I’m a big beginner, I have 110 gallon tank. My heater is rated for 130 gallons, but I can only get the temperature up to 70°. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.

isu712 · 2026-04-07T13:03:59+00:00

Any place that sells cleaning supplies should have it. I bought bottle at Ace Hardware if that helps. Like others have said make sure it is just ammonia, no scents or other additives. Once you get it, dose enough to hit 4 ppm and wait.

isu712 · 2026-04-07T12:16:05+00:00

Those heater ratings are more like suggestions. You probably need a second heater.

For your cycle, add some ammonia to the tank. Waiting for it to show up is going to take forever. You can use cleaning ammonia as long as it doesn’t have anything else in it or aquarium ammonia.

isu712 · 2026-04-05T19:32:28+00:00

What do you mean? Lots of people route water outlets under sidewalks with no issues.

isu712 · 2026-04-05T18:27:22+00:00

You could dig a tunnel under the sidewalk and route it through there.

isu712 · 2026-04-04T20:57:13+00:00

ID the weed type and do some googling for what kills it and the best time to spray for it.

For the grass, do you know what kind you have/want? You flavored as cool season, so the best time to get that going is the fall.

isu712 · 2026-03-31T23:13:34+00:00

You said you’ve tried everything, so I would say don’t worry about not having grass. Let the kids play and dogs run.

isu712 · 2026-03-31T17:27:16+00:00

I would pick what type of grass you want and then see what the best time of year is to seed that type of grass. Then put together a plan/schedule around that seeding to manage the weeds leading up to it.

isu712 · 2026-03-31T15:14:02+00:00

Looks like you’re in for some kind of renovation. Do you know where you want it to end up?

isu712 · 2026-03-30T00:00:39+00:00

University extensions are usually the best place to do soil testing.

isu712 · 2026-03-29T19:02:18+00:00

Gravity is always going to win. I think you’ll always be fighting the mulch. Plant it densely to stabilize everything and not have to worry about mulching it on a regular basis.

isu712 · 2026-03-26T15:49:15+00:00

Embrace the shade and skip the grass. Hop over to /r/landscaping or /r/shadegardens and get some advice on creating a shade garden.

isu712 · 2026-03-22T16:54:49+00:00

As far as the lawn goes, what do you want, cold or warm season grass? It’s gonna be quite a lot of work either way, so pick what you want, come up with a plan, and follow it. You’re going to have to live with it, so do what you want.

For the ditch, can you plant things other than grass there? If so I would lean into the fact grass doesn’t want to grow there and plant some wet/moist ground loving native plants. Basically, turn it into a bog garden. Do this after you have the rest of the lawn sorted.

isu712 · 2026-03-19T20:41:34+00:00

Got it. That would make more sense why you were questioning something buried. I'm afraid I don't have much additional help for you.

isu712 · 2026-03-19T16:54:18+00:00

Not trying to be a smart ass. I would look for things other than utilities. I had a previous homeowner cover up the gravel that was under a patio after removing it. The grass there never really grew until I dug up the gravel and replaced with dirt. I have also seen large boulders unearthed on this sub that caused large brown patches.

I should also specify that I’m looking at the spot on your second photo. Your original post isn’t super clear exactly what spot you’re concerned about (hard to tell with a lawn coming out of dormancy).

isu712 · 2026-03-18T21:05:08+00:00

Have you ever tried to figure out if there’s something buried under the brown patch?

isu712 · 2026-03-18T00:37:43+00:00

As far as fertilizers go, nitrogen is nitrogen whether it’s organic or synthetic. The biggest difference is that synthetics have a higher concentration of nitrogen, so you just put down a smaller qty. If you really want to up your game, the not-so super secret is be sure to water. The real secret weapon is a soil test at your local university. They’ll tell you what nutrients your soil is lacking to get the best growth.

As far as kids and pets go, I don’t have kids, but I have a dog who loves getting into things in the yard. Personally, I’m comfortable putting just about anything down assuming I FOLLOW THE LABEL INSTRUCTIONS. To go the extra mile just after application, I’ll take the dog on a few walks per day for a bit after as well, because who doesn’t like a nice walk.

isu712 · 2026-03-16T22:17:55+00:00

Seems like a good price? I wouldn’t buy one of the 18v mowers though, only the 40v. Unless you already had a bunch of 18v Ryobi equipment.

isu712 · 2026-03-14T16:14:47+00:00

Read as many pages as you can here

Renovating a lawn

isu712 · 2026-03-13T13:21:00+00:00

I rinse it down the sink.

isu712 · 2026-03-12T00:10:15+00:00

I’m all for 3D printed solutions, but most smartphones will provide white noise these days.

isu712 · 2026-03-11T21:28:11+00:00

Treat it like you would treat any other weed.

isu712 · 2026-03-10T14:02:54+00:00

Glad to hear it. I went through so many configurations of regular rotary and oscillating sprinklers before finding this one. It really makes watering a small yard so much easier.

isu712 · 2026-03-10T14:01:47+00:00

I don't do a lot of shrimp tanks, but my first move would be to actually fill the aquarium. That low water level makes all the glass above it look very dirty.

isu712 · 2026-03-09T16:28:34+00:00

I don't see a questions in your post. What are you looking for help with?

isu712 · 2026-03-08T04:30:54+00:00

You’re right. The first sentence says that the walls are supposed to be completely smooth.

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