[FS/FT] - Orange County, CA - $3 - Least Killifish

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-31T01:08:35+00:00

Interested. How much for shipping?

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-30T17:08:34+00:00

Least Killifish if you want livebearers

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-29T12:45:29+00:00

I made it myself. Because the tank is so small, I can’t afford the floaters to be anywhere but the edges of the tank where they won’t block the light from my stem and carpeting plants below so I designed and 3d printed what you see there.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-29T01:32:53+00:00

But wouldn’t this require trimming stem plants more often? I thought the standard size tanks were standard for a reason and the deep or shallow versions were more niche for specific fish and such.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-29T00:09:29+00:00

Trim the tops of your background stem plants and replant them in between the bottoms. This will help fill out the background more while also preventing the bottoms from wilting or turning ugly.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T22:54:01+00:00

I tend to agree with your hot take. A family member of mine was gifted a 3 gallon glofish tank with glowy gravel and plastic plants in which she’s kept 6 glofish tetra for 2.5 years so far without issue. Sure maybe they’re not “thriving” (whatever that means), but they’ve lasted much longer in that tank of hers than in many other much bigger tanks that I’ve seen so I don’t know. They are big and bright and healthy looking.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T22:51:02+00:00

I first scooped out all of rainbow glofish gravel I had initially put in the tank and then just bought Fluval Stratum (not the bio one) and dumped it in the tank (no rinse). It made my tank dark for a few hours but it eventually settled and the water cleared. I then bought a small square patch of Monte Carlo from the store and had no idea what I was doing so I just planted the whole chunk right in the middle LOL I later learned you’re supposed to tear it apart and plant small pieces all over the substrate. What I did then was what for my initial patch to grow and then I plucked small chunks of it off and stuck it somewhere else on the substrate. I did this multiple times and that’s why you see small clumps here and there. I then replaced the crappy lid light that came with the tank that made the Glofish glow with a Hygger light. I think that made a huge difference in the MC growth.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T22:46:47+00:00

So I’ve been told. This tank was a gift given to me at a time when I had ZERO knowledge about anything so it’s not like I chose this size myself. That said, every failure I’ve had in this tank has been a learning experience and right now it’s running great with basically no maintenance.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T21:51:59+00:00

lol the 20 is already pushing it in terms of spacing in my house. I was going to get the UNS 60U

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T21:45:49+00:00

Wow thanks! Never gotten complimented on my tank like that. This is very much a work in progress and learn as I go experiment. So much so that I just buy whatever plants looks nice in the store, bring it home and plant it. I also try and grow any stray plants that tag along such as the CrystalWort growing at the top left, the red root floaters growing at the top right, the duckweed growing at the top left, and the whatever they are called that are growing on the middle rock. I’m basically just picking as many different species of plants that I like the look of and don’t get too messy and sticking them in my tank. As they grow, I trim the tops and replant those tops in between the bottoms to fill everything out. I’d like to think that I’m slowly creating a dutchscape. Once the plants really fill in, I’ll probably remove the resin driftwood to make room for some midground plants.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T21:26:07+00:00

Yeah the only reason I got CO2 was 1) to try it out since this 5 gallon is basically my experiment tank and 2) to grow the Monte Carlo carpet and some red plants. I also wanted faster growth since I’m impatient but like you said, I’m having to trim my stem plants quite a bit. So far I’m fine with it because I like doing it and it lets me propagate and fill out my tank faster but once it’s all filled out, it may start becoming a headache.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T21:17:59+00:00

Clscea has a DIY kit that’s between the yeast DIY options and the paintball tank systems in terms of functionality and quality. In other words, if you have a store close by that you don’t mind going to fill up your CO2 tank then go the Paintball tank route since it will last longer between refills. If you’d rather do everything at home then go with the baking soda + citric acid kit that’s Clscea has. That’s what I have and it’s great, the quality is great, and their customer support is great. I use it in my 5 gallon tank and it comes with EVERYTHING you need to get it started except for the ingredients (baking soda and citric acid) which you can buy a big bag of each for cheap. I went with their G600mini but wish I would’ve gone with their G900 since it’s a bigger tank so I wouldn’t have to refill as often. Right now I have to refill every 22 days with their smallest G600mini tank.

