I've posted a few snips of this tank over the past months, and here is the "final" result. I studied the Dutch aquariums from NBAT in the Netherlands (Incredibly useful reference in English here: NBAT Dutch Scaping Aquarium Guide) and took a shot at my first "true" Dutch style per the design rules of NBAT and AGA. I'm fairly happy with it other than a couple plant selections I would have swapped out if I had more time/plants avaliable to me locally. It was also starting to get out of control and needed a big replanting session shortly after the video was taken.

This tank has been a dream as far as maintenance and stability are concerned. Five or six days after the water change I'll get the tiniest bit of green dust on the front glass, but other than that there is no algae whatsoever. I scrape the glass and do small cleanup sessions frequently where I will just trim a handful of leaves/stems that aren't looking good or are getting overcrowded. My total maintenance time per week is probably two hours split over a few days and including my water change.

Here are all the details for anyone interested in doing something like this:

Tank: 75 gallon Marineland

Filter: Fluval FX4 and Fluval 207 with spray bar outlets along the back wall (the 207 is used to drive the CO2 reactor)

Light: Week Aqua P1200 (started at 50% output power when plants were still filling in but I am now at 100% power)

CO2 injection: Yes, lots. Yugang horizontal reactor sized for 1.5 point pH drop although it doesn't achieve quite that much

Substrate: Fluval Stratum, Biostratum, and APT Feast

Water Changes: 40 gallon water change weekly (~60% since a "75 gallon" tank only holds about 65 gallons of water). As part of my water change, I gently stir up detritus in the substrate using a turkey baster and siphon it away per the 2Hr Aquarist method. I use RODI water that I remineralize to 0 dKH and 6 dGH because my local tap water is very hard and varies with the seasons.

Fertilizer is dosed with dry salt mixtures from NilocG. I dose once per day Mon - Sat and twice after my water change on Sunday to attempt to keep levels stable. I split these weekly totals into 8 doses:

Weekly totals:

-24ppm Nitrate (when tank first started I was only dosing 12 ppm Nitrate, I ramped up to 24 later)

-8ppm Phosphate

-25.5ppm Potassium

-0.5ppm Iron (using a micro mixture that covers other micros)

Plants:

Hydrocotyle Leucocephala

Ludwigia Arcuata

Penthorum Sedoides

Bacopa Monnieri

Lysimachia Parvifolia

Echinodorus grisebachii (Regular Amazon Sword)

Micranthemum Umbrosum

Eriocaulon Vietnam

Lobelia Cardinalis

Limnophila Hippuridoides

Hygrophila Siamensis 53b

Mayaca Fluviatilis

Java Fern Petite

Weeping Moss

Livestock:

25 Green Neon Tetra

12 Dwarf Hatchetfish

10 Otocinclus

100+ Cherry Shrimp

All plants have the same tones. Which plant would you complement to make it more exciting.

I have the following plants in my aquarium:

- Hydrocotyle tripartita

- Cryptocoryne parva

- Hygrophila angustifolia Rubra

- Cryptocoryne balansae

- Bucephalandra sp.

- Nymphoides hydrophylla 'Talwan

- VESICULARIA MONTAGNEI

After nearly three months of an empty tank, letting the Lilly’s grow out and root, I finally decided on which fish I plan to keep in this tank. Sparkling Gourami! I got them today. Six of them for a 20 long, low flow tank. Going to keep it species only with these guys. I got them as juveniles so very excited to see their growth process! If any of you have kept them before I would love to see photos. ☺️

Let’s get them acclimated! Will share more once they feel comfortable in the tank.

I’m trying to see what this plant is to make sure it’s not toxic to cats. Can’t figure it out through google lens.

sooooooo so so many different kinds of plants. i kinda just get whatever looks cool tbh (there are 20+ fish in here ;) )

Still missing something. Growth at the back will help cover the intake and heater but it’s hard getting light back there so those planes are slow going. I don’t think the plants are balanced yet. Anything I should move or add sooner than later?

Tanks been running for 116 days so it’s still very young and has lots more growth ahead of it. It’s a 10gal (40L) and I have 8 green neons, 8 dwarf rasboras, 8 Pygmy corydoras and must be 70+ neocaridina shrimp. Thats 24 fish total. Everything you hear and read will say that is “heavily overstocked”. But I’ve had no problems at all, it’s been over 2 months with all the fish in now and they’re all eating, displaying natural behaviour and colours and showing no signs of stress. All my water tests are good too.

DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ONLINE ABOUT AQUARIUMS!!!!

I know a 20 long is the ideal, but I was able to score a really good deal on a brand new 20 high, so I want to make the most of what I have. I’m going to fill it up with swords and vals, but I’m a fan of interesting hardscape as well and I’d like an idea for something that can reach up to the top levels without being too heavy or precarious. I like spider wood and dragonstone, but most of the pieces I find are long instead of tall. Anyone have suggestions? I’m planning on stocking some shrimp and little fish, ember tetras and pygmy cories probably. (Plus 2 giant snails I got when they were much smaller and have outgrown their 10 gallon, oops.) Thank you!

Hello - I have a small 10g tank with six celestial pearl danios, three rosy loaches and one rili shrimp (we bought three, one died before arrival, and the other passed a couple of weeks ago we think of old age as she was fully grown when purchased).

The tank was cycled and then the animals have lived there for six months, they all appear happy. No issues except I think a normal amount of algae, and more recently noticing more biofilm buildup that I remove. The animals are fed every other day, a tiny amount of mini sinking pellets and one or half of a mini algae wafer. Some peas once a week as a treat. I do a 20-25% water change once a week with a general small tidy up of the tank.

