nabokovfan87

I mean the plants are growing..... the algae is too. LOL.

Roy has the most awesome charts of such usefull information!

I feel like I could write an essay on this topic! I feel for you, and I've been there. I think one of your best starting places will be this video and this talk. This is similar to the mindset of "be the fish" and it scratches the surface to start the conversation with success. Have I had some as a result...? Well. let's talk about that. Bentley has a ton of videos on the topic of "success with plants" and a lot on substrate as well. Just things to look at if you want to dive deeper. Gravel is generally "easy" to plant with, but I often find myself struggling with fine or smaller plants to keep them in place. There are finer pore size gravels like Seachem Flourite and even finer size with the Flourite sand versions. I don't think any of these are incorrect, especially if you decide to use it as a cap. The weight of the gravel is the advantage here compared to any other substrates. That added heft makes it a little bit easier to keep the plants in place if you have bottom dwellers. Needing to use root tabs often is the downside, if you want to avoid that, just cap some aqua soil. Planted substrates / soils: They have a lot of resources for root based feedings and will do well for a variety of plants. Something like this is fantastic for large plants. Again, smaller plants will have a tendency to get moved around easily and will be difficult to plant due to the pore size of the substrate medium. Having longer roots will definitely help to keep things planted and anchored, which is where stuff like carpeting plants do really well. They are anchored in multiple locations and that in itself lets plants stay in place. Sand / Dirted tanks: I will lump these together because this is all about pore size and not really a matter of nutrients. If you have organic soil, you have a very fine substrate. If you have sand, you can have a variety of sizes of particles, but they generally impact well and hold plants in place easily. One of the big advantages here is that it can be extremely easy to feel the roots, move plants, and to use root tabs. Especially with sand, the consistency in water is really easy to disturb and it works a bit similar in principle to quicksand, literally, when you can let the substrate grab on and then adjust things as you need to. Fish can swim around and the substrate can hold things in place if the plants have developed roots. If you do want to have more nutrients in your tank, you can use sand as a cap, but you definitely need to have a good thickness of sand (over 2.5" usually) which leads to a very deep substrate in most tanks. The aquasoil underneath will tend to act like an UGF and all the waste will stick underneath that top layer of impacted sand. Stem plants work well in literally any scenario. Epiphyte plants as well can do well in any scenario. Carpeting plants will tend to do "ok" in sand, but should theoretically do better when used as a cap or in a tank that has constant uses of root tabs. Swords, buce, and other plants like these will do better with the aquasoil style setups because they do want to feed through root tabs. For more on this I'll tag a video below that highlighted for me the use case for certain plants for root tabs and for aquasoils.

I've never heard of a sumo loach! I am intrigued. If you have wood, I would consider a clown pleco in there too 🙂 . For the borneo loaches, I think you'll do better with 4-6 as opposed to 3. I don't know if there is a high risk of the snails taking over, but I would definitely try to keep the population low so that the other fish do well. Borneo's can be pretty unhappy with high nitrates. The only issue I see is that the bamboo shrimp and loaches would generally prefer cooler temps. I just mention this as a means to say, please verify on the compatibility of everything you have selected. If you are going for a cooler water tank (70-74 range) then I would also add in some kabutai rasboras as well.

In terms of complimentary, you'd literally just want a light you can control. I would suggest highlighting the blue, yellow, and green tones if possible. If you have something like a fluval 3.0 this is how I do it.... Everything is a ratio based off the "pure white" value. Highlight Cool Tones: Pure White: 55% Cool White: 45% Warm White: 30% Red: 30% Blue: 10-15% (normally very low) Highlight Warm Tones: Pure White: 55% Cool White: 30% Warm White: 45% Red: 45% Blue: 1-5% p.s. welcome to the forums!

I would highly suggest this method as well. This is what I use and it's worked in nearly every scape and situation for a variety of fish (even hillstream loaches). Alright.... *deep breath* If you have a tall tank, lower the water height to 50%. Then, divide the tank, which means you place the net, and corral the fist to the side of the tank with the net. Absolutely don't chase / push the fish into the net! Use the method in the video cory has made where you use the net as a wall against the front glass. Your hand will guide the fish to the back / half of the tank and then you gently corral them along the side of the tank and they will eventually have to make a choice of going in the net or above the net. They won't likely go backwards and often will go over the net. Take your time, be patient, and give the fish a moment to decide to go in the net. Make the net appealing to them to go into!!! Make sure it's not filled with air, that the net is open, and that the fish can get into the net easily. If the net is bunched up, they will tend to avoid it and fish like otos, plecos, and corys can get their barbs stuck in the net. They go into the net easily, they will often go out of the net easily. The advantage to getting corydoras is that they stick to the substrate. Behavior is predictable, and you can guide them through the plants instead of swiping at the plants to get them. Corydoras actually do extremely well with the method to catch fish that cory uses. Video below. Best of luck!

