Juxtaposed Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 Nice to meet everyone! My wife and I got our aquarium-obsessed 3 year old a tank for her 3rd birthday. Of course, I'm responsible for it, but it's in her playroom. It's a Fluval Spec V with a few modifications. There's a single Betta, about 8 cherry shrimp, and some plants: some tissue culture anubias nana, two varieties of bucephelandra, java moss, vallisneria, and a java fern. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 Hello @Juxtaposed, welcome to the forum! What a lucky 3 yo! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJhilljack Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 Welcome to the forum. It cute, I'm sure you're 3 year old must enjoy watching it. 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juxtaposed Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 Oh, she loves it! She helps feed the Betta and has discovered she can drag a chair over to the dresser to see things better. Of course, the cherry shrimp only ever seem to come out late at night after she has been put to bed. Oh, she loves it! She helps feed the Betta and has discovered she can drag a chair over to the dresser to see things better. Of course, the cherry shrimp only ever seem to come out late at night after she has been put to bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Henry Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 Glad to have you onboard @Juxtaposed, you're getting corkscrew val to grow so you're already doing better than me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juxtaposed Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 I think the val is doing better than anything else! Almost no melting, spreading roots, and new little plants popping up everywhere. My java fern and green wavy bucephelandra, however, are pitiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Classic gateway into the hobby! I also caved and bought my kid a fish. He's since moved on to asking for other pets but I ended up going off the deep end. That's a nice setup you have! Looks like your Java Fern is about to have babies. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juxtaposed Posted March 30, 2023 Author Share Posted March 30, 2023 This is my test from this afternoon. I'm so new to planted aquariums that it means very little to me... How does it look to you aquarium veterans? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Well with what I remember of the test colors on the ACO bottle, that looks like the results of a very new, uncycled tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juxtaposed Posted March 30, 2023 Author Share Posted March 30, 2023 I was certain it was cycled, but it might not be. I started fishless cycling (with some moss) in early Feb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 (edited) IME (always different schools of thought) You're going to want to see at least a little nitrate and no nitrite/ammonia. I like my kh to be in the middling zone but some fish keepers don't care too much about kh. However, kh will help with ph stability in the end. A tank with no kh may be prone to ph swings. Edited March 31, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cmike15 Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 On 3/30/2023 at 5:07 PM, Juxtaposed said: This is my test from this afternoon. I'm so new to planted aquariums that it means very little to me... How does it look to you aquarium veterans? If the Betta swims around happily and the shrimp are healthy then it's possible it's cycled or the plants are consuming it all. I'm curious if you add any fertilizers to help the plants? In time the Nitrate should show something. Welcome in and what a nice setup you have. It must be nice to look at daily. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 I like the tank too, it's pretty great. :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juxtaposed Posted March 31, 2023 Author Share Posted March 31, 2023 The Betta seems happy, and the shrimp seem alright: they're molting, and I've actually seen a few babies. I've got a pothos trailing into the tank, and I'm sure they're heavy feeders since they're houseplants, so I might move it. I have been dosing weekly with Flourish, but I wasn't seeing much growth, so I recently ordered Easy Green. I've only used one it once, though, because it just came in last Saturday. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountaintoppufferkeeper Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 nice set up. great to meet you electronically 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Well then it seems maybe you have the balance in a way that there is no Nitrate which isn't necessarily a bad thing then, the plants just soak it all up. How are the plants looking? They getting enough? I would have expected a little Nitrate if you're dosing ferts. But awesome your betta and shrimp are thriving! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juxtaposed Posted March 31, 2023 Author Share Posted March 31, 2023 The Java Fern seems to be dying off, but the corkscrew vals are growing quickly and new ones seem to be sprouting out of the substrate every few days. The moss has probably doubled in size and is floating everywhere; I had to cut off a hunk and put it in a small no-tech vase aquarium. I had a green wavy bucephelandra melt all the way back to the rhizome, but the Godzilla bucephelandra looks healthy. The anubias have put out new leaves, but the older leaves are yellowing. The Java Fern seems to be dying off, but the corkscrew vals are growing quickly and new ones seem to be sprouting out of the substrate every few days. The moss has probably doubled in size and is floating everywhere; I had to cut off a hunk and put it in a small no-tech vase aquarium. I had a green wavy bucephelandra melt all the way back to the rhizome, but the Godzilla bucephelandra looks healthy. The anubias have put out new leaves, but the older leaves are yellowing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 I think you'll have better results with Easy Green and you should read at least a little nitrate when you start using it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi_Aquatics Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 Welcome to the forum! I like the mix of live plans and decorations you have going! It looks like a great mix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juxtaposed Posted April 1, 2023 Author Share Posted April 1, 2023 Thanks, @Levi_Aquatics! The decorations were birthday gifts for my daughter, so they had to go in there. Happy to be here! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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