anymore. This morning I checked again and am now seeing double what was there last night + tiny black bugs beginning to spread on my FB in my 10g Peacock Gudgeon tank. I saw a video from Flip Aquatics showing that he using CO2 to get rid of the infestation, but that's not an option for me right now. What can I do to get rid of these guys without CO2 that is also safe for my plants and fish. I've also seen folks suggesting that I dunk the plants in the tank to drown them, but these plants begin to rot once the leaves get wet which will undoubtedly make the bug problem worse since they eat the decaying leaves. Finally, I have seen that people use lady bugs to kill them, but I don't want to buy 100s of lady bugs and then have a lady bug problem. Thoughts? Both tanks are fully cycled. (0 A, 0 Ni, ~5 NA). Thanks!

Picked this up today. Absolutely beautiful! I'm guessing the green bits are new growth and will turn white. My LFS said it's very hard to grow this version. We'll see about that! Wish me luck!

A power head like the ACO power head works well, a vinyl tube can slip over the end and you can use that to pump water out or a bigger pump (this is what I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X05G1A/). Power head works well for smaller tanks, you wouldn't want to drop this big pump in anything smaller than a 55 probably.

After doing my own research and watching some comparison videos between Python and hygger, I went with hygger for 2 reasons. first reason (and major factor) was cost. Hygger was less expensive than Python and came with more features. Second, the adapters. I have odd faucets in my home and needed to be sure that I wouldn’t need to spend more money on purchasing another adapter for the python because the consensus seemed to be that a lot of people were having to buy adapters separately to fit their needs. Heres the Amazon links to both if you want to compare between the two to see what would work better for you https://a.co/d/0wfvDhs https://a.co/d/6m286uL I also highly recommend watching Bentley Pascoe’s video on YouTube comparing the two

I attached a divertor valve to my shower head and screwed in a hose adapter. I can use hot and cold water to get the temperature just right, flip the valve and use the hose to fill up the tank. I got a fairly lightweight hose and use it only for the fish tanks. It rolls up nicely to put in a closet. I also have a garbage can on wheels I use to syphon the tank water into...then it goes onto my garden beds. I'm an old lady and this whole setup is kind to my back. And it was pretty cheap to assemble.

Flag fish crossed my mind as well, largely from @mountaintoppufferkeeper’s post, but I’m not really sure. I may try to figure out who I’ve bought plants from and see what they think. I’d agree on it not being a puffer at this point. Seems like this is the leading theory at the moment.

In my experience, I believe the API test to be more accurate, but you have to follow the instructions EXACTLY as they’re written. My API liquid test, when done correctly, will read like 40ppm, and the ACO test strips will read 0.

Shake the crap out of the api test it (especially bottle 2 ) needs to be shaken for at least a minute more the first time you have to break up and dissolve all the gray stuff or it I’ll read low

They are very slow growing and highly prone to melting. Pink Panther crypts are highly prone to melting and fading with moderately high light and CO2 and they still have green chlorophyll, just reduced. The pinto and white rose forms of Anubias are also extremely prone to melt unless in perfect conditions. I still have a tiny remnant of Anubias pinto struggling along in one of my 6G cubes attached very high on the rock so it only has about 2” of water above it at max water depth. It is centered under the light (not a great light) and also gets just a touch of diffuse sunlight. The tank is currently only shrimp and a few snails so it has minimal algae but this plant has 4 tiny leaves and hasn’t really changed much in the last 2 years. Other Anubias and Java ferns in the tank are prospering at substrate level. It looks pitiful. It’s the only Anubias in all my tanks that gives me trouble (as long as whichever tank they're in is appropriately in balance and not rampant with algae). Any white form of a plant is going to struggle to survive and need near perfect conditions both in nutrients and water quality since it can’t feed itself without chlorophyll in its tissues. Even heavily white streaked land plants struggle. People who get Monstera ‘Albo’ varieties that go to all white leaves pretty much always lose them because they can’t survive. Even the variegated forms are challenging to grow. Beware of all white plants or at least be aware of potential outcomes.

