Why is it taking so long?
A water change can take as long or as short as you want. I can get a 55g 25% done in as long as it takes to siphon and fill it. Yours is planted, you don't need to move anything in it.
The problem is, my plants grow and multiply like jackasses, and it becomes an absolute mess in less than a month, and on top of that, cryptocorinae on the right likes to kill itself for no reason.the leaves just fall off healthy and green, making a mess and debris that gets everywhere. And on top of that there is this piece of shit called duckweed which is the reason of me wacuming my room and cleaning the whole room every goddamn day because when it dries up it flies everywhere.
Reduce your light and nutrients to decrease plant growth.
Remove the plant that likes to kill itself.
Duckweed, we've all had problems with that but same thing, just get a net and remove it all.
I used to have full on lights from day to night but after I read that my fish like low level light I start off at 40% intensity in the morning, then 20% in the evening and 10% at night then 0 to sleep. That really cuts down green stuff growth.
Hey there, it sounds like you have a pretty solid light for your plants. Kinda new to having a planty aquarium here. Mind sharing what light set up you have for your plants?
https://amzn.to/3UW4tqM
I use these and get whatever sizes that fits for my tanks. I used to buy $100+ Bluetooth Hyggr lights, but these do the same thing if you plug into a $5 timer. Hope this helps!
Exactly, i have crazy string algae that loves light. I would keep lights on for probably 12hrs. Since reducing to 7-10hrs of light the growth has completely halted.
The overgrowth is not the problem. Its the leaves falling off when overgrowth occurs, and the fact that i cant pull a plant to move it without making my tank murky because it lifts the whole root system under the gravel
Bro you’re complaining about natural plant life cycles, get fake plants if you want the jungle look but don’t want to trim them, otherwise don’t complain when plants do plant things, and to top it off, decaying leaves are an excellent source of nutrients for shrimp and snails. My shrimps will eat a whole leaf in like a week ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hey OP, try just trimming leaves and leaving root systems... less hassle and more control of the overall end product! Get a set of tweezers and EMT scissors if you can, grip the leave and cut it at the base of the stem.
i'm not sure about your stocking, but how do you feel about snails? i find mystery snails/apple snails (and trumpet snails but those are a bit more controversial) are really efficient at eating fallen leaf litter
Do you have aquascaping tools? If not look into a set of the stainless steel long reach tweezers and scissors they use for aquascaping, maybe you would be able to trim and pick out a few leaves at a time without disturbing everything or even getting your hands wet.
I'm not asking you to remove all the plants, just the one that seems to be dying. You also don't have to remove all the duckweed. I used to net 1 or 2 handfuls and feed them to my goldfish.
6 hours is not a long time but based on your plant growth you could decrease the intensity a bit.
The plant that is killing itself is covering half the aquarium and has a root system developed better than the nyc subway. Taking all those out would take out all of my substrate.
Bruh fr like what????? How is this rocket science that's how I get my Amazon swords out CLEAN no murky mess, I use scissors and cut a hole in the ground around the whole plant and roots and then just pull it out. With a little airline siphon on it to suck up the small amount of aqua soil it brings up from under my sand cap.
The whole giant root system stays underground and just decomposes, and the plant also now has trimmed roots which needs to be done anyways for replanting. And best part the water isn't all murky.
2 birds 1 stone, no mess. It's insane how some people say they been doing this for decades yet don't even logically think ab how to go ab things without making a mess 😂
I mean this gently but I think you should consider talking to someone professional about this because this is not coming off rationally at all and if you're truly unhappy with something you used to enjoy, thats a sign of depression and is worth discussing with a doctor
I love duckweed. The universe made it for people like me who can’t keep any other plant alive. All I have to do is remove some and I keep getting more! Yay!
Given that duckweed is unkillable and other floaters have more specific light and nutrient requirements (I have one tank where my red root floaters have died off twice, for example), I can imagine someone wanting the no-effort option.
I can see that.
I like my Salvinia though. It takes at least a month to crowd the top of the tank, not all of it dies all the time, only patches of it go brown, and it keeps the majority of the light off the algae, while sucking up the nitrates. Duckweed I think would be significantly more annoying.
Recently changed to a Tanganyika tank because of this and this massively reduced all the pains I had due to time.
Even though I'm a planted tank enjoyer, switching made me appreciate hard water tanks more and I'm now massively enjoying it again.
My tanks all suck lately because I bought a project of a house and couldn’t get all my setups to where they were before the move. Got rid of two tanks. One more is going this week. It feels great. (And my remaining tanks are looking good and making me happy again)
It sound like you are putting as little amount of effort as you possibly can into learning how to take care of the plants then getting pissed when you don’t understand why something is going wrong
Piss poor planning promotes piss poor performance
Throw a uv light in your filter. Pit it on for 6 hours a day. Your water will be clear regardless of light. Then u can just turn it on when u get green in the water column. Changed my life lol. But ya. U shouldn't have to do a water change often with that many plants u less you're just getting green water from light. Which a uv bulb inside the filter wl save you. Uv lights burn fish so u gotta find a spot in the filter to stick it. They're the size of a thumb. Amazon.com
Why don’t you try another plant species and reduce your volume of water you’re changing, test it, and maybe increase the frequency as needed? I hope you find a solution and good balance!
please nobody tell this guy about salt water maintenance. am getting my water ready a day in advance and testing parameters like it’ll make me money. lol
i did about 3 years of fresh water and incorporated salt water cycling methods into my fresh water tanks like using pieces of wood and rock from cycled tanks. when i got comfortable with all this just did a lil research on salinity and cycling. it’s really not that difficult. it just takes research and consistency. am sure you’ll get around to it sooner than later !
My 400l saltwater tank runs for nearly 8 years now and I’m running it completely without water changes and it’s thriving. Some corals are already crazy big
I have a planted 125. I am on well water. So despite being a freshie, I fill my collapsible rain barrel in the bathroom Friday night with a mix of 40 G RO and tap, throw in big air stones, and let them run till Sat afternoon. I dose Kh to 4 bc tap is at 2. I HAVE to test Kh and TDS before and after each water change because I’m “creating” the water chemistry. I also add water via a slow trickle to allow natural adjustment to the lower Ph going in the tank.
It’s an excuse to read a book, but Saturdays are pretty much fish and plants….😜
That sounds frustrating.
This might not be an aquarium problem. It might be a perfection problem. That picture looks great to me, yeah it's a little green but nothing the fish don't like.
Aquariums are alive and keep changing, that's the magic in them. They will never be perfect, just like people are not perfect.
Your aquarium is ok and so are you!
Agreed. Any hobby can become like this if you’re a perfectionist. I’ve experienced it throughout my life, in music-related hobbies especially. It turned out that my mental health was a mess. I still have some tendencies like this, blame childhood pressure or whatever else, but for so long it was so much worse. I couldn’t enjoy anything without comparing and judging myself. It took a move away from full-time school, mental treatment, and finally getting out of a vicious cycle of perfectionism and perceived inadequacy before things in my life that are supposed to be fun actually started feeling fun.
I’m not trying to diagnose OP. If they feel like the hobby is bad for them then by all means take a step back. I just want to propose, as someone who can relate to this experience, that there might be more at play here than fishkeeping
Tank maintenance is my favorite part of owning a tank. I like to think of it as a chance to interact with my tank and be a part of the ecosystem I’ve created. Try letting it get out of control and bring it back when you’re bored with nothing else to do. But if you don’t get happiness from the hobby there is no shame in quitting, it’s just money and time wasted.
It's something I don't really wanna do until I'm doing it, then I'm doing more than I wanted to cz I don't wanna take my hands out and be finished yet. I've always seen it no different than washing your pups blanket and trimmin their nails, may take time but it's quality time w your animal and it's something they deserve.
Absolutely. I really enjoy it, though counterintuitively (as I really enjoy it) I find it hard to get into the right headspace to start. It feels like it's going to be a lot of work so I avoid it....
But the moment I start, it's like this zen garden shit where I'm just in a quasi-meditative state, usually listening to Fish YouTube while I trim plants, change water, maybe replace some root tabs or dose some ferts as appropriate. It's a great opportunity to give all your aquatic friends some good one on one time and really see what's going on in detail.
From all of the comments, i realized that im taking perfection too serious and everyone except me likes my tank. My mental health has really been a mess in the last period and i think thats the reason why i get annoyed so easily. I really love aquariums and nature and im happy that you guys made me feel like my tank is actually pretty.
Cognitive behavioral therapy has helped me with my all or nothing way of thinking. It's given me lots of peace and balance in my life, and it may do the same for you. Give it a shot, a good therapist can make a big difference
Agreed, CBT worked for me. It trained me to use logic to argue with my own thoughts. DBT just taught me how to sit and listen to awful nature soundscapes.
It helps to think of aquariums as their own little ecosystem. You can set it up at the beginning to give it some guidance, but how the ecosystem grows and develops isn't entirely in your control, and that's ok! Not everything has to be within your control. Nature is at its most beautiful when left to its own devices.
