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Algae growth anywhere is always an imbalance of light and nutrients, too much light not enough nutrients or too many nutrients not enough light. Tom Barr concluded that the two nutrients that are most responsible for algae is ammonia and C02. I see that you have CO2 if one doesn't have red...

While light does shine for 12 hours a day the intensity that light shines is different throughout the day. Most aquarium lights run at about 6500K, which is considered natural daylight. Problem is plants in nature don't get light at 6500k all 12 hours as 6500 K is usually noon time. Before and...

pictud get big are active swimmers and eat anything they can get their mouth around on the bottom of the tank which also leads to being messy fish. They also do better in groups so large tank is a must. I wouldn't go any smaller than a 75 for pictus,they not only get around 6 inches each but are...

I prefer HOB filter, they are easier to clean,I've had a canister filter and it was ok more expensive then a HOB and it broke,I've had HOB filters last for decades. Having said that changing filters isn't going to effect algae much. Algae is always from an imbalance if nutrients and light. Too...

Interesting that you are wary of using black diamond blasting sand because it's " not meant for aquariums" play sand is meant for sand boxes, pool filter sand is meant for swimming pools. Aquarium gravel " meant for" aquariums is probably the least suitable substrate for aquariums as the paint...

Awesome story. When I was about 8 my dentist had a fish tank like most do and the bank id go to with my mom had one and I'd always park my face in front of it. That year for my birthday I got a fish tank a 20 gallon, it was a mess as my parents knew nothing about fish I had it til I was maybe 12...

That's awesome! I did enjoy dirting a tank it was fun and the way you are doing yours sounds quite extensive, if I ever get the hankering to do a dirt tank again maybe I'll hit you up and ask some ?s

Byron get better soon, I need someone to argue with me about black diamond sand with corydoras,;)

Black diamond blasting sand is about 10 dollars for 50 pounds If that doesn't work you may be able to get the darker play sand.

Or I could just get an inert substrate and use root tabs and save my self the trouble. The point of a substrate in a planted tank is to be able to grow plants. Now if the point is to have a dirted tank for the sake of having a dirted tank then great I guess. I've found that all my plants grow...

Lol yeah :)

A pleco might munch on a dead fish but not attack one. Even if the Acara didn't attack the corydora, corydora are peaceful shy fish and Acara are semi to aggressive cichlids that would at minimum stress out a corydora. Having said that a plecos nor any fish would be able to eat all of a cory...

Had a dirtrd tank once, followed the walstad method, was great for growing plants but leeched a ton of organics in the tank and takes a while for it to clear up and become stable for fish. Once stable don't ever try and move a plant as it will cause a huge mess. Having said that like any live...

Seeing as Acara are cichlids are territorial and can be aggressive it could be them. Most geophagus aren't aggressive or nippy though geophagus and corydora occupy the same area of the tank as both are bottom dwelling and sift through sand Columbian tetra while can be nippy and boisterous to...

Flourish root tabs make a comprehensive root tabs which has calcium in it among many other nutrients, which Val's love. Val's are heavy root feeders

Never used pristine and I'd be very weary of anything that claims to do what can be accomplished by a simple water change. detritus worms appear in tanks that have too much detritus and too little water flow. Most effective way to limit it eliminate detritus worms is limit detritus through water...

Back in the day I used to used activated carbon and zeolite because LFS told me I needed it. There aren't any benefits to using either, both are used in the hobby as a way for fish stores to make money off of something they deem needs to be replaced every couple of months I no longer do haven't...

Anubis do well in smaller low lit tanks. Moss balls are great for absorbing nitrate. Floating plants like frog bit are great ammonia traps. Most hygrophila species are fast growers. If plants are rooted get some root tabs. If just floating plants and rhizome plants like anubis that attach to...

I have a heavily planted low fish stock I do about 30% a week RO water

I get that for some Asian cultures keeping Arowana is a thing and personally I don't think Arowana are suitable fish to keep especially in an aquarium. If one is going to keep them in a " deserted lake" then what's the point??? Arowana get way too big for most people to care for as most people...

