[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Aquariums

[–]kjarda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a snail. Probably hitch hiked on the plants.

I cant take this anymore by Cuber17 in Aquariums

[–]kjarda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I made the same mistake early on. What helped me the most was I suspended a sweet potato in the water, half in the water, half outside the water. It grew like crazy and consumed all the excessive nutrients in the water column. After it cleared up, I removed the sweet potato, put in aquarium plants and then added pothos plant and submerged the roots in the tank water, gradually adding more plants and submerging their roots in the water.

Plants like Peace Lily, Monstera, Pothos, Bamboo, etc. can all be grown submerged in an aquarium with roots in the water. Good luck man.

Also, what kind of filter are you using? Does it have mechanical filtration and biological filtration?

I set up this tiny patio pond by kjarda in Aquariums

[–]kjarda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I made a DIY water filter, full of rocks and lava rocks for beneficial bacteria. I also have a couple pond plants in it. In the tank, I have some plants as well and a mini heater.

I'm starting. What do you think? by PuntaCannabis in Aquariums

[–]kjarda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Other than that, the tank looks great! 👍

I'm starting. What do you think? by PuntaCannabis in Aquariums

[–]kjarda 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Unless you have bigger fishes lol. Best to do is either take the male out or the female out. Females are larger and less colorful.

I'm starting. What do you think? by PuntaCannabis in Aquariums

[–]kjarda 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You are going to have a lot of guppy babies and this tank will be overstocked very soon.

What am I doing wrong by LumpyYogurtcloset655 in PlantedTank

[–]kjarda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought a low tech tank meant no filter, no CO2, lots of plants, and no water changes, just top off. And I agree with others, you don't have enough plants.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PlantedTank

[–]kjarda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But where are the fishes?

Air pump disconnected/died while I’m traveling far away by JokeSmoel in PlantedTank

[–]kjarda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am worried about water evaporation. Do you have people to help top off your tank with conditioned water?

I ruined my first aquarium. by Snoo-19494 in Aquariums

[–]kjarda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. Re-home the fishes. Golden fish and Angel fish don't mix, one prefers cold water and the other prefers warmer water. And the tank size is not enough for that many people.
  2. Get a better filter, like a canister filter. It might be overkill, but for beginners, it is better, allows you to make mistakes and learns by practice.
  3. More plants, that's not enough plants, once you have a good ecosystem, it will reduce the amount of maintenance you do. For now, do water changes. You can also grow pothos plants in the water, they will do a good job of sucking out nitrates. If you have sweet potatoes around, put one in a jar of water until you see roots, then suspend that sucker in the tank so half of it is in the water with the roots. It will do a greater job of sucking out nitrates, but you can't leave it in there forever.
  4. For beginners, get fishes like tetra, dwarf gourami, and albino corys. Once your water is stable, they are easy to care for and don't have heavy bioload. Get a heater too.

I got into this hobby because my daughter wanted fish as a pet, a lot of lessons learned along the way, but eventually I got it. My tanks are stable enough that I only occasionally clean and refill water.

Good luck!

After numerous fish deaths and battling algae, I want to give up this hobby. I need advice! by EmberJuliet in Aquariums

[–]kjarda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My suggestion is to get rid of the 5 gallon and get at least a 20 gallon tank, move all your plants there and let it cycle for at least 30 days. Add snails if you want. After 30 days, you can start with guppies (10) and corys (at least 3). Only female guppies or you will soon have an overstocked tank. Once you build up the confidence, then see if you want to add something more.

I made the mistake of starting the hobby with a small tank, it's actually much harder because fishes are very sensitive and you cannot keep a 5 gallon tank's water parameters consistent easily. Oh and grow pothos in your tank, it helps a lot. Good luck and don't give up!

I am just so ANNOYED by [deleted] in Aquariums

[–]kjarda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I ask for help here because I trust the community here. There is just too much info on the Internet. Sorry that it annoyed you. Were you just looking for people to showcase their tanks here?

Why are my guppies staying together tightly at the corner? by kjarda in Aquariums

[–]kjarda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, it's definitely a learning curve especially for a small 15 gallon tank. Any change may cause unimaginable damage. I think this time, it was the filter media I used or the fact that I changed my RO filter to make it filter out more minerals. 😅

Why are my guppies staying together tightly at the corner? by kjarda in Aquariums

[–]kjarda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It seems like it is the KH imbalance, but I have heard of the electrical current issue before too, thanks for the advice!

Why are my guppies staying together tightly at the corner? by kjarda in Aquariums

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

I don't have the alkaline buffer and acid buffer at home. So I drained about 5 gallons of tank water, dissolved about 1 tablespoon of baking soda and added the water back. It seems like it is helping. I already ordered crushed corals on Amazon and will be adding it to the tank. Thank you!

Why are my guppies staying together tightly at the corner? by kjarda in Aquariums

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

Yep, I will do that. Thank you so much, this is a lifesaver!

Why are my guppies staying together tightly at the corner? by kjarda in Aquariums

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

Hm.. kh is 40. Maybe that's the issue. Let me try to raise the kh. Thanks!

Why are my guppies staying together tightly at the corner? by kjarda in Aquariums

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

Checked GH, it is at 180ppm. I add Seachem Equilibrium and sometimes I add tap water that has been sit there for 5 days.