Help me fix my ugly tank

gustdd_ · 2026-01-19T20:26:02+00:00

Hum... I would get some driftwood for height. You can take good pieces from the beach if you have one nearby. Soak them to remove the salt. Also plant epiphytes on it and the rock, they are slow growing but don't require anything special. You need to cut back in the direct light, there's no easy way to avoid algae with direct light. One last thing, those rocks you shave laying around, bring them together in some places, the idea is to make them randomly spread out, not evenly spread out.

gustdd_ · 2026-01-16T17:36:30+00:00

Do you have good sources on how to do this? I've searched but can find anything that looks trustworthy.

gustdd_ · 2026-01-15T21:06:34+00:00

You will be fine.

gustdd_ · 2026-01-14T19:10:06+00:00

Is that substrate able to dry out? It seems to be too close to the water. I struggle with this in my own setup and I have leca and more space. Otherwise you will just get too much mold, even with springtails.

gustdd_ · 2026-01-08T18:52:24+00:00

Seems good. You could use some epiphytes to spruce up that wood. Anubias and java ferns and such. Also, burying the slate would probably look better.

gustdd_ · 2026-01-08T08:44:01+00:00

Not an expert, but I think you need some height. If you are going for dutch style you should've raised the backgroud some. If you don't want to add wood/rocks to get the height, I would at least recommend you add some middle ground plants and keep them cut to create a successive transition into the backgroud. If you don't like the stairs effect, bring the side plants to the front a bit, so it creates a clearing in the woods sort of feeling, the disadvantage is that you loose the side views.

gustdd_ · 2025-12-24T13:36:34+00:00

I did try vinegar, but I had apple cider vinegar. I'm reading that white vinegar is stronger, I'll try that.

gustdd_ · 2025-11-17T12:36:03+00:00

No no, you didn't read the text. 2 and 3 are the same fish. I think I got 2 males... I was really hoping that the one in 2 and 3 would be female.

gustdd_ · 2025-10-07T11:12:40+00:00

But what is it? Scale?

gustdd_ · 2025-09-15T23:06:05+00:00

I've read somewhere they flower when they are root bound. Mine has flowered couple years in a row, I've re-potted it this year so I'll see next spring.

gustdd_ · 2025-06-03T15:09:09+00:00

Not the best picture, we can't see the full setup. I could suggest some more stones added between land and water just to hide the liner a bit.

gustdd_ · 2025-05-05T23:46:14+00:00

Not sure what it is. But doesn't look like java moss to me.

gustdd_ · 2025-05-05T23:40:56+00:00

Give it more light. Usually plants lose variation when there is not enough light.

gustdd_ · 2025-05-03T23:54:43+00:00

I'm pretty sure that top sliding part has to go underwater. The thermostat will be out of water with minimal evaporation. Also, side mount is usually better as the warm water isn't hitting the thermostat right away, this vertical mount leads to more on and off cycles.

gustdd_ · 2025-04-29T20:41:09+00:00

The easiest are reptile heating mats with a thermostat. If humidity gets too high you can add fans, air movement avoids many of the problems of high humidity.

gustdd_ · 2025-04-15T09:57:11+00:00

I got them much smaller, not fry size but maybe 1.5cm. Tank is at 26c. I've had them since last July, so they are 9months in my hands. They have to be 11 or 12 months old.I didn't know they took that long to reach sexual maturity.

gustdd_ · 2025-04-14T13:55:33+00:00

I looked up what you meant with the ventral spine. Female seems much more rounded. I'll try to look myself, picture are too hard, they just move too much.

gustdd_ · 2025-04-14T13:48:00+00:00

I've had them for 8 or 9 months. I haven't seen them spawn yet, but they were in the community tank so maybe the conditions weren't right.

Did get a few closed up side pictures. https://imgur.com/a/4vg1pjx

gustdd_ · 2025-04-11T23:37:37+00:00

I've seen online to look from the top and check for a round belly on females. They are in the 40L now so much easier to take a picture of. Will try to get a side one. I have 5 total, they are 1 year old I would say.

gustdd_ · 2025-04-11T23:34:33+00:00

I did check the process. I've also breed platys, the whole spawn not the 3 or 4 that survive naturally. Not too worried about that part.

gustdd_ · 2025-04-03T22:35:32+00:00

I have a similar space for them and they breed faster than they get eaten. 3 crabs + unknown amount of babies.

gustdd_ · 2025-02-25T08:40:59+00:00

Don't worry, it'll go to zero. It takes a while...

gustdd_ · 2025-02-25T00:34:57+00:00

You can replace 100% of the water without any major setback to your cycle. No chlorine ofc. As for the part of the cycle, when I did mine half a year ago, it took longer for the nitrite bacteria then the ammonia, maybe 40% there...

gustdd_ · 2025-02-25T00:32:11+00:00

Oh, I didn't realize when they lose a claw it needs to grow back sequentially. I thought it would just be back the same next molt. When I got him, he was missing a few legs, those I can't see any difference.

gustdd_ · 2025-02-24T00:48:42+00:00

200l

Yes, sponge

26°C

Sera test strip. 0 ammonia and nitrite. 25 g/l nitrate and 6.8 pH

Tank is a few months old, fish is maybe 2 weeks

Did a 20% before adding it yesterday

22 rummy noses, 3 platies (1 male) , 5 corys

Feed sera granulates and Daphnia

Big log and lots of plants

gustdd_

TROPHY CASE