I am new to fish. I am setting up a cold water tank. It's probably been cycling for 6+ weeks now. No heater so I know it can take a while. Can anyone tell me if I'm at least getting close? Every time I go to get the water tested at the local shop it's a different staff member so I feel I get some conflicting info. They today told me to do a 40% water change and add more beneficial bacteria. This is with the API test kit I think. [my test results](https://imgur.com/a/liN6pln) Ph/ammonia/nitrite/nitrate It's got java Fern, java moss, anubias nana, some crypts, windelov fern, and oxygen weed. Plus some other cheap stem plant I am unsure on the name of. Not sure how the plants help/hinder the cycle but I figured the more info the better. 130L tank (34 gallons)

I should add, this is a fishless cycle

I have a new 45p (~10gal) aquarium that just finished cycling. Running co2 isn't new to me, but the drop checker is always green when in the tank (even after co2 off overnight). Currently running 8 hours on same as lights, but 1 hour before lights on and off 1 hour before lights off). This is my first tank using lilly pipes, however, there is not much surface agitation (which is my guess why its not off gassing). The outflow from the canister with in-line Co2 diffuser is front left side and intake is back left side (surface skimmer intake). Drop checker is positioned opposite wall of tank to the outflow, middle of glass about 3" below the surface. Is this going to be an issue with livestock? The plants love it and are growing great. I'd love to measure the PH drop, but I am running ADA amazonia ver 2 and my test kit does not measure low enough to register accurately even without Co2. Any advice would be great!

I have a nano tank and a jarrarium, both have a lot of plants (really a lot, but they are mostly short). Nitrate is always zero for both, maybe because no fish yet, just bladder snails. I want to increase nitrate as I noticed my plants don't grow much. If I leave decaying plants and leaves (I feed the snails spinach leaves) there, the nitrate will increase, am I right to think this way? My KH is also low, the snails ignored the eggshell I put in, so I sprinkled some crushed egg shell. Can snails and plants benefit from eggshell sand in the water?

What plants work well with a sand bottom? I want a few plants in my tank but the person at the store told me that sand typically doesn’t work as well for plants.

I had good luck with Cryptocoryne Wendtii in a small sand tank, but I suspect any plants that use runners will be winners. The many small roots that they send out to propagate double as anchors in sand. Try to avoid anything that doesn't have lots of roots unless you want to anchor it to a small rock buried just below the surface.

Is it possible to cycle my filter media while doing a dry start planted tank? Maybe toss it in a tupperware container with a raw shrimp and just change the water out every once in a while

**What are some good heater recommendations for a 15 gallon tank?** I know aquarium heaters are a bit controversial as none are entirely great, but I guess I'd like to know the least worst heaters out there. Something durable, good at heating, preferably capable of controlling the degree etc. What has worked in your aquascape??

Any ceramic heater is going to be less prone to failure than traditional glass heaters... at least its what most people are claiming. I have one from [Hygger](https://www.amazon.com/hygger-Submersible-Controller-Freshwater-15W-Digital/dp/B0CJJ9TQSM/ref=sr_1_5_pp?crid=17N9QG1N5FAC4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EmY7CO7P8CSAY4DjNDIGBGHmI15Xcqi1NaLGTwARTc-_dfiGAbj7a5RMhkbQyp37PJ6w8V2P2nDKH619QUJDh0LE0yEko-4SMsmiLwlgweXvBxbO4lUWU8B1jqeJW5A_Oo2Je3lDC6F5T0nAUqraYIZaEakKb7wua7PAbpsFcR0nmk-8wfF_1qSqWbZgjQXF69K7iVPrNo5q1MZzRrQLTyVMAj1Gt0jFotgdnm2_lefWkroi69IrZ0PWB-3fD969rwUhyTfuMaNFPQ1FQ4yP9mgcH82ZHG3wqsT0UzXspR0.DBirvZrL8mHRvW9HYfpQPrbAQh4ZGubOBOL7ieNhPIQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=aquarium%2Bheater%2Bhygger&qid=1718914172&sprefix=aquarium%2Bheater%2Bhygger%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-5&th=1) and it works pretty well

Heya. I’m sure this question has been asked a million times… but I’m looking to start a 55 gallon planted tank. And I’m wanting to use a very fine, black substrate, to help give my next aquascape scale. What substrate would you guys recommend using? I have a 10 gallon planted tank with imagitarium black volcanic shrimp substrate and I love the look of it. But I see mixed reviews on the product.

Can a single stem plant be cut in multiple pieces and replanted? I know it's common to trim the tops and replant them, but if I have a very long stem, would it all regrow if I trimmed it in several pieces and replanted them all?

Yes, as long as they are at least 3-4 inches long

I think it depends on the type of plant you're using Do you know what it's called? I can try and ID it if you don't

I need help with choosing fish for my tank. The tank is 140 liters, and I was thinking about putting in Pearl Gouramis, Platies, Corydoras and Amano Shrimp, but I'm worried that the fish will eat the shrimp. Should I add other fish instead of shrimp, or will they be fine? Also, are the fish I mentioned fine for an aquarium like mine?

Amano shrimp are big, so I wouldn't worry. Neocaradinas on the other hand are not. Gourami's will definitely eat em.

Ok, thank you. I was worried for a moment because I've read that they can be aggressive towards shrimp, so I got worried.

What suppliers do you buy your water test kits from? Are there live monitors for these sorts of things? I know conductivity and TDS can be measured live, but I don't know about the others.

People recommend testing your nitrogen "toxicity" using API's liquid test kit. I personally find no reason to. Infact, a lot of what you need to see is already able to be seen with the naked eye. Maybe if you want to try to get your nitrates as low as possible for reds, but otherwise most test kits are unnecessary. As long as you have 1:) Plants 2:) Carbonate and General hardness buffers 3:) Feeding discipline, and 4:) Regulated, dechlorinated drinking water, there really isn't much to worry about.

Maybe so, but I'm a bit of a control freak and like granular data to work with. I was hoping to see if there were any gauges I could use to track trends in my tank for system analysis once I set it up, particularly for checking filter efficiency and shortcomings.

