CuriousWoRm
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I got a 29 gallon 6 months ago and haven't had any problems with it. I'm still just trying to find the prime schedule to keep things flowing normal though. I've got a little bit of black beard algae which I think I'm getting rid of, but at the same time dealing with a little bit of green hair algae. I have alot of questions on my mind, and tried browsing the forums but wanted an exact answer to my questions and not something kind of similar.
So I was crossing my fingers to see if I could get some help to say 'perfect' the tank.
1. Running a 24T5 Flora Sun ZooMed x2 11 hours daily. On at 11:00 off at 10:00. I stay up late, so I turn my light on later so it can stay on into the night. It doesn't get any direct sun light from my windows, but does get indirect light. I've got another fish tank that works just off window light in one window and a couple large house plants that need the windows open 24/7.
2. Starting to dose with API Leaf Zone with the recommended 1x a week 15ml for my 29G. The bottle is about gone, so I'll be going to the fish store in a few weeks. Is there a single bottle of something else I should switch to?
3. Have DIY CO2 which I'm hopefuly going to upgrade in a month or two to pressurized with a ceramic diffuser. The DIY I'm trying to keep it at 1L bottle, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp yeast, changed 1x a week. The tube end is stuffed with some cotton to help make smaller bubbles and goes to my filter inlet.
4. Medium planted tank as of right now. With Eco Complete substrate (2 bags) under my sand which is about 3-4" deep combined. Eventually when everything gets the the size I wanted, it should be a heavy planted tank.
5. I feed the fish like 2 days on, 1 day off. Seems to give them a bump to go eat some algae.
6. I'm starting to change 2.5G every morning (1 trip with my bucket) to help fight the BBA from spreading. Also do about a 35% every 2 weeks.
7. I've got 6 ghost shrimp and one oto, trying to get a second. But most my pet stores sell the SAE. Found only one of my LFS to carry them. I'm in Sacramento so I've got over a half dozen LFS to browse so I have options if anyone has ideas about other BBA prevention. I was thinking of getting 1 or 2 large snails. Mystery snail most likely. I like to test the personalities of my fish, so I might have a problem there however. I've got an angel, a male crown tail beta, and 2 dwarf gouramis as my main fish. Thinking a snail might become the tank toy. And the fish are getting along. No nipping, all fins show no signs, and feeding is normal. I've watched the beta flare up at one of the gouramis when it first went in. But seemed more of a curious part for the gourami and a nice introduction for the beta.
I've read about the excel and heard it damaging plants. I didn't really want to go the route of dumping chemicals into my tank anyways if it could be prevented. Plus that seems like a temporary fix, and I have no problem trimming the infected plants. None of the plants that have the BBA can be removed either for a dunk in peroxide. I have very little decor for it to grow on and keep what I have spotless with a toothbrush. All 4 tank walls are also free of Algae.
I do change out of filter cartridges about every month. I saw someone saying keep them in unless you need to replace them because they are falling apart or need the carbon for meds. If I remember in my old tank, I did that, and just left it in. It seemed to help balance out my tank. I don't know why I stopped doing that. Guessing it is clearly the large amount of 'good' bacteria that collects on it. So I'm leaving in the last cartridge I put in about a week ago until it falls apart.
--
Now what I'm curious is am I doing everything right here to help stop the BBA from acting up once I get it gone and also stopping the green algae from appearing. Should I change something up a little bit? I don't know the water parameters which is my next question.
Next. I know it is probably a big no no, but out of all the times I've owned tanks I've never put up the money to buy a test kit. I just stuck to scheduled water changes and feeding plus just keeping a close eye on it. I've heard talk about the one at Walmart and went today, but wouldn't you know, they don't sell it. So I was going to try to order it online, and just wanted to make sure this was the one, the Freshwater Master Test Kit
Walmart.com: Freshwater Master Test Kit: Fish
Is that a good enough test kit for what I need for a 29g?
Next, I've got a chain sword in my tank, which seems to be going crazy with new leaves, but hasn't sprouted any runners. Is there something I could do to help it out? Some sort of trick? My one brown crypt has already sprouted 5 new plants, without even really sprouting new leaves itself.
Next, I've got a Java fern, java moss, and Windelov Java fern. None of it is planting well in my sand. So I have the java moss anchored under my thermometer and the other java stuck in plants. I was wanting to do some type of screen that I could mold. Something to hide the heater/filter and also something for the fish to hide under to get out of the direct light. Was thinking HomeDepot or craft store would carry something of the sort. Is there something special out there I should look for. Maybe a plastic over a metal? I'll wash it first, and stay away from anything with a chemical coating and copper right? Or I'm I thinking along the wrong lines, and there is something totally different out there for my needs. I was also wanting to attach my anubias nana to it.
