jo1414

Dream Tank!! Size and all nano fish. I swear I would put like 200 galaxy rasbora and 100 pygmy cory in one!!!

Is the nitrate completely white, not even a tinge of pink?

You're welcome. The pearlweed and baby tear are lovely. A little hard to keep planted while they get established!) Other easy plants are Swords of any type. I LOVE swords. (plant the roots, and keep the hub out of the ground. They feed at the roots, so you need root tabs. AQCo-op has some, but I find them difficult to keep planted in the substrate. I use the Seachem Flourish tabs.) Anubias (glue to things), Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus (plant), Bacopa Carolina (plant) Anacharis and Hornwort are super easy (you can float or plant it.) All of those (except the pogo octopus) can be bought at PetC and PetS. I like to buy the submersed ones not in the tanks, but I started my swords and anubias from the round container tubes.

Your kItty is super cute!! That expression is killing me. Don't get rid of it. Use super glue gel and attach it to a small rock, then you can bury the rock a little and still have a happy java fern! It's a great plant to start with. You may see some browning of leaves. This is a normal thing to happen, sometimes the stress of moving one tank to another. If you see little plants start to grow on the leaves, those are baby javas. Let them grow a little then pluck them off and put them on a rock or decor! That big white decor would be great to glue plants on as well. Ok, with a bacterial bloom... the bacteria feed off ammonia (fish poop). The fact that everything is back to 0 indicates a little bit of a crash, even with the water change. Remember you want to see an ammonia spike, then to zero on the ammonia. With the bacteria converting the ammonia to nitrite, so you should see a nitrite spike and then nitrates should start to appear... they are good up to level 50. Plants eat up nitrates, so the more plants you have the lower your nitrates will run. It is possible to have 0 nitrates, you just have to supplement with the easy green you bought. Try to keep it between 20-50. Easy green is 1 pump per 10g it will raise your nitrates by 3ppm (parts per million). With the API Freshwater test kit... I used that and I have 7 tanks so it was very time-consuming and not needed. There are a lot of things you can do wrong with a liquid test kit. Not shaking the bottle for long enough, and leaving the cap off too long, being within 3 months of expiration, can all affect your overall numbers as well. So if you get something abnormal, test it again. I use the aquarium co-op test strips for ammonia and multitest. They have been pretty accurate for me. The nitrate is usually lower with the API kit though. With strips, the key is to keep the top closed and not introduce any water to it, so dry hands (PITA when you have a lot of tanks. LOL.), Cory has used the tetra strips in the very distant past. If I am having issues. I use the co-op strips as my preference. I will use tetra strips and document it because I will go have a second set of eyes. They test it on their strips I have mine written down. Then we troubleshoot. I have a wonderful PetS and PetC fish person that have helped me through a lot of issues.

I did think I posted a response to this, so pardon if it's a duplicate. I have a betta in a 10G with Emerald Dwarf Rasbora's. pygmy cory, and a mystery snail. I had to put him in because of an emergent tank leak (This is soooo scary when it happens, prepare yourself) I watched them to make sure they were cool. But the betta was having fun and swimming with them, going over and looking at the mystery snail. I moved him back to the 6G once I got things set up and he full-on pouted. I'm talking drooping fins, his face looked even more RBF than usual. He wasn't as active. I just knew he was getting ready to die. tested everything! I didn't treat him with meds, just a little aquarium salt. I finally was sitting there wondering if I needed to treat for things and I looked up and he was doing an energetic sprint across the tank. Stopped and was all droopy. The lightbulb went off in my head and I was like 'My little dude needs a lot of room to train for the fish Olympics!' I put the net in there and he didn't resist being caught at all. I put him in the 10-gallon and he perked up, started doing laps, and swam through the SeeShelter tunnels. Went to see his friend the mystery snail and stared for a long minute, the Emeralds and pygmies were out and he went over to them and they all started swimming together. He is super happy and active now. He was just missing the bigger tank and all his friends. But, I've also had a murder betta that ate shrimp, ate chili rasboras, and won't tolerate even snails in there. Then my other 2 are in the middle. Don't like fish, but ok with shrimp and snails! You're at the right place to ask about issues. I found some reviews on the website you're purchasing from. I saw some good reviews on Goggle and the site. Are you part of the Aq Co-Op FB? It's here if you aren't. It's a big mix of experience and the people aren't rude. Huge on the help like the forum is.

OMGosh, what is this guy?? I love the fins Woo, they are SO variable with what they accept. I have a nerite in each of my betta tanks. I have only 1 betta that accepts other fish. I have him in a 10g so that might be the difference, but the other betta weren't happy in anything bigger than a 6G. My betta in the 10 has oto's, emerald danios, and 2 nerite. They all school together at times and the betta is going for the betta obstacle course olympics.