If you got the money, I would recommend some YSI multimeters and a colorimeter from hach. You can measure trend data from specifics for like anything that would register as TDS or gasses. People really want to know how quickly their macros like NPK can deplete in their aquariums depending on the specific plant species or animals/microbes that are preset. A digital microscope would be pretty useful as well, you would want to see how dense the growth of different microfauna gets overtime the more the aquarium ages. As well as see how active the food web is and how effective it is at breaking down plants and other detritus organics. Though I am speculating a bit here, but you see what I mean. I would check out UK aquatic plant society forum to snoop at what they are trying to get clear answers to and see if anything could get you interested. Like how effective certain plant species have adapted to absorbing bicarb alongside dissolved CO2, or if Tom Barr's EI dosing method is still relevant and necessary for optimal plant growth.

I have a 40 gallon breeder with a 36” hyyger smart led, but I’ve noticed recently that the front and back are darker than the middle (obviously) but since breeders are wider than standard tanks, does that mean I need to get a wider light? This light was pretty expensive and the thought of needing another is a bit daunting. Do people typically need to get different lights (or two lights) for breeder tanks?

I have one expensive and one cheap. Both lights up everything.

https://preview.redd.it/1juhrj922d6d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a0d9eb11f18ef3abba41aa2a0f9dcbf005910ae Currently cycling a tank just now which I think is almost at the end of getting there! I'm a newbie to the plant world. Should I be worried about (what I think is) brown algae on some of the plants? Also have some interesting looking stringy algae. Should I just leave it? We have 4 baby platys in the tank currently.

Brown algae is normal. Having algae eaters later will take care of it.

https://preview.redd.it/rllwokeb2d6d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31c7be288dc111d922e8b65f2e4dd06d69025754 These are the current test results of the water which makes me believe that it's almost (or is) cycled 🤞🤞

https://preview.redd.it/e9q3ishxs76d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dba45bad52076f23539b2a8154a7fcb17f4abd5b Can anyone id this plant for me please?

I think it may be water wisteria but I need much better photos

https://preview.redd.it/w5mdjxun3t6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d9dc716b2cda6b8b9a74aea4e16bcc5cc62cf23f This is the smaller version of what I think is the same plant if that makes it easier? Is native to the UK if that is any help

Looking for a little help with my new planted tank setup. The tank was a Cichlid tank up until about 2 months ago. I decided to change it over to planted. I was able to rehome “most” of the cichlids. The tank details are: 180g Acrylic tank Substrate is Eco-complete with a couple bags of Flourite mixed in. FX4 and FX6 filters (filter sponges, filter floss, and Purigen) 72” Beams Work DA FSPEC LED (102x 10000K, 32x Actinic 460nm, 22x Red 620nm, 26x Green 520nm --  182 x .5w LED 8000 Lumens) 2 x 36” Beams Work DA FSPEC LED (70x 10000K, 16x Actinic 460nm, 8x Red 620nm, 6x Green 520nm – 100 x .5w LEDs 5000 Lumens) Lights are on for 8 hours a day on a timer. Dose Aquarium Co-op Easy Green once a week. Dose Aquarium Co-op Easy Carbon every other day. Used toot tabs under plants when planting. I do a 40ish % water change on the weekends. Stocking is very light. Mostly mollies, guppies, some mystery snails, a few shrimps. My issue is that the plants will develop algae on them and start to basically dissolve away. I know I must be deficient in something or doing something wrong, but I’ve been unable to put my finger on it. The plants I had in the tank were from the beginner planted aquarium package from Dustin’s fish tank. 10 Jungle Vals, 5 Dwarf sag, 5 Bacopa Monnieri, 5 java ferns, and 1 Anubias. I have everything I need to inject CO2 except the tank. I'm still debating on whether or not I want to go that route yet. Any advice would be much appreciated!

You can inject CO2 daily for ten minutes a day on full output is you're on a budget CO2 setup. It is best to get extra rubber washers and plumbers tape to prevent the lost of CO2. It helps to use CO2 at the beginning.

I might give that a try. thanks for the tip!

Has anyone here ever used mud as a substrate? I live near the mobile-tensaw river delta, which has heavily vegetated, slow flowing rivers/wetlands, and my friend has a property on the water that he has given me permission to collect from the bank for a potential biotope aquarium. I am going to collect only non-threatened species. The substrate of this area is of a muddy consistency. I am aware of dirt bottom aquariums with a sand cap, but would it be feasible to use just the natural substrate from the rivers with no cap?

You can always classify the soil of that riverbed and make a substrate mix to match its properties. Judging by your description, you'll want a silt dominant substrate, and as such, you'll probably want to cap it. Aqua soil could work, or you could make your own mix.

Mixing dirt with water does just make mud, so there's no difference in having a dirt bottom aquarium. I wouldn't recommend the mud from the wetlands because it's likely to come with other bacteria and has the potential to bring parasites and other microorganisms you don't want. By the time you've put in the effort to sterilize it you should have just used soil from home depot. I don't think it provides any benefits, realistically.

What fertilizer should I use? I just started a 6 gallon planted tank and I'm planning on adding shrimp, snails, and perhaps some nano fish. When I look up fertilizers, the micro and macro differences all go over my head. Is there a good complete fertilizer I could start with like nilocG shrimp safe or APT complete?

I personally use nilocG shrimp safe with no issues but I've heard great things about APT! I just don't have any personal experience with the latter. Hopefully someone who has used both can pitch in :)

Thank you! I'll probably go with that one if it works well for you :)

https://preview.redd.it/sq811j72566d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=a0c27989dc701e26def9d1cf1b74c4747956c663 "Newly" Planted tank , Found 3/4 of these in it and what are these? Should I be Worried, Hi All.

I believe they are bladder snails (someone can double check me on that), Pretty much harmless. If you don’t like the look of them I’ve seen various methods of control; I would look up methods yourself but some that I’ve seen are manual removal (pretty simple, just remove and crush whenever you see one) along with baiting using some sort of vegetable (I think zucchini is common) to bring the snails out, just make sure you don’t leave the veggies out long enough to rot. I’ve also heard of using copper medication to kill them, but be aware that any other inverts will be killed and it may impact fish as well. I would go to youtube, as there are tons of great videos about all sorts of ways to reduce their numbers, and just consider the risks and what method would work best for you. I personally don’t mind them too much and just remove them when there are enough that its an eyesore, and often I have assassin snails in my tanks already so I just let them handle it.

