AllFishNoBrakes

Let me start by saying I’m not a co2 expert, but I do run co2 on several tanks. I’m also just going for a boost, but not absolute max growth. I believe it’s probably more efficient to run the co2 inline. However, I simply don’t. I only have 1 canister filter, and don’t run it inline on that tank. I know @Pepere is a big fan of running it inline with a spraybar at the back, pointing to the front, and creating a circular flow that keeps the bubbles in suspension much longer. Seems pretty efficient to me. Personally, I use smaller diffusers. I could probably upgrade to a bigger diffuser in my 55 gallon, but I’m not sure it’s actually worth it. I already had that diffuser so I just used what I already had, and if I needed more co2 I’d just crank up the bubble counter a bit more. You will get all types of answers here, but I’ve been successful without going full tilt.

In my opinion, snails of all types will 100% help with algae control. They’re not the silver bullet, but they absolutely contribute. My Pea Puffer tank is the hardest and requires the most manual maintenance because snails are snacks. However, probably 6 months or so ago, I decided to throw some Nerites in the tank and see what happens. The Pea’s have left them alone, and I don’t hardly even have to scrape the glass anymore. Plants are better. Overall, the ecosystem is better, the tank is more hands-off, and I enjoy it more because of that. Snails absolutely help.

FWIW: We’ve had a lone male in a tank for a couple years now. He has other tank mates that aren’t frogs, so technically he’s a loner. No issues with ours whatsoever

@Woowala For sure. I was a little surprised they didn’t already have them in stock. Per usual, though, they’re pretty cool about it and help me out if and when I need it. The confirmation that they can bring in what I’m looking for has me excited to change some things up!

Well, friends, it looks like a pair of Apisto Borellii is going to be easier for the LFS than I thought! A pair of Borellii, and a Crypt and Anubias garden here we come. Bought a 20oz co2 paintball canister and a paintball co2 regulator. Simply need to fill the canister and hook it up. Plants come in tomorrow, I believe, and lights will be here on Thursday. Guess I gotta start making plans to tear this tank apart and redo it! Time to find some substrate…

On top of ensuring that the fish you’re sending aren’t illegal and/or considered an invasive species, I think it all comes down to revenue, and if you have to remit taxes. Where I live, I believe it’s once you cross the $600 mark in sales, you need to have a sales license and remit taxes. Considering you're selling on eBay, I would assume that any type of sales confirmation or email confirmation of sales would count as an invoice. I don’t know that for a 100% fact, but that’s my best guess. Resident experts like @tolstoy21 might have further insight. I believe they sell (or at least, have sold) on eBay and other platforms.

In my 55 I have 6 Angels (2 of which are a pair), 3 Praecox Rainbows, ~15 Albino Cory’s, and I had 20 Cardinals with them. I’m down to the last 10 or so Cardinals, but when I had all 20 it was never a problem. The Cardinals are just running their course and the numbers have dwindled. I think it’s a great combo! A 75 could hold at least what I mentioned above.

I’ve had Pea Puffers for a couple years now. 6 in a 29. They leave some shrimp alone. They demolish others. Depends on how densely planted your tank is. Rest assured they will hunt any shrimplets they find. I have a *couple* extra blue shrimp and that’s with a tank I could barely see into it was so densely planted. The few adult shrimps are just fine. I’m considering adding like 10 Amano’s to their tank as I think they’ll be fine. I’ve also added Nerites and those are still cruising. Ramshorn Snails are their favorite snack. Personally, I would remove the CPD’s if you’re adding the Pea’s. Simply wouldn’t chance it.

He talked about it in the latest livestream. The manufacturer is no longer going to manufacture aquarium lights. I’ve had a 48” on my 55 Angel tank since they came out. Figured I might as well get it while the getting is good, so I picked a couple up. Thanks! I’m still planning it out in my head, but that’s honestly half the fun. I imagine a garden of Crypts in the back with Anubias to the front. Now, I just need to find those pesky Borellii… Hopefully the LFS I work with can bring some in so I can use my credit on them.

