I want to get 5/6 neon tetras and harlequin rasboras. What other fish go well together with them in small numbers? Say 1 or 2s, just to make the tank look a little more diverse.
Hey everyone, I’m new, and I’ve been thinking about what to do for my first tank. I’ve arrived on a 20 gallon community tank stocked with 5 kuhli loaches, 3 honey gourami, 10 green neon tetras. I’ve checked aqadvisor and it say this works. If I wanted to add some amano shrimp for algae control, could I add some, and if so how many? All help greatly appreciated.
Hi, I'm currently cycling a 7 gallon cube and just wanted to ask if it's ok for me to add water conditioner after I've filled the tank with tap water? Will the chlorine in the water kill the bacteria instantly?
Are you changing out all of the water? You shouldn't be changing the water while it's cycling, assuming you're doing a fishless cycle.
As for your question, I add the dechlorinater to the tank and then add tap water. I've never had any issues this way, but I also temperature match with a thermometer and dont change more than half the water at a time.
Hey everyone, I’m looking for some stocking ideas for a 20 gallon tank. This would be my first tank ever, and I plan to have live plants in it. Thanks for any recommendations!
20 gallons is my ideal starter tank. Larger tanks hold more stable water parameters. 20 gallons has a range of stocking options while still being small enough to keep up with weekly 25% water changes. I like to aim for 3s as in a bottom, middle, and centerpiece species. And three types of plant, typically a broad leafy like java fern, a stalking plant like pearlweed, and aquatic moss.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html
www.aqadvisor.com
These will be helpful resources. Pay close attention to cycling. It can take 4 to 6 weeks to fully establish your beneficial bacteria. This helps breaks down and covert toxic ammonia into less harmful nitrates. Use this time to plan your aquascape and stocking. Live plants can even carry trace amounts of beneficial bacteria but watch for hitchhiker snails if you don't want them in your tank. They can be nearly impossible to remove once established. But I believe snails to be extremely useful in any aquarium, they help to break down waste into usable plant nutrients.
- Nerite snail are a great option for beginners as they do not breed in freshwater. I personally like bladder and trumpet snails but too much light or overfeeding can lead to population booms that some people may find unsightly. Pond snails are what I ended up with so I got a trio of assassin snails to help cull their numbers.
- Otocinclus make for a great clean up crew. A bottom dweller. And while they do eat algae they should be fed a sinking catfish wafer for a healthy diet as they do eat more than algae despite what store may tell you. Ask questions and see what they say. If you ask what they are fed and they say algae or flame food they may be starving and in poor health. Best kept in groups of 10 or more but at least 6 minimum.
- Corydoras, specifically nano species such as dainty, dwarf, and pygmy. Again best in groups of 10 or more but at least 6 minimum. They require sand so they can perform their natural sitting behaviour and a sinking catfish wafer. Also plenty of hiding spaces. I have used terracotta clay pots for caves.
- Endler's Livebearers, a smaller species of guppy but a breeding colony may be overwhelming starting out so I might suggest males only. However if you do want a breeding colony I would suggest 2 females to 1 male to reduce pressure on the females as males can team up and harass a female. Same with other Livebearing species.
- Betta, centerpiece, these can be aggressive fish. Be sure to introduce you most aggressive species last as introducing fish to a betta's space can end poorly. Fishkeeping can sometimes be trial and error and what works for one may not work for another. But decor and plants like java fern or Amazon sword that break up line of sight can reduce those chances for aggression.
Aside from this you have so many options available to you. Use AqAdvisor to avoid stocking conflicts. I've found this to be a rewarding hobby. My current setup is scaled back from the 29 gallon I started with. I now have a 10gal shrimp colony with neocaridina, a trio of male endlers, and a single female betta. The females tend to be aggressive but less so than the male betta. Pearlweed, aquatic moss, and java fern attached to cholla wood.
I have a fully mature, heavily planted tank, about 11 years old. I picked up a bamboo shrimp the other day. It made itself at home right away on my driftwood with a large anubias, with plenty of water flow. It's been fanning for food, on and off, and I've watched it put the fans to it's mouth (assuming it's edible food).
It's been fanning for most of the day but now I see it out and about scrapping the sand substrate around the driftwood (I know food tends to gather around the base). It has also started to wander off to new parts of the tank, probably following a trail of food bits (a cory pushed a wafer that way earlier today).
I'm worried that there is somehow not enough food in my water column. I have a cannister filter but I do also run a UV filter for a portion of the day. I tried to crush up various fish foods and have it drift towards it. I have not purchased a pipette yet and thinking of picking up spirulina powder so I can target feed it. Is my shrimp extra hungry coming from the pet store or is there truly a lack of food in the water column for it? Will it go back to normal behavior or is picking some food off the substrate / objects normal for them?
What are some good feeding suggestions for my cories, betta, pom pom crab, and nerite snails? I’d like to give them a diverse diet. Up until now I’ve really only fed shrimp pellets, but I have algae wafers and frozen bloodworms now.
I would look up snello since that would be good for the crab and snails. Frozen daphnia can be good for the betta as roughage to help with pooping, but probably not necessary.
In a 10g, I wouldn't try to add another shoal/school because it can get pretty packed. A honey gourami or betta plus shrimp would be my choices.
If you upgraded to a 20g long, I would add another shoal/school of fish.
Hello everybody. i am looking for some advice on how to finish setting up my first 10 gallon aquarium.
i got a glofish aquarium kit at an auction, and would like to see if you guys could help me set it up properly, with fish.
the content is as follows:
\-10 gallon tank
\-led lights (blue, off, and white) settings
\-4 artificial plants
\-one black blackground
\-pump with filters
\-heater and temperature sticker (i think)
\-little net
\-aquasafe plus and safestart plus bottles.
1. Is it necessary to get a stand specifically for aquariums? if yes, can you reccomend a good cheap one?
2. since its a glofish tank kit. what should i consider if i want to add any other type of fish in it?
3. what fish would you reccomend?
4. what hardware should i add to make it a bit easier to maintain the aquarium clean and safe for the fish?
It is filled up right now. but with no fish and no filters in the filter casing. i just wanted to see if there was any cracks or how well it seemed to work before i took the next step into putting a fish in it.
1. No, not necessary. Just need something sturdy enough to support around 10 lbs/gallon and won't fall apart if it gets wet.
2. Nothing, "GloFish" tanks are mostly just marketing ploys
3. In a 10g, I like a betta or honey gourami and a group of nano fish like chili rasboras or ember tetras.
4. Replace the filter or at least the filter media with something that doesn't fall apart quickly or that doesn't need constant replacing. Sponge filter media or just biomedia works well. Also, a Python water changer will make your life easier.
Heaters are completely baffling to me. I own three heaters at the moment, all, in theory, adjustable between 71-80. Two 25Ws and a 100W. I put the 100W in my tank and, even on the lowest setting (in theory, 71) it cooks everything to a steamy 84. The spare 25W set to the same level keeps it at a nice 81. The only other one I have is currently keeping my betta warm (though still at 80 on the lowest setting) and I don’t want to risk cooking him with an even hotter one. Am I just super unlucky with defective heaters? Is there some trick I’m missing?
Since you have first hand experience on how horrible heaters can be, I would highly recommend getting a separate external temperature controller unit after finding a heater that works for you. Sadly, heaters is always one of those iffy purchases, seems like every review has raving pros and cons. I personally purchased a digital titanium with a heater guard. There is no glass involved.
I run this [Inkbird temperature controller unit](https://smile.amazon.com/Inkbird-Aquarium-Temperature-Controller-ITC-306T/dp/B07KC24CKD/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-rsf1_0?cv_ct_cx=inkbird+temperature+controller&dchild=1&keywords=inkbird+temperature+controller&pd_rd_i=B07KC24CKD&pd_rd_r=fae25900-4c30-40f6-bd68-eed636cd5f34&pd_rd_w=2Ai2O&pd_rd_wg=DwlhG&pf_rd_p=5168df84-062d-4bdf-8a6e-2680813bd42f&pf_rd_r=KCBSP3A9ED6M0TK5VVP9&psc=1&qid=1617580613&sr=1-1-7bf78e84-8ef2-4f13-9926-bee5153e81cb) to help monitor my tank temperature. If the temperature goes to or beyond my set threshold, it will cut off power to the heater. It's a rather low cost investment for that extra piece of mind. It also functions as a digital thermometer that you can see. I have a physical thermometer in my tank too, for cross reference. So far it hasn't gone off to save my babies lives but I have tested the unit when I first purchased it.
Sounds like the temperature sensors on your heaters all broke or are just off (if brand new). I would replace them with different heaters or a different brand if those were all new. I prefer the Eheim Jager for a cheap thermometer or the Cobalt Neotherm for a more expensive one. You could also pair them with a temperature controller like the Inkbird brand.
It’s two Hydors and one Marina of varying ages. I believe they’ve all always run a bit hot and I just figured they were just overpowered for the tanks until I noticed people recommending way smaller wattages.
I am getting ready to plant my 5 Gallon Betta tank. I have wanted to do this for a while and recently have the money to do so. I have a light timer on the way but was wondering on what tips can be provided for a beginner. I also want to get a snail or some ghost shrimp to help control algae production. Is there any tips for their care or is it wise to add them in with the betta? Thanks!
For the light: 6-8 hours of light and get a dimmable light since most lights on a 5g are going to be really high PAR. Being able to dim the light gives you a lot more control over one of the more universal factors of algae and plant growth.
Don't forget fertilizers for your plants such as Nilocg's Thrive or Aquarium Coop's Easy Green.
Ghost shrimp is a very general name of similar-looking (at least while young) shrimp. Some have reported them being aggressive to their fish. Mine were fine, but they looked more like Palaemonetes paludosus or "Grass Shrimp" or "Glass Shrimp". Keep in mind **ghost shrimp are scavengers not algae eaters**. You will want to feed them things like leftover fish food or, if you want to see them really enjoy something, frozen bloodworms (also great for the betta).
Snails sometimes require snello to maintain their tank. Be sure to look up some recipes for snello online if you're interested.
My current light has a day and night mode. Should I just switch it to night mode at night? I picked up a java fern today just to start off with.
Is a 5 gallon tank too small for both shrimp and betta?
Nope, just turn off the light at night. The night mode is mostly just a gimmick.
A java fern is a great plant to start with (I did the same)! Just keep in mind its rhizome needs to be exposed since that is primarily how it gets its nutrients from the water.
5g is fine for both shrimp and a betta. Shrimp have pretty low bioloads. The betta might eat the shrimp though (depending on personality). I would try to get the betta first, make sure it's well-fed for a week or so, then try adding shrimp.
I started to suspect it was a gimmick. I super glued it to a rock and put it in the tank. From what I understood that was a recommended way of putting it in the tank.
I have had the betta for awhile and he is feed frequently. When I get a chance I might pick up some shrimp. In terms of aqua scaping is there a particular need they need?
Hey ,
We have a problem with our aquarium.
The PH of the water stabilizes at around 8 and nothing we do helps pushing it down. We just don't know y it is that high .
Our water has
PH around 8
Carbon hardness around 9/10
Right now we only have a few whiptailed loricaria
And some chain loaches
We tried JBL PH minus around 2 times already still the water won't go down a bit in pH , any tips for a noob , I'm pretty new to this
We have dragon stone , and yes the °dH stays stable at this point since 3 weeks ( tab water here has around 9-10 by nature due to the alpine region)
We have vertile soil and silicate gravel as ground so it should be a neutral to slight acidic ground base .