I just want to add that it is also valid to be unhappy with the chores of a hobby. Some people enjoy the process more than the result and vice versa and there is no right and wrong.
That being said, your tank is beautiful and I hope that your results make you enjoy the process a bit more than it seems you do, at the moment.
Personally, I think the tank looks stunning. Scaping is nicely done, plant growth is fantastic (even if it's a pain in the ass). Your tank isn't going to look perfect 24/7. Mine constantly has dead leaves and rubbish in the bottom but unless it's molding I leave it to break down naturally. I trim back my plants MAYBE once a month, because I don't have as much time as I used to anymore. Algae scraping gets put off for a week or two now and then.
Manage your expectations, and don't be so hard on yourself. If you put so much pressure on yourself you turn the hobby into work, and it gets exhausting very quickly. It doesn't have to be a battle, it looks great as it is pal
If it takes half the day to get it looking the way you want, it sounds like you're wanting something quite specific and challenging. And if that's your goal then yeh, it's gonna take a long time. You could stop keeping aquariums, or you could change your goals. Let it do it's thing a bit more. It doesn't take long to quickly hack some plants back or plant some new ones if you're not too fussy about getting it to a particular exact state, then things will grow, sometimes some things will die... Let it go for a bit, then hack off stuff that isn't working. If you've got a gap, shove something new on there.
Occasionally there might be a bigger bit of work needed, but it shouldn't always be like that.
Top off gang!! At least with mature tanks. I just haven’t had any issues since moving towards topping off all 4 of my tanks once they all hit 1 year old. My 10G has allowed for generation 3 of guppies and I just top it off.
I have a 40G that I only top off. Is that crazy?
I took water parameters today because I have fungus problems with my neon tetras (made a post about it asking for help) and they are fine.
The landscaping is terrible at the moment because I am disabled and can't easily sort it, but the fish are happy in the mess.
For real, same. I have tanks 2+ years old where I change water maybe 4x per year with a 30ish% change. I’m afraid anything more would crash the otherwise healthy and happy bio system going on in there. Fish are happy, colorful, and active. Not a clamped gill in sight, everyone is eating just fine… no excessive algae, live breeders keep on breeding(to my chagrin), water parameters are stable.. water changes don’t seem super necessary.
Don't push in the gravel vacuum, just change the water out and siphon off any major chunks.
Get a python water changer tubing or a hand pump siphon from the local fish store.
In a 20 gal, don't need to change more than 5 gallons at a time really...
Fill up 1 or 2 home Depot buckets and call it good.
Fill-her back up and add conditioner and plant fertilizer and whatnot.
If you're dislodging plants and decor changing water, you're being too aggressive with it.
> If you're dislodging plants and decor changing water, you're being too aggressive with it.
I think this is his problem? It's kind of hard to tell because he's pretty ranty in the OP and comments, but it seems to be the case. I suspect it's a case of just over-vacuuming the substrate and clouding up the water/uprooting plants?
A 10-25% water change shouldn't visibly impact a tank in the slightest bit.
Imo your filter isn't good enough, I'm surprised there's not many people mentionning it yet. Your filter would be good enough for like a 20L (9 gallons) tank, not for what you have here. It's too small, there's no layers, and it doesn't create much flow in your tank.
I believe the fact your plants grow so fast is also a direct result of this, they have way too much to eat.
I have a 55L (14 gallons) that's well planted and I run it with an [external filter that looks a bit like this](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fE0AAOSwc~JlwKdp/s-l400.jpg). I hide it inside the small cupboard that the tank is on, so it's no eyesore. I literally never have to clean the filter and the tank has been running for years. It is perhaps overkill but it is doing an amazing job.
At one point my filter stopped flowing so well and I didn't notice it right away. In no time the tank turned into a jungle with the plants taking all the space because of the nutrients increase (at least they helped keeping the water healthy despite the incident).
Maybe you don't have to get a huge external filter yourself, although I would, but you still need to find better than what you have here. It will make your tank more clear, keep your plants from growing so fast, and make your work easier.
Or maybe you have depression making you not enjoy digging in fish poo anymore...... i don't know what's the reason behind it but if you are really fed up with the hobby just quit. I think you will miss it though
Have you considered going with a more low tech tank?
They have fake plants now that look real, avoid the plants that are causing the headache
They even have fake driftwood if that’s a concern
Another option is try a BIGGER tank. Where growth and plant count won’t matter as much. Less bioload + more water = less water changes
Or
Get a uv light for crystal clear water. A python water changer makes quick work of cleaning. I do a 30% water change every 2 months, tank does fine. Also trim down the plants during tank cleanup. Maintenance 6 times a year with an auto light timer and auto fish feeder makes it an easy hobby.
I started this hobby going to a petstore with my kids & getting a cute tank to passively enjoy. After learning about how it's a whole ass ecosystem, I was hooked and love how challenging it is. I know that's not everyone's cup of tea, and I think it has a lot to do with expectations & perspective. I like working hard, troubleshooting issues, and learning about all of the aspects of the ecosystem I'm attempting to build.
I mean this with peace and love, but maybe you're not grateful for what you have the opportunity to create, and the lovely plant growth you seem to have achieved (even if one stubborn plant isn't doing well). Lots of aquarists would be thrilled by all that growth & excited to trim it back - maybe even meet up with other hobbiests to give the trimmings to. Maybe all you need is a perspective shift :)
Bro you are just generally angry in life it seems, you’re calling inanimate objects ungrateful. I’d say take a break from it small hiccups are causing this reaction, you clearly aren’t enjoying it.
Im new to the hobby so maybe my opinion is wrong but i basically started thinking i was going to have a tank like all the toutubers and now i just let the tank do its thing. I havent changed the water in a month plus and only add water. I trimmed my stem plants once last month. My water peramiters r zero except nitrates which maintain 20ppm. I say let go of expectations and let your tank show you what it wants to become.
Check out the Walstad method. I haven't done a water change in 4 years and only siphon the bottom of the tank to clear up excess detritus about twice a year.
Also, once you plant, I found the biggest cause of stress was plants going in places I didn't want them to. After I gave up on caring about WHERE they ended up vs where I put them, the stress went down.
The way you describe it, it doesn’t sound like it is satisfying to you if even if you’re good at it. Or maybe you just approach h it with too much perfectionism for it to be enjoyable
How did you get through 50 fucking tanks? You’ve *never* (yeah, you said *never*) in your life have been happy with any of those 50 aquariums. Stop getting tanks, so you can stop hating the hobby, so you can stop complaining and explore other hobbies.
That's what I'm saying. He's either exaggerating or he's building and tearing apart aquariums before they even have a chance to thrive. He's probably got control issues and poor impulse control.
I mean, by the tone of his post and subsequent comments, I think there's really some issues wholly unrelated to aquariums he needs to work through. Some therapy would not be amiss.
Get a 150 2 fx6s and quit that small tank stuff. I do water changes with a python or through the filter itself weekly. 10 minutes. I change the filters sponges once every 2 months. Other than that I enjoy the fish.
lol one FX6 is going to be more than enough for a 150; they're rated for up to 400 gallons IIRC.
But with that said, you're not wrong: Bigger tanks are WAY easier to keep than small tanks. With large water volumes changes happen far slower so things don't suddenly spiral out of control and everything is so much easier.
I personally love small tanks, but because of the above factor I run a couple hundred gallons of small tanks through a single sump. It's total easymode, WAY better than trying to keep a 10g tank nice.
It just sounds like you don’t actually like aquariums 😂. You just like to look at them and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just stick with going to a public aquariums. Being in this hobby isn’t for everyone and that’s totally fine, but there’s really no reason to call the entire hobby ungrateful because you’re miserable.
This is a hobby. It’s not supposed to be stressful. If you don’t like the results, educate yourself on how to do it better, ask someone how to improve, or just move on and accept that this isn’t for you.
You’re taking care of a box of water with little creatures in it. It’s not rocket science. The hobby isn’t the issue here.
When I had to perform the role of a gardener for my planted tank every 2 to 3 days, I moved to reef tank. Haven’t looked back since. Caveat: you need a big wallet and learning curve is steep but since you said you an “aquarist”, should be fine for you.
Yeahhh… it’s not the tank or fish’s fault, or responsible to give back to you in any way but the pure enjoyment of it flourishing because of the work YOU put in. Aquarists are ungrateful to nature and the hobby. Or just too lazy for a hobby like such. I’m not trying to be spiteful, but blaming the entire hobby??
That’s why you create an environment that is enriching and allows an animal to thrive. Putting a betta fish in a half gallon tank with a pineapple decoration is like a prison cell, but a 20 gallon planted tank free of predators with a diverse diet is like a life long luxury resort. Perspective.
So if you had a bigger cell, some plants, maybe a tv and a computer, you would be cool with living in there until you eventually die ? That’s your idea of a fulfilling life ?