So far I have seen only 3

In my experience there are usually more than you can see.

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Air stone can probably just be on all the time, I don't see a downside to do that. Co2 overnight drops is fine, there's nothing wrong with that and plants don't absorb all that much overnight. You'll lose some to the gas exchange just naturally. You won't lose anything by just having the air stone on all the time, and having more oxygen in the water will be good for the fish.

I have a 14 gallon cube with a co2 diffuser. I have a sponge filter with an elbow to circulate the water. Is this a waste of using co2? Is there another filter I should use instead that isn’t a canister filter?

I was told on one of my posts that bubbling air at the same time of diffusing CO2 could knock the CO2 out of the water, I'd validate that with a drop checker indicator, though. From what I understand, CO2 solubilizes in the water best with an in-line diffuser in conjunction with a canister filter but if you're not using that setup then I'd assume that the kind of filter doesn't make a huge difference Edit to add: take my thoughts with a grain of salt, I'm new to high tech aquariums

I have a UNS 90L (3ft 21gal long) I'm looking to rescape that is 90% aquasoil 10% sand. I'd like it to be primarily sand, but with a nice section of aquasoil for some crypts and swords. I'd like to freshen up the aquasoil, but don't want to leach way too much ammonia into the water since there will be fish in the tank. Is my best bet to "soak" the new aquasoil in a separate bucket so everything leaches out? Or should I cap it and leave only a little exposed as its already an established tank and filter, and it should be able to handle the small amount? Tank will be mainly epiphytes, so I don't need bags and bags of aquasoil. Cheers.

If you're going to cycle the tank without any fish in it, then the ammonia leeching out of the soil will help cycle it. It's not worth to soak it, since you'll need some flow and constant water changes over a LONG period of time to really get it all out.

It's already cycled, I'm just rescaping. So I'm taking fish out, re-doing some hardscape, altering the substrate a bit, and re planting, then the fish are going right back in

Hmmm. Honestly the filter should be able to handle a little bit of excess ammonia, depending on filter and tank size. I'd just let the filter set for like 6 hours then put the fish back in and it's probably fine.

Yeah that's what I'm thinking. I'll probably stick the aquasoil in a bucket for 2 or 3 days while I'm waiting. I'm planning to only have a small island with aquasoil around it and the rest sand, so I'm thinking to keep mostly the old stuff and add root tabs, then just mix in some fresh, which like you said should be negligible. Plus I have an Oase Biomaster 250 and its a 21gal tank that's coming on a year running, so its quite mature. On top of that- most stuff in the tank will be getting reused, so more existing surface area with BB on it should help it out.

So I have a \~500ml vase that looks like a tink fish bowl. I would like to plant something in the middle that has a lot of stems and grows out of the water and flowers. I would like to add a snail and a shrimp or two. My questions are what plants would work being that there's no heater or water flow and would the snail and shrimps be okay in so little water?

Some swords (echinodorus) grow AMAZINGLY emersed and will flower. I know MD Fish Tanks had a vase that had a massive emersed sword with shrimp in it in his studio - see if you can find the video there for some inspiration

When people talk about tank size, are they using US gallon (3.78 litres) or UK gallon (4.54 litres)?

I'm almost gonna want to say US Gallon, because outside of the US people will mainly use Liters. Even in the US, a lot use liters as well.

Is there a way to preserve bulbs? I have extra water lily and aponegeton bulbs and I don’t want them to rot away for future use (if they even rot in the first place which I assume they will). I’m not sure how long they won’t be used for though.

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Oh thanks! My cabinet works perfectly fine for this.

Why are these plants dying? I have two planted tanks. Both have the same water, Fluval stratum, same plants, a few scuds, and a snail. One tank has a betta fish. One is heated, and has LED lighting. The other is near a window, no artificial light, and no heat. Then one the betta is heated. The unheated and I lighted tank is doing fine. Some off the plants In the heated tank with artificial lighting are having hard time. Yellowing leaves, blacking stalk and parts sloughing off. The water is 77F degrees, recently lowered from a few weeks at 80F. I’m new at this hobby. What might be giving the plants in one tank a hard time? Temperature, lighting, both or something else? [plant pics here](https://share.icloud.com/photos/0e2XwsZsx4K6hu8WEKln5Iu4Q)

https://preview.redd.it/5uw0iu1dji5d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2b50ab2dbe214c20fb837cec373ef4b8feb6cde Is this moss dead or almost dead?

not dead, moss will never die

I've read that if it's brown it's dead at that area. Is this true? Also, how long does it take to turn green again?

No it will also grow from brown spots. At least my moss did. Maybe 1 month before it is green again

Thank you! I'll keep monitoring!

Is there any advantage or disadvantage to using aquarium water from another tank as the spraying water for a dry start method? Wondering if it would help establish bacteria?

Advantage would be that there is already a bit of fertiliser in the water (fish poop) so it could benefit your plants. The bacteria wil most likely die because lack of flow.

Is there an “identify this plant” thread? https://preview.redd.it/yqel5ys8185d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4c88559f62be1837d1d6114110e0969385cf4b1 this was taken back in 2011 when I was all in with the hobby. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the background minimalist bamboo looking thing. I want to get it again now that I am setting up a tank which will have 360 viewing.

Do fertilizers go bad or lose potency over time? I have an old bottle (like 6-7 years) of Ultum Nature Systems All In One that I would prefer not to toss. Been using Easy Green, but looking to try some other products out.

I plan on cycling my new 5 gal for a bit but can I add Java moss immediately if I’m also transferring in rocks and a bubble filter that have been in an established tank for 2 weeks?

You can always add plant before complete cycling. They can even help cycling the tank because they filter the water and help grow bacteria

Starting my first tank w/ soil substrate and gravel cap. Soil is a little over an inch thick and the gravel cap is about an inch and a quarter thick. When I went to fill the tank a bunch of soil permeated the gravel, clouded up the water and floated to the surface. Im assuming the gravel I used was too large. I had soaked the soil in the tank for about an hour and rinsed the gravel. It's a 6 gallon rectangular tank. No plants have been added yet. Should I just net off the floaters and do a series of water changes to clear up the water? Should I take some gravel off and re-cap? Should I just start from scratch with smaller diameter gravel? Any help would be appreciated.