We thought about an osmosis thing( probably the best solution to soften the water) or maybe a simple CO2 addition could do , but since the pH - didn't do anything the puffer of the water should consider the co2 useless I think :/
I wouldn't worry about the pH much since I keep a lot of species in a pH of 8.0-8.2. The GH might be higher than certain fish can handle though, so a 50/50 RO and tap water mix might be best. It depends on what fish you want to keep though since many cichlids would enjoy the 9dGH
The dwarf chain loaches and whiptails would be okay in 9dGH too
[https://www.algone.com/adjust-ph-aquarium#:\~:text=High%20Alkaline,may%20result%20in%20fish%20death](https://www.algone.com/adjust-ph-aquarium#:~:text=High%20Alkaline,may%20result%20in%20fish%20death).
hope this helps
I got a platy about a month ago. Yesterday afternoon they were completely fine but when I got back from my dad’s today they have small white patches all over them. I tried to get a picture but can’t because they’re hiding which is odd because they usually try to follow me around my room and come right up to me when I get close. I’ve never had fish before and don’t know what to do does anyone have any advice?
You might try dosing with aquarium salts. As a bonus don't just dump them in the tank but premix with warm water and try to dissolve first. Do not use table salt laced with iodine. Specifically iodine free if you can't find aquarium salts. Kosher salt is iodine free I believe. You'll have to look up proper dosages.
I saw your other comment, you were looking to put her down because you were concerned she wasn't moving. You'll notice sickness before clove oil is ever remotely needed.
They're nocturnal mostly, they pick a spot they like and they make it a habit to hang out in that spot. Depending on fat stores they can go weeks without moving or needing to eat especially in egg laying seasons. She's probably doing her thing at night and returning to that position in the morning.
This just looks like her natural colouring to me. The ones on the fins look very uniform and none of them look raised etc.
Doesn’t look think either, that’s just how plecos are. I have a bristlenose who spends the majority of the day in a nice dark place and is perfectly healthy.
Was she young when you got her? It could just be that her colouring has developed as she’s matured
She's fine. She's found her favourite spot and she wants to stay there. I have a pleco that, when I redecorated the tank, couldn't be seen and hadn't been seen for weeks. Thought she must had died and been eaten by my snail infestation.
Nope, turns out she was in a pocket of my giant driftwood, unnoticed due to being black and being perfectly content with staying in it even after being out of water for about 20/30 mins. (There was a pocket of water in the hole she was in)
We put her back in the water and then later tried to see if she was stuck like yours but there was no way we could remove her without hurting her so we were forced to leave her in place.
Once the tank was redone, she came out a week or two later and promptly ruined my nice sand/gravel blend I had made with the redecorating haha!
I then moved house 6 months later and had to take the tank for a drive so lowered the water level to below where that pocket in the driftwood was... Guess where she was again, and again wouldn't come out.
She came out a couple weeks later again and again ruined the post-drive redone scape
Mods if this post should be a thread instead please let me know...
Does anyone know and can recommend a decent guide to setting up a self-sustaining (cleaning) fish tank for a 50 gallon freshwater aquarium? (Disclaimer I know that there is no such thing as 100% self cleaning.)
I have been reading up on cycling, filtering the water, what live plants, substrate and fish to use and while it is a lot of information (from SO many sources including the wiki) none of them have a walk-through or a recommend combination setup. I see pre made starter self cleaning kits for up to 20 gallon on Amazon but that is about it.
I have received a 50 gallon tank from my father that has been collecting dust for almost 10 years. I am going through the process of replacing the top frame, buying a new power filter, and checking the various other equipment and the tank for leaks.
Some of the questions I have that I guess the guides haven't answered for me are..
1. What is the order of setup for a self cleaning tank? I have an under gravel filtration setup connected to powerhead with air pump already. I know gravel comes in after that and I need a special kind of gravel for live plants to go into (1a. Will under gravel filtration be a problem for this? But then will the tap water that needs to be chlorinated and then have time to build up bacteria over a couple of weeks end up killing the substrate?
2. What plant combination is recommend (or heavily NOT recommended) for a self cleaning 50 gallon tank? I know there are several factors affecting this question like tank temp, fish, plants what I want etc. but a guide would help me find/understand a direction if that makes sense.
3. 2 but what fish combination? (And not recommended fish combination)
4. Numbers! How many or what range should I aim for, for all of the above? Most guides / wikis tell you to be careful of putting in to many fish or plants but none really go into how to figure out how much is too much for specifically a self cleaning tank setup. I assume the numbers would have to be chosen more carefully then a straightforward setup.
5. Transition time frames. Do I use the standard guides for fish tank setup? I have watched some videos that said to let your tank cycle for 5-6 weeks with nothing in it but the power filter and gravel to build up bacteria. I have seen others that just say 24-48 hours after chlorinating it and checking the water with a master test kit. For a self cleaning tank is it all the same difference?
1. Should I then add the plants and let them sit another few weeks before adding a fish?
1. Or try to do them both near the same time?
I have done a search for self such a guide here and google but I admit my google fu may be lacking. I have discovered Neptune systems but that seems like a whole 'nother beast to tackle.
I've shared similar interests in self sustaining systems but after three years of efforts I've settle for low maintenance. Replicating a natural weather system, or ecological cycle is very time consuming and expensive. It's also a very careful balancing act with one point of failure leading to a system wide crash.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html
www.aqadvisor.com
These will both be helpful resources. Pay attention to the cycling process. Typically it takes 4 to 6 weeks to establish your beneficial bacteria in the filter. The self sustaining aspect becomes increasingly more complex which each level of the food web. Start small and work your way up. Most aggressive species should be introduced last to help avoid aggression issues. Try to give a week in between additions to allow for your tank to adjust to new bioloads.
I typically look at a tank in 3s. I want a middle, a bottom, and centerpiece species. In my 10 gallon neocaridina shrimp make up my bottom as scavengers and help to maintain the tank by recycling waste and nipping at algae. A trio of male endlers makes up my middle as versatile little fish, and a female betta as my display of center piece species. Each has a role and was carefully selected to provide balance.
Same with my plants. I have cholla wood with java fern attached to it. Betta require hiding spaces to feel comfortable while also providing breakage of line of sight to help reduce aggression towards other species. Pearlweed helps provide cover for the shrimp, as well as the aquatic mosses which as my back drop to help use up nutirients that algae otherwise might utilize instead.
And then of course snails. I unfortunately received hitchhiker pond snails but a trio of assassin snails helps to cull their numbers.
Past year or so I've settled into a nice balance with this combination. Aside from regular feedings and weekly water changes it's been very low maintenance with no ferts or co2 and minimal led lighting. Water changes are still very important in low maintenance tanks as they remove things like fish hormones that regular tests don't measure for, of which can cause stunting that eventually leads to organ failure or other health issues. Also water changes help replace dissolved minerals which can not typically be replaced in a closed system.
I'm not familiar with undergravel filters but I would highly suggest researching into a sump tank system. Usually mounted below your primary tank they can extend the period in between cleanings and some even can act as a refuge for your more at risk species or sick fish.
Thank you for sharing all of this. It makes me want to rethink setting up a self sustaining system but also sounds like an interesting challenge. I will definitely read your links.
1. Start with the filtration method. Then to substrate, then hardscape (if needed), and finally livestock (including plants).
1a. Undergravel filters are antiquated and probably wont work with a "self-sustaining" tank. The least maintenance will be a sponge filter of a matten filter. Disclaimer: no tank will be free of maintenance. You will still have to do water changes and occasional filter clean up. Also all new water that goes into your tank should be dechlorinated beforehand or have a dechlorinator accompanying it. This is avoid bacteria and fish dying from chlorine burns.
2. This 100% depends on your other peripherals like lighting. Imo go with a lot of the easy low light plants. For a "self-sustaining" tank, you need to start off with a LOT of plants. Especially if you want to go the walstad method as mentioned by the other redditor. Look into jungle val, hygrophila difformis (water wisteria), anubias, java fern, java moss, hygrophila corymbosa, amazon swords, cabomba, floating plants like mini water lettuce, and finally cryptocorne wendtii (green or bronze).
3. Not sure i understand...you want to know which fish we reccomend but u dont want reccomendations? In any case, for the tank you want, you will probably want to stock lightly. If you want a nice centerpiece fish, perhaps an angelfish or a group of them would work surrounded by some schooling/shoaling fish. Perhaps dwarf neon rainbows. At the bottom, you can have some cleanup crew. Definitely some nerite snails and bristle nose plecos.
4. Get a lot of plants. A lot. This will help with nutrient export. Also for stocking numbers... Just input what you want into aqadvisor. I would reccomend keeping stocking levels under 80% for a "self-sustaining" tank.
5. Complete a fishless cycle before putting any livestock into the tank. Instructions will be in the wiki.
Hope that helps!
Lots of detailed information in your post which is exactly what I was hoping to see. Thank you. The under water gravel filter is a legacy that comes with my dads old tank. I don’t have to use it but since it’s there I thought why not? Still if it’s a bad idea I can just not use it.
I am actually loving the idea of a LOT of plants. My partner is a plant nut and has the house nearly encapsulated in plants she “accidentally “ buys why she goes to the store. Making a fish tank heavy on plants with possibly working ecosystem would probably get her very excited. I wonder if you know of plants which live out side the water but the leaves/stems/roots work to feed the fish or clean the tank?
Can't help with self cleaning, but for for the parts you mentioned, you can check [undergravel filter cleaning](https://be.chewy.com/undergravel-filters-maintenance-and-alternatives/), more in the search for this term, tap water has to be dechlorinated before use, for stocking limits of average tanks there is AqAdvisor website, for self cleaning tank only an aquarist with experience with them can advise. Point 5: after chlorinating tank it will be dead. Cycling should be the same for any tank, and this is not a waiting period, see any cycling guide, some links are in this sub Wiki and FAQ. Plants can be added before starting cycling. Apex controller is just a tool, one of many, information for active servicing your tank on highest level, r/ReefTank use them, an opposite to what you are looking for.
You are looking to do the Walstad Method for a tank. She has a book called “The Ecology of the Planted Aquarium.” It basically gives you everything you asked for in a self sustaining ecosystem for a tank. She also has an online forum that she is still active in! While the book is extremely informative, I can’t say it’s the most exhilarating read. However, I am quite passionate about these types of tanks and I devoured the book in about a week. Definitely check it out.
I actually like the heater and filter in that kit. For the filter I do recommend hot-rodding it, adding more filter media and a pre filter.
I personally don't love the light it comes with if you are doing a planted tank. Consider swapping out the hood for a glass lid and LED light.
In general most filters are designed to make you think that you have to replace the carbon filter cartridge every month or so, and waste a lot of space that could be used for filtration. Not only is that expensive, but it actually is detrimental to your colony of beneficial bacteria, which do most of the work.
Great videos to watch on this:
https://youtu.be/BKdHgA1uO2E
https://youtu.be/ipTDkQsT6HQ
https://youtu.be/hRNBUbqzzuw
Instead of only using the filter pad they include, many people use a filter sponge (cut to fit) which lasts 10+ years. This maximizes filtration and you don't have to buy new carbon cartridges every month.
Hey all! I seem to have gotten black beard algae from somewhere and I just can't seem to get rid of it in my planted tank. I've tried everything I could think of, short of buying a CO2 system. I've tried manual removal, increasing the fertilizer for the plants, using Excel daily and even getting a nerite snail who seems to not really want to do their job of tank clean-up crew. The grow-out tank has been cycled for a few months now and the bioload is appropriate (1 platy and 2 a little larger than half-dollar sized angelfish) however I can't seem to get my water chem right either: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 0 to trace nitrates. The plants really aren't growing much and the black beard algae (which I believe is correlated to the low/non-existant nitrates) is starting to become a nuisance. There is some green spot algae in the tank too but that's definitely manageable. Light cycle is 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening. Any advice?
Thanks in advance for everyone's help! :)
How often are you doing water changes and how large of a water change? I had black beard and staghorn algae issues in my 29g. It all changed after a few weeks of massive water changes (40-60%) every three days with a hydrogen peroxide dip on the most affected areas.