What’s up, Nerms? I completed maintenance between yesterday and today. No big notes, simple water changes is all. I’ve still really been thinking about redoing the 20 long, and by proxy, the 10 gallon in my room. Cory announced their lights will no longer be produced, so I went ahead and picked up a 20” and a 30”. Shout out to me getting 1/2 my bonus from the fair, a refund from some other silly thing, and my new store bonus check to pay for the lights. Also picked up a Buce Black Pearl, and a plant mystery pack. Candi was nice enough to provide a gift card for the purchase price of the Dwarf Chain Sword that didn’t bounce back, so I put that towards the order as well. I’ve been thinking hard about a Crypt and Anubias garden, with co2, a pair of Apisto Borellii, and something else for the top of that tank. Perhaps Pencilfish. I left it up to the plant mystery pack, and what do ya know… 3 different Crypts ended up in the pack. 1 Wendtii Green, 1 Tropica, and 1 Spiralis. I guess the universe, or at least ACO would also like me to have that combo. I’ve been looking at paintball co2 kits, and I think I’m gonna go with a 24oz tank. I’ve already found a local store to fill it when needed, already have diffusers and the drop checker. So get the tank, fill the tank, and get the regulator for the tank. Already have the internal filter as well to keep those bubbles in suspension. I hit up the LFS to see if they could bring in a pair of Borellii for me. Depending on what substrate they have at the store, I’ll use my store credit on that, too. That means the 10 gallon in the room will become a blackwater tank, and that’s totally cool with me. Stoked to see what the ACO light does for a blackwater environment. It’s getting exciting around here my friends. I hope you’re enjoying your tanks as well.

Before this was a Blackwater tank, it was a shrimp only tank for about 2.5 years. I pulled about half of them out, and left the other half in. Nothing happened. They’re chillin. They were the OG “canaries in the well” and I’ve seen no difference. Same with the 29 gallon. Let me see if I can find a pic during feeding time: Shrimp are still crushing. Keep in mind, my water is already naturally softer, with very little buffer, and lower ph. 2 gallon each week on the 20. 5 gallons each week on the 29.

Yo! I have a couple Blackwater tanks that I’ve been running for about a year and a half each. I’ll do my best to explain what I’ve done, and what I’ve noticed with my personal experience. First here’s the tanks: 20 Long with Chili Rasboras, Green Neon Tetras, CPO’s, Shrimp, and Ramshorn snails. Spiderwood, Cholla wood, and several varieties of Anubias. 29 gallon with Albino Cory’s, a couple remaining Glowlight Tetras, Wild Caught Black Neon Tetras, tons of shrimp, and a few snails. Spiderwood, Anubias, Java Fern, Amazon Swords, PSO, Crinum Calamistratum, and co2. Both have been up and running for about a year and a half. Started with the 20 long, and loved it so much I did the same to the 29. Let me start with my water from the tap is naturally on the softer side, with already lower ph, and very little buffer. I expected the tannins to deplete the KH and massive sink my ph, but that hasn’t been the case at all. These blackwater tanks actually run higher in gh and kh than my non-blackwater tanks, and the ph basically hasn’t shifted at all. I was very surprised by this, but every time I test parameters I’m getting the same results. I think it’s because I still water change once per week, and there’s less plants than other tanks, so less things get scrubbed from the water column. Again, I expected these tanks to burn through KH and run super acidic, but that hasn’t been my personal experience. Any fish that come from a blackwater environment thrive and look great. My Chili’s, Green Neons, Black Neons, and Glowlight Tetras really POP against the blackwater and darker environment. Neon Tetras would look incredible, too. Again, my experience has been to treat these tanks like all my other tanks in that they get consistent water changes weekly. I simply rotate adding additional botanicals every other week. I water change every week, and then week 1 I’ll either throw some botanicals in or boil them and then chuck them in. Week 2 I’ll probably add a little tannin tea that I made from boiling the botanicals. Week 3 we’ll replace the leaves and save the tea. Week 4 I add tea. Rinse and repeat. Again, my parameters have remained consistent with this method. Feel free to message me or respond here if you wanna continue to chat about my experience. I’d never push you to make a decision, but I’m always happy to share my personal experience. Blackwater has been a lot of fun, and I love the aesthetic. I don’t see me stopping anytime soon.

