AndreaW

Glad you caught it in time to save the Cories and glad you had another tank nearby to transfer them to. Phew! Those look like happy roots! You are definitely doing something right to have growth that quickly. That is interesting to see the difference between the two tanks.

I'm so glad to see him doing well!

J-B WaterWeld says it is safe for "Potable tanks" which is what you want to look for. That means it's meant to be underwater and won't leach out anything into your water. However, it's off-white and will work on hard wood, but not soft woods. There are some specific aquarium putties that are colored you can find, but I haven't used them. (I've used WaterWeld.) ETA: There are aquatic epoxy sticks that come in different colors, and if it's smaller pieces that aren't that heavy, you might be able to use the gel superglue but it also dries white so you would need to keep it tidy.

How about something like this? (Picture from George Farmers book, Aquascaping. I'm thinking it would be cool with some tall plants in the background, the wood as the mid-ground centerpiece, and then some plants in the front.

Ordered! Thank you, I can't wait to try it for him.

@Odd Duck ~ With your suggestion, I began researching and did find some articles and forum posts about "snub nosed" Plecos, and the theories behind why it would happen. It definitely looks like Gary has a severe case, and it probably has been exacerbated through the years by him sitting on his nose so much more because of it. I do believe he is not able to suction onto things and it will probably prevent him from rasping on the wood. I'm going to make sure I drop some extra food in the bottom of the tank at night for him after the others have had their fill and hopefully he will have enough to eat. I found this in my research: In reading the articles, it appears that severe deformities would probably prevent snub nosed Plecos from surviving in the wild because of the inability to efficiently eat. We have a bunny we fostered and then later adopted who had teeth that grew at an odd angle so they wouldn't wear down. She also had teeth that grew quicker than most, and the combination of the two meant she always had teeth too long that had to be trimmed at least monthly. She couldn't eat food properly and was often very underweight. We finally made the decision to fork out the big bucks to have the surgery to completely remove the front teeth and now she eats very well and has gained weight. She is definitely a bunny that never would have survived in the wild and if bred properly, would have been culled by the breeder. We are glad to have her as part of our family, and the extra bonus? -- she can't chew on cords or furniture! But she does poop a lot more than Gary. Gary IS special and I do understand him a lot more and will take the time to make sure he has plenty to eat. So far, he seems to be enjoying the new tank setup and likes to sit/hide under one of the arches. I can't wait for the plants to grow in and give him some more cover.

@Odd Duck ~ Thanks. I've never heard of "Short nose" but it makes sense. I posted pictures of him on a local group but its a small group and haven't got any responses yet. @xXInkedPhoenixX ~ It would make sense that a deformation could prevent him from suctioning on the glass as I've never seen him do it (and I've never known another Pleco that doesn't do it). It probably explains why he props and wedges himself into corners as his way of adapting to it. @lefty o ~ Haha, seriously! Now if I could get snails that don't poop I would be set! One good thing about this particular tank I have him in is the current is strong enough and with the UGH filter everything gets swept up and there's no visible detritus in the tank which is a huge win! So far, it seems like the consensus is that he has a deformation, which makes sense given his uncommon look and behavior. I've been going back and forth on whether or not to re-home him as he's in a tank that is less than an ideal size for how big he potentially will get. At this point, I'm thinking I will keep him and watch his behavior to see if I feel he's uncomfortable. If I re-homed him, it would probably be to someone in a local club and I guess I could mention he has a deformity but he's a "poopless" variety! Of course I've been eyeing a 75G long but I haven't convinced my husband yet and sadly, we have a small house without a fish room -- at least until the kids move out.

@Alex Burgess ~ As others have mentioned, Nitrates are removed from the water through water changes, but the plants also use nitrates as fertilizer. You want to have at least 20ppm Nitrates for plants to grow, and less than 40ppm for your fish to be healthy. If you haven't yet, check out the many blog articles ACO has put out here: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium And here's one specifically about Cycling with Plants (scroll down) https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/fish-tank-cycling?_pos=6&_sid=e71acdb5c&_ss=r There's an infographic put out by ACO that shows when/how much to change water based on your nitrate levels but I can't seem to find it. I'll keep looking. (ETA: Just saw @Widgets posted it above)

I love the new plants and hope they do well for you! It will be fun to see this tank fill up with greenery.