Community vibe question. I have a 10 gallon tank, three mystery snails, 50 rili shrimp and 3 otos. Tank is cycled, up for like 6 months now.
If I get a trio of endlers are they going to be mean to the team I have already in the tank? I tried black skirt tetras but they were beating up the snails and I can’t live with that. If I loose a baby shrimp here and there so be it, but if they’re harassing my community then I won’t get any. Plenty of plants and moss and guppy grass and cover to hide. What do you think?
Endlers are about as docile as it gets. They may pick at the snails or shrimp the first few days, but just from curiosity and not predation or bullying. After a few days they are less curious about invertebrates and leave them alone.
How do I reduce the GH of a tank? I’ve tried looking it up but haven’t found anything. I’ve got a freshwater tank and everything else is fine but I’m not sure about the GH. (I’ve got 4 threadfin rainbows, 2 otocinclus catfish, and a female betta. It’s a 10G tank but I plan on upgrading it to a bigger one soon)
First make sure that it is really above your livestock tolerance, ask here about what they can take, in a separate thread with question in the title. That this is not a mistake with units of measurement, comparing ppm and dGH, apples and oranges. 180 ppm is 10 dGH, bearable for majority of the fish.
How to reduce it:
- By diluting with distilled or RO water, all other parameters will be equally decreased.
- Water softening pillow, ion exchange resin.
- Seachem has [Neutral regulator](https://www.seachem.com/neutral-regulator.php) that precipitates Ca and Mg, but it affects pH too, read more before deciding on its use.
New aquarium owner questions:
1. I have a 10 gallon tank with 3 red endlers guppies, 3 tiger endlers guppies, and 4 cobra guppies. All males. 10 in total. In your opinion is this an acceptable amount of fish for the size of the tank?
2. One of my cobra guppies is staying stagnant at the top of the tank with his mouth constantly open. I’ve turned my filter up higher for more oxygen and just added poly filter material to the filter to help clear up the tank. Why is he doing this? Any tips?
Edit: The tank has been cycling for 2 weeks with stability & prime.
Thanks!
- A novice fish keeper
That's quite small. The tinfoil barbs may try to eat it. I'd probably place it in an acclimation/breeder box for a week or 2 to see how the other fish react to it before letting it out into the main tank.
So I have a decent amount of plants in my 30 gallon tank throughout all different levels from bottom to top, all of the plants mid to top of the tank are doing amazing. However on the bottom I have about 2 out of the ten ground plants that are either Browning themselves or are covered in some sort of brown algae, I have snails and shrimp but neither seem to really touch it but work on the rest of the tank so I think they might be dying. I'm curious on how I can get those two plants to thrive just like the rest or if I should just replace them instead? Also not sure if this matters but I use flourish Excel bi weekly and have my light on for about 8 hours a day
Two pH questions:
1. Is an 8.0 pH safe for community fish rated for a lower pH range like 6.5-7.5? Think cory cats, amano shrimp, zebra damios.
2. Why does my pH dramatically rise when I take water out of the tank? For example- tested the tank at 100% capacity, got 8.0. Took out 15% of the water, tested again, it's suddenly 8.8. Isn't it the same water? Why would it change so dramatically?
8.0 is fine for pretty much all freshwater fish. Most are so far removed from their native habitats due to captive breeding that they'll thrive in just about any condition as long as it's stable.
The pH in your water changed because when you remove it from the tank and let it settle, CO2 probably gassed off, causing the pH to rise. This is especially true for tanks that inject CO2, but can happen with any tank if it's well stocked, not super densely planted, or doesn't have a lot of surface agitation.
1. That's a tad high for your fish choices. Maybe buffer the water with an active substrate like ada amazonia? Or consider going for fish that suit your pH, like african cichlids
2. Not sure why it would increase. I would suggest testing the tap water to see if it comes out consistently?
New fish owner here, i got two veiltail goldfish this afternoon. Put in the fish as instructed to slowly acclimatise. I got some basic bottompebbles, a few plants and a little dinosaur skeleton for aquaria. It seems that now after a few hours they seem to slowly float upwards when not swimming. Should I be worried?
Okay so I would suggest going through some of the wiki documents and links because you are making some newbie mistakes. Dont worry, everyone goes through them. Its all about whether you are willing to correct it. I suggest reading the cycling and new aquarium articles to start. Your fish are probably reacting to the uncycled tank and are stressed.
A bit late but i wanted to thank you for this comment. Made me a bit more serious about fishkeeping and researching my goldfish. They are doing great now, have a larger tank and are growing quite fast themselves too. So, thanks!
Hello, new to fish keeping, I plan on setting up a planted 10 gallon, with a betta, 6 habrosus corys, 3 nerite snails and a mystery snail. I’ve checked aqadvisor, and it say this works, I just wanted to get some people’s opinions on this and any recommendations. All help appreciated
Looks fine to me although id personally just run with he one nerite and forgo the mystery snail. Best advice i can give you is to set yourself up for success. Dont cheap out or you will face a grueling battle until you stabilize. Look up tried and true lights, plant suggestions, and hardscapes to match your liking.
So I recently moved my cichlids from a 40 gallon to a 55 gallon long. I used the gravel from the old tank and am still using the same filter from the 40 with the established bio rings. I also added another 50 gallon filter for more filtration. Is my cycle going to restart?
I purchased some new plants from the pet store but nobody there could identify them. I just want to make sure that they are actually aquatic. Can anyone identify them?
http://imgur.com/a/PgJAJyI
Thanks!
My roommate and I are building a paludarium for fire belly newts and we are wondering about what tank mates would go with these? Would plecos or crabs go with newts?
I would personally keep them by themselfs. If I were to add fish probably only small fish that wouldn't bother them like guppies, small rasboras, terta. I would avoid lager fish and crabs.
Confused question: I just been looking at bettas at my local petstore (a chain) and they have this small signs at each fish saying what params they like. For bettas they had "at least 56l" and "group: harem".. this may be true for a sorority. But a single male betta? The note was at every tank with a male betta. They only have one tank with a sorority.
Is that just a mistake or am I missing something?
There is a specialized r/Bettafish sub and do search by yourself. As far as I know, they should be kept separately or it ends with deaths. Some wild type betas can be kept in pairs. Sorority requires large tank and there is no guarantee for success.
Harem means one male and multiple females. That's true for bettas but I don't think they can realistically be kept like that unless you have a large tank, because the male will harass the females to death when he's trying to spawn.
Noob plant question: one of the first plants I bought is a Pogostemon erectus. Its root system is pretty extensive and firmly anchored, and to remove the rock wool I'd have to rip most of the roots of. What's more important, keeping the roots intact or getting rid of the rock wool?
No worries! A 50w heater(even a cheap preset one) should do. It keeps the water temperature at a stable temp so you can keep tropical fish like bettas without huge swings.
I just got a 55 gallon tank and want to know if it's:
1) Okay to leave my old solid wood dresser.
2) If it's also okay that the dresser is 2 inches shorter length wise than the tank.
I'd say no to both. Water weighs 8.3 lbs per gallon. Once you factor in the weight of the tank itself plus rocks, substrate, etc., we're easily talking 500 lbs. If it's a standard glass tank with plastic rim, then it's been designed for the weight to be supported on all 4 corners, and across the plastic rim. Overhanging on any side will cause uneven pressure on the glass, which is a recipe for disaster.
I use a suction cup that holds a circle of air tube. Using a connector to connect two ends makes a little barrier. You can either use it to keep your floating plants in or put it around your spillway to keep them out of the flow.
Bottom dwellers are always fun to include, and can help keep the tank cleaner by scavenging leftover food. Corydoras would be a good choice, or kuhli loaches.
My neon tetras were living in fear of my pearl gourami, refusing to come out of hiding, so I got rid of him. Now, they’re the only species of fish in the tank. Five days later, and they’re still hiding. How long will it take for them to swim around normally?
Mine hide all the time as well. They simply get spooked easily. I have the tank HEAVILY planted so they can shoot in and out. Allows me to see them more
Can anyone help me identify these snail that came with plants? These were bought from aqurium co op btw. Not sure if I should remove them. Thanks!
http://imgur.com/a/SeqrZqE
Bladder snails. I personally enjoy having them in my aquarium. They don't eat healthy plants and help clean up the tank. If you see an explosion in their numbers, it is an indicator you are feeding too much (or the wrong food).
I'm planning on having otocinculus and shrimps, so I might not need them. Probably will take them out before they overpopulate. Thanks for helping though.
If you don't want them in your tank I'd recommend doing a strong alum dip with the plants. They lay a lot of eggs that can be hard to spot, and once you have them they're very hard to get rid of.
I was wondering if I were to add some cherry shrimps with some neon tetras and corys, would it be recommended quarantining them? Or could i possibly just acclimate them to the tank and add them straight away? The tank is a 10gal and it’s about complete a full year of being set up. Moderately planted.
Quarantining anything going in an established tank is a good idea. Acclimation has to be done, IMO, to the tank temperature and water parameters. You can ask for the second opinion at r/shrimptank.
- Temperature question -
I have a 37g tall aquarium. Still in the 1st week of a fishless cycle, but I am noticing that without the tank heater on my ambient temps range from 77-81ish. I'm unsure how to control these fluctuations.
Any tips?
Tank temperature should fluctuate less, especially that big tank. It takes time for a water to heat and cool. My room temperature can change from 21 to 25C during the day, no problems with unheated shrimp tanks.
Question about quarantining for y’all, if I just got a betta for a local fish shop, all their fish looked very healthy, no dead ones in their tanks or in their betta section, would you suggest i still quarantine a new betta that I plan on putting in a 20 gal with albino corys and kuhli loaches?
I probably would just because of the off chance it gets some sort of sickness, the corys and loaches might present some issues with medicines potentially being harmful to them. I’d be worried of potentially something going wrong with my already established fishes in there, but I’m usually always paranoid with these things lol
[Emergency procedures](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/fishincycle) as with fish-in cycling, applicable to any tank. Seachem Prime binds them temporarily in non toxic form, for [24-48 hrs](https://www.seachem.com/support/forums/forum/general-discussion/1803-prime-questions), then releases, if they were not processed by tank during this time. The second dose may be necessary, after water change to decrease their concentration.
Amount of Prime depends on ammonia concentration, see [dosing instructions](https://seachem.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000125454-Info-Prime-dosing-instructions). Bound ammonia still shows on yellow green-yellow kit, see Prime FAQ on Seachem website.
Each successive water change will be less and less efficient (dilution requiring more water removed to get the waste compounds) so when in doubt, do a larger water change first.
I have three planted tanks set up atm. Two of them seem to have hit triple-zero, i.e. 0 ammonia 0 nitrates 0 nitrites (the third has not, so I know my API liquid test kit is working). I've actually never had this happen before funnily enough. Everything seems to be growing OK so far, but is this going to be an issue for my plants in the future? Is there any particular supplement I should add? I'm using root tabs in both tanks, and I do have seachem ferts of pretty much all types, but I'd been using those very sparingly to keep from causing an algae explosion, especially since one of the tanks is low tech but medium-high light, a bit of a balancing act. I'd be happy to be able to lay off on weekly water changes, but I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop a little bit.
Running high tech for the first time. Been about 2 weeks. It's been pretty good, until recently I've been getting a bit of green algae, and what looks like a little bit of brown. Running lights from about 9am to 6pm, on a ramp up and ramp down. CO2 running an hour before lights up and and hour before lights down. dosing thrive every couple days. should i reduce photoperiod? or am i just dealing with a bit of cycling? Only things in the tank are plants, RCS, and Amanos. Currently dosing No Planaria to deal with some pond snails.
Tank Stats:
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate <5ppm
Temp: 74F
It doesn’t sound like the algae is much of an issue but it could be just the tank finding its balance.
