[Cappuccino snail question]

Have you tested the water recently? could be a nitrite issue if the tank cycle has crashed. 

[Guppies keep swimming into CO2 Drop Checker]

I have the Seachem Glass checker to monitor my CO2 levels within my tank. For some reason my guppies keep swimming into it, making it into the bulb/ball and getting stuck(4th time now but managed to save this one before it was to late). Would adding a screen or mesh screen to the opening mess with the accuracy of the checker? Or does anyone have another checker they use that they enjoy? I really like the look and ease of the seachem checker because its completely glass (the suction cup could be smaller and less noticeable), but give me recommendations for some other drop checkers y'all enjoy!

Or is there a pamphlet to give to my guppies to teach them about the harm of swimming into the drop checker?

[Phosphate PO3/PO4 Removers/Absorbers]

@eatyourpeas Hmm didnt think of using the polyfil for a quick method to collect stuff and toss probably would work well. Also how close to the rooted plants do y'all suggest getting with the gravel vacc? I usually only do the open areas.

[Phosphate PO3/PO4 Removers/Absorbers]

What is everyone's go to Phosphate remover/absorbers and where do you place it within your tank/filter?

I am having troubles with high phosphate (and due to this bba I suspect )* and before I go out and purchase  phosphate removers I am asking for everyone's favorite way to remove phosphates. I have a lightly planted tank (any plant suggestions would be wonderful) and it seems none of the plants are to demanding for phosphate (or as im thinking I just have excess not being used). I have already tried changing my lighting cycle and adding CO2 and water movement (which took care of the staghorn) so now I am on to lowering my phosphates. 

*no other algae grows besides BBA now and plants are growing fine.

 

Any suggestions would be helpful. I have started to user easy green once a week (thinking I was lacking other nutrients to help the plants absorb the phosphates) and have started feeding more frozen foods in hopes that this will help decrease phosphates.

 

I have a HOB so I can add the phosphate remover/absorber in it ,but if anyone has an idea how to add it to a sponge filter that would be wonderful aswell. Currently all that is in my filter is a sponge and ceramic pellets. 

Live Plants:

Moneywort, Red Flame Sword(one mature plant and two mini's that grew from it), Crypticoryne wendetti, Pink Flamingo Crypts, amazon sword, recently added java fern from one of my other tanks and a tiny (5 leaf) pothos plant hanging out the top thats slowly growing new roots. I have a fluval 3.0 on 45 gallon tank with normal gravel as the substrate.

 

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites:0

Nitrates: 50 (doesnt fluctuate much when easy green added)

PH: 7.2

GH:very hard looks to be 300 on the test strips even though out of my tap its less than the 150 range

kh: 40~

Chlorine: 0

 

Thank you,

[What plants are REALLY fish-proof....]

any plants that you attach to hardscape (anubia's and java ferns) hornwort floats around the tank so you could always attach it in the upper corners of the tank. Java moss or any moss attached to mesh will work). 

 

You could always go with deep substrate and plant the plants in the rockwool pot (i do this with my crypts so i can remove the main plant once they start running, also helpful because you can shove root tabs into the rockwool.

[If you could tell your fishkeeping self something in the past, what would it be?]

Stick with all natural looking hardscape and substrate..... curse the dreaded neon color'd rocks in my black gravel....

[Calling all Shrimp Keepers]

I have a 20 gallon tank breeding my cherry shrimp.
Usually to get them to take to the water ill drip acclimate until the bucket im using is almost full then ill add them to the tank. The glass in my tank is covered in green algae and the shrimp seem to enjoy clinging to it eating the algae up. (this is also when they started breeding more is when I left the algae and tank to do its on thing besides water changes) I also have a decent amount of mulm caught up in my java moss bundle that they hide in and feed off of and this is where all the babies chill until they reach about 1-2 CMs in length. 

Im also breeding them in a tank with pea puffers and the colony is growing so they are out breeding the hunger of the peas. 

I guess I went with the dirty tank method but I do plan on cleaning the glass up (or setting up another tank as a show tank) once I get an overstock on the cherries.

I guess the cherries preferred being able to graze on the algae and pick through the java moss mulm and this got them finally go crazy with the breeding. 

 

 

[I’m at a loss. Wife wants me to quit.]

@Hobbit how long of a rest do the plants need to restart the photosynthesis cycle?

[Astronomically dumb question...]