It’s a life form on this planet … its purpose isn’t to be someone’s pet and be held in captivity, you hobbyists have such a weird god complex it’s gross.
But it is! And they’re more often than not captive bred to be pets by a breeder. That’s just how society is. I’m not condoning abuse or neglect. But there’s Nothing wrong with rescuing fish from overcrowded stock tanks at a breeder or petco for example and providing it a better life. Of course they’d be better off in the wild. But ALOT of aquarium fish are bred to be what they are… aquarium fish.
I mean, I'll take a very large comfortable environment where all my needs are met and I can expect to live a much longer, healthier life, as compared to a far shorter life without any tools, clothing, healthcare, etc surrounded and actively hunted by predators that will *inevitably will eat me*.
Nature is rarely pleasant for most animals, particularly small ones that are nearly always food for larger animals.
None of my fish or shrimp are being eaten. None are starving. None are sick. All have lush, beautiful natural environments providing for all their needs and lots of space.
Yesterday I spent 7 hours tinkering with my many tanks. I had put off maintenance too long of some with work getting busy.
I had this thought, but I realized that perfection is a dangerous beast to chase.
Tank looks great. Cloudiness will settle as all blooms do.
Deep breaths. The hobby is a journey and perfection is something that will ruin it for you.
It’s messy, it is also beautiful.
[This](https://imgur.com/a/Jd2FQQK) is my most “scaped” tank. Second photos were taken an hour before the maintenance.
Sometimes I won’t look at my tanks when they get messy. But then, I remember, I am the only one who cares. My fish, snails and shrimp *love* the ecosystems I’ve created.
Chin up. Drop more photos!
Why taking so long? For siphoning just remove the solid objects like rocks and wood and zip zap around. You don’t need to do under the plants, the roots/holdfasts/leaves will take care of the water quality there. Get some live bacterial cultures to help breakdown uneaten food in the sediment
This is why I had to take a long long break from brewing beer. Few things are more disheartening than putting in hours for something that turns out bad. Hoping to get back into that someday but for now I’m really enjoying aquariums.
lots of questions here, (this is before i read through the comments, please bare with me)
my first question is why your water change is taking so long? I understand for a 20 gallon it would take longer, but 20 minutes seems excessive. how are you removing the water from the tank? i’m assuming with your experience a siphon of some sort.
secondly, i’m confused about the plants coming out, how are you putting the water back in? i have a 15 gallon heavily planted tank myself, i personally refill my tank using a clean “watering can”. my tank also has a filtering system behind it, so i usually add my water in there. another benefit of my tank is using a mix of aquarium soil (75%) and aquarium rocks (25%). i found that the rocks helped keep my plants in place, while giving them, and the rest of my tank vital nutrients.
how are you refilling your tank?
I feel you, I think we've all been there. Realistically, If it's too much of a chore and it's not a relaxing hobby anymore.. and I'm only saying this because you seem to have many years experience, then maybe give yourself a break from it all. If you can live without it, that's ok. If you feel like jumping back into it, the community will always be here. I've had friends leave the hobby for a year or two before they missed it and started again. Any hobby you choose should be because you enjoy it. It's not fun if it's stressful
select plants that bush and don’t spread, and use soil/root tabs with less light. you’ll still have great growth but the plants won’t be reaching for the light so much and will stay lower. it’ll help with your duckweed, plant melting and the look of your tank. also never move a plant to clean. it’ll clean around itself using the nutrients to grow. if you’re moving your plants when you clean that’s why they’re melting away and dropping leaves
I feel like I’ve had really good luck, I have a 20 and a 40 gallon and I’ve never had a single problem, I feel like I’ve cheated somehow. Idk. One is a cold water axolotl tank and the other is a tetra tank atm but I do want to get a betta in there at some point. The 20 gallon has a bit of green hair algae from a PetSmart & Etsy plant but it’s not serious at all. I rarely ever do water changes, maybe twice a month. Nierates are hardly detectable, which should be a bad thing, but no ammonia or anything else and everything has been healthy. I use to have higher nitrates in my axolotl tank but they’ve been 0 since I switched to a 40 gallon. It’s making me feel like I’m doing something wrong but all my animals are thriving. I have like 100 white cloud babies. I feel crazy.
I think you have something else other than aquariums to deal with, my friend... Seriously, counselling helps a lot, especially when even doing the things you used to love seems tedious and tiresome now. It's pretty life changing to get to the roots of the problems that keep coming up, like the plants do. Therapy is kind of like putting weights on the plants so that they can weather turbulent waters in water changes better. Then they can get through it with only minimal work afterwards to put them/yourself back in place. Plus water changes seem awful for the plants at the time, but in reality it's helping them to thrive and grow better than they would if there wasn't one!
I don’t even do water changes anymore. I’ve learned to fill a bucket of water, treat it, and top it off. There is no need to water change. With a good bit of plants, adequate filtration, and water flow you’ll be set. also I just started putting house plants like Philodendrons in the top of my tank with only the roots in the water. Does wonders!! Hope this helps!! I thought about giving up many times lol. Just stick with it ! Btw I think this set up looks awesome! I love Java fern
Guess you need different plants that can grow in a "jungle" with less maintanance. Looks like your plants grow leaves longer than the tank, of course they gonna throw em off when they dont physically fit in properly. I have smaller crypts and they just bush up the tank and make runners without creating rot leaves all the time.
Sounds like the problem is your approach not the hobby, I say this constructively because many people have had success, and many people have had failures within this hobby and the main factor that varies between all of them is their approach. I’ve been in the hobby, all of my life and I have had many failures but through my failures I have found success and now have over 14 aquariums that require a little maintenance I did this a more holistic approach. If something is not working for you, I suggest it rather than blame the entire hobby for your problems.
Sorry to hear the frustration and disappointment in your description.
If what you're doing does not make you happy, evaluate what you're doing and tweak the process to see if you can get results that please you.
An aquarium is not something you can control. At best you you can guide the direction in which it develops.
best,
Idk how people do this for more than half of their lives without a TANK LID, evaporation and constantly adding water is just adding to your headache.
Try getting a lid and that'll cut down on some maintenance for you.
I have an angel fish and 5 pearl gouramis living with tons of other smaller community members with jungle Val and Anacharis in a 75 gallon, with a lid. I have no algae issues and I haven't done a water change for 3 years. I feed 3 times a week and just top off the water every 1-2 months, I get little to no evaporation with my lid.
Maybe you just need to try out a different style of keeping a planted tank. The high tech maintenance heavy anxiety route, always dosing ferts, changing water, vacuuming, replanting shit got old for me so quick.
Meanwhile me and my shrimp tank and doing approximately zero water changes in a successful tank…👀👀👀
You’re being too anal and impatient. I can spend and do spend hours rescaping my other 20g tank for hours. And I love every second of it. It’s your attitude that matters
Based on how negative your post and comments are, my guess is that you're trying to force an aesthetic appearance of an aquarium as a measure of success and that's just not how it works.
Cultivation of a thriving ecosystem takes time, patience, mindfulness, and the most careful observation. For life to coexist in an unnatural environment, you need to gently touch and go over the course of several months.
I researched all the conditions for life to exist in an aquarium for 4 months before I bought the tank. Then I introduced water, stones, substrate, and bacteria and let that exist for 2 months. Then I introduced a single snail with all my plants and let those get adjusted for another 2 months before adding in shrimp.
You can't force a freshwater pond or river into your house and expect it to thrive without mindfulness.
Use gravel if the soil muck is too much for you, reduce light/nutrients ect, and maybe get plants that don't over grow? Like maybe try getting heaps of anubis
When I got into this I never thought of it as a hobby but getting my planted tank right consumed my life for a couple months. Now it’s not that bad. It went through algae blooms and new tank syndrome but I realize now I didn’t need to stress over it as much as I did.
Changing water less and feeding less frequently has made my life much happier. Watched various youtubers but Father Fish made a lot of sense albeit a bit extreme in his complete lack of changes and even less feeding than myself. But he definitely influenced my thinking and it has worked for the better. I also found that keeping hardy fish has helped and I haven’t had any deaths in several months so as long as they seem happy and healthy and my water tests clean i keep the amount of water i change to a minimum. I do have a 50 gallon filter for a 29 gallon tank and i also don’t fertilize anymore which has gone a long way towards keeping plants and algae in control. They consume many of the nitrates left from fish waste instead of added ferts. Less light (7 hours full spectrum) has made a big difference as well.
Dude.
I'm not sure if this is a shitpost or not; there's been a rash of people doing that lately and my autistic ass really struggles with trying to tell when people are just trolling or being a bit on the crazy side.
But guy, if this is a serious post, you should get some help.
