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CalmedByFish

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Posts posted by CalmedByFish

    Dying Endlers in a Newish Setup

    in Diseases

    Posted

    The only thing I can think of is to see if you can add another air stone, just to make certain there's plenty oxygen in the water. For the same reason, it would probably help to lower the temp. Higher temps require more aeration than lower temps (though I don't remember the science behind it). I have endlers. I'd say to get them down to at least 74, but probably 72 is better.

    • Like 1

    Ferts burning roots?

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    On 8/13/2021 at 3:45 PM, Patrick_G said:

    It happens in the terrestrial horticulture world, especially when folks over enthusiastically fertilize their lawn. 

     

    On 8/13/2021 at 3:44 PM, Griznatch said:

    Following this.

    I have in the past added root tabs directly underneath the plants, and have got what you are describing happen to those.

     

    On 8/13/2021 at 4:32 PM, Jungle Fan said:

    I don't recall you mentioning the size of your tank but instead of trying to dig up root tabs, which would probably just fall apart and end up in the water column, I would move the plant away from the top of the root tab.

    While you do that you can inspect the root if it is still white and firm, or brown and mush. If it is mush it won't recover, if it is white and firm... Trim the roots back to about 2.5 to 3 inches left

    In regards to the Vallisneria I would move them off the root tab as well if you have them directly on top... Inspect the roots the same way as you do with the swords

    Plants are much more resilient than many believe and in general will recover as long as the roots are still fine. 

    Okay, so apparently we know what happened to my plants. Good. Thank you... But can we all just pause to see the "aiming for sustainable" in my signature, and roll our eyes together? 🙄 Ugh!

    The "size of the tank" is actually tupperware being used as pots, so I can easily put the plants in tubs of water when I move (which I thought would've happened by now, but looks months away). That means I can't just relocate them in the tank.

    After a good staring, I decided to leave the val. Since the repotting with too many root tabs, 3 of the 5 pots have made a baby val, so apparently something is going to survive. I can be okay with that. 

    But the only sword looked worse than it did even just this morning. So I pulled it off the tabs, and am letting it float until I make a plan. I could only find 3 roots on it that truly look good. The longest of the 3 is about 1 1/2". 

    Interestingly, on the sword and most vals, the roots have always been short. I'd say the average length is an inch. The vast majority of the roots, though not mushy, are kinda black. The coloring is similar to mildew or mold.  

    Ferts burning roots?

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    On 8/13/2021 at 1:33 PM, Jungle Fan said:

    planting them "on top" of root tabs might be your clue of what went wrong. I have only ever planted them at least an inch, or two away from my plants and one root tab in proximity pushed as far down as you can get it is usually enough; for really huge plants I might use two.

    How many root tabs in all did you place with the plant? Or was it just one that you planted the sword on top?

    Vallisneria , while you can trim them will then show a brown edge where you trimmed and will never regrow a tip. If there are leaves to be removed I'd remove them close to the substrate

    PS: How shallow is the substrate? And what type is it? Also, are the root tabs the only fertilizer, or are you dosing all-in-one, liquid iron, trace elements, CO2 ,... or anything else besides the root tabs?

    Just went back to the thread as well, and I had mentioned:

    "...my definition of "damage" is holes, turning brown, turning translucent, everything affecting leaf structure, not so much chlorosis, turning yellow, which is an indication of lack of chlorophyll, the plant is perfectly capable of repairing that with addition of proper nutrient levels. ."

    The pieces of your reply that I copied above stand out to me as big mistakes I made.

    The sword had 4 root tabs, a couple inches apart, on the floor. Then the roots spread out evenly on top the tabs, then 2 inches of gravel to hold it all in place. The vals were planted similarly.

    I also use Easy Green - though I haven't added any since adding this total of 19 root tabs to the tank, since adding them did increase the nitrate level in the water after a couple days. I only use those 2 ferts. No CO2. 

    Most of the val leaves I cut were cut up near the top, just cutting off the brown/yellow ends.

    Regarding the part you put in bold, what I cut off was mostly yellow, but with some brown and translucent parts. So it sounds like I should've cut significantly less.

    Gosh. What now? I don't know if I should try to dig out the root tabs, or just stop messing with it and allow it to stabilize. I know plants always struggle when messed with, so I hesitate to continue pestering them.

    • Like 1

    Ferts burning roots?

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    On 8/13/2021 at 12:32 PM, eatyourpeas said:

    All of them!

    Interesting. It makes sense to me that a plant would show signs of deficiency prior to getting root tabs, but I'm baffled that mine did *after* getting root tabs.

    At the same time I replanted the sword and vals, I cut off as much as 1/4 of the leaves. They were specifically among the older ones, and had the yellowing (only) symptom. I wonder if the stress of the "wounds" is part of the problem?

    @Jungle Fan I still have your tab open that includes the concept of "amputating" parts of a plant. I wonder if you might know if my cutting off leaves could contribute to all the symptoms my plants suddenly have.

    • Like 1

    Ferts burning roots?

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    On 8/13/2021 at 11:57 AM, eatyourpeas said:

    Could they just be melting after replanting? I bought a Melon sword and was showing those symptoms right after planting. Added root tabs and it is now on the road to recovery.

