[MTS symptoms are showing]

@Alec2cool, The fish room is looking really nice.  Some folks purposely run heavy gravel or sand for many reasons, actually.  I.E. aqua-scaping, developing anaerobic bacteria, etc.  I have Red Wag Platys in my 55 and they can be 'nippy' fish, but are interesting.  

I agree with you on the black sand.  Also, it takes a bit of time to find out what ultimately works with an aquarium, both fish & plants alike.  Looks like you are well on your way.  Great job.  😊 

Will stay tuned for future updates.  🐟

[Best Nicrew light]

@Karen B. One of my aquariums has a set of Nicrew water submersible rated lighting fixtures.  They grow low to medium light plants well for me.  I personally like them.  The price point is reasonable & the suction cups never came off the glass, which is amazing in itself.   

 

[API test kits]

@TWBRIN, This is what I did.  Helps me to see the colors more accurately.  

 

 

[Perfect backup battery for the USB Nano Pump!]

4 hours ago, ShellFire said:

@DaveSamsell  This is perfect! Thank you so much!~ 

I love learning new things. 

You are very welcome.  😊

[MTS symptoms are showing]

@Alec2cool, Best of luck with the new purchase.  55 gallon tanks are a lot of fun.  👍

[Aquarium Memes]

[Internal Power Filters]

1 hour ago, Streetwise said:

I just tested my filter project. It is quiet and has just the right amount of flow. The air stone was turned off for this photo.

Looks good Jason.   BTW,  I think a utility bucket is an Aquarists best friend, next to the cat, of course, lol.  

[Perfect backup battery for the USB Nano Pump!]

5 hours ago, ShellFire said:

 

I love this SO VERY MUCH! Wish you had a tutorial on how I can make one. 

 

 

Well, actually it wouldn't be too much of a tutorial anyway, lol.  I just had some extra parts laying around like the female USB 2.0 connector and 4 AA battery holder.  I researched the female pin-out USB 2.0 connector and just properly soldered it up for use.  

(Positive+) USB pin to (positive+) battery holder wire/terminal.  (Negative -) USB pin to (negative -) battery holder wire/terminal.

 

 

Proper direct current (dc) voltage polarity must be observed.  There are 2 data lines (which are in the middle and will not be used) & 2 power lines which were obviously used.  A voltage power line is on each side of the connector.

Am not sure if you have extra parts or have electronic & soldering skills, since the pins are very delicate, etc.  Anyway, similar units already come preassembled for just few dollars and are easily available online, etc.  

The picture above is for reference only & the actual soldering is done, of course, on the back side of the connector.  One would have to follow the pin to the back for soldering, etc.  

There are available rechargeable battery banks with USB ports as well.  

What I  most like about my design though is that you can swap out the rechargeable batteries, when they fail.  Unlike a factory made battery bank, once their installed battery fails, it is a throw away item, in most cases.  

[Don't you just love this forum and communtiy?]

57 minutes ago, James Black said:

Ever since I joined this hobby (little over a year ago) I have been looking for a forum to post pictures, questions and answers. 

And then cory mentioned this forum in a live stream and all my probelms were solved.

It used to be that I would ask a question to a random forum and I would be lucky if I even got one answer to the question. Now I get multiple answers from multiple nerms. 

I love going to the forum when I'm bored and just being a total nerm. Like when my science teacher is tryna make jokes about the periodic table, instead of pretending to laugh I go to the forum and answer questions.

I love this FishTube community. In this community you could put a goldfish in a bowl (not saying you should), and then relize you did wrong and ask for help. And instead of being absoloutley bullied you get helped out. This is a place where you can admit your mistakes, and not have to fear judgement.

I love being able to help people out who are new to this hobby.  

 

I've only been in the hobby for about 14 months now & can relate to what you are saying.  There are many sources to review on aquarium knowledge, but this Forum has a great number of folks, many of which whom have decades of experience, that eagerly share their knowledge, for hours each and every day.  That is very commendable in my book.  

Before I ventured into this hobby, I read/watched everything that I could get my hands on and still probably only know a small fraction of what is really "to know".  