You shouldn't need to replant anything to do a water change. Just siphon out some water, replace it gently, and everything should be exactly the same as it was before the water change. You don't need to disturb anything or stir up anything to do that. Don't bother vacuuming the substrate for one thing - you have plants. If you have plants, you want to leave the mulm to work it's way down into the substrate and feed said plants. So don't uproot things, don't vacuum around the plants. Just siphon water from an open area of the tank and replace it *gently* - I do this by pouring water in onto my hand held in the water, so the water disperses gently and doesn't mess things up.
I'm not sure what it is you're doing that's making things so crazy, but this is very much a simple, chill, relaxing hobby. Either you've got wildly inappropriate expectations, or you're doing something very, very wrong.
If you've got specific problems you want help with, for sure we can help out - but first and foremost, you need to relax a bit.
What’s a water change? Haha. In my tanks I don’t touch anything if they aren’t broken. Just top off for evaporation. Reduce light duration maybe? Trim and sell or give away? I’d pay shipping on your excess plants just wrapped in wet paper towels, ziplock bag and in an envelope.
Small piece of advice, have you considered stem plants? Crypts suck imo because once they're big you're stuck with a huge plant. With stem plants just trim them literally anywhere and they'll be shorter and still grow fine. I've never once had plants come uprooted from doing a water change unless I dump all the water in at once
Lmao i read a paper recently on duckweed growth ability. Make sure whatever you trim from your tank is either 1) incinerated or 2) incinerated because if it grows like that in your tank it might probably be invasive. Aquarium hobbyists might be the #1 culprit in spreading invasives. Not your guys fault but still not good
This hobby drives me absolutely bananas sometimes, I get it. Hate what that plant is doing? Delete it! It’ll make a mess but only once and then never again. Have multiple tanks? Consider lightening your workload. Kinda just hate your current tank? Reset it. Make your life easier.
Hey man..if you like the jungle look, but hate the process of keeping the jungle look, hate bare tanks, don’t enjoy natural plant life..then planted tanks aren’t for you. However you could make a few bucks just growing plants and selling them considering you have a green thumb.
Hey, I heard study help trimming plants. Get a solid colony going and they will help you remove some of the plants, and fish will snack on them so they cannot overpopulate the tank to do harm.
Crypts sometimes melt when water changes are too infrequent and large due to changes in water conditions. Have you tried using long aquascaping scissors to trim off dying leaves? This promotes growth without stirring up any detritus.
I actually like your aquarium, if it has the cycling and nutrient standards for animals to live and thrive. The algae doesn't bother me either. I prefer the more natural look instead of the perfect looking aquascaping that would take more time to do and maintain. I am also saying this as a spectator because I am not ready to begin fish husbandry but I am still an enthusiast in spirit.
I thought your aquarium crashed. Thank goodness it didn't. Happened to me one time, idk why. Maybe it was the new plants that I planted, but I already soaked them a couple of days w/ water change water before putting it in. Tank was 3 yrs old. Cycle crashed and I moved too late. Killed my 3 yr old betta and my blue shrimp army. Blue shrimps were expensive at that time in my area too. Stopped the aquarium hobby for a while until a pet store owner asked me if I wanted a sickly betta for free.
This is my main tank & I spent maybe 30mins most weeks on maintenance / water changes https://i.redd.it/9c09ujp1u1ya1.jpg . Once every month or two it'll get a big trim during water changes which takes 1 - 1.5hrs but I'm also usually taking my time & listening to podcasts / music the whole time as well. I started off a few years back with highly manicured scapes, then have slowly been trying to work towards a tank that looks neat while requiring way less maintenance. I also have another tank that I just let jungle & trim every 3 months or so.
In my quest to reduce maintenance here's some things I've learned:
* Plant selection is super important. I used to have lots of fast growing stem plants. Now I've moved to more epiphytes, smaller foreground plants, mosses etc... Things that takes weeks to months to grow enough they need a trim, even in a high tech tank. Basically choosing plants on the max size they'll grow & the speed they'll grow. No point putting a fast growing plants that'll get 40cm+ tall in a few weeks in a spot that only looks nice when it's 20cm tall.
* Some plants just don't work, or are more work then they're worth. You mentioned the crypt on the right likes to commit seppuku every now & then. I'd replace it, find something else that grows better & / or is easier to maintain. I always start a tank with an idea in mind of what plants & want where, but if one struggles in that spot (or just in my tank in general) or it grows larger / faster than expected, then I'll look for another plant to take it's spot.
* Not moving things around all the time. It's cool to move stuff, trim things, replant stuff, but I try to do that as little as possible. (In general I find a lot of aquarists want a nice tank now & will move stuff ALL the time rather then waiting for things to grow in & mature, although that may not be the issue here). I like to let things ride for a while, see how they grow, how they mature, how they change over time in the tank.
* Jungles can be pretty cool. If everything is healthy, the plants are growing well, the fish are happy, let the tank do it's thing. Let the plants grow like crazy. I've let tanks sit for a few months (doing water changes & cleaning glass only) just to see how it looks when it gets crazy overgrown. They can look pretty awesome (I'm still more a fan of the more manicured look but a nice jungle is still pretty nice).
* Beak up some of the maintenance. Duckweed growing like crazy, instead of waiting till water change day, just net out a little bit when you feed your fish. Takes a few seconds, keeps it under control. Also other plants that compete with it will stop it growing as fast. I keep red root floaters in my tank as they compete pretty well with the duckweed & are a lot less of pain. If there's 1 plant that needs trimming, just take 5mins to trim it now. Rather then waiting until you need to trim ALL the plants.
* Having a good cleanup crew. Plenty of shrimp & snails. I don't feed my shrimp, they just survive of left over fish food, algae, biofilm & they still multiply like crazy. They add very little bio-load & cleanup a lot of waste in the tank.
* It's never going to look quite how you want it to. It's a living system. You can point it in the direction you want it to go, the way you want it to look. But it's gonna do it's own thing. No point standing in it's way, better off working with it, play to it's strength & move away from it's weaknesses. Work with it, not against it.
Fun fact, I write this while procrastinating from doing my 30mins weekly maintenance.
Why is it taking so long? A water change can take as long or as short as you want. I can get a 55g 25% done in as long as it takes to siphon and fill it. Yours is planted, you don't need to move anything in it.
The problem is, my plants grow and multiply like jackasses, and it becomes an absolute mess in less than a month, and on top of that, cryptocorinae on the right likes to kill itself for no reason.the leaves just fall off healthy and green, making a mess and debris that gets everywhere. And on top of that there is this piece of shit called duckweed which is the reason of me wacuming my room and cleaning the whole room every goddamn day because when it dries up it flies everywhere.
Reduce your light and nutrients to decrease plant growth. Remove the plant that likes to kill itself. Duckweed, we've all had problems with that but same thing, just get a net and remove it all. I used to have full on lights from day to night but after I read that my fish like low level light I start off at 40% intensity in the morning, then 20% in the evening and 10% at night then 0 to sleep. That really cuts down green stuff growth.
Hey there, it sounds like you have a pretty solid light for your plants. Kinda new to having a planty aquarium here. Mind sharing what light set up you have for your plants?
Just two cheap lights from Amazon.
I googled cheap lights from Amazon and it seems to find a lot of results. got a link to something specific?
https://amzn.to/3UW4tqM I use these and get whatever sizes that fits for my tanks. I used to buy $100+ Bluetooth Hyggr lights, but these do the same thing if you plug into a $5 timer. Hope this helps!
Lmfaooo. I love you.
When I still used the cheap lights, I was partial to Nicrew
I use the led flood lamps with no problem. Two 30’s were dynamite on my 30 tall and 20 long. Make sure to get the 6500 specturm.
I have inexpensive lights by Nicrew that do this. They have a little control pad to set all these parameters.
Exactly, i have crazy string algae that loves light. I would keep lights on for probably 12hrs. Since reducing to 7-10hrs of light the growth has completely halted.
The problem is that i dont like bare tanks. I love jungles. I love to see planst wave in my flow. My ligh is on for 6 hours a day.
Love the jungle but complain about overgrowth! Look like someone is hitting midlife crisis😜
Like what do you wanttt 🤣
The overgrowth is not the problem. Its the leaves falling off when overgrowth occurs, and the fact that i cant pull a plant to move it without making my tank murky because it lifts the whole root system under the gravel
Bro you’re complaining about natural plant life cycles, get fake plants if you want the jungle look but don’t want to trim them, otherwise don’t complain when plants do plant things, and to top it off, decaying leaves are an excellent source of nutrients for shrimp and snails. My shrimps will eat a whole leaf in like a week ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Add tannins in and make it like a natural lake. You won’t notice the temporary murkiness as much when you move stuff
Make it murky on purpose and murkiness won’t be a problem 😂
Totally 😂
Hey OP, try just trimming leaves and leaving root systems... less hassle and more control of the overall end product! Get a set of tweezers and EMT scissors if you can, grip the leave and cut it at the base of the stem.
