nabokovfan87

I have 3-4 ziss filters, I also very much enjoy plants. If you're on a budget or something, the ziss is a nice luxury to add to a tank. I would just as quickly recommend PSO for a tank, Bacopa Caroliniana, or anubias if you have a light that can handle it over the ziss. If you have an airstone in the tank, for me it makes sense to sub that out for a ziss, as I said, a luxury purchase but not required. If you want to grab 2-3 plants and some easy green, if you have the light, I think that's the better path.

I felt bad with the 55. It was so narrow! I definitely like the dimensions of the 75 so much more.

These might work in the corners too. or as mentioned above, skewers/chopsticks to lift it. If you have some 3m VHB tape, that helps the situation also because of the added moisture. https://www.amazon.com/3M-SJ5312-Bumpon-Blister-Bumpons/dp/B01A9UJK3S/ref=sr_1_2?crid=382NHY1MOCS1C&keywords=3m+bumpon+clear+vhb&qid=1654120693&sprefix=3m+bumpon+clear+vhb%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-2

Adding this for clarity. There is small scales/hooks like a shark's skin on the oto

I see the "weird fin" but I'm not really sure what I'm looking at. If you can provide a top view as well as a side view? If you have the fish with spots as well we can all take a look and see what it looks like. I am trying to understand the full question, basically for the "med trio" the treatment is different than if you're treating with meds. (essentially, meds in the water for 7 days, then monitor). I do not know the "best course of action" but my assumption is to review whatever the med directions are on the box, and to specifically follow those. The fish may need a break to recover or something like a specific temperature if you're treating a specific disease like ich. Once you added meds, have you added any salt or have you done any water changes? @xXInkedPhoenixX You were talking about your QT procedure in the other thread, how would you handle it?

I have (had 😕 ) borneo loaches, a different species, but They did not have any issues with the salt. I had the API salt and Fritz salt, I dosed whatever was on the package itself. If you have a "sensitive" species here is cory's recommendation. https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/aquarium-salt-for-sick-fish

There was an oooooold vlog video. Cory went to the hardware store and got a spray bottle. He calculated it out so that one "spray" was 5 or 10 gallons. It's pretty awesome to see tips and tricks like that. I have questions about shaking it, how long it would last, that sort of thing. For me, one of the best tips I can give anyone is to go and get a big storage bin, then you have a place for "fish stuff". Whatever comes along, be it a mop you make, foam cuttings, trim pieces, media that you never think you'll need (carbon bags) and so many things that you never think you'll use. Just yesterday I took a trim piece off a lid I had from 4-5 years ago and cut out a section to use to patch a hole in a filter basket. I have two or three of these, but one decent size one is a great way to store things and have a place to do so that isn't in the way. As an example, I have some stuff like heaters and pumps in there for the summer. I have a pot to boil botanicals that got "some stuff" on it and became fish tools. I have some tupperware and plastics I use for things. I think we all have something like this in our rooms or cabinets, but having a "bigger" long term tub is such a nice way to have things that you won't normally use very often. It also makes decisions like removing hardscape, adding to hardscape when you need to have some things available to you. That little branch of wood you might trim to get a piece to fit, will end up finding a use instead of wanting to go out into the shops to go buy something for a QT tank. Little things like that, repurpose and reuse, that's how I try to approach things. I've got a nice set of ACO bottles for my bathroom soaps and dish soaps too! Lol.

Definitely don't use pliers! Try to rock it back and forth gently but everything should just lift out.

Well, Unfortunately, poor news. The crushed coral definitely needs a bit more flow to work in this situation. I think it will still "work, but it might need to be a lot lower amount than what I can simply jam into the HoB. Honestly, I'm not sure how to feel about it. If this was something like a sponge filter, I can manipulate the bubbles a bit, but in this situation I really can't without 3d printing something to modify the output. What I've seen multiple times when adjusting the filter is that my KH has stopped climbing (still in the 50's, more on this later) and I am not seeing it increase or hold on anymore. I am also seeing the PH start to crash. Here's a video of the situation: You can see the right side of the bag is slightly higher. this is just the nature of trying to jam it into the bottom of the filter chamber. It's not smooth, and things tend to get caught. The CC is in there pretty good and I filled the zip bag until it wouldn't hold any more of the material. I had to scoop some out by hand just to get the lid on. My assumption was that the bubbles would disperse through the media, but what I'm finding is that it more often than not just channels. Because it's channeling, I'm seeing areas with low movement and I'm seeing a reduction in effectiveness. I buffered the water with Alkaline buffer on top of everything in my last WC. This should've increased KH and PH as well, but I am seeing no change as a result. I have more crushed coral in the water than I did before and I'm seeing the numbers fall as well. It's about... 15% as effective as having it in the HoB I'd say. There's just not enough movement. If I had the media on the substrate, I would think that it has more movement over more of the CC and works a bit better. With the HoB you have much higher flow compared to this setup and it erodes away the minerals a bit easier. Thank you to everyone who offered there opinions and for anyone who stopped along the way for their own curiosity!

