Show off your Freshwater!

[The Reef Novice]

I know this post is a little old but finally set back up my 55 freshwater community tank

[Clown79]

Looks great!

[JoeR]

On 9/23/2017 at 11:53 AM, Teebo said:

I have 4 planted tanks. Starting with the smallest I have a 0.5 gallon pico with 2 red cherry shrimp. 

 

 

I have a 5 gallon I planted for my grandmother, I maintain it for her...it has red cherry shrimp, horned Nerite snails, and Celestial Pearl Danios. 

 

 

I have a 5 gallon tall tank as well, with red cherry shrimp, horned Nerite snails, and a Betta. Tons of mods to this tank, all my tank journals are on TPT though. 

 

 

Lastly I have my newest addition which is more of a work in progress, a 16 gallon (15.8) cornerless bowfront Iwagumi. I had 18 Ember Tetra in here but downsized to 7 in preparation to switch over to Espei. Rasbora or Hengeli Rasbora. 

What light bulb are you using on the bedroom 5 Gallon? Also curious how the iwagumi is coming along

[SavaS]

Decided to do a plague esk culling on the planted tank, everything went except the crypts and the two anubias... (tank was posted on the previous page for comparison), also got new fish, got three tiger oscars, 17$ each on sale for 5$, the tank was empty so it needed something.

[NanoRox]

On ‎8‎/‎3‎/‎2017 at 9:55 PM, WV Reefer said:

 

Last nice shot of my 75 before I began the reef conversion program.   

This is beautiful

 

[WV Reefer]

Just now, Duane Clark said:

This is beautiful

 

Thank you. ?

[Clown79]

In my experience FW planted has been more difficult to keep than a coral reef tank.

 

My FW has algae issues like no other and nothing I do gets rid of it and I can't get my plants to flourish.

 

I foresee this betta tank becoming an sw 

[Teebo]

On 10/15/2017 at 1:34 AM, JoeR said:

What light bulb are you using on the bedroom 5 Gallon? Also curious how the iwagumi is coming along

I forget it was so long ago when I bought it I have a massive box of eBay LED bulbs...I am constantly finding better bulb solutions. Sorry I do not have a model number for you, possibly a PAR20 in the 15W range. Iwagumi is doing well I had to remove half my Embers to balance it out, I have come to the conclusion Iwagumi tanks need a sump refugium to counter the lack of greenery exporting nutrients...just grow hand fulls of Java Moss in the sump or something because carpets do not absorb as much nutrients as my other tanks. 

 

On 10/22/2017 at 7:06 PM, Duane Clark said:

This is beautiful

 

Good lord that is a lot of work great job!

 

13 hours ago, Clown79 said:

In my experience FW planted has been more difficult to keep than a coral reef tank.

 

My FW has algae issues like no other and nothing I do gets rid of it and I can't get my plants to flourish.

 

I foresee this betta tank becoming an sw 

This is true, and is a current discussion of mine on TPT forum. Luckily in reefing there are only a few supplements required, with freshwater lots of the chemistry is way over my head you actually need a good foothold in knowledge of fertilizers and botany. Algae is a nightmare as we keep our tanks nutrient levels high, we actually put in what you take out. You can dabble with metricide to control your algae and give your plants the carbon they need to form new structure (grow). I am taking a major step back from my FW tanks, they consume too much of my time. 

[E90reef]

My 40 gallon planted breeder with co2

[TFish77]

1 hour ago, E90reef said:

My 40 gallon planted breeder with co2

 

Nice Bosemani!

[JoeR]

On 10/24/2017 at 12:42 AM, Teebo said:

I forget it was so long ago when I bought it I have a massive box of eBay LED bulbs...I am constantly finding better bulb solutions. Sorry I do not have a model number for you, possibly a PAR20 in the 15W range. Iwagumi is doing well I had to remove half my Embers to balance it out, I have come to the conclusion Iwagumi tanks need a sump refugium to counter the lack of greenery exporting nutrients...just grow hand fulls of Java Moss in the sump or something because carpets do not absorb as much nutrients as my other tanks. 

 

Good lord that is a lot of work great job!

 

This is true, and is a current discussion of mine on TPT forum. Luckily in reefing there are only a few supplements required, with freshwater lots of the chemistry is way over my head you actually need a good foothold in knowledge of fertilizers and botany. Algae is a nightmare as we keep our tanks nutrient levels high, we actually put in what you take out. You can dabble with metricide to control your algae and give your plants the carbon they need to form new structure (grow). I am taking a major step back from my FW tanks, they consume too much of my time. 