What I do know is that we all can contribute, in some fashion, & regardless of our experience level.  Starting with the basics and slowly progressing in experience, while remembering to have fun in the process; since this is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby.  

Personally, am very grateful for the vast knowledge here and it's a comfort knowing that a question can be asked & answered very quickly.  

I also feel that Cory hit a home run with this endeavor and am happy to help do my small part as an individual member of the NERM team.  

Welcome to the hobby & the Forum......Keep up the enthusiasm, BTW.  

 

 

[What time you change your water?]

Typically, I would change water very early in the morning.  Seems like the fish are still half asleep and they don't seem to mind that much.

Am trying to limit my water changes, in general, by testing, adding plants and re-mineralizing accordingly.  So far it's working very well.  

[Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus Potassium Deficiency?]

On 11/17/2020 at 10:44 PM, David W said:

Thank you in advance for any advice. 

This is a 10 gallon tank, with a betta and nine neon tetras. There are a number of small ramshorn snails. The substrate is Seachem flourite. It has been set up for 4 months, so more time needed for a good balance. 

30% water change weekly. 2 pumps of easy green after the water change. Lights are on 8.5 hours. Currently no signs of algae. 

Current water parameters

• Ammonia - 0 ppm (API Liquid Test)
• Nitrite - 0 ppm  (API Liquid Test)
• Nitrate - 30 ppm  (API Liquid Test)
• PH  - 7.8 (API Liquid Test)
• KH - 60 ppm ( API test strip) 
• GH - 80-100 ppm (API Test Strip) 

I have a liquid kh/gh test kit on the way. I'm not feeling the test strips.

I have three weeks ago added Pothos and let some stow away duckweed do it's thing. I had some staghorn algae which went away about a week later. 

Recently the  Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus started developing pin holes in some of the leaves. 

From the deficiency charts I'm inclined to think it is a Potassium deficiency. Does that seem correct? I surmise that the pothos and duckweed are sucking up too many nutrients. 

Right now I am trying to up the easy green to three pumps a week. I started on Saturday, and will keep an eye on over the next few weeks before making another change. 

Any thoughts on this diagnosis and approach? Would root tabs be more appropriate?

 

I have a huge amount of this plant in multiple aquariums.  It seems like the tanks that have harder water (higher GH/KH), the plant appears to grow better for me.  It is a stem plant and good fertilizer such as Easy Green, should be fine.  That fertilizer has a good amount of potassium in it, to begin with.  Now, with the inclusion of the other plants you mentioned, the Pogo's may indeed be getting outcompeted for those nutrients.  

I have other potassium craving plants and do dose potassium separately, and never noticed any pinholes in my Pogo's, maybe that is why.  

BTW, this plant is primarily a water column feeder and doubt root tabs would provide a noticeable difference.  

 

[Wood Floor Protection?]

54 minutes ago, Tetra Guy said:

So I'm thinking of putting a 55 gallon aquarium in the sunroom of my house.  I'm wary of water stains on the old varnished floor.  I can pipe water in and out but as hard as I try, I always seem to splash water around my aquariums during weekly maintenance.    Can anyone recommend a solution to protect the floors?  Something like a drip pan with a raised lip.   (A plain plastic office floor protector gets water underneath.  Tried that! )   Thanks!!!! 

 

  

I can appreciate your concern.  I remember polishing/waxing old hardwood floors and water stains are indeed a pain.  We had multiple rooms with those floors.  Actually one of my 55 gallon aquariums is in an area with a sensitive floor.  Am ultra careful not to drip or splash, but that's easier said than done.  

Thinking back I remember seeing large lipped restaurant plastic serving trays.  Maybe you could get a couple and DIY something.  

Personally, I use throw carpets, when doing maintenance, but everyone has their own ideas.  

[Aquarium Memes]

47 minutes ago, Aubrey said:

 

💡  Maybe a new, fish shaped,  product could be made and call it "Swedish Puffer" treats.  Also, embedded clam shell bits in the mix would be good for Murphy's teeth, as well, lol.   🐡   Or, perhaps a new cereal, "Rice Puffers", with a special, blended recipe.

[Survival rate after new fishes are delivered on an online order]

18 hours ago, subramn said:

what is the usual Survival rate after new fishes are delivered on an online order, like through ebay or aquabid or aquahuna.

any experiences.

