Algae(s), Clips, Planted Aquariums in General

[Cc Reese]

Hi!

I just got an email from Aquarium  Co-Op saying yeah it's been awhile, what's up, are you having any problems? Well, yeah! Perfect timing. Thought I would try here first.

First of all, while I have had an aquarium for MANY years, this past 6 or so months has marked my first try at planted ones.

I am having at least 2 issues that I would love to get advice on.

1. algaes 

a. new cube: I started a new 20" cube in Feb right before I had knee surgery. I was trying to make it planted and have been building a house to put in it out of little stones while recovering from surgery. My idea was to have a heavily-planted aquarium established, then add the house, then think about fish. I guess I thought I'd be at the fish stage by now, but I'm not.

During the worst part of surgery recovery, hopping on one foot everywhere for 6 weeks, I could not do much of anything, maintenance-wise. I had just added gravel, some plants, root tabs, driftwood, rocks, and an ACO light. 

When I finally started to feel better and some of the tannins from the driftwood started to go down, I was surprised to see that every surface was covered by diatoms. LOTS of diatoms. I started vacuuming them and also thought maybe I should increase the light and fertilizer a bit to see if i could get the good plants to grow better, because a lot of them did not look too good--pale and anemic. I also added some snails to hopefully eat some of the algae. 

Next I started noticing this very brigh green algae that grows pretty quickly at both sides of the plant light and down the glass. What's that all about? I have never seen that with any other light before.

As you can see, the cube basically looks like sh*t. What to do?? I have the light at like 80% power, 8 hours a day or maybe 9. 

Now there are all these weird gray fungal looking growths on the wood and elsewhere, something kinda hairy looking, IDK what to do.

b. established 55 gallon community tank 

this tank is doing much better--my main issue is trying to find something that my lovely school of silver dollars won't eat in a flash!! only i was lifting the lid the other night and realized i have these.....bright green stalactites hanging down into the water from basically under the light (photo att). WTH? I have never seen anything like that with any other light in my whole entire life!!

2. clips 

annnnnnnnnnnddddddd, yes, you guessed it, my 10-lb cat was just being chased by my 15-lb cat and the little one decided that she had to get away and she jumped straight onto the glass top of the 20 cube and broke the clips. Yeah that's a new one. Good thing I was here. I've never had one of these "rimless" aquaria before and so I'm just wondering....do they make any clips that would be better or stronger for these rims? out of ......i don't know, rust-free metal of some sort, maybe?  

 

Attaching pics of the gnarly 20 cube, the green stalactites on the 55 community, and my Fairy House that is nearly ready to go in.

TIA.....Cat

[Guppysnail]

I used metal clips I got at Lowe’s. They are not for tanks and for the life of me I don’t remember what they were for. But they worked ok. The problem is if the clips don’t break easy when cat jumps on them the tank wall can crack