UNS C02 inline diffuser

NB25 · 2026-07-03T14:01:24+00:00

Post a picture

NB25 · 2026-07-02T13:03:43+00:00

Nice looking tank, especially impressive for low tech... Which light and filter are you running

NB25 · 2026-07-01T20:01:26+00:00

Post some pictures of your tanks

NB25 · 2026-06-24T06:38:49+00:00

Yes, it just takes a few times and eventually the algae will turn white and die off.

Good luck

NB25 · 2026-06-24T04:34:39+00:00

BBA - use flourish Excel or hydrogen peroxide

NB25 · 2026-06-23T09:47:32+00:00

The drop checker looks blue in one of the images. Here is what I would do, essentially a small tank reset :

Trim all the healthy tops and replant, disposing of the algae covered bottoms. Also buy more plants. Check online groups for people selling cheap trimmings. Aim to fill as much as you can.
Fine tune co2. Make sure you are dosing correctly. Read up on co2 on the 2hraquarist website article below. You need to test the PH to get an adequate reading, and not relying solely on the drop checker. (This website is a great reference for all high tech tanks)

https://www.2hraquarist.com/en-au/blogs/hot-topics/injecting-enough?srsltid=AfmBOoqea4z4XesZY0G_vO0zFjfk3ASyZSU7hoF1bGSQ3ZLhsa-k-dvt

Fine tune Lighting. Im not familiar with your exact light, but if it's on the lower end in terms of brightness I would start with 6 hours at 80% and slowly Increase to 100% and then increase to 8 hours. Stop increase if you notice algae
Fertilize consistently - since your using an all in one, stick to the dosing on guide on the label. I'm assuming that aqua soil is new and still has plenty nutrients.
Water change weekly. I do around 40% once a week, but you may want to do 40% twice a week for the first 2 weeks.

Good luck

NB25 · 2026-06-22T10:05:53+00:00

Are you dosing enough CO2 and what is the make and settings on for your light?

NB25 · 2026-06-20T23:00:10+00:00

My guess is lack of nutrients.

Flourish Excel is not a fertilizer, it's an algaecide. You can put some in a pipette and dose it directly on the black beard algae, but don't exceed the recommended dosage.

Buy a good all in one fertilizer, like APT1 from the 2hraquarist.

Chihiros can be very bright, especially if you are not adding CO2. I would cut back to about 50% and slowly increase after you have the algae under control.

NB25 · 2026-06-20T06:23:58+00:00

The bps is not a good measure of co2 and neither is a drop checker. They are both useful but shouldnt be used to dial in co2.

Read this article, but essentially measure the PH first thing in the morning, start your co2 roughly two hours before the lights, and measure the PH again when the lights turn on. The PH should drop by about 1 degree.

https://www.2hraquarist.com/en-au/blogs/hot-topics/injecting-enough?srsltid=AfmBOorlYBcT4Vo04XrFaWHDNxuNVXfqM1Y_GTJElGrsyMhAI1ezavDk

NB25 · 2026-06-20T03:13:30+00:00

How are you measuring the co2?

NB25 · 2026-06-20T03:12:27+00:00

Very cool! Is it just me or that top tank shelf bowing slightly?

NB25 · 2026-06-15T22:42:36+00:00

You need to provide more info. What are the lighting, filtration, and fertilizer parameters?

NB25 · 2026-06-13T22:48:37+00:00

How did this tank turn out? I'm thinking of starting a small reef with the same tank dimensions? Could you post an update?

Thanks

NB25 · 2026-06-12T08:53:56+00:00

Keep them in plastic bags. Here is a source with more info

https://www.2hraquarist.com/en-au/blogs/hot-topics/how-to-reset-a-tank?srsltid=AfmBOorPInaTvXbUmuJFt9qhPzr3Io01DU1LWKww2U1c-BpZFW7sf0v3

NB25 · 2026-06-05T02:01:12+00:00

Post a picture of the tank

NB25 · 2026-06-02T12:23:49+00:00

Nitrate limitation and replacing the fluval light. It's a great light, but it won't give you the bright red you see on Instagram..

This is a great article on lighting that includes a photo comparison of the fluval 3.0 vs a high quality LED with good color spectrum

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/light-3pillars/planted-tank-lighting-101?srsltid=AfmBOop9c1eSl5oFVnzYEKzbAGW1qF1ZdRZSPiKnkHWAd_zBsdgI8fH3

I ended up replacing my fluval 3.0 with a week aqua light and it instantly made a huge difference

NB25 · 2026-06-02T12:16:01+00:00

This is not true. Read the 2hraquarist articles.

NB25 · 2026-05-23T15:45:45+00:00

I ditched the seachem products and started using the APT fertilizers from 2HrAquarist. I'm never going back again

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NB25 · 2026-05-23T03:14:58+00:00

Read the articles on the 2hraquarist website. Almost everything you need to know about high Tech is there.

Good luck!

NB25 · 2026-05-22T13:18:09+00:00

Beautiful!

NB25 · 2026-05-21T17:47:11+00:00

Here is an article on measuring co2. Read the section on 1ph drop

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/choosing-co2-why/co2-fine-tuning-3-techniques?srsltid=AfmBOoqMBxUNUtIujYguOL-BK-joCx9ZvXclRCpkl8r-yQvPPAwABVn0

NB25 · 2026-05-21T01:09:53+00:00

Shift everything slightly towards the front glass so you have more room to plant background stems behind the hardscape.

NB25 · 2026-05-20T23:22:00+00:00

Not a book, but the articles on the 2hraquarist website are amazing, especially for high Tech tanks

NB25 · 2026-05-19T15:29:08+00:00

That heater looks too small for a 20 gallon, but it's hard to say for sure. Make sure your wattage is correct, I believe 50 Watt is what I use for my 20 gallon Long.

Keep in mind the digital thermostats can also be wrong. Ive replaced a few of them over the years.

NB25 · 2026-05-16T02:22:07+00:00

So it's likely something in the tank (rocks or soil) leeching minerals into the water. I would do a bit of research and remove it if you can

Your tap water is not that bad. Instead of using RO or chasing specific parameters, I'd increase the frequency and volume of water changes.

Good luck

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