Mattlikesfish36

@Katherinethats a great idea! Thanks!

@TheSwissAquaristthanks for the reply! That is my approach as well but the powder doesn’t seem to get pushed very far. The majority of it lands on the substrate at the front of the tank

I have been dry dosing my aquarium for a few years now and I have always wondered if it matters where I drop the fertilizer into the tank. I seem to get algae on the substrate at the front of the tank if I pour the fertilizer in the front and my plants don’t look as healthy in the back of the tank. Would I have better luck dosing into the back of the aquarium where by background stems are located rather than into the front where my filter outlet disperses the powder? I have always wondered if the fertilizer is stuck where it lands on the substrate or if it dissolves and gets evenly distributed through the aquarium. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

@Valthanks for the comment! I suppose I could try that, but I’m trying to maximize space for my stem plants and it gets tricky when a lot of decorations are in the tank

I am thinking about getting rid of the piece of driftwood on the left to make more space for a larger apistogramma cave. Would this look good? Or would it throw off the balance of the scape? Open to any feedback/suggestions!

I think you will notice some positive changes once you get the dimmer for the light. I have a Twinstar 600e on my 17 gallon rimless aquarium and the algae took off like crazy even with just 5 hours per day on 100% intensity. I now have it on 40% for 8 hours and growth is lush with minimal algae. Took a good month for the plants to transition in to outcompete the algae and lots of manual removal during that time but it will settle in with time once you dim it down!

@CT_not at all. They don’t even look at the tiny amano shrimp in my aquarium @DeadStangso true! Often overlooked but they have so much personality and it is fun to watch the colors change toward yellow when she’s ready to lay eggs

@ccc24thanks! It’s a cockatoo apistogramma. Definitely recommend them for their hardiness and their interactiveness.

Got my surface skimmer tuned up which makes for some nice reflections. Here’s my favorite fish since starting the hobby 4ish years ago. Still no name for him yet… I’ve been referring to him as “big sexy” but I should probably come up with something better haha

Thanks @Torbay@Flumpweesel@lefty ofor the replies! Glad to hear that either way will work. I have it on over the strainer now and it is very tight and was tough to get on. I may end up taking it off and seeing how it works.

I just received an Aquarium Co-Op pre filter sponge in the mail and I’m curious about how folks attach it to a canister intake. I have the intake that is pictured below and it has a removable strainer that exposes the bare tube. Should I put the sponge over the top of the strainer, or remove the strainer and attach it directly to the tube? Thanks for any advice!

I have orange juice Rotala as a background plant in my 17 gallon and love the look and ease in caring for it. Fast grower too so it fills in quickly

Excited to hear that these are out! Been a long time coming!

@nabokovfan87thanks for your reply! I have been flirting with the idea of a spray bar but I love the look of the minimalist Aquario Neo output I have on my canister. Maybe I’ll go for it someday though

@Remi de Groot @Mmiller2001thanks to you both for the feedback! I’ll get my surface skimmer up to full speed (currently at about half speed) and see how it goes

I upgraded to the fluval 207 after using the 107 for about a year in my aquarium. I haven’t changed anything other than the canister filter itself, but my fish are showing signs of co2 overdose. My male apisto is hanging out at the top of the tank and my female is lethargic at the bottom. Would upgrading to a filter with more flow change the amount of co2 in the water? I am using an inline diffusor but I haven’t touched anything with co2 in weeks. Does the faster flow rate mean that more co2 gets into the water even though I haven’t adjusted my needle valve? I did a water change and have an air stone in the tank now

@Coluone more question that just came to mind… is it worth treating the entire tank since my other fish were probably exposed too? It’s stocked with a pair of fire red apistos and ember tetras. If so… is it safe to use kanaplex with plants? Thanks so much!

@Coluthanks so much for the advice. I’ll give it a shot and see how it goes

@Coluthanks for the reply. Tank is stable and established for over a year. Nitrates at around 10. Ammonia and nitrites at 0. Temp steady at 76 degrees. @Theplatymasterthanks for your reply. Gills are still moving and she will swim a few inches if I put the net next to her. Definitely not as active as usual though.

I recently noticed that my starlight bristlenose pleco hasn’t been eating or moving around the tank much if at all. The tail has been curled around to the right and has not moved from this position in a few days. Everything seemed fine with her and I’ve had her for 2 years without any issues. Should I be concerned? I’m not sure what to do. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. I’m so grateful for this forum and all of the folks who have helped me out with other topics!

I currently have a group of 10 pencilfish in quarantine that I will be adding to my aquarium with a pair of apistogramma. After lots of trial and error, I have my fertilizer and co2 dialed in and I’m getting growth with minimal algae. Do I need to adjust my fertilizer dosage after adding additional livestock? If so, which nutrients should I adjust? I am currently dosing dry powder ferts according to EI dosage recommendations. Thanks in advance for any guidance!

@nabokovfan87thanks for sending that along. Thorough but looks like that will get the job done. Definitely want to do whatever I can to keep my apistos safe

@TheSwissAquaristthanks for the reply! That’s what I was kind of thinking as well, but have also read that medication can stress fish out so I wanted to be sure the pros outweigh the cons.

Good morning everyone! I purchased a group of Beckfords Pencilfish yesterday and I am excited to get them into my tank with my pair of apistos once they are through with quarantine. I am debating using the medication trio versus giving extra time to monitor for symptoms without medications. My biggest concern is callamanus worms because they have been a nightmare for me in previous setups. I am not seeing any in my fish now, but is it worth proactively dosing expel p just to be extra safe? Thanks!

@TheSwissAquaristi like this idea! I’ll have to try to get some of my favorites to hold still long enough for a photo