Mmiller2001

Hopefully it shapes out. The fish seem to really love it. They have been acting very different since this scape started.

I wonder if I should just toss it? Green Aqua and George Farmer tanks 😂 I've really grown to love George. I was watching a video of his the other day and he said this. "A perfect tank is an illusion." I think I have unrealistic expectations and should reevaluate them.

Yeah, that George lol. Getting BBA already sadly. Transition damage is real.

I needed this laugh. Thank you.

But...it ...looks....so...bad ... I have no patience. So you're saying I have to wait? 😆 How come George Farmer's tanks don't take so long?

This is what failing looks like. Kind of looks like vomit.

You do not adjust fertilizer with the addition of fish.

I've seen people post they have used that. Should be fine if chemical free.

Sounds like high CO2 in the tap water. Fill a storage bin, and let it sit 24 hours before water change. Drop an air stone in it and triple dose dechlorinator while it sits.

I picked up a bunch and hasn't turned black at all.

You 100% don't, nor do you need root tabs. Pick the one that looks best to you. Keeping the size on the pebble/grain smaller helps by creating more surface area. But it's definitely not necessary.

I will stay the course. Thank you @Hobbit. Right now, they are just leafless sticks.

There was. I had to hang it above my 75 gallon. It just doesn't quite fit on the rim with the included brackets. Oddly, the model 90 fit on my 40 breeder just by reversing the bracket. Here's how I hung it.

Yes, the stated tank volume is when filled to the brim. And then subtract substrate, decor and fish.

Good to know. Was I right about planting woes?

Bummer. I would try to return as well.

Bought on a visa or Mastercard?

I believe stratum is inert where ADA is packed with nutrients. There's upsides and downsides with using both. Price, longevity and dosing approach with each substrate. Landen Aqua Soil is an excellent alternative to ADA. Definitely have a look at it. I think people have reported Stratum is a bit difficult to plant in. ADA has a pretty strong ammonia spike. ADA breaks down faster than Landen. Any inert substrate lasts the life of the tank. Dirted tanks can be messy. Pool filter sands are cheap and Caribsea has some nice options. You can also bag up aqua soils and cap with sand. Pretty much any capped Aqua soil will be mixed when planting and rearranging.

I need to clarify. Don't go dumping terrestrial fertilizer in your tank. Example, no Miracle Grow and similar. If it's designed for aquariums, you are good to go.

With not having to spend money on lights, channel all those funds to a topnotch aqua soil, hard scape materials and plants. Shot for a minimum of 70% planted as a starting point.

I do. The diatoms will just go away once the tank matures. The best things you can do is keep up maintenance, and increase the plant load. You will never be able to starve out algae, diatoms and the sort. You will starve the plants long before that happens and in return feed the algae what they want. The pH KH chart assumes no other acid sources, just the carbonic acid created through co2 injection and the relevant pH drop. These charts are poor indicators as the process of nitrification creates weak acid in the tank.

Yes, I believe I posted the algae chart in my journal. Can't remember if I posted a CO2 chart. I'm old...

Fertilizer is fertilizer. Just name tricks.

Animals vs plants. Now that's going to spur a conversation 😆. This is why freshwater planted tanks are superior to salt water. It's up to the aquarist to mange and arrange colors. See what I did there 😁. This guy does it well.

The pH and KH has no influence on CO2. You will only have 2 to 3, maybe 4 ppm CO2 without injection.