Tara.C.

I purchased some otocinclus about a week ago. They're doing great so far. But they've already gone through the algae and biofilm in my tank. I've tried giving them Hikari algae wafers and Repashy soilent green. I haven't seen them eat either in the last couple of days, but they're swimming around the tank and acting content. Is there a way to entice them with food? Do they eat at night, and maybe I'm just not seeing them feed? Is there a better food I should be offering? I know they're prone to starvation, and j wouldn't say these guys have particularly round bellies, so I'm a bit concerned.

I just added some pogostemon from the co-op. Ripped out my myrio and moneywort and replaced with creeping jenny and cabomba. These seem to be doing better in my lighting. Also ordered some water sprite and crypt lucens for my other tank, and they look great!

What are your favorite background plants for a low-tech tank? I can do moderate to high light with mg Finnex 24/7 CRV, but I'm not running Co2. Just had to rip out my green myrio because the leaves started dying. (A real head-scratcher because I thought it was almost impossible to kill... meanwhile my water sprite and moneywort are growing like crazy). I'm using liquid ferts and substantial lighting. I'm a newbie, so easy to moderate care only. Probably not amazon swords since they get so large. My tank is only 29 gallons. I don't mind trimming frequently, but I don't want anything that's giant because I prefer to keep a big variety of plants. I like the look of anacharis, but I keep my tank at 79°, and I know they prefer cooler water.im using eco-complete substrate. Root tabs, and liquid ferts as needed.

What are your favorite background plants for a low-tech tank? I can do moderate to high light with mg Finnex 24/7 CRV, but I'm not running Co2. Just had to rip out my green myrio because the leaves started dying. (A real head-scratcher because I thought it was almost impossible to kill... meanwhile my water sprite and moneywort are growing like crazy). I'm using liquid ferts and substantial lighting. I'm a newbie, so easy to moderate care only. Probably not amazon swords since they get so large. My tank is only 29 gallons. I don't mind trimming frequently, but I don't want anything that's giant because I prefer to keep a big variety of plants. I like the look of anacharis, but I keep my tank at 79°, and I know they prefer cooler water.im using eco-complete substrate. Root tabs, and liquid ferts as needed.

Hello, everyone! Total newbie here, and I now have 2 planted tanks since July. I love any and all fish, but I am currently keeping a betta tank, and a community tank with cherry barbs, cardinal tetras, amano shrimp, panda garras, panda cories, a honey gourami, and a juvenile bristlenose pleco. I'm running through trial and error with plants (specifically stem plants) so I'm very much looking forward to learning from everyone. Here's some pics of my aquatic friends in their forever homes. Very excited about this forum and learning more about all aspects of fish-keeping.