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amataharimau

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Everything posted by amataharimau

  1. Hi all, I've been thinking about some ideas for fish I could add to my 20 gallon tall planted tank. It has been running for almost a year, and has been pretty stable even with some poor maintenance over the winter. I currently only have 3 white cloud mountain minnows, as some died. However, since these three have been stable for a while now with no signs of sickness, I will soon be getting more to have the group be at least 6 or maybe even 9. Since I will be going to the fish store, I can't help but think of other species I could add as well. I've never kept cherry shrimp, and was wondering how easy they are for beginners? I have pH on the high end but relatively low gH, and I don't want to mess with water chemistry. I want to know if it's worth just getting a few and seeing if they do alright? Any advice from more seasoned experts? My last thought would be to get a bristlenose pleco - I know that a 20 tall is definitely on the very small end for them, but don't know what people think is acceptable. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!
  2. Thank you @Colu @Kim H I watched the video and will try maracyn as soon as possible!
  3. Hi, The water parameters are as follows: Nitrate: 20 Nitrite: 0 GH: 150 (usual) Chlorine: 0 KH: 80 (usual) pH 7.8/8.0 (usual) Temp: 72 - I just realized this and am raising the temperature to 80 This is my brother's fish who I knew had been struggling for a month or two, but I just saw recently how badly he's doing. His tail is usually a half-moon shape, so I think that he's had some serious fin rot. Can someone help diagnose and advise? His coloration is quite faded from when we got him, especially on his tail and near his head. The heater was displaying an incorrect temperature, so I just realized he's been a little chilly for a while and I'm raising the temperature now. I think this guy is going to need a bit more than warm waters to recover, however. Is there a recommended course of action? Many thanks for any advice!
  4. I'm thinking about getting some Ludwigia for my tank, but don't know whether to got with L. repens or L. ovalis. I have relatively low light, am fertilizing root tabs and Easy Green, no CO2. Under those conditions, I've heard both can live, but I'm not sure which one will give more (if any) coloration. Does anyone have experience with this? And if they'll both just be green plants in my tank, is one better than the other for any reason?
  5. I recently used a little piece of string tucked into my aquarium lid to tie some floating plant tubing in place when I had no suction cups handy. I knew the string would pull water up, but I deliberately positioned it so it wouldn't drip on anything or touch my background (which is jut a piece of paper taped on the back haha). Of course I came back one day to find it positioned in the perfect place to have let water soak down one side of the paper and start to do water damage to my cheap stand. I'm just lucky it was at the back! I went back to using suction cups. Sometimes it amazes me how I'll envision a problem I could cause, think I'm avoiding it, and then end up exactly at the problem.
  6. Oh yes! The water always takes longer to fill than you'd like, and it's so tempting to step away for just a minute, and so easy to completely forget something important is happening... until the sound of overflowing water kicks in panic mode! 🙂
  7. As many have said, it usually is in reference to a certain level of important bacteria in the nitrogen cycle; however, I think the term is also often used when describing a tank that's been running with stable parameters for a long time (i.e. ~years). One way to think about it is the longer a tank goes with stable, healthy parameters, the more "mature" it is. Mature tanks are generally more resistant to problems, as inputs (light, food, fish, etc.) are in a stable balance with chemical processes and outputs (biological filtration, plants, water changes, algae control, etc.).
  8. Welcome! You're right, it's a great hobby for people who love research ☺️
  9. And apologies for the blurry picture - those minnows are fast! The only other inhabitants (besides the plants) are a growing population of bladder snails that I decided to let help me keep algae in control.
  10. Hello! I'm a young aquarium hobbyist who has been interested in fish keeping since my dad bought me my first tank for my 8th birthday (he was kind enough to maintain it for me). When we went to the pet store, my mom wanted us to get a goldfish in a bowl, but my dad was set on a "real" tank with a school of tropical fish and everything they needed. Since then, my family has kept tanks on an off, and I eventually invested in a 20 gallon and set up a community tank. After taking it down and giving away the fish because of a move, I finally got back into the hobby this summer (probably because I've been spending a lot more time around the house : ) and am working on building a heavily planted tank. My water is very hard and I didn't want difficult fish, so I settled on White Cloud Mountain Minnows (a yellow type from Vietnam, I think) after watching Cory's "Best Beginner Fish" video and doing a ton of research. They just went in a couple of days ago and I'm already loving their color and movement. I'm a huge fan of Aquarium Co-op's videos on YouTube (hence the White Clouds) and I also love Irene's advice over at Girl Talks Fish (hence my frogbit setup). I just joined this forum because of a question I had about a betta tank, but I think I'm probably here for good. The idea of a forum specifically about fish keeping that prioritizes caring and respecting others is right up my alley. That's all! Can't wait to be a part of this community!
  11. I really like the term "experienced beginner"! It's a handy oxymoron that I will keep in my vocabulary 🙂
  12. Thank you! That sounds good - I'll start with water changes and will test for pH swings. I might pick up some activated carbon to go in the filter as well.
  13. I'm a relatively novice aquarium hobbyist, and I need some advice on this issue. I recently made a small cotton bag for some filter media out of an old black T-Shirt. Everything was fine until, about 5 or so days later, it started turning the water grey. By the time I figured out what was causing the problem, the aquarium water had turned completely black (or very, very dark grey). There are currently no fish in the tank; it's a new, planted 10 gallon that was getting ready for a betta. I'm prepared to do a 90% water change, which will hopefully clear up the water, but I don't know if I should be concerned about toxins or harmful chemicals in the dye. I was planning on getting a betta this week, but now am worried that it might not be safe. What would people recommend I do? The tank was all ready to go (seemed to be cycled, plants growing, water parameters in the clear, etc.) up until these past few days. Thank you in advance for any help or advise you might give.
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