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I think sometimes we live a pie in the sky existence in aquaria. “Ideal conditions,” is something we hear and the reality is that doesn’t exist. I am a year if not two away from framing out a fish room in my garage. My wife has also expressed a desire to turn that garage space into her office. Her deadbeat brother will need to move out before we even have that discussion. Yet I digress, I’ve realized I have too few outlets to ever expand running things the way they are presently. It is apparent that I’m going to need to change things up. My thought is why not use nature and the natural variations of temperature in the PNW to my advantage. Choose species that prefer a cooler period and that can then appreciate the summer we have here then enjoy the slow cool off into winter. I’ve started this with a 40 breeder with Hawaiian variatus and Endlers. It’s a nice tank. It’s got a heater presently but I figure end of summer I’ll just pull the heater and then let them acclimatize slowly over the fall into the winter. My next idea is to convert my 60 g breeder this fall. I have a 29 g breeder that I’ve setup and I’d like to use it to raise up some juvie Gymnogeophagus balzanii and maybe some other goodieds or some shiners. I’ve also thought about some Panda corys or Palleatus corys as well. That group would then transfer into my 60. The current stock in the 60 g would be sold off at the big fall auction - diamond tetras, gold laser corys, and mixed bristlenose ie my calico colony.

GSA is a symptom of low PO4. Raising PO4 fixes the problem nearly every time. I’d also increase light duration to a minimum of 6 hours.

They are my fish when there is work to be done and our fish when they are admired or being talked about.

If it fits in the oven spritz it with water bake at 250-300 for like 5-6 minutes. The water will steam and help prevent the piece from drying out. Otherwise super concentrated salt water is pretty good at killing most things. Use a moving tote or similar. Make sure to rinse it real good after! Also my chemistry is starting to get rusty but you could use dilute bleach water then rinse and let it dry in the sun. Pretty sure the bleach reacts with UV, but oh my organic chemistry experience is starting to fade so don’t quote me on that

Great question. My wife likes the tanks. Mostly. She likes the fish that interests her. Like angels. I made her a 75g angel tank that she says good morning too. It’s got angels and dwarf rainbows and corys. She’s actually liking the new electric blue acara I recently added as well. Not as much into lots of little nano fish. But… she wants a discus tank next. I’m totally intimidated by discus 😂

Follow the instructions to a T on all the test. When testing the nitrAtes you need to shake that # 2 bottle for at least 1 minute even longer if it is cold. It separates while sitting and does not mix very well and use a timer. If you think you miss counted one (full) drop start over. Just my 2$ ( inflation)😉

Newbie here. (Sorta) Some 35ish years ago, I kept a saltwater aquarium as part of a college biology class. What I learned was I didn't want to do that ever again. Now, I am venturing into setting up a freshwater aquarium for my husband and I. He is a paraplegic and health issues are keeping him more homebound. He expressed a desire to have some fish but the technicalities are my job. Lol I will post a separate thread to ask questions about this process. Just saying hello first.

So long as the large cory cannot eat the smaller ones it should not be a problem.

You will always get conflicting info. Always. What works for me may not work for you. What works for you may not work for me. Aquariums are part science, part personal experience, and part art. You’ll have to try some things and find out what works for you!

My wife is very supportive of my over 30 years of fishkeeping. Last weekend my wife and daughter purchased a fx6 cannister filter for a early father's day gift. I was thankful but returned the canister filter because I already have a sump.

This is why i love the coop, I originally emailed Candi at about 9am~10am. After a few emails back n forth she had me a link by about 2pm!!! Its here in case anyone has a similar problem https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0311/3149/files/Manual_-_CO2_regulator_v5.pdf?v=1663797064 Great job! Thanks Candi

I understand them completely. I agree with that. I think I spend too much also. This hobby is not cheap

IMPORTANT: I am on a cruise at the moment, will return in a week. Until then, my internet access is limited. You can continue to send me messages/suggestions/sections, but will may not get a timely response. Sorry!

Not enough nutrients, not enough CO2 and light is on for too long.