You know I am, too! I almost tagged you in the post, but I was like, “nah, they’ll read it and be in touch if they want some” lol. Holla if you wanna see what I have and if you’re interested! Would be super fun! Can you imagine the nightmare it would be trying to remove any kind of livestock from that tank? 😂😂😂. Looks super rad though. Maybe that will be the next next iteration of the 20 long. Would be tough for me to not throw at least 1 Anubius or rhizome in there somewhere, lol. You know me, I’d want a pair 😈. A pair to play with raising fry, and something at the top. Rams and Pencilfish… Apistos and Pencils… I’m not sure yet. Borellii and Pencils with a co2 crypt and Anubias garden? Idk, sounds pretty fun. Everything is staying as is until I decide what I wanna do for sure. Could be super fun. I need to look into them. When I’ve seen them at the LFS I’ve always been like, “that thing looks rad, but it never moves”. I like watching movement in my tanks. Already have the Bolivians in the 20 high above this 20 long, lol. Black Rams are what I would really wanna be successful with considering I’ve failed twice with them. German Blue sounds super fun, but, I really don’t wanna limit myself with a fish that prefers water at like 84-86. Borellii being able to go lower 70’s is starting to make a lot of sense! For sure! I need to look into them more. As I mentioned above, they look rad when I’ve seen them, but they also just… sit there, which isn’t my most favorite thing.

@TOtrees nailed it, and said it very well. I was more curious of, how do you KNOW you’re overfeeding? That’s not me trying to be a jerk, that’s me being curious. I’ve always looked at my tanks as “if someone is going hungry, that’s not on me. There is definitely plenty of food available” yet my tanks are pretty balanced and dialed in. I feel like I “feed heavy” but years of the tank being balanced and testing confirming that things are where they’ve always been makes me feel like I’m not overfeeding. Are your nitrates super high? Is it a crazy outbreak of algae? My thought is that maybe there is something you can do to help limit or control the algae, especially if it’s not coming from the food.

That’s a rad tank! I’ve never done it, but I would image returning it back to freshwater would be pretty simple. Basically the opposite of turning it into a reef tank. Personally, I would pull all the live rock (unless you’re wanting to use that in the freshwater set up), drain the tank, swap substrate if you plan to do that, and clean out the sump. From there I would add whatever hardscape and/or plants to start, fill it up with freshwater and dechlorinate as necessary, and cycle the tank. I believe that the freshwater and saltwater nitrifying bacteria are different, so you’re going to want to cycle the tank again. You would probably also want new, or to go back to freshwater lighting. Just my $0.02 and how I would do it.

Dang, Wanda is the definition of “cichlids gonna cichlid”. I have 2 pairs of Angels, one basically by themselves, and the other pair in a 55 gallon community tank. In the community tank, they obviously get a little aggressive when guarding their eggs, but not like Wanda! She’s crazy, lol. My recommendation would be to add a piece of slate and cross your fingers that they spawn there. That way you can easily remove the eggs, and hopefully calm down the aggression. Mine have slate and Amazon Sword leaves. If they choose a Sword leaf it’s easy enough to pull that off, too. A big ol’ Anubias leaf on the other hand… Also, what’s the temp in the tank? Turning the heat down a couple degrees could also help them chill out a bit, and not spawn every couple weeks. Both of which could help chill them out. I have 8 Angels in total and ya they get feisty, but mine have never darted at anyone (their mate, or the others in the community tank) like Wanda in that video. They’ll shake their head, flare their fins, and maybe a slight nip, but that Wanda rocket move is something else 😂