On 9/21/2021 at 10:06 PM, Phantom240 said:

Yeahhhhhh I absolutely overdid it on root tabs when I set the aquarium up a couple weeks ago. Plenty of nutrition + CO2 + Good light = runaway sword lol

I usually only pop a root tab or 4  right when I plant a new plant. After it gets established I usually turn away from the root tabs to slow growth. if i notice the plant looks weak ill start readding but i dont really gravel vacuum my planted tanks so the mulm mixes with the rock/gravel and seems to keep the plants growing and healthy (it just keeps their growth reasonable) and that reminds me i need to go refill my 20lb co2 tank.

[Astronomically dumb question...]

My red flame sword kept doing this. My way to beat it was to trim back most of its leaves to make it focus on regrowing itself rather than growing babies( I planted one of the babies just incase it killed the mother so you may want a fall back plant just incase). You could also cut back on using root tabs around it (if you use them)

[I’m at a loss. Wife wants me to quit.]

What water temperature are you running? Along with do you have hard water or soft water? 

You water may be missing some basic minerals; I see you have used some seachem products have you tried equilibrium? 

Also what light are you using for what tank? You may be using to much light intensity so your plants are "burning".

Have your tanks been able to grow algae and if so do you know what type?

[What are your everyday joys in aquarium keeping?]

I love studying my plants and finding new leaves and growth/spreading of them from day to day. 

[Guppy not getting pregnant--when to change males?]

Could try turning the temperature up a degree or so and adding daphnia or seed shrimp. I found with my guppies if the water was cold (lower 70s-74F~)they didn't wanna do the deed. I also just have mutt guppies that i add in new blood every so often so they arent to finicky. 

What are the water parameters looking like?

[I screwed up and got the herpes (duckweed)]

@Griznatch Well you've peaked my curiosity. How do you make fish food out of it? I know Carp/GoldFish/Bala sharks will eat it but now im curious if youre letting it dry and then crushing it into a powder/flake.

[Airstones or no Airstones]

All my tanks have at least one sponge filter in them (some have more just so I always have a cycled sponge if someone needs one and usually a hang on back for better water circulation and to add polishing pads to). But I usually run an air ring or air bar in them as well. I tend to make mini volcanos (out of lava rocks) around the bubble rings for the aesthetic and shrimp seem to love to feed off the stuff that grows on them. 

[Where could my nitrates be hiding?]

@Colu ill make an order

[Where could my nitrates be hiding?]

@colu

I would say it is.

 

Three red flame swords. and amazon sword. crypts that have started carpeting. octowhatever its called in multiple places and money wort. Along with Duckweed up top. I cant remember the red plants they stem and have about 1 inch broad red leaves. along with some grass thing

[Where could my nitrates be hiding?]

@Colu Nitrates from tap are non existent. I dont have any issues in my other tanks just this one. And ive stopped dosing to see if that would bring them down but it hasnt (coop brand ferts when i did dose)

[Where could my nitrates be hiding?]

I have had a constant battle with nitrates in my 45 gallon. Sitting roughly over 80 ppm nitrates. I have graveled vacced everything (substrate is about 4 inches deep) ive cleaned the sponges in the filter along with the large aquarium coop sponge and i still am testing high nitrates. I have performed multiple 30% water changes.

 

Stocking is 6 golden rams and a bristle nose. 

Could rotting plants be the issue? I have had a stem plants that keeps sending out roots but is mushy and doesnt grow. could this be the issue?

[Liquid co2 for staghorn/hair algae?]

I have found success by spot treating it with a pipet or turkey baster.

[I have BBA. Should I gut my tank?]

you can spot treat with peroxide or dose excel or co-ops easy crabon once a day or once every two days and it will start to kill it off. I would also suggest adding a phosphate absorber to stop it from coming back.  I wouldnt tear a tank down for either. Right now im dealing with Black Spot algae which i thought was bba but technically isnt and its proving to be a bit more troublesome. 

[New C02 diffuser]

Just now, Cory said:

That seems to be a fine PSI. Not sure if it was clogging or a glue failure. Did you notice any decrease in output leading up to it?

Nope was running fine yesterday and this morning. Heard a thud and thought my fish hit the lid but went to check and the diffuser had blown its top. 

 

 

[New C02 diffuser]

31 minutes ago, Cory said:

Interesting. I hadn't heard of that happening before. What PSI do you run your co2 at?

From the CO2 tank it reads ~50 psi and to aquarium it’s ~30 psi 

[New C02 diffuser]

So my neo diffuser just blew its top.... literally the disc just rocketed and hit the top of my tank. I have had the diffuser for 6 months and it had worked fine. Did I miss some maintenance on it I wasn’t aware of? It had some algae on the disc but wasn’t covered. 
 

does anyone have any recommendations for a new diffuser? Or should I just buy a new neo one.  

[I’m a killer!]

Does your tank have a ton of flow to it? You may also want to test your waters TDS and you may need to add equilibrium to boost it for the plants.