I’m not sure if Amanos would clean glass? I think they mainly clean objects. We can ask @nabokovfan87. They can graze off the glass just like other shrimp, but that's only going to really happen when all of the other algae is gone. They might peck at longer string algae on the glass, but they definitely won't "clean" the glass. The best glass cleaner I had was a rubberlip pleco. (Also called a bulldog pleco)

Ny partner thinks I am spending waaaaay too much money in this hobby, though they also share my interest in aquascapes. They're not that into fish but they really like shrimp. They think I am insane because I want to buy dragon stones for cash when there are perfectly fine rocks outside 😉

A lid could help a ton with jumpers in a shallow tank. I like to get a green house panel from Home Depot. They come in 24x48 inch panels. It cuts easily, and light passes right through so there isn’t any issue with it blocking “good” light out. I keep a couple panels in the basement for when I need them. Make sure to share some pics when it’s all set up.

I like the pygmy corydoras route.

That’s exactly how it’s supposed to be! It looks stunning and everyone looks quite happy. You’ve done an amazing job with it 🙂

I used fritz while Cycling my tank but I was super slow with adding fish because I was establishing my plants because cories and kulhi loaches root in the substrate. I wonder if you may have had another issue especially if the paint was coming off your decorations?

My wife enjoys having the aquariums around. She doesn’t care how many enter the home, she knows it’ll all be taken care of. Personally, I’d have a giant problem if my wife wasn’t supportive, super giant problem.

Nitrate should be present, and ammonia and nitrite need to be zero because they are quite toxic. I’m sorry for your losses.. Do not scrub things down. Water changes are ok. The goal is to breed the beneficial bacteria which eat the ammonia and nitrite. These bacteria live on surfaces of ornaments in your tank, on your gravel, and in your filter. Ammonia is the most toxic, followed by nitrite. Nitrate is fine if kept under 40 as a general rule of thumb. I’m not sure if Amanos would clean glass? I think they mainly clean objects. We can ask @nabokovfan87.

My girlfriend doesn’t care how many tanks I have or what I do, as long as I take care of it. She enjoys watching the tanks, and I enjoy all aspects of the hobby so it works out great for us.

I just can’t get over how well this tank is turning out and how well all of the fish are doing. Out of the 70+ fish, shrimp and snails in this tank there’s only been one loss. Everyone is growing by leaps and bounds. I’m so deliriously happy with it.

Though it is unsightly, Algae is a natural part of your tank cycle. Algae grows when there is an excess of nutrients in the water, I would blame the substrate. It takes time for your plants to grow enough to reduce the excess nutrients in the water. If you want to cut down on the hair algae may I suggest adding more plants to regulate nutrients. Manual removal also works.

I agree with @Rube_Goldfish. The kind of bacteria you would be trying to use need oxygen. In an aquarium we are providing that through filters and plants which negate the bacteria's oxygen requirements, but in a closed bag oxygen will run out faster with the bacteria.

I think it depends on tank age, tank size, maintenance schedule, etc. A very well established tank tends to handle things like these better than new tanks. Congrats! They are so adorable, especially when you have a bunch of babies “parasnailing”, raining down off the glass at the same time. 😍

Plus the bacteria breathe oxygen, too. I think the standard way is either to use breather bags, so that the bag allows gas exchange with the atmosphere, or to get a pure oxygen bottle and fill the "air" in the bag with pure O2. @tolstoy21, you ship fish fairly regularly, right? Any thoughts?

To be honest, my wife is not too keen on fish keeping. She is an animal lover, but only grew up with cats, whereas I grew up with dogs, as well as fish, amphibians, and turtles. We’re now a family of five, plus two dogs and a cat. At home, I have a 10g with currently only an African dwarf frog and snails in it, and I had to persuade her to let me keep that (it’s on our bar with a sink, so that makes it easy to maintain). I’m fortunate that as a biology teacher, I also have a lab, and that’s where I keep my bigger tanks: a 29g with zebra danios, guppies, and snails; and a 55g with two angelfish and a blue acara. My wife does not want big tanks like those in our house. The 29g used to be in our home, but she’s much happier with it at the lab instead. TBH having the big tanks in the lab does make it easier to maintain them, since they’re right next to a sink as well. The only catch is that during the summer time, I rely on auto-feeders to dispense flakes or pellets, and then I come in once a month to check on them, do water changes, and replenish the feeders. So, I do kind of miss them in the summertime, and auto-feeders can’t feed them frozen foods like brine shrimp or blood worms. However, it’s worth it for the convenience of water changes, and peace in the home.

