Nanci B

I just look ed at your blog post and really enjoyed it. I just tried a dirted substrate based on MDs Fish Tanks and created a holy mess and couldn’t lower the pH. So I tore down that substrate removing the dirt and I tested all the individual components. Gravel, pebbles, sand, and dirt individually, but could not recreate the higher pH. So I put the gravel, sand and pebbles together added wood and plants and the higher pH reappeared. So I am now living with the higher pH in my second tank, a 20 gallon. But I like your concept of worm castings and the egg crates. I just purchased a 5 gallon Marineland Portrait tank after watching Cory’s video on it. I was going to put my first Betta in it, but I can’t think he would be happy in that small of a tank. He is currently in my 20 long community tank and doing very well. He is behaving himself with the other fish, cherry shrimp, and ramshorn snails. So I am happy to leave him be.

Hello! My name is Nanci Byers and I currently live in Ogden, Utah. I started in the hobby in 2012 and had a wonderful 55 gallon community tank with smaller peaceful fish so I could enjoy their behaviors. Lots of plants and growth and I really enjoyed it 2 years later I had a lot of different types of algae and one morning woke to one of my beloved dwarf chain loaches dead and being eaten by an Amano shrimp. I was devastated and broke down the tank. I got back into the hobby in 2018 with a 40 breeder and loved the aqua scape I started but was too impatient to add fish to the tank and lost most of my fish. I felt so bad that I broke down the tank and sold off the remaining fish and equipment. As a regular outdoor gardener I live for the growing months, but have issues during the winter. So earlier this year decided once again to venture into the hobby starting smaller. I started a 20 long in mid February and even though I have had some success in the hobby, still asked for a lot of advice from my local club’s FB group. Everyone is very nice and great about answering questions. I discovered Rachael O’Leary’s YouTube channel years ago, but just discovered Cory’s Aquarium Co-Op channel and love his content. He doesn’t talk down to people, but still explains scientific principles in an easy to understand format. So here I am. Started using sponge filters for the first time. In my 55 I liked allowing the back and sides to develop algae for the biofilm. I am a lasessie-faire type of gardener and take the same approach to aquascaping. So Cory’s approach works very well with my goals. My goal has been to keep nano fish species in larger groups. I have lots of questions and look forward to getting to know everyone. I don’t post very often and still feel like a rank beginner. So I probably have lots more questions than answers. But I will share what knowledge I can in the community. Cheers, Nanci ” Seek Beauty Every Day”

As others have said, it does grow very fast, but is easy to control. I don’t think it is crazy like duckweed. I use it, I just keep an eye on it.