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(Keywords at the end so you don’t have to read all this to give advice lmao) So my 54L stands (basically) empty previously housing my 3 apparently transgender platy (I observed them since birth, had always been 3 females, now suddenly 2 of them are males 🤷‍♀️) and my giant betta Kiyoshi. They weren’t doing too well in here and Kiyoshi was really territorial of the feeding ring corner for some reason, moving them to my 60L worked wonders and everyone seems to be getting along okay. This tank is pretty overgrown full of hiding places, plants and floaters, and currently it’s being occupied by my oto and mystery snail. I want to stock it though, but have no idea what to get. I’m gone for about 5 weeks total each year, 4 on summer vacation and 1 on christmas, so I rely on autofeeders each year. Since I have to rely on autofeeders I need stock that can eat all that it dispenses without fattening them up or risking anything. It doesn’t dispense too much but for one fish it’s too much, and for my previous 6 neon tetra it was too much. (when they ate dry food they’d have buoyancy issues, and that was with less than a pinch of flakes, I can only imagine how it’d go with the autofeeder) on the lowest setting it dispenses barely anything; tried it with pellets last year with my betta who had to be on a diet and it fell right at the time I had to leave for a week, and on the lowest setting it dispensed like 5 pellets twice then quit dispensing anything completely, and with the second setting it dispensed almost 8 at a time even with a modification. With flakes too, it dispenses more with those actually, and on the lowest it still dispenses too much. (It’s a Juwel autofeeder btw) I was thinking some guppies maybe, as there’s some gorgeous completely white ones at my LFS that would create a beautiful contrast, but I dunno if there’s enough space for them in this, which is why I’m asking for advice XD Sooo stock ideas? And if there’s a way, I would love to have a female betta in there, but it’s not necessary, after all I just want happy and healthy fish ^^ All advice and criticism is welcomed!! Thank you all in advance!! Keywords: 54L, overgrown, relying on autofeeder ~5 weeks total, stock ideas? (Unrelated): Kiyoshi looking happy chilling with one of the platy >:)

So I’ve had this cube for MONTHS, I’m pretty sure I got it around January this year. I got the wood in very early February (I took a pic with it dry in the tank on Feb 3, to see if it would work and how it would look). The wood has been soaking all this time and was still floating (floating low, but still floating). I was getting the wood out every couple months, and no significant improvement. I finally cut it to height since I wanted it in 2 pieces anyway and I was hoping it would sink faster if I exposed some end grain - nope, floats. I *finally* gave up and got slate to attach for weight and to steady the pieces. It’s planted, has a Buce accessory piece and a group of pothos (in the surviving “too brittle to drill” shower caddies - see “75 gallon redo” in my sig). I’m not sure if the pothos will stay after it cycles. I don’t know 100% if it’s going to be another nano tank or a Betta tank. I’m leaning toward nanos since I’ve got grumpy Bad Pea Daddy at the left end of this row (he’s pretty boring) and the puffer shoal at the right end of this row (they are also pretty boring). I’m considering moving the peas to the 29 gallon in the office since I just sold the last of the cories that were in that tank. Gives me an excuse to scape that one. I have wood that is soaking (one sinks, the other floats, but I have slate pieces now). 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄 1. First pic with the dry wood. Feb 3. 2. Trying out different wood pieces, the substrate is ready (heavy, red clay dirt, Osmocote granules, black blasting sand cap). April 3 - I’m clearly getting antsy to get some plants and water in the tank. Dragging out gooey, wet wood pieces and sticking them in the sand. Today: 3 & 4. Determined shape of the slate I needed, split it as needed. Then marked the slate around the base of the pieces, drilled the slate. 5. Got the wood fastened to the slate and in the tank. 6. Planting - clockwise from back left: Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia, Epipremnum aureum (Pothos) above it in the shower caddy, Echinodorus barthii x schlueteri ‘Red Flame’, Crypt. ‘Pink Panther’, Bucephalandra ‘Red Dagger’. I’ll be adding some Anubia nana ‘Petite Golden Coin’ to the bigger wood piece, possibly other Buces. I may also add either some red root floaters or some Amazon frogbit - long term or short term, all to be determined. 7&8. Filter moved from the tank where it’s been getting seasoned for months. Water in the tank! A couple different angles to show the pothos, too. I used the sponge filter I had getting seasoned, so I’ll have to get another couple. I like to keep at least one spare seasoned and ready. I’m slipping! 😆 9. The “Low Row” isn’t finished but there is at least finally water in every tank! Next, I need to add the little light shield (a strip of black window cling film hot glued to the light). Then I just need to let it all “cook”. Test every few days until I see a nitrite peak, then drop with the nitrate climbing. Once the nitrite drops and the nitrate climbs, I’ll blind feed to make sure the tank can handle some fish, then start adding snails first. I may have some snails pop out anyway. I have ramshorns in both tanks where most of these plants were growing.