It was advised I ask about my peculiar Pleco, Gary. We call him *special* because he's not like any other Pleco we've ever had. We bought him back in 2019 if I remember right. He was sold to us as a "Common" Pleco. He's never sucked/rasped/suctioned on glass or anything else. I've also never seen him eat, but I would assume he eats or he wouldn't still be alive and 8" long. I was going to say I've never seen him poop either, but my daughter reminded me of the nick-name I gave him, "Sir Gary Poops-alot." So yes, when he was younger, he would leave garlands all over the tank, but in the past year or two I haven't seen him poop. I'm beginning to think he's a zombie. I feed the fish flakes, algae wafers, cucumbers, green beans, brine shrimp etc. Of course, I never know what he eats as I never see him interested in anything. Beyond not rasping or sucking on anything, he just wedges himself in awkward spots, or sits with his nose in the gravel like this: His nose is flat and not the normal pointy nose I've seen on every other "Common" Pleco I've ever had. I tease my son that he's flattened his nose from sitting on it too long -- or chasing parked cars. So, is he (or could be a she) a deformed Common, or a different species or an alien? Anyone have any ideas for me? Seriously, I would love to help him be happy and it would be great to know he's eating (and pooping). I've considered rehoming him to someone with a bigger tank, but it would be nice to "get to know him" a little better and I am waiting to see how he likes my new planted tank.

My daughter suggests having the kids do "Animal Fact Cards" using their research as one (or more) of their assignments. (She's a HS student and currently taking zoology).

@Widgets ~ Thank you! I appreciate the time you have taken to research and record your results. Do you mind if I copy it into a document for future programming? I do plan to test out the DIY mode later down the road. For now, I'm going to overlap my day/night modes like you recommend.

Wow! I just want to say this is a great idea! There's SO much to learn and hands-on is an amazing way for the kids to learn it! I would have them start the tanks sooner as 4 weeks can be a short time to start up a tank and establish the nitrogen cycle enough. 1- I think you will be amazed how much time will be taken up *doing* things. If you feel you will have extra time, you could go into specific fish and researching their individual needs, have them (virtually) stock a larger tank with compatible fish mates based on water/ecosystem/temperament. Breeding water parameters based on where you live and how to handle soft/hard water when you move to a different area. Evolutional Adaptations different styles of tanks Aquatic Plants 2- I've never kept Amano shrimp so I'm not sure if starting up a tank for them is doable in 9 weeks or not? I'm trying to think of something that could be kept in a 10G and be able to handle a fish-in cycle, or if you could get your cycle going quick enough with plenty of time to add and enjoy them before the 9 weeks is up. 3- Unfortunately, I'm not much help here, but if you do get a grant that should help. Are you allowed to have class fees to cover some of the costs? I know my daughter's high school has additional fees for her art class supplies. If you had a larger class, for those who are not going to be purchasing their set-up, could you pair two students together to work on a shared tank? That's my initial thoughts and I seriously love the idea of this class. I'm really excited for you and for the kids who will have the opportunity to take this class. Good luck!

So far the adjusted times in Auto are doing what I programmed. My son loves how it turns on and ramps up in the morning (at the same time as his alarm). He also loves the moonlight. I haven't ben there to see the transition between the day and night setting but I'll have to schedule them to overlap so there's not an abrupt change. Down the road I may need to make adjustments for plants/algae, but for now I'm just letting it do its thing. I did try to play around with the DIY but didn't like that you can't have it fade from one to the next and the last two are moonlight modes. Since the Auto mode is working for me, I was thinking maybe of trying the light on a plug-timer and having it turn off for a siesta in the middle of the day. What I'm wondering is, if it cuts off power, will it reset the time? I'll have to take some time and play around with it more.

We bought him as a "Common" but he's not like any other common I've had. I'm used to seeing a pointier nose and having them suck and hang on the glass.

@Dawn T ~ I'd love to see a picture of the current tank and how the plants have changed over time!

"Gary" must be a female then. Never any digging. Of course its the oddest Pleco I've ever had so who knows? He/She spends most of their time wedged in a corner or sitting with their nose in the gravel. I've given him corners and spots to *hide* but he doesn't use them. I'm totally serious when I say I've never seen him eat or poop. I put algae wafers and cucumbers in after dark but don't know if he ever gets them. I've never been able to tell what or how much he eats. Somehow he is 8" long, and has survived since 2019 (if I remember right). He's never sucked on the glass or anything. I've always wondered if his mouth is deformed as he has a very flat, square nose and a lumpy looking head.

Welcome @Widgets! Nice to finally *meet* you!

