[Odin]

hello, I have my own written journal at home, but its not as fun as writing one online that includes picture progression as well as possible constructive feedback from others along the way.

I have two ten gal tanks, and one 20 gal tall tank. One is with blue dream shrimp and a betta, the other is with a betta until I know it's a mature tank for shrimp. My 20 gal is low tech with mollies and a female betta. Within the last year, more so within the last 6 months I've really taken an interest in planted tanks, betta, and shrimp.

I have made so many mistakes it's not even funny...no matter how much I read, I still continue to make mistakes and can't quite get things right in all 3!

Problem 1: my shrimp were surviving but not thriving. My PH and GH were to low. I finally have this corrected in my ten gal, and have a generation of new shrimp growing up. I hope I don't mess this up.

2. Staghorn algea in ten gal shrimp. Just started dosing flourish excell. I'm on day 3, no shrimp deaths, no algea improvement. I spend hours daily pulling this crap out. I've reduced lighting to 8 hours.

3. My ten gal with betta and two fry molly is covered in brown algea. I planted most of the plants except for my reds 11 days ago. It's horrid and I'm afraid it's choking my plants. I'm thinking its because I used a planeria killer and for a few days I had a spike in ammonia while I was trying to filter out the dead worms. No more ammonia, I'm hoping it will dissappear.

That's all I will write for now. I will add pictures.

Shrimp tank. 6 months planted.

Betta tank with two young mollies, newly planted

20 gal newly planted

Baby blue dream

A few eating a lollie

 

[Odin]

One week update.

My blue dream 10 gal is in need of trimming/maintenance. I have so many babies, I'm afraid to disrupt the ecosystem by pruning. Very over run.
I'm also anxiously waiting for my Limnophila Hippuroides to take root and grow in in the back left corner.

My ten gal newly planted is suffering from major diatom outbreak. My plants i purchased from wetplants came in half rotten and gross (creeping charlie, Limnophila Hippuroides, dwarf hairgrass). I'm seeing a slow recover. I just switched my lighting today to satellite pro.

My low tech 20 gal. Everything seems to be doing well. Slow growth to be expected.

 

[Odin]

Went ahead and did a bit of maintenance.

A couple adults & babies i think about a month old now? When my other tank is more mature I'll be transferring reds out of this tank.

 

[Odin]

Weekly update to myself.

10 gal shrimp tank is going good. Shrimp breeding like crazy. Betta happy.
Only change this week was removing 10% of snails to feed turtle. I also ordered a leech trap.

This tank has been planted for a month now. Slow growth due to crap plants shipped to me. Water finally clearing. Added some safety precautions for when I do move some shrimp over. Molly's will be moved to 20 gal when this takes place.

New set up bc I'm addicted. One week. Each of these are 3 gal. 9ne will be used as cull tank, the other red rilis that I got out of babies.

Nothing to report on 20 gal.

Fun cute baby picture.

 

[ChrisX]

I think these are really good for low tech tanks.

 

[Odin]

I think these are really good for low tech tanks.

Thank you. That means alot to get feedback around here. I'm very new at this.

 

[Odin]

Well...I think the heat wave in Chico was enough to kill almost all my adult blue dreams. I think i have 5 left if there isn't any hiding.. I'm heartbroken and will not be purchasing anymore. I do have babies and I'm hoping they will survive. I have 3 fans going in my room because my roommate refuses to allow the AC under 80 degrees.
Parameters:
Ph 7.2
KH 3
GH 6
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20

I didn't see any deaths but I have so many snails I'm sure they gobbled them up.

-------
My 10 gal became ready for shrimp and the shrimp came in the mail 2 days ago. Bloody marys. I'm afraid they will die too. I'm also seeing an algea bloom back in this tank.


I'm getting ready to give up!

 

[Plinkploop]

Don't give up, your tanks are gorgeous!! I understand your frustration. I hope you get a break soon!! Heatwave's heading my way tomorrow and I'm getting my fans ready.

 

[Odin]

Don't give up, your tanks are gorgeous!! I understand your frustration. I hope you get a break soon!! Heatwave's heading my way tomorrow and I'm getting my fans ready.

How much does your fans work? I have 3 going, more deaths today. I'm so heartbroken.

 

[Plinkploop]

How much does your fans work? I have 3 going, more deaths today. I'm so heartbroken.

I use my ceiling fan and 3 desk fans and usually around 7-10° on my 40B. I used to use computer fans but my cats have taken to knocking them over since my remodel. I must disclose that my cold water species are kept in large (over 200 gallons) tanks with the ability to quickly drain and add cold water. The only tank I have that I'm currently worried about for this coming heat wave is my cube with a baby green dwarf rasbora and a nerite. I wish you the best of luck!!

