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Sooo... After a major purple algae outbreak (thanks to bad water...) I had to redo my entire 20 gallon aquarium again. Salvaged what plants I could. Bought some new stone for the occasion and got rid of all of that red lava rock. Replaced it with some cool hardscape Dragon Stone.
Also ordered some driftwood root, but that will be coming from a long distance away. Sale, couldn't resist. ;_; Gotta wait for that to show up and soak / boil before I can add it.
(Yes, I also boiled the stone for a good ten minutes to sanitize it.)
Anyway, this is what it looks like at the moment. JUST after the addition of the stones and placing the plants in their new spots.
Fish - Guppy / Endler hybrids + many babies, otto catfish, and one clown pleco.
Other - Assassin snails.
On another awesome note, the recent brood of babies actually produced about six false albinos! They're really rare, so I was amazed! They took after their mother. It will be interesting to see what the males turn out to look like.
Also ordered some driftwood root, but that will be coming from a long distance away. Sale, couldn't resist. ;_; Gotta wait for that to show up and soak / boil before I can add it.
(Yes, I also boiled the stone for a good ten minutes to sanitize it.)
Anyway, this is what it looks like at the moment. JUST after the addition of the stones and placing the plants in their new spots.
Fish - Guppy / Endler hybrids + many babies, otto catfish, and one clown pleco.
Other - Assassin snails.
On another awesome note, the recent brood of babies actually produced about six false albinos! They're really rare, so I was amazed! They took after their mother. It will be interesting to see what the males turn out to look like.
Category Photography / All
Species Fish
Size 1000 x 614px
File Size 1.16 MB
The best part is that the easiest way to clean sand is simply to stir the top layers from time to time, that way any algae that grows on it gets broken off or buried and dies, and any waste or plant decay gets stirred into the water for the filter to clean. Do this a couple of times and you're good to go. Frequent water and filter media changes are needed though, as well as extra filter floss for clean flow.
I never like swapping filter media. I have spent too long getting them colonised. Does it work just leaving the new filters in the tank for a few weeks before swapping out? Some folk recommended bottled bacteria, but I am never really sure about that stuff.
I like the idea of just stiring the top though. I have to dig my gravel vac in quite deep into the substrate.
I like the idea of just stiring the top though. I have to dig my gravel vac in quite deep into the substrate.
Oh, you have sponges for that. Cut sponges and line the bottom of the filter, depending on the size of the filter. I use a 60-90 for my 20 gallon tank. The sponges keep the bacteria you need for your filter while you can change the floss and such that collect dirt. Sponges work better than anything, and are super cheap at the dollar store. Just make sure you get the kind that don't have any cleaner already in them.
I've got a nerite snail in my 20 gallon and it eats all the algae that appears! Whenever I see the slightest bit growing it eats all of it, I got it when I had a lot of algae everywhere but it destroy it in 3 days of being in the tank. Not sure how it would be with the assassin snails though
Assassin snails kill other snails and eat them. I end up with a big pond snail problem when I don't have them around in there. i have the ottos and pleco, but they don't seem to touch purple algae. I'm not even sure wtf happened. Like.. I'd never SEEN purple algae before. Had to look it up. It usually only occurs in salt water tanks. o_O
"Red" slime algae apparently. http://www.aquariumcreationsonline......imeAlgae11.jpg Looks friggin purple to me.
"Red" slime algae apparently. http://www.aquariumcreationsonline......imeAlgae11.jpg Looks friggin purple to me.
Lookins awesome <3 Super nice work :)
Algae can be terrible :( I plan to introduce some Otocinclus affinis in my aquarium (100 litre/26 gal), as my assassin snails are too efficient and regular snails never make it for long. I have Corydoras (aeneus) to keep the substrate clean but the Otocinclus do better job.
Algae can be terrible :( I plan to introduce some Otocinclus affinis in my aquarium (100 litre/26 gal), as my assassin snails are too efficient and regular snails never make it for long. I have Corydoras (aeneus) to keep the substrate clean but the Otocinclus do better job.
I do have some otos, but my pleco has killed off every cory i've ever had. (I had both at one point) >: He hates them for some reason. Leaves the ottos alone, leaves shrimp alone. I need to get more shrimp.
Regular algae isn't so bad, but nothing will touch the purple stuff. o_o;
Regular algae isn't so bad, but nothing will touch the purple stuff. o_o;
If that stuff's like blue-green algae, it's actually bacteria. And nothing eats it. You can supposedly buy something to put in the water to kill it, but I don't know if it's invertebrate safe or not. Hate to kill your shrimp, yanno?
Your scape looks great! I just got home after a week of being away and my tank is a jungle-bound mess!!
Your scape looks great! I just got home after a week of being away and my tank is a jungle-bound mess!!
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