My 20G Planted Tank

[callisto9]

Red fancy guppy:

Yellow mystery snail with pink ramshorn sliding right over him:

Pink ramshorn:

Full tank shot. Added an amazon sword this weekend and some more brazilian pennywort.

 

[My toddlers tank]

Callisto your pics are great, I love following your updates

I still don't care to have snails in my tank but I do admire the colors in yours.

What camera are you using to take these pics and what setting? I know this is not really about your plants but I am in need of a new camera and my iPhone and iPad are not taking the same quality. Hubby is getting a new one for me for Christmas

 

[callisto9]

Callisto your pics are great, I love following your updates

I still don't care to have snails in my tank but I do admire the colors in yours.

What camera are you using to take these pics and what setting? I know this is not really about your plants but I am in need of a new camera and my iPhone and iPad are not taking the same quality. Hubby is getting a new one for me for Christmas

Thank you! What a nice compliment!

I use a Canon Rebel T3i and I experiment with a variety of settings. Honestly, I'm never totally happy with how the pics turn out, but fish don't really sit still. I've tried manual, Tv mode, program mode, auto... and I know there's enough light (don't use flash though), so I'm not sure.

What's your budget?

 

[My toddlers tank]

Thanks I was looking at one at the store today

I had a canon powershot that I got after my son was born but it stopped working this spring.

It is easy to compliment your tank because you did a great job

 

[callisto9]

Most digital cameras nowadays are just fine for about 80% of the population. They've really come a long way and most take excellent shots!

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Montmorillonite

It's called Calcium Montmorillonite. Someone on planted tank did a RAOK for it and I was lucky to receive some.

Thank you again for the great info. I ordered 4 pounds of it from Amazon today. My snail shells sometimes look brittle and I'm just about to add a few red cherry shrimp. This looks perfect.

 

[_skyla_]

May be a silly question.but does adding that stuff for the snails affect the ph?

 

[Rivercats]

We use Calcium Montmorillonite Clay which is a Microbe-Lift product for Koi. And it does increase kh, so does tend to raise ph. In koi it brings out incredible color, promotes healing, and helps raise their immune system. We've used it in our koi pond for years.

I'm sure that is what you are using as it's just a fine white powder.

 

[callisto9]

Thank you again for the great info. I ordered 4 pounds of it from Amazon today. My snail shells sometimes look brittle and I'm just about to add a few red cherry shrimp. This looks perfect.

Nice! Four pounds is going to last you a lifetime!

May be a silly question.but does adding that stuff for the snails affect the ph?

Here's what the RAOK'er said:

Calcium Montmorillonite Clay. The snack bag packs will contain a portion sufficient to treat 500-1000 gallons of water and ideal for those keeping invertebrates. It eliminates the fear of failed molts and also has helped snails grow shiney new shells to protect from pitting or shell rot. This is how i have managed to keep nerites and ramshorns in my low PH plant tanks.

For all invertebrate keepers here, I am offering snack bag samples of calcium clay for free. The portion is enough to dose 500 gallons. Add a pinch directly to the tank water. That's it...

It's the perfect remedy for those snails with pitted or rotted shells or tanks with failed shrimp molts. More info here.

The clay has no effect on Ph/Kh/GH/ammonia/nitrates/nitrides. It has not caused premature molts but rather have aided in letting these guys slip out of their old clothes without harm.

We use Calcium Montmorillonite Clay which is a Microbe-Lift product for Koi. And it does increase kh, so does tend to raise ph. In koi it brings out incredible color, promotes healing, and helps raise their immune system. We've used it in our koi pond for years.

I'm sure that is what you are using as it's just a fine white powder.

Mine is a fine white/grey powder.

 

[Rivercats]

It looks like white to me, maybe I should wear my bi-focals when my daughter doses the ponds! But seriously it is calcium and does indeed raise kh, which in turn helps to raise ph. In small quantities which I imagine your using it's going to have little effect.

 

[callisto9]

It looks like white to me, maybe I should wear my bi-focals when my daughter doses the ponds!

Well, flour is really white and this isn't as white as flour. It's like a dirty white, very light grey.

I snorted some and I felt pretty good for awhile.

Kidding.

 

[Rivercats]

Wait till your a ways over 50 and have to have bi-focals

 

[callisto9]

Wait till your a ways over 50 and have to have bi-focals

Well hey, I'm 37 with poor vision, so... I also work with color a lot, so most people would call it white, while I would call it light grey.

 

[Botanica]

Well hey, I'm 37 with poor vision, so... I also work with color a lot, so most people would call it white, while I would call it light grey.

Lol...my husband tells me I have more names for what he would call white than pennies in a dollar! Color is subjective...and white is never really white. that's the floral designer in me talking...sorry.

 

[callisto9]

Lol...my husband tells me I have more names for what he would call white than pennies in a dollar! Color is subjective...and white is never really white. that's the floral designer in me talking...sorry.

Oh, I've seen all the paint chips at the store - there's many shades of white! My mom always paints her walls...beige. off-white, ecru... so exciting.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I guess we older aquarium keepers must be doing something right! I'm 38 and still love my tanks. This is such a great hobby.

Glad to hear the diatoms are getting better. It probably not going to be long before I get an outbreak.

 

[callisto9]

I'm wondering when I can put my gourami in my 20G tank. This weekend marks two weeks. How much longer should I keep him in the QT tank?

Also, I feel like my 20G tank always has so much gunk in it. If I move around a moss ball, or stir the substrate, or brush against some plants, crap just flies everywhere. I don't overfeed (I think) - just a few pinches once a day. I have tons of ramshorns now (yikes), so I know they're munching. How can you vac the substrate when you have a planted tank? I mean, the stuff settles in a few mins, but I feel like there's so much gunk in there. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Everyone is still happy and healthy except the yellow mystery snail. No clue what to do about him.

 

[Coco1019]

Is he still just sitting in the middle?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I just swirl the siphon hose above the substrate and very lightly touch down where I can to get the detritus.

Another way to feed would be to feed the same amount you do now, or less, but break it up into two daily feedings. Fish can stay healthier on less food if they get it more often. Having lots of ramshorns sometimes means you're feeding a little heavy. Switching to micro pellets is another good idea. Flakes always seem to cause a mess, either with algae or snails or gunk in the sand. Bleh. The Hikari micro pellets are my personal favorite for tetras or communities of small fish. They never break up into dust like flakes and even the smallest fish can take them. My betta does better with it than his betta food.

 

[Coco1019]

I tried using those NLS pellets in the smallest size. My guppies still couldn't eat them.