If it's any consolation to the ongoing battles, the tank is breathtakingly awesome. If you wish to "feel better" about it, I recorded a video in my last post in my journal for my tank showing everything attempting to fight off the horde of BBA/Staghorn. Slowly but surely.... I'll get there, but I'm really hoping my tank ends up remotely close to where you're at. Power for the 29G in the front of the house should be installed tomorrow, which means I can move fish and start to "fix" that tank as well. It's going to be only anubias, but hopefully I can save the few rhizomes and plants I do have from my original 75G. From this: To this: It looks like your dosing and regime is a lot more detailed than mine. I just wanted to ask if you had any specific tips that might help the average "my tank is broken with algae". The main one I think most of us use is to turn the algae down and/or plant a lot more to increase the plant load in the tank. Is there something "behind the scenes" that you experienced with your project that turned things around? I have the CO2 tank on standby ready to go into my tank. I feel like that's going to either push off the algae for good or will increase back to it's former strength. 😕

Did anything change? Lighting itself? Lighting in the room? Added feeding? A big cleanout or something to do with filtration? I see the filter in the back of the tank on the right side and then an airstone or something on the left. Can you walk me through the filter setup? I'd just like to understand the flow in the tank, that's all. I don't know how the tank shown started to spontaneously grow algae unless there is something that was changed or something that should've occurred in maint schedule that didn't. Last variable to consider is just if there were any casualties in the tank recently? My only guess if everything is normal, that as the plant got right up under the light, it got too intense for the plant itself. If the plant doesn't have CO2 or other resources to grow quickly, it's under high light, then other things might pop up to take those nutrients. If Nitrates are over 20, and the light is set pretty strong, that's the assumption I'd go with.

Here's the older manual, same parts list essentially. https://www.manualslib.com/manual/386398/Marineland-Penguin-Power-Filter.html

Not fun. I will have to see if I can find a method. I'm sure it came up on the engineering side for Marineland. The solution very well could've been to just go buy a replacement. They have to have a method to assemble, could've been a destructive one to disassemble as well. Very well could be a newer design. Working my way backwards.

Oh they definitely prefer the hand method for netting 🙂 . Such a cool little fish! Cory definitely has some fish catching skills

They will appreciate an extra airstone. 72-74 water, and then a little bit of salt if you have it will help too. Cory's recommendation is just over 3 TBSP per 10G https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/aquarium-salt-for-sick-fish For high nitrates it just sort of helps them to recover. I would specifically treat this like an acclimation move as well. Take a little bit of water in a specimen container move the fish into the container. Then slowly add water from the QT tank until the holding container has doubled in volume. Drain half the water off, repeat that process, then move them to the QT tank and top off with fresh water.

Nitrites are just crazy high. From your tap, 0 nitrites/nitrates? I would change water. How long has it been since last WC? They are going to be MUCH happier and suffer less long term damage if they are removed from the tank while this is being fixed. It also lets you disturb the substrate, gravel vac, 90% WC, etc. Because it's liquid tests, there's a margin for error, just make sure you're shaking very well whatever bottle needs to be shaken. Honestly, even in a 5G tub or something for 3-4 days, you'll have it resolved and the fish won't see nearly as much stress as they are right now.

They are both types of bacopa it looks like. Caroliniana looks a little bit different from the top down view, more of a spear shaped leaves like.... The nice thing is, very similar care for either.

Can you show the full tank shot so we can see if there's any high demand plants on the substrate level? I would try to reduce nitrates, remove the algae manually, clean the filters as well and try to keep algae at bay. You may or may not need to reduce lighting slightly. Can you share your lighting schedule and settings please.

This one looks like Amazon Sword to me

This one looks like Bacopa Caroliniana to me. It's a stem plant, so you're going to use easy green weekly on this one. This one looks like Java Fern to me. Likes to be slightly off the center of the light, shady spot of the tank (one of the corners, basically) and it will also only need easy green. This is a very low demand plant. It has a rhizone, so you'd do best to attach it to a rock as shown here.

Did the LFS say anything regarding salt / added aeration?

If you have a breeder box that will fit for the fish, you can put her closer to the surface of the water and relieve some pressure. Some angels/discus lay down when they have pressure issues. Standard questions thought, what are all of your water parameters as well as temp. How is her gills looking, rapid breathing?

One of the major factors is going to be the moisture in the air right above the water's surface. If you're running a lid, it's a slightly different story and it's about being careful. If you aren't, than there is definitely going to be some risk if the light isn't rated above a certain level. https://www.ledlightexpert.com/LED-Light-Waterproof-Ratings-Explained_b_19.html

Anyone else feel like SA could be the bill nye of the ACO forums and just have plant lessons to teach us amazing things we don't know? I always enjoy every breakdown provided. Nice!!!

You might actually have luck calling them up and asking if they have a replacement part or documentation on how to clean it. My assumption would be, something like ebay you can get a replacement pump for pretty cheap. If you're having any issue with the impeller itself, check the shaft and then use silicone grease/food grade lubricant on the shaft itself to help it move a little bit. This is the one I have. https://www.amazon.com/Super-Lube-51004-Synthetic-Viscosity/dp/B000UKUHXK/ref=sr_1_5?crid=195LSO6CZ9WHD&keywords=super%2Blube&qid=1654019745&sprefix=super%2Blub%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-5&th=1 Edit: https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Grease-Lubricant-Scuba-Regulators/dp/B006QMYW6E/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=100%+silicone+grease&qid=1654020368&sr=8-12