I need advice...

[PheonixKingZ]

I’m not gonna lie... my 20g long looks like garbage. It’s not my bad taste or anything, I think it’s due to two things: 1( I didn’t do a good job cleaning the calcium off of the sides and now it looks dirty, or 2( My “DIY” light is absolute garbage. It’s most likely due to both.

What should I do? Drain the tank and completely restart? (The current stock is 1 Zebra danio)

 

[mbsqw1d]

Pic? We'll be the judge if its garbage thank you

 

[Salty&Onion]

All of my tanks are always garbadge.......
When I'll unlock my iPad finally.. ya'll see

 

[EllRog]

I agree with @mbsqw1d and also with @Salty&Onion all my tanks look awful, just plants scattered all over the place with no real scape and usually pieces of said plants floating around the surface where my fish have decided to try and remodel their own tanks. My lights are cheap ones off ebay too and my sorority has clingfilm pulled one the top of it for a lid. Dont worry about it

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I have cheap lights for two of my tanks, cost about the same. One looks great and makes the tank look good, and also helps to take much better photographs. The other is garbage and casts too much of a green tint, making the tank look dingy. I only really know that though since I have one good light to compare it to.

If there are calcium marks on the glass, no need to tear it down. Drop the water level low, use some damp paper towels to dampen the marks, then use a razor blade to scrape them off. Wipe away residue with a damp paper towel and done. Works really well on all tanks in my hard water area, and no chemicals or major renovations needed.

Edit: so my suggestion would be to remove that calcium build up, and see if you like the tank more. If you still think it looks like garbage, change the light. Do the free thing that needs doing anyway first before spending money and still being unhappy with it.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Pic? We'll be the judge if its garbage thank you

Sure, this is a picture from my iPad Mini4, which has a decent camera:

This is literally my lighting right now, lol:

 

[EllRog]

Sure, this is a picture from my iPad Mini4, which has a decent camera:
View attachment 111627
This is literally my lighting right now, lol:

Yeah.. might aswell just bin it really

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Yeah.. might aswell just bin it really

What?

I have cheap lights for two of my tanks, cost about the same. One looks great and makes the tank look good, and also helps to take much better photographs. The other is garbage and casts too much of a green tint, making the tank look dingy. I only really know that though since I have one good light to compare it to.

If there are calcium marks on the glass, no need to tear it down. Drop the water level low, use some damp paper towels to dampen the marks, then use a razor blade to scrape them off. Wipe away residue with a damp paper towel and done. Works really well on all tanks in my hard water area, and no chemicals or major renovations needed.

Edit: so my suggestion would be to remove that calcium build up, and see if you like the tank more. If you still think it looks like garbage, change the light. Do the free thing that needs doing anyway first before spending money and still being unhappy with it.

I can’t just “draw the tank below the building up” because the build up is literally in the whole inside of the tank. I would have to drain the whole thing to get rid of the calcium. That’s why the way looks so bad - because of the calcium.

Any suggestions for cheap, good lights?

 

[mbsqw1d]

I think the light is quite dramatic actually, kinda like it. Is there any reason why the tank is only 75% full? Can the heater be stuck to the glass? Maybe get some driftwood or rocks in there?

 

[squidneh]

Call me crazy but I don't think it looks that bad lol. I had similar markings on my 20g when I got it back from my sister. I used a kind of abrasive sponge and scrubbed off the marks pretty easily, and once I got the water level back up you can't see them anymore.

 

[mbsqw1d]

What?



I can’t just “draw the tank below the building up” because the build up is literally in the whole inside of the tank. I would have to drain the whole thing to get rid of the calcium. That’s why the way looks so bad - because of the calcium.

Any suggestions for cheap, good lights?

If you've only one fish in there, removing all the water whilst you clean the glass isn't out of the question?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

What?



I can’t just “draw the tank below the building up” because the build up is literally in the whole inside of the tank. I would have to drain the whole thing to get rid of the calcium. That’s why the way looks so bad - because of the calcium.

Any suggestions for cheap, good lights?

Well then take the danio out and rip it down then. What do you want me to say? Most of the time, the build up is concentrated at the water line, it's those streaks running across the tank above where you have the water line now. But going off a photo of a tank filled with water, I'm unable to see that you somehow have water marks over every surface.

I did tell you how to get rid of calcium build up using the razor method before, and you snapped at me that your method worked a charm as well. So suit yourself. I wouldn't dare to suggest lights to you.

 

[Naughts]

It's unusual for a danio to be at the bottom and his belly looks big- I hope he is ok?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

It's unusual for a danio to be at the bottom and his belly looks big- I hope he is ok?

Yes, that’s for your concern. I just got her at a bad time, where she was swimming low. She usually swims high.

She is also female, and that belly is full of unfertilized eggs.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

If you've only one fish in there, removing all the water whilst you clean the glass isn't out of the question?

I guess I could remove him. Just a lot of work, and I would have to do it all at one time.

So no one has any cheap but good light suggestions?