Tami

I was going to suggest the Walmart RO water too, mix it in with your well to decrease the nitrites you are adding - I use it because i can't use my well water - and mix it with tap water from work -just recently i had a sudden pH and Nitrite increase - checked my water from work and it had totally changed - fish were fine thankfully. Would adding Prime help in the short run while he tries to figure out a long term fix?

@MaggieI do almost the same thing, I have a few gallons by the heater vents and if I need more 2 cups in the microwave from a gallon for 2 minutes - add it back to the gallon and usually it is just right - the things we do for our fishy

@DanielI appreciate that and keep telling myself to just breathe and "look at the patient not the machines" (important lesson in Nursing) BUT everyone stresses water testing and where numbers should be. I had actually relaxed a bit and just observed my fish and plants then I gave in and checked the water

I attempted to cut class and make a lid with the track but getting a clean cut was impossibly frustrated so I made a lid with the some plastic that our graphic art shop cut for me because I have a HOB filter and needed a cut out - semi-fail: the plastic is bowing in the center. Going to try Cory's demo and make a new one since I just got a hand-me-down tank without a lid so I can make them at the same time. Good luck, I have had a hard time locating the proper size glass lids at the stores

@CoryI seem to remember reading or seeing on a video somewhere that you "overdose" on water treatment. Is it possible to put in too much or a problem using AuquaSafe and Prime together? Thanks, trying to clear all the info flying around in my head

@Danielso.... i just checked my 29 gal that has been growing green spot and a bit of black beard, my water was lightly green (only visible with water changes in my white bucket). I decreased my bright lighting in half and put in my 4 ghost shrimp. I have a few small plants, last easy green was 12/2 (decided to increase root tabs based on plants and not dose easy green) - my parameters are wacked out! ammonia 0.25 (has been 0 since cycling), nitrites over 2 ( I haven't seen them since the last time I added fish), and nitrates stable at 40 (was keeping them around 30/40 for plants)- I can't figure out what happened. My fish are fine - I only had water & time to do 25% water change ( no green in the water) and the numbers didn't move - I also added Prime 2gtts/gal into the tank ... just when I thought I was getting the hang of this water stuff

I also have a lot of iron in my well water - the water turns red without treatment. I haven't measured levels of sodium, but I do notice a "salty" build up on my plant pots and even in the garden if I water too much from the faucet. My husband doesn't like the taste of our water even with the softner and Brita I have only dont GH/Kh testing with strips last year when I started and was told it didn't matter if I didn't change my water mix from my sources. I use an API master that doesn't contain that test and to be honest I have just getting the hang of water management without GH/KH. I do need to learn because I do think I will go with a R/O system as I was just given another 29 gal tank and still have dreams of a 55

My Oto loves the brown algae!

my sword today - the leaves just fell off when I moved them around 😔 hope it comes back, there are a bunch of tabs around it and i lowered my light setting to fight off algae. before and now. I keep my nitrates around 30 and the fish are happy, turn air off at night so CO2 can build up... still learning and not giving up

No sure how you all take such great photos of you tanks - I have 4 ghost shrimp (new additions) to my 29 gal community tank

I am having the exact issue - try adjusting the easy green first but am getting impatient as now the black beard is growing hairs and my hard scape has green dots. I have a Fluval and the highest setting is warm light at 13% - I am trying to make one change at a time and just keep cleaning and trimming weekly. Maybe will go to just root tabs since I have dwarf sag/crypt wendii, amazon sword, anubias and java fern. Can't wait to see what other feedback comes through

I too use bottled water (walmart purified water) but mix it with treated tap water from work since there are no buffers in the purified water (GH/KH). I have a great formula that works great BUT I want a 55 gal tank and can't imagine doing this with twice as much water. Just test the water you use: spring and purified are different and I have found spring water to test different based on brands

So as I read these comments it seems that you CAN you salt treated water in a fresh water tank? I really want a bigger tank but buying/ hauling water is a pain with 29g I can't even imagine the 55g I want. My well has high iron and turns red if take before the softener so bypassing is not an option. Of all the searching I get mixed feedback on salt softened water being safe for fish. I am considering an RO system but remineralizing the water is yet another lesson I am finding hard to figure. Any comments/ feedback/ suggestions appreciated.

