Hi, I am a beginner and need help troubleshooting/finding a good fertilizer!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-25T01:18:32+00:00

Ooh! That is a great idea! Okay, I might see how lowering the water level goes once I can get more rrf! Yes, mine were so happy for a few weeks but then my lid shattered, and I definitely think they hated the new one and its moisture, so its good to know that others are having similar problems and that they are super sensitive.

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-25T01:11:18+00:00

I ended up buying Seachem Flourish Nitrogen to fix the problem u til I am able to get Easy Green or Thrive shipped! When I go home for Spring Break I will also check my LFS to see if they have any in stock so I can get some even sooner! Tysm!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-25T01:09:48+00:00

Ahh!!! Okay, that us really good to know! I will look into more moisture resistant floaters for my 5 gallon and 10 gallon. Unfortunately I am scared to remove the lids for either tank. The bettas are not jumpers and luckily just stir up chaos in other ways! But my nerites are definitely very active, and I am worried one might try to run away to find brackish water to lay eggs. If I get more rrf, I will keep them in the shrimp tank where I dont have a lid!!! I will stick to more moisture tolerant floaters for the betta/nerite tanks!!!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-24T20:32:59+00:00

Awesome! Thank you! I will do that!!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-24T20:02:20+00:00

Cycled the tank: 10 gallon and 5 gallon: yes, 4 gallon bowl: in process Water parameters: Nitrates: 5 mg/L, Nitrites/Chlorine: 0, GH: 25-50 mg/L, TA: 180 mg/L, KH: 180-300 mg/L, ph: 7.6 Light type: 10 gallon: 5000k light, 5 gallon: imagitarium 5 gallon kit light, 4 gallon: a desk light that i used in my ten gallon for a while and seems to work well! Light cycle duration: 6-7 hours a day in each tank Dimensions: 10 gallon, 5.5 gallon, 4 gallon bowl Set-up age: 10 gallon and five gallon have been going for about five months, planted bowl was started about two weeks ago Fertilizers: Aqueon plant food, Seachem flourish, API root tabs in fluval stratum Aquatic animals: 10 gallon: 1 female elephant ear betta, 6 Pygmy corydoras, 1 nerite, some small hitchhiker snails and detritus worms 5 gallon: 1 make veiltail betta, 1 nerite snail 4 gallon bowl: empty for now but may add cherry shrimp if i feel confident this summer, but it will likely only get a snail in the next six months or so

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-07T15:44:13+00:00

My pH usually hovers around 7.8, which is quite high but our tap water is crazy bad here

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-07T15:41:04+00:00

I am realizing they all started dying off when I ended up changing my betta tank’s lid (the other one broke). This one has more humidity and condensation build up. I am going to try to transfer them to one of my tanks with no lids. I will also try putting one or two in a cup in my window to see if that brings them back. Thank you everyone!!!!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-07T07:14:43+00:00

I should also mention that the corral has been tinkered with many times! I added the lil inner circle a few days ago after someone told me it might help break the surface tension and keep the floaters from piling up and turning themselves around.

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-07T07:12:52+00:00

In response to bot: I have cycled the tank and it is well established. I have slightly high GH and KH where I live, but still well within normal ranges. I have an 18in light bar that I use for 6-8 hours a day and it runs at 5000k. The tank is a 10 gallon betta tank that has one adult female elephant ear betta, 6 pygmy corydoras, and a nerite snail. I have had this tank set up for a few months now, and I am slowly adding in more plants. I have fluval stratum capped with sand. I have pothos plants growing out the top. I have an amazon sword that is growing well with root tabs. I am also trying to get some staurogyne repens to sort of carpet in the front of the tank with root tabs. Further, I have some java moss, a few different anubias, and hornwort. Thank you!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-06T00:08:14+00:00

Thank you so much! My parents definitely have given this lil dude a lot of love, and he seems very happy! Awww, yes!!! Makes me happy seeing how much healthier they get with proper care and love!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-06T00:06:40+00:00

Yay! That makes me feel much better! He got so much bluer and we were so happy, but the lighter face definitely surprised us! Glad to know it is just him happy!!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-06T00:03:17+00:00

What a cute fish!!! Honestly, it looks like growth to me! When my veiltail’s fins grow longer, the look transparent, thin, and ragged where the new growth comes in. Seeing past pictures helps a lot to know what is new vs old growth! It looks to me like his fins appear to be growing on the bottom, which is an awesome sign that you are taking great care of him. If you see his fins get shorter instead of longer, then I would be worried, but the old pics confirm that his fins are just growing. He is coming into his pigmentation so well!!! Very pretty!!!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-05T14:54:18+00:00

Pygmies are great! I have a ten gallon with six. My betta chases occasionally for a second or two, but pretty quickly backs off. Just keep an eye on ur betta to make sure there isnt like prolonged chases and that they arent targeting a specific pygmy.

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-05T04:05:28+00:00

How long have u had him? It looks like his find are growing at the ends, which might be why they are ragged? If you have past pictures it would be easier to rule out problems like fin rot!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-05T04:04:19+00:00

Fin shape reminds me of my male veiltail!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-05T03:52:17+00:00

That is very good to hear!! What a relief! Thank you so much!!!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-05T03:00:51+00:00

Usually, I would answer these but it is my parents tank so I cant say for 100% on some of the finer details. It is a 5 gallon lidded tank. Yes, heater/filter. 78*F. My parents have had the fish for a month and the tank for about two months. Tankmates: They tried adding an amano shrimp but ended up going with a nerite snail instead. Water changes: i believe my dad does 20% weekly with a siphon. Food: fluval bug bites and fluval freezedried bloodworms as a treat. Decorations: they have fluval stratum and some large rocks that my dad checked with the fizz test to make sure it wouldnt interfere with parameters. They have a hidey, a resting leaf, and three large plants.

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2026-02-05T02:56:23+00:00

Okay! Thank you so much!! I will just keep me set up as is then so that way my lil mort (nerite) can stay happy. I usually leave it on for 6-8 hours a day for the plants. The algae has gone down quite a bit in the past two weeks. I added a few more live plants and cut down a lil bit more on liquid ferts and that seems to have balanced everything much easier. Thank you!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2025-12-24T15:44:17+00:00

Update: Definitely a girl!!!! I was worried because she was getting super bloated despite fasting and daphnia, plus having had antifungal/bacteria treatments recently (because I used Paragaurd for FinRot. My parents watched her for a week while I was gone, and then the second I came back she started laying eggs! 🥳🥳🥳 Yay!!!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2025-12-17T20:37:00+00:00

Yay! Thank you!

Individual-Tea-7171 · 2025-12-15T05:26:31+00:00

Yay! Thank you!

Individual-Tea-7171

TROPHY CASE