J. Holmes
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Posts posted by J. Holmes
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I need some recommendations for background plants for my 20 long. I had Val for a long time, but I would get TOO LONG and was hard to maintain. Is there something that’s fluffy, but short? It’s a low tech tank, so no CO2. Mild lighting and kept at 78.
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On 3/25/2024 at 10:09 AM, JoeQ said:
Id also turn down your temperature if you can. Colder water grows less algae.
I would but it’s set for my Apistogramas. I’ve lowered it before to as low as recommended to keep them healthy.
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Thank you all for Your help. I believe this will be my plan. Let me know if You all agree. One question: do I gravel vac each water change? I don’t want to take out all the nutrients for my stem plants as they try and grow.
1. water changes: 2 10 gallon changes per week.
2. Increase fert. Fertilize every 2 days with coop easy green.
3. spot treat BBA. Trim up dead plants now and as they grow in. Get some fast growers to add to take as it fills in.
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On 3/23/2024 at 10:16 AM, Rube_Goldfish said:
Yeah, it might. @JoeQ has a journal wherein he talks about solving algae can sometimes involve actually turning the light up, in fact. Because, as he states in the journal, the best long term way to get rid of algae is a high amount of plant biomass that will outcompete the algae. Which is why the recommendation of the fast growing plants.
You can make a sort of "corral" using airline tubing as a boom to hold floating plants only where you want them, so that they soak up nutrients and only shade what you want them to. But that won't work above a sponge filter because the floaters won't like the bubbles.
Hmm. Can you do spot treatments of hydrogen peroxide, then? Maybe kill off the BBA in small chunks rather than all at once?
But to your larger point, yeah, you don't want to kill off your plants in order to kill off the algae.
I’ve been battling BBA for probably a year now. I’ve spot treated with Excel… I ALMOST had it tackled, but my few weeks I had to ignore the tank let it completely take over. It’s all in my substrate and covered my filter. I’m not sure how to get it out of the substrate. Would it be ok if I change out my filter and do an excel immersion? Would it completely kill off all the good in my filter and mess up tank?
also… any suggestions for carpeting plant? I’ve tried Monte Carlo and a crypt type. Both refused to grow for me.
On 3/24/2024 at 7:55 AM, JoeQ said:The algae killing journal was in the very beginning of my 10g journal. I don't suggest the hydrogen peroxide route either that kills both good and bad bacteria. As for reverse respiration, I'm also not a fan, IMO its basically a long unnecessary process involving trying to save unhealthy plant growth (thats why it is covered in algae). Your best course of action is trim unhealthy growth as new growth appears.
Algae is a symptom of poor water quality & poor plant growth. Treat the cause not the symptom!
I read your journal… it was helpful. My only concern is the water change amounts. I have sensitive fish in my tank and I fear changing my water that much would mess with them. I’ve been doing weekly 5 gallon changes and they do well with them. Should I increase to 7/10 gallons weekly till this is resolved/ my plants recover?
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On 3/22/2024 at 9:31 PM, Rube_Goldfish said:
Floating plants can grow quite quickly, which soaks up nutrients but also gives the benefit of shading the tank a bit. Salvinia minima, frogbit, water lettuce, giant duckweed (but not regular duckweed!) should all work pretty easily. Just about any stem should work and quickly, especially as you're injecting CO2, though if nutrient reduction is your only goal, I'd also recommend pearlweed.
If you don't mind uprooting the existing plants, you could give them all the reverse respiration treatment. You could do that to hardscape and the filter, too, but that's a last resort thing because you'd be resetting your cycle. Otherwise, spot treatment of hydrogen peroxide kills BBA, though again, I'm not sure what to do about the BBA on your filter that won't harm the beneficial bacteria that live there.
Yes my filter and substrate are a concern for me. I do not want to restart my tank and risk killing my sensitive fish. I have apistos in there. I saw where simply shading the filter could solve issue?
Also, with shading plants… I’ve never understood how that works when you have high light plants. Wouldn’t the shade kill the plants that need the light?
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On 3/22/2024 at 12:39 PM, JoeQ said:
Your biggest issue is plant mass, you need some fast growing easy plants to help soak up nutrients from the water colum. Clean what you can by hand, including filter(s) & dead organics. Continue with large weekly water changes 50% plus. And fertilize regularly, a minimun fertilizeing dose is more likely to cause algae, than a "little bit extra" along with a large weekly water change.
Thanks so much. What types would you suggest. I’ve tried to get crypts to grow… they melt and never come back. I’ve tried several different carpeting plants. My log shades them too much and I can’t get them to take.
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Sorry long post!!
I had to let my tank go during a kitchen remodel. I now have an algae issue. From my research, I know it’s under fertilized, so I’ll up the dosage. I was dosing incorrectly (I think). 40 gallons and only giving easy green 3 pumps and capful of potassium once a week. It gets CO2 and lights are on 12 hours. water temp is 78. My poor plants are STRUGGLING, so I’m hoping getting them back will help with my algae. I also have two hillstreams, 4 Nerites, and 10 Amano shrimp in there to do some work. But they seem a bit lazy in their cleaning.
I traditionally did a 5 gallon water change weekly. Do I need to increase for a while?Biggest issues:
Blackbeard EVERYWHERE. My sponge filter is completely covered. Everywhere in the substrate.
Green dust: covers my walls within a day. All over my plants (I think). I’ve tried gently rubbing it off and it doesn’t work. How can I help them?
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Tried to catch some clearer photos.
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I’ve had this poor girl in quarantine for about two weeks now. I’m not seeing improvement :(. First week was 3 tbs of aquarium salt in 5gallon with half maracyn.
week two: partial water change. Adjust salt to 5 tbs for 5 gallons. Other half of med packet added.