I have used Aquabid & Ebay at times in obtaining my aquarium fish/snails.  I never had an issue, but it's like anything else, there is always a perceived risk.  Review the sellers feedback and ask questions in advance if unsure regarding your potential, online purchase(s).  

[Cycling a tank with established sponge filters]

@MickS77, BTW, I wanted to mention that I truly like your hat.  🤠

[Aquarium Memes]

[Cycling a tank with established sponge filters]

13 minutes ago, Justin Campbell said:

I picked up a 40 Breeder from the Petco dollar-per-gallon sale, painted it, cleaned it out and dried it. I filled it with tap water and a capful of Prime (5ml or 50g worth). ~20 minutes later I took 2 sponge filters from established tanks and added them:

1. Medium sponge filter from a planted 40B with 8 Boesemani Rainbows and 1 Bristlenose Pleco, which also has an AquaClear 70.
2. Medium sponge filter from a 10g tank with no fish currently (fry system), but it has 2 breeder boxes with Bladder Snails and Ramshorn Snails for Pea Puffer food.

I added 1ppm Ammonium Chloride (Fritz powdered), and then 24 hours later... nothing? Ammonia shows 1ppm still, Nitrites are 0. I did not test Nitrates as I don't think I'd be able to tell the difference of the ~10ppm Nitrates our tap water has vs a small increase over that.

Would you expect 1ppm Ammonia to process with those 2 sponge filters? Is it possible that the AquaClear has so much capacity that the sponge filter wasn't doing that much, and the snail tank is also a very low bioload? Or is it just that the tank needs to grow biofilm on all of the surfaces and not just the sponge filters to process that much?

I'm debating continuing with the fishless cycle like it's a brand new tank, or trying something like Fritz Zyme 7. I've had so-so results with other bottled bacteria brands, but I don't really want to wait 6+ weeks to move fish into this tank, as I have 6 juvenile Angels in a 20H which are not doing great in the confined space (I'm planning to separate them after they pair off).

Thanks in advance! -Justin

 

The "internet" often times talks about many different ways in cycling aquariums.  I have tried fish-in, fishless, adding "cycled" material and "plant cycled" aquariums.  My personal favorite way of cycling an aquarium is with plants and fertilizer.  By growing life in the tank, it shows that the tanks is starting to process ammonia, etc. 

Whatever the method, it still takes time and patience, IME.  

Here is an interesting video about plant cycling for your consideration.   

 

 

[Care Packages for C.A.R.E. Forum Members!]

Sincere congratulations to this month's winners:   @ange, @Jessica., @TheDukeAnumber1.  Thank you for being active  & informative members in the Forum.  I have learned something from each of you and it is appreciated.  All the best.....

[Aquarium Coop Root Tabs]

4 hours ago, tolstoy21 said:

I have been using the black, blocky, slab-of-chalk-looking root tabs for a few years now (trying not to mention a brand name) and I recently switched to the Aquarium Co-Op ones simply because they were less expensive. That was literally my only motive. I thought, hmm these are less expensive, I hope they work.

However, after about a month+ of planting the tabs in the substrate, my crypts and swords have exploded in size and growth rate. My Wendtii Red are easily 12" high. Lot of little ones popping up through the substrate that I can now propagate to other tanks. 

Maybe something else is going on and I'm falsely attributing this growth to the Co-Op's tabs, but this is literally the only change (I haven't changed other ferts and don't use EasyGreen liquid). This is a very low-tech planted setup. 

Anyway, wanted to share my experience as I really like what I'm seeing after switching from the the more expensive slabs of black chalk offered by a larger company. 

 

Admittedly, the Co-Op root tabs seemed to work a little better than others I have tried.  What really made the noticeable difference for me with my Amazon Sword plants was to space the root tabs in a more narrow "grid-like" pattern.  Granted, the sword plants were getting larger and probably needed more nutrients.  I like the product, all in all.  

 

Here is an informative video for anyone, that may be interested. The "Rooted Plant" talk starts around 07:18 in the video.  

 

 

[When is the best time to run lights when trying to slow algae growth.]

