Tony s

I was just searching for aquarium manager apps on apple apps (iphone and ipad). not going to break rules as apple doesn't compete with coop. But I'm not sure which one to pick myself. Hoping for something with simple inputs on a database. I'll have to keep looking and see if anything jumps out at me

would make for a relatively interesting saltwater tank. something that had high flow to keep it cleaner and a ton of colorful saltwater fish schools And.... no. I will absolutely not be swimming in a tank raised that high off the ground. especially with a see through bottom. 🤣

yes, yes it does 😁

Yeah, that was my first thought. then i thought about a way of keeping track of the boring details of a tank. and since @Beach Cruiser asked about this, does anybody have any experience with a database program. could see it becoming very useful to track things like maintenance, tanks changes, med start and stop dates as well as doses. Personally, I really like this idea I like your log, but could you see how much easier it could be done digitally? @Beach Cruiser there are several apps available. I haven't tried them yet, but I may start

@Beach Cruiser actually a really great question. would really be interested in the answer. I could see tons of uses for it. I never have paper and pencil around. but almost always phone or tablet. youtube and podcasts are great to listen to doing maintenance. 🤣

actually a pretty decent question. something new to learn about a new animal. At least you noticed, not sure everyone would have😀

yes, they are. I hatched 1 clutch and ended with about 140 snails 😁. so, could it be mystery. yes. Is it? probably not. simplest explanation is bladder snails

They may have a point. In which I'd be cautious with them. If welding shops won't touch them, I might be careful with them. just because it's nice and shiny doesn't always mean it functions well. And Amazon is getting bad about selling pure junk, unfortunately

limestone based rocks will raise your hardness over time. dragon stone, texas holey rocks will raise your gh. the easy way to tell is to drip some vinegar on it. if it fizzes at all, it's limestone based and will raise gh. slate based. granite based, metamorphic rock (basalts) will not raise you gh. sandstone can, depending on what it's been formed from

gotto learn somehow, right!

yep. that's the spot you're kh is exhausted. the gh is still a constant though

Depending on plant species. that's usually not going to be the case. Most plants will do just fine in harder. mineral rich water. Gh or calcium hardness will not soften over time. the calcium/magnesium doesnt evaporate, so it can actually increase. your kh can actually become exhausted.

I’d run out its course now. Then if they haven’t improved by then. Hopefully they do. You can run a course of maracyn2. General cure is more for parasitic infections. Maracyn2 is for bacterial infections I’d still add that air stone though and maybe a couple of catapa leaves. They also provide some protection from fungus and bacteria

Your water looks good so no worries there. How old are they. I have an all platy tank ( well with 1 bristlenose) and sometimes when they get old, that’s how they pass. They start resting and then they go. Unfortunately. Not something anyone likes. But does happen. If you want you could treat the tank with a maracyn2 to make sure it’s not bacteria. I’d add an air stone just to supplement the oxygen level. But other than that not sure you can do anything else.

Should work very well. What you’ve done is create a kind of reverse box filter. Where the sponge and bio media go inside a plastic box underneath the uplift tube of a sponge. I liked Bentley’s take on the good and bad of boxes. But if you didn’t know about these before, very cleverly crafted!

@bryanisag thanks for that. Was going to suggest bladder snails as well. I have those. But honestly had no idea of the difference until now. Size being similar? The chirality of the shell. Wouldn’t have thought to look there. So @xanify bladder snails it is. Expect more. Don’t worry, they never get big, they’re mostly a nuisance. They never impact my water quality, as far as I know. Could be a good excuse to get a dwarf chain loach or a couple of assassin snails another thing you could do is remove it now and cross your fingers. Or possibly do a reverse respiration treatment on the plants, if it’s not too late

Your environment could and probably should be changing. You’re going to go from a cycled tank to a seasoned tank. That’s normal. But do you have any parameter numbers so we can help you figure it out?

Could be mystery. Could also be a small pest snail like a pond snail. Would be best if a mystery snail. If it’s a pond, you could easily see many more

Nothing wrong with cow manure. Just a different source of nitrogen. Agree with all the above. I do tend to trust fritzyme7 more than most. Now, what you’re hearing about instantly cycling a tank mostly works. If you know someone with an aquarium you can install a sponge filter if they let you. In 3-4 weeks it will be full of bacteria. You can then transfer that sponge to your tank and also transfer the cycle. I’ve done that twice in the last month with no issues at all. It does take a bit of forethought. And I usually have a couple of spare sponges running in other tanks at all times. Works great for quarantine tanks also

It is phosphate

Yeah. That’s what you’re working towards 0 ammonia. 0 nitrites. And some nitrates

I understand them completely. I agree with that. I think I spend too much also. This hobby is not cheap

I like to see some level of nitrate before I’d call it cycled. That’s the end product of the cycle. If you don’t see any, it’s quite possibly not cycled

Yeah. Now you know. That’s one of the worst smells ever.

Probably not the reason you lost shrimp. Nothing harmful about green spot. Actually has some benefits. Most algae’s do. Just unsightly for us. I’d keep an eye on your nitrate levels. Around 10 should reduce some of it. Nitrates act as fertilizer for green plants. Including algae