10g planted with fish and snails

[traceyrollin]

Should I invest in a co2 system? I've got a beta and a couple coral tetras, one cory, one bamboo shrimp, two apple snails. I have some simple easy to grow plants... they are low light plants but I have good lighting for them... Just planted in some gravel. I have the flourish liquid co2 and iron and the comprehensive care nutrients. It's only a 10 gallon, but I want to do more with more plants. I just have to do a little at a time. So I'm debating on co2 regulator, and what size would be best? What would last the longest? How long to they normally last? Where do you get the tank refilled or do you just get a new one? What do you do with the old bottle? Set up I can you tube... but should I or should I? And should I rework the substrate? The tank always seems just a bit cloudy with the liquid ferts... can anyone help?

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[Caliban07]

Should I invest in a co2 system? I've got a beta and a couple coral tetras, one cory, one bamboo shrimp, two apple snails. I have some simple easy to grow plants... they are low light plants but I have good lighting for them... Just planted in some gravel. I have the flourish liquid co2 and iron and the comprehensive care nutrients. It's only a 10 gallon, but I want to do more with more plants. I just have to do a little at a time. So I'm debating on co2 regulator, and what size would be best? What would last the longest? How long to they normally last? Where do you get the tank refilled or do you just get a new one? What do you do with the old bottle? Set up I can you tube... but should I or should I? And should I rework the substrate? The tank always seems just a bit cloudy with the liquid ferts... can anyone help?

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Hi Tracey.

Plants will grow fine in just gravel as long as they have light, co2 and ferts.

If I was to cut to the chase I would say trail your system. Flourish excel may allow you to try many different plants without having to set up a co2 system.

You have everything you need to make a good go of your setup.

Do you know what you lighting is? If your lighting is too strong you may run in to problems using flourish excel only.

What are your plants?

For a co2 system you buy a bottle such as a paintball cylinder or fire extinguisher or soda stream and get them refilled when they run out. How long they last depends on many factors such as how strong your lighting is, how big your tank is, how many plants you have, how big the bottle is etc.


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[traceyrollin]

I use led lights by elive. They have the click in light rails... I've got two pods red and blue and two pods for grow light and two pods that are just regular florescent. They are small pods only for led dots on each pod. The plants are all small but showing new growth. Two sword plants and well one banana plant that is spindly. And I don't know what the others are. I attached a pic for you. It's about week old and I've done some reArrangements with the last water change.

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[traceyrollin]

I think one is wisteria. Best and clearest the tank has been since I set it up. Will be forced to get an algae water though. It's getting that clearish film of algae on it. Probably need a sponge to clean it up some.

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[traceyrollin]

Also I have a 3g tank that started me on this whole adventure. Oddly enough I've never had any problems with it. Just a beta and a cory with one apple snail and of course also live plants. Only problem I had was the original filter kept sucking up the beta so I did a simple carbon filter with a peace Lilly in it and then I just put an air stone under it.

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[Caliban07]

I use led lights by elive. They have the click in light rails... I've got two pods red and blue and two pods for grow light and two pods that are just regular florescent. They are small pods only for led dots on each pod. The plants are all small but showing new growth. Two sword plants and well one banana plant that is spindly. And I don't know what the others are. I attached a pic for you. It's about week old and I've done some reArrangements with the last water change.

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Just see how you get on with liquid co2. If you still have problems we can take it from there.

Edit: dose the excel daily.

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[traceyrollin]

Ok I will thanks.

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[Caliban07]

Ok I will thanks.

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Oh I meant to say the Java fern and Anubias have rhizomes and ideally should be tied to a rock or wood using string, cotton or fishing line.

The information widely spread is that the rhizome will rot if placed under the substrate.


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[traceyrollin]

I'll fix it asap!

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[traceyrollin]

Ok so I did this... is this the java fern and anubias you said to uproot from the gravel and tie or weigh down with a rock or something? I had to Google them to see which plants you were referring too. I think I hope I got them right. Oh and I didn't know wisteria could do a carpet thing... So now I know that. Yeay!

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[traceyrollin]

Oh and btw. I am thinking I should get a timer for my light. How ever I don't really understand them very well yet. Everyone keeps talking about percentages and 24/7 mode and stuff like that. But first I just want to set the thing to turn on and off the light. I can't make heads or tails about all the tecky stuff about timers. Is there a simpler timer I can get? And eod it hurt the fish or plants to leave the lights off for a day and then turn them on at night so I can enjoy the tank when I'm home and let it rest when I'm at work? I've noticed a tiny bit of bba forming on what I think is the java fern... guess I should do an h202 wash on it right quick before it gets out of control. And I'd like a canister filter deal but it's only ten gallons so what specs should I look for? I do not want anything that's going to suck up my beta or my Chinese algae eaters. Guess I could put a mesh bag over the intake...