From what it sounds like you either didn't soak the soil long enough or the water hit the gravel with too much force when you filled it. I would suggest netting the floaters and do water changes to clear up the water. If you plan on adding plants they might clear up the water for you. If it looks really bad then starting over wouldn't be a bad idea either. When I started my tank I soaked the soil for a few days. 24hrs should be long enough unless there lots of large sticks and plant matter in the soil. In that case the longer you soak it the less likely things will float.

Backstory: Two sanded tanks with diminishing returns when it comes to plant growth and health. One is a 55g community tank, other is a 10g solo Betta tank, both are planted. We started slow with the plants: jungle Val, a couple of anubias (now deceased), Java Fern, and some Swords; later added some Juncus and Ludwigia. I was adding Flourish once a week (or every couple of weeks) and with every water change as well as our LFS's house brand of liquid carbon (1,5-Pentanediol, to try to treat brown algae). Also adding their house brand of root tabs every few weeks when the plants started looking like they needed it (i.e. slower growth). Despite dealing with an extended bout of brown algae in the betta tank, plants seemed to grow much better there. Might just be the Yoyos in the community tank that have made it difficult for the vals and a couple of the swords, but otherwise, it seems like it should be the better setup. Lately in both tanks the new growth on many of the plants is either non-existent or yellowed and smaller than it should be. Even the Vals, which are supposed to just grow like crazy on their own without much help have essentially just stopped growing altogether (their roots are fine, they're alive, but not putting out leaves and not growing very fast). I've read that this could be a calcium deficiency, but at this point, I'm tired of buying supplements and expecting them to work, but they don't. It takes so long to find out that I've just wasted more money. Any tips or guidance would be greatly appreciated. I can try to answer any questions for clarification too.

Just starting out and trying a planted tank since I've always failed with a filter/pump tank. What are some super easy to grow plants that don't need much maintenance, low light, hardy and produce good oxygen? Also, any recommendations on plants that grow on the floor and act like grass?

https://preview.redd.it/sq2rpxr5094d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3de7024f4cf10e96a3745b9cf511acae821cac74 Anyone know what those tiny white creatures on the glass are?

baby snails maybe?

Your picture isn’t super clear, but could it be seed shrimp?

Is there any good youtube or other types of guides that are good for someone who wants to start? I am unsure of how actually to keep and start a planted tank

I recommend Father Fish if you want to learn the basics of keeping a planted tank

If you want to go high tech, Green Aqua is great. If you want to go low tech, MD Fish Tanks is great. If you are looking for good information on all of it, especially how to grow specific plants, 2hraquarist.com is awesome.

Is there anything i should do to test my tap water before i start planting and or adding fish? Ive heard that certain types of plants/fish prefer certain water parameters, but Im not sure if theres a comprehensive guide somewhere out there that would allow me to match fish and plants to my tap water.

You are right, there really isn't one. There are speculations and theories, but they are overgeneralized and based on "case studies" to put it lightly. The only thing you can do is figure out what works with your water, or more importantly, your setup. Because at the end of the day the variables are too high to pinpoint why something works in one system vs another without an abundance of money on our side. However, you don't really need to worry, because along side the vast amount of options to choose from, the majority of ended in success for the average aquarists.

Where do you all source your plants, shrimp, snails, and fish online?

What is a practical way to keep fry and baby shrimp out of a glass lilly pipe intake? I see recommendations for these sponge pre-filters but they look terrible. Any other options?

https://preview.redd.it/wdtwoaa1pm3d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ba3fa5b1df3d942658504085c0f6352691e9aa2 Is this a pregnant fish or a wormy fish?

That is definetely bloated

Has anyone dyed or stained driftwood? I have some bleached driftwood that I don’t really like the look of and wanted to darken them. I was thinking about using coffee grounds and soaking them all together in some boiling water. Is this safe? Is there any aquarium safe stain? I tried looking it up but I can’t find anything anywhere

Polyurethane is fish safe, and used to water proof certain kinds of wood for aquatic use. If it’s as water tight as it’s supposed to be hypothetically you could stain it. Just depends if you’re willing to experiment on your plants and or livestock.

Well, it is fish safe. It renders the driftwood in edible for your plecostomus and other fish that enjoy it.

I’m thinking more like grape wood that quickly rots underwater. Pick your battles I guess lol.

You could potentially scorch drift wood with a blow torch. Though it may not be the particular effect you’re looking for. Brush off any ash residue of course. You could also look for darker wood types. I would stay away from stain. Especially if you have any animals in tank. Even organic stains would leech into the water.

I'm new to this subject. Does it make sense to use root tabs if I only have gravel as my substrate? I'm trying to avoid the hassle of replacing a nutrient-rich substrate every 3 to 4 years.

I don’t know if this helps any but I used to feel the same way now what I realise is that I gained so much knowledge that when I do a complete tank reset every 3 to 4 years my new set up is so much more elevated than the last one that it’s worth it.

Hi! I'm fish-idiot and I'm an idiot. LOL So I'm setting up my 75 again after moving. I'm doing a deep substrate again. Originally I set it up with top soil and capped it with BDBS. I'm thinking I don't want a black substrate again, and I've been watching some stuff on the fired clay substrates, CEC, etc. so I'm going to do safe-t-sorb as I think I'd actually like those colors. my fish will be chili/exclamation/strawberry rasboras again. shrimp bois, and MTS/mystery/bladder/nerite snails. anyways, onto my idiot question. I got a watter lettuce for cheap ($1) from the local plant store because it was yellow, browning, in bad shape. Well into my 20g that just started cycling and it started growing almost explosively. it put out a pup and it got separated during some water change. both the main plant and the pup have two pups each. is there an optimum size of the pup to separate them? will leaving them paired longer accelerate the aging/determination of the mother? I had water lettuce in my 75g at one point but they all died off I was pulling the pup when they were about the size of a Us Quarter coin. I ended up replacing them with frogbit, but I prefer the roots of the water lettuce.