One of the biggest issues with smaller fish is that they have a few main issues. Their mouths are very small and so powder or very fine foods will be a lot easier for them to chew and eat. Flake foods, or even using pellets in a pepper grinder works very well also. The other main issue is often flow inside the tank. The big difference between a 5G nano and a 20L is that you're often trying to move water around with a much larger pump. If they are over stressed, or the water is lower in oxygenation they can wilt away and wear themselves out over time. Some body shapes (barbs, rainbowfish, etc.) are tuned for higher flow. Pay attention to the fish themselves and you'll see the behavior signs if that is an issue. Try to feed smaller amounts at least 2x a day and that should encourage them to eat / graze as they naturally would. On your hardscape, consider getting some glue and some moss or anubias / java ferns so that you can give those fish a bit of a place to hide and more things in the tank to disturb the flow. This also helps with parameters, gives them more surfaces to graze for algae and aufwuchs on.

Keep an eye on behavior also. They can get those from trying to graze on sharp hardscape. It happens, could be a one time thing, but something to note behavior and make sure that fish is able to eat and such.

29G = About the height of a 75G also. So pretty much any plants that do well there should work. PSO in my 75 was insanely fast growing under the CO2. I did have success with Bacopa / Val as well prior to getting the PSO. Totally awesome progress. I moved some of my Staurogyne Repens and had a big ball of new roots just like you did. Root tabs help so much! I am definitely on the verge of getting some stems, using the plant weights and just hoping this time they get through the trial by fire that is my algae tank.

There is a video in the OP, Dude just used PVC on the intake and it worked fine. Might be an option if you can find the black PVC that fits. @TeeJay was asking about the foam only. If you can please show off your setup and how it's been for you. I wasn't a fan when I ran it on the Tidal 35.

Depends on the temp. I keep the corys cooler. I have the RTBS in one tank, and she's the boss and doesn't really do well with "friends" she hasn't had parties with before..... so the corys are like her kids (literally). If it was heavily planted and all that it might work, but for now, all fine. Until I move and what not, just is what it is. I was planning a plants only tank on a dresser, but it just didn't work out due to how rotted out some of that wood looks. It was stored in a storage unit, wrapped up, with a flood / snow for "a while" and that just means I don't trust it. The last tank I had on a dresser was my Pandas in their holding tank on a walmart special and that led to a midnight move the tank because I didn't trust it anymore. I guess I have PTSD from it 😞 . We'll see what the future holds. Eventually..... will definitely have one. What size is the tank? I dig it. Rams are such amazing little personable fish. One of my favorites and I wish they had the following / publicity of the betta fish. 😂

Interesting. Must be a new hatch and they were trying to find a pond.

Yeah. Looks like one of the big ones.

Absolutely this! A giant wall/aquarium would just have so much algae as an actual wall! I could only imagine all the noise / vibrations carrying through the wall as well. 😞 For me... I have a chair I sit right opposite the aquarium that I use to sit. If not, I'm on my knees on a memory foam mat that I have sitting at the front of the tank. Needless to say, if you build a nice seat, you'll spend time sitting there enjoying the tank! I would recommend stools and chairs, nice things for your feet to rest on, a little table or something (in my case the water change stool) to set things on. ENJOY IT! Spend time staring at the tanks. It's so interesting and such an enjoyable little segment of the day when you can have coffee/beverage and hang out and just destress. Countless times, I'll literally just sit on the mat and enjoy the fish. 🙂

20L would be awesome for a ram only tank. 29G gives you some room for upper dwelling community fish. Totally recommend both! I am very upset reading the updates that I don't have a ram still!!!!! I need to figure out how to fit another tank in this room.... 🤔

I don't think that light in particular has enough LEDs. Let's break it down.... This light has: 29 LEDs in a circle A Fluval Aquasky has: 42 LEDs in a rectangle across the tank (20" long LED strip) A Fluval planted nano has: 63 (in a square) A Fluval planted 3.0 (smallest size) has: 99 (rectangle, 20" long LED strip) A Finnex stingray has: 36 (across the tank) A beamswork has: 81 LEDs (rectangle) You can get some pretty cheap aquascaping lights for a planted tank as opposed to designed (in shape and features) for an indoor plant. Aquarium co-op does have their own light that is about to be available as well as the finnex stingray lights available. A few key tips here would be to consider the shape of the tank itself as well as the height of the tank. If it's a larger, deeper tank, you might need a pretty specific light. If you only ever plan to grow anubias, you might not need a light at all!

