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This I believe is a species of Echinodorus, commonly called sword plants. There are several species with varying leaf shapes and sizes, but the leaves look like swords to me.

Presumably it is "safe," since it is from an aquarium-intended substrate. There is likely something organic in the substrate which funguses. Like leaving fish food uneaten, it develops fungus. I've no idea what if anything would eat this fish-wise, but snails might (I say might), maybe shrimp?

Following up from Colin's post...you need to first increase the Corydoras, they must have a group, but I would not go below 12-15 in a tank this size. And they must have a soft sand substrate. The Tiger Barbs at 12 in this tank are fine. The danios need 10-12, but I would deal with the cories...

The pH is very closely connected to the GH and KH, and these three usually remain consistent unless one is specifically targeting one or more of the three. But other factors also affect pH, such as dissolved CO2 in the tap water (this dissipates out within 24 hours or less), and some water...

If the dealer is responsible, they may allow you to return this, perhaps if you buy something more appropriate so they still make the sale.

It is likely a fungus, and obviously it is coming from the underlying layer of whatever it is. That is a problem with all such plant substrate and soil, the bacterial/fungal growth.

Yes on plants, but stay with floating as they are easier to grow and they will take up all the ammonia your fish could ever produce. You do not need ammo-lock and more chemicals. And do not use Stress Coat, it has aloe vera which is now believed to harm fish gills. The API Tap Water Condition...

Safe Start is the only bacterial supplement containing the correct species of nitrifying bacteria, so in tanks with fish in them if something happens adding it may help to re-establish the nitrifying bacteria. None of the other commercial products do this, except Dr. Tim's, so if this does not...

OK. Ammonia above zero is a problem, then, just to be clear. However, there are situations where very low levels of ammonia, in the 0.25 range, can occur with water changes if chloramine is added to the municipal water (not your problem, I do not think any water authorities in the UK use...

OK, so with Dr. Tim's One and Only you do not want fish in the tank as you are adding ammonia. So Tetra's SafeStart will work here.

First, on the garra...what fish do you or will you have in this tank? I get lost with 40 pages of posts. And garra are not suitable for every tank. "Problem" algae is (I think) my term for the algae that can kill plants and for which almost nothing will eat it. So it is a matter of the...

Just to ensure it is understood. White light is composed of colour wavelengths. So "white light" is not all the same. If there is more red/yellow in the wavelengths, the white light will be what we term "warm" and it will have less blue. If there is more blue in the wavelengths, it will be...

I understood that Dr. Tim's One and Only includes adding ammonia as part of the cycling process. Is this not the case? Tetra Safe Start does not require the addition of ammonia, it is meant for tanks with fish. Want to clarify this.

The ammonia may be an issue. Ammonia will affect respiration, as will nitrite, and other toxins in the water such as CO2 during the night in planted tanks (good surface disturbance solves this, or should). Where did you read that ammonia up to 4 ppm is OK? Also, do you have live plants?

OK, please listen. The "iron clay" substrates like laterite that were popular back in the 1980's are now seen as useless which is why very few (if any) use them. They were not the same as iron in garden soil. Iron is a heavy metal, and conditioners detoxify heavy metals including iron for...

You should not combine the three species. And if more than one, a group of five or more. Two, three or four is only asking for trouble.

Fortunately you can resolve this serious issue...get rid of the soil, all of it. Soil has a number of issues affecting water quality, and the red may well be iron and this could kill everything in the tank. Soft sand is all you need for these fish. What type of sand is it? You are in the USA...

From previous post: "The large plant floating in the open rectangle is Pistia stratiotes, or Water Lettuce." And "The smaller floater is Salvinia, not sure of the species but probably S. molesta."

Get a bottle of Tetra's Safe Start. This is the only such product (along with Dr. Tim's One and Only but it adds ammonia, not meant for fish) that contains the true nitrifying bacteria. Stability ill not do anything, it may "seem" to, but that is just luck, it does not have the correct...

It is not enough to worry about, assuming things in the tank are ship-shape. Have you tested your tap water for ammonia, and with what result? If you have live plants, they will gobble this up depending how many and which ones, floaters the best for this, real "ammonia sinks."

Absolutely nothing to worry about. The large plant floating in the open rectangle is Pistia stratiotes, or Water Lettuce. Some data below from my profile if interested. The smaller floater is Salvinia, not sure of the species but probably S. molesta [data on this below too]. My plants looked...