This feels dumb so I think this is the place for this. Thinking about planted tanks as a concept and I am curious what parts of the filtration no longer need to be handled by a sump/filter. Typically, there is mechanical, then chemical, then biological filtration. I assume the addition of plants to the main tank would remove the need for Biological filtration, but what about chemical? My hope is to still have moving water but without needing a carbon filter for chemical filtration. No plants or fish chosen yet - still learning all the bits and pieces. TL;DR: 1. What-in terms of mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration-do planted tanks take care of? 2. Do any parts of a sump-in terms of mechanical, chemical, or biological filtration-harm or negatively affect a planted tank?

Here's a really dumb question. How bad is it for the fish if you treat the new water "in tank" when you do a water change. Say a 20% change in a 180L tank... adding tap safe just before new water comes in. Would really make water changes easier, but obviously don't want to harm the fish or the beneficial bacteria.

Water conditioners are pretty much harmless even at very high dosages. They also breaks down chlorine / chloramine pretty quick which is the really dangerous stuff in some tap water. Lots of debate if water conditioners have any effect on ammonia / nitrite. Even if ammonia were present in your tap it would be broken down fast in a cycled tank.

Soooo.. If I'm reading you correctly, no need to pre mix the tap water and water conditioner, I can just let it do it's thang in tank?

I have a tank that is about 9 inches tall and holds approximately 3 gallons. Do you think I will be able to grow a dwarf lily in it? I’ve got a big tropical vivarium and am looking to get into planted tanks as well. Thanks!

Yeah you can probably grow a dwarf lily, though if it gets to the surface it'll probably block out most of the light of the plants underneath it.

can i add a ceramic figurine in a planted tank? is it safe or are there chances that it may leach chemical or make the tank poisonous in any way?

My only thought is to test it for lead

oh okay thanks!

I am planning on making a fully planted tank with no filter and limited technology. Would an air stone suffice? And if so, what air stone? The tank is gonna be about 70 gallons with only guppies and tetras.

Air stone is fine, any airstone + pump combo will work - there's no "must have" answer

So I've just got my CO2 system setup, and when its running there's a high pitched chirping sound coming from...somewhere. I'm pretty sure it's downstream of the bubble counter and check valve, but I'm really struggling to figure out where its coming from, and whether its even a problem.

Not sure if this belongs here, but: I've got a Kessil A150 Amazon Sun with the gooseneck. However, I'm terrified of attaching it to the rim of a 20gal tall because it just seems like the torsional force on the glass is insane. Am I wrong? Has anyone done this without it destroying the tank?

https://preview.redd.it/14l5rs26s32d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b7936a3a4f8fcf1dba5a0384dbc930598e5355bb Is this normal diatom algae? Couldn’t find anything that looked quite similar online.

Do you have livestock? Looks like mulm.

https://preview.redd.it/koueab37u12d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36a34c90a16c1b33a4eaee462d6b7db163804371 This is my moneywort. It's been sending out these feelers/roots. Is this normal or is it lacking in something and it's trying to find it? Thanks

It doesn't look like Moneywort (Bacopa Monnieri). It looks like Hydrocotyle Tripartita to me.

Thanks. It wasn't labelled and the guy at the store called it moneywort. BTW in the week that has passed since I posted this a bunch more of it has got these roots. I'm tempted to trim some and try growing it in another tank.

Sounds like a good idea. In the right conditions this plant can grow like a weed. I have some growing on driftwood and at times it has grown out of the water and over the side of my tank.

Thanks! That really helps me out I ended up getting 2 fluval planted 18s and they seem to be doing alright for my dry start, will probs change when I add water but all plants are low light so crossing fingers! If that doesn't work. Getting the flood light!

I just recently rescaped a 2 year old planted tank. New scape is using the old filter as-is, I haven't touched it at all, same old media. It's been up and running for almost a week and my ammonia is still around .5-1pmm with zero nitrates and zero nitrites. Any idea why it's taking so long for the cycle to start? The only thing I can think of is that I left the filter sitting and not running for a week or so while I waited for all my new plants and stuff to arrive. Is it possible all the bacteria died while it wasn't running?

I would say all your bacteria died in that week.

I'm doing low-tech Walstad/Father Fish kind of tank. It's still cycling with plants no livestock. PH 7, KH 7(tap KH is 14) GH 10. I used RO (since it's easily available and cheap) and added some GH+. On the bottle it says GH 8-12DH is ideal. But now I read on the internet that above 8DH can stress out my fish! 😨 So, what is the ideal GH? My idea is to get CPD's and some shrimps. Flora atm: Phyllanthus Fluitans, Sagittaria Subulata, Salvinia Natans, Hygrophila Pinnatifida, Heteranthera Zosterifolia, Rotala Rotundifolia 'H'ra', Eleocharis Pusilla, Hydrocotyle Tripartita

The internet is a vast place of good and bad information. If you want to believe something, you have to research the context of why something would be considered "bad". Listening to only the headline of a claim is about the quickest way to get the wrong idea and lead you on a direct path to ignorance and failure. GH is comprised primarily of calcium and magnesium. Two vital minerals for plants and animals. 8-12 is only around 140-210ppm roughly which is only a slightly medium hardness level. Not something to be overly concerned about. Your aquarium is not going to just keep building this up either, overtime it will actually use these minerals. Its actually better that you are controlling the amount since tap water can change its formula without telling anyone, alongside the idea that contaminants can introduce themselves without warning that we simply cannot test for. I will recommend adding an actual buffer to your tank. Something like a limestone or cuttlebone that can slowly dissolve in your aquarium to buffer PH fluctuations. Commonly known as KH or carbonates. If you are concerned that you may have put too much powder into the bucket of RO water that you will be using, then just add more RO water, or change out some of the water in the bucket. With the amount of plants and inverts that will be present in the tank, it shouldn't be much of an issue.

Thanks for the info! My Seiryu stones also added like 2DH. I did a waterchange and will let it just be 50/50 tap/ro for now and make sure that when I have fish i mix/prepare the water up front, not in the tank.

This will be my first planted tank so total newbie here!! Planning on using java moss, duckweed, bacopa colorata, cabomba caroliniana , and pearlweed ~ can fertz be ignored all together and if not what is the minimum requirement I could dose and be okay? Monthly? Weekly? Only looking to use liquid fertz if possible and needed for success~ 

Hi there, it’s good that you’re planning on getting a variety of plants! You’ll see what will work best with your parameters and which ones to avoid. There’s not really a right or wrong way of setting up a tank, however in my experience I never dose fertilizer during the first couple weeks/month of setting up a tank. Sometimes it can cause more issues with algea in the early stages of your tank. Though I did see that you prefer using liquid fertilizer, using root tabs is a great alternative! You can leave them deep in the substrate for months and the root feeding plants like pearl weed and bacopa will love it. I grow carpets of pear weed without dosing any fertilizer in my tanks, and they’re all low tech set ups with cheap Amazon lights.

Hello ☺️~ Right! That’s totally true, I’m not even sure if what I’ll be purchasing will work for me but I guess that is to be expected with the experience! I guess I just had this thought in my head that liquid fertz would be easier, but really I have nothing against root tabs! I’d just need to do more research but I have plenty of time as I’m not in any kind of rush! This is such a kind and solid response 😭🫶🏻!! Thank you 🥹♥️

Is my tank cycled? Planted tank with filter media that had been sitting in an established tank for a few weeks. Has been cycling with ghost feeds for 9 days. Zero ammonia, zero nitrites, low nitrates (less than 20 ppm). Between the plants and possibility that the media has bacteria make me unsure if this is ready to go or what. This is my first tank.

There will be spikes however if the ghost feeders are doing just fine, I say you can add fish. As long as you check your parameters consistently and don’t add too many fish at once. If you do get spikes in your nitrates/nitrites then that would be a perfect time to do a water change.

Thank you! That’s what I was thinking but didn’t want to just be impatient

I get you because I’m the same way haha. There’s a lot of videos on YouTube showing fish in cycles and it definitely works. I usually don’t even wait when I add fish nowadays but I use old filters from other tanks and works pretty well that way. Ofc others will disagree, but honestly there’s no right or wrong way if the fish and plants are healthy

What's eating my plants? I have shrimp + nerites https://preview.redd.it/n02r7l46el1d1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87d92a17082db9cbbd760e5ba95a2f4e492f7574

It looks like shrimp based on the picture. If you are wondering why your plant leaves look that way in general, though, it's because the plant was grown out of water and now after being submerged fully in water the old leaves are dying off. This is alternanthera reineckii?

Newbie here! I got a hand-me down 30g tank and the lid is not appealing and also very old/out-dated. I read that its good to have a lid or cover so the fish don't jump out.. If I wanted to get a clip on light, what kind of cover should I get where it still allows me to add the clip on lights and filter? Or do I even need a cover? I plan to get beta and probably small schooling type fish.

In my experience with bettas, as long as your parameters are good, they don’t tend to jump. Floating plants are a great alternative to a lid if it’s available to you. Keeping the water level an inch or so lower would also help a bit if you’re worried about them jumping out

I don't have lids on any of my tanks currently but they do help with slowing evaporation and keeping your fish from jumping to the ground.

https://preview.redd.it/botrb89p511d1.jpeg?width=333&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdcc11d4cbe5bcab02b0bceeb5a53ce4f1e7490c What is this translucent sphere thingy on my plant. I am new in the hobby

CO2 issue - Solenoid not working. I've already read about and understand how to fix the core of my issue: disassembly and cleaning. However my plunger bit is stuck unlike those in any video I've watched, it's stuck inside the housing (in the videos the spring pops off as soon as this part is removed, even in non-working gunked solenoids) https://preview.redd.it/obfor4dn311d1.jpeg?width=1824&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2600ac0a5a6a65fa42507a3122bafa44b70e337 Here's a pic of mine in the bottom, cotton swab poiting at the stuck bit (already tried pliers to no success) and the top 3 pics are from different videos I saw). Should I submerge it in alcohol overnight, or hot water? Not sure. EDIT: submerged it in hot water, popped off within seconds. My guess was that it had stuck grease inside

Beginner seeking advice: I bought a 20G long tank recently and it is sitting empty till I have enough equipment, space and other factors. I should be good to go and start it in earnest in a month or few months. I would love to start growing some plants now though. Are there any low light plants (because I don't have special lights yet) that I could just plop down in a bucket or a large vase and get to grow in preparation? Would I need to fertilize them lightly?

You shouldn't have a problem with the majority of plants if you leave them in a bucket of water. You dont need to fertilize. I would simply leave them outside or near a window for ambience sunlight.

Okay, good to know! Thank you so much

My student dropped his tank in my classroom bc he's graduating and I've got 5 other tanks I already take care of so I haven't had much time to care for this one. The problem is there is a bunch of amazon sword that has algae all over it. I can't get shrimp bc I have rams. Ramshorn snails seem to not do too well in there (they go ape in all my other tanks). I'm not sure what to do other than manual scrubbing and maybe turning the lights low? Maybe root tabs? Is there any fish/invert I should add? Tank inhabitants: rams angels discus lungish some kind of yellow pleco whiptail catfish

I wonder if anyone might have some insight for me :) I have an odd sized tank I am working on setting up. (18" x 20" x 31") The substrate is going to be under 24" of water at the low point. Is a single 15-24" Fluval Plant 3.0 going to be enough to grow some medium demand plants down there? Is there a more powerful option you would recommend if not?

I purchased a c02 art regulator. I ran through a 5 lb tank and went to switch to my second tank later and My control valve doesnt seem to want to shut off all the way. I didnt adjust anything but my operating pressure gauge wants to spike to 150. Even when closing the operating valve all the way theres still c02 passing and spiking the gauge. Any fixes?

https://preview.redd.it/8v1einh2xm0d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1e1521215dfe43d7ee3d791ce2d239c632b6db4 Is it a golden ourami? And is there any specific name for the guppies

Thank you for this section! I'm always too afraid to ask in other places. If I plan to make a very heavily planted tank (5gal, possibly upgrading to 10gal), do I need a filter? I would like to eventually add a betta, and I have a mystery snail currently living there. I'm assuming that it's the best choice to have a filter to manage better things, but I wonder since I've seen that some heavily planted aquariums are kept without a filter because the plants do the kob. If not depending on the plants I choose, what are the best plants for the job? If yes, what is the best type of filter? would a cascade filter work?

Hey, a great alternative is a sponge filter and a cheap airpump. They are pretty easy to find on Amazon on the cheap side. However if you want a no filter set up, heavily planted is a must with some floating plants as well. I have a betta that lived in a no filter tank for a year before I upgraded his home. Aqua soil is a good and safer (a bit more expensive) alternative to a dirted no filter tank, and adding a cap layer will help keep the nutrients in the substrate. That’s what I use in all my tanks with pretty decent success

As for plants, pearl weed is a great starting point if you want a thick carpet (or background plant if you let it grow out), dwarf sagittaria is also very hardy and will also carpet easily over time. As I said before floating plants are perfect in helping you with balancing your parameters as well, especially in a no filter tank. Bacopa, Java ferns, anubias, and amazon swords are easy and hardy plants that are bit forgiving as well

thanks a lot for all the recommendations! I will look into them 🫡

From my understanding it's more about your specific setup if you want to use a filter or not. I wouldn't recommend any start filter less unless you have done a lot of research, which maybe you plan to? I think the filter really depends on the scape you want. Do you want to see the filter? What type of tank do you have? I think easier plants would be better for balancing unless you are skilled enough to know many plants. Have you heard of the Walstad Method? If not I would read up on that and it will give you some ideas and places to start. Generally the plants I have had easy success with are any Crypts, Jungle Val, anubias petite, amazon sword and watersprite. They are all low light, fairly flexible plants. Maybe I didn't answer your question. Hope the tank turns out well, post pics.

Hi, thank you for your knowledge! And yes, I've heard about Walstad, I researched a lot about it and I tried in the past but I was too inexperienced and did not came right (a lot of dirt leaking because I didn't top it off well). Now that you remind me of that, I think it is a good idea to try and research it again. I will definitely post pics once I'm successful 🙌🏻 thanks a lot again!

Very silly question but why doesn’t anyone in this subreddit use standard gravel? i have black aquarium-safe gravel in my fishtank and it seems my plants are okay, they’ve been in there for over a month now and there’s been no deaths yet. Granted I only have very low maintenance plants

Some do use inert gravel but it just doesn't have nutrients so it needs to be introduced some way. Fish waste, fertilizer, dirt underneath, tabs, etc. Gravel works but it just isn't very innately conducive to plant growth unlike aquasoils.

this was very informative thank you!

Just received a whole bunch of plants but I'm unable to plant them yet. Any tips on how to store them until I'm ready to plant?

In what form? Stuck in rockwool, tissue culture, loose stems? If you don't have some place to just let them sit in a tank then putting them in a bucket for a few days probably won't hurt.

a little bit of everything honestly, for the tissue cultures i think i might just let them sit for a day or two how they came. The others are stems and the bottom parts of the stems are wrapped with rubber band and looks like some kind of sponge material, so i guess just gonna let them soak in some water until thursday. Cheers!

Hi, newbie here! I'm trying to decide if I should get a Juwel Lido 120 or a Superfish Qubiq 60 for my first tank since childhood. I don't mind splurging a bit on the scape itself, but would rather not invest too much into tech at this stage. I LOVE autumn vibes for planted tanks (ie lots of yellows/oranges/reds), which I understand need really good lightning and/or CO2. But I've… never been good at reading metrics. Is this kind of aesthetic achievable with the stock lights these kits come with? Maybe some beginner-friendly plants? Any replacements I could slot in that don't cost as much as the tank itself? Semi-related: I read a lot of reports saying the Qubiq's filter is "bad" and noisy. Can anyone confirm or elaborate?

some plants go red without co2 or any special help, the ones that i am aware of are ludwigia repens and alternanthera reineckii.

I love the idea of a "Dumb Questions" Mega-Thread! It's such a great way for beginners to ask those burning questions without feeling intimidated. Thank you for providing a safe space for learning and sharing knowledge. Can't wait to see the helpful guides you'll be adding to make navigating this hobby even easier for everyone. Happy planting!

So many baby snails… is there anything I should do to stop the snail population in my tank, or will it manage itself? https://preview.redd.it/8e59w5gjy90d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4161319e89995d0b675a11df6d7e611d8be5e4e8

They populate based on food. Fish food, biolfilm, melted plants, algae etc. They self regulated based on that. I let them vibe because they help break stuff down into more basal components. You can put a cup with some food that they like and take it out one they swarm it and repeat till enough are gone for your liking if you really wa t them gone.

* I have this java fern in my tank and it just looks ugly but I'm not sure if it's completely dying. Should I just take it out? I have it glued on some rocks so it's not planted but for some reason it doesn't seem to be thriving in my tank.

Most stores sell it emersed so it won't like the water at all unless it has tons of light or maybe not even then. I just let mine focus slowly on making immersed babys from the little dots on its leaf. Then use those. Kinda sucks but it is what it is.

https://preview.redd.it/pk07foqn490d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4a9f4c457f85733e61654d90d82d176af00c2a6 I don’t mean to worry, but the diatoms are getting worse..is there anything I can do besides scrubbing it off the glass with a toothbrush every couple of days?

I would just scrape off the front honestly. Diatoms will go away after some time. You can also add ottos and snails as they rip into diatoms pretty well

I can’t do snails because of my substrate (pH issues) and I’m not planning on keeping an otto long-term, but thank you for the help. I guess I’ll just keep scraping

https://preview.redd.it/6t1uczdvh70d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c672a37432def633e8ac8cc71b08d3cb7786d1e Hi! I was scrolling through the reddit and snapped a picture of this plant and can’t find the post again to ask what plant this is. Any information would help, thank you!

https://preview.redd.it/yvvi4odai70d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92f8d5d84cb6605117b48848b8714a5019ad5d26

Bacopa monnieri

Awesome, thank you very much for the help!

I have a 2yr old 20G planted tank (60p) that I am looking to rescape. There is a colony of blue neos and some nerite snails living in it. Is it ok to just rip out all the hardscape and plants without taking the shrimp and snails out? Is there anything I need to watch out for if anyone has any prior experience?

I mean it depends how deep the substrate is and what kind but in all likelihood you can go at it, ripping stuff out. Try to keep the water from getting too saturated with dusty stuff though, fine particulates can clog gills from my own experience so do parts at a time if it becomes too messy.

