[Nervous About Plants]

I have a 65 gallon low tech (no CO2 or fancy expensive lights) tank, so it's approximately the same height as your tank.

• Anubias and vals, as mentioned above, do well in it.
• Mexican oak leaf also does well and gets tall.
• Same for water wisteria.
• I struggled with bacopa.  The bottom leaves always die and fall off, probably due to light intensity.  I've removed it all and moved it to shallower tank.
• There are many varieties of crypt out there.  While I haven't tried all of them, the ones I have tried have done well in the 65.  Most of them don't get very tall (with crypt spiralis being a notable exception), so you'd want to plant them more toward the front.
• Water sprite did well floating, as did pearl weed and hornwort.  Those are the only floaters I've tried in it, but I feel confident guppy grass and other common floaters would do well also.

[Livestock and plant prices]

On 1/22/2023 at 12:59 PM, Lennie said:

I love their look. But I've seen some confusing comments about them before. Some people claim that they are nippy. Do you have any experience of keeping them with long fin fish/ angels, etc? 🙂 would love to know!

While following this and other forums I believe I've seen reports like that about every commonly kept aquarium fish except otos, and maybe corys.

[Hair algae??]

On 1/23/2023 at 11:15 AM, Lennie said:

Doesn't excel kill Jungle val? @JettsPapa I remember reading lots of stuff that excel melting Jungle Val.

It may set it back a little, but it doesn't kill mine.

[Hair algae??]

On 1/23/2023 at 10:43 AM, J. Holmes said:

Did you just put it in the tank, remove the plant completely or just spot treat? It’s kinda in patches in mine and then has completely engulfed one plant. Buts it got very shallow roots and I’m not sure it could handle being pulled out and replanted. 

I treat the whole tank.  The only time I've removed a plant and treated it separately was when I was trying to kill hair algae in a clump of java moss (it didn't work).

[Lowering PH]

Snails, shrimp, and a wide variety of fish and plants are doing just fine in my 8.2 pH hard water.  Unless you're targeting something that absolutely won't tolerate the high pH, like caridina shrimp, I wouldn't mess with it.

If that is the case, I'd start with RO water and re-mineralize to the parameters that species needs instead of trying to alter your faucet water.

[Hair algae??]

On 1/23/2023 at 8:52 AM, Lennie said:

If you ask me, I would personally not use it, especially considering I am keeping shrimp and snails. It may work, but I don't wanna such stuff to my tank still. I think it is a better idea to dip stuff into it in a seperate container. I will share a video below 🙂 

I've used Excel a number of times and haven't noticed it harming my shrimp or snails.

I've found it to be fairly effective on black bearded algae and staghorn algae, and completely useless against hair algae.  Persistent removal by hand combined with regular water changes seems to be most effective against it (at least for me).

[Vallisneria Propagation]

As mentioned above, it will send out runners, with a new plant at the end.  Then that plant will send out another, etc.  As far as I know there isn't any other way to propagate a single plant.

[What was the best advice you were given as a beginner? If you could give one piece of advice what would it be?]

• As mentioned above, go slow.
• You will almost certainly make mistakes and fish will die.  Accept that, don't beat yourself up over it, and learn from it.
• Other than adding de-chlorinator, don't throw a bunch of chemicals in your tank.

[Background plant for 20 gallon]

On 1/20/2023 at 12:05 PM, Barb Bell said:

Good to know, thanks.

What do folks think about these as possible lower-maintenance replacements for a background plant in my tank:

Bacopa caroliniana

Bacopa monnieri

water sprite

pearl weed

IF I recall correctly, none of them send out runners and you can just chop their tops off when they get too tall. Please do correct me if I’m wrong on that.

I’m still in the “data collecting” stage of picking a replacement background plant. I’m not ignoring the suggestions made so far, I’m just continuing to gather more info until I feel I have enough to make an informed choice. 🙂 

Those should all be fine.  Water sprite does better floating for me instead of planted in the substrate, but I know it does fine in substrate for some people.

Water wisteria is another one you might want to take a look at.

On 1/20/2023 at 12:11 PM, Barb Bell said:

Okay, I feel silly having to ask this, but is there a way to respond to someone’s individual reply so it’s nested under their reply rather than the general replies I seem to be posting? I don’t do online forums much. 

As far as I know replies are always listed in the order they're posted.  I've been on some forums where you had an option to have posts arranged with all replies to a post directly under it, but I don't think this one does.

When replying to someone I always try to hit the "Quote" link at the bottom left corner of their post so it's obvious what I'm replying to.  Not everyone does that, so it can get confusing.

[Old Timers are AWESOME]

On 1/20/2023 at 9:53 AM, Guppysnail said:

I’m right up there with you but there are still folks around I consider old timers 😉The 70s were a blast. 

Yes they were.  By the way, it feels weird being the same age as old people.

[Shrimp plants]

Crypts are good.  Shrimp also like places to hide when molting or releasing babies.  Pearl weed, susswassertang, hornwort, and Java moss (or other varieties) are good options.

[Background plant for 20 gallon]

On 1/20/2023 at 6:47 AM, Barb Bell said:

I read that Crypt spiralis leaves can get up to 24 inches long, and I’ve only got 12 inches of water column. Have you had a different experience?

