Tankmate question

[CassCats]

You lucky peeps! Water hyacinth is illegal where I'm at.

Yes, and the fact that people might release that plant into natural bodies of water. Such a shame since I think that plant is gorgeous looking.

Actually it IS invasive where I live too. I've come across it wild in my local river.
People dump it, or flash floods wash it out of ponds into our waterways.

Your water hyacinth really looks great, I received a little frog bite in the mail just a few small leaves and two with a small root. I hope it takes off as nicely as yours.

I've got some yellowing, I think I need potassium supplements for my plants, tbh.

If you think neons are terrors then you wont like kocha blue tetra. They arent too nippy but are very active fast swimmers, slower tetras like black neons will be freaked out by their erratic swimming and the blue tetra will out compete them for food. Blue tetra pair well with bigger or more active tetra like bloodfin, congos, and serpaes. Black neons do well with similar calm swimming tetras like glo lights, von rio rummy nose.
Smaller pencil dish do well. Im surprised your neons were so aggressive, ive had neons with black neons before and the black neons were more nippy. I currently have neons with glo light tetra and the neons fight amongst themselves and leave the glo lights alone. Sometimes a group of tetras can be male heavy which can lead to problems. Good luck dont put the blue tetra with the black neons it wont end well.

This is good to know as there isn't a whole lot of info on them.

I will opt to increase my black neons first and see how they go from there. Mine are really active in the upper level of the tank, they particularly love the hyacinths.

I had 5 males and 5 females for the neons. Good luck having the petstore workers sex them for you haha.

But my black neons are very placid, if just a bit skittish, but don't even squabble among themselves, they come up to the glass when they want food, and they're quite docile. Perfect citizens lol

I really dont know what made my neons so psychotic. Like even to attack my bamboo shrimp

 

[Retired Viking]

I also had red eye tetra which are a little bigger but I gave them away, I still have one in the tank a fry that showed up weeks after I had given the others away. I have 27 neon. I thought about getting rummys but they had neon on sale for 11 for 10 bucks at Meijers and I bought 22. Impulse buying

 

[CassCats]

Forgot to attach the image of the black neons to my last post haha

 

[utahfish]

Actually it IS invasive where I live too. I've come across it wild in my local river.
People dump it, or flash floods wash it out of ponds into our waterways.


I've got some yellowing, I think I need potassium supplements for my plants, tbh.


This is good to know as there isn't a whole lot of info on them.

I will opt to increase my black neons first and see how they go from there. Mine are really active in the upper level of the tank, they particularly love the hyacinths.

I had 5 males and 5 females for the neons. Good luck having the petstore workers sex them for you haha.

But my black neons are very placid, if just a bit skittish, but don't even squabble among themselves, they come up to the glass when they want food, and they're quite docile. Perfect citizens lol

I really dont know what made my neons so psychotic. Like even to attack my bamboo shrimp

Yeah lol on fish store employees sexing neons
Nuts that your neons were homicidal, little too much piranha in them

 

[CassCats]

Yeah lol on fish store employees sexing neons
Nuts that your neons were homicidal, little too much piranha in them

I keep skirt tetras and cherry barbs in another tank. Perfect angels there. All bark no bite with their displays.

Like, one has a permanently disfigured face because another bit it off and it took over 2 months to heal.

Constantly dealt with missing scales and nipped fins.

And this poor guy has no way to eat, im basically hoping he manages to scrape anything he can biting the sponge filter until his next molt, because without fans he cannot catch food or feed himself.

 

[utahfish]

I keep skirt tetras and cherry barbs in another tank. Perfect angels there. All bark no bite with their displays.

Like, one has a permanently disfigured face because another bit it off and it took over 2 months to heal.
View attachment 111385

Constantly dealt with missing scales and nipped fins.
View attachment 111386
View attachment 111387

And this poor guy has no way to eat, im basically hoping he manages to scrape anything he can biting the sponge filter until his next molt, because without fans he cannot catch food or feed himself.
View attachment 111388

They nibbled off the fans on your bamboo shrimp??? Not cool, not cool at all!!!
Hopefully your tank returns to a state of homeostasis.

 

[AfflictionX]

water hyacinths!
Usually for ponds, but I actually love them. A local was throwing out their excess and offered them free if anyone wanted them before chucking them. I got a bunch in this tank, a couple in my 55g and then a whole tote pond in the backyard full.

