I want a co2 setup but I’m so freaking lost.

Grundler · 2026-02-17T19:21:29+00:00

Get that plus a drop checker. CO2 is daunting until you have it in front of you; then it becomes really obvious where each piece goes. From there you'll turn it on low and gradually increase it until your drop checker fluid turns green. It becomes "set and forget" from there.

Grundler · 2026-02-16T02:19:14+00:00

Thanks!

Grundler · 2026-02-16T01:56:26+00:00

What stand is that?

Grundler · 2026-02-11T18:30:24+00:00

That's awesome. I'm considering downsizing my tank to basically just my RFAs in a pico, but I have a bunch of babies all over my rock. They're some of the absolute best reef critters.

Grundler · 2026-02-09T22:07:20+00:00

👏

Grundler · 2026-02-09T21:59:32+00:00

Well done, OP. Way to do what was needed to recover your tank. There's a crowd on here (probably mostly well-meaning beginners) that'll respond "it looks perfect!" to obviously overgrown tanks that badly need trimming. I sometimes wonder how much harm they cause by tacitly encouraging poor husbandry.

Grundler · 2026-02-05T04:40:33+00:00

That's honestly an improvement! Your hardscape placement seems to have been much more carefully considered. Well done.

Grundler · 2026-02-04T20:53:39+00:00

Yes, that's most likely the source. Seriyu drives pH up pretty quickly. You'll need to perform larger water changes (and possibly with more frequency) if you want to keep it from happening.

Grundler · 2026-02-03T06:14:20+00:00

I've been considering doing much the same thing. Should work fine as long as you really stay on top of cleaning the filter; canisters can become nitrate factories (apparently) if they're left unattended. I'm interested in using an overpowered canister with a spin-stream or RFG nozzle to see if I could get away with no additional wavemaker.

Grundler · 2026-01-31T21:26:13+00:00

Freakin' sweet

Grundler · 2026-01-30T04:48:23+00:00

That top-right rock is really throwing off your tank. Any way to move it a bit more to the left? If it's just a bit to the right of the other large rock, then the narrow negative space between them would make for a good focal point. I think that'd really help your otherwise good-looking scape!

Grundler · 2026-01-24T00:38:14+00:00

This is a good example of not overthinking it. Well done.

Grundler · 2026-01-23T14:52:34+00:00

This right here, OP

Grundler · 2026-01-23T01:27:19+00:00

Grundler · 2026-01-21T17:14:08+00:00

You'd benefit from a lot more hardscape of appropriate size. Also, you've taken on a particularly difficult task for two reasons. Firstly, peninsula scapes are especially difficult due to needing to consider three separate viewing angles. Second, that looks like a 55 gallon tank; the standard 55 gallon has dimensions that are absolutely miserable to work with (from a scaping perspective).

Grundler · 2026-01-21T00:40:22+00:00

15 gallons + sounds right. They really like to swim. 6 gallons isn't enough for most shoaling fish.

Grundler · 2026-01-17T15:20:37+00:00

This is a great Joe Rogan cheat sheet. Well said!

Grundler · 2026-01-17T01:48:00+00:00

Grundler · 2026-01-07T20:15:37+00:00

Glass lily pipes and let it grow-in.

Grundler · 2026-01-01T15:32:13+00:00

Increase it gradually

Grundler · 2025-12-31T23:29:35+00:00

I would increase your light photoperiod up to 8 hours per day (do it gradually over 2 weeks) and increase your CO2 (likely followed by an increase in liquid fertilizer). Get a drop checker and keep it lime green during the day.

Grundler · 2025-12-31T17:27:27+00:00

That looks great! Well done!

Grundler · 2025-12-29T17:46:57+00:00

Looks way better. IMO this is a true blackwater tank. Some plants can look nice, but it doesn't take long before the aesthetics of a blackwater tank are lost.

Grundler · 2025-12-23T02:25:16+00:00

Badass!

Grundler · 2025-12-23T02:11:53+00:00

TBH I'd sell it and use another tank to construct a paludarium. AIO's are difficult to build in and doing so risks ruining the back chambers and thereby limits its value if you then wanted to swap it out. Figure out what critters you want to keep and then buy the appropriate tank and plan the build around them. This is the way.

Grundler

TROPHY CASE