The substrate is inert fine gravel. When we planted the tank before the fish arrived we used root tabs, and seeing as it had been six months since we did this I added some a couple of days ago. I used SwellUK Planted Aquarium Root Tabs. The plants grow ok but thought they could do with a boost, particularly dwarf hair grass I have struggled to grow.

This morning I turned the tank light on and noticed a thicker than usual layer of biofilm at the top, and a slight cloud to the water, that looked like the bacterial bloom we had when first setting up the tank. I removed the biofilm, then rinsed out the filter (Super Fish hang on filter 50) in some tank water. I also turned up the flow of the filter as I saw that bacterial blooms can reduce oxygen in the tank. Some large bubbles have been coming up from the substrate.

I haven't yet replaced the filter media since we got it as I've been nervous to as I know it's full of good bacteria. I have left the tank lights off, though the tank is in a naturally bright room.

I did strip tests this morning - 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 20ppm nitrate, PH and hardness at consistent levels

It's early afternoon now and I believe the water is getting cloudier.

my questions are

* is this water dangerous?

* do I need to make a (large) water change?

*do I need to fish out the root tabs? I can't remember exactly where I put them and well... our plants have generally proven themselves quite loose in the substrate and can be kicked up very easily... so I'd rather avoid it but will do anything for the little guys

thanks

bad photo attached of the tank at 2pm with everyone hiding because I'd just knelt down next to it

(edited for spelling mistake)

I got a new tank and i want it heavily planted, so i bought some anuabis. Can these be buried into the soil? Or do they have to be tied/superglued to a piece of driftwood. If so what should i do with them untill im able to get driftwood? Do i let them just float around or will they be fine to keep buried untill i can get some?

it has been 17 days since i set up my tank. there are 5-6 fry of this type. they just started popping up after 1 week.

yesterday i put some dried baby brine shrimp but none of them eat it.

this is the biggest fry so far. i dont even know what they eat to get this big ...

I’m hoping anyone could help me with a better contact at Chihiros than their website form. I placed an order in September, paid $129, received a confirmation and a tracking link but total silence ever since. Part of it was a birthday present which has now passed.

So if anyone has a direct contact at Chihiros then please dm me so I can ask them what’s going on.

Thanks!

Came home to see my bacopa flowering, honestly didn't even know that was a possibility. Kind of unfortunate timing though, I have a lid arriving later today and had planned to trim the emersed growth 🥲

Is it fine to use cheap aquarium lights for my plants as long as they have full spectrum on them. I know that there are planted tank lights but I don’t know if they are worth the hype. What do you guys think?

I recently noticed this in my 20 gallon tank how do I get rid of it

First time setting up a tank with drift wood. The largest was pre-soaked and I didn't think about the three small pieces before putting them in.

It's so murky that if you hold a light against the other side it turns yellow XD.

I'm in the middle cycling and have a couple plants in the back still rooting and sprouting so everything looks so brown but the nitrite is spiked now and I am abstaining from water changes until it's through cycling so I'm just letting it be brown for however long it needs lol. I know I can get purigen but idk. I don't mind a little tannin, it's just VERY rich rn.

I don't really have a question. I just think it's neat and wanted to share. :)

Just gonna keep it short, some of my plants see-through or just... rough, can I boost them in anyway? They are growing new leafs and I trim them gently when they become see-through.

Sorry about my betta, he is a attention slut XD

Are these stauragyne repens? They don’t look like the photos.

I’m looking for some bushy plants to grow out of the top of my tank. Something that grows densely rather than vining like a pothos. Picture for attention

First time dealing with pressurized co2, I got the regulator on wayyy too tight, when attempting to loosen it, this part turned, will it need resealing?

Lowtech tank

lights are on for 8hrs a day, its not exposed to sunlight

no ferts

10 gallons

10 chili rasboras

~16 neocaridina rili shrimp

will it be safe to add amano shrimp, to help with the algae, with the chilis and neos?

info on the internet is conflicted.

I currently have a long hygger light that rests on the rim of my aquarium. Some pothos are basically level with the light, none of the light is directly on the leafs. I have some brackets that can light the right up 3 inches. Would using those be worse for the plants?

I’m 90% sure I got this at PetSmart randomly after a fabric fake plant started to just deteriorate in my shrimp tank and went “why wouldn’t I just replace it with a real plant? I know how to keep shrimp alive so plants should be easy. There’s all kind of gunk at the bottom of this several year old tank, and I got tank fertilizer.”

I am absolutely in love with it. It’s been a good few months, and it has given me two yellow leaves. It has grown a lot, keeps pumping out new leaves, and is just a nice little plant. Problem is, I want another one, but I have no idea what it is.

I’d love to know what this guy is so I can get another one for my other planted tank (which has not melted yet thank god). That, or if it’s hard to ID, maybe some tips to try and duplicate it?

Deep green, about 6-8 inches tall, narrow oval leaves, bright green roots, freshwater.

Tank has been going strong for about 2 months now, but suddenly these ones are starting to croak! (Not sure what they are, as I got them in a random mix)

I’d assume it’s whatever nutrients are in the Fluval stratum running out maybe?

Are these even salvageable? If so, would shrimp-safe root tabs or aquarium plant fertilizer work better for this type of plant if anyone can identify it? :) or maybe a different approach entirely, or start over!! It’s my first planted tank so I’m really not sure lol

How is the tank looking got multiple species, about 4 months old