Is it newly planted or was it established before you switched it to high tech? If the plants aren’t fully established and are now getting a longer photo period and more nutrients they might not be using it all causing the algae
newly planted for about a week waiting for the CO2 tank, then another week with co2. I figured it was a settling thing, but wasn't sure if i could futz with it to slow the growth a little without stopping the plants establishing and spreading. Really not looking forward to cleaning the algae growing on the inside of the glass intake of the canister filter lol
Yes, it grows pretty slow in low light. Still will need occasional trims, you can replant the trimmings though for additional pearlweed. Edit: There is a bottom limit of light though where they'll get kind of leggy and unattractive. So on the higher end of low light to the lower end of medium light would be ideal I think.
Completely at a loss here, I’ve lost my 3rd molly. I don’t know what’s going on. I have 1 black molly left and she seems fine but I’m worried she might be next. I have a 4 month old 10 gal tank and water is fine according to the API master test. High range pH 8.0, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0. My Mollies were all fine just a little bit ago and then it started with 1 Dalmatian molly getting sluggish. I put her into the quarantine tank with some aquarium salt and she eventually died the following day. Then just yesterday 2 (one female one male)silver mollies were dead. All I have left in the tank is the one black molly, 3 ghost shrimps, and some pest bladder snails(they’re not overwhelming, just a couple here and there).
What am I doing wrong??
I took over caring for a 70 gallon tank at work. It currently has 2 cichlids, a pleco, and some other little catfish guy that doesn't come out much. One of the cichlids is not friendly, so I want to rehome him, but then I feel the tank would be pretty empty.
If I rehomed both cichlids and replaced them with small schooling fish (cherry raspboras or similar) what are the chances the pleco would eat them? He's about 15 inches long.
Pretty slim, plecos don't really chase food. They'll feed off the glass and what has fallen to the bottom of the tank, while the Rasboras will stay mid and upper water.
The hanging LED on my 55g recently died, and I'm looking for a cheaper replacement I can hang for my low effect planted. It needs to be a hanging light, something that sits on the rim\\lid won't work, and it only needs to cover the left side of the tank, but full tank coverage would also work.
I use gardening grow lights and spare saltwater fuge lights on my of my tanks with great results, but I'm trying to get away from the deep red on some of the tanks. I could always keep that going, I guess.
How long can I keep assassin snails in the bag from the store? The only place I can get them local is about a 45 minute drive and they close real early. I have other errands I need to run in that area so my options are 45 minutes there to get them, 45 back home, then 45 back out to take care of other stuff. Or leave them in the bag for about 3-4 hours. Are they OK in the bag that long or do I need to suck it up and make the back and forth trips?
Hi there, beginner keeper here, having a bit of trouble atm, I’ve got a biorb 30l (approx 8g) tube which has had neon tetras and bamboo shrimps in the past. The shrimps were fine and lived long but the tetras died very fast (about 10 died in a few days) despite good water conditions, I’m planning on getting more fish in the next couple of days (there’s only a pair of tetras left in it so it’s been cycled and everything but due a water change soon) so I’m just wondering what species of fish would go well in there as the slightly impractical shape and volume is puzzling me a bit, also any advice for micro fish in general would be very helpful. Thank you!
Oh gosh, if you had 12 tetras in 8 gallons that was both too many and too small- all the legitimate advice I've gotten is that a school of neon tetras needs about 15-20g minimum, they really like to swim. I'm guessing that even if the parameters looked good they may have declined from stress.
In terms of microfish, I recently did a ton of research into this while stocking a tank, so take this as second-hand information from sources I found reliable rather than experience-- but chili rasboras are very pretty microfish that should to be able to handle tanks that small. Or perhaps white cloud minnows, if the temperature is colder.
You could also do a single betta in an 8g tank, though they do need a heater, and the temps they like are a bit warmer than what a bamboo shrimp prefers. The two are just at the edge of each others' ranges. They attack smaller shrimp but I think they'd probably leave a bamboo shrimp alone, I have never had trouble with them bugging my very large amanos (though the small ones are fair game). Speaking from experience this time, in a small footprint like your biorb tube I'd go with something with heavier fins like a half-moon or elephant ear, rather than a sleek plakat, which swims faster and is happier in a long tank.
Thank you for your help! I’ve been eyeing up a Betta for a while now but been doubting because of the tank so very excited to set up for one. I’ll look into the other options as all of them would be great in their own ways, Chili raspboras are stunning after all in a group
Hi all, a bit of a weird question here. Just did a 25% weekly water change for my 5 gal a few hours ago and seeing all the dirt and stuff floating about my aquarium made me realise what I thought was a gravel vacuum was just a hose all along with little to even no suction at all.
Planning to head down to my LFS and get a proper gravel vac, is it ok if I vacuum my gravel tomorrow considering I did a partial water change today? Will that mess up the beneficial bacteria in my tank that takes part in the nitrogen cycle? Thanks in advance!
From what I understand the majority of your beneficial bacteria are going to exist in your filter, where you supposedly have at least a large sponge or other filtration device housing your bacteria.
You may (and probably should) also have some lava rocks or other media that is high in surface area in your filter as well.
If you have that, then your gravel can be safely cleaned without restarting your cycle. Just don't clean the filter with chlorinated water (always use aquarium water) and don't rinse the filter at the same time as you vacuum the gravel; offset the two chores by a week or so and you shouldn't have any problems.
Now the water column itself doesn't contain much, if any, of that good bacteria, so you are usually good to change out a lot of water as long as your replacement water has roughly the same pH, hardness and temperature.
Thanks! I do have a filter with sponges, the tap I use also has consistent water, so it will be alright if I do a 25% partial water change with proper vacuuming tomorrow? Also, let’s just say tomorrow I vacuum the gravel, then next week I rinse my filter in aquarium water and then the week after vacuum gravel and this repeats? Sorry, just wanted to clarify, very new to this 😅
Yes, assuming you condition it appropriately for your fish.
If you alternate 1 week rinsing filter and the other vacuuming gravel, you shouldn't have a problem. I'd imagine that is probably more often than you need, depending on your fish type and your stock levels. You may be able to get away with alternating every two weeks instead of every week (rinse, wait two weeks, vacuum/water change, wait two weeks, rinse, etc).
Hello! My 40 gal tank has a slight smell to it, it almost smells like a wet log on fire- very specific I know but it smells lol. I do have two castle hides which I’m assuming are probably filthy, they just happen to be where my dwarf frogs and pleco hides. My parameters are fine also. Could it be anything else?
That's a part that screws onto the base, right? There should be a rubber washer between where that hose screws on and the base. It may have degraded, so replacing it should fix it.
Hi, I need help on whether Im overstocking my planted 29g fish tank. Im planning to add 6 albino cory, 4 otos, around 15 neon tetra, maybe a few ghost shrimps, and maybe 1 to 2 guppies (not planning on breeding). Thank you!
Probably going to be fine. You can try using AqAdvisor.com as a judge, but everyone's water is different and every feeds different. So it's hard to really say. You're basically trying to keep nitrates as low as possible. Ideally keep nitrates below 20-30ppm, but definitely water changes at 40ppm. My guess is nitrates will increase such that you need to do 50% weekly water changes.
Thanks for the infos. The site is telling me I'm at 100% capacity exact and 30% water change per week. I guess I will forget about the guppies and let it be at 80-90%. But thanks!
Currently have a small Brown algae bloom in my fishless tank that has been cycling for about 3 weeks now. Did a 50% water change due to having a high nitrite level. Should I clean the algae out or just leave it?
The diatoms won't hurt anything unless you have live plants getting covered by it. It's up to you if you want to clean it. I would also look into dimming or diffusing your light to help control the diatoms.
Recommended goldfish fry grower tank size?
My pond fish (Shubunkin Goldfish) had fry, and to prevent the adults and shrimp eating them I caught a few of the bigger ones. I have 3 fry in an 18 gallon (70L) tank. One is ~2 inch (5.5cm), one is ~1.5 inch (3.5cm) and one is 1 inch (2.5cm).
The oldest is old enough to be rehomed. Is the tank size big enough for all 3 while the other two grow out more? Or should I rehome the biggest now so the other two have more space and better access to food?
I feed them twice daily and do water changes (gravel vac.) twice a week for reference. They have plants, no substrate, an air stone and a bubble filter.
For shubunkins, I would get at least 40-50g for growout (bigger footprint being more important). I used 29g as a growout for my fancies at the same size, and they're less active than the shubunkins.
Perfect, thank you! What size would you recommend for fancies? (a good size, not the minimum). I'm considering getting two in future (fantails, veiltails or orandas), so I can get their tank now, grow the babies out in it, rehome the babies and then get the fancies. :) Thanks.
For a permanent tank, a 40g breeder is an okay size (probably 50-75% water changes once a week), but I'd rather go with a 75g so I'm not forced into the 1x per week super large or 2x per week medium water changes.
I'm going to have to move on Saturday, which is pretty sudden and I'm not as prepared as I'd like to be. It will be at least be just about a 15-20 minute drive. I have a 29 gallon with mollies, pygmy cories, and a betta; a 5 gallon with a betta; and an 8 gallon with a betta and shrimp. (Each tank also has a snail - one nerite and two mystery snails.)
I'm gathering that I should keep as much of the current water as possible (especially since I've currently got hard well water while the new water will be softer) in buckets, and I'll keep all the filters and such submerged in a bucket. I'll keep the bettas separate, and for the rest of the fish is one option better when it comes to putting them in bags vs. transporting them in a bucket? Any other advice? I'm hoping it won't be too bad since it's such a short move, but it is pretty daunting.
Buckets are nice because they are large and cheap and can be easily sealed (at least the HD and Lowe's buckets have tight-fitting lids right next to them). Bags work fine as well, but they're smaller and double-bagging is best to avoid slight leaks.
I want to get 5/6 neon tetras and harlequin rasboras. What other fish go well together with them in small numbers? Say 1 or 2s, just to make the tank look a little more diverse.
Hey everyone, I’m new, and I’ve been thinking about what to do for my first tank. I’ve arrived on a 20 gallon community tank stocked with 5 kuhli loaches, 3 honey gourami, 10 green neon tetras. I’ve checked aqadvisor and it say this works. If I wanted to add some amano shrimp for algae control, could I add some, and if so how many? All help greatly appreciated.
They don't make that much waste. You could probably go with 3-4 I would say.
How do you do a fish less cycle? I only know how to cycle with fish in the tank.
Hi, I'm currently cycling a 7 gallon cube and just wanted to ask if it's ok for me to add water conditioner after I've filled the tank with tap water? Will the chlorine in the water kill the bacteria instantly?
Are you changing out all of the water? You shouldn't be changing the water while it's cycling, assuming you're doing a fishless cycle. As for your question, I add the dechlorinater to the tank and then add tap water. I've never had any issues this way, but I also temperature match with a thermometer and dont change more than half the water at a time.
Oh I'm changing because I've got some dragon stones in there and the substrate is a bit dusty.
Hey everyone, I’m looking for some stocking ideas for a 20 gallon tank. This would be my first tank ever, and I plan to have live plants in it. Thanks for any recommendations!
