nabokovfan87

There's definitely something having an affect to cause the algae to show up. Usually for this stuff it's a mix of nitrates (waste) and light. Lowering light, almost always makes it back off. The worms showed up for me when the filter stopped working.

The only thing I care about with shrimp substrate is how well does it support the plants. I specifically want a well planted tank and the shrimp will enjoy that going well. I've used sand, it was fine. Perfect for shrimp. I am currently using seachem flourite black and what I like about that one is that it holds the food up and it doesn't really fall down into holes. Now, the big asterisk here.... is that I don't need to modify my water for shrimp. I can keep basically a plethora of shrimp species without issues. (low PH, hard water) That's the key. Is do you need to modify water? The key is what do you need out of your substrate. The shrimp will adapt, but the best thing for shrimp is clean water, constant parameters, and just giving them the food/diet they need. Shrimp are forgiving that way.

Most "natural" substrate photos from the wild, it looks like a mix of sand and gravel. I had a 55/75 Gallon tank that was entirely sand and I had plenty of success with plants. Cory is working on an experiment to demonstrate how plants do in a variety of different substrates. Basically, it's an inert substrate and so you'd be dosing root tabs and stuff to add nutrients. In my opinion, honestly, I like sand a lot more than gravel, and I really enjoy white / light sand in a tank. It's so fun to clean and feel like you're at the beach. That being said, the specific one I mentioned is about 2x the pore size of traditional "sand" and it is a bit larger size. I have not planted in it yet in my tank, but it should be perfectly fine. I would shoot for ~3 inch as your minimum depth for plants so that you have enough room for the roots.

I am sorry for ruining your fun Mr. Geppetto. Seal it with silicone?

Just for my own knowledge and learning, is there some we shouldn't recommend because of the outdated science? I understand wanting to not name names, but I thought I'd ask. A better way to ask is probably... Are all the major brands viable, good options or?

Alright, so it's black gravel. Something specific about it is just branding and that's why it's "black diamond". It's literally black gravel, not sure what it's composed of without being able to touch it. Next time I'm at the store I'll check it out! I didn't want to have an essay or something about how to set things up, but just those quick recovery steps. The main thing is just to try to get it looking nice, manual removal. One of the big things that probably happened.... do you have the light on a timer? Is it just "on"? The other question is how you're cycling things. Are you using bits of food or dosing the bacteria? Is the tank near a window and that caused the algae? There's a variety of things that cause it, but you're dealing with brown diatoms, which usually is the easiest to get rid of, thankfully. The store should have the tetra test strips, but the ACO ones are an option as well and you'll get a bit more of them per purchase. If you're ok doing all the liquid tests, that's a great option as well. Whatever it is that you decide, as long as you are going to test (and it's not left in a cabinet somewhere) is the important part 🙂 .

Kind of similar to what I went through. No predator in the tank unless we're adding something else with the betta, so I would just be vigilant to get them out.

It also looks like you have worms (those white things on the glass). So this means you need to siphon them out. You won't get all of them, but it also means that you have some food for something like bottom dwelling fish. They look like normal detritus worms to me. This just means you must verify your filtration is working, your pump is working, and you have oxygenation / waterflow in the tank. If you don't have one, add an airstone too (if possible) which is something the worms tend to dislike. @Odd Duck I don't know if "black diamond quartz" is similar to BDBS? I am unfamiliar with that brand name or that type of substrate. Thoughts?

A few things to do right away. First, scrape all the glass to get that stuff off of it. Any rocks and leaves and stuff you can go ahead and scrape with a toothbrush. Second, turn off whatever light you have and don't turn it on unless you absolutely need to. (bacteria doesn't care if it's dark or not, plants can handle a 7+ day blackout if they need it. Third is to go ahead and siphon the substrate very well. Get as much of the junk out that you can. Fourth would be to do water changes (no fish, so you can change all of it) until you're happy with it "looking better". The reason for this is to remove algae spores and algae that's growing on everything. AFTER all of that is done... then let's talk about how to cycle it and what's going wrong 🙂 .

@GisheryGoodness You can also look into something like Amazonia and other substrates. There's a ton of amazing aquascapers here that can definitely point you towards something that works for the plants you enjoy. Even just using a planting pot / terra cotta bowl might be a better route

Caribsea Crystal River is probably what I would point you to if you aren't using an actual small pebble / gravel.