Just yesterday I forgot to turn my heater back on - boy was I surprised today when I put my finger in my tank when feeding! from 76 to 66 in less than 24 hours (of course our house is always freezing 65 degrees)

@ADMWNDSR83Did you quarantine your ghost shrimp? If so, how long? I just bought 4 on Sunday, they are so cool and 1 already molted. Tonight they went crazy at feeding time. I want to put them in my 29g but am trying to be patient so everyone is safe. Thanx

@Dandy PearlIt took me a minute, but I can't agree with you more - I did my first buy of plants last month and have a long list of what else I WANT. Now of course I am going to need more root tabs so not sure how much longer I can hold out!

@Dandy PearlI have at least 5 in the area close by - that's my guess, I keep hearing Cory in his video say "root tabs, root tabs, root tabs" but was worry about using too much - BUT I just added 2 more within an inch of the base - theres soooo much to learn and I WANT IT ALL!

I purchased a Red Melon Sword about a month ago. Planted it with 2 root tabs close. I am bad as I can't remember how many I have added in the general vicinity since. I am using EasyGreen but struggling with how much Nitrates to keep in my water. Most of the tall leaves have melted and been trimmed. The new growth looks good but then changes to reddish but see through like they are dying.

That's good to know, I was wondering if I could use too many root tabs.

thanks Sleepy - i removed them from the pots and kept them in a bucket with my tank water in it for 5 days - they looked good until i planted them. so was wondering my lighting or fert was the issue so wanted to get some feedback

I just planted (10/15) my new Aquarium Co-op plants (Dwarf Sag, Red Melon Sword, Dwarf Hairgrass, Cryptocorne Wendti) and they are yellowing and showing a lot of signs of deficiency. My old java fern and anubius are staying average 29 gal tank - 5 scattered roots tabs around plant areas - 1 shot of Easy Green each day since planted to keep Nitrates at 20 (but of course they jumped to 40 tonight) Is this normal melting? too much fertilizer?

BTW I thought my Priscilla's spawned because they were healthy and happy - not stressed. They have grown the fastest and are beautiful! I am sooooooo confused

monthly i rinse and wipe the film off my filter, rinse the black sponge in there and the bio beads and replace the carbon/bio bag all in my bucket with tank water. I do it 1-2 weeks after i partially vacuum (told not to vacuum a lot since i want to plant in my gravel subtrate and clean the glass. I do test the water I bring home - it has been good since the craziness in June - i treat with Tetra AquaSafe. I use an API master kit - what do I need to get to test my well water? we do have iron and iron bacteria. the iron bacteria upset my 60lb dog's stomach, so i am nervous about using it without some more direction. is there anything else I can do now to fix the ammonia in addition to decreased feeding?

thanks everyone: 20 gal tank, cycled over 4 months without fish - yes, saw the up and downs, good nitrate numbers - has been stable during the slow additions of my fish (all still on the smaller side): 2 glass fish (6/13), 3 Priscilla tetras and 3 serpea tetras with a small anubius (6/21), 1 otocinclus (9/5) after working with brown algae (8/28 started). I also have on small java fern. I only did the frequent water changes since the change in my pH from a steady 7.4 - 8.2 and my ammonia staying elevated, with some vacuuming. My water has been fine until 9/14 water check. Usually check every week with 25% water change, carbon filter change monthly unless nasty (inside the tank for 30gal), have bio rings, air stone, and fluvel plant light ( I want to plant more but am tryng to make small changes) Yes, I have tested my water that i add since i buy purified and bring tap home from work (still trying to learn about using well water). I found a crazy change in the tap water in July and made some adjustments. Use bottled spring water instead of tap sometimes. I have a good idea of what my fish look like stressed - I had a major nitrate spike a bit back and picked up on it by my fish's behaviour. If they are stressed they have always been because I haven't seen any changes. on 9/7 my water was fine 7.4, no ammonia/nitrite, nitrate 4 what can i do to lower the pH and ammonia? if just wait I will but was concerned about the otto

Thanks, I have actually cut back on the feeding - the only fish eating a lot is Oto (otocinclus) as he has cleaned all the visible brown algae in the tank. Could it be that? My Priscilla tetra also surprised me and spawned on the 7th and 9th. I have done 25% at least water changes on 9/11, 9/13 and 9/14 -- shouldn't that have taken care of it? nothing has changed? any additional thoughts?