I have to say, I don’t agree with your comment about FW PT chemistry being more difficult than reefing chemistry. I’ve never tested my aquascaped tanks even one time, and they do well. I also don’t know what you mean by “we put in what you take out”. My only problem is with GHA, but that can be manually removed or lessened wth Amano Shrimp and water changes. Or if you have the money a pressurized CO2 system would make algae a thing of the past. All I do is dose excel and feed the fish.

 

I do grow Bonsai, so maybe your comment about being a botanist has sustenance to it...

[JoeR]

Let me also say that I don’t dose trace nutrients, as I think they cause algae issues. I just let the tetra and pufferfish food/waste fertilize the plants. The pufferfish are dirty little critters so thats why I use the tube on the left to keep the food somewhat contained.

[Teebo]

6 hours ago, JoeR said:

I have to say, I don’t agree with your comment about FW PT chemistry being more difficult than reefing chemistry. I’ve never tested my aquascaped tanks even one time, and they do well.

 

I also don’t know what you mean by “we put in what you take out”. 

 

Or if you have the money a pressurized CO2 system would make algae a thing of the past.

 

It really depends how deep into it you go, with a tank as pictured its certainly not complicated chemistry...when you dive into complicated species of plants and carpets the curve changes. See you said it yourself you do not dose traces because it contributes to your algae. Add it, then find a way to prevent the algae through chemistry, when your using the full lineup of fertilizers as many of us are, keeping algae at bay becomes the chemistry challenge. Nothing wrong with low tech tanks, they just grow slowly and are limited on plant choices. 

You take out the nutrients in SW that FW adds through dosing. 

Actually, that is incorrect. CO2 feeds algae, the point of CO2 is to accelerate the plants growth which consumes nutrients at a rate that it leaves algae competing for nutrients with the plants. If you think you can just throw a CO2 system on a FW tank and watch the algae vanish you will be quite surprised. CO2 makes the plants consume the nutrients we add to our tanks fast enough to grow the plant but strip it from the water column fast enough that algae can not consume it. See where one thing builds on another and how chemistry can soon become a regular thing in FW? 

[TFish77]

For me the best part about Freshwater planted tanks is the 0 maintenance aspect. Once everything gets up and running you literally feed the fish and that's it. You don't even have to clean algae on the glass which is amazing. Yes you wont be able to keep certain harder species of plants just like a lower maintenance reef wont be able to keep acros. I still think they are really pretty though. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JoeR]

On 10/25/2017 at 10:20 PM, Teebo said:

It really depends how deep into it you go, with a tank as pictured its certainly not complicated chemistry...when you dive into complicated species of plants and carpets the curve changes. See you said it yourself you do not dose traces because it contributes to your algae. Add it, then find a way to prevent the algae through chemistry, when your using the full lineup of fertilizers as many of us are, keeping algae at bay becomes the chemistry challenge. Nothing wrong with low tech tanks, they just grow slowly and are limited on plant choices. 

You take out the nutrients in SW that FW adds through dosing. 

Actually, that is incorrect. CO2 feeds algae, the point of CO2 is to accelerate the plants growth which consumes nutrients at a rate that it leaves algae competing for nutrients with the plants. If you think you can just throw a CO2 system on a FW tank and watch the algae vanish you will be quite surprised. CO2 makes the plants consume the nutrients we add to our tanks fast enough to grow the plant but strip it from the water column fast enough that algae can not consume it. See where one thing builds on another and how chemistry can soon become a regular thing in FW? 

Kind of seems like you’re being defensive which wasn’t my intention, so sorry if it came off the wrong way. 

 

About the fertilizers- why do you dose them if they just cause algae problems like you said? Simply another product companies make money off of I’m thinking. Let nature, aka the bioload, do the fertilizing for you.

 

What complicated species and carpets do you mean? The tank pictured has Monte Carlo as a carpet which, according to several sources, is a difficult high light and CO2 demanding Plant. Mine is doing phenomenal despite this. The leaves are growing much smaller and denser than when I bought it, and along with the tall plants, it has been cut back several times. The repens is doing okay even though it looked super rough when I received it (tissue culture grown.. all brown when I got it) and the a. Nana ‘petite’ is also growing well. If I had CO2, they would probably grow much quicker but I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily a good thing. Just more work lol.