Yeah. Now you know. That’s one of the worst smells ever.

My husband is supportive of my hobby. Because we (he mostly) are housebound for the most part, he knows it brings me joy to “fuss” with my fish. He is ok with it if I were to want another tank, but I’m currently in my sweet spot with 3 (10g, 29g and 75g). He likes to help me decide on fish, is genuinely curious about each of the fish species I keep and will occasionally ask questions about what I’m doing when I’m cleaning or maintaining them. He doesn’t care much about hand plants. He likes to sit in front of the 74g with me I. The evening and just watch the fish.

I had it on my Anubias leaves a while back. Unsure what causes it but my Nerite snail does a great job cleaning it up. I doubt the algae was the reason your shrimp passed. Algae is usually beneficial to tanks. It doesn’t look pretty but it has several benefits. I bet there are other forum users out there who can tell you what causes it/other ways to get rid of it 🙂

Probably not the reason you lost shrimp. Nothing harmful about green spot. Actually has some benefits. Most algae’s do. Just unsightly for us. I’d keep an eye on your nitrate levels. Around 10 should reduce some of it. Nitrates act as fertilizer for green plants. Including algae

Yeah, i hear that, I’m not seeing that in real life. They put out less bioload than they consume. Like everything else. They just eat a ton. At one point I had 40+ in my 75g. With its normal compliment of fish. (Accidental clutch hatch, but very cool to watch. And I gave half to my lfs). Never saw any signs at all of ammonia spikes or excess nitrates. Bit more detritus to clean. That’s it. I think they get a bad rep for some reason. Same thing I think for the bristlenose. They’re more beneficial than harmful to ecosystems. Amanos don’t clean spot algae well. But do an excellent job of cleaning hair algae and other forms that rise from the surface.

I love mystery snails but would not recommend them for a 5 gallon tank due to their high bioload. That’s liable to cause more ammonia issues. I really like this product and always keep it stocked. It helps if bacteria slow or die (due to using medications etc) or when starting new tanks.

2nd edit, forgot to mention. GH6.2 degrees and KH near 0 degrees. pH this morning 4.77.

For those interested, both tanks are kept at 30ppm NO3, 10ppm PO4 and 40ppm K. Micros are .45Fe as proxy and per dose is as follows A 2 ML per 10 gal dose adds the following: Fe DTPA - .12 ppm Fe gluc - .03 ppm Mn - .025 ppm B - .023 ppm Zn - .02 ppm Cu - .0021 ppm Mo - .001 ppm Ni - .00011 ppm I double dose both macros and micros immediately after a 50% water change. I water change every 7th day. I forgot to mention, Ca is at 35ppm and Mg 5ppm. Final thoughts, chase those numbers!

I didn’t think I was going to post the ugly, but what’s a journal without it? Algae phase is beginning now, diatoms showing up along with GDA. I will make no changes as I know it will pass. I’d like to thank @Burr740 for the ongoing support with nutrient help. Basically, I’m dosing his formula on Macros but add/front load 12ppm K. Micros are BurrAqua per directions. I’m still using the ARC prototype reactor but will either build my own @Yugang reactor, or be testing the ARC V2 reactor, this depends on Tommy though! I had a 20 gallon QT tank shoved full of plants and crammed them all in here. I can’t believe non of them melted, but you can see how pissed off they all are. Either way, the tank is progressing and will become the competition tank in 2025. I filled the tank with tap water, 9GH and 7KH and doing water changes with mineralized RO water as I type this. I’m sure the plants are freaking out. The plants are looking better but not growing like the 120. Either way, tank is being cycled plants only. Pond snails doing work! I embrace them! Here’s the 120, I guess I’m getting there, I refuse to touch the Velho in the center because it’s actually growing. Left and right sides need to be reworked, Difformis still converting, but liking the direction much better now.