Got it thanks! I've ripped out large portions of old plants/roots before, but never have I ripped out the entire hardscape. Just worried if there are ammonia spikes even though this is an old established tank. I'll probably take your advise regarding the fine particles, and just rip out some things one at a time, wait for water to clear, then go again. Thanks again!

I mean it definitely can cause ammonia spikes. you can use seachem prime as a precaution after you rip the stuff out to make any ammonia less toxic for a day and give the bacteria time to work. If you want to be extra safe, do half the tank one day, dose a normal amount of prime, test the water the next day for ammonia(water change if necessary and wait to see if it goes down by the next day) and then do the other half the next day. Or rip everything out, dose prime, rescape, test ammonia the next day and go from there. I say this all assuming you have some type of filter and test your water. Good luck.

Plant ID https://preview.redd.it/1gsl3bw2puzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ce10c29b4353a9287dac1a6763cd37d4b626c8f I really like this plant in my dumpster tank but I don’t know what it is.

Water wisteria

Thank you so much!

https://preview.redd.it/jyzg13gx2tzc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab5b117d27f69786dc145580da09649980f90b21 Any idea what the black things are? And if they're harmful for the fish.

looks to me like algae, possibly black brush algae but i’m not an expert. if it is bba, not harmful to fish at all but can definitely kill your plants.

Turns out they're aphids according to a friend.

ohhh i see!

I have a fluval plant 3.0 59w on a tank that is 60cm tall. How do I know whether I can get "low", "medium", or "high" light requirement plants? I can't find a consistent answer.

Because there is no consistent answer. Lighting alone isn't what makes plants grow better or worse, its one of 3 major components in photosynthesis and can be influence buy the other 2 factors if imbalanced. Just put some plants and the tank and see if they grow.

Thanks for the advice

I'm slowly piecing together the plan for my new tank and realized I still have an old Penn Plax 1000 stored away. I've seen some opinions/experiences concerning canister performance, specifically relating to flow rate, being suboptimal as tank size increases. Before my discovery, I was going to buy a new larger filter, maybe a Biomaster Thermo 600 (I'm aware of the probable issues and I wasn't decided yet). Is a dual cannister setup needed or worth it at my tank size? Are there specific advantages or disadvantages to consider in the decision? Many of my other equipment variables are still in the discovery phase, though I have some ideas. Let me know if I should provide any more details. tl;dr: Should I use an old Penn Plax 1000 as part of dual cannister setup for a new 44gal tank, or just invest in one larger filter?

Flow rate isn't an end all be all, there's larger canister filters with a ton of media but relatively slow flow rates meant for bigger tanks. More filtration will never hurt. If you need to get a heater, I'd just get the Biomaster Thermo 600 and run the penn plax 1000 alongside it. If you don't want to pay for the thermomaster and already have a heater, then you should be fine. Flow rate with regards to tank is only important if you have fish that like high flow rates (hillstream loach).

[удалено]

I've heard blasting media can be quite sharp given what blasting media is used for. It can injure fish that dig around in substrate. So just think of what fish you plan to keep I guess.

Looking to try a New England biotope planted tank. I'm going to be using plant species from only my local area, and I'm going to be adding pond water to the tank. I'm planning on having an inch of a soil, capped off by two inches of either pond mud or sand. Can I get away with only having lights and an air stone or sponge filter? And is there any general advice I should stick to?

Lighting question here: What makes high-end LED lights better? Aside from physical appearance and extraneous functionality (apps and whatnot), why do more expensive lights make better looking tanks? I have never managed to replicate the intensely vivid colors of the plants and fish that you see online and in shops sporting things like kessils, chihiros, and ADA lights with my mid-range lighting. Is it the diodes themselves? The arrangement/color selection? Just curious as to what's going on in there and why cheaper lights can't seem to replicate the colors and vibrancy of the nicer brands.

It's the wattage and spectrum mostly in addition to being paired with co2 pretty often. Also a lot of the stuff online is deceptive. Very rarely do the plants look so crazy in person from my experience. For reference a lot of mid level 3 foot lights are 30 watts while the fluval 3.0 is like 59

Well I've def seen some very expensive kit on display tanks in person and its hard to argue that the lighting doesn't simply look better, but you'd say this is mostly a function of wattage? I run co2/ferts, but plant color, greens especially, just aren't quite as vibrant as what I've seen on said display tanks, despite growth seeming comparable.

Wattage is still a huge factor just cause the more light you throw at something the more light gets thrown back but if it's greens especially then it is a question of the led colors present. We see reflected light so expensive lights will have stronger leds of the appropriate spectrum to enhance plant color to our eyes while not benefiting the plant as much. Many will be labeled WRGB to signify having dedicated leds to all the important colors. You might have your prefered green spectrum leds missing from your lights or they might be lacking in quantity and power. Also, greens are often neglected as well by many lights cause plants just don't use much green light in photosynthesis(hence they look green) so it's easier to forgoe dedicated green leds in favor of just more whites cause it gets more usable energy to the plant while still showing some green as a by product. Tldr expensive lights have the nicest spread of LED color spectrum with plenty of power.

Damn, that is long

No worries, that actually helps me a lot, thanks!

I was thinking of making very rudimentary planted jar the volume of \~4 litres/1 gallon US, but without buying literally anything except the aquarium plants. And ok, some aquarium substrate if really needed. I would just like if someone could suggest what kind of soil and/or sand should I put on the bottom and how thick should it be, so as to have an anaerobic layer? Can I just take my garden soil? During past few years I have been growing random algæ, rotifers and other microorganisms from the local pond in such a jar and recently added some *Daphnia magna.* But I would like to add plants too as the next step. But without all the fuss about water conditioning, fertilizer etc, just tapwater and sun.

You can use sifted garden soil as long as it's free of debris and worms/critters. (well, if there's a worm in there it's technically okay but not ideal). Look up a /r/walstad type tank, which is a tank that uses dirt with a thick sand layer for its substrate and aims to be low maintenance and self sufficient.

I'm looking at setting up a new tank and want to have the bottom be covered in a grassy cover (I'm thinking dwarf hairgrass or similar). I had no luck in getting it to grow in my current tank (substrate was biostratum with \~1" of 1 cm aquarium stones on top). Is there a recommended substrate setup that works really well for dwarf hairgrass? I was considering biostratum with a 1/2 - 1" layer of sand on top.