[New filter seasoning time]

Thanks

 

Tank is a decently planted nano tank.  It is reasonably stocked.

[New filter seasoning time]

I have a tank with a sponge filter. 

I want to start a new tank with a new filter.

If I place the new filter in the old tank how lang until it has enough living organisms to be good to go?

 

Is it easier to simply squeeze the old filter in the new tank and go from there?

[Paver sand?]

Is paver sand suitable as a substrate for an aquarium?

[Stems keep breaking]

Thanks

[Stems keep breaking]

A few weeks ago I added a few plants to the aquarium. Following guidance from the master, I left the dark red ludwig in the packing foam and plastic cup.  As can be seen, every stem has broken off within an inch of the soil level.  Why does this occur?

I jammed several of the floating stems into the rocks, however part of the concern is that several were very limp.

[Misshapen Fish]

Recently, I noticed a cherry barb was getting plumper, compared to the others, it was the only one with a few much fuller belly. Now she has a constant zig zag before her tail. Below are a few pictures.

 

Your thoughts?

[Need a plant to camoflague my air filter]

I wish my ph was something other than bouncing around 9. I have gotten different test kits and both come up with the same results.

 

 

[Need a plant to camoflague my air filter]

Since I started my tank, the intention has been to have a plant to block the air filter. Though I have gotten some other plants to grow, everything I have tried for this purpose has died. What recommendation do you have as a natural wall that wants hard alkaline water?

Plants I tried so far that have failed-

• Scarlet Temple
• Cryptocoryne
• Moneywort
• Bacopa Caroliniana

Plants currently growing in tank-

• Moss ball
• Java Ferns (2 types)
• Amazon Sword
• Vallinsineria
• Red Root floaters
• Moss
• Anubias

 

Tank Specifics:

29 gallon tank, 2 years old

gravel bottom (dirt underneath) - enhanced with root tabs

Recent Tank Metrics:

iron	copper	nitrate	nitrite	hardness	chlorine	alkalinity	carbonate	pH	ammonia
0	0.5	25	0	120	0	128	180	9	0

 

Fish in tank are:

Rasboras (Harlequine)

Plattys

Guppies

Cherry Barbs

Panda Corys

Kuli Loach

Amano Shrimp

Snails

Beta

Endlers

[Too much floating plants?]

Thanks

 

 

[Too much floating plants?]

I purchased a few red root floating plants earlier this fall.  They seem to be reproducing rapidly.  This seems good, however can there be too much of a good thing?  Should I start culling some out?

[Stupidity of filter cleaning/air stone issue]

Thanks

[Stupidity of filter cleaning/air stone issue]

So I decided to clean the filter in my tank.

Unfortunately, on setting things back up, the connection between the top plastic ring and the next plastic section loosened.  The result is that air now flows through the gap, and not the air stone.  

 

Any suggestions on how to seal this connection?

I did test the air stone, connected directly to the line it produces many little bubbles.

 

 

[Cherry Barb toothpick?]

What is the long white thing from my cherry Barb's mouth?  Is it concerning?

 

 

[Algae - hair ? Beard?]

Is this hair algae?  How much extra fertilizer should be added?  Double? Quadruple?

Or is this a different kind?  

 

Any recommendations for reduction?

[Algae - hair ? Beard?]

Is this hair algae?  How much extra fertilizer should be added?  Double? Quadruple?

Or is this a different kind?  

 

Any recommendations for reduction?

[Leaf Rot]

Thanks

 

[Better option than spray paint]

I have a sponge filter, with a bright white chimney.  With the black background, it looks even whiter.  Part of the issue is that my snails seem to be keeping it too clean.  Do you know where I can find a black chimney, so that it blends in with the background?

[Leaf Rot]

I have noticed several plant leaves with holes in them.  Are there adjustments to my tank I can make for healthier plan leaves? 

Below are some water parameters along with a couple of pictures.

 

Nitrates - 25

Hardness - 120

Alkalinity - 120

Carbonate - 180

Ph - 8.5

Easy green applied each week  (3 shots)

29 gallon tank

[Community Tank Death Spiral]

Thanks for the comments and advice.  One additional note, I added ParaCleanse along with the Maracyn.  Time appears to be doing good things, as the tank is much clearer now- though not perfect.