You didn't ask me, but that's probably about right.  I have one in a 10 gallon tank.  The leaves reached the top and then across the width of the tank.

Crypt usteriana might be another option to look into.  It's a very attractive plant.  The leaves are green on top and bronze on bottom, with ruffled edges.  It will send out runners to make new plants (which the Crypt spiralis doesn't do, at least not for me).

[how to fix consistent low ammonia levels?]

It's my understanding that 0.25 ppm is within the margin of error on the test.  As far as the 0.50 in your tap water, unless you're doing massive water changes (50%+) it's diluted by the existing tank water, so I wouldn't worry about it.  I don't believe adding any bottled products is necessary (other than something to neutralize chlorine, assuming you're on a municipal or other water system).

[What music are you listening to these days?]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:10 PM, lefty o said:

 

Allison Krauss is on my Top Five Female Vocalists list.

[What music are you listening to these days?]

On 1/19/2023 at 12:09 PM, lefty o said:

yup, cody jinks, and jamey johnson are about it for old style country being done now.

I like Brian Burns, Charlie Robison, and Wayne Hancock also (though Wayne Hancock may be too much old-school for some people).

And then there's Ray Wylie Hubbard, who's still going strong.

Edit:  Chris Knight is another good one.

 

[Aquarium Backgrounds]

Most of mine have black poster board.  When I first started keeping fish I used plain brown craft paper.  It looks better than you'd think, but of course if it gets wet it needs replacing pretty soon.  I still have it on a couple of the older tanks.

[What music are you listening to these days?]

On 1/19/2023 at 9:56 AM, Tanked said:

I'm sure there is, but my appreciation is very limited, usually to some of the old masters.  When traveling with certain friends, and visiting certain relatives, my options are also very limited.🙉

If by old masters, you mean country music from 50 or 60 years ago, I agree, but there are some contemporary artists putting out some good music.  Cody Jinks is one that comes to mind.  His song "David" is one I particularly like (see below).

On 1/19/2023 at 9:56 AM, Tanked said:

Just for laughs I just checked the Country, Rock and Alternative Top 40 charts. On Country I recognize 0 artists/songs, Alternative is a little better at 15/1, and rock came in at 20/17.

I doubt if I'd recognize any of them either.

 

[Tale of a Sprig Unknown: Mystery Plant Saga]

Is it anacharis?

[Cherry Shrimp newbie]

On 1/18/2023 at 2:29 PM, Brainsponge said:

Quoting so I can be sure to find this later. I'm thinking about doing a shrimp tank and this is just a goldmine of info. Thanks for the write up. Excellent info

I'm glad you're planning to get a shrimp tank, and happy you found the information useful.  I really enjoy keeping shrimp.  If I had to choose between shrimp and fish it would probably be shrimp.

[What music are you listening to these days?]

On 1/18/2023 at 12:39 PM, lefty o said:

you can say that again!! this modern stuff, aka bro country is just pop music in cowboy hats.

. . . and don't get me started on "hick hop."

[What music are you listening to these days?]

On 1/18/2023 at 10:27 AM, Tanked said:

I'm prone to earworms also, so I can relate. The last one to get in was actually Jethro Tull.  I have found it cathartic especially after having to listen to 9 straight hours of country moosic!

There's a lot of good country music out there, but you won't find it listening to country top 40.

[Angelfish v shrimp: the sad and entirely predictable results]

You said you're going to add more hiding places.  You probably already know this, but adding dry fallen leaves from hardwood trees like oak is one of the best things for shrimp.  They do double duty by providing hiding places and food for the shrimp.

[Substrate???]

On 1/17/2023 at 5:26 PM, Ohad said:

Cow manure will be super hard for me to find as I live in Brooklyn haha. Rat manure is no problem 

You can often find it (at least here) in the garden department at big box home improvement stores.  It's with the potting soil.

I have cows, so I haven't had to buy it, but I've seen it at those stores.

The reply from @Rube_Goldfish popped up while I was typing the above.  Yes, that's the stuff I meant might be available in or near Brooklyn.

[Substrate???]

On 1/15/2023 at 4:27 PM, Ohad said:

. . . What substrate should I choose? 

MD fish tanks is my inspiration ( like many I am sure) 

He is now doing the "topsoil" plus root tabs caped with sand and gravel. It looks super pretty, but I am guessing not easy. 

 

Any recommendations will help. I want a natural riverbed look; I don't mind using root tabs. 

I am not crazy about the black Fluval look, but I will consider it as well 

In my mind the tank will have rocks, driftwood, Anubis petit, mix of stem plants, and some foreground carpeting

Thank you!! 

I don't believe I've seen any information from MD fish tanks, but I've watched quite a few Father Fish videos, and he makes a lot of sense.  The last few tanks I've set up have had a layer of old cow manure at the bottom capped with 2" of either pool filter sand or Black Diamond sandblasting sand.  Plants are doing very well in them.

[can high alkaline water cause fish not to breed?]

On 1/16/2023 at 5:37 PM, fishfishiam said:

Black mollys, White cloud minnows, and guppys

I can't speak to the others, but guppies breed well in my 8.2 pH hard water.