Mary W.

If the rhizome is melting, that's anubias rot. If the newer end of the rhizome isn't involved, you can try sharply cutting that off along with its leaves and floating it until it develops roots (or if it's big enough, gluing or tying it onto whatever you eventually want it to attach to). Then get rid of the part of the plant that rotted. Anubias in the wild grow partly emersed not completely submerged (someone correct me if that's wrong - every picture of them in nature I have been able to find online shows them on banks of streams or partly sticking out of a marsh or something), so we're asking them to live in conditions they're not really designed for. Good luck, they're lovely plants -

Maybe you have a variant or subspecies that is just naturally smaller? They look healthy and happy from your pictures -

riioKen, hang in there - it takes the better part of a year for a planted tank to mature. Successive waves of different algaes are part of the process. Next spring when your plants are established and thriving this will be a thing of the past. I love how you set up your tank, it's going to look great - One thing you might try to get through this early phase - Add in a big mass of floaters (anacharis has worked for me) which can start competing out the algae right away without having to take time to root and start growing. You can always remove them down the road if you don't like them - Good luck and enjoy -

Could just be a cyst. One of my glowlight tetras has had something that looks just like that for over a year, it hasn't changed, he seems healthy, no one else in the tank has one.

Hi Allan please keep us updated on whether the febendazole ends up working - I didn't try that one when I had my leech infestation last summer so I would love to know. Also - What kind of fish was it that you found dead with leech attached? Do you think the leech killed it, or just fed on it after it died?

Nerites do that - seems they like to breath air.

Bought some Ember Tetras ~ 6 months ago (originally 8, now 6 but they all look healthy), was hoping they would colony-breed a bit but they haven't. Tank is heavily-planted 40 breeder with lots of floating plants for cover. Temp 74F, pH 6.8, GH 6-8, nitrates ~ 20, nitrates and ammonia 0. Fish get fed twice a day (Xtreme nano pellets which they seem to like, also anything floating off what the Corys get). Just the Embers, Corys, and snails in the tank. Any suggestions much appreciated! Not looking to breed for profit or anything, just to maintain the colony - Thanks -

I have noticed the same thing with my corys (trilineatus and pygmy). Spawned a lot during the fall/winter, now nothing. No change in light cycle (other than obviously the outside light cycle), temp, water change schedule, water parameters, or feeding.

For a lid - the Aqueon glass lid sized for the 20L works perfectly and is easy to use - sturdy but not too heavy. I have a Tidal 55 HOB on my 20L (bit of overkill but that's what I got) and it fits with the Aqueon lid (on the back of the tank obviously not the side!). Re the pygmy corys, once they're comfortable in the tank, big enough and you have enough (dozen or so) they will be all over the tank and are just delightful. When they're young or you only have a few, they're shy and stick close to the substrate. Re your plants, everything you have listed is great but especially to start with consider something fast growing to help compete with algae - maybe pogostemon stellatus octopus or anacharis, both of which can be grown as floaters to start. Good luck and have fun! 20L is a great choice -

If you just have a tank or two and want a quick batch: Put a tablespoon of Repashy powder into a mug, add three tablespoons boiling water, stir, let cool, and spoon right into the tanks. Easy-peasy!

My nerites love Wonder Shells.

MTS - Great cleaners, totally peaceful, aerate the substrate, don't eat healthy plants, but boy do they make babies ... On balance, I think they're a positive addition to planted tank ecosystem and have them in both my tanks - They're also fun to watch -

I have gotten fish from AquaticArts and The Wet Spot in past couple of years, both good experiences for me -

Asian Freshwater Leaches can come in with plants from any vendor. Eggs/wormlets are tiny and can slip through any inspection process. I learned this the hard way.

Anyone have any experience with what fish species will eat leaches? I had Asian Freshwater Leaches in a tank with pygmy and trilineatus corys and never saw them eat the leaches. Someone recommended gouramis to me but I never tried that (ended up tearing down the tank cause the leaches were proliferating in my HOB filter and grossing me out .....).