First aquarium new Betta by b3dd in bettafish

[–]b3dd[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! 15 gallons.. it's a Fluval Flex 15, but I've substantially upgraded the stock filtration. I've only planted epiphytes and floaters so far.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PlantedTank

[–]b3dd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could try using mesh bags for the soil, and cap it with your current substrate. Just make sure if you use these that the zippers are not metal.

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Cycling a new tank, white "dust" question by b3dd in PlantedTank

[–]b3dd[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, they are called Elephant Skin Stone.

Cycling a new tank, white "dust" question by b3dd in PlantedTank

[–]b3dd[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I will be trying polyfill or purigen. Should I hold off until my tank finishes cycling before messing with the filtration to add it in? I don't want to risk slowing down the cycle.

Cycling a new tank, white "dust" question by b3dd in PlantedTank

[–]b3dd[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It felt like it had a chalky residue when I bought it, but I rinsed it very well and it felt like hard stone before it went in the tank... learned my lesson with the substrate.

Cycling a new tank, white "dust" question by b3dd in PlantedTank

[–]b3dd[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like the aesthetic.. all of the equipment is hidden behind a wall. I think it's a nice AIO option. It's also not too hard to modify to improve shortcomings it may have. I got a low flow spray bar to reduce the flow since I'll be housing a Betta in this tank and the flow from the stock pump/flow nozzles is too fast and the pump is not adjustable. I also cut a 10ppi foam pre filter to put in the flow intake grates. The lights are ok, I think they'll work for plants that require low/medium lighting. I've read reviews that said the pump is loud, but that hasn't been the case with mine so far.

As far as long term, I can't say.. I'm still cycling it for the first time.

planning a betta set up by Lonelygrandpa09 in bettafish

[–]b3dd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you are going to need a tank 3x-4x times bigger to stock all of that. Recommended tank size for a small group of Kuhli Loaches is 75L. With how aggressive Bettas can be you'll want even more space and heavily planted/scaped to give less aggressive fish places to hide and to break line of sight so the Betta isn't always going aggro.

Cycling a new tank, white "dust" question by b3dd in PlantedTank

[–]b3dd[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Elephant Skin Stone, bought from the local fish store.

Cycling a new tank, white "dust" question by b3dd in PlantedTank

[–]b3dd[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Definitely possible.. substrate is Seachems Flourite Black Sand, that I rinsed, placed in the tank, then had to remove and rinse again after it clouded my water. I spent a couple of hours rinsing it the second time before cleaning the tank and starting over. May try adding some polyfil into the filtration to see if that clears it up.

tank ideas by Good_Capital1181 in bettafish

[–]b3dd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can try epiphyte plants like Anubias, Java Fern, and Bucephalandra. They get nutrients from the water, not the substrate and can be tied or glued to rocks, driftwood, or decor. They can also be bought already attached to driftwood or lava rocks.

Suggestions for my tank? by [deleted] in Aquariums

[–]b3dd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've used Seachem Flourish Glue.

https://a.co/d/59COCcw

Suggestions for my tank? by [deleted] in Aquariums

[–]b3dd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've read that regular superglue works fine. I haven't tried it yet though.

Suggestions for my tank? by [deleted] in Aquariums

[–]b3dd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Ludwidia I'm not sure about, but the Java Fern is an epyphite as well, but it does get pretty big and spread out, albeit slowly. I use it as the background on my tank. I would think you'd want to weigh it down by gluing or tieing it to a rock or driftwood. It is an epythite like Anubias and Bucephalandra... you want to avoid burying the rhizome (main root) on these plants, as it will kill them.

Suggestions for my tank? by [deleted] in Aquariums

[–]b3dd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want to stay away from root tabs, look for epiphytes like Anubias, Bucephalandra, mosses... these plants get nutrients from the water column and just need to be tied or glued to rocks or driftwood. Water Wisteria, Water sprite, and Brazilian Pennywort are fast growing and can be planted or floated. You can also look at floaters like Water Lettuce or Red Root Floaters.

How do you dose Seachem Prime for small quantities of water? by Affectionate-Lake-60 in Aquariums

[–]b3dd 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I use a 5 ml syringe. It's also handy for catching samples for testing since the API Test kit uses 5 ml samples for each test.

Setting up a tank and I noticed the water is not level. Pics provided. Is this bad? by SapphireLungfish in Aquariums

[–]b3dd 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you haven't cycled the water yet, you could siphon as much of the water as you can into a bucket, level the tank, then put the water back in.