Thanks, I'll try that! I noticed pic I put in a collage don't have that problem, so a slight cropping makes sense. @Patrick_G ~ Thanks! And yes, I swear I find them like that once a day. I went in wanting two of the same sex and I got the happy couple (It's just my luck). They've already laid one clutch (I had to remove) already. My son has plans down the road to set up a breeder tank and make enough snails to take over the world. For now, he's experimenting with bladder snails in my quarantine tank.

I think I'm having the same issue in my 10G Betta tank. I did one pump of Easy Green 2 days ago and today there were 0ppm Nitrates on my test. I added another pump after the test. Should I add multiple pumps of Easy Green at a time, or should I space it out and see if I can get my nitrates up to 20ppm gradually?

@Katherine ~ Did you notice the rock in my final scape? I made sure your daughter's rock made it -- it's the little rock on the far right! Here's my final scape, all in place with a bunch of happy fish! I'm super happy with it, but most important, my son loves it! Thanks everyone for your input! I can't wait until the plants in the back right grow tall and fill in! Here's the view from the side (and sideways since no matter how I rotate it, it auto rotates sideways):

I was able to work with all fish in the tank thanks to the help of my trusty little sidekick, Dakota! Last goodbyes to the castle: I removed everything from the right half of the tank and placed the large driftwood & rock and then worked on the left side. I tried to disturb the substrate as little as I could. I want to preserve as much BB as I can since I had to remove the castle and plastic plants. I held off on a water change and filter cleaning last week and I'll wait a little bit before I disturb things further. Once the hardscape was in place, I began planting. That was the most time-consuming part. Some of the background plants are short so they are hiding behind the driftwood. I'll get better pictures tonight once the tank clears up and there are less reflections. Dakota said I'm not allowed to remove his stickers, so I guess they will stay for now... Overall, I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I'm really hopeful the plants do well. I'm not holding my breath on the Scarlet Temple, but it's pretty for now and I hope the Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus takes off. I'm really hoping the Anubias thrive in this tank since I can't have any in my 10G. These are my first Crypts so that will be fun to try out. All the fish seem very pleased with the new arrangements except Gary the Pleco... but I never know with him anyway. I'll put some cucumbers in tonight for him and the snails. I'm hoping the white rocks will show a little algae soon and blend in a bit. Down the road I will need to replace the uplift tubes and see if I can do spray bars on the powerheads to break up the flow. For now, I'm sure I will obsess over the plants.

The powerheads are Penguin 550s and are quite powerful. When directed toward the front of the tank, along with the HOB filter, there's enough flow along the front of the gravel that the snails start losing traction and almost get carried away. A spray bar would be a great option if I could find one that fits! For now, I angled them toward the sides as much as I could (one angled further than the other one) and that seemed to break it up so there wasn't quite so much flow in the center.

Hijack away! I'm grateful for the info! @SJ fishing ~ I have it on the auto program, but modified the start and end times and so far I think it came on at the right time this morning. I played around with the current time on mine last night and set it to 1 minute until a change to watch and I think I might be okay on this one. *fingers crossed*

J-B WaterWeld is the best & Stainless Steel screws come to the rescue! It is off-white, so it doesn't work for everything but I'm seriously impressed with it. The hard driftwood and rock are securely adhered. (Soft driftwood doesn't really stick to the putty so I improvised below). I attached the driftwood to the large 7 lb. rock and it is secure! I'm sure over time as the driftwood decays it may separate, but the putty is shaped so that the driftwood will be stable on the rock even if it's not fully adhered. I also used a bamboo skewer as a dowel to attach the two smaller driftwood pieces and it wasn't as secure as I would have liked because it's a really soft piece of wood, so I ended up adding a stainless steel screw into it. I had to attach some rocks to the bottom of the left driftwood piece so it wouldn't float. I added some small stainless steel screws and left the heads out a little bit to give the putty something to grab onto, which seemed to work well. I added smaller rocks into the putty so it will blend in with surrounding rocks and I'll also add some additional rocks around the driftwood/rocks as well. Ultimately, my goal was to have two solid pieces to place in the tank that I wouldn't have to worry about shifting or tipping and I think I've accomplished that nicely. I can move the left piece to break up the arch between the two, or fit it together without a gap. Here are my final pieces! I was considering trying to get the pieces in the tank and get it planted and cleaned up before my son gets home from school but I think it best to wait until he gets home to have him help me. I'm sure a second pair of hands and eyes will be useful in placing these in the tank with fish.