 

[Trying 2 Learn]

Tanks look awesome! I'm about to attempt my first planted tank. Low tech 10 gallon. My plan is to see how everything works before I convert my 75 gallon community aquarium to fully planted. Keep up the good work!

 

[Odin]

Update. No more shrimp deaths for a few days. I can count 4 adults, and maybe 50 babies different ages. Still very sad, but moving forward.

Blue dream tank.

I'm regretting the dwarf sag in this tank because I'm constantly pulling out misplaced baby plants. It really wants to take over my dwarf hairgrass.

It's been a few weeks using excell and the staghorn algea is almost non existent. I have also reduced lighting from 11 hours to 8 hours a day.

In the back left corner I'm waiting for Limnophila Hippuroides to fill in. I just was able to give it a trim yesterday hoping it will grow more bushy. I can't wait for this plant to fill in. Very impatient.

The snails (mystery) were added from a tank I rescued from my old job. It was in bad shape, snails too. I'm hoping they like their new home.

Still need to trim hairgrass but I'll give that a few more days.

Bloody Mary tank 10 gal

This tank was planted a month ago. I am pretty sure the plants would have grown in better if I would have ordered from any place but wetplants. The plants were in horrid condition. The red plants, dwarf sag, moneywort and hairgrass were from other tanks of mine.

I am starting to see the plants adjusting and taking root, and some spreading/growth.

Still suffering from bacterial bloom. My betta got moved to this tank because I caught him eating a baby shrimplet and I just can't have that!

This tank has been set up for two weeks. Fishless cycle. Progress very slow! I'm constantly replanting uprooted stems. Gotta love fluval stratum.

Low light tank. Really going for jungle look. Needs cleaning. Possibly a bacteria bloom.

This tank i rescued from old job. Very over crowded. The water was brown, the walls green, 50 mystery snails, 3 deformed guppies.
I cleaned up the tank and added an extra filter, switched the light, and added some cuttings from other tanks. I also added wood. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with this tank atm, but I'm just trying to improve the quality of life for the fish right now. I moved many of the mystery snails to other tanks. I moved a molly to my 20 gal, and I'm observing and testing water daily.

 

[Odin]

Ok Journal it's been 9 days 🤣

I've successfully moved both my shrimp tanks downstairs. My roommate battle with the AC continues and I'm losing...losing sanity, and losing shrimp. We, my dog, tanks, and self have moved to the downstairs living room. I cannot live in my room when it's 87 degrees up there!

I did some changes in my blue dream tank. Considering this is my first tank I made a lot of rookie mistakes. I wish I had made the substrate less thick in the front, and more level. I wish also that I could have created space to give it more depth. I tried opening a but of space in the back. Thoughts if it looks better, or no?
My babies are thriving and I have 4 adult shrimp still kicking....

My bloody mary shrimp tank is over run with green algea! I have ordered a green machine, till it arrives, lights off. I have no idea who if any survivors in this tank.

My low light tank is growing in and I added a few more plants. I'm going for the chaotic jungle look. Still seing bacterial bloom.

Mini plant tank is still cycling. I gave it a trim yesterday.
Not sure if I'm liking what I've done, but need to be patient.

Lastly, my rescue tank. I added more plants yesterday, still fiddling with ideas.

 

[Odin]

Alright!

Got 6 Otos each for my blue dream and bloody mary tanks. They are loving their new home.

My bloody mary tank finally cleared the green algea bloom! I was able to get in and see what maintenance needed to be done.

I tore down my mini tank because my blue dream filter crashed so I had to use that filter.

 

[Odin]

My blue dream tank seems to be thriving. My otos have settled in and are happy. My baby blue females are berried, I'm excited to see their first batch of babies. I am battling a green fuzzy algea that is taking over my dwarf hairgrass and the snails, otos, and shrimp Don't touch it. I'm hoping it will resolve soon, I've been brushing it out during maintenance. I added a tiger lotus that had a single leaf and I'm exciting that it's sprouting new leaves and doing well.
My dwarf sag does not appear to be dwarf at all. It's growing very tall.
I'm dosing thrive shrimp two pumps twice weekly.

My bloody mary tank is growing into itself. I am thinking about removing the "dwarf sag" and letting the hairgrass fill in those spots instead. My betta seems to love living in this tank. <3

My super low tech community tank is doing ok. I'm still not thrilled with layout.
Fish are thriving, plants are growing. I might have a bacteria bloom going on low key.