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Long post regarding my tank

pollyandpear said:
but they were bought on ETSY as aquatic plants, and I was told on here they are not truly aquatic plants and I was misold, so I think was recommended to submerge roots. One is like a grass and the other a palm. I think Mondo Grass and Parlor Palm.
Click to expand...

Just saw you updated your post. Mondo Grass is a hardy ground covering plant that likes its roots wet. Parlour Palm/Chamaedorea elegans is a common oxygenating house plant sold everywhere.

In and of themselves neither species causes any alarm, but if herbicides or pesticides were used in their cultivation, that would be.
 
GHNelson said:
Hi Polly
This would be my plan of action...if you are going to move the aquarium!
Remove the white sand, it is just a reflector for your lighting causing algae, add black sand or grey.
Reduce the lighting to 7 hours per day at a new start-up or when implementing a change.
Click to expand...
I live in DK and having great troubles in finding black sand ... ie inert sand within the range of 0.1-0.8 mm - seems that retailers in DK are only selling black gravel from 1-3 mm (which some of them calls sand).
Could you possibly point me in the direction of a web shop in UK - or a physical shop in London or South of England (Southampton/Winchester)? ... Will be visiting soon 🙂
 
Outzen said:
I live in DK and having great troubles in finding black sand ... ie inert sand within the range of 0.1-0.8 mm - seems that retailers in DK are only selling black gravel from 1-3 mm (which some of them calls sand).
Could you possibly point me in the direction of a web shop in UK - or a physical shop in London or South of England (Southampton/Winchester)? ... Will be visiting soon 🙂
Click to expand...
www.aquasabi.com

Seachem - Flourite Black - Sand

Flourite Black is a specially fracted, stable porous clay gravel for the natural planted aquarium. Its appearance is best suited to planted aquaria, but may be used in any...
www.aquasabi.com www.aquasabi.com
 
Hey all,

Back from a few days away and then off again on Tuesday!

Since taking out the rocks, driftwood and the non aquatic plants all seems okay.

Remaining two adult Molly, baby Molly, Cory are all okay.

Water perimeters reading fine but will do a water change tomorrow

I have seen one amino shrimp alive.

Less algae build up than before.
 
Yeah, there is still some algae but not as much.

I am going to continue with that what I have for now.

I was going to return the fish to the fish shop but perhaps I will put that off for now.

A kind member has offered me a free external filter, an AquaOne 850 which I will look at setting up soon,

For now going to leave the driftwood and rocks out, may move some of the plants around as they are a bit willy nilly at the moment.
 
Done another water change as away until Saturday again!

New filter coming in the post.

The baby fish has been released into the big tank and so far so good. The two adult Molly's I have seem happy.

I've actually seen about three amano shrimp in the tank.

Someone recommended freshwater clams as another good little tank mate?

I think when the time comes, probably some months away to get any more fish, if I have not had any more losses, I may return my remaining little Cory - he deserves to have company and having lost 76Cory since starting my tank I think I may avoid them for the time being.
 
About 20 baby molly arrived l, way more than last time. All a mix of yellow and black, weird as parents are orange and white!

Sadly last Cory isn't looking to good. Few spots of what looks like blood and it was rolling onto it's side.

Done another water change and will do again
 
Cory is still alive, thankfully.

Keeping close eye on it.

Questions: is there a best filter media?

If I decide to move the fish over from the current tank to my 70L, with just the plants and spend a few months rescaping the larger tank - would it be okay to put the current filter which is the all ponds solutionfor tanks up to 160L on my 70L tank or would that not be a good idea?

Still thinking it might be a good idea to return my single cory to the petshop as it is so up and down and can't be happy, poor little thing.
 
Sometimes many water changes does give an imbalance to the water and upset the fish which in term causes them stress etc.
I think my take on this is to actually let the tank settle and let nature take its course. If you feel that certain fish are not surviving then yes can take it back to the petshop.
Things do stabilise over time and as long as you keep an eye and smell of the water.
Filtration is dependant on stock level and how much volume you want the filter to perform at. I myself like to use the rule that 2-3x the fitration per hour is deemed good, but checking that the fish I have in stock prefer more flow or not. You can sometime stem the flow rate a bit too.

I would not recommend fresh water clams, keep what you have and then set up another tank for clams in another set up. Keep things simple too 🙂

Where abouts in London are you? If you are local to North London I am always happy to help.
 
The best filter media is usually the one you don't have to pay extra for! Just use whatever the filter came with, don't get caught up in the Biohome / Seachem Matrix hype
 
Sadly I am in West London, otherwise I would literally love your help. I live near Notting Hill.

Water always smells fine, and whenever I have done test trips they come back as normal for nitrates nitrites etc, just hardness and carbonates are high.

I won't get fresh water clams 🙂

I just want to love my set up - and at the moment the tank is so far from what I hoped I am getting frustrated.

But the health of my fish is WAY more important than the aesthetic.
 
Keeping fish and scaping fish tanks etc takes time.
If you follow content creators we see amazing tanks being made, but what you dont see is the work behind the scenes and sometimes casualties that may occur.

Be patient, let the tank settle and continue monitoring and do water changes as and when. Let the filters mature even more and for things to settle in the tank.
Plants will take some time to establish and alot of the times when introduced, replanted etc will cause some problems.
Look forward to your update on your tank and wish you success 🙂
 
You are so right.

I want to focus my energies on this tank, so I think I will take the cory to the petshop, and focus on my two adult molly, and now lots of babies and a few shrimp.

I would like to sort the tank scape out, as it is a bit of a mess since I removed the hardscape. How best to do that with fish in the tank I am not sure.

When I go to return my cory, I will pick up some new plants, I have a list of ones I want, like more java fern and other simple plants.
 
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Seems like a good plan, transfer everything over to the 70L tank, this will make stocking it with plants easier and cheaper.
It will also make water changes easier.

Then slowly set up your larger tank, learning from your experiences and the knowledge on this forum.
 
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