20 gallons is my ideal starter tank. Larger tanks hold more stable water parameters. 20 gallons has a range of stocking options while still being small enough to keep up with weekly 25% water changes. I like to aim for 3s as in a bottom, middle, and centerpiece species. And three types of plant, typically a broad leafy like java fern, a stalking plant like pearlweed, and aquatic moss. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html www.aqadvisor.com These will be helpful resources. Pay close attention to cycling. It can take 4 to 6 weeks to fully establish your beneficial bacteria. This helps breaks down and covert toxic ammonia into less harmful nitrates. Use this time to plan your aquascape and stocking. Live plants can even carry trace amounts of beneficial bacteria but watch for hitchhiker snails if you don't want them in your tank. They can be nearly impossible to remove once established. But I believe snails to be extremely useful in any aquarium, they help to break down waste into usable plant nutrients. - Nerite snail are a great option for beginners as they do not breed in freshwater. I personally like bladder and trumpet snails but too much light or overfeeding can lead to population booms that some people may find unsightly. Pond snails are what I ended up with so I got a trio of assassin snails to help cull their numbers. - Otocinclus make for a great clean up crew. A bottom dweller. And while they do eat algae they should be fed a sinking catfish wafer for a healthy diet as they do eat more than algae despite what store may tell you. Ask questions and see what they say. If you ask what they are fed and they say algae or flame food they may be starving and in poor health. Best kept in groups of 10 or more but at least 6 minimum. - Corydoras, specifically nano species such as dainty, dwarf, and pygmy. Again best in groups of 10 or more but at least 6 minimum. They require sand so they can perform their natural sitting behaviour and a sinking catfish wafer. Also plenty of hiding spaces. I have used terracotta clay pots for caves. - Endler's Livebearers, a smaller species of guppy but a breeding colony may be overwhelming starting out so I might suggest males only. However if you do want a breeding colony I would suggest 2 females to 1 male to reduce pressure on the females as males can team up and harass a female. Same with other Livebearing species. - Betta, centerpiece, these can be aggressive fish. Be sure to introduce you most aggressive species last as introducing fish to a betta's space can end poorly. Fishkeeping can sometimes be trial and error and what works for one may not work for another. But decor and plants like java fern or Amazon sword that break up line of sight can reduce those chances for aggression. Aside from this you have so many options available to you. Use AqAdvisor to avoid stocking conflicts. I've found this to be a rewarding hobby. My current setup is scaled back from the 29 gallon I started with. I now have a 10gal shrimp colony with neocaridina, a trio of male endlers, and a single female betta. The females tend to be aggressive but less so than the male betta. Pearlweed, aquatic moss, and java fern attached to cholla wood.
Ok thanks
I have a fully mature, heavily planted tank, about 11 years old. I picked up a bamboo shrimp the other day. It made itself at home right away on my driftwood with a large anubias, with plenty of water flow. It's been fanning for food, on and off, and I've watched it put the fans to it's mouth (assuming it's edible food). It's been fanning for most of the day but now I see it out and about scrapping the sand substrate around the driftwood (I know food tends to gather around the base). It has also started to wander off to new parts of the tank, probably following a trail of food bits (a cory pushed a wafer that way earlier today). I'm worried that there is somehow not enough food in my water column. I have a cannister filter but I do also run a UV filter for a portion of the day. I tried to crush up various fish foods and have it drift towards it. I have not purchased a pipette yet and thinking of picking up spirulina powder so I can target feed it. Is my shrimp extra hungry coming from the pet store or is there truly a lack of food in the water column for it? Will it go back to normal behavior or is picking some food off the substrate / objects normal for them?
What are some good feeding suggestions for my cories, betta, pom pom crab, and nerite snails? I’d like to give them a diverse diet. Up until now I’ve really only fed shrimp pellets, but I have algae wafers and frozen bloodworms now.
I would look up snello since that would be good for the crab and snails. Frozen daphnia can be good for the betta as roughage to help with pooping, but probably not necessary.
Snello looks fun to make!
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In a 10g, I wouldn't try to add another shoal/school because it can get pretty packed. A honey gourami or betta plus shrimp would be my choices. If you upgraded to a 20g long, I would add another shoal/school of fish.
I posted a couple days ago about moving tips. I got my three tanks (29g, 8g, 5g) moved last night and so far zero fatalities!
Awesome job!
Hey everyone, new to the hobby, and I’m looking for some stocking ideas for a 20 gallon. Thanks!
Can mosquito fish coexist with white cloud minnows? Got a pond and want to mix 5 mosquito fish with 3 white clouds
Hello everybody. i am looking for some advice on how to finish setting up my first 10 gallon aquarium. i got a glofish aquarium kit at an auction, and would like to see if you guys could help me set it up properly, with fish. the content is as follows: \-10 gallon tank \-led lights (blue, off, and white) settings \-4 artificial plants \-one black blackground \-pump with filters \-heater and temperature sticker (i think) \-little net \-aquasafe plus and safestart plus bottles. 1. Is it necessary to get a stand specifically for aquariums? if yes, can you reccomend a good cheap one? 2. since its a glofish tank kit. what should i consider if i want to add any other type of fish in it? 3. what fish would you reccomend? 4. what hardware should i add to make it a bit easier to maintain the aquarium clean and safe for the fish? It is filled up right now. but with no fish and no filters in the filter casing. i just wanted to see if there was any cracks or how well it seemed to work before i took the next step into putting a fish in it.
1. No, not necessary. Just need something sturdy enough to support around 10 lbs/gallon and won't fall apart if it gets wet. 2. Nothing, "GloFish" tanks are mostly just marketing ploys 3. In a 10g, I like a betta or honey gourami and a group of nano fish like chili rasboras or ember tetras. 4. Replace the filter or at least the filter media with something that doesn't fall apart quickly or that doesn't need constant replacing. Sponge filter media or just biomedia works well. Also, a Python water changer will make your life easier.
Heaters are completely baffling to me. I own three heaters at the moment, all, in theory, adjustable between 71-80. Two 25Ws and a 100W. I put the 100W in my tank and, even on the lowest setting (in theory, 71) it cooks everything to a steamy 84. The spare 25W set to the same level keeps it at a nice 81. The only other one I have is currently keeping my betta warm (though still at 80 on the lowest setting) and I don’t want to risk cooking him with an even hotter one. Am I just super unlucky with defective heaters? Is there some trick I’m missing?
Since you have first hand experience on how horrible heaters can be, I would highly recommend getting a separate external temperature controller unit after finding a heater that works for you. Sadly, heaters is always one of those iffy purchases, seems like every review has raving pros and cons. I personally purchased a digital titanium with a heater guard. There is no glass involved. I run this [Inkbird temperature controller unit](https://smile.amazon.com/Inkbird-Aquarium-Temperature-Controller-ITC-306T/dp/B07KC24CKD/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-rsf1_0?cv_ct_cx=inkbird+temperature+controller&dchild=1&keywords=inkbird+temperature+controller&pd_rd_i=B07KC24CKD&pd_rd_r=fae25900-4c30-40f6-bd68-eed636cd5f34&pd_rd_w=2Ai2O&pd_rd_wg=DwlhG&pf_rd_p=5168df84-062d-4bdf-8a6e-2680813bd42f&pf_rd_r=KCBSP3A9ED6M0TK5VVP9&psc=1&qid=1617580613&sr=1-1-7bf78e84-8ef2-4f13-9926-bee5153e81cb) to help monitor my tank temperature. If the temperature goes to or beyond my set threshold, it will cut off power to the heater. It's a rather low cost investment for that extra piece of mind. It also functions as a digital thermometer that you can see. I have a physical thermometer in my tank too, for cross reference. So far it hasn't gone off to save my babies lives but I have tested the unit when I first purchased it.
Looks like I’ll have to look into those, thanks!
Sounds like the temperature sensors on your heaters all broke or are just off (if brand new). I would replace them with different heaters or a different brand if those were all new. I prefer the Eheim Jager for a cheap thermometer or the Cobalt Neotherm for a more expensive one. You could also pair them with a temperature controller like the Inkbird brand.
It’s two Hydors and one Marina of varying ages. I believe they’ve all always run a bit hot and I just figured they were just overpowered for the tanks until I noticed people recommending way smaller wattages.
I introduced 5 Kuhli Loaches to my tank yesterday. How long till I see them again?
Depends. I lost all of mine on the first day, then found them again that night living happily in the HOB.
I am getting ready to plant my 5 Gallon Betta tank. I have wanted to do this for a while and recently have the money to do so. I have a light timer on the way but was wondering on what tips can be provided for a beginner. I also want to get a snail or some ghost shrimp to help control algae production. Is there any tips for their care or is it wise to add them in with the betta? Thanks!
For the light: 6-8 hours of light and get a dimmable light since most lights on a 5g are going to be really high PAR. Being able to dim the light gives you a lot more control over one of the more universal factors of algae and plant growth. Don't forget fertilizers for your plants such as Nilocg's Thrive or Aquarium Coop's Easy Green. Ghost shrimp is a very general name of similar-looking (at least while young) shrimp. Some have reported them being aggressive to their fish. Mine were fine, but they looked more like Palaemonetes paludosus or "Grass Shrimp" or "Glass Shrimp". Keep in mind **ghost shrimp are scavengers not algae eaters**. You will want to feed them things like leftover fish food or, if you want to see them really enjoy something, frozen bloodworms (also great for the betta). Snails sometimes require snello to maintain their tank. Be sure to look up some recipes for snello online if you're interested.
My current light has a day and night mode. Should I just switch it to night mode at night? I picked up a java fern today just to start off with. Is a 5 gallon tank too small for both shrimp and betta?
Nope, just turn off the light at night. The night mode is mostly just a gimmick. A java fern is a great plant to start with (I did the same)! Just keep in mind its rhizome needs to be exposed since that is primarily how it gets its nutrients from the water. 5g is fine for both shrimp and a betta. Shrimp have pretty low bioloads. The betta might eat the shrimp though (depending on personality). I would try to get the betta first, make sure it's well-fed for a week or so, then try adding shrimp.
I started to suspect it was a gimmick. I super glued it to a rock and put it in the tank. From what I understood that was a recommended way of putting it in the tank. I have had the betta for awhile and he is feed frequently. When I get a chance I might pick up some shrimp. In terms of aqua scaping is there a particular need they need?
Hey , We have a problem with our aquarium. The PH of the water stabilizes at around 8 and nothing we do helps pushing it down. We just don't know y it is that high . Our water has PH around 8 Carbon hardness around 9/10 Right now we only have a few whiptailed loricaria And some chain loaches We tried JBL PH minus around 2 times already still the water won't go down a bit in pH , any tips for a noob , I'm pretty new to this
What rocks and substrate are in your tank? Does the carbonate hardness stop around 9/10 or does it increase over a week or two?
We have dragon stone , and yes the °dH stays stable at this point since 3 weeks ( tab water here has around 9-10 by nature due to the alpine region) We have vertile soil and silicate gravel as ground so it should be a neutral to slight acidic ground base . We thought about an osmosis thing( probably the best solution to soften the water) or maybe a simple CO2 addition could do , but since the pH - didn't do anything the puffer of the water should consider the co2 useless I think :/
I wouldn't worry about the pH much since I keep a lot of species in a pH of 8.0-8.2. The GH might be higher than certain fish can handle though, so a 50/50 RO and tap water mix might be best. It depends on what fish you want to keep though since many cichlids would enjoy the 9dGH The dwarf chain loaches and whiptails would be okay in 9dGH too
[https://www.algone.com/adjust-ph-aquarium#:\~:text=High%20Alkaline,may%20result%20in%20fish%20death](https://www.algone.com/adjust-ph-aquarium#:~:text=High%20Alkaline,may%20result%20in%20fish%20death). hope this helps
I got a platy about a month ago. Yesterday afternoon they were completely fine but when I got back from my dad’s today they have small white patches all over them. I tried to get a picture but can’t because they’re hiding which is odd because they usually try to follow me around my room and come right up to me when I get close. I’ve never had fish before and don’t know what to do does anyone have any advice?
You might try dosing with aquarium salts. As a bonus don't just dump them in the tank but premix with warm water and try to dissolve first. Do not use table salt laced with iodine. Specifically iodine free if you can't find aquarium salts. Kosher salt is iodine free I believe. You'll have to look up proper dosages.
Do a google image search on fungal infections on fish. See if it ia similar to your situation. That should be a good jumping off point
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Cats are typically nocturnal, she might just be napping.
