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Permalink Reply by Robert Jango on April 27, 2012 at 12:18am

Yeah, it has to be non-clumping kitty litter, and make sure it doesn't have any additives. Clay pellets are also sold under the names "Turface" - the stuff they use on the dirt part of baseball infields and "Oil-sorb" which is sold very cheaply in automotive supply stores to suck up oil slicks. Again check the ingredients to make sure they're just clay.

While Java Moss is good AND it floats its not a floating plant. An example of a floating plant would be duckweed. I personally use water cabbage because its easy to remove. These plants have leaves that float on/above the surface and remain DRY at all times to absorb Co2 from the air. Their roots extend into the water to suck up the nutrients. Just a note: Although water lilies have floating leaves, their roots are in the soil. So they're not floating plants.

As far as light goes the golden rule is 10-40 lumens per square inch of tank surface area with a color temperature (kelvins) of between 5000-6500. But make sure the light is evenly distributed. The concentrated nature of light coming from T5s can be a problem but you should be able to rig something up. The 10,000 K (kelvin) bulb is simply a menace.

To find out the lumens on your light check out the packaging or just google, for example, 32watt/T5/lumens and you should be able to find out what you've got. By the way, sunlight is always best.

Because floating plants rob the water of nutrients, they will also hurt your regular plants. But the good news is your regular plants are a more evolutionary advanced, complex form of plant life than algae; so they will survive the floating plants onslaught while the algae will die. Remove the floating plants on a need-be basis. They can, and will, takeover a tank in no time. 

The aquarium hobby can be frustrating. I've been in it for a long time and constantly goof up. What we all need are little (and big) victories every now and then. I hope you get a few.  

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Permalink Reply by Lucy on April 28, 2012 at 10:31pm

Frustrating is an excellent word to describe this hobby at times. From this string of information, it seems that once you go "planted", the aquarium is more about the plants and less about the fish. I am enjoying this new challenge... I can't wait to come home and see how my tank is doing... Maybe look for a bigger tank. Thanks everyone!

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Permalink Reply by Justin on April 28, 2012 at 8:18am

Too many fish. I would also get rid of you 10 k bulb. I only fertilize at the roots and use high quality carbon. Hydrocarbon 2 by two little fishes. This will remove dissolved organics in the water. I also use RO/DI water for all water changes. I inject CO2 and the plants absorb any excess Nitrate. Your substrate is also loaded with silicates with diatom algae thrive on. I would start again with florite substrate ditch the kitty litter. then use a good quality root based fertilizer. Let me know if you have any further questions. Good luck. I also use two t12 75 watt vho aquasun bulbs. 4 watts per gallon only 8 hours a day. 

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Permalink Reply by Lucy on April 28, 2012 at 6:31pm

I lost four of six baby angels I moved to my ten gallon tank. They were only one inch if that. The only sign of illness was their fins were not quite fanned out. Each one took its turn, beginning to weaken, not swimming consistantly, instead they would float, turn, sink and then swim to the top and start again. Within 24 hous of this action, they died. Water chemistry was right on... Same as the 55 gallon. Got two left... Decided to treat the two remaing angels with tetracycline. Bummer. Guess I just decreased my stock of fish.

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Permalink Reply by Lucy on May 1, 2012 at 11:07pm

Ok everyone...thank you. Tank is looking good again! Plants are deeper green. No more black gunk everywhere. Green Algae still shadowing on the glass, but i can clean it while doing weekly water change. Bought more plants and added quality root tabs. Weekly 50% water changes. Shut off one lamp. Cut back food 50%

I love you guys!

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Permalink Reply by Robert Jango on September 16, 2012 at 2:04am

For the record, algae is a healthy part of a fish's environment. But it is ugly. So I try to cultivate it on the sides of the aquarium and keep the front viewing pane open. If you want to get rid of it you have to understand the cause: nitrogenous waste and minerals in the water. Again mineral rich water isn't necessarily bad but it feeds algae. Algae cannot survive in water that is clean and very soft (mineral deficient). If the water you're using to make water changes has lots of minerals then you're just aggravating the problem. The best way to get rid of algae is to load up on floating plants. They suck up nitrogenous waste and minerals much faster than submerged plants because they get their carbon dioxide from the air which holds way more Co2 than water. They simply outcompete the algae. People also use terrestrial plants that hang just above the water's surface with their roots in the water.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy robinson on September 15, 2012 at 6:53pm

This is what makes planted aquariums more challenging and entertaining. Research experimenting and common sense go a long way. Algae can be caused by not enough water changes poor cleaning crew and to much light nutrient overload or over feeding or over stocking.

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