My husband has helped carry water buckets (especially when I've been injured) and has gone on some fish store trips. He encourages me to go to the fish store whenever I express interest, and has occasionally suggested it himself. He asks questions now and then, but usually regrets it when I go more in depth than he really wanted to know (I'm working on giving simpler answers, he's also working on that when it comes to electronics). But he doesn't particularly care either way whether we continue to have fish or not.

Amazing! @WhitecloudDynasty

It has not even been 24 hours since starting ich-x and honestly, I can’t see any issue anymore. I had to review the last photos to confirm which side of him it was on. I will leave the meds in the tank until this evening and do a 30% water change.

Those are gorgeous! If they are ever available for sale let me know they may cost a mint to own but when one can own something as beautiful as that then it is worth the money investment. And if they are never available I will continue to be content to see your post of these beauties.

I ended up removing that air diffuser altogether and installing an approximately one inch piece of flexible (standard) air line tubing between the lid and the rigid tube, with the idea being to have that rigid tube end as close to the bottom as I could without it directly touching. @Cory explains it here at about the 1:20 mark: (YouTube embedding doesn't seem to be working; try this link but delete the space between "you" and "tube": https://m.you tube.com/watch?v=d3osdgb7BGw&pp=ygUqemlzcyBicmluZSBzaHJpbXAgaGF0Y2hlcnkgYXF1YXJpdW0gY28gb3Ag )

About to start cycle today!!!! Updates along the way as well. I am going to order some plants and supplies from AC, not sure if anybody noticed, but AC changed the minimum price of free shipping from 80 bucks, to 50, and that is much better! Thx AC!!!!! Now i am able to get free shipping faster.

neos would like slightly higher gh, rasboras will be fine as well. if you have a hob, you can use cuttlebone made for birds to raise it. remove the metal clip and put it in the hob where it wont float. between the plastic and cartridge if its built that way. replace when it dissolves away.

Whichever one you want to buy, they will be on the package. Usually it's the .2H2O. Correct, but the others are useful too. I use result of my dose when I'm lazy and just want to use teaspoons to measure. Just through researching. When I look at fish, I only buy those that will thrive in parameters I want my tanks to be. So for me, plants are my priority and fish are second. Plants like soft water and low pH. To achieve low pH I will run 0dKH. Recently though, I am trying 2dKH and till hit a 6.1 pH. So I'm happy there because I no longer have to dose Potassium as all the potassium I need is in K2CO3. I use to hit 4.9 pH. Crazy right? Plants loved it and my soft water fish loved it too. But then I bought rainbows and raised the GH to 5.1dGH. Going back to plants, they love soft water and anywhere from 2 to 5dGH should be fine. I would go 5dGH if you are worried about your Neo's, but after a few generation, they don't care. If you are going to do Caradina, I would just not add any KH. But be mindful of your other live stock. Find a happy medium and all will be well. When dosing for GH, you will run a ratio of Ca:Mg. When you calculate, you run each compound and record the dGH for each. then add them together. You can use 2:1, 3:1 or 4:1 (or something else, but the big boys agree these are ratios work well). I'm running 3:1 now and didn't like 2:1 at all. 3:1 was my sweet spot but on my current project, this might change. Now the calculator will tell you the degrees, but works with ppm. You will just plug in some number (in whatever ratio you pick) and add the degrees for your total GH. So pick easy numbers. Let's choose 21 and 7. Why? That's a 3:1 ratio. Could be wrong, I'm not that smart. I would dose to reach a target, use Caso4.2H2O, and put 21 for ppm. This spits out how many grams, teaspoons ect and lists the degrees GH for 21ppm. Same for Mg, put in dose to reach a target and so on. Then just add those degrees together for your total. Let's assume that total is like 5.2dGH, so you have a 3:1 Ca:mg ratio at 5.2dGH. Works the same if you want to buy nutrients as well. I dose all my tanks dry NPK and Traces. It's so easy and beyong cheap. I can make hundreds of bottles of Easy Green if I wanted too with just one package. And I have the added benefit of being able to manipulate each element as I choose without being locked in to an all in one fertilizer. I use Green Leaf Aquariums for the powders and bought food grade potassium carbonate off of Amazon. Potassium Carbonate Magnesium But you can use plain old Epsom Salts, same stuff and even cheaper. Calcium For my water changes, I fill large Brute grey trashcans with RO and dose everything into them. I know exact gallons so I record my numbers and stick it on my fridge. I also dose my NPK (K2CO3) into them. So no matter how much water I change, the tank always stays at my chosen numbers. No guessing, no headache, easy peasy. I dose Micros 3 times a weak and just pour the powder right into the tank with small measure teaspoons.