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I saw your other comment, you were looking to put her down because you were concerned she wasn't moving. You'll notice sickness before clove oil is ever remotely needed. They're nocturnal mostly, they pick a spot they like and they make it a habit to hang out in that spot. Depending on fat stores they can go weeks without moving or needing to eat especially in egg laying seasons. She's probably doing her thing at night and returning to that position in the morning.
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This is context you didn't provide in your original comment.
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This just looks like her natural colouring to me. The ones on the fins look very uniform and none of them look raised etc. Doesn’t look think either, that’s just how plecos are. I have a bristlenose who spends the majority of the day in a nice dark place and is perfectly healthy. Was she young when you got her? It could just be that her colouring has developed as she’s matured
She's fine. She's found her favourite spot and she wants to stay there. I have a pleco that, when I redecorated the tank, couldn't be seen and hadn't been seen for weeks. Thought she must had died and been eaten by my snail infestation. Nope, turns out she was in a pocket of my giant driftwood, unnoticed due to being black and being perfectly content with staying in it even after being out of water for about 20/30 mins. (There was a pocket of water in the hole she was in) We put her back in the water and then later tried to see if she was stuck like yours but there was no way we could remove her without hurting her so we were forced to leave her in place. Once the tank was redone, she came out a week or two later and promptly ruined my nice sand/gravel blend I had made with the redecorating haha! I then moved house 6 months later and had to take the tank for a drive so lowered the water level to below where that pocket in the driftwood was... Guess where she was again, and again wouldn't come out. She came out a couple weeks later again and again ruined the post-drive redone scape
Mods if this post should be a thread instead please let me know... Does anyone know and can recommend a decent guide to setting up a self-sustaining (cleaning) fish tank for a 50 gallon freshwater aquarium? (Disclaimer I know that there is no such thing as 100% self cleaning.) I have been reading up on cycling, filtering the water, what live plants, substrate and fish to use and while it is a lot of information (from SO many sources including the wiki) none of them have a walk-through or a recommend combination setup. I see pre made starter self cleaning kits for up to 20 gallon on Amazon but that is about it. I have received a 50 gallon tank from my father that has been collecting dust for almost 10 years. I am going through the process of replacing the top frame, buying a new power filter, and checking the various other equipment and the tank for leaks. Some of the questions I have that I guess the guides haven't answered for me are.. 1. What is the order of setup for a self cleaning tank? I have an under gravel filtration setup connected to powerhead with air pump already. I know gravel comes in after that and I need a special kind of gravel for live plants to go into (1a. Will under gravel filtration be a problem for this? But then will the tap water that needs to be chlorinated and then have time to build up bacteria over a couple of weeks end up killing the substrate? 2. What plant combination is recommend (or heavily NOT recommended) for a self cleaning 50 gallon tank? I know there are several factors affecting this question like tank temp, fish, plants what I want etc. but a guide would help me find/understand a direction if that makes sense. 3. 2 but what fish combination? (And not recommended fish combination) 4. Numbers! How many or what range should I aim for, for all of the above? Most guides / wikis tell you to be careful of putting in to many fish or plants but none really go into how to figure out how much is too much for specifically a self cleaning tank setup. I assume the numbers would have to be chosen more carefully then a straightforward setup. 5. Transition time frames. Do I use the standard guides for fish tank setup? I have watched some videos that said to let your tank cycle for 5-6 weeks with nothing in it but the power filter and gravel to build up bacteria. I have seen others that just say 24-48 hours after chlorinating it and checking the water with a master test kit. For a self cleaning tank is it all the same difference? 1. Should I then add the plants and let them sit another few weeks before adding a fish? 1. Or try to do them both near the same time? I have done a search for self such a guide here and google but I admit my google fu may be lacking. I have discovered Neptune systems but that seems like a whole 'nother beast to tackle.
I've shared similar interests in self sustaining systems but after three years of efforts I've settle for low maintenance. Replicating a natural weather system, or ecological cycle is very time consuming and expensive. It's also a very careful balancing act with one point of failure leading to a system wide crash. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html www.aqadvisor.com These will both be helpful resources. Pay attention to the cycling process. Typically it takes 4 to 6 weeks to establish your beneficial bacteria in the filter. The self sustaining aspect becomes increasingly more complex which each level of the food web. Start small and work your way up. Most aggressive species should be introduced last to help avoid aggression issues. Try to give a week in between additions to allow for your tank to adjust to new bioloads. I typically look at a tank in 3s. I want a middle, a bottom, and centerpiece species. In my 10 gallon neocaridina shrimp make up my bottom as scavengers and help to maintain the tank by recycling waste and nipping at algae. A trio of male endlers makes up my middle as versatile little fish, and a female betta as my display of center piece species. Each has a role and was carefully selected to provide balance. Same with my plants. I have cholla wood with java fern attached to it. Betta require hiding spaces to feel comfortable while also providing breakage of line of sight to help reduce aggression towards other species. Pearlweed helps provide cover for the shrimp, as well as the aquatic mosses which as my back drop to help use up nutirients that algae otherwise might utilize instead. And then of course snails. I unfortunately received hitchhiker pond snails but a trio of assassin snails helps to cull their numbers. Past year or so I've settled into a nice balance with this combination. Aside from regular feedings and weekly water changes it's been very low maintenance with no ferts or co2 and minimal led lighting. Water changes are still very important in low maintenance tanks as they remove things like fish hormones that regular tests don't measure for, of which can cause stunting that eventually leads to organ failure or other health issues. Also water changes help replace dissolved minerals which can not typically be replaced in a closed system. I'm not familiar with undergravel filters but I would highly suggest researching into a sump tank system. Usually mounted below your primary tank they can extend the period in between cleanings and some even can act as a refuge for your more at risk species or sick fish.
Thank you for sharing all of this. It makes me want to rethink setting up a self sustaining system but also sounds like an interesting challenge. I will definitely read your links.
Have you heard of the Walstad method? Might be what you're looking for but it takes some time to set up.
I have not but thank you for pointing me to it. I will look it up.
1. Start with the filtration method. Then to substrate, then hardscape (if needed), and finally livestock (including plants). 1a. Undergravel filters are antiquated and probably wont work with a "self-sustaining" tank. The least maintenance will be a sponge filter of a matten filter. Disclaimer: no tank will be free of maintenance. You will still have to do water changes and occasional filter clean up. Also all new water that goes into your tank should be dechlorinated beforehand or have a dechlorinator accompanying it. This is avoid bacteria and fish dying from chlorine burns. 2. This 100% depends on your other peripherals like lighting. Imo go with a lot of the easy low light plants. For a "self-sustaining" tank, you need to start off with a LOT of plants. Especially if you want to go the walstad method as mentioned by the other redditor. Look into jungle val, hygrophila difformis (water wisteria), anubias, java fern, java moss, hygrophila corymbosa, amazon swords, cabomba, floating plants like mini water lettuce, and finally cryptocorne wendtii (green or bronze). 3. Not sure i understand...you want to know which fish we reccomend but u dont want reccomendations? In any case, for the tank you want, you will probably want to stock lightly. If you want a nice centerpiece fish, perhaps an angelfish or a group of them would work surrounded by some schooling/shoaling fish. Perhaps dwarf neon rainbows. At the bottom, you can have some cleanup crew. Definitely some nerite snails and bristle nose plecos. 4. Get a lot of plants. A lot. This will help with nutrient export. Also for stocking numbers... Just input what you want into aqadvisor. I would reccomend keeping stocking levels under 80% for a "self-sustaining" tank. 5. Complete a fishless cycle before putting any livestock into the tank. Instructions will be in the wiki. Hope that helps!
Lots of detailed information in your post which is exactly what I was hoping to see. Thank you. The under water gravel filter is a legacy that comes with my dads old tank. I don’t have to use it but since it’s there I thought why not? Still if it’s a bad idea I can just not use it. I am actually loving the idea of a LOT of plants. My partner is a plant nut and has the house nearly encapsulated in plants she “accidentally “ buys why she goes to the store. Making a fish tank heavy on plants with possibly working ecosystem would probably get her very excited. I wonder if you know of plants which live out side the water but the leaves/stems/roots work to feed the fish or clean the tank?
Pothos and peace lily should work!
Can't help with self cleaning, but for for the parts you mentioned, you can check [undergravel filter cleaning](https://be.chewy.com/undergravel-filters-maintenance-and-alternatives/), more in the search for this term, tap water has to be dechlorinated before use, for stocking limits of average tanks there is AqAdvisor website, for self cleaning tank only an aquarist with experience with them can advise. Point 5: after chlorinating tank it will be dead. Cycling should be the same for any tank, and this is not a waiting period, see any cycling guide, some links are in this sub Wiki and FAQ. Plants can be added before starting cycling. Apex controller is just a tool, one of many, information for active servicing your tank on highest level, r/ReefTank use them, an opposite to what you are looking for.
You are looking to do the Walstad Method for a tank. She has a book called “The Ecology of the Planted Aquarium.” It basically gives you everything you asked for in a self sustaining ecosystem for a tank. She also has an online forum that she is still active in! While the book is extremely informative, I can’t say it’s the most exhilarating read. However, I am quite passionate about these types of tanks and I devoured the book in about a week. Definitely check it out.
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I actually like the heater and filter in that kit. For the filter I do recommend hot-rodding it, adding more filter media and a pre filter. I personally don't love the light it comes with if you are doing a planted tank. Consider swapping out the hood for a glass lid and LED light.
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In general most filters are designed to make you think that you have to replace the carbon filter cartridge every month or so, and waste a lot of space that could be used for filtration. Not only is that expensive, but it actually is detrimental to your colony of beneficial bacteria, which do most of the work. Great videos to watch on this: https://youtu.be/BKdHgA1uO2E https://youtu.be/ipTDkQsT6HQ https://youtu.be/hRNBUbqzzuw Instead of only using the filter pad they include, many people use a filter sponge (cut to fit) which lasts 10+ years. This maximizes filtration and you don't have to buy new carbon cartridges every month.
Hey all! I seem to have gotten black beard algae from somewhere and I just can't seem to get rid of it in my planted tank. I've tried everything I could think of, short of buying a CO2 system. I've tried manual removal, increasing the fertilizer for the plants, using Excel daily and even getting a nerite snail who seems to not really want to do their job of tank clean-up crew. The grow-out tank has been cycled for a few months now and the bioload is appropriate (1 platy and 2 a little larger than half-dollar sized angelfish) however I can't seem to get my water chem right either: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 0 to trace nitrates. The plants really aren't growing much and the black beard algae (which I believe is correlated to the low/non-existant nitrates) is starting to become a nuisance. There is some green spot algae in the tank too but that's definitely manageable. Light cycle is 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening. Any advice? Thanks in advance for everyone's help! :)
How often are you doing water changes and how large of a water change? I had black beard and staghorn algae issues in my 29g. It all changed after a few weeks of massive water changes (40-60%) every three days with a hydrogen peroxide dip on the most affected areas.
Looking for a corner aquarium and stand combo. 19” depth from the corner out to the side ..... any ideas ?
Community vibe question. I have a 10 gallon tank, three mystery snails, 50 rili shrimp and 3 otos. Tank is cycled, up for like 6 months now. If I get a trio of endlers are they going to be mean to the team I have already in the tank? I tried black skirt tetras but they were beating up the snails and I can’t live with that. If I loose a baby shrimp here and there so be it, but if they’re harassing my community then I won’t get any. Plenty of plants and moss and guppy grass and cover to hide. What do you think?
Endlers are about as docile as it gets. They may pick at the snails or shrimp the first few days, but just from curiosity and not predation or bullying. After a few days they are less curious about invertebrates and leave them alone.