@EricksonAquatics I appreciate the kind words! This tank has been a lot of fun, and I’ve definitely learned a lot with it. I’m not dead set on tearing it apart, but I’m leaning that way. The idea didn’t even strike me until a couple of days ago. We’ll see what ends up happening. Agreed that a Crypt and Anubias garden and co2 could be a lot of fun! Just gotta find what would go well with it. Despite my name, I haven’t kept THAT many species. I have had my 14 tanks for about 4 years now, so I’ve definitely dabbled, but nowhere near anywhere close to playing with all the fish. I actually have Bolivian Rams in the 20 high above this tank, lol. They’re the one type of Rams that I’ve been successful with. I’ve tried Black Rams twice, and failed pretty miserably both times. Then I got the Bolivians and they’ve been easy the whole time. Rams would be awesome, but if I’m gonna redo this plant I really wanna do co2 and just crank some “easy” plants so they look amazing. Rams and the temps they need just don’t play nicely with that plan. Cherry Barbs on the other hand… That could be fun. @Woowala I appreciate the suggestion! I’ll have to look into them more. Cacatuoides are readily available in my area, so I’ll have to do some research on the Borellii and see if I can find them. Could be fun and check all the boxes!

@Lennie For sure. Hence the reason why the Chili’s would go with the Pygmy’s, and that tank could become a blackwater tank, and the Green Neons would go next door into my other current Blackwater setup. I made the decision early on in my hobby to not try to force things or that I don’t want to “make” water. My water is naturally softer, little lower ph, and with just a little buffer, so no African Cichlids and very little livebearer experience for me. @AdamS For sure. Definitely thought about that option. I’ll keep thinking on it!

I posted this in general discussion, but I’m curious what you guys think that generally interact with me here in my journal: I’ve had my 20 gallon long for about 4 years now, and it’s been through a couple iterations. It started as a shrimp only tank where I bred and sold hundreds and hundreds of Cherry Shrimp. About a year and a half ago, I decided I wanted to try a Blackwater tank, so most of the shrimp came out, and a ton of botanicals and tannins went in. I loved it so much I decided the 29 next to it should also be a blackwater tank! I’ve really enjoyed this blackwater tank, but I’ve started to think it might be time for something new. Here’s a picture of the tank right this second: Currently the tank has a group of Chili Rasboras, Green Neon Tetras, a bunch of CPO’s, Cherry Shrimp, and Ramshorn Snails. Spiderwood, Cholla wood, a few different varieties of Anubias, and a giant 20’ long Pothos vine growing out of it hence the roots in the back. I’ve been thinking about what I want to do, and I’m curious what you would do if you had a 20 long that you were setting up? I’m 99.999% sure I want to change substrate. This tank started with black sand for the shrimp, and I learned very quickly that I simply don’t like sand, lol. That being said, I don’t hate it enough to have ever put in the work to remove it. But, if I’m going to “tear this down” I’m definitely changing the substrate. The Chili’s can go to a tank in my bedroom with Pygmy Cory’s. I would probably turn that tank into a blackwater tank with the Chili’s and the Pygmy’s to scratch the blackwater itch. The Green Neons can go to the 29 blackwater tank next door. They would look incredible in that tank. The CPO’s would be split between my Pea Puffer tank, and probably into my 55 gallon Angelfish tank. Shrimp and snails can stay or really be moved to almost any other tank. Here’s what I’ve thought about doing so far: -Replace sand with gravel, root tabs under the substrate, and throw down some Crypts and other plants. Crypts never really have done well for me, but I got one from ACO about 2 weeks ago and seems to be converting and hanging tough. I would love to see this tank full of Crypts, and I’m even considering adding co2 to this tank. I already run co2 on a couple other tanks, so adding it here isn’t new territory. -If I were to completely redo the tank, I’m not sure what I’d stock it with. Rams have eluded me a couple of times now, and I’d really love to be successful with them. I also can’t help but think that the Pothos vine could help scrub the water and potentially I could be more successful with the Rams than I have been in the past. I’m aware Rams need a hot tank, and that would mean plants are limited, so co2 doesn’t really make sense in that situation. I’d also love to have tank mates with the Rams, but there’s not a ton of fish (at least to my knowledge) that can handle the temps, and still do well in a 20 long with the Rams. Sterbai Cory’s come to mind, but they get bigger than I would personally feel comfortable putting into a 20 long. Maybe some Tetras, but I’ve had a lot of Tetra species at this point. -Keep it as a blackwater tank, and maybe run some Apistos. Again, I know they like it hotter, so I feel plants and tank mates are somewhat limited. -Something entirely different that I haven’t even thought of yet. The idea of moving some of these fish around to rejuvenate some other tanks and having a blank slate to play with is very intriguing. I also don’t know what I would do with all these Anubias (I mean, I’ll throw them in other tanks, but I’m not like “oh, this one would be perfect here and that one would be perfect over there!). So ya, that’s where I’m at. Rams are super intriguing, but I’m not sure I can run plants, co2, and tank mates with them like I would want to. Apistos would be fun, but it’s kind of the same boat as the Rams. A garden of Crypts sounds awesome, but I don’t know what fish I would put with them. If you had a 20 long, what would you do with it? Maybe you had a 20 long in your past, or one currently, that you just can’t get enough of? I’m curious to hear what you guys think. Cheers!

