North Dakota fish keeper

What does it mean when the tips split and turn a little brown? I give it monthly Easy Green Root Tabs and weekly dose of Easy Green liquid fertilizer. I apologize for the orientation of the photo, I am not real techy.

Can anyone identify what type of algae this is, how can I prevent it, and how to get rid of it?

What is the best nitrate level that will keep my fish healthy but keep my plants well fed? What is a good "goal" when dosing liquid fertilizer?

Can any of you identify what type of Angelfish this is? I know it is a female,, because she is laying eggs. I got her in December and she was a little bigger than a quarter at that time, and was listed as "Assorted Angelfish". Is she a Zebra Angelfish? Silver Angelfish? Other? Thanks for your help!

A few of the "frizzly" tips of my Java Fern Windelov have turned brown. Is it okay to trim those off without killing the plant?

I would not recommend treating him with salt in a planted tank. But if he is not feeling well or starting to not act normally, would be worth moving him to a "hospital tank" to get him feeling better! A quarantine/hospital tank is a must for every fish keeper. Good Luck! Keep us posted on your little fella.

I have one bristlenose pleco in my 29 gallon and he does a fabulous job cleaning up the algae. I can clearly see the difference he makes as I have a 10 gallon that is too small for a BN, and the 29 never has an algae problem. Give your BN a chance and I am sure you will be happy with their cleaning abilities!

I would point you to go to the Aquarium Co Op online store and search Fritz aquarium salt. There is an article there that talks about using aquarium salt as a treatment for a variety of fungal or bacterial diseases etc. If you follow the directions given it is a safe and effective treatment, even if you are not 100% sure what it could be. Adding almond leaves/bark will release tannins into the water, if you like that look, that are known to have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. That could be a preventative option once your fish gets better. Your fish is stunning by the way. I hope he feels better soon!

Not necessarily native to China, but I think some sparse plantings of microsword would look lovely in your tank. Love all the rock - definitely a key look for that Biotope. Please post a pic when it is completed, and good work so far!

Thanks Ken for your post! Funny that your angels were busy too!

I have an angelfish (she is my profile photo) that layed eggs today. She does not have a mate, so I know they are not fertile. One good thing - I did not know if my angel was male or female. Now I know. 🙂 Anyway,she layed them on an Anubias Barteri leaf. She is being very protective of them now, and I am afraid that she might injure the other fish in the tank (she is normally quite docile). Because of this, I would like to remove them. But they are stuck tight! I really do not want to trim the leaf off as she picked the biggest most beautiful leaf to lay them on, and I don't want to cut it off. Is there another way to remove the eggs without actually having to cut the leaf off? Or will she eventually give up and not care about them anymore? Could another fish eat them? I have a bristle nose that I was wondering might do the job for me. Please let me know what you think. P.S. I was honestly surprised.....I did not know an angel would still lay eggs without a mate.

How long does it take for a female mystery snail to lay a clutch of eggs? Like the actual egg laying process? I have a female that I think is ready to do so......she is crawling on the underside of the lid, and she never does that. Was wondering if/when she starts to lay eggs, how long does it take to complete her clutch?

I have heard yay and nay. Many say no because the plants consume all the waste in the substrate. Others say yes, you still need to vacuum as part of your regular maintenance. What do you say?

I am new to aquatic plants. A piece of my Java Fern Windelov broke off during tank maintenance today. Can I float it and will roots grow from he little black "pods" that are on the underside of the leaf? Or should I do something else? THANKS

I love Aquarium CO-OP's sponge filters. For a ten gallon you could go with their "small" size. I have a ten gallon and I have it in the center/back behind some driftwood and plants. You could also try a "nano" size if you felt that would fit better in your set up. The amount of sponge surface area is nearly identical. Your tank is beautiful!

Cloudy water can be so frustrating! I have had that problem in the past. Mine was due to over feeding and not getting the substrate clean enough. I backed off my feeding a tad, gave the gravel a really good deep clean, and purchased the fine filter pad from Aquarium CO-OP. It does a great job getting the fine particles out of the water, which can cause your water to look cloudy. That did the trick for me. Good luck!

Pearl Gouramis would be beautiful in your tank. I have a Red Flame Dwarf Gourami in my 29 gallon, I I enjoy him very much. They are beautiful fish with great personalities. Let us know what you decide!

I should mention most of the plants are less than two weeks old.....only two are about a month old. The new ones came from Aquarium CO-OP.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your advice and encouragement. My son just gave me a piece of Hornwort, Torrey, and it has grown from 2 inches to about 6 inches in a month. I have it floating. So, I have not killed that one! I have inserted a pic of my tanks. The 10 gallon has Anubias Petite and it did have Anubias Nana but I think I killed it by using too much super glue when I attached it. I had thought it was melt but after e-mailing Candi from Aquarium CO-OP she thinks it was rot due to too much super glue. 😞 I am preparing my 10 gallon to house a betta. It also has a Java fern and a Windelov and an Anubias Barteri. I also have a 29 gallon. It has a Java Fern, a Windelov, and Anubias Congensis and some Java Moss. All of these plants are less than a month old. When the Anubias Nana died I was about to give up until reading all your replies. Thanks again.

I just had an Anubias Nana completely dissolve on me. I think I found the rhizome but it was so small I am not sure. I put it in a crevice of a piece of driftwood and will hope it comes back? This is my first planted tank and everything looked so pretty at first and now I’m worried. I thought from this point on I might try non melting plants. I currently have a Windelov, a Java Fern, 2 Anubias Nana Petite (they are looking rough) and an Anubias Barteri. Also some Java Moss.

Any suggestions for a newbie? Plants that don't typically "melt" that I could try?

I am new to this forum and new to planted tanks. I just want to say thank-you to those who have responded to my basic questions without making me feel "less" of a fish keeper because I am learning. I have been blown away by how quickly people have responded. I think "CARE" is a great acronym for this community, because only those who truly care about other aquarists and the hobby in general would take time to respond so thoughtfully to newbies like me. I am so glad I found Aquarium CO-OP through You Tube. They are a top notch business and I have learned so much through Cory and the rest of his team. I feel all of you are an extension of this team. Thank-you all! Looking forward to gleaning more from your experience.

I am new to planted tanks. I know Water Sprite can be planted or floated.....can it also be "anchored" using plant weights, say on a piece of rock or driftwood? I like the idea of being able to move the plant around, should I want/need to. Is this a good beginner plant?

You have a stunning tank and beautiful plants. Thank you for sharing. I had not even though of using bulbs.

This is my first post on this forum. I am new to planted tanks. I am looking for a good beginner plant that will grow tall as a background plant. I have a 29 gallon and recently put in a Java Fern and a Windelov and some Java Moss. I like the idea of rhizome plants because they can move around if I decide to change things up or for maintenance, but I am open to suggestions. Beginner and easy are my two key words! Also, do you have to gravel vac a planted tank? What about one with just rhizomes, since technically they are not “planted”? Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions.