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Yes, if they are substrate-rooting plants. Most of those in the video are attached to wood or rock.

Agree, stay with one substrate type, inert sand here. Dirt or soil under a cap of sand is asking for trouble, and not worth the effort anyway as it wears out of its nutritive value within a year.

OK, to recap so we are all clear, the tank is 160 liters (roughly 40 gallons) with a length of 100 cm (39 inches). It is soft water, good. Are there any fish now in this tank? Sorry, but there are several similar threads, and reading through 31 pages of posts...we need reminding.

There is some misunderstanding in this thread concerning GH and especially temperature, I'll try to explain things. First, the fish in the warm tank are not thriving, even though you do not see it. Same holds for fish kept in the wrong water hardness. Both of these parameters seriously impact...

My advice is, never buy fish if you do not now have the necessary-sized aquarium running that will accommodate the fish at maturity. Many of us have plans that for whatever reason do not materialize, and the fish are the losers. This fish needs six or seven, in at minimum a 4-foot tank.

To repeat what others have said, the GH is the important parameter. The pH is important but so long as it is stable, there is much more latitude that with the GH. Each fish species (freshwater) has evolved to function in very specific water, and the mineral content (which we measure as GH) is...

I would reduce the light to 8 hours, and then 7 if it still needs it. Wait a week between each. Use a timer if you don't already so the time is consistent. If the two doses are full as recommended, try just one. Depending upon your conditioner...if using the API Tap Water Conditioner you can...

If this refers to the pH fluctuation and if it is due to the substrate, you cannot do anything about it--other than remove the substrate and replace with inert sand or fine gravel. One of the issues with plant substrates is how some can affect water parameters, or some leech ammonia or nitrate...

Can you give us the numbers for the GH and pH? For the tap water is what we need.

The substrate (Flourite) may be the reason or part of it for the pH fluctuating. Algae bloom...there seems to be some over on the far right, is this what you are referring to?

Can you verify the tap water pH with the water authority? Calcareous substances in an aquarium can increase the pH. Things like the substrate, rock, etc.

On my tanks with a sponge filter or an internal motorized sponge filter, I rinsed them under the tap at every water change. You want to remove the organics promptly.

Yes. Nitrates have two primary sources in an aquarium. First is as a result of the nitrification by ammonia-oxidation and then nitrite-oxidation bacteria/archaea. In a tank without live plants, this is significant. In a tank with live plants, including some fast-growers, it is not usually...

Somewhere in this or another thread I though @Essjay had searched and found the GH. I cannot remember the exact number, you should write it down.

Agree, there are literally thousands of soft water fish species. Consider yourself very fortunate, we have members who would love this water.

I won't go out on a limb, but I also will not disagree with ichthys. Not knowing your level of knowledge...you realize this is a shoaling fish so it needs a decent-sized group, and it attains 6 inches so a long tank, and it "reputation" as an algae eater is questionable, depending. It is an...

Pantodon buchholzi is an intriguing fish, but not a good community fish except with well-thought-out tankmates. Nothing active, or nippy below it. It is an ambush predator, and spends all day motionless among floating vegetations, but if food like an insect is dropped on the surface, it can...

This is not a good plan. A better one would be to visit the fish store, look at the fish, and write down the name(s) of any you really like. Sometimes you can gt the scientific name which is always better to avoid uncertainty; the store will usually have this on their invoice and it is not...

I agree with other members here. Research and ask us before you acquire.

The GH is more than sufficient. Mine was near zero (7 ppm or less than half 1 dH). A comprehensive supplement, like the TNC Lite, will be sufficient for nutrients. How often do they say to dose it? Aquatic plants do not take up nitrate except under specific conditions which will not apply...

OK, with 8 ppm nitrate in the source (tap) water, you want to keep nitrates in the aquarium as close to that as possible. You possibly have nitrates due to the plant substrate (this is common). Nitrates naturally occur from overstocking fish, overfeeding fish, no plants, insufficient water...

I know nothing of the plant substrate, but it does seem to have some effect on the water. They say it does not encourage algae, but ho do we know that it doesn't. Anyway, previous suggestion remains, do not add ammonia, do water changes to get the nitrate down. On nitrates, have you tested...

Yes, that covers spectrum.

Both plants and the algae concern me. The balance involves light (intensity, spectrum and duration) and the nutrients involve natural occurring ones from fish being fed [not relevant here yet, I know] and water changes. Artificial are the fertilizer(s) we can add to supplement the natural...

I wouldn't worry about the markings. Here's a photo from Tropica that has similar.

I do not want to say much here, because different opinions on this topic can be confusing, and there are some members that know way more than I do on this topic. But I stand by my advice that one should never add ammonia to a tank with live plants. The photos showing the algae would concern...

That is Frogbit. The brown/yellow leaves will die off, I had a fair bit of this with mine but it was the temperate species. As long as you are using a comprehensive fertilizer (liquid) it should be OK. Mine kept growing and growing, in spite of the yellowing leaves that I removed at each...

I said it before, if there are live plants in the tank do not add ammonia. You cannot add fish if ammonia is above zero (or nitrite either). And do a major water change to lower the nitrate as close to zero as possible.

Again, you need to determine the actual pH of your source (tap) water. Either out-gas the CO2 as I and Colin mentioned, or find out from the water authority. Until you know the actual pH, you are stumbling in the dark because pH fluctuations can be due to several factors.

I agree, this algae is a problem. I hope you are not adding ammonia to this tank. Algae is caused by organics and light. Nitrates indicate high organics but the two are not cause and effect.

OK, that is fine for the bristlenose, or any other soft water fish species for that matter. In time I would expect the pH to become acidic, and that too is just fine for soft water species.

Bettas are not community fish, so they are better on their own. A betta in a 10g tank for example. Other fish pose too great a risk to the betta, or vice versa. And once you own the fish, as you have learned, it is not easy getting rid of it when trouble happens.

Better to take Alex up on his kind offer. Not much data on the links.

Guppy being a livebearer is moderately hard, but these days I wouldn't worry, but don't get more of any livebearers. The other fish are soft water, so they do not need any remineralization. Going forward, only consider soft water fish, which pretty much covers South American and SE Asian...

I wouldn't want to waste money...what foods do you have available? Do you have local fish stores, what do they carry?

What fish species?

Depends uponthe fish species. You give the GH as 100 (I assume this is 100ppm rather than 100 dH) so this is soft water. Is this the RO? Or tap water? Or a mix? And, what fish are in the tank?

These seem to be the granules/pellets, not flakes, so good.

Cories are not advisable over any "plant" substrate. Both for digging, sharpness, and bacterial issues all of which erode their barbels.