Search results

I’m stumped. In the last three days, I’ve had a green slimy algae attack on my plants. It has nearly encased one of my floating plants. The only changes in the last 8 days since the water change are: 1. I added a sponge prefilter over my intake valve on a Fluval 50 HOB because I bought some...

I see you’re from Indiana. In our part of the country, look for granite, slate, petrified wood, but stay away from limestone.

Be really careful in buying tanks from unknown folks. If they didn’t disassemble them properly, it’s likely to leak. You also don’t know the age for the caulk. It’s just risky, especially on a large tank.

Remember dead plant residue will also contribute to higher numbers.

I’ve always done a fish in cycle and found Zebra Danios tend to do quite well in the process. Just don’t bring in any bottom dwellers too soon or over populate too quickly.

Before you start stocking, give some consideration to stocking fish of the same region. For example, check out fish from the Amazon basin before mixing in African area fish.

If you’re lucky enough to have a local store, that will eliminate many problems. My local store has been in business 50 years. They know when to quarantine. And I know which days they receive shipments and I wait five days past that for purchase. If you only have box stores for purchase, it’s a...

Also make sure the crown of the Val is not below your substrate.

I was losing my corys. My LFS said the bristle nose could be causing stress to them after the lights went out. I returned the bristle nose and the problem ended.

I was losing corys for no apparent health reason, but I had a yo-yo loach in the tank. It turned out it was a stress situation for them vs. the yo-yo. When the lights are out, you have no idea what may be going on. I turned in the yo-yo and haven’t had any problems since.

Just to be sure, I’d fill up the 55 outside and let it set for several days to see if it leaks. Sometimes folks put out a “good deal” for a reason.

If you’re researching liquid fertilizers, take a look at Easy Green. It’s simple to use and contains nutrients other liquids do not.

I found out the hard way on how to transport water. I was using the cheaper 5 gallon buckets from Lowes and Home Depot until one split open in the bottom. I switched to Yeti buckets. More expensive, but much better than getting several gallons of water off my floor.

Just don’t add any more fish yet until the numbers are under control as per Aiken’s information.

The pleco may also increase the bioload more than the 10 gallon tank can handle, e.g., they are heavy poopers. You could keep him foe a while as he grows. Just keep a check on your water parameters as he gets larger. But at some point, you may have to swap him out.

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collections/type_fertilizers/products/easy-green-all-in-one-fertilizer This is a link to Easy Green fertilizer. It is sufficient for most of your plants. I would use some root tabs if needed. I’d ditch the of the Seacham products for Easy Green—just 3 squirts a week.

If you’re able to rehouse anything, I would start by getting rid of the snails and the frogs. Both are heavy poopers which increase your bioload. If you’re worried about algae, the Ottos and Pleco will help, but worry about algae later. Increasing plants will also help.

Yesterday I noticed this chalk like substance on several leaves. I think the plant is a Scarlet Temple, but I could be mistaken. It’s a 29 gallon and has been up and running for over a year. I noticed it after my recent water change, but it could have been there for longer. There’s been no loss...

The above suggestions are excellent. If you have to go online, I’ve had great success and customer service on plants at modernaquarium.com. I know they have snails listed. I’m not sure if the price is reasonable, but I trust them.

The Bristlenose has a diet for algae. Mine was constantly on the prowl until he became too large and I had to switch smaller.

Variety vs. schools AFTER the tank is cycled, you’ll probably be fighting algae for a while. It will slowly decrease. So I might think about adding the snails and the pleco early. Before you do too much, a tank with fewer varieties but more species numbers helps the fish. I would rather do 4-5...

I would just do one feeding per day. Corys are great, but think about some Siamese Algae Eaters. They’re very effective, but make sure your store knows the difference on these vs. similar algae eaters. If you’re not familiar with them, Google a photo first before purchasing. Just don’t add...

Two ways I agree with Mer. Since you do have several fish, I would think about cutting down on the feeding because the fish will be producing enough ammonia for the continued cycle. If you were just starting, I’d recommend a couple of zebras in the tank and nothing else. They seem to be hardy...

I’m fortunate to have a local store here in the States that’s been in business over 40 years. It’s a quality and knowledgeable staff.

Algae loves blue light. I’m only using 3% of my blue light power and the plants are thriving with just enough algae for the ottos, Siamese algae eaters, and Bristlenose.