40 gallon / 155liters - silent cycle - green or red? Stocking suggestions please!

[Rocky998]

There are 2 types of plants on the side:
Rotala indica/rotundifolia
and
Limnophila sessiliflora

I originally got Limnophila sessiliflora for the back, but I made a mistake when setting up the aquarium and put it in the middle instead. It's not doing great in my aquarium, I suspect because of missing sufficient ammonia - my bio load is low at the moment.

I got the plants from Aquarium-planten.com in Netherlands.

Thank you! Idk if I will buy plants from that shop... LOL. I'm in the US, so shipping would be insane

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

Cardinal tetras need very soft water for the eggs to hatch and the eggs need to be kept dark. Chances are the eggs will have failed due to the light on the tank.

I've discovered another egg deposit now. I've turned the lights down to 20%. Does it need to be completely dark?

 

[Colin_T]

For cardinal and neon tetra eggs to hatch, the tank light needs to be off and you put black card on all sides of the tank.

You could take the eggs out and put them in a container to hatch.

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

I did the regular weekly maintenance and water change and I tried to remove as much of the hair algae as I could. Very difficult to remove, I did use a toothbrush but ended up using my hands to remove it from the wood. I also cut some of the plants that were entangled in it... nasty stuff. I got a PO4 test and I'm at 0... the test itself says I should be below 2.
Before starting any other actions fighting with the algae, I decided to go ahead and increase the bio load of the tank in the hope that balances things out.

I went a visited another LFS which I like much better than the one I got the cardinals from. I got all the fish I wanted to get so that I don't risk bringing a disease multiple rounds as I don't have the posibility to quarantine the fish.

--(already in)
11 x Cardinal Tetras (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
?? Red Cherry Shrimp ( 9 originals + their many offsprings)
--(new)--
5 x Honey Gouramy (Trichogaster Chuna) - 3 silver 2 yellow
5 x Rosy Tetra (Hyphessobrycon rosaceus white fin)
5 x Otocinclus
5 x Cory Julli

I wanted a few more Rosy Tetras but that's all the LFS had...

https://imgur.com/a/yKpKySp

The aquarium became much more lively and fun and I'm pretty happy with it. The shrimps are very shy now, we'll see how this goes. I didn't see any casualties, the small ones relocated on the plants mostly and the large ones are pretty shy for now.
In general it looks like everyone is adjusting to the new environment. If all goes well, I'll keep the stocking as is and only replace any casualties that may happen.

 

[Byron]

I did the regular weekly maintenance and water change and I tried to remove as much of the hair algae as I could. Very difficult to remove, I did use a toothbrush but ended up using my hands to remove it from the wood. I also cut some of the plants that were entangled in it... nasty stuff. I got a PO4 test and I'm at 0... the test itself says I should be below 2.
Before starting any other actions fighting with the algae, I decided to go ahead and increase the bio load of the tank in the hope that balances things out.

I went a visited another LFS which I like much better than the one I got the cardinals from. I got all the fish I wanted to get so that I don't risk bringing a disease multiple rounds as I don't have the posibility to quarantine the fish.

--(already in)
11 x Cardinal Tetras (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
?? Red Cherry Shrimp ( 9 originals + their many offsprings)
--(new)--
5 x Honey Gouramy (Trichogaster Chuna) - 3 silver 2 yellow
5 x Rosy Tetra (Hyphessobrycon rosaceus white fin)
5 x Otocinclus
5 x Cory Julli

I wanted a few more Rosy Tetras but that's all the LFS had...

https://imgur.com/a/yKpKySp

The aquarium became much more lively and fun and I'm pretty happy with it. The shrimps are very shy now, we'll see how this goes. I didn't see any casualties, the small ones relocated on the plants mostly and the large ones are pretty shy for now.
In general it looks like everyone is adjusting to the new environment. If all goes well, I'll keep the stocking as is and only replace any casualties that may happen.