 

Yes I am aware of the effects of CO2; it’s purpose being to make the plants outcompete the algae. I never said it killed algae or whatever you implied. After all, algae is just a product of nutrient imbalance within your tank... nutrient imbalance likely caused by excessive and unnecessary dosing of trace nutrients and other ferts. Of course other factors like light schedule impact algae growth, and Ive found that about 8 hours is the sweet spot for my tanks- much more leads to mas algae.

 

What FW tanks do you have right now? What’s their lighting schedules, dosing regimes, WC routines, etc? I’d like to see picture of the algae issues you have

 

Like I said I don’t meant to offend you or anything but I Feel like you make everything so complicated and hard on yourself, takes the fun out of it mannn... everyone does the same thing with Bonsai. Simpler is better in my experience, K.I.S.S is the best advice I’ve ever got!

[Clown79]

For me personally, my 5g fw planted was more of a pain than 2 reefs.

 

No matter what i did, I couldn't get rid of the algae. Green hair and black beard. 4 times I tore it apart and scrubbed it all out of tank.

 

Even tried 50/50 distilled and tap- nothing.

 

Dosed excel, lowered light cycle, tried fiesta light cycle, stopped ferts. Nothing changed.

 

I've had FW for yrs with no issues but this planted was a royal b#$@h

 

I tore down the tank. No more live plants for me. Betta is in a 3g now. It's my cheesy 80's style tank. 

 

5g going to be a softy tank

[Teebo]

17 hours ago, Clown79 said:

No matter what i did, I couldn't get rid of the algae. Green hair and black beard. 4 times I tore it apart and scrubbed it all out of tank.

 

Even tried 50/50 distilled and tap- nothing.

 

Dosed excel, lowered light cycle, tried fiesta light cycle, stopped ferts. Nothing changed.

 

I've had FW for yrs with no issues but this planted was a royal b#$@h

 

Try overdosing Excel before you turn the lights off. Lights on + Excel grow plants and algae. Lights off + Excel attacks the algae alone. 

 

19 hours ago, JoeR said:

About the fertilizers- why do you dose them if they just cause algae problems like you said? Simply another product companies make money off of I’m thinking. Let nature, aka the bioload, do the fertilizing for you.

 

What FW tanks do you have right now? What’s their lighting schedules, dosing regimes, WC routines, etc? I’d like to see picture of the algae issues you have

 

Because bio load alone is not enough to grow plants efficiently, at least not all species. The food/bio load only has minimal traces of fertilizers required for a booming tank. Its not a marking scheme, and it does not cause algae problems when done correctly in balance. I hate waiting for my tanks for grow in so I fertilize them. The same way Baby Tears will live in medium light without CO2, but they will not grow or spread. When your tank is where you want it you dial back the ferts and CO2. 

 

The tanks I have now have already been posted in this thread, just scroll up or back. I have no algae issues. 

 

I was not being defensive, I am just a little bitter lately. If anyone wants info on my tanks PM me. 

[Clown79]

14 minutes ago, Teebo said:

 

Try overdosing Excel before you turn the lights off. Lights on + Excel grow plants and algae. Lights off + Excel attacks the algae alone. 

 

 

Because bio load alone is not enough to grow plants efficiently, at least not all species. The food/bio load only has minimal traces of fertilizers required for a booming tank. Its not a marking scheme, and it does not cause algae problems when done correctly in balance. I hate waiting for my tanks for grow in so I fertilize them. The same way Baby Tears will live in medium light without CO2, but they will not grow or spread. When your tank is where you want it you dial back the ferts and CO2. 

 

The tanks I have now have already been posted in this thread, just scroll up or back. I have no algae issues. 

 

I was not being defensive, I am just a little bitter lately. If anyone wants info on my tanks PM me. 

Tanks shut down. I won't attempt plants again 

[Friendly]

plants are so much fun!

 

I had an algae problem at the very end of my FW tank keeping, but it was mostly on the decorations than anything else.

 

all I used was carbon and some crushed white stuff I forget the name of, and weekly water changes. 

 

of course, my tank also never had direct sunlight. well, it did once, and then algae was uncontrollable, so i fixed that.

[TFish77]

22 hours ago, Clown79 said:

For me personally, my 5g fw planted was more of a pain than 2 reefs.

 

No matter what i did, I couldn't get rid of the algae. Green hair and black beard. 4 times I tore it apart and scrubbed it all out of tank.

 

Even tried 50/50 distilled and tap- nothing.

 

Dosed excel, lowered light cycle, tried fiesta light cycle, stopped ferts. Nothing changed.