Sorry for the longgg post.
. I'm an eager learner, so dump what ever knowledge you can into my brain
. I started with a 10G which seemed more of an experimental project where it was easy to play with. The new tank has my brain exploding.
So I was crossing my fingers to see if I could get some help to say 'perfect' the tank.
1. Running a 24T5 Flora Sun ZooMed x2 11 hours daily. On at 11:00 off at 10:00. I stay up late, so I turn my light on later so it can stay on into the night. It doesn't get any direct sun light from my windows, but does get indirect light. I've got another fish tank that works just off window light in one window and a couple large house plants that need the windows open 24/7.
2. Starting to dose with API Leaf Zone with the recommended 1x a week 15ml for my 29G. The bottle is about gone, so I'll be going to the fish store in a few weeks. Is there a single bottle of something else I should switch to?
3. Have DIY CO2 which I'm hopefuly going to upgrade in a month or two to pressurized with a ceramic diffuser. The DIY I'm trying to keep it at 1L bottle, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp yeast, changed 1x a week. The tube end is stuffed with some cotton to help make smaller bubbles and goes to my filter inlet.
4. Medium planted tank as of right now. With Eco Complete substrate (2 bags) under my sand which is about 3-4" deep combined. Eventually when everything gets the the size I wanted, it should be a heavy planted tank.
5. I feed the fish like 2 days on, 1 day off. Seems to give them a bump to go eat some algae.
6. I'm starting to change 2.5G every morning (1 trip with my bucket) to help fight the BBA from spreading. Also do about a 35% every 2 weeks.
7. I've got 6 ghost shrimp and one oto, trying to get a second. But most my pet stores sell the SAE. Found only one of my LFS to carry them. I'm in Sacramento so I've got over a half dozen LFS to browse so I have options if anyone has ideas about other BBA prevention. I was thinking of getting 1 or 2 large snails. Mystery snail most likely. I like to test the personalities of my fish, so I might have a problem there however. I've got an angel, a male crown tail beta, and 2 dwarf gouramis as my main fish. Thinking a snail might become the tank toy. And the fish are getting along. No nipping, all fins show no signs, and feeding is normal. I've watched the beta flare up at one of the gouramis when it first went in. But seemed more of a curious part for the gourami and a nice introduction for the beta.
I've read about the excel and heard it damaging plants. I didn't really want to go the route of dumping chemicals into my tank anyways if it could be prevented. Plus that seems like a temporary fix, and I have no problem trimming the infected plants. None of the plants that have the BBA can be removed either for a dunk in peroxide. I have very little decor for it to grow on and keep what I have spotless with a toothbrush. All 4 tank walls are also free of Algae.
I do change out of filter cartridges about every month. I saw someone saying keep them in unless you need to replace them because they are falling apart or need the carbon for meds. If I remember in my old tank, I did that, and just left it in. It seemed to help balance out my tank. I don't know why I stopped doing that. Guessing it is clearly the large amount of 'good' bacteria that collects on it. So I'm leaving in the last cartridge I put in about a week ago until it falls apart.
--
Now what I'm curious is am I doing everything right here to help stop the BBA from acting up once I get it gone and also stopping the green algae from appearing. Should I change something up a little bit? I don't know the water parameters which is my next question.
Next. I know it is probably a big no no, but out of all the times I've owned tanks I've never put up the money to buy a test kit. I just stuck to scheduled water changes and feeding plus just keeping a close eye on it. I've heard talk about the one at Walmart and went today, but wouldn't you know, they don't sell it. So I was going to try to order it online, and just wanted to make sure this was the one, the Freshwater Master Test Kit
Walmart.com: Freshwater Master Test Kit: Fish
Is that a good enough test kit for what I need for a 29g?
Next, I've got a chain sword in my tank, which seems to be going crazy with new leaves, but hasn't sprouted any runners. Is there something I could do to help it out? Some sort of trick? My one brown crypt has already sprouted 5 new plants, without even really sprouting new leaves itself.
Next, I've got a Java fern, java moss, and Windelov Java fern. None of it is planting well in my sand. So I have the java moss anchored under my thermometer and the other java stuck in plants. I was wanting to do some type of screen that I could mold. Something to hide the heater/filter and also something for the fish to hide under to get out of the direct light. Was thinking HomeDepot or craft store would carry something of the sort. Is there something special out there I should look for. Maybe a plastic over a metal? I'll wash it first, and stay away from anything with a chemical coating and copper right? Or I'm I thinking along the wrong lines, and there is something totally different out there for my needs. I was also wanting to attach my anubias nana to it.
Sorry for the longgg post.
. I'm an eager learner, so dump what ever knowledge you can into my brain. I started with a 10G which seemed more of an experimental project where it was easy to play with. The new tank has my brain exploding.
