[DeeDeeK]

It's been a while since I've posted. I thought I'd try posting what's happened so far and see what/if anyone thinks.

So, I measured my sand bed and it's compacted from 3" to 2.5"-2.75"

The dead fish I buried decayed and disappeared but all the mulm (which I never vacuum) seems to have disintegrated and sunk into the sand bed. There is a visible, sharp boundary only 1/2" down where the sandy-blond-brown sand turns to a reduced-iron looking black. The black extends an inch down and then fades over another 1/2" back into the regular sandy-blond-brown. I've used a turkey baster to probe the sand away from the glass and it seems to be the same everywhere.

Some of the plants' roots don't mind it, but the watersprite cannot stay rooted- the roots turn black and disintegrate. I've read this is due to hydrogen sulfide poisoning. The grasses, cabomba, and others seem just fine.

My nitrates are consistently low even with very few changes of water!

I had problems for a while with plants slowly dissolving, shrimps dying slowly, fry with birth defects, and fish flashing all the time. I couldn't find any visual evidence of parasites, infection, or fungus. When I changed water more frequently, the problem got WORSE.

Finally, I suspected Seachem's Neutral Regulator. I paid close attention to how much I was using and realized I was using about triple or quadruple the recommended amount! I siphon two liters at a time into a big juice jar to change water and had been just guestimating the amount to stir in for each jarful I replaced in the tank. Anyhow, I did a huge water change (80%) and carefully measured out the Neutral Regulator this time. After a day, the fish started acting normal. After a week, the surviving plants started putting out new, healthy growth. The next batch of Endler's Livebearers fry was healthy (except for one little guy I call Stubby). The shrimp didn't make it and I've started over again with cherry shrimp. Seachem told me there was no way it was related to their product. Whatever.

Anyone else have experiences with toxic levels of phosphate based pH regulators? Please do share.

I aerate now because all the decay and the extra Endler's (I can hardly give them away fast enough!) need too much oxygen or create too much carbon dioxide. So I supplement with Flourish Excel since airstones tend to drive off all the CO2.

Currently, the fish are vigorous and most of them are doing various mating displays any time I change the water (and most of the rest of the time), the shrimp and Endler's are reproducing, the plants grow visibly from day to day, and I've got little algae. And the tank smells like topsoil. Oh, and the snails seem to multiply and the fish seem to eat enough babies that there aren't too many. And the worms need restocking every so often as the fish have almost all learned how to catch 'em.

If I could, I'd live in there! It seems so happy and busy.

Oh, my substrate bubbles once in a while but nobody seems to get sick and it doesn't smell like sulfur.

Forgive this long post, please. I'm just so into it that I have to share.

My next tank is going to be based very closely on "Ecology of the Planted Tank" by Walstad. I really look forward to it. I'll start a thread on that when I set up the tank.