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stephk

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Posts posted by stephk

    Quarantine tank setup

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I recently purchased a 10 gallon tank to be used as my quarantine tank.  I will soon be setting up my 20 gallon display tank.  I am a little confused as to the best way to utilize the quartentine tank.  As far as the tank goes I am planing on no substrate, I have a small HOB filter for it, heater and a few fake decorations and some PVC tubes for fish to hide in.  I suppose I would need to cycle this quarantine tank before adding in any fish to be quarantined?  If so what is the best way to cycle small quarantine tank without live plants? Do I always just have this tank up and running in case I purchase new fish and/or have to get sick fish out of display tank?  Also, I don't need to empty out and disinfect tank after quarantining new fish if they did okay?  Oh, and does everyone automatically give trio meds to all new fish once placed in quarantine tank?

    Thanks!

    Brown algae

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    16 hours ago, Brandy said:

    I know this may not be super helpful unless you happen to have other tanks, buuut...

    I had a tank like that, and I could not add a cleaner fish for similar reasons. My nerites didn't go for it because they were too heavy to reach it on my plants. I moved out the betta to a bowl for a day and added 2 female guppies from another tank. In 6 hours the tank was spotless. I put the fish back in their respective homes and the brown algae never recurred. 

    If you really don't want to or can't do that, I would say manually remove it as often as you can find the time and patience. It will  eventually subside as your tank settles. Since you have high nitrates without overfeeding, they may be coming from your tap water. A trick is to add a floating plant like water lettuce, or even a strand or two of pothos sticking out of the tank--they are heavy feeders and will help suck up the excess nutrients.

    I didn't know guppies were so good at eating brown algae!

    Brown algae

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    13 minutes ago, Will Billy said:

    In the beginning i too had an issue with diatoms a.k.a. Brown algae. I have a 55 gallon planted, nano community tank. Because my fish are so small i used 2 smaller HOB filters vs one big one to keep from knocking my tiny fish around in the strong current. Turns out increasing water flow and biological filtration reduces brown algae. Increased water flow can keep it from settling and help mechanical filters suck up more of the stuff to be disposed of during filter maintenance. And increased biological filtration creates food competition between nitrifying bacteria and the diatoms. My solution ended up being converting my airstones to sponge filters. I increased my water flow in a way that can be directed, as to not knock my fish around. And the sponges increased my biological filtration. Before performing water changes i would gently rub as much off of my plants and decorations as i could with my fingers before syphoning out the water. Over time it went away. 

    Thank you. That is what I was thinking, putting in a small sponge filter with my air stone for more filtration!

     

    Brown algae

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    I have a Fluval 9.5 gallon all in one tank that has been set up since December.  I am having a very hard time with brown algae.  I have done my research. I know it is very common in new tanks.  I feel like I have done everything I have read to do and it is not getting any better.  I do 50% water change weekly, do NOT overfeed. I only have one Betta, one Nerite and one rabbit snail.  My Betta is super aggressive so I cannot add any cleaner fish.   It is lightly planted. I have my lights on 8 hour timer.  I thought maybe phosphates were too high so I tested and seems to be in normal range (1.5) Nitrates at 40ppm. I have an air stone.  I read that it can help to increase filtration.  Perhaps the filter in the Fluval isn't good enough?  Anyway, any thoughts could help.  Has anyone else battled this problem and found a solution?  I purchased a 16 gallon Waterbox that I don't want to set up yet until I can solve this problem in my Fluval! Ha!

    Thanks!

    air stone set up

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    16 hours ago, James Black said:

    Connect the airline hosing to the airstone and put in your aquarium. As Daniel mentioned before, putting the airstone near your heater is a gret place to put it. But in the end it doens't really matter. 

    Cut a small pecie off the air line hosing, and attach the small cut hosing to the air pump. Now attatch the check valve to the air pump. You can now attatch the big air line hosing that is attatched to the airstone to the check valve.

     

    How to Use an Aquarium Air Pump (and Make Them Quieter) - Aquarium Co-Op

    Thank you so much! 