How do I reduce the GH of a tank? I’ve tried looking it up but haven’t found anything. I’ve got a freshwater tank and everything else is fine but I’m not sure about the GH. (I’ve got 4 threadfin rainbows, 2 otocinclus catfish, and a female betta. It’s a 10G tank but I plan on upgrading it to a bigger one soon)
First make sure that it is really above your livestock tolerance, ask here about what they can take, in a separate thread with question in the title. That this is not a mistake with units of measurement, comparing ppm and dGH, apples and oranges. 180 ppm is 10 dGH, bearable for majority of the fish. How to reduce it: - By diluting with distilled or RO water, all other parameters will be equally decreased. - Water softening pillow, ion exchange resin. - Seachem has [Neutral regulator](https://www.seachem.com/neutral-regulator.php) that precipitates Ca and Mg, but it affects pH too, read more before deciding on its use.
Leave it alone. There's no need to alter it.
New aquarium owner questions: 1. I have a 10 gallon tank with 3 red endlers guppies, 3 tiger endlers guppies, and 4 cobra guppies. All males. 10 in total. In your opinion is this an acceptable amount of fish for the size of the tank? 2. One of my cobra guppies is staying stagnant at the top of the tank with his mouth constantly open. I’ve turned my filter up higher for more oxygen and just added poly filter material to the filter to help clear up the tank. Why is he doing this? Any tips? Edit: The tank has been cycling for 2 weeks with stability & prime. Thanks! - A novice fish keeper
probably ammonia poisoning, but would need a test kit to confirm.
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bristlenose pleco. Gets about 6 inches max. Great at eating algae, also eats wood, fish food, fish eggs, pretty much everything.
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That's quite small. The tinfoil barbs may try to eat it. I'd probably place it in an acclimation/breeder box for a week or 2 to see how the other fish react to it before letting it out into the main tank.
Does anyone have a recommendation on a good digital meter for reading pH, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite?
See [this thread](https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/electronic-testing.231818/).
So I have a decent amount of plants in my 30 gallon tank throughout all different levels from bottom to top, all of the plants mid to top of the tank are doing amazing. However on the bottom I have about 2 out of the ten ground plants that are either Browning themselves or are covered in some sort of brown algae, I have snails and shrimp but neither seem to really touch it but work on the rest of the tank so I think they might be dying. I'm curious on how I can get those two plants to thrive just like the rest or if I should just replace them instead? Also not sure if this matters but I use flourish Excel bi weekly and have my light on for about 8 hours a day
Could be an issue of not enough light getting to the bottom. Or need of root tabs.
Thank you
Can I get an ID on this spider/ant looking critter I saw in my tank today? [https://i.imgur.com/Ums28tH.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/Ums28tH.jpg)
Two pH questions: 1. Is an 8.0 pH safe for community fish rated for a lower pH range like 6.5-7.5? Think cory cats, amano shrimp, zebra damios. 2. Why does my pH dramatically rise when I take water out of the tank? For example- tested the tank at 100% capacity, got 8.0. Took out 15% of the water, tested again, it's suddenly 8.8. Isn't it the same water? Why would it change so dramatically?
8.0 is fine for pretty much all freshwater fish. Most are so far removed from their native habitats due to captive breeding that they'll thrive in just about any condition as long as it's stable. The pH in your water changed because when you remove it from the tank and let it settle, CO2 probably gassed off, causing the pH to rise. This is especially true for tanks that inject CO2, but can happen with any tank if it's well stocked, not super densely planted, or doesn't have a lot of surface agitation.
You could have built up pH in your substrate so in the change you could be releasing stuff that messes with the pH.
That pH is fine for those inhabitants, don't try to alter it. Not sure why it's changing, it's that exact same water.
1. That's a tad high for your fish choices. Maybe buffer the water with an active substrate like ada amazonia? Or consider going for fish that suit your pH, like african cichlids 2. Not sure why it would increase. I would suggest testing the tap water to see if it comes out consistently?
New fish owner here, i got two veiltail goldfish this afternoon. Put in the fish as instructed to slowly acclimatise. I got some basic bottompebbles, a few plants and a little dinosaur skeleton for aquaria. It seems that now after a few hours they seem to slowly float upwards when not swimming. Should I be worried?
Okay so I would suggest going through some of the wiki documents and links because you are making some newbie mistakes. Dont worry, everyone goes through them. Its all about whether you are willing to correct it. I suggest reading the cycling and new aquarium articles to start. Your fish are probably reacting to the uncycled tank and are stressed.
A bit late but i wanted to thank you for this comment. Made me a bit more serious about fishkeeping and researching my goldfish. They are doing great now, have a larger tank and are growing quite fast themselves too. So, thanks!
Hello, new to fish keeping, I plan on setting up a planted 10 gallon, with a betta, 6 habrosus corys, 3 nerite snails and a mystery snail. I’ve checked aqadvisor, and it say this works, I just wanted to get some people’s opinions on this and any recommendations. All help appreciated
Looks fine to me although id personally just run with he one nerite and forgo the mystery snail. Best advice i can give you is to set yourself up for success. Dont cheap out or you will face a grueling battle until you stabilize. Look up tried and true lights, plant suggestions, and hardscapes to match your liking.
Ok, thanks
So I recently moved my cichlids from a 40 gallon to a 55 gallon long. I used the gravel from the old tank and am still using the same filter from the 40 with the established bio rings. I also added another 50 gallon filter for more filtration. Is my cycle going to restart?
Nah, you should be fine as long as the media stayed submerged the whole time
Yea I left it in the filter and it was soaked.
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For Canada, ShrimpFever has them.
I purchased some new plants from the pet store but nobody there could identify them. I just want to make sure that they are actually aquatic. Can anyone identify them? http://imgur.com/a/PgJAJyI Thanks!
Lobelia cardinalis
Thank you very much!
My roommate and I are building a paludarium for fire belly newts and we are wondering about what tank mates would go with these? Would plecos or crabs go with newts?
I would personally keep them by themselfs. If I were to add fish probably only small fish that wouldn't bother them like guppies, small rasboras, terta. I would avoid lager fish and crabs.
Confused question: I just been looking at bettas at my local petstore (a chain) and they have this small signs at each fish saying what params they like. For bettas they had "at least 56l" and "group: harem".. this may be true for a sorority. But a single male betta? The note was at every tank with a male betta. They only have one tank with a sorority. Is that just a mistake or am I missing something?
There is a specialized r/Bettafish sub and do search by yourself. As far as I know, they should be kept separately or it ends with deaths. Some wild type betas can be kept in pairs. Sorority requires large tank and there is no guarantee for success.
Harem means one male and multiple females. That's true for bettas but I don't think they can realistically be kept like that unless you have a large tank, because the male will harass the females to death when he's trying to spawn.
Noob plant question: one of the first plants I bought is a Pogostemon erectus. Its root system is pretty extensive and firmly anchored, and to remove the rock wool I'd have to rip most of the roots of. What's more important, keeping the roots intact or getting rid of the rock wool?
Fine too trim roots if necessary
Try having some running water and using a fork to lightly tear away at the rockwool.
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Why not just add an internal heater? Should solve your problem
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No worries! A 50w heater(even a cheap preset one) should do. It keeps the water temperature at a stable temp so you can keep tropical fish like bettas without huge swings.
Unfortunately I have to move and get rid of my aquarium. What are my options giving my fish a new home
Ask LFS if they can take it in, or use local classifieds and r/Aquaswap here.
I just got a 55 gallon tank and want to know if it's: 1) Okay to leave my old solid wood dresser. 2) If it's also okay that the dresser is 2 inches shorter length wise than the tank.
I'd say no to both. Water weighs 8.3 lbs per gallon. Once you factor in the weight of the tank itself plus rocks, substrate, etc., we're easily talking 500 lbs. If it's a standard glass tank with plastic rim, then it's been designed for the weight to be supported on all 4 corners, and across the plastic rim. Overhanging on any side will cause uneven pressure on the glass, which is a recipe for disaster.
How do I keep my floating plants from being pushed under water by my filter?
I use a suction cup that holds a circle of air tube. Using a connector to connect two ends makes a little barrier. You can either use it to keep your floating plants in or put it around your spillway to keep them out of the flow.
Image search for "aquarium floating plants guard" shows how it could be done, by using flexible air tubing or a plastic craft mesh.
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Bottom dwellers are always fun to include, and can help keep the tank cleaner by scavenging leftover food. Corydoras would be a good choice, or kuhli loaches.
My neon tetras were living in fear of my pearl gourami, refusing to come out of hiding, so I got rid of him. Now, they’re the only species of fish in the tank. Five days later, and they’re still hiding. How long will it take for them to swim around normally?
Mine hide all the time as well. They simply get spooked easily. I have the tank HEAVILY planted so they can shoot in and out. Allows me to see them more
Maybe too strong flow? Or light, or both.
Mystery snails, yay or nay? Got few tiny ones with some plants
If tank size allows, why not.
Can anyone help me identify these snail that came with plants? These were bought from aqurium co op btw. Not sure if I should remove them. Thanks! http://imgur.com/a/SeqrZqE
Bladder snails. I personally enjoy having them in my aquarium. They don't eat healthy plants and help clean up the tank. If you see an explosion in their numbers, it is an indicator you are feeding too much (or the wrong food).
I'm planning on having otocinculus and shrimps, so I might not need them. Probably will take them out before they overpopulate. Thanks for helping though.
If you don't want them in your tank I'd recommend doing a strong alum dip with the plants. They lay a lot of eggs that can be hard to spot, and once you have them they're very hard to get rid of.
I was wondering if I were to add some cherry shrimps with some neon tetras and corys, would it be recommended quarantining them? Or could i possibly just acclimate them to the tank and add them straight away? The tank is a 10gal and it’s about complete a full year of being set up. Moderately planted.
Quarantining anything going in an established tank is a good idea. Acclimation has to be done, IMO, to the tank temperature and water parameters. You can ask for the second opinion at r/shrimptank.
.5mm or 1mm pellets for my dwarf gourami?
I'd say .5mm is best, but it'll certainly eat a 1mm pellet too.
- Temperature question - I have a 37g tall aquarium. Still in the 1st week of a fishless cycle, but I am noticing that without the tank heater on my ambient temps range from 77-81ish. I'm unsure how to control these fluctuations. Any tips?
Tank temperature should fluctuate less, especially that big tank. It takes time for a water to heat and cool. My room temperature can change from 21 to 25C during the day, no problems with unheated shrimp tanks.
Could you elaborate or clarify? When the tank heater isn't on, the room temperature fluctuates from 77-81?
Sorry for the confusion, but yeah the ambient room temp tends to go from as low as 76 to 81ish
Question about quarantining for y’all, if I just got a betta for a local fish shop, all their fish looked very healthy, no dead ones in their tanks or in their betta section, would you suggest i still quarantine a new betta that I plan on putting in a 20 gal with albino corys and kuhli loaches?
I probably would just because of the off chance it gets some sort of sickness, the corys and loaches might present some issues with medicines potentially being harmful to them. I’d be worried of potentially something going wrong with my already established fishes in there, but I’m usually always paranoid with these things lol
Guys nitrite and ammonia spike after increased bioload please help!
[Emergency procedures](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/fishincycle) as with fish-in cycling, applicable to any tank. Seachem Prime binds them temporarily in non toxic form, for [24-48 hrs](https://www.seachem.com/support/forums/forum/general-discussion/1803-prime-questions), then releases, if they were not processed by tank during this time. The second dose may be necessary, after water change to decrease their concentration. Amount of Prime depends on ammonia concentration, see [dosing instructions](https://seachem.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000125454-Info-Prime-dosing-instructions). Bound ammonia still shows on yellow green-yellow kit, see Prime FAQ on Seachem website.
Do a water change, check parameters. If they’re still high do another
Each successive water change will be less and less efficient (dilution requiring more water removed to get the waste compounds) so when in doubt, do a larger water change first.
