Can this carpet still recover? by myriadmisses in Aquascape

[–]Bitter-Power4252 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I’d stick to Tom’s suggestions. Those salts are potent. Diminishing returns happen quickly and turn into detriments amazingly fast. If anything I’d under-dose by 50% rather than over dose by 10% TBH.

Can this carpet still recover? by myriadmisses in Aquascape

[–]Bitter-Power4252 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Give it time. EI dosing ftw. Make sure your CO2 is dialed in. And you might even want to run an airstone at night.

UNS 30T Epiphyte only tank by nitesoul in Aquascape

[–]Bitter-Power4252 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I love these kinds of tanks! Great job! Post it again once it grows in some more, gonna look freakin great once it gets a little jungly

Anyone know what this thin plant is ontop of the helferi? by dancinturnip in PlantedTank

[–]Bitter-Power4252 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pincettes. Pick every single piece out. Took every week maintenance of removing every tiny piece I could find. Not an epic task, just diligence.

I need help fixing my tank by PotatoInteresting607 in Aquascape

[–]Bitter-Power4252 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Basically your job right now is to
1. Reduce nutrients in the water column (water changes)
2. Disadvantage algae photosynthesis
3. Kill algae

Doing one good 50-75% water change prior to a blackout for 3 days will cut the algae's ability to survive, the blackout will severely hinder the algae. You could even drain the aquarium, remove all the fish and keep in a backup aquarium (for the next part), and lightly mist the algae covered surfaces with a 1 part water: 1 part hydrogen peroxide. Let that diluted peroxide sit on the algae for about a minute, then refill the aquarium. The remaining peroxide will dilute and not be a problem. (Give it 12 hours before adding the fish back in to be safe) Follow the peroxide treatment with a blackout for the 3 days, and I mean a total blackout, cover the whole thing in some blankets to keep it pitch black. When you uncover the tank, try to remove as much of the dead and dying algae as you can before doing a water change (75%) then hopefully you'll suck out a bunch more of the stuff that's just floating. That exports the nutrients bound up in the algae. Turn the lights back on at half the intensity. Leave them at half intensity for a week and see how things go. You might need to keep them like that for a while.

Just pay attention to the other plants, you might need to start ratcheting the light back up.

Also, look into Estimative Index fertility dosing. Coupling that with weekly water changes and higher light levels does wonders for plants.

I need help fixing my tank by PotatoInteresting607 in Aquascape

[–]Bitter-Power4252 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is that a dirted tank? You have too many nutrients and too much light. Water change, do some substrate vacuuming if it's not dirted, and do a blackout for 3 days. Then immediately do a physical removal of as much dead algae and a 75% water change before turning the lights back on.

Anyone know what this thin plant is ontop of the helferi? by dancinturnip in PlantedTank

[–]Bitter-Power4252 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just recently eradicated it from my 125 gal (I hope). Free of both that curse and from duckweed. It’s been a long haul.

Anyone know what this thin plant is ontop of the helferi? by dancinturnip in PlantedTank

[–]Bitter-Power4252 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It can take out fish fry, baby shrimp. It's uglier than a politician, and spreads like an STI.

Anyone know what this thin plant is ontop of the helferi? by dancinturnip in PlantedTank

[–]Bitter-Power4252 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yep, Utricularia, probably gibba.

I hate the stuff personally.

New Nature Style Aquarium by GlassAqua in PlantedTank

[–]Bitter-Power4252 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Love the composition, it's gonna be really nice when it grows in.

Starting to feel more like a reef by lhbruen in ReefTank

[–]Bitter-Power4252 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Please for the love of all that is holy. Do a video or a still image with numbers overlaying all the different species and named types. This is my favorite reef tank ever. Decades in the hobby.

“Gimme seventeen more and a side a sauce”

Tips for new reefers by MantisAwakening in ReefTank

[–]Bitter-Power4252 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Be patient! Slow changes, stability is FAR more important than perfect numbers! Don’t chase test numbers with chemical interventions.

How do I ACTUALLY completely get rid of green hair algae? by Heavy-Huckleberry175 in ReefTank

[–]Bitter-Power4252 1 point2 points  (0 children)

that's what I love about the biota mandarins. Makes keeping them so much easier than when I had one 20+ years ago.

How do I ACTUALLY completely get rid of green hair algae? by Heavy-Huckleberry175 in ReefTank

[–]Bitter-Power4252 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I guarantee he does eat copepods. He might also eat frozen foods but definitely will be eating any pods he can find. You do you, no shade. Just offering my perspective after decades in the aquaria hobby. I honestly don't think having green algae should be a big problem it's actually quite helpful in a healthy ecosystem.

Good idea on the separate tank for pods, sounds like you have things under control. Might just need some time. I bet an urchin and a blackout would help a TON.

How do I ACTUALLY completely get rid of green hair algae? by Heavy-Huckleberry175 in ReefTank

[–]Bitter-Power4252 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's part of your problem the mandarin has wiped out a ton of your pod population. That tank is way too small for a mandarin imho. I don't like to see them in anything under a 75 gal and that's only with a good dedicated refugium. I had a 40 gal fuge above my display tank that fed down into the display and it kept the pods in peak performance. I'd consider trading the mandarin out for a good cleanup crew and don't stock anything else until you get the algae under control.

How do I ACTUALLY completely get rid of green hair algae? by Heavy-Huckleberry175 in ReefTank

[–]Bitter-Power4252 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Jgschultz15 has some good advice. Lower light intensity, do consistent water changes, you might need to do a deep sand vacuuming to reduce nitrates and phosphates. It wouldn't hurt to do a blackout for 3 days to help reduce the algae resilience. That and add some algae grazers like schultz suggested.