What up, Nerms? Hope you all are well. I’ve had my 20 gallon long for about 4 years now, and it’s been through a couple iterations. It started as a shrimp only tank where I bred and sold hundreds and hundreds of Cherry Shrimp. About a year and a half ago, I decided I wanted to try a Blackwater tank, so most of the shrimp came out, and a ton of botanicals and tannins went in. I loved it so much I decided the 29 next to it should also be a blackwater tank! I’ve really enjoyed this blackwater tank, but I’ve started to think it might be time for something new. Here’s a picture of the tank right this second: Currently the tank has a group of Chili Rasboras, Green Neon Tetras, a bunch of CPO’s, Cherry Shrimp, and Ramshorn Snails. Spiderwood, Cholla wood, a few different varieties of Anubias, and a giant 20’ long Pothos vine growing out of it hence the roots in the back. I’ve been thinking about what I want to do, and I’m curious what you would do if you had a 20 long that you were setting up? I’m 99.999% sure I want to change substrate. This tank started with black sand for the shrimp, and I learned very quickly that I simply don’t like sand, lol. That being said, I don’t hate it enough to have ever put in the work to remove it. But, if I’m going to “tear this down” I’m definitely changing the substrate. The Chili’s can go to a tank in my bedroom with Pygmy Cory’s. I would probably turn that tank into a blackwater tank with the Chili’s and the Pygmy’s to scratch the blackwater itch. The Green Neons can go to the 29 blackwater tank next door. They would look incredible in that tank. The CPO’s would be split between my Pea Puffer tank, and probably into my 55 gallon Angelfish tank. Shrimp and snails can stay or really be moved to almost any other tank. Here’s what I’ve thought about doing so far: -Replace sand with gravel, root tabs under the substrate, and throw down some Crypts and other plants. Crypts never really have done well for me, but I got one from ACO about 2 weeks ago and seems to be converting and hanging tough. I would love to see this tank full of Crypts, and I’m even considering adding co2 to this tank. I already run co2 on a couple other tanks, so adding it here isn’t new territory. -If I were to completely redo the tank, I’m not sure what I’d stock it with. Rams have eluded me a couple of times now, and I’d really love to be successful with them. I also can’t help but think that the Pothos vine could help scrub the water and potentially I could be more successful with the Rams than I have been in the past. I’m aware Rams need a hot tank, and that would mean plants are limited, so co2 doesn’t really make sense in that situation. I’d also love to have tank mates with the Rams, but there’s not a ton of fish (at least to my knowledge) that can handle the temps, and still do well in a 20 long with the Rams. Sterbai Cory’s come to mind, but they get bigger than I would personally feel comfortable putting into a 20 long. Maybe some Tetras, but I’ve had a lot of Tetra species at this point. -Keep it as a blackwater tank, and maybe run some Apistos. Again, I know they like it hotter, so I feel plants and tank mates are somewhat limited. -Something entirely different that I haven’t even thought of yet. The idea of moving some of these fish around to rejuvenate some other tanks and having a blank slate to play with is very intriguing. I also don’t know what I would do with all these Anubias (I mean, I’ll throw them in other tanks, but I’m not like “oh, this one would be perfect here and that one would be perfect over there!). So ya, that’s where I’m at. Rams are super intriguing, but I’m not sure I can run plants, co2, and tank mates with them like I would want to. Apistos would be fun, but it’s kind of the same boat as the Rams. A garden of Crypts sounds awesome, but I don’t know what fish I would put with them. If you had a 20 long, what would you do with it? Maybe you had a 20 long in your past, or one currently, that you just can’t get enough of? I’m curious to hear what you guys think. Cheers!