Sorry I’m extremely new here but I don’t know where to go. I recently bought java moss to put in my tank in the hopes that I would be able to do less water changes. I normally do weekly 1 gal changes. The first week after introducing Java Moss there was no Nitrates in the water. I checked one week later and there was 80 ppm nitrates in there. I have changed no less than six gallons of water since then within 2 days and the nitrates stay at unsustainable levels. In the image below the test tube on the right was from last night and the test tube on the left was from after a 1 gal water change this morning. Is this due to the introduction of the Java Moss? Has anyone had this problem and knows what to do?

I suspect that it spiked because you disturbed the substrate when you introduced the moss. Stirring up the bottom should be done with your water charges until you get the detritus cleared up bringing your nitrogen level in line

Are you vacuuming the substrate. Excess debris usually causes this type of escalation. Java moss is a very slow grower and uptakes only minuscule amounts of nitrate. If it’s dying it could be releasing ammonia that ends as nitrate but it would not do so that quickly

That looks like HITH can be linked to nutritional deficiency poor water quality Hexamita active carbon can play role so if your using active carbon I would stop using it look at his diet to see if he's missing anything the most effective treatment is metronidazole in food that's the active ingredient in metroplex or fritz metrocleanse feeding a small amount twice a day for upto 3 weeks

This is the truth! One of these days I need to sit down and write out what interacts with what, or create a hybrid Muller chart/food pyramid.

Wrong chart unloaded

Best of luck with the HITH issue and your poor Geo 😥. As for phosphates, that is the stimilant element for nitrate uptake. If you do not have enough (and maybe in the correct ratio?) a plant will not start processing nitrates, or any other element for that matter. This continues down the plant food pyramid. Here is a chart of elements that affect each other. Take potassium for example, it affects calcium and magnesium. Too little results in a potassium deficiency. Too much prevents calcium from being absorbed. Making many people think they have a calcium deficiency when what's really occurring is a potassium overdose!

I was offered a chance to reserve some Variegate Darters today. They’re attractive… But they’re also very commonly _hybrids_ in certain water systems. They cross with the endangered Candy Darter. Here’s a commonly circulated graphic…

I'm eyeing up Etheostoma fricksium as a possible new addition. The Savannah Darter male turns a lovely lime green, with red stripes. Very stunning...

Hey, I have been breeding panda loaches in CO and finally found some newly hatched fry. They look like little white worms/submarines with no fins and tiny little eyes, but they move really quickly. And they are upside down with their long egg sac/belly point up. I was really shocked when I found them, wasn't sure what they were until I used a magnifying glass. Here are some pics. I have had 2 broods so far, 33+ in the first one and another 20+ in the second. Based on finding these fry I guess I have a third brood.

Whenever the candy cane darter come off the endangered list, they'll be first on my list. Until then I'll wait and hope they made a good come back.

Here's a peek at one of my Banded Darters getting acquainted with his new Spawning mop...

I’ve put together two “sinking” mops to toss in the Banded Darter tank. I’ll try one in front of the Hardscape pile, and one behind…