Should I keep her in meds and keep waiting? Will she recover?
first picture was when I noticed the growth. The others are her now. Sorry, she salt makes the water murky and hard to focus a picture.
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On 1/25/2024 at 4:43 PM, Colu said:
We're it's located it could be a prolapse you would want to treat with epsom salt baths 1 table spoon for 1 gallon for no more than 15 minutes for 5 days as Epsom salt acts as a muscle relaxant to help your fish reabsorb the prolapse I would fast for a couple of days or it could also be a benign growth or a tumor I would also do course of maracyn2 active ingredient minocycline also has anti-inflammatory properties just in case there's a bacterial component@J. Holmes
With the epsom salt… do you put her in a small bowl then remove and back into the separate tank with meds?
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On 1/25/2024 at 4:18 PM, Colu said:
Does it look like a prolapse or is it a lump or swelling
I have no idea… she’s so shy, it’s hard to tell. From what it seems it’s more like a lump. I’ve never had this on any of my other fish before.
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On 1/25/2024 at 4:05 PM, Colu said:
What are your water parameters ammonia nitrite nitrate pH KH GH temperature get you get a better picture
Everything is reading good. Close to zero. Or between 0-10. My KH and GH are a little higher, but still within range for Apistos -
Noticed this on my female Apistograma. I’m new to this fish and trying to make sure her care is good. She’s had it a few days. I couldn’t really find any information on it.
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On 6/13/2023 at 5:29 PM, anewbie said:
First - if keeping two species - just males no females - chances are better; if you add females stick to one species. Likewise with bn - no female cockatoo or borelli. Cockatoo males can be quite territorial and nasty but one never knows for sure - borelli are more passive but also a smaller fish - and can't defend itself from larger species. macs are much larger - not sure about aggressiveness. Trifs are one of the more aggressive species and while quite nice looking i definitely would not mix them with other species nor would i have multiple males together.
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How big is your tank and how many males? I was watching a Co-op video where he said keeping males together without females would result in fights. Ide love to keep 2/3 males together but only have a 40 gallon tank.
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On 11/8/2023 at 10:01 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:
Yes @Guppysnail @J. Holmes my male/female are in a 20 gallon tall with Black Neons and Harlequin Rasboras, so they don't have much "floor space" because they occupy the bottom half of the tank while the others occupy the top. Male was there first and I confirmed I had a female when adding her. I would imagine a few males MIGHT do ok in a 40 as long as you had a lot of line of sight breaks BUT personality definitely makes a difference. I've read accounts were one gets singled out and bullied to the point of starvation and stress. So you definitely have to have a backup plan.
Do you think one male apisto and one male Bolivian would do ok? I’ve got two male Bolivians in my 20 gallon long and they do well together. They both claimed one half of the tank.
My 40 gallon has lots of tall plants, spider wood in the center covered in Java fern, and a cave in the other corner. Would that be enough breaks for a male Bolivian and a male apisto? Or just stick to one species?
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Thank
you so much. I definitely don’t want to stress anyone. Would the Bolivian rams be ok with two males? Or would that just mix everything too much? I know ram temperatures often differ from apistos. I also would want all the males fighting so a 40 may not give them enough floor space
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On 11/7/2023 at 7:02 PM, Guppysnail said:
It sounds like a lovely tank. However if you are adding Apisto add male only. For Apisto to breed in a community tank it seriously stresses the female. They let nothing in their territory once they have fry. The constant battle if keeping our community fish will wear her out.
She will attack and harm the other fish.
Also borellii are not pair forming they are harem breeders.
Good to know, thank you. Would two males be ok? I’ve also read where some say to have 1 male to 3/4 females. Would that be less stressful?
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Hi all,
I have a 40 gallon tank I’ve had up and running about two years. It sits at 76 degrees and is planted. It has 2 hillstream loaches, 8 neon tetras, 6 plattys, full grown Amano shrimp, 2 Nerite snails. I would love to add a pair of apistogramma borellii opal. And maybe another pair or a pair of Bolivian rams (if it doesn’t overstock it). I’m not sure if these fish would all do well together or not. I also have rock based substrate for my plants and not sand (plan to eventually change that). Thanks all!
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I’m doing some tank maintenance and had a question about Java ferns. Am I able to trim their roots and they still survive? They’ve gotten VERY long and are starting to get in the way of things. It isn’t too bad in the front but the back is SUPER long. Thanks for the info!
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So I THINK my shrimp has eggs. I love these guys. How can I make sure these little guys survive?
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On 3/21/2023 at 11:34 AM, knee said:
Have you tried running it without a siesta period?
No I haven’t. I had it without a siesta EARLY on and algae was CRAZY. So added the break then to fix that.
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On 3/21/2023 at 11:11 AM, knee said:
Because OP mentioned he runs co2.
Are you able to control the brightness of the light?
I am… I have several high light plants, so I have the light up high for them. CO2 is relatively new (since Nov) so perhaps that early algae spike was due to that 🤷🏻♀️. I still deal with some green spot algae a little that I clean up weekly.
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On 3/21/2023 at 12:43 AM, knee said:
Skip the siesta period. Do you dose liquid ferts?
I have the siesta to control algae… it goes crazy without it. I do easy green once a week.
Neglected tank… algae issues
in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers
Posted
Thank you for your continued help! Update on tank.
1. 7 gallon changes every other day with cleaning the sides.
2. Dead plant clean up with each water change.
3. New plant order came in yesterday. Hopefully the new plants will help!
I have not played with light yet. Might try that in a few weeks. I have not seen a reduction in green dust, but I’m sure my plants have not recovered enough yet to help.