WeehawkenFish

I just came to this forum to post about the same issue, I'm really curious which of your remedies helped. I've been battling what looks like the same thing and it's very frustrating. I lowered the light significantly, but I'm wondering if lowering the intensity doesn't really help, but lowering the actual photo period is a better route to take?

Thanks @Fish Folk. That diagram is helpful, but don't you think since the same stuff is on the substrate, it would suggest that it is algae?

Hey all. Several months ago this forum helped me with my algae troubles. After lowering my light (fluval screenshot attached) my algae was much more under control. But now a few months later it appears I'm dealing with a different looking algae. It's black, and you can see it on the surfaces of the plants as well as the substrate. It's really covered the anubias and water sprite. Any suggestions? Could there still be too much light? It doesn't look appealing and I feel like it's hindering the plant growth. Bonus question: One of the images is of my crypt. It has grown great (tall) in the 5-ish months I've had it, but I've noticed it has thinned out and is not as bushy. Any idea why? More root tabs?

This marking hasn't gotten worse, but unfortunately it hasn't gone away either by any means. Can somebody give me some pointers if they have experience doing a salt dip? I've seen various different ratios given online.

@Corywould you mind chiming in on the type of substrate you used here?

Thanks @James Black. I have algae growing a bit on the substrate as you can see, but I have it in check everywhere else in the tank, as well as lots of snails. I'm more concerned with how much food ends up uneaten in the substrate. Can't that lead to ammonia? I tried ottos once, they wouldn't eat anything and all died within a month.

Hey guys, I have 10 cardinals and 1 apisto in my 29-gallon. I notice that a good 75% of the food I feed (when feeding nano pellets and bug bites) just ends up going straight into the substrate. I was thinking of adding some corydoras to the tank, do you think Flourite substrate is too sharp for them? Also, are corys the right choice here? Not sure I can get shrimp with an apisto. Thanks.

It's in the kribensis tank in the video that Cory posted today (below). I wanna call it coarse sand, but it looks more like a fine gravel? https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ47inTgkHQ/

@StreetwiseI tried that and it didn't work. Sure enough, the classic "unplug and plug it back in" worked, and I can now connect again. Hopefully that is all it takes in the future.

I was skeptical from the beginning about getting something bluetooth controlled, and this is exactly why. I've owned the light for 3 months or so, and now all of a sudden it just never connects. It just reads "logging information" and then disconnects immediately. Anybody have any troubleshooting recommendations?

@Coluthanks. I know people rave about having snails in the tank but this is my main issue with them. I can't dose my tank with salt, which Cory says can cure so mainy ailments.

Hey guys, my apisto has this weird white mark near it's back fins. It's the only spot it has and doesn't look like ick to me. Do you think it might just be a wound? Really hoping he's not sick....

Fortunately I woke up today and all appears to be normal.

Althought, before I mention such cruel intentions, I have to ask. If it is a swim bladder issue, is it contagious?

@lefty o @The nano tank manthanks, unfortunately it is a heavily planted tank, with snails, so I'm not sure I want to add a bunch of salt to the tank. Maybe I'll let it go the night, then if it persists in the morning.............. do a bad thing.

Here's a video, the behavior is a little more obvious in the second half....

Hey guys, I've had these cardinals for 4-5 months now and never had any problems. All of a sudden this one has started looking towards the floor and appears to be dry heaving? No idea how else to explain it. If I lose one cardinal, so be it, but I really hope it's not something that can spread, especially to my apisto. Crossing my fingers that somebody is gonna say "oh she's just looking for a place to scatter her eggs." My video is currently processing on youtube, I will post it when as soon as it's ready.

That 2nd pic looks like pennywort. I don't even plant mine I just float it on the top and it grows like crazy. Totally normal for it to want to feed from the water column.

@tolstoy21thanks again for the responses. I just have one more question (I swear haha). When I move my sponge filter to the new tank, do you recommend I keep all the crud that it has collected from the current tank? And perhaps eve wring it out in the new tank water?

@tolstoy21I hear what you're saying. I have a 6-week seeded sponge filter to add to the new tank as soon as I get a few fish, so I'm hoping the new tank will be ready right away. But the established 29 gallon is right next to my desk and featured more prominently in the room, so I think that's where I'd prefer the apistos to be. Do you think I should grow out the females fore a couple weeks before introducing them to the male? Or since there's two of them maybe that won't be necessary? I suppose that will all depend on their size coming from the store.

@Fish Folkwow, I love how yellow she is. I will try to bury the coconut shells a little more into the gravel in order to close off the opening, and maybe put a big rock next to it like you have done. @tolstoy21thanks. I think I'm gonna remove my cardinals from the 29 gallon and attempt the spawn in there. I'm worried the newer tank will be prone to too many parameter shifts.

Thanks @Fish Folk, I have considered many of the items you mentioned. I just got my male in September, so he is definitely young and ready to breed. I bought him as a pair. and for the first month they were very frisky and looking very much like a pair. Shortly thereafter the female ended up with popeye, to which I treated with maracyn, then paraguard, and neither were a success, and she ultimately died. I have to guess that he was responsible, even though I didn't witness any violent behavior whatsoever. He has definitely grown at least a half inch since I got him, so my plan regardless is to put the two females in the new tank (which I just filled, see below) to fatten them up a bit before I introduce them. I was also planning on pencil fish as dither fish. I currently have cardinals in the planted tank, so when the time comes I'll just do my best to catch them (ugh) and move them to the 20 gallon, then add pencil fish to the 29 gallon. I'll also follow your advice about the catappa leaf. That's to soften water, yes? Would almond leaves serve the same purpose?

Hey guys, I've got a very well established 29 gallon with a male cacatuoides and I'm planning on adding two females. You'll see in the picture it's very well planted. I've also got a 20 gallon that I'm about to fill with water. I wanted to have a second tank so that, in the event that I'm successful, I'll be able to remove the male after spawning in case he becomes aggressive. Originally I thought I'd add the apistos to the 20-gallon and have less plants so I can keep a better eye on what's going on/catch fish easier. But now I'm thinking maybe it's better to try to breed in the already established tank because the fry might have a lot more food access like algae/etc? Or do you think it would be much harder to deal with a spawn in a more heavily planted tank?Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. My goal is to just have the mother raise the fry. I don't think I'm an experienced enough fish keeper to remove the eggs and raise them myself. I know I may not end up being successful anyways, but if they do breed I want to be in the best position to succeed. Would the more well established tank be a more fail/safe environment for fry? I'll be adding a seeded sponge filter to the new tank so it should cycle quickly, but considering it will be a new tank, wouldn't it be more prone to swings in water parameters?

I've had this sponge filter running in my established 29 gallon for about 6 weeks now. I'm just about ready to move it into a brand new 20 gallon. When I move it over, should I wring it out first? Or will the new tank benefit also from all the poop/etc that has built up inside the sponge? For what it's worth, I could also move my established heater to the new tank if you guys think the sponge filter is not enough.

@Streetwise wow, don't know why the hell I didn't think of that. I guess that's what makes you street wise. thanks.