nabokovfan87

I think this is iteration 5 of this setup. I have a log I'm keeping on the side. As you can see the holes here are pretty big. I replaced this with the bioker / mech version which is a little narrower in size, bigger hole. I do have an issue, but I want to see how this functions for now. I cleaned out the HoB due to slowed flow on the pump, which usually means heavy bits are stuck in the pump and the pump housing. THIS IS WHY.... I don't want to give you my "optimal setup" because I would like to test through these issues. This is the second time this happened. First time was due to the same reason (plants and moss in the water column, sucked into the pump housing) and my solution was to give that pump more intake to be able to push that stuff up the chute. Tested and proven, this isn't the method. So we are back to a fully modded intake, no midwater and no skimmer on the setup anymore and I will not be using that for any further testing. I do have algae going nuts, but we'll see how things change now that CO2 is on the tank. I'll let everyone know how things progress. One of these days, I'd like to get all this "muck" into the sponge in the filter basket!!!!!

I know I know. Random question. I desperately need some dimensions if anyone has some handy. Many thanks.

A way a lot of those work is you dump in say... 1 gal of water, it has an outspout and that's what the jar is for. Filtration wise, slow is fine, for most of these smaller tanks, absolutely. I just simply mean, I would really have an airstone in this size/style knowing those pumps in those filters. If you just saw my HoB you'd know why! 😞 Especially for a planted tank with moss. I'm right there with you too. I much prefer to siphon the tanks. Even just using a tube on something this small.

For me, I run a few methods and they all work. My current regime is: Every Day: Check the fish, feed the fish, check the plants, and make sure equipment is working Every Week: Siphon the gravel, Check HoB isn't bypassing (because of the specific one I have). Test the water for everything, make sure stuff is ok. Every other week: 30-50% WC based on test results. (Sometimes this is weekly) Every month: Completely clean out all pumps and airstones and lids on the tank (Deep clean)

I would nearly always recommend at least the small nano sponge filter from ACO. You'd likely get a lot more flow from that basic setup.

drop in oxygenation or flow becomes very slow in the tank, nitrates rise, leading to them taking off and consuming the waste.

super interesting. maybe it got spooked and stuck?

Lots and lots of anubias? There's a ton of plants that will do well attached to hardscape.

I went through the same thing, it's difficult to know the right answer. You can keep the bushes if you want, but it's not optimal. I would recommend splitting each bust into a few smaller ones. Maybe 1/4" in diameter or so is what I've usually seen and done myself. I had one set of DHG where I didn't trim it, all melted and died. I had another where I did trim and it still did the same thing. It's going to likely melt back and if you can grow DHG, it'll grow. Trimming will theoretically force the plant into new growth. I recommend trimming it out of water as trying to net all the little blades of grass is a nightmare.

I think even some spiders or insects too, but I am unsure about their care. For the invertebrates it's so they can eat the molt and get back calcium. And yes.... can confirm I always check the molts and always worry it's not just a molt.

I assume she's full grown. I moved her back in the tank with her panda bros. They grew up in a 75G tank and she's basically has always been the one the tank in centered around and made for. She knows it too! LOL.

I don't think food itself was the concern, but access to the food once it sinks to the substrate. Tank 1, they might've been hesitant to eat because of the sharp edges. Tank 2, it has big chunky gravel, it's rocks really, and easy for the food to hide and rot away. Corys will dig for this, could injure themselves trying to, or you're just left with rotting food. Something like a feeding dish might be a good way to handle it or just something easier for them to interact with.

Photos might be a bit confusing, so I'll comment above each one to clarify what we're looking at. The rocks I will grab some photos of as well, separate tank, but treated alongside the wood. Overview of the two pieces side by side. Treated piece is on the right side. Note: this is not an accurate test because I used a bottle that was opened 12 hours prior to use. 1.5L was "opened recently" while 2L was unopened and fresh. Treated piece close up, anubias algae is "whitened" and you can see some of this on the wood itself. You can see half of this anubias ended up above the water, still wet, but just wasn't fully treated. The wood stayed fully submerged. Second closeup, treated wood on the right. Close up of the algae on the wood. Untreated wood in the background. Untreated wood close up. There is also a piece of anubias that was not treated. Untreated wood, close up.