    I wondered about melting, but it looks different from the melting that happened right after I bought them and initially put them in the tank.

    Did your melon show all of the same symptoms, or just a couple? 

    Ferts burning roots?

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    I recently replanted my sword and vals. I made sure their roots were directly on top of root tabs, just because the substrate is shallow.

    Now leaves are turning brown on the edges and tips, then the the brown creeps to the middle or base of the leaf before it dies. Other leaves have pinholes. Some turn clear (skeletal) on the edges. Some have dark "freckles."

    That sounds like a lot of nutrient deficiencies, but given all the root tabs, that's nearly impossible. 

    Chemical burning of the roots is all I can think of. What would your guess be? 

    What's the meanest freshwater hobby fish?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by CalmedByFish

    I know some species are inherently more aggressive than others, but I wonder to what extent stress makes a difference in aggression within a single species. It could even be something basic, that would stress out we humans too - like always feeling cold, or not having a decent bed (hiding place), or just being bored out of our mind.

    Just something I think of often because I have a bizarrely aggressive angelfish. 

    • Like 2

    Hornwort vs. Green Water. Add fertilizer?

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    On 8/12/2021 at 3:44 PM, Griznatch said:

     If you are up for it, throw a few daphnia in there. They love green water and are pretty efficient at cleaning it up. Depending on what kind of fish you have in there they'll get eaten. I did have  an issue here my Kubotai couldn't eat the adults because the fish were too small 🙂

    Are daphnia simply any microcrustaceans? (I had microcrustaceans of some kind in that tank, but the fish pig them down immediately.) If daphnia are something more specific, how do you get them?

     

    Hornwort vs. Green Water. Add fertilizer?

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted · Edited by CalmedByFish

    I have a 20 gallon, about 1/2 full of healthy hornwort to combat and prevent green water. But I currently have green water. Been 2 weeks.

    I'm keeping the light off for now, except a couple hours of very dim per day to help the fish find their food. 

    I've decreased the adult's feeding from 2x to 1x per day, though I shouldn't fast them since about half are preggy, and I can't reduce the feeding for the tiniest fry. 

    The tank is bare-bottom, with a ton of MTS, so no food is getting lost. (I also watch to make sure the filter doesn't grab it.)

    In the next few days, I'll put a few of my extra neocaridina in there, since they'll help re-process the MTS poo. 

    My current question: Nitrate is ~5. Do I add Easy Green to help the hornwort, or leave nitrates low to starve the green water?

     

    First planted tank, what do you think of these plants?

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    Here's the only advice I'm confident of.

    Regardless of the species you buy, or how many species, only buy 1 of each for now. There's no way to know what will or won't live in your parameters/lighting/etc until you try it. If something croaks, you didn't waste money on 2 of it. If something thrives, you can buy more. I've tried about 13 species of plants, 5 of which have turned out to be stable in my water, and only 3 of those do I truly enjoy. 3 out of 13! Try a variety. One of each. More happens later.

    (Unless you're secretly a zillionaire, and the local food pantry is already well-stocked. 🙂 )

    Chasing a Ghost (Ammonia levels)

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Definitely put plants to work. I know we talk a lot about plants for nitrates here, but if I remember right, plants only take the nitrate after they've run out of yummy ammonia. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.)

    As for how toxic ammonia is, it gets worse with higher pH. If your pH is low, .5 ammonia might be okay. But if your pH is high, probably not.

    Also, test your tap water for ammonia. If it turns out to have much, then at least you'll know what the problem is.

    15 gallon stock ideas ?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I'll always suggest stopping to think and feel about what type of fish make you feel happy and/or peaceful. Unsure? Hunt down some videos of the species you're drawn to, where you can just watch them swim for a few minutes, and see what it feels like. 

    Also try to match species with the water parameters you have out of the tap. Less work to fix parameters means less stress long-term.

    As far as breeding is concerned, consider fish that would merely breed enough to replace themselves. (Many species will chow down the vast majority of their fry, particularly if you stop feeding the adults when you see fry. Or other species might eat the eggs.) If you're sure you'd like to have a certain species long-term, this is a great way to continue having them without having to bother with quarantining new ones. (My solution is simply to have 1 angelfish. He's delighted to help keep babies in check. Maybe you could have 1 fish in your community tank that would do the same job, but again, stop to make sure you'll enjoy the species before you get it.)

     

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    Beat green water with Green Killing Machine!

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 7/4/2021 at 3:32 PM, Sun.singh1991 said:

    Reduce feeding or fast for a few days and cut the lights for 3 days. Plants should be fine. Eventually the plants will outcompete the algae. 

    I just searched for this thread, and put the product you recommended in my Amazon cart. I have a few more natural tricks I want to try before I give up and buy it, but I'm sick of the unconquerable pea soup, and need the back-up plan.

    Thank you for the recommendation. Maybe what I try will work, but having this as an option will give peace of mind while I waaait to find out. 

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    Its Been 2 Years

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    The speed at which you've gained knowledge and made progress is truly impressive. Well done. And Happy Birthday!

    I was in my late 30's when I found out bettas shouldn't be in a bowl. The internet is astonishing. So helpful!

    • Like 1
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