Welcome to the forums @Kingfish What else is in the tank? I've had plecos eat eggs, I'm sure I've had corydoras do the same as well. Sometimes when you have a "good enough" spawn they tend to just leave them alone and they will either fungus or they aren't viable (you can usually tell by the opaqueness of the eggs). I have also had eggs that were blown off the glass due to flow. They could be moved for a variety of reasons, essentially. If you're running a sponge filter, I'd say something probably had a nibble. This is not a big deal, and it is how fish work through the tank to find good spots to lay eggs. If they don't get fry they will try another spot. Mosses and plant balls tend to be their favorite place to lay. If you have a heavily planted tank, I'm sure you'll see some fry. Keep an eye out!

I would look into the branded seamless sump from custom aquariums. Essentially, setting up yours into a similar fashion to what you have (literally the same thing / material, but on a larger scale) would be what I would start with personally. Another fantastic place to go would be cory's vlogs as well as pondguru. He has a lot of experience setting up big systems. I'll try to dig up some links and see what I can find. Essentially, what makes sense to me: Indoor setup: -above the tank filtration using wood to support the equipment (cory's fish room) and then have one for each tote. You can also have it flow through from one tote to the other, or allow the fish to pass through large pipes that connect the two totes. This could lead to issues, fish getting trapped and not seen, etc.

I was gonna say, my money is on it being a hikari. 😂 They do have big / small versions so you can get the amanos their big cookie and still feed the others, lol.

Please try to be positive! The shrimp will do well if they are staying alive now and it's been over a week or so. If you're feeding them, I would recommend feeding them a small amount every 1-2 days. Don't go crazy at first with the food. If you aren't feeding them (and they are grazing) go ahead and keep an eye on them and feed them once every 2-3 days while they catch up on algae. If they do pass, then you'd want to test everything, report back. Right now, you would want to test daily, at least for the next week. Again, you're trying to track the cycle, so testing every day now is going to allow you to do that. That being said, if they pass, you'd revert back to doing a fishless cycle. It's basically the same (for me) with or without fish. Feed some food, every few days, let it get into the filtration and then seed that with bacteria. Do this for a few weeks, then add fish / shrimp slowly.

Not at all. You have nitrates. you have bacteria in there. You want to see things cycle now. You don't add ammonia when you have fish / shrimp in the tank. That is purely for fishless cycles. You feed the fish / shrimp or let them eat the algae and produce waste (ammonia). Then you go ahead and track it through the cycle from ammonia, to nitrite, then nitrate. If you have a spike, you'd do a 50% water change at that point.

I just add some fish food. Add a little pinch every few days. After about 4-5 weeks it would be cycled and you should be "ok". There's videos and stuff above that have a better breakdown of that whole process though. The advice you were given wasn't wrong, just incomplete. Sponge filters should be fine. Are you adding any bacteria from a bottle? This would let you get the tank up and running sooner. About 2-3 weeks instead of 4-5 Honestly. I probably would've done the same thing as you with the amanos. It very likely was just an acclimation or PH thing. They tend to only like 7.4 or below. I am dosing in a KH buffer in my amano tank and they are getting right up into your water parameters so I know they can tolerate 7.6, but not 24/7.

And here is the reward for watching those two!

Don't be! It happens 😞 . We have all been there and we are all here to help you setup for success! Welcome to the forums 🙂

It's definitely stressful, but I promise you'll get it right. We've all been there! Don't be afraid to add some life to the tank!!! Since this is a new tank there's a few things we need to do in order. A. What are the water parameters? what are you adding to the tank to cycle it? How long has it been setup? B. What are you planning for the tank as far as fish? (Community tank, planted community, etc?) C. What does your filtration look like, etc? Once we get through those, then we can add some fish and shrimp. When you get the fish / shrimp home the first thing you'd want to do is to let them sit in the bag in the tank for about 15-30 minutes to acclimate to the tank temperature. Usually floating the bags is the method that you use for this. If the tank doesn't have a heater, the bags of fish can just sit in the room for that same amount of time. For shrimp: I add mine to a specimen container (or bucket, tupperware, etc.) and then you would slowly add in some water. You can use an airline hose and drip in water over a little bit of time. I don't want to set all that up so I just use a little cup and add water in. Add a very small amount, wait a few minutes, 5-10, and then go ahead and add in more. Repeat this process until you've doubled the water volume. Then you would go ahead and drain off as much water as you're comfortable to do so, then repeat this process. Once you've done this 2-3 times, then you're safe to add the shrimp to the tank. For fish: Acclimate to temperature, then go ahead and dump the bag into a net, and put the fish into a tank. For very sensitive fish you'd want to follow the method above for the fish as well.