Fixin’ up the Banded Darter tank…

I know that we all do "research." Having been down many a NERM-hole, I know that we all learn in unique ways. I have a window of time here, so I've decided to share how I study something new. Today's goal: learn as much as I can about keeping and breeding Rainbow Darters (Etheostoma caeruleum) and Banded Darters (Etheostoma zonale). First thing I do? Just like my kids, I Google: "How to breed Rainbow Darters." Up front is a link to a NANFA post. NANFA is "The North America Native Fishes Association." It's main webpage is here, and its primary publication is the quarterly journal American Currents, which you can check out a 2017 sample of here. For my part, I've just become a new NANFA member for $30. (Note: I've not even read the article that came up first) Glancing at the sample 2017 American Currents, I came across a seller who specializes in selected North American fish -- particularly Darters. I check to see if their website is still active (after all, it's been 4 years). Yes it is! I click through it . . . and want to add this to my short list of possible future suppliers . . . but learn that they are only licensed to sell within their own State. Ah well. I read the short write-ups about the Banded Darter and Rainbow Darter. I also look at photos. Here's a photo... I make note to the stone / gravel type, color, and size. Here's their write-up... This information is very helpful. It's not specialist-oriented, but intended for the amateur aquarist (like me!). I've definitely got a great start with my current tank. I can't wait to get some of these! Now . . . back to the Google link, "How to breed Rainbow Darters" (notice how I got all sidetracked with Banded Darters . . . I'm obsessing over both) This is a thread on the NANFA Forum about how to breed Rainbow Darters. I love these old threads, because they often provide comic relief as two of three old codgers argue while young newbys ask ignorant questions. This thread is a fantastic read! Now I've become obsessed with _seeing_ my Rainbow Darters. The best way I've found is to thaw a cube of frozen food, and squirt down to the substrate near their "hide." Hmm . . . let me try that, and make a video . . . After about five minutes, both the male and female make a solid appearance. If you're watching below, skip ahead to the 4:50-minute mark to see them emerge for maybe 20 seconds. They literally "dart" through the frame. I've got a bunch of other perpetually-hungry fish in this tank . . . Rainbow Shiners, and Redtail Goodeids (Xenotoca doadrioi) . . . so the Darters have to claim their chow if they really want any. I'll be parting with the Goodeids, and adding another pair of Rainbow Darters. So things should get lively in the future. Next in my research . . . I check back at the Google search, and select a 1907 article from the University of Chicago. Looks like the study was actually done at the University of Michigan. (Note: it seems like there's a lot of interest in Darters up in Michigan) Apparently the Latin name included the name "Storer" -- Etheostoma Caeruleum Storer, who published about them back in 1845. This fish has a proper history! The author did this research in the spring of 1906 (April 24 - June 2). The goal of the study was to determine any possible relationship between breeding, behavior, and coloration. Several interesting observations form this old journal article reinforce observations I've made and read about already: Their base color is informed by their surroundings, and colors are more brilliant when the temperature of the water is low (59-degrees Fahrenheit / 15-degrees C, or lower). Additionally, colors are enhanced with rivalry encounters between males. The author remarks that during spring breeding season, "The breeding areas so swarm with them that, one day, I counted twenty-six in a single square yard." I'll pin this tab, and definitely read the rest later on when I can't sleep! Another thing I like to look for are videos of Darters. A picture is worth a thousand words. And a Video is a hundred thousand pictures. So . . . you do the math! Here's a fascinating video, lightly edited, from an underwater cam. Some footage is sped up 3x. This provides an excellent sense of how hight the water flow is for these fish, and how intensely colored they can get. Also note how _many_ of them congregate here to breed. This is really, really impressive: That's all for now. I'd estimate that I spend 4-12 hours of watching videos about every fish I seriously try to breed, and that I read 20-100 "pages" -- or the equivalent thereof.

I'm getting excited about these new Darters! I've had to push off ordering until the first week in October, but had a great chat with my seller by phone today. He's been in the U. S. Native fish collection / sale / shipping business for over two decades. Just a massive ton of knowledge to share. I love talking with people who know sooooo much more than me about fish. It just feels so cool to know there's much, much more to learn. He explained that Darters all have unique ways of spawning, and have preferred places where they like to deposit their eggs. Rainbow Darters like to bury their eggs in the substrate / gravel. Banded Darters will use surfaces -- e.g. rocks, tank glass, as well as plants -- to deposit their eggs. Here's a pair of Banded Darters spawning against a rock... With respect to coloration, Banded Darters tend to mimic their surroundings.Here's one camouflaged in tan / brown rocks in a river bed... And here's a darter (not sure of species) against a long vein of algae in a stream. This is a fairly common type of location for Banded Darters... I inquired about temperature: "Do I need a chiller?" He told me he didn't really think so. The big issue is added flow and aeration, because water absorbs _more_ oxygen when it is _cooler_ but at warmer temperatures, more air is needed to help fish thrive. With Darters, this is especially so, as they do not swim freely, due to their undeveloped swim bladder. So their health is improved by strong flow. I've got a start at strong flow... What I want now is _more_ greens. I may jam wisteria and Valisneria everywhere I can and hope that it stays rooted. One more tip (I've heard this before): Native fish do best when their light / photo period mimics nature. So . . . shorten days heading into winter, and lengthen days heading into summer. ___________________________________ I understand that this type of aquatic excursion is not everyone's "cup of tea." I just think it's incredible how much there is to explore in aquatics. I'm loving this, but also am thrilled with what someone like George Farmer is working on with Aquascaping . . . or what Scott Fellman is doing over at Tannin Aquatics . . . what Dean is breeding . . . etc. Enjoy it all!

Here’s a real short glimpse of my Rainbow Darters. (my son exploring on the guitar in background)