I try to have more females also. I've heard others recommending the opposite, so it seems like both works well enough. Have you played with the time when you do water changes and spacing things out before the lights go out? One of the things for me that I've been trying to do is exactly what you're discussing whenever the "weather looks good" or a storm is on the way. Barometric pressure is a difficult one to get right for sure. The other issue I've had is the bloodworms being too big based on brand. Just a weird issue to have happen and I can't locally find any of the smaller worms. Mysis is the new one I'm trying to get heavy protein into them.

Yeah, there's a few labels and differences probably explaining the difference in quality and consistency based on the batch. Especially being a recycled product, there's just going to be a bit of variation. The tank seems to be doing ok, it's SUPER CLEAR now that it has substrate and things got a big clean. I'm guessing this specific substrate has to do with it as well potentially acting like carbon.

I would try for at most every other day, better is 2-3x a week. My fish tend to ignore it the more it's fed, especially back to back. They do enjoy it, but their..... enthusiasm definitely slows down if you feed it too often. On a good week, I'll feed it at night, every other day just because the fish that don't eat during the day will be fed and can eat in comfort without anyone to stir up the noise or anything like that. I tend to do frozen in the mornings (alternating with the staple foods) and then at night I'll try to fit in a pinch of some dry food or repashy. If the weather is good they get worms.

I was doing some research that said the "water change" might be replicating PH swings. Some people use dosing to try to trigger activity as well. It might be something to dig into if you ever have struggles. You'll get there. You're doing everything right. 🙂

Please show them off! I'd love to see em 🙂 I would lean towards the tetras just so you don't end up with a ton of fry.

There is a 3d printed piece that might work in the fluval 3.0 thread. It might fit what you have going on or there is a few ideas using other mounts that might work as well. This is a common issue with the fluval 3.0 nano lights too.

This is just due to the change in the formula unfortunately. Whatever binder was used before it's not as stable anymore. 😞

Need to see more photos or a video for any sort of a clear ID on what's going on. Please let us know: -Filtration -All parameters you can test for -Temperature I see the spots you're talking about, I just need to see a bit more clearly and to see the fin rays themselves to check for ich as well. What meds do you have on hand to treat this?

I'll never say no to a goby! For a shelf, I'd try to find a 15L, never easy. A 20L if it fits and can be supported would be awesome. I would get a bolivian ram, some warmer water corydoras, and something upper water to be a normal community tank. Glowlight tetra or something like silvertip tetra would be great.

At the time when I had the most.... I think I had 5-6. 2 is my limit now. If you push me I'll do 3 but literally one of them is moss only.

Usually this is caused by not rinsing something and it floats to the surface, especially if it's a white film. The only other one I know of is wood fungus that is typically not at the surface. I have seen "white film" where it is on the equipment itself where flow and filtration is a major issue. Meaning, the pump has died and something is causing this white film on all the cords and hardscape. A photo would help to alleviate which of these situations is the cause. On your matten filter, was everything rinsed well? Could this be due to something on your hands entering the water? The easiest way to resolve this might be adding an airstone or making certain that your filter now breaks this film on the surface. You have surface movement, but not a lot of aeration if that makes sense. You have water along the surface, but boosting that flow might be enough to break the surface tension. Compared to this one, there is some air in the system and some bubbles.

Limit yourself to 50% WCs as a max at all times. The logic for this is so parameters don't swing excessively. Nitrates might, but you also don't want to have major shifts in everything else. 50% is about the max most everyone sticks to with 30% being the typical. Let's start there. Monitor PH for ~2-4 weeks and see how things change every 5-7 days. Load will change things. As bioload increases, that takes up the available KH, which reduces PH. Let's try to lower nitrates, keep things monitored and go from there.