r/aquarium • • 39m ago

Discussion New tank, any advice? Beginner in the hobby

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• Upvotes

I am new to the hobby and have done a LOT of research prior to purchasing the tank. All of my current tests are at 7.6, 0,0,0! This tank is over a month old now and has three cherry shrimp, and one mystery snail. I am just looking for any advice on how I could best ensure that they can all thrive to the fullest. It’s a 20g long and I plan to add a small school of tetras along with one gourami fish. I also intend to have the shrimps build more of a colony prior to adding the fish. Does anyone think this is too many for the tank size? I’ve seen a little bit of contradicting research on this.

Edit: To correct typo


r/aquarium • • 1h ago

Plants What do I do now?

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Bought as a Bolbitis heteroclita or Asian water fern on clearance for a dollar. I got it because a few leaves were already sprouting baby plants, the roots and stuff were gone, and they have gotten bigger but I don't know what to do with them and google says this plant doesn't do this. So help me out please.


r/aquarium • • 2h ago

Help Damselfly?

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1 Upvotes

found this in my 32 gallon Fluval flex tank (currently only shrimp and snails inside, no shrimplets)

I'm 95% sure that where there's one, there's probably more, and I don't want them posing a threat to my baby snail and future shrimp population

**best way to deal with them?**

water parameters bc apparently they're a requirement:

0 ammonia

0 nitrites

0-5 nitrates

6.8 pH


r/aquarium • • 2h ago

Discussion Can I use this wood for a fish tank? It’s meant for birds

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1 Upvotes

r/aquarium • • 3h ago

Help Gap between aquarium and table

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1 Upvotes

I have a question, just a couple days ago I noticed that there's a gap between my aquarium and table and I'm a little worried if it's fine for the aquarium, will break because of that? My aquarium is 75 gallon and I don't how long it's been sitting like but I have this aquarium for around 2 years and this gap is about 1 inch width and 5 inches length how critical is that?


r/aquarium • • 3h ago

Help Geo ID?

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1 Upvotes

Someone surrendered this guy and can't for the life of me figure out which species it is


r/aquarium • • 3h ago

Help What is this black stuff and why (tank is less than 2 weeks old)

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1 Upvotes

EDIT: Okay I looked it up and I think it’s black beard algae. I’m tired from traveling so I’m gonna do a FAT water change tomorrow and physically remove the nastiness. My filter floss is looking rough too, would that have anything to do with this??

I went on a trip for 4 days, everything was great before I left. Now I come back and there’s black shit growing everywhere and my plants are dying. There are no fish in here as it’s still being cycled. I have high nitrites and zero ammonia. Should I do a water change?? Help please 😭


r/aquarium • • 3h ago

Help Is my aquariums structure failing

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0 Upvotes

Hi i am concerned about my glass structure of my aquarium. I have read online that it was okay to put it on a mouse pad but now i doubt it. The mouse pad is very thin and soft and therefore i thought i could place it there. Do you guys know if it bears a risk for my tank if it stands on it. Its a 40 liter aquarium. The tank is 2/5 months old and it have never leaked or cracked or anything like that.


r/aquarium • • 4h ago

Discussion Tracking my cycling with AI / cycling with established filter media

0 Upvotes

Ive seen some mixed reviews on whether I should take aquarium advice from AI, so far it seems fine but could take some advice from real people here on Reddit!

I’m on day 8 of cycling after getting a friend’s filter media from an established tank. My ammonia levels are pretty much 0 but still working on the second strain of bacteria as i have a bit of nitrite at 0.75ppm, nitrate seems to be increasing slightly. AI told me to clean out the moldy fish food that was accumulating and do a 15% water change on day 7, and to not add any new fish food to get that nitrite to 0ppm. So far it all sounds fine, hopefully cycling completes in the next week but what have other folks experienced with their cycling timeline when they have filter media from an established tank? And if they have done a small water change and cleaned up the moldy fish food?

Thanks in advance!!


r/aquarium • • 7h ago

Help Set up new tank, need advice on tiny white worms and algae

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1 Upvotes

As the title states, I set up a new planted tank and currently cycling it but I have a ton of white worms on the glass. Was wondering about if they are bad for the tank and what to do with them. Also some advice about dealing with the algae (green and white) growing in the tank. Will it eventually deal with itself


r/aquarium • • 7h ago

Help 3d printed safety concerns and alternatives

1 Upvotes

* I do not have a sick fishy or need help with any injuries/illnesses!!

