Growth on driftwood

[Joybutlookslikedelusion]

Most sponge filters create a small amount of current so there would only be a small amount of water movement. Depending on the tank size, this might be sufficient if the aquarium is small. However, if the aquarium is large then a single sponge filter won't provide much current.

If you have active fish that like a current and a medium to large tank then you could add a power filter to improve circulation. However, in a small tank or if you have fish that don't like fast moving water, a power filter would not be beneficial.

An airstone run off an air pump can be used to circulate water as well.

I'm gonna buy another airstone, since my tank is only 15 gallons but only about 11-12 gall considering displacement and water levels. If added a power head it's gonna be a vortex in there hahaha. Will that extra airstone lower my CO2 levels, my tank is low-tech or will that lowering CO2 stuff only affect those high-tech ones? I read first about that but I can't understand due to the conflicting info, Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

If you increase aeration/ surface turbulence you will reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) level in the water and increase the oxygen (O2) level.

 

[CassCats]

Cyanobacteria isn't edible to fish, it's not a real algae. It's a bacteria that behaves like algae.

It can affect plants but if it's not on your plants, good. Increase circulation to prevent more of it and reduce lighting to 6 hours a day and/or dim the lights if needed.

Don't worry too much about CO2 levels in a low tech, the plants you have don't need it and less oxygen/less circulation is a bigger concern.

Also heads up on mollies in a 15 gal, they get big and ideally should be in a 30 gal plus. Balloons stay smaller but are prone to health issues, so careful on that.
My old girl to give you an idea of how big the domestic morph mollies can get

 

[Joybutlookslikedelusion]

Cyanobacteria isn't edible to fish, it's not a real algae. It's a bacteria that behaves like algae.

It can affect plants but if it's not on your plants, good. Increase circulation to prevent more of it and reduce lighting to 6 hours a day and/or dim the lights if needed.

Don't worry too much about CO2 levels in a low tech, the plants you have don't need it and less oxygen/less circulation is a bigger concern.

Also heads up on mollies in a 15 gal, they get big and ideally should be in a 30 gal plus. Balloons stay smaller but are prone to health issues, so careful on that.
My old girl to give you an idea of how big the domestic morph mollies can get
View attachment 355587View attachment 355588View attachment 355589

Oh yes, I am only growing them out then I will give some to my LFS.

Do you guys think my nitrate levels have something to do with this? My nitrate from the tap is between reddish -orange 20-40 ppm and in my my tank it's reddish mostly which gives a reading of~40ppm. It's planted I have val and crypts and some stem plants that are starting to grow again after cutting them.

 

[CassCats]

High parameters can also contribute to it.

It's difficult because you've got nitrates in your tap already, but you have a couple options.


More plants, especially fast growing ones like hornwort, floating plants, water sprite, brazilian pennywort, elodea, etc. Vals and crypts are slower growers so won't use as much nitrates as quickly as you'd need them to.

So, you have 3 options and you can even do a combo of them:

1) quadruple the amount of plants in that tank. You can out compete algae ironically by often adding way more plants.

2) create a separate reservoir of water with a light and airstone, say a tote bin or a big old rain barrel. A week before your water change, fill it with water from your tap. Have it full of duckweed or water lettuce to eat up the nitrates in the tap water. Use that water then to refill your tank during water change.

3) get an RODI system, it will strip your water of nearly everything in it. They're expensive, but sometimes necessary. Again, you'd be looking at a reservoir system with this potentially if you got larger tanks at all, but this water can be further adjusted with GH, KH, and pH to where you need it to be for your fish.

 

[Joybutlookslikedelusion]

High parameters can also contribute to it.

It's difficult because you've got nitrates in your tap already, but you have a couple options.


More plants, especially fast growing ones like hornwort, floating plants, water sprite, brazilian pennywort, elodea, etc. Vals and crypts are slower growers so won't use as much nitrates as quickly as you'd need them to.

So, you have 3 options and you can even do a combo of them:

1) quadruple the amount of plants in that tank. You can out compete algae ironically by often adding way more plants.

2) create a separate reservoir of water with a light and airstone, say a tote bin or a big old rain barrel. A week before your water change, fill it with water from your tap. Have it full of duckweed or water lettuce to eat up the nitrates in the tap water. Use that water then to refill your tank during water change.

3) get an RODI system, it will strip your water of nearly everything in it. They're expensive, but sometimes necessary. Again, you'd be looking at a reservoir system with this potentially if you got larger tanks at all, but this water can be further adjusted with GH, KH, and pH to where you need it to be for your fish.

I kinda like the idea of that reservoir prolly will put it outside though for the free light, I am on my way to buying more hygrophila polysperma sunset as I already have ones in the tank but only six stems, I was thinking corymbosa but they get too large. Do you think rotala rotundifolia would do too.

I think I wanna remove the driftwood and some rocks, well, the hard scape altogether not including the substrate if that's considered hard scape just to be clear. Is it ok if I am gonna go all plants of course ain't gonna be a dutch style one.

 

[Joybutlookslikedelusion]

High parameters can also contribute to it.

It's difficult because you've got nitrates in your tap already, but you have a couple options.


More plants, especially fast growing ones like hornwort, floating plants, water sprite, brazilian pennywort, elodea, etc. Vals and crypts are slower growers so won't use as much nitrates as quickly as you'd need them to.

So, you have 3 options and you can even do a combo of them:

1) quadruple the amount of plants in that tank. You can out compete algae ironically by often adding way more plants.

2) create a separate reservoir of water with a light and airstone, say a tote bin or a big old rain barrel. A week before your water change, fill it with water from your tap. Have it full of duckweed or water lettuce to eat up the nitrates in the tap water. Use that water then to refill your tank during water change.

3) get an RODI system, it will strip your water of nearly everything in it. They're expensive, but sometimes necessary. Again, you'd be looking at a reservoir system with this potentially if you got larger tanks at all, but this water can be further adjusted with GH, KH, and pH to where you need it to be for your fish.

Should I also gradually add the reservoir-ed water like if I do a 50% wc I'll fill the tank first with my tap then add the reservoir-ed water until eventually after every water change it's all reservoir water in the following weeks?

 

[CassCats]

Yes that'd be fine to get the fish slowly used to it, because a shock from high nitrates to low can also mess with their health too, ironically.

 

[Joybutlookslikedelusion]

Yes that'd be fine to get the fish slowly used to it, because a shock from high nitrates to low can also mess with their health too, ironically.

Ok also another honest curious question, if I leave that reservoir water wouldn't the plants in there use the other nutrients particularly the calcium in my liquid rock water lol or I am overthinking it. Has anybody done this before or have you?

 

[CassCats]

Ok also another honest curious question, if I leave that reservoir water wouldn't the plants in there use the other nutrients particularly the calcium in my liquid rock water lol or I am overthinking it. Has anybody done this before or have you?

They could use some of the nutrients, but high nitrates is way more harmful to the fish than losing a little bit of calcium for the plants. You can also add calcium to your tank after as well using various additives.

Reservoirs are something many people in the hobby do for various reasons. Many people use RODI for different things and have water prepped ahead of time to use for the water changes.