[Issues growing Pogo + unbalanced tank]

I have seen the Girl Talks Fish video! I need to watch it again to remember exactly what she talked about. Ill for sure look into the Pasco video 🙂

[Issues growing Pogo + unbalanced tank]

Thanks for the advice. Some people can grow Pogo like weeds, and some people can’t get it to grow. I guess I’m one of those people😂I do believe it does better in a high tech tank, but I thought I’d try it anyways. 
For now, though, I just want my plants to grow!

[Issues growing Pogo + unbalanced tank]

On 3/17/2024 at 6:43 AM, JoeQ said:

Too little light or nutrients,  plants dont grow (the problem youre having)

So do you suggest keeping the intensity low and the lighting period longer? I thought that algae LOVES long low light periods, but maybe that’s fake news.😂

40ppm Nitrate seems high for my tank. I feel like it isn’t crazy heavily planted but maybe it needs more fertilizer and more light than I think.

So from here, lengthen lighting period a tad and keep fert dosing the same?

[Issues growing Pogo + unbalanced tank]

Yes I plug in root tabs as needed. pH 8, GH about 25ppm, KH 80ppm. Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0.

[Issues growing Pogo + unbalanced tank]

Hello friends-

I have your typical 10g tank with a betta and a nerite snail. It’s been up and running for over a year now, and I’ve struggled to balance it ever since!! I can’t get any of my plants to really thrive even though it feels like I’m doing things the right way. I think I need to start over with the basics. 
Anyways, I fairly recently got some “Pogostemon Stellatus Narrow Leaf” (which I’m not sure if it’s similar or completely different to Pogo Octopus) and it hasn’t done quite as well as I hoped. I purchased pogo from the co-op a while back and it also didn’t do so well. It handled things ok for a while but never took off and eventually melted away. There’s somehow always brown diatom algae on its leaves. I’m guessing it’s because it takes a minute to convert to submerged grown and the algae takes advantage of the old leaves? 
Who has experience with this plant? Does it take a while to convert?

also, I’ve got an Easy LED at 30% and dose easy green one pump once per week. At the end of the week I get abt 40ppm nitrate, so I water change. 40 seems high, so maybe I should dose less ferts? I just barely switched my light timer to be on for six hours a day. It used to be on for around 7 and a half, so hopefully the shorter light period will stump the algae growth (mostly hair algae with a little brown diatom). 

Any tank balancing tips would be much appreciated!

[Black substrate]

Personally I love black substrate! I think it really helps the fish and plants pop. Only issue is it will show fish poop and dead plant leaves a lot more than lighter substrates. But if you’re ok with a little gravel vac work to make it pretty, it’s no big deal!

As for suggestions, I use Eco Complete and I like it. It’s relatively inexpensive and looks nice. You can always use regular black gravel or sand from your local Petco/PetSmart and load it with root tabs! Both are fairly smooth and soft so wouldn’t bother your future Cory’s! Those are the two main options I can think of but I know there’s more out there 🙂

[What is your favorite type of fish?]

The only fish I’ve kept to date has been a nerite and a betta😂but with my hopefully soon next setup I’d love to keep chili Rasboras, sparkling gouramis, salt and pepper Cory’s and someday Bolivian rams 🙂

and I’d LOVE to set up an outdoor mini pond with WCMM or medaka rice fish!

[For Those With Eheim Jager Heaters…]

I think it’s technically best to have it off the substrate but I don’t think it’s a big deal. The bottom of mine sits in the gravel and it’s just fine. You should be good to go!

[How did everyone find Aquarium Co-Op?]

I don’t quite remember, but I’m pretty sure the first time I walked into my LFS I saw their huge shelf of easy green and other co op products was like what the heck is that stuff?😂and then proceeded to go home and look them up. Been hooked ever since!

[AllFishNoBrakes’ Journal]

Good to know! I might have to pick your brain about chili’s in the near future if I end up with a certain 20L tank😏😂

[AllFishNoBrakes’ Journal]

Interesting! I wonder if not having a centerpiece/tank boss helps them feel a little more safe. They are such tiny little guys, I don’t blame them for hiding😂

[AllFishNoBrakes’ Journal]

I love all your tanks, but especially the 20 long blackwater tank 😉This is my next goal, a 20L with chili rasboras! In your opinion, are they more on the shy or outgoing end? I assume the more you have, the happier and less hidey they'll be?

[For Those With Eheim Jager Heaters…]

Yes absolutely.  I have a 75 watt one in a 10 gal and it's completely horizontal. So far zero issues!

[Filter for Phoenix Rasboras and Pygmy Cory Doras]

I think the regular Aqueon 10g tanks and their glass hinged lids are the best way to go. They’re cheap, readily available at most big box stores, and do the job well 🙂

[What to feed my Pygmy Corydoras]

If you haven’t already, you should totally try Repashy! Once they figure it out, they go nuts for it. I’d probably say the Community Plus blend or Soilent Green. Some other options would be some bottom/algae wafers you can drop in or some blanched (boiled) veggies such as zucchini. Hope that helps!

[Test Strips and Liquid Test reading completely different]

Thank you! I’ll test again and try to be as accurate as I can and see what happens.

On 3/3/2024 at 6:59 PM, johnnyxxl said:

How can the strips be so off?  Or is this a case of things not being used right?

That’s what I was wondering! Seems crazy but I think it was just user error on the liquid test kit.

[What did you get done today?]

Today I did a water change on my 10g and cleaned up a bunch of algae. Yep that’s it, real exciting.😂

[Test Strips and Liquid Test reading completely different]

Hello all,

today I tested my tank water with both co-op test trips and the API liquid test kit. The Co-Op test trips read around 40ppm for Nitrate, while the API test kit read 0ppm. What the heck? Has this happened to anyone before? And which do I believe?😂

[40 breeder practice scape with nano fish]

I know this is terrible to post on this thread after a YEAR, but I just had to say @kneeyour tanks are absolutely stunning. Tell me your secrets to such incredible plants!!😂

And your Rams are also the most colorful and amazing I’ve ever seen. Whenever I think of Rams I just think of Germans but the Bolivians are for sure a new bucket list fish for me. If I ever get a bigger tank, that’s for sure the first cichlid I’m going to try!

Hoping to set up a 20L before too long, but I assume with other community fish that would be too cramped for even a pair of them? 🙂

[Easy root tabs question]

Yeah root tabs shouldn’t contribute to ammonia/nitrite spike. Before I poked holes and squeezed air out of em they would occasionally pop up and leave the white gel looking stuff on the substrate. But I never had them affect water quality, maybe a tad nitrate but never anything else 🙂 I wouldn’t dig them up because it’ll make a huge mess that I promise you don’t want😂

[What does your aquarium look like?]

On 2/29/2024 at 9:46 AM, Huckleberry said:

actually won this tank in a raffle when my lfs had an event. It was pretty crazy. 

That is awesome! I’m going to suggest a tank raffle for my local club lolz

[What am I doing wrong?]

I’m not pro at this kind of stuff, but it looks like possibly green water. How long do you have your lights on for?

[What does your aquarium look like?]

Set up my first tank (10g) in December of 2022 for a betta and a nerite.

One year and many plant casualties later…

let’s just say it’s getting there. The betta and nerite are still doing great. Lots has changed, I’ve learned a lot… and I want more plants.😂

And I’m ready for my next tank! Dreaming of 20 longs!!

[Help please new planted tank.]

The one that looks kind of like guppy grass?😂

[Help please new planted tank.]

@Fish Folkwhat is the plant in the third picture that’s taken over your tank? It’s stunning! The tank with the coconut huts and Anubias.