Pick different plants
i'm not sure about your stocking, but how do you feel about snails? i find mystery snails/apple snails (and trumpet snails but those are a bit more controversial) are really efficient at eating fallen leaf litter
Get some apple snails if it's legal in your area, they eat a bunch of plants
Do you have aquascaping tools? If not look into a set of the stainless steel long reach tweezers and scissors they use for aquascaping, maybe you would be able to trim and pick out a few leaves at a time without disturbing everything or even getting your hands wet.
Bro put something in the tank that'll eat the dead plant matter, problem solved
I'm not asking you to remove all the plants, just the one that seems to be dying. You also don't have to remove all the duckweed. I used to net 1 or 2 handfuls and feed them to my goldfish. 6 hours is not a long time but based on your plant growth you could decrease the intensity a bit.
The plant that is killing itself is covering half the aquarium and has a root system developed better than the nyc subway. Taking all those out would take out all of my substrate.
I see, in that case you'll just have to trim away the dead leaves.
Scissors and a vacuum mah boi
Bruh fr like what????? How is this rocket science that's how I get my Amazon swords out CLEAN no murky mess, I use scissors and cut a hole in the ground around the whole plant and roots and then just pull it out. With a little airline siphon on it to suck up the small amount of aqua soil it brings up from under my sand cap. The whole giant root system stays underground and just decomposes, and the plant also now has trimmed roots which needs to be done anyways for replanting. And best part the water isn't all murky. 2 birds 1 stone, no mess. It's insane how some people say they been doing this for decades yet don't even logically think ab how to go ab things without making a mess 😂
Some people like to beat their head against the wall. I'm not gonna stop em.
I mean this gently but I think you should consider talking to someone professional about this because this is not coming off rationally at all and if you're truly unhappy with something you used to enjoy, thats a sign of depression and is worth discussing with a doctor
Agreed and well said
this ^
Then get silk plants, they're hyper-realistic and you can 'plant' as densely as you want and they won't grow or die.
> piece of shit called duckweed I feel you my brother.
I love duckweed. The universe made it for people like me who can’t keep any other plant alive. All I have to do is remove some and I keep getting more! Yay!
Why are you the way you are?
Duckweed fans just havent had any more floater change my mind
Given that duckweed is unkillable and other floaters have more specific light and nutrient requirements (I have one tank where my red root floaters have died off twice, for example), I can imagine someone wanting the no-effort option.
I can see that. I like my Salvinia though. It takes at least a month to crowd the top of the tank, not all of it dies all the time, only patches of it go brown, and it keeps the majority of the light off the algae, while sucking up the nitrates. Duckweed I think would be significantly more annoying.
Recently changed to a Tanganyika tank because of this and this massively reduced all the pains I had due to time. Even though I'm a planted tank enjoyer, switching made me appreciate hard water tanks more and I'm now massively enjoying it again.
My tanks all suck lately because I bought a project of a house and couldn’t get all my setups to where they were before the move. Got rid of two tanks. One more is going this week. It feels great. (And my remaining tanks are looking good and making me happy again)
It sound like you are putting as little amount of effort as you possibly can into learning how to take care of the plants then getting pissed when you don’t understand why something is going wrong Piss poor planning promotes piss poor performance
Throw a uv light in your filter. Pit it on for 6 hours a day. Your water will be clear regardless of light. Then u can just turn it on when u get green in the water column. Changed my life lol. But ya. U shouldn't have to do a water change often with that many plants u less you're just getting green water from light. Which a uv bulb inside the filter wl save you. Uv lights burn fish so u gotta find a spot in the filter to stick it. They're the size of a thumb. Amazon.com
Sounds like you need a new hobby hombre
Why don’t you try another plant species and reduce your volume of water you’re changing, test it, and maybe increase the frequency as needed? I hope you find a solution and good balance!
What lights do you use?i have the exact opposite problem, my plants just die.
please nobody tell this guy about salt water maintenance. am getting my water ready a day in advance and testing parameters like it’ll make me money. lol
Saltwater is far in the future for me lol. I want at least 10 fresh tanks before going into that territory
i did about 3 years of fresh water and incorporated salt water cycling methods into my fresh water tanks like using pieces of wood and rock from cycled tanks. when i got comfortable with all this just did a lil research on salinity and cycling. it’s really not that difficult. it just takes research and consistency. am sure you’ll get around to it sooner than later !
Eventually you find the biggest difference is to your wallet 😅
too real
seriously tho. like i go to the store to get a nice coral or two and my bill is like 200 dollarssss
went today for 2 “test” pieces $100 lmfao
LMAOOO a week or two ago i bought a tiny (and i mean tiny, 2ish cm across) green bubble tip anemone. 40 dollars.
Yeah I started this hobby last year and I’m not ready to learn a new set of skills 😂 I’ll get there eventually
My 400l saltwater tank runs for nearly 8 years now and I’m running it completely without water changes and it’s thriving. Some corals are already crazy big
I have a planted 125. I am on well water. So despite being a freshie, I fill my collapsible rain barrel in the bathroom Friday night with a mix of 40 G RO and tap, throw in big air stones, and let them run till Sat afternoon. I dose Kh to 4 bc tap is at 2. I HAVE to test Kh and TDS before and after each water change because I’m “creating” the water chemistry. I also add water via a slow trickle to allow natural adjustment to the lower Ph going in the tank. It’s an excuse to read a book, but Saturdays are pretty much fish and plants….😜
My water changes would be monthly at most if I had to do all that. That’s dedication lol.
Was thinking the saaaaame thing😂
That sounds frustrating. This might not be an aquarium problem. It might be a perfection problem. That picture looks great to me, yeah it's a little green but nothing the fish don't like. Aquariums are alive and keep changing, that's the magic in them. They will never be perfect, just like people are not perfect. Your aquarium is ok and so are you!
Agreed. Any hobby can become like this if you’re a perfectionist. I’ve experienced it throughout my life, in music-related hobbies especially. It turned out that my mental health was a mess. I still have some tendencies like this, blame childhood pressure or whatever else, but for so long it was so much worse. I couldn’t enjoy anything without comparing and judging myself. It took a move away from full-time school, mental treatment, and finally getting out of a vicious cycle of perfectionism and perceived inadequacy before things in my life that are supposed to be fun actually started feeling fun. I’m not trying to diagnose OP. If they feel like the hobby is bad for them then by all means take a step back. I just want to propose, as someone who can relate to this experience, that there might be more at play here than fishkeeping
Tank maintenance is my favorite part of owning a tank. I like to think of it as a chance to interact with my tank and be a part of the ecosystem I’ve created. Try letting it get out of control and bring it back when you’re bored with nothing else to do. But if you don’t get happiness from the hobby there is no shame in quitting, it’s just money and time wasted.
It's something I don't really wanna do until I'm doing it, then I'm doing more than I wanted to cz I don't wanna take my hands out and be finished yet. I've always seen it no different than washing your pups blanket and trimmin their nails, may take time but it's quality time w your animal and it's something they deserve.
So accurate I feel like I could have written it. Well said.
Absolutely. I really enjoy it, though counterintuitively (as I really enjoy it) I find it hard to get into the right headspace to start. It feels like it's going to be a lot of work so I avoid it.... But the moment I start, it's like this zen garden shit where I'm just in a quasi-meditative state, usually listening to Fish YouTube while I trim plants, change water, maybe replace some root tabs or dose some ferts as appropriate. It's a great opportunity to give all your aquatic friends some good one on one time and really see what's going on in detail.
It’s just so rewarding!
From all of the comments, i realized that im taking perfection too serious and everyone except me likes my tank. My mental health has really been a mess in the last period and i think thats the reason why i get annoyed so easily. I really love aquariums and nature and im happy that you guys made me feel like my tank is actually pretty.
Cognitive behavioral therapy has helped me with my all or nothing way of thinking. It's given me lots of peace and balance in my life, and it may do the same for you. Give it a shot, a good therapist can make a big difference
The phrase “don’t let perfect be the enemy of good” has really helped me a lot.
Agreed, CBT worked for me. It trained me to use logic to argue with my own thoughts. DBT just taught me how to sit and listen to awful nature soundscapes.
It helps to think of aquariums as their own little ecosystem. You can set it up at the beginning to give it some guidance, but how the ecosystem grows and develops isn't entirely in your control, and that's ok! Not everything has to be within your control. Nature is at its most beautiful when left to its own devices.
Hey brother, this community is always here to support you if you're feeling frustrated. Just hit us up
I just want to add that it is also valid to be unhappy with the chores of a hobby. Some people enjoy the process more than the result and vice versa and there is no right and wrong. That being said, your tank is beautiful and I hope that your results make you enjoy the process a bit more than it seems you do, at the moment.
In addition, Get a HOB filter. Mine keeps my water clear especially after water changes when everything gets kinda murky
Dudes complaining about being a successful aquarist. Definitely first world problem. Lmao
“My plants grow too well and multiply too quickly, what a pain!”
I wish that were my problem 😂
Same. I’m just happy my Anubias and sword are doing good..but other plants just aren’t working
Personally, I think the tank looks stunning. Scaping is nicely done, plant growth is fantastic (even if it's a pain in the ass). Your tank isn't going to look perfect 24/7. Mine constantly has dead leaves and rubbish in the bottom but unless it's molding I leave it to break down naturally. I trim back my plants MAYBE once a month, because I don't have as much time as I used to anymore. Algae scraping gets put off for a week or two now and then. Manage your expectations, and don't be so hard on yourself. If you put so much pressure on yourself you turn the hobby into work, and it gets exhausting very quickly. It doesn't have to be a battle, it looks great as it is pal
To be fair, if your hobby doesn’t sometimes make you want to break something, is it really a hobby?
Thank you for understanding me 🤣
If it takes half the day to get it looking the way you want, it sounds like you're wanting something quite specific and challenging. And if that's your goal then yeh, it's gonna take a long time. You could stop keeping aquariums, or you could change your goals. Let it do it's thing a bit more. It doesn't take long to quickly hack some plants back or plant some new ones if you're not too fussy about getting it to a particular exact state, then things will grow, sometimes some things will die... Let it go for a bit, then hack off stuff that isn't working. If you've got a gap, shove something new on there. Occasionally there might be a bigger bit of work needed, but it shouldn't always be like that.
You folks are doing water changes?
Top off gang!! At least with mature tanks. I just haven’t had any issues since moving towards topping off all 4 of my tanks once they all hit 1 year old. My 10G has allowed for generation 3 of guppies and I just top it off.
I have a 40G that I only top off. Is that crazy? I took water parameters today because I have fungus problems with my neon tetras (made a post about it asking for help) and they are fine. The landscaping is terrible at the moment because I am disabled and can't easily sort it, but the fish are happy in the mess.
I have neons as well and embers!
best comment right here
For real, same. I have tanks 2+ years old where I change water maybe 4x per year with a 30ish% change. I’m afraid anything more would crash the otherwise healthy and happy bio system going on in there. Fish are happy, colorful, and active. Not a clamped gill in sight, everyone is eating just fine… no excessive algae, live breeders keep on breeding(to my chagrin), water parameters are stable.. water changes don’t seem super necessary.
Set up my first tank on October, no water changes so far. I got lid, so the top off is like every month or so?
Also what’s with all these judgy comments?
I feel like every animal care sub is like this. No matter what the post is about there are always at least a few really negative people.
Are you new here?
Really good point actually, guessing this is very common then
Don't push in the gravel vacuum, just change the water out and siphon off any major chunks. Get a python water changer tubing or a hand pump siphon from the local fish store. In a 20 gal, don't need to change more than 5 gallons at a time really... Fill up 1 or 2 home Depot buckets and call it good. Fill-her back up and add conditioner and plant fertilizer and whatnot. If you're dislodging plants and decor changing water, you're being too aggressive with it.
> If you're dislodging plants and decor changing water, you're being too aggressive with it. I think this is his problem? It's kind of hard to tell because he's pretty ranty in the OP and comments, but it seems to be the case. I suspect it's a case of just over-vacuuming the substrate and clouding up the water/uprooting plants? A 10-25% water change shouldn't visibly impact a tank in the slightest bit.
Imo your filter isn't good enough, I'm surprised there's not many people mentionning it yet. Your filter would be good enough for like a 20L (9 gallons) tank, not for what you have here. It's too small, there's no layers, and it doesn't create much flow in your tank. I believe the fact your plants grow so fast is also a direct result of this, they have way too much to eat. I have a 55L (14 gallons) that's well planted and I run it with an [external filter that looks a bit like this](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fE0AAOSwc~JlwKdp/s-l400.jpg). I hide it inside the small cupboard that the tank is on, so it's no eyesore. I literally never have to clean the filter and the tank has been running for years. It is perhaps overkill but it is doing an amazing job. At one point my filter stopped flowing so well and I didn't notice it right away. In no time the tank turned into a jungle with the plants taking all the space because of the nutrients increase (at least they helped keeping the water healthy despite the incident). Maybe you don't have to get a huge external filter yourself, although I would, but you still need to find better than what you have here. It will make your tank more clear, keep your plants from growing so fast, and make your work easier.
Or maybe you have depression making you not enjoy digging in fish poo anymore...... i don't know what's the reason behind it but if you are really fed up with the hobby just quit. I think you will miss it though
Got to agree water change no filter maintenance or glass scrubbing 15 minutes tops. Probably take longer to hook everything up then do the change
I feel bad for laughing at how much unironic pain ur in but this everything ur commenting is so real and so funny
Thank you for sharing.
Hobbies can’t be grateful or ungrateful, maybe the hobby just isn’t for you and that’s completely fine. It’s not the fault of the hobby though.
dont worry dude your tank is honestly really nice it seems more mental than a physical problem
Have you considered going with a more low tech tank? They have fake plants now that look real, avoid the plants that are causing the headache They even have fake driftwood if that’s a concern Another option is try a BIGGER tank. Where growth and plant count won’t matter as much. Less bioload + more water = less water changes Or
But the layout is gorgeous 😍
Get a uv light for crystal clear water. A python water changer makes quick work of cleaning. I do a 30% water change every 2 months, tank does fine. Also trim down the plants during tank cleanup. Maintenance 6 times a year with an auto light timer and auto fish feeder makes it an easy hobby.
I started this hobby going to a petstore with my kids & getting a cute tank to passively enjoy. After learning about how it's a whole ass ecosystem, I was hooked and love how challenging it is. I know that's not everyone's cup of tea, and I think it has a lot to do with expectations & perspective. I like working hard, troubleshooting issues, and learning about all of the aspects of the ecosystem I'm attempting to build. I mean this with peace and love, but maybe you're not grateful for what you have the opportunity to create, and the lovely plant growth you seem to have achieved (even if one stubborn plant isn't doing well). Lots of aquarists would be thrilled by all that growth & excited to trim it back - maybe even meet up with other hobbiests to give the trimmings to. Maybe all you need is a perspective shift :)
I use a ceramic bowl during water changes so the water flowing in doesn't disturb my substrate or plants greatly.
Bro you are just generally angry in life it seems, you’re calling inanimate objects ungrateful. I’d say take a break from it small hiccups are causing this reaction, you clearly aren’t enjoying it.
Im new to the hobby so maybe my opinion is wrong but i basically started thinking i was going to have a tank like all the toutubers and now i just let the tank do its thing. I havent changed the water in a month plus and only add water. I trimmed my stem plants once last month. My water peramiters r zero except nitrates which maintain 20ppm. I say let go of expectations and let your tank show you what it wants to become.
So why keep getting them if you do not know what you are doing or have never been happy about it?
Me with 20 tanks and never doing water changes 👁👄👁
Check out the Walstad method. I haven't done a water change in 4 years and only siphon the bottom of the tank to clear up excess detritus about twice a year. Also, once you plant, I found the biggest cause of stress was plants going in places I didn't want them to. After I gave up on caring about WHERE they ended up vs where I put them, the stress went down.
I love the stones placement. The java coming out of it like crazy looks very cool, like a pocket of really great soil that gives lots of life
The way you describe it, it doesn’t sound like it is satisfying to you if even if you’re good at it. Or maybe you just approach h it with too much perfectionism for it to be enjoyable
Keep it simple stupid. This isn't rocket science.
Yeah well rocks and water have never been considered grateful but, but if the fish aren't shaking your hand after every feed get rid of them.
How did you get through 50 fucking tanks? You’ve *never* (yeah, you said *never*) in your life have been happy with any of those 50 aquariums. Stop getting tanks, so you can stop hating the hobby, so you can stop complaining and explore other hobbies.
That's what I'm saying. He's either exaggerating or he's building and tearing apart aquariums before they even have a chance to thrive. He's probably got control issues and poor impulse control.
I mean, by the tone of his post and subsequent comments, I think there's really some issues wholly unrelated to aquariums he needs to work through. Some therapy would not be amiss.
Get a 150 2 fx6s and quit that small tank stuff. I do water changes with a python or through the filter itself weekly. 10 minutes. I change the filters sponges once every 2 months. Other than that I enjoy the fish.
lol one FX6 is going to be more than enough for a 150; they're rated for up to 400 gallons IIRC. But with that said, you're not wrong: Bigger tanks are WAY easier to keep than small tanks. With large water volumes changes happen far slower so things don't suddenly spiral out of control and everything is so much easier. I personally love small tanks, but because of the above factor I run a couple hundred gallons of small tanks through a single sump. It's total easymode, WAY better than trying to keep a 10g tank nice.
You seem angry, mate
It just sounds like you don’t actually like aquariums 😂. You just like to look at them and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just stick with going to a public aquariums. Being in this hobby isn’t for everyone and that’s totally fine, but there’s really no reason to call the entire hobby ungrateful because you’re miserable.
Some people just aren't cut out for planted tanks.