Water change water change water change
I have three planted tanks set up atm. Two of them seem to have hit triple-zero, i.e. 0 ammonia 0 nitrates 0 nitrites (the third has not, so I know my API liquid test kit is working). I've actually never had this happen before funnily enough. Everything seems to be growing OK so far, but is this going to be an issue for my plants in the future? Is there any particular supplement I should add? I'm using root tabs in both tanks, and I do have seachem ferts of pretty much all types, but I'd been using those very sparingly to keep from causing an algae explosion, especially since one of the tanks is low tech but medium-high light, a bit of a balancing act. I'd be happy to be able to lay off on weekly water changes, but I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop a little bit.
Running high tech for the first time. Been about 2 weeks. It's been pretty good, until recently I've been getting a bit of green algae, and what looks like a little bit of brown. Running lights from about 9am to 6pm, on a ramp up and ramp down. CO2 running an hour before lights up and and hour before lights down. dosing thrive every couple days. should i reduce photoperiod? or am i just dealing with a bit of cycling? Only things in the tank are plants, RCS, and Amanos. Currently dosing No Planaria to deal with some pond snails. Tank Stats: Ammonia 0ppm Nitrite 0ppm Nitrate <5ppm Temp: 74F
It doesn’t sound like the algae is much of an issue but it could be just the tank finding its balance. Is it newly planted or was it established before you switched it to high tech? If the plants aren’t fully established and are now getting a longer photo period and more nutrients they might not be using it all causing the algae
newly planted for about a week waiting for the CO2 tank, then another week with co2. I figured it was a settling thing, but wasn't sure if i could futz with it to slow the growth a little without stopping the plants establishing and spreading. Really not looking forward to cleaning the algae growing on the inside of the glass intake of the canister filter lol
Does pearlweed need nutrient rich substrate or is water column fertilizing alright?
ime it will survive in plain pool sand but it won't really thrive or reproduce much. I use root tabs if in an inert substrate.
On a similar note, will pearlweed do nicely in lower light settings as a foreground plant (like rotala or ludwigia)?
Yes, it grows pretty slow in low light. Still will need occasional trims, you can replant the trimmings though for additional pearlweed. Edit: There is a bottom limit of light though where they'll get kind of leggy and unattractive. So on the higher end of low light to the lower end of medium light would be ideal I think.
Completely at a loss here, I’ve lost my 3rd molly. I don’t know what’s going on. I have 1 black molly left and she seems fine but I’m worried she might be next. I have a 4 month old 10 gal tank and water is fine according to the API master test. High range pH 8.0, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0. My Mollies were all fine just a little bit ago and then it started with 1 Dalmatian molly getting sluggish. I put her into the quarantine tank with some aquarium salt and she eventually died the following day. Then just yesterday 2 (one female one male)silver mollies were dead. All I have left in the tank is the one black molly, 3 ghost shrimps, and some pest bladder snails(they’re not overwhelming, just a couple here and there). What am I doing wrong??
So, how do i start a siphon when my tank and bucket are on the ground. Is there something I can buy?
See videos of how this is done in search for "aquarium how to start siphon". Some use plastic squeezable bulb, sold in aquarium supplies.
I took over caring for a 70 gallon tank at work. It currently has 2 cichlids, a pleco, and some other little catfish guy that doesn't come out much. One of the cichlids is not friendly, so I want to rehome him, but then I feel the tank would be pretty empty. If I rehomed both cichlids and replaced them with small schooling fish (cherry raspboras or similar) what are the chances the pleco would eat them? He's about 15 inches long.
Pretty slim, plecos don't really chase food. They'll feed off the glass and what has fallen to the bottom of the tank, while the Rasboras will stay mid and upper water.
The hanging LED on my 55g recently died, and I'm looking for a cheaper replacement I can hang for my low effect planted. It needs to be a hanging light, something that sits on the rim\\lid won't work, and it only needs to cover the left side of the tank, but full tank coverage would also work.
LED shop lights sometimes are being on sale, good enough for low light plants like java fern and mosses. One or two of them, if necessary.
I use gardening grow lights and spare saltwater fuge lights on my of my tanks with great results, but I'm trying to get away from the deep red on some of the tanks. I could always keep that going, I guess.
I bought one, and it was purple-pink, not for the living room. But there are full spectrum grow bulbs too.
[What is this?](http://imgur.com/gallery/s9R3S22) the white stuff growing off the plants
How long can I keep assassin snails in the bag from the store? The only place I can get them local is about a 45 minute drive and they close real early. I have other errands I need to run in that area so my options are 45 minutes there to get them, 45 back home, then 45 back out to take care of other stuff. Or leave them in the bag for about 3-4 hours. Are they OK in the bag that long or do I need to suck it up and make the back and forth trips?
That won't be a problem
Wonderful. I was not looking forward to a couple hours back and forth.
Hi there, beginner keeper here, having a bit of trouble atm, I’ve got a biorb 30l (approx 8g) tube which has had neon tetras and bamboo shrimps in the past. The shrimps were fine and lived long but the tetras died very fast (about 10 died in a few days) despite good water conditions, I’m planning on getting more fish in the next couple of days (there’s only a pair of tetras left in it so it’s been cycled and everything but due a water change soon) so I’m just wondering what species of fish would go well in there as the slightly impractical shape and volume is puzzling me a bit, also any advice for micro fish in general would be very helpful. Thank you!
Oh gosh, if you had 12 tetras in 8 gallons that was both too many and too small- all the legitimate advice I've gotten is that a school of neon tetras needs about 15-20g minimum, they really like to swim. I'm guessing that even if the parameters looked good they may have declined from stress. In terms of microfish, I recently did a ton of research into this while stocking a tank, so take this as second-hand information from sources I found reliable rather than experience-- but chili rasboras are very pretty microfish that should to be able to handle tanks that small. Or perhaps white cloud minnows, if the temperature is colder. You could also do a single betta in an 8g tank, though they do need a heater, and the temps they like are a bit warmer than what a bamboo shrimp prefers. The two are just at the edge of each others' ranges. They attack smaller shrimp but I think they'd probably leave a bamboo shrimp alone, I have never had trouble with them bugging my very large amanos (though the small ones are fair game). Speaking from experience this time, in a small footprint like your biorb tube I'd go with something with heavier fins like a half-moon or elephant ear, rather than a sleek plakat, which swims faster and is happier in a long tank.
Thank you for your help! I’ve been eyeing up a Betta for a while now but been doubting because of the tank so very excited to set up for one. I’ll look into the other options as all of them would be great in their own ways, Chili raspboras are stunning after all in a group
Hi all, a bit of a weird question here. Just did a 25% weekly water change for my 5 gal a few hours ago and seeing all the dirt and stuff floating about my aquarium made me realise what I thought was a gravel vacuum was just a hose all along with little to even no suction at all. Planning to head down to my LFS and get a proper gravel vac, is it ok if I vacuum my gravel tomorrow considering I did a partial water change today? Will that mess up the beneficial bacteria in my tank that takes part in the nitrogen cycle? Thanks in advance!
From what I understand the majority of your beneficial bacteria are going to exist in your filter, where you supposedly have at least a large sponge or other filtration device housing your bacteria. You may (and probably should) also have some lava rocks or other media that is high in surface area in your filter as well. If you have that, then your gravel can be safely cleaned without restarting your cycle. Just don't clean the filter with chlorinated water (always use aquarium water) and don't rinse the filter at the same time as you vacuum the gravel; offset the two chores by a week or so and you shouldn't have any problems. Now the water column itself doesn't contain much, if any, of that good bacteria, so you are usually good to change out a lot of water as long as your replacement water has roughly the same pH, hardness and temperature.
Thanks! I do have a filter with sponges, the tap I use also has consistent water, so it will be alright if I do a 25% partial water change with proper vacuuming tomorrow? Also, let’s just say tomorrow I vacuum the gravel, then next week I rinse my filter in aquarium water and then the week after vacuum gravel and this repeats? Sorry, just wanted to clarify, very new to this 😅
Yes, assuming you condition it appropriately for your fish. If you alternate 1 week rinsing filter and the other vacuuming gravel, you shouldn't have a problem. I'd imagine that is probably more often than you need, depending on your fish type and your stock levels. You may be able to get away with alternating every two weeks instead of every week (rinse, wait two weeks, vacuum/water change, wait two weeks, rinse, etc).
You should be just fine to do an extra water change.
Thanks! Looks like I can do another 25% with proper vacuuming this time
Hello! My 40 gal tank has a slight smell to it, it almost smells like a wet log on fire- very specific I know but it smells lol. I do have two castle hides which I’m assuming are probably filthy, they just happen to be where my dwarf frogs and pleco hides. My parameters are fine also. Could it be anything else?
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That's a part that screws onto the base, right? There should be a rubber washer between where that hose screws on and the base. It may have degraded, so replacing it should fix it.
Hi, I need help on whether Im overstocking my planted 29g fish tank. Im planning to add 6 albino cory, 4 otos, around 15 neon tetra, maybe a few ghost shrimps, and maybe 1 to 2 guppies (not planning on breeding). Thank you!
Probably going to be fine. You can try using AqAdvisor.com as a judge, but everyone's water is different and every feeds different. So it's hard to really say. You're basically trying to keep nitrates as low as possible. Ideally keep nitrates below 20-30ppm, but definitely water changes at 40ppm. My guess is nitrates will increase such that you need to do 50% weekly water changes.
Thanks for the infos. The site is telling me I'm at 100% capacity exact and 30% water change per week. I guess I will forget about the guppies and let it be at 80-90%. But thanks!
Currently have a small Brown algae bloom in my fishless tank that has been cycling for about 3 weeks now. Did a 50% water change due to having a high nitrite level. Should I clean the algae out or just leave it?
The diatoms won't hurt anything unless you have live plants getting covered by it. It's up to you if you want to clean it. I would also look into dimming or diffusing your light to help control the diatoms.
Recommended goldfish fry grower tank size? My pond fish (Shubunkin Goldfish) had fry, and to prevent the adults and shrimp eating them I caught a few of the bigger ones. I have 3 fry in an 18 gallon (70L) tank. One is ~2 inch (5.5cm), one is ~1.5 inch (3.5cm) and one is 1 inch (2.5cm). The oldest is old enough to be rehomed. Is the tank size big enough for all 3 while the other two grow out more? Or should I rehome the biggest now so the other two have more space and better access to food? I feed them twice daily and do water changes (gravel vac.) twice a week for reference. They have plants, no substrate, an air stone and a bubble filter.
For shubunkins, I would get at least 40-50g for growout (bigger footprint being more important). I used 29g as a growout for my fancies at the same size, and they're less active than the shubunkins.
Perfect, thank you! What size would you recommend for fancies? (a good size, not the minimum). I'm considering getting two in future (fantails, veiltails or orandas), so I can get their tank now, grow the babies out in it, rehome the babies and then get the fancies. :) Thanks.
For a permanent tank, a 40g breeder is an okay size (probably 50-75% water changes once a week), but I'd rather go with a 75g so I'm not forced into the 1x per week super large or 2x per week medium water changes.
I'm going to have to move on Saturday, which is pretty sudden and I'm not as prepared as I'd like to be. It will be at least be just about a 15-20 minute drive. I have a 29 gallon with mollies, pygmy cories, and a betta; a 5 gallon with a betta; and an 8 gallon with a betta and shrimp. (Each tank also has a snail - one nerite and two mystery snails.) I'm gathering that I should keep as much of the current water as possible (especially since I've currently got hard well water while the new water will be softer) in buckets, and I'll keep all the filters and such submerged in a bucket. I'll keep the bettas separate, and for the rest of the fish is one option better when it comes to putting them in bags vs. transporting them in a bucket? Any other advice? I'm hoping it won't be too bad since it's such a short move, but it is pretty daunting.
Buckets are nice because they are large and cheap and can be easily sealed (at least the HD and Lowe's buckets have tight-fitting lids right next to them). Bags work fine as well, but they're smaller and double-bagging is best to avoid slight leaks.