Waterwoman
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2012
- Messages
- 5
Hello everyone!
I’m new to this forum and am looking forward to being able to discuss my hobby with others. I hope to get lots of info from you all, and share what I have learned over the last few years. I would love to be able help anyone avoid some of the pitfalls I have encountered.
About 4 months ago I shut down my 75 gallon fresh water aquarium, for various reasons including issues with zillions of trumpet snails, and the fact that most of my best fish had died when I was out of town on vacation. I gave the rest of my fish away, and emptied out the substrate into my garden. it took me several months to decide what I wanted to do next, and to obtain the substrate I wanted to use.
So this time, I decided on a planted aquarium, using some onyx I got at a defunct mine in Mexico, and a Manzanita branch “tree” as my main structures. All of the above were boiled for hours before going into the tank. It is a show tank (only 13” front to back) which is very limiting, but I think this set up will be ok once the plants grow in.
The tank has been cycling for about 2 months now, and I only finished putting in the plants about 3 weeks ago. They are as follows:
dwarf baby tears
dwarf hairgrass
(small form) Narrow leaf chain sword
Myriophyllum aquaticum
a tiny Bolbitis
Marsh Mermaidweed
3 small sticks of Hygrophila pinnatifida
Taiwan moss (tied onto the branches of my Manzanita)
I also added 15 Harlequin Rasboras, 4 days ago, as my cycling fish.
Everything is doing great EXCEPT the Taiwan moss!?! Go figure! It is a sickly grey green color and there is some grey alge-like gunk growing on the otherwise bare parts of the Manzanita. This was not happening before the moss was attached to the wood. In fact, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t there 3 days ago, when I did a (40 %) water change. I only noticed it yesterday. I tested my water before and 2 days after the water change and everything is neutral except the water hardness wich is always high (7.8). So- anybody got any ideas or a experienced a similar problem? In the past moss has alway been something I had to keep from taking over... a no-brainer...
Oh yeah- the water temp is 79 degrees and I have been using Florin Multi liquid plant food as directed on the lable. I have attached 2 photos so you can see what I have been talking about.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Waterwoman
I’m new to this forum and am looking forward to being able to discuss my hobby with others. I hope to get lots of info from you all, and share what I have learned over the last few years. I would love to be able help anyone avoid some of the pitfalls I have encountered.
About 4 months ago I shut down my 75 gallon fresh water aquarium, for various reasons including issues with zillions of trumpet snails, and the fact that most of my best fish had died when I was out of town on vacation. I gave the rest of my fish away, and emptied out the substrate into my garden. it took me several months to decide what I wanted to do next, and to obtain the substrate I wanted to use.
So this time, I decided on a planted aquarium, using some onyx I got at a defunct mine in Mexico, and a Manzanita branch “tree” as my main structures. All of the above were boiled for hours before going into the tank. It is a show tank (only 13” front to back) which is very limiting, but I think this set up will be ok once the plants grow in.
The tank has been cycling for about 2 months now, and I only finished putting in the plants about 3 weeks ago. They are as follows:
dwarf baby tears
dwarf hairgrass
(small form) Narrow leaf chain sword
Myriophyllum aquaticum
a tiny Bolbitis
Marsh Mermaidweed
3 small sticks of Hygrophila pinnatifida
Taiwan moss (tied onto the branches of my Manzanita)
I also added 15 Harlequin Rasboras, 4 days ago, as my cycling fish.
Everything is doing great EXCEPT the Taiwan moss!?! Go figure! It is a sickly grey green color and there is some grey alge-like gunk growing on the otherwise bare parts of the Manzanita. This was not happening before the moss was attached to the wood. In fact, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t there 3 days ago, when I did a (40 %) water change. I only noticed it yesterday. I tested my water before and 2 days after the water change and everything is neutral except the water hardness wich is always high (7.8). So- anybody got any ideas or a experienced a similar problem? In the past moss has alway been something I had to keep from taking over... a no-brainer...
Oh yeah- the water temp is 79 degrees and I have been using Florin Multi liquid plant food as directed on the lable. I have attached 2 photos so you can see what I have been talking about.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Waterwoman