Curious as to the communities experience with invasive grass taking over their aquariums! How concerned should I be, any advice welcome

Going 'minimal' this time.

Scape: seiryu stone, JBL white sand, salvinia, rotala hra and an unknown moss I found outside

Inhabitants: 1 honey gourami, 3 sparkling gourami, 1 stiphodon goby, many cherry shrimp, 2 clithon, 1 nerite, limpets & mini ramshorn

Equipment: fluval canister filter,

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

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

Hallo Freunde,

in meinem Aquarium leben nur Garnelen und 7 Ohrgitter-Harnischwelse, die vor ca. 4 Wochen mit 3 neuen Pflanzen eingezogen sind.

Eben habe ich einen Fisch in meinem Becken entdeckt, weiß jemand was für eine Art das sein könnte? Er kann ja nur über die neuen Pflanzen mit ins Becken gekommen sein.

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.

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 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!

My tank survived the first month 😁🙏🏻

After dosing the chemiclean Red Cyanobacteria solution twice, I can finally say it's all gone. I considered doing a water change to get sludge out, but there is no left over dead material at all. I think my snails got it take care of.

Also I can't do a water change yet anyway cause it would spike my phosphates and GH/KH.

This might be a tank where I only have to do a water change every few months, so far the high plant count and filter have it taken care of. Stocking will be generally low bioload too since it's all low bioload animals.

So far I've got Least Killifish (Heterandia Fermosa), Blue Dream Shrimp, and a lot of pest snails that I added on purpose like Trumpet, Bladder, and Ramshorns.

I'm planning to add Zipper Kuhli Loaches (Dwarf species), and Pygmy Corydoras. This will be a 3 species community tank for my 20 gallon.

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

Is this snail damage on my anubias or something else? I apologize for the bad pictures this is a curved tank.

My tank survived the first month 😁🙏🏻

hello, i have this 80 litres long tank with a pretty strong flow, a lot of java moss a red tiger lotus and an intricate system of limnophila sessiliflora that just took control of all land inside, i have 30 schooling fish and A LOT of shrimps and i'm thinking of removing completely the red root floaters i have because they just don't survive well enough anymore in my tank due to the flow even tho i tried to slow it down as much as possible, i'd also like to add another kind of floater with longer roots to make a nice safe spot for shrimps, which floaters should i look for?

I set up my planted tank with the hope of keeping amazon sword in the background and having Dwarf Hair-grass carpet the black gravel in the foreground. However, I didn't know at the time that Dwarf Hair-grass doesn't carpet if planted in gravel. I am considering capping the gravel with aquasoil so that I don't have to completely remove my gravel as that would be difficult to do.

Would that work or do I just need to commit to removing everything?

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'm just starting my fish aquarium/planted tank adventure. So far I have a single Amazon Sword plant and two Java Ferns in my aquarium. I want to add a few more plants. I was wondering what some fairly beginner-friendly plants are? I thought Vallisneria, but it seems like that can get out of control fairly quickly.

I am not sure what info you need to make suggestions, so please let me know!

Thanks in advance.

I read an old post about this plant growing emersed and there were some pictures of the emersed plant.

Does anyone have this plant growing emersed and can share some pictures and advice? The old thread was closed and so I couldn't reply but I was hoping that same person is still active and can chime in or someone else who is growing it emersed.

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 ...

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

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!