First, it is our surmise that it may be chlorine. There might be some other chemical involved...? If you have used conditioner, sufficient for the volume changed, the chlorine issue is finished. Another water change can't hurt, in case there is something else at play here. You are certain...

I began to fill the tank with tap water (using a Python), and I got about half of 50% that I was changing done when I saw all the fish at the surface at the opposite end of the tank. I instinctively knew what it was, fortunately I saw it. Chlorine burns gills on contact, so while there might...

The JBL Biotopol says it acts instantly, and most conditioners do. I would be worried about other ingredients that do something to the slime coat, I've no idea what these are but they are unnecessary. You might consider switching to API Tap Water Conditioner, which is more concentrated (so...

Yes. These fish are accustomed to fairly slow-moving water, so less filtration in terms of water movement is always better. I used sponge filters in my tanks up to 40g for such fish. You have live plants, and they are your primary source of "filtration" in the sense of clean water. The...

Remember that these lights have a variety of uses. Marine tanks need high blue. Freshwater plants do not, but a more natural daylight. Freshwater without plants can use any light. The intensity is significant with problem algae, as well as the spectrum. Duration can sometimes be effective...

Angelfish are cichlids (I know, obvious, but many forget this). They are very territorial, a trait that is part of their genetic makeup. No one is going to change this. Why some individuals are more aggressive than others, this can depend upon environmental conditions [they are not getting...

I suspect you are quite correct...the useless common names used for many fish confused me. @Richee if Essjay is correct, you have an issue here. Both species need more of them. And this is ony a 10g, so you would be best to return the chop rasboras assuming they are in fact Trigonostigma...

It looks more like organics. I had this in one tank. The tank needs a cleaning. I don't mean tear it down, just do some serious water changes with very good digging into the substrate, and keep the filter well cleaned. Other factors can include overstocking, and/or overfeeding. The light...

Agree, you cannot add more fish of any type to this small a tank. It stresses the fish because they cannot be in the environment they expect and that means aggression. Gourami males are territorial to varying degrees, and the male you have clearly is showing he considers this tank "his" and...

Baking soda does not harden the water. It is sodium carbonate. But why do you want to make the water harder? The fish you now have need it soft and it is good now. You lucked out here, as both species are in the same genus and tend to remain together (shoal). But it certainly would not...

This summarizes the facts concerning nitrifying bacteria. References follow if anyone wants to read the scientific studies. Nitrifying Bacteria Nitrification is the oxidation of ammonia/ammonium to nitrite and then the subsequent oxidation of nitrite to nitrate; this is performed by two...

Your soft water is excellent for most nano fish, nano meaning small-sized species at maturity, which is what will work best here and give you more interest. You do not want to harden this, that will do nothing but cause issues. Adjusting water parameters isnot as easy as some make it out, and...

We need to know the water parameters before any fish are decided. Nano fish which are what work well in this tank need to match the water especially the GH, and then pH. Check with your local water authority (if on city water) website for this. Subject to the parameters being suited, you can...

I am tagging @TwoTankAmin as he will be able to better answer this issue.

I agree, 8 hoours may be fine, start there, and in one continuous period with a timer. This can also help control algae, using a timer. As for the algae, there are two basic types, common green algae and "problem" algae. You cannot avoid the first, if the tank is healthy, as algae is part of...

I would get a small timer, it is preferable. Fish have a circadian rhythm. More data here: https://mjvaquatics.com/lighting-how-it-affects-freshwater-fish/ Fish do die sometimes, and rummynose is a very sensitive species. I would never guess at causes, but keep an eye on things.

The most common cause of this on cories is due to the substrate. The roughness is one aspect, but more often it is the bacteria that get down in the substrate. Is this substrate sand, because it looks too large for sand. Cories must be able to filter the sand through their gills, this keeps...

This is not good. You want one continuous period of light (the "daylight") both for plants but especially for fish. Second, the duration is too long and bound to cause problem algae in time, as indeed it may have already. I would go down to an 8-hour continuous period, and after a couple...

No to both questions. Bacteria are sticky, and they adhere to submerged surfaces. And they adhere very well. You cannot dislodge them by rinsing in tank-temperature water in a bucket, or under the tap for that matter, unless you use a sturdy brush. As for the top of the filter media, it is...