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[Caliban07]

Oh and btw. I am thinking I should get a timer for my light. How ever I don't really understand them very well yet. Everyone keeps talking about percentages and 24/7 mode and stuff like that. But first I just want to set the thing to turn on and off the light. I can't make heads or tails about all the tecky stuff about timers. Is there a simpler timer I can get? And eod it hurt the fish or plants to leave the lights off for a day and then turn them on at night so I can enjoy the tank when I'm home and let it rest when I'm at work? I've noticed a tiny bit of bba forming on what I think is the java fern... guess I should do an h202 wash on it right quick before it gets out of control. And I'd like a canister filter deal but it's only ten gallons so what specs should I look for? I do not want anything that's going to suck up my beta or my Chinese algae eaters. Guess I could put a mesh bag over the intake...

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The plants look better now the rhizomes are out of the substrate.

You don't want 24/7 mode. You want a stable photoperiod. About 8 hours. The finnex 24/7 I think you can turn the intensity down by percentage.

The higher the light the more co2 and nutrients the plants will require so in your setup it's best to turn the intensity down. Maybe 60% or something.

Timers are easy. You can buy the ones that work the same way as a boiler timer.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/plug-in-c...tracking url&gclid=CICF5IPVys8CFdVAGwodUfsFow

You just twist the ring around the plug to set it to roughly the time is actually is the depress the blue pins down for when you want the timer to come on. There is a little switch at the side you need to switch to the clock symbol. It's ridiculously easy.

Your liquid co2 will kill the BBA if you squirt it directly on to it. Are you sure it's BBA and not diatoms? How new is this tank again.

Post a message about the canisters in the hardware forum and you will get an answer there.


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[flchamp89]

You may want to look at your stocking as well. Bio load a little off on both set ups

 

[traceyrollin]

Ok can do will do! Thanks for the link! And that makes sense about the timer! Thanks again Caliban07!
Flchamp89 I don't know which direction to go with the bioload... more or less... probably less I would assume. The three gallon only has 1 beta and one Cory and a snail. Sure he's a big snail... but the water is clear and the plants are very happy in that tank no problems what so ever. On the other hand, I've had a couple worries with the 10 gallon but nothing to big I don't think... just being a newb is all. I has 1 beta, 1 cory, 1 bamboo shrimp, 1 maybe 2 ghost shrimp, 2 tetras, and 2 snails... who keep getting bigger and they are probably the issue.

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[flchamp89]

3g is a little small for betta in my opinion. 10g is too small for cory as they need to be in goups and are too active for small footprint. Same with the tetra. The shrimp and snail have a small load. But there is size and compatability issues.

A tank will not be gallons listed after hardscape. My 10g is probably closer to 7.5.

Im not try beat you up. You do what you think is best.

 

[traceyrollin]

I'll agree with you on the 3g and the beta issue. 100% with you. Will probably up that to a 5 at the least for now it's just a plant nursery. For th most part and should be used simply to qt the plants as I buy them.
The cory' s are dwarfs and they seem happy. The one big cory I have is a fat guy at 1.5 inches. And the tetras are full size already. I do plan to upgrade them into a 20g tank when money allows... but I'm just learning so I want to make sure I learn on smaller tanks first so that I understand the challenges I'm facing well before I get into the expense of larger more elaborate aquascapes. So if I make big mistakes here with the small ones then I can easily fix them. But I have a friend that has a few extra tanks that she doesn't use I'll see if she's willing to sell me a 20... I think she has one. Heck she might just give me one.

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[traceyrollin]

As you can see I don't prefer much as far as large rocks or drift woods or stuff like that. It's just a personal thing is all. But thank you for the advice it will be heeded as soon as cash flow allows. I do intend the next tank to have more soil type substrate and scaping so if that's anything.

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[traceyrollin]

Flchamp89 I am with you 100% on the sizes thing though. But the cory catfish are dwarfs. And the tetras are full size so I'm not in any hurry. But I'm learning and plan to upgrade when I feel confident I can tackle the challenges I already face plus the ones to come with larger tanks.

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[flchamp89]

Sounds like your on top of it.

 

[traceyrollin]

Sounds like your on top of it.

I know you love betas. Here is a pic of my crown tail. I call him killer. Not very social at all. Whilst my other one fred is more laid back and just stares at anything new I'm the tank for a bit. Circles and moves on.

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