Hi!! Your story is identical to mine!! So, on the Co-Op website and youtube you can do searches. On the you tube Look up nitrogen cycle. There is a fabulous video on that. Then these links are good references to keep open while you're learning... Nitrogen Cycle: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/nitrogen-cycle Plant deficiencies https://www.aquariumcoop.com/pages/plant-nutrition Water Changes: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/pages/water-changes Cycling: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/fish-tank-cycling Tetra parameters: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/apps/omega-search/?ID=699122a9-8580-4401-9163-79e3aa29d26b&index=posts&limit=16&q=tetra&view=grid Ok, for now... do a 50% water change. (if you have test strips test before, record it. test 2 hours later, record it. Test tomorrow (or next day, depending on when you see this.), record it. Based on the ammonia level... do your fish in cycling (link above) But, simply. If you have 0.5 of ammonia and you change 50% your ammonia should decrease to 0.25. Ideally, your ammonia should be 0. (But read below) Add whatever aqueon balls you have left and if the kit included any type of beneficial bacteria add that. In the beginning... your ammonia, nitr(i)te, and Nitr(a)te will be 0... you have nothing going on yet. You've had some fish there and they died (Big breath, it's going to happen. it happens to everyone). You're having some ammonia, but that's ok. It's part of the cycle. The bacteria will eat the ammonia so you may see it higher. Your job is to keep it low enough for the fish to survive. (Again, deep breath. You're learning). Simply put... if you have an Ammonia of 0.5 and you do a 50% water change your ammonia level should go to 0.25 or lower. As bacteria grows it eats the ammonia until it's gone, as ammonia is processed Nitrite (I) forms, and a new bacteria forms that eat the Nitrite (I). As the nitrite (I) is eaten it forms Nitrates (A), Nitrates (A) are good up to levels of around 50, they are plant food, and when you have live plants they will lower the Nitrate (A). So, with plants, you need to monitor your nitrate, add easy green or root tabs, or both. (What kind of plants do you have?) Bacteria can help to cycle, you can get the 'seeded' substrate media from online. I don't know anything about that store. You can call a local fish store (Not Petco or Petsmart, they don't offer it. So independent mom-and-pop stores. Google can help) they may be willing to sell you freshwater media. Or if you have a local fish swap/club... it may be easier to access. Your goal numbers are also based on your fish. pH, gH, kH. You're not going to chase any parameters unless they are harmful to your fish/plants. That's why it is good to get your fish from local fish stores because they have parameters close to you and get them (most times) from local breeders. Also, if you get a hook up with a fish club they can get you in contact with local breeders. I have found that I have a lot of fish death with the P-stores. AquaHuna is a great online store, in Washington state based. Cheap shipping. Great survival rate. Local place are also higher quality. If you are near the AQCoOp store, they also have healthy stock. I'm sure I have more info, I'm not a pro by any means, I've been in fishkeeping for 14 months and am still making mistakes and learning. SO, Feel free to ask questions.

I just realized I didn't see this final post! First off, thank you for doing all this work and documenting the journey it was very enlightening and I've learned a lot not just about modding, but what I needed to know about flow and filtration. So, before I go through with all the mods and not just adding the coarse sponge to spots... In a 40GB, what filter would you recommend? I'm getting ready to start a clean on my filter. I either want to do the full mod (the filter is 3 months old) or put a different HOB on. I'm not sure I'm skilled enough to move on to canister yet.

The 'live fish' link takes you to a page on the website that links their affiliate DansFish and it if any fish happened to show up on the sales pages it would link to the affiliate site. In can you don't know or for nw readers... You will get 5% off at that retailer (online only) by using the code aquariumcoop. It linked to Aquahuna before (they are no longer an affiliate. It was mentioned in one of the FB page posts over within the last 2 weeks and in one of the last 2 live streams!. Not for a bad reason if I remember, but can't remember the actual reason, sorry.) @Sarina But it does come up if you do a specific search. Just not in the plant section as before.

I am still pretty new to the hobby (just 13 months in) but I'm still working with feeding. I do tend to do every other day with all my tanks. I still haven't dialed in my 40GB feeding (I've had that one for 5 months and it's HARD, omg) it definitely works well with my other tanks. I think I'm actually feeding properly with all of them, but I always feel like I am feeding the big tank too little because they ALWAYS lear the food within that 3 minute time mark but they seem to be ravenous doing it. I'm working on my mindset. LOL.

@nabokovfan87 I looked through that when I first got my tidals. It's how I learned to take it apart and put the sponges in different areas. Thank you. @NOLANANO I was told the same thing. Leave it alone. But, I wanted to make sure it wasn't something else so I did do a water change and it is improving.

duplicate post

Thank you so much for your help.

@Colu Here you go. How much of a water change and how often do you suggest?

The Info: Around 1/1-1/2, my 40GB had a pH and kH crash. At the time I was doing crazy research, asking questions, and still didn't know why. (Cory just happened to answer a question on the 1/21 livestream.) About 4 days in I kind of decided it may have been that I was crushing so many bladder snails in the tank and I didn't test for a couple of weeks while I was doing that so it's possible there was an ammonia and nitrite spike I didn't see. I started recovery slowly. Crushed coral, removing the snails rather than crushing them, daily testing. I didn't use meds like pH up even though the LFS suggested it. Over a week and a half my pH and kH slowly improved and now pH is 7.2. kH/gH is where it normally is for my area's water. Ammonia/Nitrites: 0 and Nitrates vary 20-50 depending on when I dosed Easy Green. The fish/snails are looking good, active, and eating well and the plants are looking marvelous. (no filter change, just clean in tank water, I only clean the top of the substrate.) Tidal 55, hot rod with coarse sponge and filter floss sheet. Prefilter sponge with substrate cleared out from under it. Plus, 2 small Co-Op easy-flow sponge setups. The Issue: My tank is cloudy. I've done the wait-and-see thing, I've done the looking at the water in a white cup thing (not green, sometimes milky sometimes not, and I've added water polishing, purigen, charcoal (purigen and charcoal not at the same time). Daily testing and I did a water change a few days ago. I did add accuclear once and it didn't clear. I mean, I guess it could be the yo-yos stirring up the substrate. Toss me out your ideas. Maybe I missed something. (I followed the AqCoOp video that Zenzo did.)