    • Like 1

    air stone set up

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hello,

    So I purchased the Ziss airstone, Nano pump, tubing and check valve for my 9.5 gallon tank.  I do not have a sponge filter so the airstone will not be placed in the filter.  I guess I am unsure of how to place the tiny airstone into my aquarium and the whole set up process. The only setups I have seen are for use with a sponge filter.   Do I push the little airstone into the substrate? If so, how deep?  

    Thanks!

    Root tabs or liquid fertilizer

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    15 hours ago, Seattle_Aquarist said:

    Hi All,

    After 10+ years of doing planted tanks I believe most plant species will absorb nutrients either through the water column, substrate, or both.....wherever the nutrients are available.  Yes, there are some species that only absorb through the water column like floating species (frogbit, water lettuce, red root floater, ceratophyllum, etc.) but most species seem to grab nutrients wherever they are found.  Some may have a preference for substrate feeding but if the water has nutrients , then the nutrients are in the substrate as well.

    That said, I have used many different fertilizing methods from Seachem, to PPS-Pro, to EI, both with and without root tabs.  My two most recent tanks I use root tabs (Osmocote Plus) for my macro-nutrients and Seachem Flourish Comprehensive for additional micro-nutrients.  I find that I have substantially less algae on the glass and on the plants dosing with root tabs.  Here are my two most recent tanks; 45 gallon high top picture and 30 gallon long bottom picture. -Roy

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    Hello,

    I love your gravel in the top photo! May I ask what it is?

    Thanks!

    accent cabinet as stand

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hello,

    I have a 16 gallon aquarium which will be placed in my living room. I am therefore looking at standard accent cabinets (Wayfair, ect) to use as a stand.  although these cabinets look nice I am wondering if they are okay to hold the weight of my tank.  Anyone use a regular cabinet for their small ish tanks?  Any problems with weight capacity?

    Thanks!

    Tank background?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    4 hours ago, RyanR said:

    I literally just added my first background to one of my tanks last night.  It made a huge difference.  Take a look at the picture.  I bought blackout window film and it is very high quality.  I plan on putting this on all of my aquariums.  Here's what I ordered.

    20210105_200127-COLLAGE.jpg

    Thanks, that really does look great! Also, I love your AT-AT!

    • Like 1

    Tank background?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hello,

    I recently purchased a 16 gallon rimless tank.  I was wondering if I should just leave it alone or place some kind of (black) background.  I've heard of vinyl sheet, ect.  I intend to place lots of live plants in the tank.  What are your thoughts?  I know one advantage is the black background can hide equipment.  I am leaning toward just leaving it alone but not sure.

    Thanks!

    Plants outside your aquarium?

    in Off Topic General

    Posted

    On 12/1/2020 at 6:19 PM, Robynski said:

    Here are some pictures of my houseplant/nano tank rack. My working-from home desk is next to this shelf, so I can look over at my neocaradina shrimp bowl and endler tank whenever I'm feeling stressed. 🙂

     

    PXL_20201201_225323335.jpg

    PXL_20201201_225306715.jpg

    I love the shelving for your plants and tank! Where is it from and/or how did you put it together?

    What do you like to do other than fish

    in Off Topic General

    Posted

    On 12/12/2020 at 12:44 PM, Tiffany said:

    I ride horses..that is mostly what I do. My husband rodeos and I have dabbled in it but I don’t have a horse to truly compete in any event. I broke and am training a 2 coming 3 year old. I love to rescue and rehabilitate any animal (insects and inverts included, except spiders, I’m phobic!) I enjoy gardening, fish, and everything else. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD so it explains my sudden urge to dive head first into something I’m interested in and after a while move to the next thing, keeping everything I’ve accrued from my previous adventure..😆🤷🏽‍♀️

    Tiffany, I ride horses too! I have owned a few in the past but now I am just leasing.  That is awesome that you are training!

    Agressive Betta

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hi All,

    Newbie here.... I set up a new 9 gallon tank and put my male Betta in, next day I got six ember tetras.  Well Betta is attacking and killing tetras one by one : ( I thought they were good and/or acceptable tank mate for him.  Anyone else have this problem? The Embers were juveniles and quite small, not sure if that had anything to do with it.  Maybe rasboras will do better or maybe he is just a very aggressive Betta and I should just let him have the tank to himself?  

    Thanks!

    • Like 1
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