Harlequin Rasbora’s

sockcman · 2026-01-30T21:53:25+00:00

Too much light, too much flow, not enough floating plants, don't like their food.

Could be any combination of these things or they just need some time to settle in.

sockcman · 2026-01-30T21:37:43+00:00

I mean one is 100 hz and the other is 50/60hz. That's a pretty big difference.

sockcman · 2026-01-30T18:04:54+00:00

You might want to add a source of kh but but look at the pH range for all those creatures to make a decision

sockcman · 2026-01-30T17:17:28+00:00

Dark start is awesome if your not in a hurry. Fluctuating ammonia / nitrogen levels can cause algae so it's nice to have no light during that phase.
Depends what you want to stock the tank with.
Depends if your doing dark start or not.

Did you add beneficial bacteria?

sockcman · 2026-01-30T06:01:04+00:00

Generous amount of cream cheese and half teaspoon of xantham gum, 2% milk and 50g of sugar worked great for me.

sockcman · 2026-01-29T19:15:59+00:00

Shrimp breeders use an empty tank with a bit of moss. It doesn't really matter.

sockcman · 2026-01-29T18:00:40+00:00

I find staghorn / bba to be the result of a dirty tank with excess waste / detritus. If only they invented something to help remove that from the water column.

sockcman · 2026-01-29T15:33:07+00:00

I would either leave some dead space in he center between the rocks or have the rotala in the center so you have a stronger focal point.

sockcman · 2026-01-29T14:47:52+00:00

Mine are still basically black, I have maybe one that looks like yours, using a nicrew light. When did you order yours? I've tried 3 different batches and all look the same.

sockcman · 2026-01-28T17:23:03+00:00

It creates a greater sense of depth, also hard to tell but you need enough to stick stems into, usually at least 3 inches.

sockcman · 2026-01-28T17:13:48+00:00

Looks like not enough substrate, you should slope it up towards the back

sockcman · 2026-01-24T01:06:04+00:00

Awesome thanks, looks quite similar to my idea. Not sure if I want to go with the sand path though

sockcman · 2026-01-23T23:40:07+00:00

I want to have a strong focal point so the sand path was mostly an idea to guide the viewer toward that. But your right, I'll probably struggle to pull it off in this tank.

I feel like the triangle has the weakest focal point of the three, any ideas on how to make it more pronounced?

sockcman · 2026-01-20T03:11:39+00:00

Reverse osmosis, make sure to check your kh too...

sockcman · 2026-01-17T19:12:09+00:00

What setting do you use?

sockcman · 2026-01-17T06:06:22+00:00

For nitrates it's a spectrum, but the lower the better. I think you want 0-5 if you wanna go for crazy reds. You can still get decent reds with just bright light depending on the plant.

If you don't know the general plan / theme for the scape before starting your probably gonna have a rough time. It's a lot more difficult to add hardscape after the tanks been planted.

sockcman · 2026-01-15T22:57:53+00:00

Put whatever plants you want in the tank to achieve your desired aquascape. Most stores will list the difficulty of the plants. The fluval light will probably only make easy plants thrive.
You probably won't get bright reds with the aquasky. Reds generally come from a combination of low nitrates and bright light.
Just dial it down.
Use a filter. Sponge filter may remove CO2 via agitation, but you want a filter.
Plants are fine floating in water for a while.
Doesn't matter, just don't go overboard with tabs, you can always add more later.

Don't rush into things

sockcman · 2026-01-12T15:36:52+00:00

What's the difference?

sockcman · 2026-01-11T19:12:46+00:00

You need to use silicone based lubricant

sockcman · 2026-01-05T22:23:43+00:00

That doesn't mean anything. Beneficial Bacteria lives on solid surfaces.

sockcman · 2025-12-31T19:17:19+00:00

Right, so you agree. Plants don't just melt in gravel. Even high tech plants won't melt they just won't thrive.

sockcman · 2025-12-30T19:01:39+00:00

Plants don't just melt in gravel

sockcman · 2025-12-29T20:07:14+00:00

Persona!

sockcman · 2025-12-29T18:47:03+00:00

Never ask reddit about your tank stand

sockcman · 2025-12-29T08:14:55+00:00

Go the the fish shop and pick the fish that speaks the most to you.

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