itsAlex

I have an update! So, I made some changes to my tank. I didn't completely gut it, but it was a pretty major overhaul. I carefully took all the residents out, and then proceeded to take out a large portion of the substrate. A lot of the plants (all the val and hairgrass) were a goner and I ended up taking them out. I hung onto a few plants, and propagated some from my 5gal. Ordered some new stuff too, some scarlet temple, windelov, a crypt wendtii, and a banana plant for fun 🙂 I also capped the substrate with some gravel. I've been dosing easy green much more lightly recently, and have the light dimmer cutting my lighting way down. So far down that I ended up losing my red root floaters lol. I feel good about the changes and like the new look...but I'm starting to get hair algae again. On the glass, the sponge filter, and now the plants again. My water parameters haven't changed, except that I'm keeping the nitrates closer to 0 (they've been pretty stable at ~20ppm). I'm just wondering what I'm doing wrong. I know I'm 100% the stereotype Cory talks about, resetting things etc etc but I don't know how to keep the algae from taking over. Do I not have enough plants in the tank? I'm afraid if I take the light down much further, they'll start to die back. I'm trying to find some low light floaters to add, but otherwise I'm at a loss once again. Any advice?

Thank you for the replies! My dimmer just came in, and I'm running it for 8 hours at what I think is about half the intensity - I hope my results are as promising as yours! This is super true. I have the same controsoil in my 5g betta tank capped with regular gravel and have had nowhere near the amount of algae. Do you think there's a way to take out some of the substrate without completely gutting the tank? and/or getting some gravel on top? @PineSong Thank you so much for the info and encouragement 🙂 I'm gonna take your advice and start aiming for ~10ppm nitrates instead of what I was targeting before. Appreciate your pics for the perspective (your plants look amazing!) With the light dimmed and cutting back some on ferts I hope I'll start to see a difference. If I remember, I'll try to update my progress in a few weeks! Thanks again

Hi there! This is my first non-introductory post, hoping I can get some good advice from y'all. This is my 10gal tank, it's been running for about 4 months now. Started off with just a lot of green hair algae on the glass, which I wasn't too worried about and was manually removing. But as you can see from these pics, the plants have gotten absolutely choked with BBA and diatom (maybe, I think). I've been trying manual removal and dosing with liquid carbon, but can't get ahead of it. Really hoping I can get some help! Specs on the tank: No c02, and it's heated at about 76 degrees F Light is a Twinstar 450E running for 6 hours on a Kasa plug (I know it's too strong and have a dimmer on the way) Substrate is UNS Controsoil (there is some crushed coral on top in one spot) and I just added a few root tabs I'm dosing Easy Green about 2x a week, based on test strips to keep Nitrates at 20-40ppm Filtration is a small Co-op sponge filter w/airstone and an AquaClear 20 full of sponge and crushed coral I broke out the liquid test kit last night to test water: 0 ammonia | 0 nitrite | 40ppm nitrate | pH 7.2 | gH 160ppm | kH 55ppm There are 2 baby nerite snails, 1 grown mystery snail, and a school of 12 ember tetras. My plants are dwarf hairgrass, valisneria, some crypt parva (barely hanging on), with red root floaters and duckweed up top. There used to be some micro sword but it's died off I think. Getting close to just redoing the whole thing but really don't want to have to tear it all down! If I can get any advice on how to fight this algae and get my plants thriving again I will take whatever steps I have to. And, because I'm really new to this, I'm also open to any other suggestions/critiques of my setup in general. I'm still trying to learn as much as I can here. Thank you!!

thanks Patrick 🙂 I would love to try green neons, I'll have to see what my lfs has in stock and if there's a video on this subject you have in mind I would love to check it out! I probably missed it but would be cool to get Cory's opinion 🙂

I was a little afraid shrimps were the answer, but if I search my feelings deep down I know it to be true thank!

Hi all, glad to be here. I'm a complete newbie who got into the hobby about 6 months ago. I started with a (failed) walstad attempt, before setting up the 2 tanks I have now, which are going on ~3 months strong! I have a 5 gal setup with my handsome betta boy, living the bachelor life. And my second tank, a 10 gal algae farm in progress with a tiny school of ember tetras and a chonky mystery snail. Like some other posts I've read, I stumbled on an old video of Cory's and fell right down the rabbit hole. I'm still learning every day, and grateful to get to hear from this awesome group! P.s if anyone was in the New Years livestream today - yes, I am THAT Alex who kept asking for tankmates for 6 embers and a mystery snail. Still open to ideas :^)