Cincala

Be careful with the test strips! I would use API test for Nitrate. I’m not using the test strips anymore, not worth it! API gives me an accurate test. Be sure your test strips are not bad, even if the date is current! Going back to Excel, etc. I am still having a bad problem with bba and this black gunky, sticky stuff on the top of my plants and especially on the substrate ( it does not vacuum off). Can’t seem to get rid of it! It gets worse when using Easy Green and Easy Carbon doesn’t seem to work at all! I have tried H2O2 treatments in and out of the aquarium, plant hair turns red for a day or two, and then back to the way it was. I have had great advice from people on this site but, I guess nobody has what I have! I have tried everything and nothing seems to be working! There is an imbalance of something in this tank, and I am going crazy trying to find it! I never had problems like this, I have had 7+ years Salt water tanks and 13+ years Freshwater tanks. This is beyond my expertise!

Thanks for all your help and advice! I appreciate it!!

The h2o2 treatment cleared some of the algae. Aquarium looks better, but I will have to do another treatment. I tested the parameters today, and got a big surprise! Aquarium co op test strips were not wrong. There is no Nitrate in the tank! The API test kit shows the same results. API Test Kit - PH - 7.6, PH-H - 7.3, Ammonia - 0, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 5-10, GH - 17, KH - 4, Phosphorus - 0-0.15, TDS - 580 ( meter won’t calibrate right), I have a new one coming in. Aquarium Co Op Test - Nitrate - 0, Nitrite - 0, GH - 300, KH - 40, PH - 68. Couldn’t do a water change today, so I did a full dose of Easy Green ( because it brings nitrates up ) and put a bag of Peat in the filter. Since I will be doing the h2o2 treatment again, I might as well put in my new plants first. My fish have no hiding places anymore. Tomorrow I will be doing a 50% water change, deep gravel vacuum, and adding the new plants. Should I do another full dose of Easy Green tomorrow, and when should I do the h2o2 treatment again? Here are pics of the tank now, you can still see some algae!

I couldn’t use the sprayer method, as my sprayer decided not to work! I used the info from a video I was sent. Mark’s shrimp tanks method, using some aquarium water mixed with the peroxide. You leave it 1 hour and then turn the filter back on and the light. I did take all the sponges out. I’m going to wait until tomorrow (if that’s not too long) and do a 50% water change for clean up! I can check for tough spots tomorrow, put my new plants in, and my mopani wood back! Thanks! I’ll wait and see what the tank looks like tomorrow! My timer just went off, so I will turn everything back on!

Ok! I should wait until tomorrow and then do a 50% water change to clean the debris? I did follow the video and mixed with aquarium water ( my sprayer doesn’t want to work ). My timer is set for 1 hour. There is no mention of a water change in the video.

Should I do a water change right after the treatment, like an hour after?

Ok! I’ll use the spray bottle under water. I have used Alum for years on all my new plants, and never had a problem! It’s the only thing I use. Getting started with the peroxide treatment right now!

Ok! I have a few of those. I have one that size, I use it to water mist my succulents. Too late for the plants, I trashed them. The rest of new ones arrived this morning, and my shrimp tank is over grown with plants I can transfer over. The new plants will go in an Alum soak for now. 3 1/2 tbsp. of peroxide is not a lot, should I mix it with a little tank water in order to spray it? Will this get rid of BBA as well?

Thanks! I will do that. I have the wood in a bucket of water right now. I was going to trash it! I have new sponges. That’s a beautiful tank!

This is very informative! Thanks for the videos! I didn’t know fish would eat from a glass dish. I only use it for feeding my shrimp. I also didn’t know Mopani wood rotted. I pulled all the pieces from the aquarium, because they kept getting covered in slimy black gunk. I actually thought the wood was the problem! I stopped using Pristine, it might have helped clean it, but it made everything look worse! I will be doing the peroxide treatment today. Yesterday, I gutted the aquarium, deep vacuumed, removed more gravel, and trashed plants.

Didn’t do the peroxide treatment yesterday! I deep vacuumed/removed gravel, and cut down/removed plants. There’s not much left of the plants. I’m still doing the peroxide treatment today, I really hope it works fast! I will be using a syringe, I don’t know what a trigger sprayer is! My new Red Tiger Lotus bulbs arrived today, I ordered 2 and received 4. The rest of the new plants will arrive this week. I have to get the lotus bulbs in the tank, can’t quarantine them. I’m ordering some SAEs, they will ship overnight. I’ll hold off on ordering them, until after treatment. Here’s are some pics of the aquarium now! Some of my fish are hiding.

Very informative and interesting info! Going to try the hydrogen peroxide tomorrow. Dosing the whole tank. A 36 gallon aquarium should take about 3 1/2 tablespoons. Should I hold off on tank maintenance/ water changes until after treatment? I want to do the Reverse Respiration on the plants instead of spraying the peroxide on them. I’ll leave them in the tank for now. I will spray peroxide on the Mopani wood, it’s out of the tank. I heard of Reverse Respiration about a year ago, on this site! Now, I get to try it! I’m going back to water changes twice a week when I deep vacuum, and dimming my lights. I hope the peroxide treatment clears the black gunk off the gravel!

That’s a finnex stingray, not fluval! I’m losing it!

Thank you! Glad to hear the gravel is not a problem, and I knew I didn’t see cyanobacteria! What I called black mud, I thought it might be mulm or some kind of algae. It seemed to build up more using Pristine. My nitrates are 0-10 using aquarium co op test strips, API test kit always has the nitrates at 20 or over. I only use aquarium co op strips, when in a hurry. I plan on getting one or two SAEs and a Bristlenose pleco, but I want to wait until I get a handle on things. The Anubia is new and so is the Red Flame Sword ( the one behind the anubia). The sword has red, green, and brown leaves. The red leaves faded to brown. I removed the damaged leaves and now it’s in its planter. It is really a beautiful plant, when all the colors are there. I have been deep cleaning the gravel and changing the water, every other day. I have changed the lighting a few times. Right now I am using a Nicrew 24/7. I have Hygger 24/7, 2 Beamsworks, and a Fluval Stingray. Can’t find the best one. How do you use Hydrogen Peroxide? Do you dip the plants in it, or pour it in the aquarium? This is a 36 gallon bow front. I read somewhere online, that blackouts don’t work on staghorn algae.

Here are before and after pics of my aquarium! Top is before! Bottom is after ( the same area) the red tiger lotus next to the coconut shell is destroyed!