Most those fish get too big for a 20 gallon. Red tail sharks get about 6 inches and are semi aggressive they are a long bodied fish and strong swimmers that need long tanks they are also a softer water fish where as mollies are hard water fish. Mollies also get pretty big and need more room than...

I've killed my fair share of plants over the last 15 years and learned what works for me and doesn't. Some people will report that a certain plant is super easy to grow you could put it in the toilet and it grows and they bring it home put it in their tank and it dies. I've always been able to...

If you get more to add try to add them at the same time. Putting new cichlids in a tank with existing cichlids that have established territories can cause aggression. If one does add new cichlids switch up deco in tanks to break up territories and keep an eye out for any excessive aggression or...

Guppies and mollies are hard water fish gouramis and rams are soft water fish. If ones water is hard then guppies would be more suitable for your tank size than mollies. If your water is soft then I wouldn't recommend keeping gouramis and Rams together, as both are territorial and one or the...

I've dirted a tank before, I wouldn't recommend for beginners, the soil leeches a lot of organics Into the water and once plants are in don't even thinking about moving them as it creates a mess and again Lee he's all those organics into water column causing nitrate spikes which can lead to...

7 gallon tank isn't really suitable for any fish other than a betta or maybe a few nano species. With as many fish as you have in that small a tank the fish are bound to have health issues. Having said that swordtails are live bearing fish which require hard water, tetra corydora betta are...

No that's just over priced crushed quartz. Black diamond blasting sand is about 10 $ for 50 pounds, which is about the same price as play sand and pool filter sand. I don't ifyen use quartz sand mostly because most packaged" aquarium" sands are over priced. I'm going to guess the above product...

No worries, I prefer black diamond blasting sand and I've used play sand in the past with success as well. Play sand tends to compact so keep it no more than 2 inches deep.

Get rid of the excel, it's basically poison in a bottle, it has an ingredient in it used to sterilize medical equipment and used in embalming. As for CO2 tomm Barr said the number one cause of algae in a tank is inconsistent CO2 levels. CO2 is naturally occurring in the tank unless one has high...

I keep snails in my RO water and I bring the GH up to around 6-7 DGH. PH isn't that big a deal GH which is a measurement of calcium and magnesium the water. If your GH is below snails may suffer shell rot due to lack of calcium. I raise my GH with calcium carbonate and magnesium sulfate( epsom...

Nerite Snails are voracious algea eaters and do great in hard water. They also won't breed in your tank. Get a few of them, then as mentioned watch feeding and lighting including outside light from windows and room lights and keep up on water changes and algae should be kept in check.

Black diamond sand can be found at tractor supply stores, one can get it on line but shipping is a beast. Play sand is easily found and safe for corydoras.

Yup. We reffered to the Quarantine tank in the back as the " death tank" What they don't tell customers is that once a fish is brought back it's rarely ever returned to the sales floor, mainly because those fish normally die, whether they were sick when they went in they will be sick when they...

I worked at PetSmart years ago and I feel like I could give a story for every day Of course there was the daily customer wanting to by an oranda that requires atleast a 20 gallon tank for 1 fish wanting to put it in a gallon bowl. I don't know why fish stores even sell bowls they aren't...

This is my tank with black diamond blasting sand and root tabs.

I've used carib sea eco complete, keep in mind it is a live sand and as such once the minerals and nutrients in the soil have been exhausted the solo will become dead and need to be replaced, this generally takes between a year or two. Personally I would recommend an inert and. Play sand works...

I agree with a lot that's been said. No need for common pleco in that size tank let alone 2. Also red tail sharks are semi aggressive fish that are strong swimmers and territorial. As mentioned only one is generally recommended per tank. Having said that tetras are not good tank mates with red...

Have you checked to see if there are any dead human bodies underneath or near the tank. Those get smelly ;)

I wouldn't put Rams and gouramis together. Both are territorial and may pick on one another. In the wild neons and dwarf pencil fish are most often found with Rams.