 

I've had FW for yrs with no issues but this planted was a royal b#$@h

 

I tore down the tank. No more live plants for me. Betta is in a 3g now. It's my cheesy 80's style tank. 

 

5g going to be a softy tank

 

Ever try hydrogen peroxide? Might be similar to what excel is but I am not familiar with it. 

[Clown79]

15 minutes ago, TFish77 said:

 

Ever try hydrogen peroxide? Might be similar to what excel is but I am not familiar with it. 

I soaked everything in hydrogen peroxide 4 times, out of the tank. 4 times I removed and redid everything.

 

It all returned shortly.

 

I dosed excel regularly, did nothing

 

Used phosguard, purigen, nothing helped

 

Did fiesta light cycle

 

Attempted distilled and tap water use

 

No direct sun in my apartment

 

Planted weren't doing good and algae take over.

 

I didn't want the planted to be an expensive tank, to upgrade lights and co2 was not something I wanted to do.

I can change it to an sw and cost nothing for me as I have everything already.

 

 My betta is in a 3g with some simple decor.

 

[Csalt]

Just finished for my daughter. Crypto red, Anubias nano, dwarf hair grass. Spec 3, eco complete substrate, using rodi water but apparently that's bad? Use RO only? I have softened well water otherwise. Any suggestions? Probably the luckiest feeder goldfish ever. Just have to wait a few weeks. After cycling what size cleanup crew and type?

[fishfreak0114]

1 hour ago, Csalt said:

Just finished for my daughter. Crypto red, Anubias nano, dwarf hair grass. Spec 3, eco complete substrate, using rodi water but apparently that's bad? Use RO only? I have softened well water otherwise. Any suggestions? Probably the luckiest feeder goldfish ever. Just have to wait a few weeks. After cycling what size cleanup crew and type?

Off to a nice start   I've never heard of RO/DI being bad before, I just use tap in my tanks.  As for cleanup crew, I really like zebra nerites.  They chow down on algae and can't reproduce in freshwater.  They do tend to leave little, hard, white dots on things though (eggs).

[JoeR]

On 10/25/2017 at 10:20 PM, Teebo said:

It really depends how deep into it you go, with a tank as pictured its certainly not complicated chemistry...when you dive into complicated species of plants and carpets the curve changes. See you said it yourself you do not dose traces because it contributes to your algae. Add it, then find a way to prevent the algae through chemistry, when your using the full lineup of fertilizers as many of us are, keeping algae at bay becomes the chemistry challenge. Nothing wrong with low tech tanks, they just grow slowly and are limited on plant choices. 

You take out the nutrients in SW that FW adds through dosing. 

Actually, that is incorrect. CO2 feeds algae, the point of CO2 is to accelerate the plants growth which consumes nutrients at a rate that it leaves algae competing for nutrients with the plants. If you think you can just throw a CO2 system on a FW tank and watch the algae vanish you will be quite surprised. CO2 makes the plants consume the nutrients we add to our tanks fast enough to grow the plant but strip it from the water column fast enough that algae can not consume it. See where one thing builds on another and how chemistry can soon become a regular thing in FW? 

You know, I’ve been thinking about what could possibly be going wrong as far as algae issues for the people in this thread, and I’m starting to wonder if temperature may also have an impact? None of my tanks even have a heater except my fish only FW. Maybe if the temperature is too high, algae growth is uncontrollable? Just a thought.

 

 

Also, an FYI, sharp rocks in an aquascape is no good for tetras. They apparently can (and do) scrape themselves on it and introduce fungus under their slime coat. One or two of my tetras have a fungus issue now, super gross. But according to online sources this fungus is always in aquariums it jus normally doesn’t get under the fish’s slime coats.

[Mariaface]

11 hours ago, Csalt said:

Just finished for my daughter. Crypto red, Anubias nano, dwarf hair grass. Spec 3, eco complete substrate, using rodi water but apparently that's bad? Use RO only? I have softened well water otherwise. Any suggestions? Probably the luckiest feeder goldfish ever. Just have to wait a few weeks. After cycling what size cleanup crew and type?

 

 

You may want to look into a remineralizer - RO/DI water won't have the osmotic balance needed for fish (and some plants) to survive. Maybe use a TDS meter pen to check the total dissolved solids? Some fish like soft water, some like hard water, but RO/DI is actually too soft (TDS would be 0).

 

I actually use RO/DI water with Mosura GH+ for my freshwater tanks, because it's all soft water fish and/or dwarf shrimp.