It also raises your GH. I would recommend not using wonder shell or crushed coral. Both of these option raise GH and KH. GH is rising do to continuous calcium addition. GH is both calcium and magnesium and when you start raising a single component, you then are throwing off important ratios. Ratios matter, probably more so than others when it comes to GH. I don't want to get too long winded, but the best way to raise KH is to add a carbonate or bicarbonate. If your GH is at a level you want, why raise it more with crushed coral? I like using potassium carbonate, it's dirt cheap and easily calculated. If you want a 3dKH tank, you will add an amount that will raise KH to 3dKH. There's no mystery or guessing. It also adds potassium to the water which will benefit plants. Many "All in One" fertilizers are low in K and additional K can help in many instances. https://www.amazon.com/CellarScience-AD640LB-Potassium-Carbonate-lb/dp/B074D9BXRT/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2QJE3Q3GPXIPH&keywords=potassium+carbonate&qid=1660053103&sprefix=potassium+carbonate%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-5

This is the absolutely best way to handle it. If you can, don't have any preference issues with it, you can also have the crushed coral as your substrate or mixed in the substrate itself. Part of the pain of KH/PH issues is that you don't really fix anything until you get KH up high enough. you're at 0 for KH right now, which kind of is a "good thing" because it means there might be less room for things to crash. It's one of those things where if you decide to use something that isn't crushed coral you need to keep a very, very close eye on PH and KH and swings because it can swing pretty hard. I dose the seachem alkaline buffer for my tanks and it's generally easy to do so. It's not something where it works well or is easy and I have lost 4-5 shrimp as a result of stress from swings too high or too low. The second best option is to precondition your water before you do water changes. Dose in what you need to, and then you'd go ahead and have that running and ready to go. You can then test to make sure parameters are what you want, adjust as you need to. Third best would be to just find species that thrive in that water and not worry about it. You'll have an amazing blackwater tank!

Just get MgSO4 and CaSO4. You will use those two to build GH. For KH, you can use several different things. If you keep plants, I would use potassium carbonate (K2CO3). https://greenleafaquariums.com/products/magnesium-sulfate-mgso4-1lb-bag.html https://greenleafaquariums.com/products/calcium-sulfate-caso4-1lb-bag.html CellarScience - AD640LB Potassium Carbonate (lb) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074D9BXRT/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_DEK26WEGVH2149NAKHPD

0KH for tropical fish and shrimp is no problem. As they come from waters with less than 1dKH to 0KH. Plants appreciate low to 0KH and a lower GH also. But definitely don't expect hard water fish to survive in those conditions. They won't. I would imagine your floating plant issue is related to nutrients in the water, or a lack of. Floaters can be nutrient hogs. I would look into a good fertilization method and start learning that process. Light can be an issue too, even when so close to the light source. The only worry you should have is fluctuating GH/KH TDS. We can cause pH to fluctuate without altering GH/ KH by injecting CO² and other ways. But with no outside interference, pH swing would be an indicator of an osmotic shift and osmotic changes is what can kill fish. If you are worried about having a 0KH; you can certainly raise it. Quite easily infact. You can buy potassium carbonate and dose it directly to the tank or in your source water. I buy mine off Amazon. Just make sure it's food grade. Calculators are available and you would just measure the amount needed and dump it in. While running peat moss, I would check KH weekly and add potassium carbonate as needed.