View attachment 111370View attachment 111371
View attachment 111373

They have the fluffiest roots
View attachment 111374

Thanks so much for the identification I need to look into those. I’ve recently tried a frogbit. But unfortunately it seems to die as fast as it grows? It never really dies out but never really looks good either lol. So I’ve been considering some other stuff. I need to look into this. Those roots are what blew me away. Betta probably love to live with one of those

 

[seangee]

You lucky peeps! Water hyacinth is illegal where I'm at.

Hard to understand in the UK as it can't even survive a Southern English winter. Loved it in my pond for a few years. Never bothered to keep any over winter because I never realised it was illegal (or they changed the rules. Then suddenly one year I couldn't get it anymore.)

 

[Byron]

Ah my frogbit is European frogbit, a non-native plant here in my locality, scooped it free haha

It does better than my Amazon frogbit.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/european-frog-bit

Yes, that's it. In another thread I posted how I discovered this when my frogbit flowered, and I posted photos on the forum on which I was then active, and someone in the US Dept of Agriculture saw them and emailed the site owner that this invasive plant is illegal in some states. It was the flowers on mine that identified the species.

 

[Byron]

I've got some yellowing, I think I need potassium supplements for my plants, tbh.

Probably not. A few years ago, I was similarly advised, so in addition to my weekly dose of Flourish Comprehensive Supplement, I began adding Flourish Potassium as well. It made absolutely no difference to any of the plants, including the frogbit.

Hopefully wise now, one has to be cautious jumping the gun following these old wives tales. Plants need 17 nutrients and in proportion to each other, and using a product like FC which provides this proportion is the safest method. Increase the FC perhaps (depending upon other factors), but resist the temptation to add individual nutrients, some of which can cause more harm than good not only to plants but fish.

 

[CassCats]

Probably not. A few years ago, I was similarly advised, so in addition to my weekly dose of Flourish Comprehensive Supplement, I began adding Flourish Potassium as well. It made absolutely no difference to any of the plants, including the frogbit.

Hopefully wise now, one has to be cautious jumping the gun following these old wives tales. Plants need 176 nutrients and in proportion to each other, and using a product like FC which provides this proportion is the safest method. Increase the FC perhaps (depending upon other factors), but resist the temptation to add individual nutrients, some of which can cause more harm than good not only to plants but fish.

this is nice to know. I have the basic flourish. How often should I dose?

 

[CassCats]

Thanks so much for the identification I need to look into those. I’ve recently tried a frogbit. But unfortunately it seems to die as fast as it grows? It never really dies out but never really looks good either lol. So I’ve been considering some other stuff. I need to look into this. Those roots are what blew me away. Betta probably love to live with one of those

Be aware some of the roots off these grow HUGE.

One of the plants I put outside has roots over a foot long. I will snag you a photo in a bit.

 

[Byron]

this is nice to know. I have the basic flourish. How often should I dose?

[Corrected my previous post, typed 176 intending 17... ]

Follow the dose on the label respecting the amount, but only do one a week not two. See how one goes. Less is better than more for the fish, provided the plants are not struggling or weakening. Dose on the day following the water change, because conditioners that detoxify heavy metals will negate these in the FC (copper, iron, zinc, manganese) and there is no point in wasting FC for nothing.

 

[CassCats]

[Corrected my previous post, typed 176 intending 17... ]

Follow the dose on the label respecting the amount, but only do one a week not two. See how one goes. Less is better than more for the fish, provided the plants are not struggling or weakening. Dose on the day following the water change, because conditioners that detoxify heavy metals will negate these in the FC (copper, iron, zinc, manganese) and there is no point in wasting FC for nothing.

Alright ill do this, thanks

I have standard flourish, but is API liquid fert better?

Should also note I keep some shrimp too

 

[Byron]

Alright ill do this, thanks

I have standard flourish, but is API liquid fert better?

Should also note I keep some shrimp too

No, the API Leaf Zone (assume this is the product) is not as good. It is just iron and potassium, so the other 15 nutrients are absent. All of these can occur from fish foods and water changes, but usually not in sufficient amounts depending upon the plant species and numbers. So a comprehensive (complete, in proportion) supplement is safest and better.

Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium does not have levels of copper, etc high enough to harm invertebrates provided it is not over dosed; that can kill plants, fish and bacteria.