Looks good. One issue though, the filter curre4nt is too strong. Much too strong. Can you reduce this, via the filter itself or by positioning? When plants are swaying like they are in front, the current is too strong (given the fish species here and the plants).

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

Looks good. One issue though, the filter curre4nt is too strong. Much too strong. Can you reduce this, via the filter itself or by positioning? When plants are swaying like they are in front, the current is too strong (given the fish species here and the plants).

I was doing the positioning, but I cleaned the filter tubes this last maintenance, which increased the filter flow and I failed to do the right positioning again. Tomorrow I will pack more filter media in the filter and slow the flow this way as the more permanent solution. Thanks @Byron !

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

Sadly, I found a dead oto today. Past couple of day's I couldn't count all 5 otos... they're very good at hiding... Last night I did see this one acting strange and this morning he was dead. I can only count 3 now, so I suspect that another one has passed away. I can't find the body though. I've been monitoring the otos to make sure their bellies are full, and all is fine from that point of view, nice round bellies. Nothing seemed wrong with the dead fish. All good with the water parameters. I didn't take a picture, I wanted to remove it ASAP without kids noticing what I'm doing... I read that this may happen in the first month... it's 3 weeks and a half since I got them.

The hair algae is still a problem. I've got a permanent CO2 indicator which is showing blue and as a result I'm increasing the liquid CO2 I'm dosing every day. I hope that once I get to the right dose, they hair algae will start to disappear. Meanwhile I'm removing as much as I can with every maintenance. This thing is so annoying.

Everything else is going quite well. All fish are growing and doing good.
I fixed the filter flow with packing media more tight and by using a tap on the output water tube. I find the water to be less clear than it was before but nothing concerning.
I've added Salvinia and removed part of the other floating plants.
One of the rosy tetras is a bit territorial, but not really dangerous at all. He's chasing Cardinals away sometimes but mostly sticks to his own kind.
The shrimps are now used to the fishes and the other way around too. I have 20+ super red shrimps in front of the tank at all times, working hard I'm glad they all get along after not seeing shrimps for a while.
It appears that I have a lower number of snails, I kept removing some with water changes and very likely there's not enough extra food since the tank is populated with more fish.
The Gouramys are so much fun to watch. Out of the 3 silvery ones, 1 is getting the male colors and 2 are likely females, as one has a stripe on the body and both have a bit different shape than the male. I have no idea about the 2 yellow variety, they're all probably still too young to tell, potentially both males, even though one is a bit larger than the other...

 

[Byron]

Dumping toxic disinfectants into the aquarium is not the way to deal with algae. I don't know what has been said in this thread, it is 12 page now and I started to backtrack but gave up, so this may have been previously explained. The only way to deal with a problem algae is to eliminate the cause, and that involves the light/nutrient balance.

It is more than possible that the Excel had a part in the death of the oto(s). This is a somewhat sensitive fish. I can assure you that the characins will be/have been affected by this too.

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

Dumping toxic disinfectants into the aquarium is not the way to deal with algae. I don't know what has been said in this thread, it is 12 page now and I started to backtrack but gave up, so this may have been previously explained. The only way to deal with a problem algae is to eliminate the cause, and that involves the light/nutrient balance.

It is more than possible that the Excel had a part in the death of the oto(s). This is a somewhat sensitive fish. I can assure you that the characins will be/have been affected by this too.

@Byron I don't have any Excel (except for spreadsheets).
I'm exactly working on fixing the light/nutrient balance for dealing with the algae.
I'm dosing
-liquid CO2: https://www.easylife.eu/products/freshwater/plant-food/easycarbo
-plant nutrient: https://www.easylife.eu/products/freshwater/plant-food/profito
Not sure what you mean, please explain.

 

[Byron]

@Byron I don't have any Excel (except for spreadsheets).
I'm exactly working on fixing the light/nutrient balance for dealing with the algae.
I'm dosing
-liquid CO2: https://www.easylife.eu/products/freshwater/plant-food/easycarbo
-plant nutrient: https://www.easylife.eu/products/freshwater/plant-food/profito
Not sure what you mean, please explain.