"dirt substrate" meaning potting soil or something like an aquasoil? Either way, you're moving substrate so it's going to be churned and mixed. I totally tried to use a strainer and get the sand to go through and then end with the fluval stratum balls in a seperate container, but it's not something that is easy to do and I would just avoid that altogether. Either just accept that it's going to be mixed up... or.... you just get at much sand as you can without junk in it (usually that's the expensive media) and then dispose of the rest of it. Seperate it for the bottom layer, but it's going to be mixed and that could cause anaerobic pocket issues long term. It might not, but it could. Substrate you move like anything else. You can dry it, just use a towel and it takes a little while based on temp (3-7 days) and then store it in a tub, bucket, or bag with a lid. Get it into a bucket, rinse it really well, then lay it out to dry for the length of time need be. You would go and move it around every 12-24 hours as to give more parts of the sand/substrate a chance to dry. You can also keep it wet and move it that way.

Definitely interesting. Thank you for sharing. Here's the bit from the end of the study: From the study itself, they used 67 mg/l as the minimum dosage. The bottle I have specifies a concentration of 3 PPM. Often I see people using 1-2 drops and not a very high concentration at all. The math is a bit wonky, but 3 vs. 67 ppm is a massive difference in dosage. I can't speak to how viable that is compared to what a hobbyist would use and see, but it's very clear that this stuff isn't safe in very high concentrations. @tolstoy21 The study also specifies that prior to a certain amount of time, they didn't observe issues with the fry. Let me grab the exact number. (see sheet 3, but removal within 24 hours you should be ok, especially at low dose)

I blame Zenzo and his video today for this idea! I really enjoyed the video this morning and wanted to share some more along that line. 5 fish that might be exactly what you were looking for 1. Clown Pleco -They graze on wood in the tank and can be a very good mulm source for fry. This is also a great choice to give a biotope or natural tank that little aesthetic look. The mulm is easy to clean, so if you just like the way they look, that's fine too! Beware, they don't like bright lights. If you spend time at your tank during night hours (or with blue lights on) then this might be a very unique fish for you to enjoy. 2. Amano Shrimp / Otocinclus -While both of these species are recommended, they have very different places of the tank they inhabitate. Amanos will focus on surfaces of the hardscape and have a slightly easier time with certain pieces of the hardscape like fine grass leaves or plant roots. Amanos also do well if you enjoy moss in your tank where the otocinclus' mouth doesn't quite fit that area. Otocinclus however tend to prefer large flat leaves as well as the glass or large flat surfaces in the tank. While both of these wonderful species are focused on slightly different spots in the tank, what is also nice is that they tend to go after different types of things in the tank. Because of the difference in how they eat, they prefer different types of algae. Either way, they are a fun item to add to the tank and might be that one creature that will grab the attention of someone looking at the tank! 3. White Cloud Mountain Minnow / Silvertip tetra -Both of these fish are very fun to watch and enjoy visually. Mountain minnows will enjoy a cooler tank while the silvertip tetra will enjoy a more common community tank temperature. The behavior and interaction these fish can provide is unique and interesting. For younger hobbyists these fish are interesting because of that interaction. Silvertip tetras will school and follow your fingers on the glass and white clouds can be some of the most fun fish to feed! My favorite aspect of these fish though is how unique their patterns are for the hobby and how they add those colors can pop against a black background or inside a planted tank. 4. Bolivian Ram / Apistogramma Species -While a lot of hobbyists first fish might be something from a fair or sold to them in a cup, these two fish might be a great "first fish" for someone. Bolivian rams can be kept alone and they won't get upset with all the attention being on them! In fact, Bolivian rams really do learn to bond with their keepers and can be a very unique connection in the hobby. Apistogramma species aren't ones that I have had the chance to enjoy, but they are absolutely some of the most beautiful species in the hobby. As with rams, they can enjoy being by themselves in a tank and will do really well to charm their keepers. 5. Loaches -Maybe it's because you want a fun species of fish that does some interesting things or has a unique visual look to the aquarium. Maybe you heard the name because you have some pest snails and want some help with them. However, loaches can be one of the most fun species of fish to keep! They interact with your tank a little bit differently than most other fish. There are some loaches that look like little eels too! The way the loaches mouths are often shaped means that they will enjoy eating foods that can be pretty fun to feed and give you some different interaction during feeding time, but it also means they can be very fun to watch when you do get time to sit at the tank.

what color is it?

Probably his favorite thing! I've seen some report major issues with bettas with longer fins and those logs. Just run your fingers inside and see it feels sharp or anything. 🙂 Happy Geppetto. My pandas (and friends) got their favorite snack today. I'm excited for them!

