Betsy Posted April 1, 2021 Author Share Posted April 1, 2021 (edited) Pat, the nerite, has gone wild on the biofilm! The driftwood pictured below was COVERED...now you can see the path that Pat has cut through the pesky DBF! The shrimp are cute...but not super helpful, haha! The Java fern isn't looking super great...I'm thinking about getting some potassium to supplement my Easy Green regimen. I can't decide if I'm worried about the biofilm on the dwarf lily bulb. The Carolina Aquatics Expo is this weekend, and I've bought tickets to go! I'm interested in what I'll see there...I'm looking for Salt and Pepper Pygmy Corydoras and maybe some Lambchop Rasboras...and PLANTS!!! Any suggestions on plants to watch for to fill out the tank would be very welcomed!! Something in a different color that is still cool with low-tech, low/medium light would be awesome! The crypts are starting to fill in...I didn't think I'd like crypts...but I was so wrong. I love 'em. 😜 Edited April 1, 2021 by Betsy 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenFins Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 @Betsy you mentioned that you wanted a halfmoon koi for this tank, right? Well there are some GOURGOUES ones at keepfishkeeping.com right now, and its 10% off (If I lived in the US I would by another tank and get another betta they are that gourgoues) Some Red Melon Swords would really give a good splash of red in the tank. Treat it just like you do with your crypts, both are heavy root feeders. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 2, 2021 Author Share Posted April 2, 2021 @JamesB - I will have to check them out - that's where I got Spritz!! I would love a splash of red!! I'll be on the lookout for some red melon swords! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 It's looking SO beautiful @betsy Well done!! 😍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 3, 2021 Author Share Posted April 3, 2021 Went to the Aquatics Expo today...I feel like expos may not be my scene. 😂 I did buy some Bacopa caroliniana from a vendor...after I told the vendor I love low light plants! 🤦♀️ I planted it in front of my filter almost dead center in the tank. I'll take pictures if it's a success...otherwise, we'll just pretend it never happened! 😜 My java fern is looking a little...brown. Either my light is too bright, or there's a potassium (or other nutrient) issue. Any thoughts? Anddd, I placed an order online for some fish after I didn't have the success I was hoping for at the expo. Bought some Lambchop Rasboras and some Julii Corydoras and a tiger nerite (Pat needs a buddy! And, I need my DBF to be gone!). Spritz is enjoying his vacation...the driftwood piece in the middle is great for exploring, and the shrimps are interesting! I don't think he's eaten any. 🤞 I feel like he'll be sad to go back to the 5 gal after Spring Break! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorydorasEthan Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 12 minutes ago, Betsy said: Went to the Aquatics Expo today...I feel like expos may not be my scene. 😂 I did buy some Bacopa caroliniana from a vendor...after I told the vendor I love low light plants! 🤦♀️ I planted it in front of my filter almost dead center in the tank. I'll take pictures if it's a success...otherwise, we'll just pretend it never happened! 😜 My java fern is looking a little...brown. Either my light is too bright, or there's a potassium (or other nutrient) issue. Any thoughts? Anddd, I placed an order online for some fish after I didn't have the success I was hoping for at the expo. Bought some Lambchop Rasboras and some Julii Corydoras and a tiger nerite (Pat needs a buddy! And, I need my DBF to be gone!). Spritz is enjoying his vacation...the driftwood piece in the middle is great for exploring, and the shrimps are interesting! I don't think he's eaten any. 🤞 I feel like he'll be sad to go back to the 5 gal after Spring Break! Are the leaves of the Java fern turning brown, or are there brown growths on the tips? If the latter, then those might be the roots for new plants that the fern produces off of the tips of its leaves. If on the actual leaf though... while, I don't know. I hope this helps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 3, 2021 Author Share Posted April 3, 2021 @CorydorasEthan - there are definitely some little babies on many of the leaves!! Some of the brown stuff is on the actual leaf...when I had the two anubias rot, I treated all my plants with hydrogen peroxide, so I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it. I dose Easy Green weekly, so surely it's not a nutrient deficiency? Or...maybe it is? I know Java Fern are potassium hogs, so that could be part of it, for sure! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle Fan Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 I love your new tank scape @Betsy! I would maybe add a Red Flame Sword to the back corner on the right, and some Bucephalandras and some Christmas Moss Vesicularia montagnei to the rocks in the front right, but your driftwood looks great with the Java fern. If you still want floaters, I would look into Red Root Floaters Phyllanthus fluitans, or Amazon Frogbit Limnobium laevigatum. The whole scape looks natural and flows, great work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 3, 2021 Author Share Posted April 3, 2021 Thank you, @Jungle Fan!! I can't wait for the plants to get bigger and fill in! 😆👍 I will check out the Red Flame Sword and the Christmas moss for sure...and I love the idea of moss! I've never mossed before!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 Started dosing potassium today! I'm feeling pretty confident about that decision since my tank is mostly java fern...hopefully the new crypts and bacopa enjoy it, too! I also installed a small sponge filter from the Co-Op. I originally bought it to stick in a quarantine tank...so, maybe I'm seasoning it. 😜 And, even though I didn't intend it...capping the red clay flourite with the black sand has turned into a nice little tribute to the Old North State (NC). I am super interested to know how many people on the Forum are from North Carolina! Please ignore the dirty glass and the dusty shrimp 💩! Oh, and I added a morning and evening light period to my schedule! This way, I can enjoy the tank when I am home/not at work. The sunsets and sunrises are my favorite! The pink light is at the same level as the warm white (20%). So far, I've noticed some string algae and some brown diatom on the glass...but I think that's because I'm overfeeding. I'm a little paranoid the shrimps will go hungry! 🦐 Happy Tuesday, friends!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 Looking great! I hope you enjoy the siesta schedule. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenFins Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 Thats cool! I would be interested in doing something like that with my tanks, but they are not fluval 3.0s. I have them timed on a wifi light timer, and I cant have more then one timer on at the same day. So for now its 10:30-8:30. ORD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 On 4/3/2021 at 2:47 PM, Betsy said: Some of the brown stuff is on the actual leaf...when I had the two anubias rot, I treated all my plants with hydrogen peroxide, so I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it. How much H2O2 did you add? And what percentage was the H2O2? If you used H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) at a concentration strong enough to injure the Java Ferns, I am pretty sure your shrimp would have succumbed. The H2O2 would have "burned" their gills. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 Thanks, @Streetwise!! I feel like I've only begun to fiddle with the lighting schedule - the siesta is lots of fun, and the plants seem happy! I'll have to do a before and after on the crypts once they've been in the tank for a month...they are definitely growing! New fish are arriving next Wednesday...I can't wait! 😆👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 46 minutes ago, Anita said: How much H2O2 did you add? And what percentage was the H2O2? If you used H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) at a concentration strong enough to injure the Java Ferns, I am pretty sure your shrimp would have succumbed. The H2O2 would have "burned" their gills. It was 3% H2O2 in a spray bottle! I heavily sprayed it on, stuck the plants in a shallow bucket of water, and then rinsed all the plants before returning them to the tank...I sprayed on March 20th, and the shrimp arrived on March 25th (I did a 30% water change the day before the shrimp arrived). The shrimp are still kickin' it, so maybe you're right - maybe it wasn't enough to injure the Java Ferns! Maybe the added potassium is the solution! (Well...it's definitely at least IN the solution. 😜🤓) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 8 minutes ago, Betsy said: It was 3% H2O2 in a spray bottle! I heavily sprayed it on, stuck the plants in a shallow bucket of water, and then rinsed all the plants before returning them to the tank...I sprayed on March 20th, and the shrimp arrived on March 25th (I did a 30% water change the day before the shrimp arrived). The shrimp are still kickin' it, so maybe you're right - maybe it wasn't enough to injure the Java Ferns! Maybe the added potassium is the solution! (Well...it's definitely at least IN the solution. 😜🤓) Ah, in that case, I retract my previous assumption! 🥴 3% H2O2 sprayed directly on the leaves could very well have caused some leaf damage, aka brown patches. Straight out of the bottle, 3% H2O2 is a pretty strong oxidizer. For example, if you ever used 3% H2O2 to clean on a wound, you might have noticed small patches of skin and tissues turning white. It also stings like the dickens. Those white cells are being "burned" by the oxidizing action of the H2O2. Another example, H2O2 makes an excellent mouth rinse because it helps kill bacteria that cause gum disease. However, the recommendation is to dilute with 1:1 with water because the 3% H2O2 is strong enough to damage the mucous membranes inside your mouth. When I used H2O2 to combat string algae, I did a whole-tank treatment. I poured a measured dose of 3% H2O2 into the tank and treated everything inside it at once. The downside to this treatment, of course, is that I nuked lots of beneficial bacteria. I did turn off the HOB filter and/or remove the sponge filter. I do not use whole-tank H2O2 treatments for my tanks anymore, but I still use use it if the pond algae gets out of the control. My bad, sorry! 😇 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 @Anita - that makes good sense! I would be too afraid to add hydrogen peroxide directly to my tank, but I figured spraying and rinsing well wouldn't be too hardcore. Based on what you're saying, my java fern might argue otherwise! 😂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenFins Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 1 hour ago, Betsy said: New fish are arriving next Wednesday...I can't wait! 😆👍 oooh, thats exciting! What fish? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 2 minutes ago, JamesB said: oooh, thats exciting! What fish? 6 true julii corydoras 9 lambchop rasboras 1 tiger nerite (because Pat is the tank MVP and needs a friend!) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 2 hours ago, Betsy said: @Anita - that makes good sense! I would be too afraid to add hydrogen peroxide directly to my tank, but I figured spraying and rinsing well wouldn't be too hardcore. Based on what you're saying, my java fern might argue otherwise! 😂 Fortunately, Java Fern are pretty tough as plants go. You might have to live with the patches until new leaves come in. But if we insist on having perfect plants, we could save ourselves so much grief by using fake ones. 😁 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 14, 2021 Author Share Posted April 14, 2021 Hello friends!! My fish arrived today! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 I ordered 9 lambchop rasboras (got 10), 6 corydoras julii (got 7), and 1 tiger nerite (easily the prettiest and largest nerite I own!). I didn't realize it, but my shrimp have gotten HUGE and are larger than most of my new fish! One of my Corydoras (the only one I've named...I'm calling her Peggy because "aaaaaand Peggy!"), is smaller than the rest and her fins are either clamped...or maybe she's just a baby...or maybe she just didn't travel well. Let me know what y'all think! The rest of the corys look great and Peggy is showing similar energy and moving around fine. I will provide more pictures later!! The corydoras are kicking up tons of dust from my substrate...I'm hoping that'll eventually settle or get filtered out...but my water looks awful right now, haha! 🤣 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenFins Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 What a coincedence! My plants just came intoday also!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 (edited) It looks beautiful to me. I don't see a mess! Edited April 14, 2021 by Streetwise 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenFins Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 Is spritz still on spring break? or did he return to school? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 14, 2021 Author Share Posted April 14, 2021 6 hours ago, James Black said: Is spritz still on spring break? or did he return to school? Spritz is back at school...although, I think he's bored! I might have to get him some shrimp buddies. 🦐 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now