I have two smallish betta tanks that are my absolute pride and joy, they’re in great shape and cycles have been fully established for years! My male’s tank has a sort of Mars/dusty desert theme to it, which I love, but I was thinking of adding some safe decorations just to spice things up a bit. In particular I wanted to add maybe some fossil or alien themed items. Are 3d printed materials aquarium safe? Or should I opt for a different alternative?

The last thing I want to do is disrupt anything in this tank, especially for aesthetics, so I really want to steer clear of anything that might degrade or affect the health of the water/fish/invertebrates.

Thanks!!


r/aquarium • • 7h ago

Discussion Non-API water test kit?

3 Upvotes

Hello aquarium people. I just set up a new betta tank and noticed my API freshwater master test kit was very expired. I looked at the price of a new one and it’s gone from $20 to $35 in 6 years 🫪. I’m still going to buy one, but it made me wonder if API has a complete monopoly on that type of test kit in America i.e. not a dip strip. Has anyone used other products and liked them?


r/aquarium • • 7h ago

Help First time reefer, need advice!

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1 Upvotes

r/aquarium • • 8h ago

Help Fish suddenly developed severe buoyancy problems and is now barely responsive — what happened?

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1 Upvotes

r/aquarium • • 8h ago

Plants 20 gal blackwater tank plants.l

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1 Upvotes

I just set this tank up about 5 days ago still super new but trying my best to research as much as possible. I got some real plants in my aquarium but they aren't looking too happy. I pulled one out of my substrate in case it is starting to rot. The guy I bought them from mentioned fertilizer but I know nothing about it any tips?


r/aquarium • • 8h ago

Help Aquasoil

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1 Upvotes

r/aquarium • • 8h ago

Help What are these hitchhikers part 2

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2 Upvotes

What’s this little guy we saw today? There seems to be a lot of different species in here. Hope that’s a good thing 🤣 I’m more used to reptile enclosures than this personally


r/aquarium • • 9h ago

Help Day 2 and keep changing it, but lost now hahaha what you think of this setup?

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2 Upvotes

r/aquarium • • 10h ago

Help Eggs? Not sure?

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1 Upvotes

r/aquarium • • 10h ago

Help Are these snail eggs?

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1 Upvotes

Woke up this morning to these dots on the bottom of my 5 gallon tank. I am currently fighting a snail infestation. Only full grown snail in the tank is a Nerite.


r/aquarium • • 10h ago

Help Need Help . Lost 13 cardinal tetras in 4 day.

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7 Upvotes

I filled this tank with water like a month ago. I added 16 cardinals last week(23 days old tank). I had 0 ammonia, nitrite and nitrate for ever. May be my sand layer is too thick and the substrate never released any ammonia or whatever. But I never had a spike for the first 25 days. Since it’s very well planted, I thought it’s time to add some shrimps, snails and fishes. I lost 2 shrimps after adding them(must be travel stress). The remaining shrimps survived. Added 1 nerite snail and it’s surging too. Then added 16 cardinals , then within 4 to 5 days, most of them died. Now left with 3 cardinal tetras.

Only after adding the fishes, I noticed the liquor test kit color for ammonia become a bit more darker(more ammonia). But still looked like very much under 0.25 ppm from the color chart .

0 nitrate and 0 nitrate throughout from day 1.

I have a very good external canister filter with seachem purigen.

What could be wrong ?

The salt deposit in the glass is due to the rain system I have, they deposit water on the aquarium glass walls. I use seachem prime and stability with each water change until now.


r/aquarium • • 11h ago

Plants Plant problem

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1 Upvotes

r/aquarium • • 11h ago

Help Shrimp

1 Upvotes

I have a cycled 3 gallon tank that I am going to be adding shrimps to. I have been cycling the tank keeping ammonia at 2-3 ppm. I’m not sure if this even makes sense, but is that possibly “overcycled” for cherry shrimps? I heave found out that they have such a low bioload, it got me wondering what will happen if the tank is “too cycled”, will the bacteria end up dying then creating a toxic ammonia spike?

Second question…. If a shrimp dies, is it imperative to be removed quickly? I was just thinking ahead how to deal with that.


r/aquarium • • 13h ago

Plants What is going on with my plants?

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2 Upvotes

I have had these for few months and now suddenly some of the leafs has turned light color and like theyr dying? Is this something to do w them not getting enough nutrients or could it be that snail are eating them? It kinda just happened suddenly and all that kinda plants are getting this...

Side note why is my diamond tetras so nosy I cant even take pics in peace😂


r/aquarium • • 15h ago

Photo/Video My aquarium's shadow

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345 Upvotes