First Tank: 29 Gallon Planted Community

[nerdelish]

After fishless cycling with plants my 29 gallon for a month I finally added fish yesterday. I originally wanted 7 cardinals and 9 harlequin rasboras and one guppy but ended up with 9 cardinals and 11 harlequins because the owner of the store gave me some freebies (probably just didn't want to bother counting them).

They're all juveniles. I acclimated them for an hour before placing them in the tank and fed them this morning. They are starting to color up. I was expecting to see them hiding around in my plants but so far they have been happy to swim around out in the open.

Fish: 9 cardinal tetras, 11 harlequin rasboras, 1 fancy guppy

Hardscape:
Lava rock and driftwood

Plants:
Water Sprite
Flame Moss
Marimo Moss Ball
African Water Fern
Staurogyne repens
Alternanthera reineckii roseafolia
Java Fern
Bacopa monnieri
Amazon Sword
Anubis Golden

 

[ImACoolguy]

Gorgeous tank!

Good luck with that A. Reinekeii, it is far from an easy plant. Lots of ferts and lots of light


Caleb

 

[serena00]

Wow looking awesome


40g community
36g semi-aggressive
20g community
10g betta, nano fish, shrimp
5.5g betta

 

[nerdelish]

Thanks for the compliments... it's my first tank but I sort of decided to go all in. I've been researching (and spending! ) up a storm. I am hoping to keep the A. Reinekeii alive with the light I have...I ordered a finnex planted 24/7 but it's on back order...so using a light for a ten gallon and the light the tank kit originally came with to try to give plants enough light...we will see. I've got root tabs in and flourish and some co2....so hopefully things work out. Still researching plant stuff.

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[ImACoolguy]

I had my reinekeii in my 75g with a planted plus and it just wasn't cutting it.

Moved it to my 10g with a 24/7 and it's doing better.

I think the key is really in the lighting.




Caleb

 

[nerdelish]

Beautiful plant! Hopefully mine will hang on until I get my light.

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[nerdelish]

I tried feeding this morning but my cardinals didn't eat. I don't know if they weren't hungry or didn't see the food (NLS .5 pellets) and the guppy tried to eat it but seemed like it couldn't fit the pellet in its mouth. Going to try some Omega flakes....unless anyone has any other ideas? Any tips on feeding the tetras? The harlequins are zippy and voracious so far, so I'm not worried about them.

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[nerdelish]

pH Swing

I had a pH swing in my tank yesterday. I tested the water to make sure all was well and my pH had plummeted from 7.4 to 6.6. I tested my GH and KH and both were at 53.7 ppm. I added some aragonite sand to my filter yesterday and tested water parameters. The pH stopped dropping and even went up to 6.8. I added 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the water today and it leveled back up at 7.4. GH and KH are both at 89.5 ppm.

I have been trying to read up on KH and GH but only have come across articles on how to raise or lower pH. I am interested in keeping it stable....will the sand and the baking soda keep things stable? Are there better ways to do this? Will know I will have to re-add baking soda every time I do water changes but how much?

So far, it seems like the fish are still okay and are continuing to gain color.

 

[nerdelish]

Fish

 

[ImACoolguy]

How much circulation do you have in the tank?

If you run co2 then it can lower pH over time if the leftover after lights off isn't aerated back out of the tank.



Caleb

 

[fish wrangler]

Very nice tank! Seems like you are on to a good start.

Whats your tap pH? Are you using pressurized or DIY co2?

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[nerdelish]

I do have co2 running but I turn it off when I turn off my lights. It could be the culprit, but I had it running before without an issue. I did have another pH swing (before I used co2) when I was cycling my tank but fixed it through massive water changes and aragonite sand.

I didn't run co2 yesterday because I read that it can lower pH and I didn't want to exacerbate the problem.

I also have an airstone running 24/7. My filter is an Aquaclear 70 and runs on the lowest setting.

 

[nerdelish]

Very nice tank! Seems like you are on to a good start.

Whats your tap pH? Are you using pressurized or DIY co2?

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Tap pH is 7.4.

I am using pressurized co2, it's a Fluval 88g kit (which I have since learned wasn't the best bang for my buck).

 

[fish wrangler]

When did you test your pH? Depending on where you where in the photoperiod the pH could be different because of the amount of co2 in the tank.
I wouldn't mess with your pH using sand or baking soda because it will just change back. I'm sure you have heard this before, but stability is better than the perfect level.

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[nerdelish]

I tested it this morning and again this afternoon. It has been 7.4 consistently aside from a dip this time and a dip when I was cycling.

If I leave it will I have to do anything special when I do my water changes since it is 7.4 out of the tap?

 

[fish wrangler]

I guess if it only drops every now and then you should be ok to raise it, but just do it slowly to not shock your fish.

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[nerdelish]

I have read that low KH and GH means that pH is likely to swing. My water seems really soft...which I think might be causing the problem? Are there better ways to raise the KH and GH?

 

[fish wrangler]

Not that I know of. I'm lucky enough that my ph stays right around 7.4 (my tap ph) so I don't have to mess with it.

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[nerdelish]

Yeah, I'd rather not mess with my water....but I am worried my fish might die.

 

[tiger terror]

Tap pH is 7.4.

I am using pressurized co2, it's a Fluval 88g kit (which I have since learned wasn't the best bang for my buck).

My advice is to turn your co2 on 1.5hrs before lights on & turn off 1hr before lights off..

sit in silence...