I've contemplated a few different ways for sure.... I haven't figured out the puzzle. One day! @Adam Swarbrick It definitely wasn't easy. I tried to roll them on my finger but they were seriously attached to the glass. Some easier than others and kn absolutely certain I damaged a lot of eggs. So I'm probably not the best to ask. But. I tried to use Dean's method of rolling my finger. For some it worked. For others I would have to pinch them off so to speak and then I did try using an algae blade but they didn't really work well for this situation. It is something where you need a massive amount of patience and sitting there for 3 hours pulling eggs slowly, hopefully it went slowly compared to trying to do it quickly and doing more harm. I'm collecting eggs and the fish were spawning around me. It was a crazy day in that tank for sure.

I miss it when the water was more constant! I can adapt to whatever need be, but I hate it when I go.... "something is wrong" and then come to find out.... my GH, KH, all crashed for the fun of it and now I'm spiking some random value of nitrite and ammonia (chloramines). My shrimp are fed up with it. 😞

That's awesome. The lily and the Wisteria probably love the intense lighting.

Just a note, and I might be wrong but double check it please. The loaches are going to want cooler temps (70-74) compared to where the tank it at. This alone introduces stress on the fish. Depending what species are in question, that could point towards the losses apart from any diseases. You mentioned that you had removed aragonite and then done a few things and that is probably a pretty massive shift in water parameters. The acclimation time it would take for the fish to adjust is also probably another contributing factor and the difference in PH (not sure what it was before/after) could also cause stress on certain species, especially something like the loaches. Not all, but some/most loaches would prefer 6.0-7.0 Rainbowfish: 7.0-8.0 (some will do fine up to 9.0) African Cichlid: 8.0+

I would cap out at 9ish hours. But if your tank can handle 11 it must be pretty packed with plants!

bladder snails are more similar to pond snails (I think bladder snails can survive a bit easier out of water, but don't quote me on that. Bladder / pond snails are the most common things someone thinks of when they say "snails" that isn't a hobbyist and they have the traditional shape and look. They often first appear as if it's a little brown pebble where it shouldn't be and then you realize it's moving. Ramshorn snails have a very specific shell shape (more conical like a ram's horn. MTS = malaysian trumpet. They are basically a spike of a snail shell and can be extremely sharp to fish and anyone digging in the sand. Nerite's are nice. They are the chill peeps of the snail world. Smooth shells, cool colors. Unless it's @Chick-In-Of-TheSea's koopa trooper snail and then you better be careful!

very cool. The tank they were in has always *technically* been blackwater, but it's in wood only and the water is tea colored. The PH was never too far off the tap, but I just mention it so you're aware what they have been kept with. I swear... and I don't understand it, but it's very strange the water we have here. It changes a lot and on parameters you would think would be very stable (like GH). I don't know how much of that you go through, but it's thrown my tanks through a loop since we moved to the older home.

I went ahead and added the Methylene Blue tonight. I dosed the tank because there is the eggs in as well as outside of the tumbler. I count 6 on the glass that look viable with fish inside and then another 20+ on the right corner again. We'll see what happens. That tank is literally an algae fest and so I kind of need to do as much as I can to protect them. I've resigned myself that if.... IF I get a good enough hatch out of these then I will end up moving the 29G and setting up the 75 in it's place. Not ideal, but necessary because I want these fish to have good enough water and make it a bit easier on them as they grow. I'm totally excited for about a bazillion fry, but we'll see how it goes. I have the tank, filtration, basically everything to support a 100-150 corydoras herd and that's the tank I would enjoy having. It'll be real fun doing the WCs in 20 degree weather with snow outside. 😂 After the eggs hatch I'll do a good size WC and go from there.

Just wanted to add it in here for the sake of it.... Petco specifically has "nice" stands. It's nothing like the homebuilt ones, but I have really enjoyed the ones I've purchased for my 28G and 75G (both from sauder, sometimes sold under aqueon brand). They are from Sauder, a furniture place in NY, but they also have the steel tube ones that you can heavily modify. I've seen people use old stands as shelves, tables, and so many other mods. They have wood ones, I have the 75G version and can recommend it. You can usually find a sale on one of them, especially this time of year so I figured I'd mention it. If you want a setup for "a few" nano tanks, I think getting the 40B or 75G stand is probably perfect and you just add a wood top to it. Examples: These are all the same stand, just modded. One not shown that I've seen is using a curtain with magnets sewn in to block out the bottom.