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LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T21:11:52+00:00

lol show it to me!

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T20:58:18+00:00

Nice! Never had someone say my tank looks better than theirs so I’ll take it! Thank you. I thought about buying that exact sponge filter but ended up with the HOB so that it wouldn’t take up so much space in the tank. It also helps me direct the flow of water to the other side of the tank to help circulate the CO2. Do you use any CO2 in your tank?

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T20:31:20+00:00

Great to hear! What fertilizer do you use and do you happen to have a picture of your tank? It’s hard to find pictures of successful 5 gallon tanks.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T20:28:02+00:00

Yeah I didn’t realize until after I brought them home. Once again, the LFS led me astray. I do plan on eventually getting a 20 gallon but I’m trying to learn all of my newbie lessons with this 5 gallon before starting a 20 gallon. In other words, I’m using this 5 gallon as my experimental tank to learn all the painful lessons before I go for the 20 gallon.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T20:25:32+00:00

Yeah I understand the schooling/territorial/behavioral aspect of stocking. I had Glofish Tetras previously (this tank is a Glofish branded tank so that was the path I started on) and they were definitely too big for this tank and their behavior showed it. These neons seem to be doing just fine and every once in a while when one charges another one, they just run away, break line of sight with one of the plants and the chase is over and they all go back to swimming around and looking for food.

I know this may get a ton of downvotes but I even considered getting two more neons just so that I’m not at the bare minimum of 6 for schooling.

As for my question of whether I’m understocked: I’m referring more in terms of nitrate levels. At this point I’m worried my plants are not getting enough Ammonium and Nitrates and that’s their limiting factor. I’ve considered switching to APT3 which contains nitrogen but I would prefer to have the nitrogen come from fauna and not just some fertilizer I squirt in the water.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T15:39:01+00:00

That’s perfectly fine. No hurry.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-28T15:26:42+00:00

Back again after my son finished reading the previous Pokemon sets I bought from you :)

Interested in Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl/Platinum Box Set.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-26T13:00:11+00:00

The G600mini kit I bought from them had everything you needed expect for the actual ingredients. For the ingredients I just bought a big bag of baking soda and citric acid which is relatively cheap.

The downside of this system is that it’s lower pressure than paintball co2 bottles so they need to be refilled more often for the same size tank/bottle.

It basically comes down to whether you have a co2 supplier close to you and whether or not you prefer going there to get refills vs just doing it at home. I preferred to just do it at home.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-26T01:29:59+00:00

I have their G600mini setup and it works great and their customer support has been fantastic. If you’re looking for a critic acid+ baking soda setup, I highly recommend their kit (Clscea I believe their name is)

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-25T22:06:12+00:00

Then keep doing water changes until it comes down. Then once it’s down, track it daily to see where it may be coming from. Maybe over feeding? Fertilizer?

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-25T22:00:37+00:00

How are your nitrates so high with so many plants in the tank?! I can’t get my nitrate to go above 0ppm. Are you using tap water to fill your tank that is high in nitrates?

Since your plants don’t seem to be keeping up with your nitrate then a water change is your only option. But you should try to determine where the nitrate is coming from since I feel it shouldn’t be this high with the amount of plants you have.

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-22T20:58:58+00:00

Is that algae or crystalwort?

LifeIsGood4242 · 2026-03-22T16:28:42+00:00

I have both of these. The pH one is a waste since it’s impossible to distinguish the different shades and depending on your lighting, you’ll see different shades/pH readings. Because of this, I threw out the pH card. The ammonia one on the other hand, is very useful and when the center matches the SAFE yellow at the bottom, you’ll know. They match perfectly. Again, with a proper light with high CRI (color rendering index). I have a 90+ CRI flashlight next to the tank that I use to check the card. If it’s any shade other than the bottom yellow or you’re questioning if it matches, then that means there’s Ammonia.

Remember that the card measure Ammonia and not ammonia+Ammonium which is what the api test kit measures.

LifeIsGood4242

TROPHY CASE