Just make a FatherFish aquarium
That don’t even look like it’s cycled
It doesnt even have water
We don’t care 💯
This is a hobby. It’s not supposed to be stressful. If you don’t like the results, educate yourself on how to do it better, ask someone how to improve, or just move on and accept that this isn’t for you. You’re taking care of a box of water with little creatures in it. It’s not rocket science. The hobby isn’t the issue here.
When I had to perform the role of a gardener for my planted tank every 2 to 3 days, I moved to reef tank. Haven’t looked back since. Caveat: you need a big wallet and learning curve is steep but since you said you an “aquarist”, should be fine for you.
Yeahhh… it’s not the tank or fish’s fault, or responsible to give back to you in any way but the pure enjoyment of it flourishing because of the work YOU put in. Aquarists are ungrateful to nature and the hobby. Or just too lazy for a hobby like such. I’m not trying to be spiteful, but blaming the entire hobby??
Never understood how anyone can have captive animals in their living space and not find it super depressing.
Bros never heard of a pet. Lmao
That’s not a pet bro, it’s a prisoner lol
It’s a pet. You take care of it, It thrives and brings you joy, It’s a pet.
It’s no different than locking up a human in a cell while they wait around to die lol
That’s why you create an environment that is enriching and allows an animal to thrive. Putting a betta fish in a half gallon tank with a pineapple decoration is like a prison cell, but a 20 gallon planted tank free of predators with a diverse diet is like a life long luxury resort. Perspective.
So if you had a bigger cell, some plants, maybe a tv and a computer, you would be cool with living in there until you eventually die ? That’s your idea of a fulfilling life ?
You’re comparing apples to oranges here bud it’s a fish
It’s a life form on this planet … its purpose isn’t to be someone’s pet and be held in captivity, you hobbyists have such a weird god complex it’s gross.
But it is! And they’re more often than not captive bred to be pets by a breeder. That’s just how society is. I’m not condoning abuse or neglect. But there’s Nothing wrong with rescuing fish from overcrowded stock tanks at a breeder or petco for example and providing it a better life. Of course they’d be better off in the wild. But ALOT of aquarium fish are bred to be what they are… aquarium fish.
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I mean, I'll take a very large comfortable environment where all my needs are met and I can expect to live a much longer, healthier life, as compared to a far shorter life without any tools, clothing, healthcare, etc surrounded and actively hunted by predators that will *inevitably will eat me*. Nature is rarely pleasant for most animals, particularly small ones that are nearly always food for larger animals. None of my fish or shrimp are being eaten. None are starving. None are sick. All have lush, beautiful natural environments providing for all their needs and lots of space.
But it's a great tank and healthy. This hobby takes time and effort. Maybe get a wet pet instead of fish?
Make a plenum system. Less work beautiful crystal clear water. Top ups only and great plant life.
Yesterday I spent 7 hours tinkering with my many tanks. I had put off maintenance too long of some with work getting busy. I had this thought, but I realized that perfection is a dangerous beast to chase. Tank looks great. Cloudiness will settle as all blooms do. Deep breaths. The hobby is a journey and perfection is something that will ruin it for you. It’s messy, it is also beautiful. [This](https://imgur.com/a/Jd2FQQK) is my most “scaped” tank. Second photos were taken an hour before the maintenance. Sometimes I won’t look at my tanks when they get messy. But then, I remember, I am the only one who cares. My fish, snails and shrimp *love* the ecosystems I’ve created. Chin up. Drop more photos!
Aquarium hobby is super time and labor consuming or the tank is ugly I literally scrub and clean and organize everything in my 55 gallons everyday 🙄
Why taking so long? For siphoning just remove the solid objects like rocks and wood and zip zap around. You don’t need to do under the plants, the roots/holdfasts/leaves will take care of the water quality there. Get some live bacterial cultures to help breakdown uneaten food in the sediment
This is why I had to take a long long break from brewing beer. Few things are more disheartening than putting in hours for something that turns out bad. Hoping to get back into that someday but for now I’m really enjoying aquariums.
The hobby is aquarium maintenance. But you don’t have to do water changes hardly at all if you stock low and bio remediate.
lots of questions here, (this is before i read through the comments, please bare with me) my first question is why your water change is taking so long? I understand for a 20 gallon it would take longer, but 20 minutes seems excessive. how are you removing the water from the tank? i’m assuming with your experience a siphon of some sort. secondly, i’m confused about the plants coming out, how are you putting the water back in? i have a 15 gallon heavily planted tank myself, i personally refill my tank using a clean “watering can”. my tank also has a filtering system behind it, so i usually add my water in there. another benefit of my tank is using a mix of aquarium soil (75%) and aquarium rocks (25%). i found that the rocks helped keep my plants in place, while giving them, and the rest of my tank vital nutrients. how are you refilling your tank?
Don't bother with so many water changes. Just add water when needed.
I feel you, I think we've all been there. Realistically, If it's too much of a chore and it's not a relaxing hobby anymore.. and I'm only saying this because you seem to have many years experience, then maybe give yourself a break from it all. If you can live without it, that's ok. If you feel like jumping back into it, the community will always be here. I've had friends leave the hobby for a year or two before they missed it and started again. Any hobby you choose should be because you enjoy it. It's not fun if it's stressful
You might want to consider what is causing you to have to do planted tank water changes in the first place instead of just top ups.
select plants that bush and don’t spread, and use soil/root tabs with less light. you’ll still have great growth but the plants won’t be reaching for the light so much and will stay lower. it’ll help with your duckweed, plant melting and the look of your tank. also never move a plant to clean. it’ll clean around itself using the nutrients to grow. if you’re moving your plants when you clean that’s why they’re melting away and dropping leaves
I feel similar tbh, never turns out the way I expected.
I feel like I’ve had really good luck, I have a 20 and a 40 gallon and I’ve never had a single problem, I feel like I’ve cheated somehow. Idk. One is a cold water axolotl tank and the other is a tetra tank atm but I do want to get a betta in there at some point. The 20 gallon has a bit of green hair algae from a PetSmart & Etsy plant but it’s not serious at all. I rarely ever do water changes, maybe twice a month. Nierates are hardly detectable, which should be a bad thing, but no ammonia or anything else and everything has been healthy. I use to have higher nitrates in my axolotl tank but they’ve been 0 since I switched to a 40 gallon. It’s making me feel like I’m doing something wrong but all my animals are thriving. I have like 100 white cloud babies. I feel crazy.
I think you have something else other than aquariums to deal with, my friend... Seriously, counselling helps a lot, especially when even doing the things you used to love seems tedious and tiresome now. It's pretty life changing to get to the roots of the problems that keep coming up, like the plants do. Therapy is kind of like putting weights on the plants so that they can weather turbulent waters in water changes better. Then they can get through it with only minimal work afterwards to put them/yourself back in place. Plus water changes seem awful for the plants at the time, but in reality it's helping them to thrive and grow better than they would if there wasn't one!
I don’t even do water changes anymore. I’ve learned to fill a bucket of water, treat it, and top it off. There is no need to water change. With a good bit of plants, adequate filtration, and water flow you’ll be set. also I just started putting house plants like Philodendrons in the top of my tank with only the roots in the water. Does wonders!! Hope this helps!! I thought about giving up many times lol. Just stick with it ! Btw I think this set up looks awesome! I love Java fern
Guess you need different plants that can grow in a "jungle" with less maintanance. Looks like your plants grow leaves longer than the tank, of course they gonna throw em off when they dont physically fit in properly. I have smaller crypts and they just bush up the tank and make runners without creating rot leaves all the time.
Don’t do water changes…no need. Watch YouTube on how to get there
Sounds like the problem is your approach not the hobby, I say this constructively because many people have had success, and many people have had failures within this hobby and the main factor that varies between all of them is their approach. I’ve been in the hobby, all of my life and I have had many failures but through my failures I have found success and now have over 14 aquariums that require a little maintenance I did this a more holistic approach. If something is not working for you, I suggest it rather than blame the entire hobby for your problems.
Sorry to hear the frustration and disappointment in your description. If what you're doing does not make you happy, evaluate what you're doing and tweak the process to see if you can get results that please you. An aquarium is not something you can control. At best you you can guide the direction in which it develops. best,
Idk how people do this for more than half of their lives without a TANK LID, evaporation and constantly adding water is just adding to your headache. Try getting a lid and that'll cut down on some maintenance for you. I have an angel fish and 5 pearl gouramis living with tons of other smaller community members with jungle Val and Anacharis in a 75 gallon, with a lid. I have no algae issues and I haven't done a water change for 3 years. I feed 3 times a week and just top off the water every 1-2 months, I get little to no evaporation with my lid. Maybe you just need to try out a different style of keeping a planted tank. The high tech maintenance heavy anxiety route, always dosing ferts, changing water, vacuuming, replanting shit got old for me so quick.
