Keeping plants and tank healthy

[Brian02]

Hi, I have 2 20gallon tanks. Both planted and with the soil substrate. I change about 20% of the water every week and test the chemical levels weekly. Nitrite and Ammonia are both 0. Nitrate is about 5-10ppm. Ph is pretty neutral and temp about 78.
One tank has a snail and some ottos in it but I can’t keep the ottos alive. The other has mollies and I’ve lost a few of them pretty soon after buying too . Wondering what I’m doing wrong that my ottos keep dying and my plants all have dark green spots on them (see photo). Any help appreciated!

 

[JuiceBox52]

Otos need wood in their diet and plenty of algae and biofilm. Most otocinclus are wild caught and wont eat prepared foods so are near death and starvation by the time they reach the stores, many do not survive once added to the tank. How soon after purchase do they die?

 

[JuiceBox52]

Could you find your GH? You should be able to obtain this information from your local water providers website. We need a number and the unit of measurement

 

[Byron]

Fish problems may be what JuiceBox said (otos). Mollies, might be GH...we need this number. You mention a neutral pH which might mean too soft water for this fish. The soil substrate may also play into both of these.

Plants...are you using any plant additives? And is the soil basic organic or garden soil, or a specific plant substrate like ADA? What is the light (be as detailed as you can, type, intensity, spectrum, and duration daily)?

 

[Brian02]

City says water is 166-216 mg/L
I use an aquarium soil substrate
Lights are the Fluval Flex tank lights are on for about 12 hours a day.
I don’t have any wood in the tank as I thought it was making the ph too low.
I use a plant fertilizer for aquarium plants - every 2 weeks and recently started adding phosphates each week.
there was lots of algae to start with but once they had cleaned up then obviously not as much. I did add wafers for the snail and ottos. The ottos were mostly dying within couple weeks with a few lasting a month or so.

 

[Byron]

The GH at 166-216 ppm (ppm is = mg/l) or 9 to 12 dGH (the other unit used in the hobby) is borderline for mollies who like it harder. But having said that, I would not expect such sudden demise from this. However, I wouldn't consider mollies in the future as this hardness will affect them long-term.

Otos frequently do not survive if the tank is not established with algae, as JuiceBox explained. This is more likely here, though it could be something else too.

Which brand of aquarium substrate? Does it affect water parameters, do they say?

I would reduce your tank lighting to 8 hours daily; use a timer so it is consistent, this helps fish and plants and thwarts algae.

Which plant fertilizer. And do not add phosphates to an aquarium. There is more than sufficient phosphorus from fish foods, and plants will not benefit but algae will. This might be part of the green dot issue, I'd like to see a closer photo (with my eyes I can barely see the plants, lol).

 

[Brian02]

So the aquarium soil does say it softens water - reduces ph and kh. The plant nutrients I’ve been using is called Tropica Premium Nutrition Plant Care. This is a closer photo of one of my leaves - maybe that’s easier to see. Thanks for all the great advice, I’ll get a timer for the lights. Not sure what I should do about the substrate though, other than empty the tanks and start over?

 

[LostBear]

I was going to echo Juicebox regarding the otos. They rarely breed in captivity as I understand it, and any wild caught fish finds it difficult to adapt. By the time they are caught, transported, bunged into a tank at the fish shop, sold, bunged ito another tank (often in far too small a group - you really need about half a dozen minimum - they shoal in their hundreds in the wild), the poor little things are not only starved almost to the point of death, but are horribly stressed and are terrified by being in small groups which makes them feel vulnerable to predators. It's heartbreaking really.

Otocinclus are one of my favourites, but I don't keep them because my tank isn't big enough to accommodate a large enough group. How many otos were you keeping? If that's all you had in your tank, you should be able to keep a small shoal esp. if you add some driftwood, and gently accustom them to algae wafers. I would remove the snail, though - they are competing for the same food source.

 

[LostBear]

I've never used Tropica substrate, but I believe it has a good reputation (and is also a gentle texture for fish which grub around on the bottom). I think it is primarily intended for aquascapers, though, so is formulated to maximise plant health, which may mean that it contains/lacks something which affects the fish. But as I say, Idon't know, and good plant growth is certainly beneficial to the fish.

 

[Byron]

I too have never used Tropica products, though they have a good reputation. The soil would be less of a problem if you just stay with soft water fish, as they will appreciate a lower GH and pH. Avoid livebearers, they must have harder water than here. But another issue is fish...if you wanted cories or loaches, this substrate may prove to be very problematical. Cories must have soft sand, loaches prefer this. The "nutrient" issues in plant substrates can also cause problems for fish that live on the substrate, involving bacteria and such. A 20g tank with no fish can easily be re-set with a fine sand substrate, that is your call. I did have a plant substrate some years back, and after two years removed it because it was too restricting with as far as I cold see no plant benefits either.