Gotta love the shallow tanks where par is at max! I can’t comment on the Twinstar or Chihiros, but I would imagine you’d run into similar issues. The tank being shallow simply means that you’re just blasting out the tank with light. Personally, I would dim the light, move the light up(I know you said hanging isn’t an option, but perhaps you can move it up somehow?) or add floaters to the tank. Or any combo of those. All of those things will decrease light intensity, and hopefully help you find balance. I also can’t help but wonder if switching lights would be helpful considering Fluval lights are pretty customizable. But what do I know. I’ve only played with a single Fluval light on my cube. As far as goosenecks go, I’ve had these on my 20 long for about a year and a half now: I got them on Amazon. I don’t remember the brand, but they’re dimmable and I was going for more of a spotlight look on this Blackwater tank. I like that it’s bright right under the lights, but gets pretty dark in the corners. You can see from the first picture that I still get algae on the lid directly below the light. And that’s with the lights turned down and a bunch of tannins in the water. No real algae in the tank, though. I’ve been thinking about doing something different with this tank. I don’t know what I want to do yet, so I’m not making any purchases, but I’m kind of in the same boat. I’ll definitely try these lights as I don’t even know what they’d look like in an environment without the tannins. Maybe I’ll have to turn them up, maybe I’ll have to dim them further. Who knows! Best of luck getting your light right! That shallow tank looks pretty rad!

I too have ordered hardscape off Amazon. It’s definitely a gamble, but I’ve been pleased when I’ve done it. My suggestion is to just keep playing with it. Prior to planting. Get your hands wet and just keep twisting and stacking and moving. Eventually you’ll get there. Also, I keep in mind that nature doesn’t meticulously and painstakingly lay things out. Maybe that’s just me convincing myself that my “scapes” are good as they are and don’t need to be tweaked, but personally I don’t mind a more natural look. If all else fails just throw some botanicals in there and voila, blackwater tank that is truly more natural! I know you said you don’t want that, but the option is always there! Also, keep in mind that as plants grow in things change. The one “scape” I actually “worked on” now looks like this: You can hardly tell there’s hardscape in there at this point. Blackwater 29 gallon tank looks like this as of late: Pretty dark with tannins as of this picture, but the plants and the fish don’t mind. This is all Spiderwood and plants. No rocks in this tank. Just keep playing with it. These are both 29’s, wood and rocks bought off Amazon and LFS. I also don’t mind that the top of the tank is more open. The bottom and mid-dwellers have places to hide, and the top is more open. Just my $0.02, if it’s even worth that.

This exposure adjustment has been fun. I’ve always stated that my blackwater tanks are even darker the second day after adding tannins, which makes sense. But, I’ve never been able to capture it. Now I can! Here’s the picture of the tank I posted on Wednesday: And here’s the picture I took on Thursday: I love it. I’m considering buying some bulk botanicals again. I’ve really fallen in love with sweet gum pods, and acorn caps. If anybody is interested in some other botanicals on the low, let me know! I could put together a little care package just for the price of shipping. If you’re interested in trying out Blackwater, or playing with tannins, I’m down to send off some things that work well, but simply aren’t my favorite. Let me know!

When I go away for a week I do nothing. I feed them like normal and do normal maintenance up until I’m gone, and then I resume when I get back. Never had an issue. If someone is at the house watching it while we’re away I might have them severely underfeed a couple of times. I’m talking like 20% of what I would normally feed. Just a couple snacks while I’m gone, but it’s not necessary at all. Also have to really trust that person to follow whatever instructions you might leave them. I keep it simple and took the tiny scoop from the Xtreme Betta food and put it in a small jar of Xtreme Nano. Then I just label each tank with number of scoops. Typically I’ll text them and just say hey bro, can you feed my fish today? To avoid any additional confusion. If nobody is watching the house, though, the fish are fine for 7 days.

Water changes. Carbon. Purigen.