6 minutes ago, Lynn said:

I have cut my light to 6 hours, but is it better to run the light during the daytime or into the evening.   My tank has indirect room light during the day time and lights and TV during the evening hours.    When will I get the most benefit to slow down the algae.    I work during the day and would miss seeing the tank if it is off during the evening with dark at 5:00 pm now.

 

Tip #4 in the video may help:

 

 

[Low Light Plants in Medium Light?]

4 hours ago, demicent said:

I am in the process of setting up a medium light tank.  If I move over some of my low light plants, like Anubias, will they appreciate the extra light or curl up and die?

I have used medium to even high light in my aquariums while using many "low light" plants.  Most were basically unaffected, some did transition slightly, I.E. Anubias & Java Moss .  The Java Fern seemed the most noticeable for me, with some leaf scorching, under higher lighting.  Every tank and exact light situation will be different.  

[Best Community Fish]

17 hours ago, Sharky13 said:

Hey guys, I hope all your fishy friends and plants are doing well! I'm setting up my 55 gallon aquarium and I can't decide on the fish I want. It's in our family room under the TV so it'll be the focal point of the whole room. I love the look of a big school of cory catfish and 2-3 species of schooling fish. I think I'm leaning towards having a few angel fish as my centerpiece fish. Should I get a huge school of neon tetras or rummy nose tetras as the only schooling species? There's so many ideas in my mind  I can't make a decision. I would love to hear your guys' top 10 list for community tanks. I appreciate any input, thanks!

 

Here is an interesting video for you to consider:

 

 

[Murky aquarium]

22 minutes ago, Fishermannick said:

Question here from a new fish keeper. I started my first planted tank which is a 37 gallon tank. I cycled the tank for 3 weeks then added 2 Cory catfish and tested water. All was well so I added 4 more corys. After 2 weeks or so I added 10 cardinal tetras with on casualty during the first couple days. My water was clear and testing perfect. My nitrates never went over 10 ppm and I did a water change once a week for 2-3 weeks. I then added some cherry shrimp and the water was all fine. I bought Java moss from eBay for the shrimp and set it in the tank. My tank is now extremely murky but it still is testing perfect for all ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. I added a carbon filter and another sponge filter. Pls help thanks 

When you say "murky", do you mean a white cloudiness or other color?  Am also curious of what your highest ammonia reading was when the tank was 'cycling'.  Typically, in my planted aquariums, I don't run carbon, since it will absorb plant nutrients from the water column.  

 

Here is an interesting video to look at as well:

 

 

[Supporting the COOP]

5 hours ago, Maggie said:

I've ordered several items from the Coop and am very happy with it all. The plants are phenomenal compared to others I've ordered. I am also extremely happy to support a small business!! To me, the sharing of knowledge in a friendly way by Cory and his staff on their YouTube channels, and by the people on this forum (plus the comradierie here), are worth far more than the slightly higher prices of certain items. I am all for a small business owner creating wealth from almost nothing and paying employees appropriately.

I grew up in a small town, long before the arrival of the 'big box' stores.  We had a LFS that we used to go to and everyone was always friendly.  I support small businesses wherever possible, since it's getting tougher competing with the big guys out there.  Small online businesses, at times, survive pay week to pay week, when economic times get difficult.  Especially with shipping restrictions and ever increasing shipping prices, making it more problematic for the business owner(s), etc.  

Having said that, my experiences with the Co-Op all have been very favorable and a pleasure to do business with them.   It's nice to get that "small hometown feel"  back again, after all these years.  

[Flakes, Pellets, Or Granules?]

41 minutes ago, Bay Area Aquatics said:

I'm curious, as this seems to be a ongoing debate in the hobby. Do you prefer Flake Food, Pellet Food, or Granules? 

I own, buy, and feed all 3 types to my fish, because variety is the spice of life. BUT, Flake foods are hands down my favorite because of how versatile it is. 

If you had to pick one type, whats your favorite and why? 

If I had only one choice, it would be a very high quality flake food.    The flakes would slowly cover more "edible" territory, in the tank, for everyone to take a bite, as the rest sinks to the substrate, for the bottom dwellers.