I am inclined to think the green botches on the plants is related to the fertilizers and not light. As I said previously, never add phosphates. The Tropica site says it contains "iron, manganese and vital micro nutrients" and "does not contain nitrogen and phosphor" which is good, but it does not say which "vital micro nutrients" and iron and manganese are themselves micro nutrients. But on its own, it might be OK, so use it until it is gone and then consider one of the better (in my view) products. I can list these if asked.

 

[LostBear]

I too have never used Tropica products, though they have a good reputation. The soil would be less of a problem if you just stay with soft water fish, as they will appreciate a lower GH and pH. Avoid livebearers, they must have harder water than here. But another issue is fish...if you wanted cories or loaches, this substrate may prove to be very problematical. Cories must have soft sand, loaches prefer this. The "nutrient" issues in plant substrates can also cause problems for fish that live on the substrate, involving bacteria and such. A 20g tank with no fish can easily be re-set with a fine sand substrate, that is your call. I did have a plant substrate some years back, and after two years removed it because it was too restricting with as far as I cold see no plant benefits either.

I am inclined to think the green botches on the plants is related to the fertilizers and not light. As I said previously, never add phosphates. The Tropica site says it contains "iron, manganese and vital micro nutrients" and "does not contain nitrogen and phosphor" which is good, but it does not say which "vital micro nutrients" and iron and manganese are themselves micro nutrients. But on its own, it might be OK, so use it until it is gone and then consider one of the better (in my view) products. I can list these if asked.

Byron - I'd be interested in any substrates you could recommend. At present I have 1/16th aquarium gravel, which is appropriate for my tank, but I'm thinking of setting another up with corys in, and I am aware that the gravel isn't the best for them because they spend a lot of time digging, and it can be harsh.

 

[Brian02]

I was going to echo Juicebox regarding the otos. They rarely breed in captivity asI understand it, and any wild caught fishponds it difficult to adapt. By the time they are caught, transported, bunged into a tank at the fish shop, sold, bunged ito another tank (often in far too small a group - you really need about half a dozen minimum - they shoal in their hundreds in the wild), the poor little things are not only starved almost to the point of death, but are horribly stressed and are terrified by being in small groups which makes them feel vulnerable to predators. It's heartbreaking really.

Otocinclus are one of my favourites, but I don't keep them because my tank isn't big enough to accommodate a large enough group. How many otos were you keeping? If that's all you had in your tank, you should be able to keep a small shoaled you add some driftwood, and gently accustom them to algae wafers. I would remove the snail, though - they are competing for the same food source.

That’s awful. Poor Ottos. I had 5 of them to start with. I will stay away from them in future. Poor little guys.

 

[Brian02]

I too have never used Tropica products, though they have a good reputation. The soil would be less of a problem if you just stay with soft water fish, as they will appreciate a lower GH and pH. Avoid livebearers, they must have harder water than here. But another issue is fish...if you wanted cories or loaches, this substrate may prove to be very problematical. Cories must have soft sand, loaches prefer this. The "nutrient" issues in plant substrates can also cause problems for fish that live on the substrate, involving bacteria and such. A 20g tank with no fish can easily be re-set with a fine sand substrate, that is your call. I did have a plant substrate some years back, and after two years removed it because it was too restricting with as far as I cold see no plant benefits either.

I am inclined to think the green botches on the plants is related to the fertilizers and not light. As I said previously, never add phosphates. The Tropica site says it contains "iron, manganese and vital micro nutrients" and "does not contain nitrogen and phosphor" which is good, but it does not say which "vital micro nutrients" and iron and manganese are themselves micro nutrients. But on its own, it might be OK, so use it until it is gone and then consider one of the better (in my view) products. I can list these if asked.

 

[seangee]

Byron - I'd be interested in any substrates you could recommend. At present I have 1/16th aquarium gravel, which is appropriate for my tank, but I'm thinking of setting another up with corys in, and I am aware that the gravel isn't the best for them because they spend a lot of time digging, and it can be harsh.

Best value for money in the UK is Argos play sand. Hard to beat at a fiver for 15kgs. I used this for around 15 years until I decided I wanted something that looked a bit more exotic - in which case you can buy river sand. Unipac is a reputable brand but check to make sure it is inert sand (i.e. not marine) and the grain size.

 

[Byron]

Byron - I'd be interested in any substrates you could recommend. At present I have 1/16th aquarium gravel, which is appropriate for my tank, but I'm thinking of setting another up with corys in, and I am aware that the gravel isn't the best for them because they spend a lot of time digging, and it can be harsh.

Cories do need sand, there is no argument about that. And the sand needs to be well processed so it is not too angular and rough. All iundustrial/construction sands are too rough, just look at them under a magnifying glass. This leaves two options. Either proper aquarium inert river sand or a quality brand of play sand (not all "play sands" are the same, believe me). I have been using Quikrete Play Sand in my tanks for seven or eight years now and I have never seen issues from my cories, loaches, or substrate feeding fish. Plants grow very well in these sands, fish have no issues (somewhat depending upon the colour though, never use white, and black is not so good either), bacteria are able to colonize the sand and do their jobs, and the sands appear natural and will make the tank space seem larger because of the small grain size.