EasyCarbo is the same toxic stuff, all so-called "liquid" CO2 is from what I have researched. I used "Excel" from force of habit, sorry...but the advice is still relevant. Plants can take up carbon as a gas (CO2) from the water or from the air (floating and emergent growth), and some plants but not all can use bicarbonates as for example Vallisneria which grows in the rift lakes. Manufacturers of so-called "liquid carbon" are either hesitant to say what it contains or just refuse. Seachem admits their product is a derivitative of glutaraldehyde, and so far as I know, other similar products are the same toxin. The fact that this is suggested to kill algae should sound warning bells. Glutraldehyde is used in hospitals to disinfect instruments, in embalming fluid, in antifreeze, and in ship ballasts to kill bacteria. I would not put something like this in an aquarium. Even at the recommended dose, Excel for example will kill some plants, and members have reported getting skin burns from a drop of it.

Profito itself should be OK, from what they say and what it contains.

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

@Byron thanks for clarifying, I wasn't even sure you're replying to me. Obviously nobody wants to dump toxic disinfectants in their aquarium... not even me. I'll stop using the liquid CO2 and now I guess I need a CO2 system...

 

[Byron]

@Byron thanks for clarifying, I wasn't even sure you're replying to me. Obviously nobody wants to dump toxic disinfectants in their aquarium... not even me. I'll stop using the liquid CO2 and now I guess I need a CO2 system...

Why do you think you need a CO2 system?

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

Why do you think you need a CO2 system?

I'm thinking that's the plant nutrient that is missing... the drop checker is blue now even with the liquid CO2. I imagine without it, it will get worse.
What do you suggest I should be doing instead?

 

[Byron]

I'm thinking that's the plant nutrient that is missing... the drop checker is blue now even with the liquid CO2. I imagine without it, it will get worse.
What do you suggest I should be doing instead?

The primary question is, do you want a fish tank that happens to have plants, or a aquatic plant garden tank with few or no fish? The aquarium in the video in post # 169 is quite frankly very lovely.

CO2 naturally occurs in any aquarium with fish being fed. The major source is from the decomposition of organics in the substrate, and add to this the continual 24/7 respiration of fish, plants and many bacteria species. The natural build-up of CO2 during the night was showing in the rapid respiration of the cories especially, so I increased the surface disturbance and it abated. My approach is to work with nature and eliminate or minimize additives as much as possible for the good of the fish. I use Flourish Tabs for the larger swords because this allows me to reduce considerably the liquid fertilizer, and this is better for the fish. I worked out the light photoperiod to seven hours daily; this has avoided any problem algae for five or six years now, and the plants are doing pretty well. The CO2 must be balanced with this, or things would not be what they are.

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

The primary question is, do you want a fish tank that happens to have plants, or a aquatic plant garden tank with few or no fish? The aquarium in the video in post # 169 is quite frankly very lovely.

CO2 naturally occurs in any aquarium with fish being fed. The major source is from the decomposition of organics in the substrate, and add to this the continual 24/7 respiration of fish, plants and many bacteria species. The natural build-up of CO2 during the night was showing in the rapid respiration of the cories especially, so I increased the surface disturbance and it abated. My approach is to work with nature and eliminate or minimize additives as much as possible for the good of the fish. I use Flourish Tabs for the larger swords because this allows me to reduce considerably the liquid fertilizer, and this is better for the fish. I worked out the light photoperiod to seven hours daily; this has avoided any problem algae for five or six years now, and the plants are doing pretty well. The CO2 must be balanced with this, or things would not be what they are.

The plants are there for the benefit of the fish, so this is a fish tank.

Thank you for the explanation, I appreciate it and it makes sense to me.

I will focus on the light to try to address the algae issue. I have Salvinia floating on top and reducing the light to the aquarium. I am also using a programmable controller for the led lights and I have the possibility to have different intervals with different intensities. Does reducing the intensity help, or should I focus on reducing the total period of light?