Smells like a lake. 

Dirt is from topsoil in back of yard (section we are allowing to go natural).

Water treated with API Tap water conditioner, for heavy metal detoxification.

Wood 1 from store.  Wood 2, driftwood.  Rock from store.

I would go with Calcium, based on the rainbow color options provided above.  I should mention the color options greatly helped.

Below are my recorded metrics for the tank.

Date	Method	nitrate	nitrite	ammonia	hardness	alkalinity	carbonate	pH	copper
1/4	strip	25	1	0.5	100	180	120	9	0.5
1/6	strip			0.5
1/9	strip	25	4		100	100	120	9	0.5
1/14	strip	25	5	0.4	25	100	300	9	0.5
1/18	strip	10	0	0.5	50	80	150	9	0.5
1/18	api	0	0	0.125				8.1
1/23	strip	0	0	0	120	120	180	9	0.5
1/26	api	0	0	0				8.3
1/30	api	0	0	0				8.2
2/6	strip	10	0	0.25	120	160	180	8.2	0.25
3/8	strip	20	0		120	180	180	8.5	0.5
3/13	strip	15	0		120	140	160	8.5	0.25
3/16	api	0	0	0
3/18	strip	0	0	0.25	120	120	180	8.5	0.5
3/18	api	0	0	0.25

With regard to more plants, how are you defining many?  It feels like I have to let a number of mine grow out, or am I just not thinking right.

[Community Tank Death Spiral]

Giving it a try.

A few noticed changes, the first two may be normal.

1) cloudy water

2) air stone seems to be making more smaller bubbles   

3) several fish are now hanging out nose to the surface

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Community Tank Death Spiral]

I should mention, I also have JNW strips.  I didn't believe them at first so I bought the api set.

[Community Tank Death Spiral]

Api purchased in January.

[Community Tank Death Spiral]

I started my planted community tank in December (details below).  Stole filter muck to kick off the tank.  Plants doing well; melted plant leaves starting to come back.  Gradually adding smaller fish over time.  Water parameters seem reasonable.

About a month ago, I was suddenly called out of town for over a week.  I came back to an ichy Rasbora and an unwell (but never diagnosed) cherry barb.  Both died in quarantine.  Did 50% water change.

Two weeks later another cherry barb showed puffy eyes, and died in quarentine.  25% water change.

All other fish seemed "fine", added additional cherry barbs and rasboras.

Cleaned filter over the weekend (squeezed it out in tank water removed from the tank).  No soap, and I am probably too comfortable with slime to make any part of my aquarium squeaky clean.

In the last four days, 4 hatched fish, 2 cherry barb, and 2 otocynclus fish have died.  No obvious sign.

What recomendation do you have?

Thanks,

Tank Details:

29 gallons

dirt with gravel on top substrate

Sponge filter

1 rock, 2 hunks of wood

treated well water

Animals:

6 hatchet fish

9 Danios

8 Rasboras

3 cory pandas

3 kuli loaches

3 otocynclus

4 shrimp

4 Nerite snails (and several more small snails)

Plants:

2 Anubius

2 Cryps

lots of Java fern

Moss ball

2 banana plants

2 carpeting plants

red sword

3 mosses

 

Water Parameters:

pH: 8.5 (stable)

Amonia: 0

Nitrate: 0  (struggle to keep this up)

Nitrite: 0

Hard water

Temperature: 73 degrees

These water parameters are rather stable.  

[Community Tank Fish Ideas]

My community tank is 67% populated.  I could use some suggestions for the last set of fish.  The constraints are: (1) congenial fish, (2) swim in lower half, and (3) can handle high ph water.

The fish in the aquarium so far are:

• Hatchet fish (intended to hang out at the surface)
• Danios (2 varieties)
• Harlequin Rasbora
• Culi Loaches
• Panda Cory

Everyone in my tank (except the Cory's) seem to spend the better part of their time swimming in the top half.  The expectation was for the Danios and Rasbora to wander the middle third.

My Ph is around 8.4, with hard water.

Thanks for any ideas.

 

[How much does Ph matter]

Thanks