Travis

The Fluval kits use a 95 gram threaded cylinder that screws directly into their regulator. A 12 gram cylinder used for paintball/pellet guns is not threaded so it needs an adapter to hold the cylinder and pierce it. Im thinking I need an adapter for my paintball bucket changer and a valve I can slowly open to release co2 into a passive co2 bell.

I'll look into it. I thought those used screw in cartridges? The ones I have are not threaded.

I have a couple boxes of 12 gram CO2 cartridges from a paintball pistol that I no longer use frequently. I would like to use them to dose CO2 in a nano planted tank. I am planning to just do the inverted bottle/tube method to add the CO2. Is there an adapter/valve available that would work for this? I have the paintball adapter for piercing the cartridge already and need a controlled way to add the CO2.

Amano shrimp generally don't cause much trouble with other tank mates. They will however bully food away from other critters. Mine like to steal shrimp pellets and run off with them but once they have one it keeps them occupied for quite a while.

Anyone here have experience with 100% Silicone Liquid nails adhesive? I was about to use some that I had in my toolbox on a rock work project. However it says not recommended for underwater applications. If it is 100% silicone it should be safe once cured or am I missing something? Thanks

That looks like it could be Cyanobacteria. You should carefully remove it all together before it spreads. Is the tank relatively new or well established?

Im in northern Wisconsin (already dropping into the 30s overnight) and depending on the company they start limiting shipments at this time of year until around March-April. Other places will monitor the weather and put your order on hold if they don't feel it is safe. Most places online will usually list their personal policy under a shipping FAQ. I'm always concerned that my personal schedule will make it so I can't be at home right when fish arrive. If I were home during the day I would probably order more stuff...maybe its for the best lol

Lol yeah pretty much everything in this setup is a new first for me so anything that survives/thrives is a plus

My lily put up its first pad to the surface today

Here are some pics of current residents. I want to get an overall pic of the tank but Im fighting a hair algae explosion after a recent bout with ich/parasite treatments and it doesnt look great lol. Though this does show some of the plant growth progress...

If there are no external signs of disease and the rest of the tank is doing well it could be an internal parasite causing it to waste away. Without access to proper aquarium meds I am unsure how to treat this. If possible I would keep it isolated from the main tank until you see more change.

This will be a journal for my current tank. One single tank? I know. Blasphemy! The struggle is real. I have been keeping aquariums off and on for nearly 40 years and this is my first foray into a fully planted tank for various reasons. The tank has been up and running for a few months now and I had intended to start this journal right away but...life etc. My current rental lease was changed to allow aquariums so naturally I started planning without delay. My space was limited so I couldn't do my preferred tank (40 breeder) and the tank/stand would be in our main living area so I wanted something that looked nice while hiding most of the equipment. I found a Fluval Spec 16 on sale at my LFS. Customer returned it because it was the wrong color so opened product discount! Tank- Fluval Spec 16 Subtrate- Black aquarium gravel base to give the bed some height at a lower cost Stratum top layer Filteration- has an in tank filter section on one end with 3 chambers First chamber filled with coarse sponge pad cut to size Second chamber Bottom filled with fine rectangular pot scrub sponges (dollar store) Top filled with ceramic bio balls in a mesh bag Third chamber Houses the submersible pump and submersible heater Sponge filter In tank for aeration and grazing Plants- Compact Amazon Swords Red dwarf Aquarium Lily Scarlet Temple Anubias Nana petite Monte Carlo Christmas Moss Bridge Java Moss Micro Sword Water Sprite Fish Celestial Pearl Danio/Galaxy Rasbora Ember Tetra White Cloud Mountain Minnow Otocinclus catfish Bristlenose Plecostomus Inverts- Red cherry shrimp Amano shrimp Nerite snail Ramshorn snails Bladder snails Malaysian trumpet snails These were all early pics follow up to come soon! Thanks for looking

Will there be an option for a dark version theme in the future?

Here are some ideas. I like Apistogrammas.

Looks good. No such thing as over planting unless you don't like trimming 😉 keep an eye on your Nitrates and try to keep a consistent light cycle and this will grow in really nice.

I feed blanched Zucchini in a glass petri dish. I have six Otos and unless my Pleco chases them off there is usually always one on the food. I also add Bacter AE to the tank to keep my biofilm up for my shrimp and Otos.

Im assuming you are using the solid fixed shelf in the middle which likely has a higher load capacity than what is listed by Ikea. I'm not trying to dissuade you but I would certainly keep a close eye on it after setup. If it works I think a 10 gallon would look very nice on these.

There are some submersible LED tubes available though I have never tried one personally. Could double as a heater depending how much they generate. How sturdy are your bookcases? A single 10 gallon can weigh over a 100lbs filled.

Put them in the bucket with a water change from one of your mature aquariums. Maybe squeeze out some filter media into the bucket through a fine net to avoid snails? Id say add some substrate also but its likely that could have snails as well. You could also add a product like Bacter AE to get things growing.

Mine like to all hang out in my midwater clump of java moss attached to a branch of driftwood. It looks like its growing berries lol

Welcome! I'm also from the land of cheese😁

Picked up some White Clouds from a LFS recently. They were smallish and pretty drab when I bought them. Now that they have put on some weight and started coloring up I have 5 that look pretty normal and this 1 that is a goldish yellow from eye to tail but the body is grey. Is this a normal color variation? Or is there some muting of color in females? I really have only seen the standard, full golds, and longfins before. Pardon the pic they were zooming around after eating.

Do you know what or how they were feeding them when you got them? How are you keeping them?

Is your outdoor pond in a location where you can have a submersible heater? Even on its lowest setting to kick on during a temp drop this could save you some worry