As a huge fan of Wonder Woman, it was no surprise to anyone that knows me that eventually I would have a themed tank. Petco has the aqueon cube on sale, so a purchase was made today! The plan so far is to have chili rasbora for the red, blue velvet shrimp for the blue, and yellow substrate. I also have plans to make a planter out of an invisible jet statue. Very excited about this project!

Hi all, I recently scored one of the Aqueon frameless cubes that Petco has had on sale lately, and I would like to do a really nice shrimp display tank. I would like to keep it relatively "low tech," so no CO2 to keep up with. I am sort of ignorant as to aquarium lighting, the tank is almost 15" deep, so it seems like a decently strong light would be needed to get decent PAR at the bottom? How much is really needed for a low-medium situation? I like the look of the gooseneck style lights, but it seems like they are pretty weak light-wise and designed for shorter tanks-Finnex clip-on, Kessil a80 sun, etc. What other options should I consider? I can also provide a list of plants I am considering if it would be useful. Thanks.

I'm upgrading my betta "Bowl", which is a bare bottom 2.5g glass cookie jar filtered with a small sponge and heated with a Sicce Jolly mini heater. Needless to say, 14 gallons is a fair sight bigger than the current accommodations and I'm a long time keeper of the big bodied SA & CA Cichlids. The kind of fish that are prone to move the substrate around to their oqn liking on a daily basis. Because of that, I have never really tried my hand at aquascaping. Here's what I'm thinking: Crushed coral substrate. Blue background, maybe red. I'll have to upgrade the heater to a 50w Eheim/Jager. The Aqueon clip light I have on the Bowl. Anubias for plants. A small piece of spiderwood (provided I can find something that speaks to me) and Lace rock for the hardscape. A six pack of Cory cats and a threesome of male Fancy Tail Guppies for tankmates. What do YOU advise?

Hello everyone. This is my first aquarium. I love plants so this seemed an obvious progression of my obsession. Haha! There is so much to know, so I’ve been studying this forum. The knowledge here is epic and very helpful. I’ll lay out what I have set up and some issues I’m encountering. Of course I would delight in any insight you all may have. Thank you! Fluval Flora 14.5 gallon tank- Fluval nano light - Co2 45g kit - Aqua Clear power filter - Fluval M50 heater Substrate- Tropica soil powder - Nutrafin plant gro fertilizer - Plants- Hemianthus Cuba -Littorella - Eriocaulon cinereum - Microsorum windelov - Alternathera - Vesicularia Christmas - Ludwigia Repens Rubin- Dragon stone - Spider wood I did an emersive planting for the first 10 days. Seemed to go well except for the Ludwigia which I delayed until I filled ‘er up. -First week - a bit of melting which I expected. Then a cloudiness on the 7th day. 50% water change -Second week - Started to see a tiny bit of algae. Clear goo blobs appearing on tree bark. (Boiled for tannin removal) Read they can be fungus or from tree sugars/sap. Scraped off goo. Clouding bloom gone. Pruned Ludwigia and Moss. 40% water change. Trying to figure out best placement for Co2 and heater. Need longer hose for Co2! - Third week - Realized I had the lights way to strong! Used the pre-program ‘Plants’. Then I discovered Bentley Pascoe! Thank you Sir I now have your Day SIM Red Late as my Pro setting. The goo seems to be subsiding. But the algae is appearing on the sand. 😞 Some dark spots appearing on Windelov and Ludwigia. 😳 Questions- Should I introduce some shrimp at this point? Would help the inevitable new tank algae? I plan on having a Betta and perhaps some Neon Tetra also. Maybe a snail. Is it best to establish one at a time? Water test kit on its way and don’t want to add until I know water is safe. I live in Vancouver, Canada and the water is a neutral PH. What kind of fertilizer do you recommend? Using the Free sample Size Nutrafin. Should I get separate micro and macro nutrients? I’ll stop now. It’s a lot. Haha Thank you all!