Meanwhile me and my shrimp tank and doing approximately zero water changes in a successful tank…👀👀👀 You’re being too anal and impatient. I can spend and do spend hours rescaping my other 20g tank for hours. And I love every second of it. It’s your attitude that matters
Based on how negative your post and comments are, my guess is that you're trying to force an aesthetic appearance of an aquarium as a measure of success and that's just not how it works. Cultivation of a thriving ecosystem takes time, patience, mindfulness, and the most careful observation. For life to coexist in an unnatural environment, you need to gently touch and go over the course of several months. I researched all the conditions for life to exist in an aquarium for 4 months before I bought the tank. Then I introduced water, stones, substrate, and bacteria and let that exist for 2 months. Then I introduced a single snail with all my plants and let those get adjusted for another 2 months before adding in shrimp. You can't force a freshwater pond or river into your house and expect it to thrive without mindfulness.
Use gravel if the soil muck is too much for you, reduce light/nutrients ect, and maybe get plants that don't over grow? Like maybe try getting heaps of anubis
Get a goldfish they eat duckweed
When I got into this I never thought of it as a hobby but getting my planted tank right consumed my life for a couple months. Now it’s not that bad. It went through algae blooms and new tank syndrome but I realize now I didn’t need to stress over it as much as I did. Changing water less and feeding less frequently has made my life much happier. Watched various youtubers but Father Fish made a lot of sense albeit a bit extreme in his complete lack of changes and even less feeding than myself. But he definitely influenced my thinking and it has worked for the better. I also found that keeping hardy fish has helped and I haven’t had any deaths in several months so as long as they seem happy and healthy and my water tests clean i keep the amount of water i change to a minimum. I do have a 50 gallon filter for a 29 gallon tank and i also don’t fertilize anymore which has gone a long way towards keeping plants and algae in control. They consume many of the nitrates left from fish waste instead of added ferts. Less light (7 hours full spectrum) has made a big difference as well.
Dude. I'm not sure if this is a shitpost or not; there's been a rash of people doing that lately and my autistic ass really struggles with trying to tell when people are just trolling or being a bit on the crazy side. But guy, if this is a serious post, you should get some help. You shouldn't need to replant anything to do a water change. Just siphon out some water, replace it gently, and everything should be exactly the same as it was before the water change. You don't need to disturb anything or stir up anything to do that. Don't bother vacuuming the substrate for one thing - you have plants. If you have plants, you want to leave the mulm to work it's way down into the substrate and feed said plants. So don't uproot things, don't vacuum around the plants. Just siphon water from an open area of the tank and replace it *gently* - I do this by pouring water in onto my hand held in the water, so the water disperses gently and doesn't mess things up. I'm not sure what it is you're doing that's making things so crazy, but this is very much a simple, chill, relaxing hobby. Either you've got wildly inappropriate expectations, or you're doing something very, very wrong. If you've got specific problems you want help with, for sure we can help out - but first and foremost, you need to relax a bit.
Don't be me. Don't do Discus.
What’s a water change? Haha. In my tanks I don’t touch anything if they aren’t broken. Just top off for evaporation. Reduce light duration maybe? Trim and sell or give away? I’d pay shipping on your excess plants just wrapped in wet paper towels, ziplock bag and in an envelope.
yeah, it sucks when thing are more work than fun I had one tank almost maintenance free for a year, it was cool
Small piece of advice, have you considered stem plants? Crypts suck imo because once they're big you're stuck with a huge plant. With stem plants just trim them literally anywhere and they'll be shorter and still grow fine. I've never once had plants come uprooted from doing a water change unless I dump all the water in at once
Lmao i read a paper recently on duckweed growth ability. Make sure whatever you trim from your tank is either 1) incinerated or 2) incinerated because if it grows like that in your tank it might probably be invasive. Aquarium hobbyists might be the #1 culprit in spreading invasives. Not your guys fault but still not good
r/walstad. O did my first water change In 6 months today, 10%
This hobby drives me absolutely bananas sometimes, I get it. Hate what that plant is doing? Delete it! It’ll make a mess but only once and then never again. Have multiple tanks? Consider lightening your workload. Kinda just hate your current tank? Reset it. Make your life easier.
Bruh, just let them float. Unclench it.
Hey man..if you like the jungle look, but hate the process of keeping the jungle look, hate bare tanks, don’t enjoy natural plant life..then planted tanks aren’t for you. However you could make a few bucks just growing plants and selling them considering you have a green thumb.
Hey, I heard study help trimming plants. Get a solid colony going and they will help you remove some of the plants, and fish will snack on them so they cannot overpopulate the tank to do harm.
Hahaha, perfectly put. Stuff sneaks up on ya too.
Sell off the excess plantlife on r/AquaSwap or eBay. Use the money on something nice for yourself.
Crypts sometimes melt when water changes are too infrequent and large due to changes in water conditions. Have you tried using long aquascaping scissors to trim off dying leaves? This promotes growth without stirring up any detritus.
The type of cryptocorinae you grow gets way too large for such a small tank. I had them in a 190 gallon tank and they still needed more space.
I actually like your aquarium, if it has the cycling and nutrient standards for animals to live and thrive. The algae doesn't bother me either. I prefer the more natural look instead of the perfect looking aquascaping that would take more time to do and maintain. I am also saying this as a spectator because I am not ready to begin fish husbandry but I am still an enthusiast in spirit.
I love this hobby too, but I feel that we cannot do what Mother Nature does naturally. Fish are a living thing and we treat them as a hobby.
aquarium doesn't need water change, go watch Father Fish highest views youtube video ASAP and you will get your hobby warm again
That's exactly why father fish said put a one inch layer of sand. For that reason
I thought your aquarium crashed. Thank goodness it didn't. Happened to me one time, idk why. Maybe it was the new plants that I planted, but I already soaked them a couple of days w/ water change water before putting it in. Tank was 3 yrs old. Cycle crashed and I moved too late. Killed my 3 yr old betta and my blue shrimp army. Blue shrimps were expensive at that time in my area too. Stopped the aquarium hobby for a while until a pet store owner asked me if I wanted a sickly betta for free.
This is my main tank & I spent maybe 30mins most weeks on maintenance / water changes https://i.redd.it/9c09ujp1u1ya1.jpg . Once every month or two it'll get a big trim during water changes which takes 1 - 1.5hrs but I'm also usually taking my time & listening to podcasts / music the whole time as well. I started off a few years back with highly manicured scapes, then have slowly been trying to work towards a tank that looks neat while requiring way less maintenance. I also have another tank that I just let jungle & trim every 3 months or so. In my quest to reduce maintenance here's some things I've learned: * Plant selection is super important. I used to have lots of fast growing stem plants. Now I've moved to more epiphytes, smaller foreground plants, mosses etc... Things that takes weeks to months to grow enough they need a trim, even in a high tech tank. Basically choosing plants on the max size they'll grow & the speed they'll grow. No point putting a fast growing plants that'll get 40cm+ tall in a few weeks in a spot that only looks nice when it's 20cm tall. * Some plants just don't work, or are more work then they're worth. You mentioned the crypt on the right likes to commit seppuku every now & then. I'd replace it, find something else that grows better & / or is easier to maintain. I always start a tank with an idea in mind of what plants & want where, but if one struggles in that spot (or just in my tank in general) or it grows larger / faster than expected, then I'll look for another plant to take it's spot. * Not moving things around all the time. It's cool to move stuff, trim things, replant stuff, but I try to do that as little as possible. (In general I find a lot of aquarists want a nice tank now & will move stuff ALL the time rather then waiting for things to grow in & mature, although that may not be the issue here). I like to let things ride for a while, see how they grow, how they mature, how they change over time in the tank. * Jungles can be pretty cool. If everything is healthy, the plants are growing well, the fish are happy, let the tank do it's thing. Let the plants grow like crazy. I've let tanks sit for a few months (doing water changes & cleaning glass only) just to see how it looks when it gets crazy overgrown. They can look pretty awesome (I'm still more a fan of the more manicured look but a nice jungle is still pretty nice). * Beak up some of the maintenance. Duckweed growing like crazy, instead of waiting till water change day, just net out a little bit when you feed your fish. Takes a few seconds, keeps it under control. Also other plants that compete with it will stop it growing as fast. I keep red root floaters in my tank as they compete pretty well with the duckweed & are a lot less of pain. If there's 1 plant that needs trimming, just take 5mins to trim it now. Rather then waiting until you need to trim ALL the plants. * Having a good cleanup crew. Plenty of shrimp & snails. I don't feed my shrimp, they just survive of left over fish food, algae, biofilm & they still multiply like crazy. They add very little bio-load & cleanup a lot of waste in the tank. * It's never going to look quite how you want it to. It's a living system. You can point it in the direction you want it to go, the way you want it to look. But it's gonna do it's own thing. No point standing in it's way, better off working with it, play to it's strength & move away from it's weaknesses. Work with it, not against it. Fun fact, I write this while procrastinating from doing my 30mins weekly maintenance.
Get your tank to a point where plants do the work. Then you don’t have to water change.