Tank Problem

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richardhmc

richardhmc

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 25, 2006
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nyc
Hi, I need some help. I have a 55 tank i think that everything is wrong. There is brown algae here and there which i read was a bad sign of water and my dempseys wont breed no matter what.. I have been waiting for months. Other tanks I have seen, the water is crystal clear and nothing wrong. Could it be the gravel? Should I just dump out the whole tank and start over? Thats what I feel like doing. I checked my PH and its 7.2 - above avg.

I was also thinking about switching up my gravel to sand, but where can I get this sand? I went to home depot and bought play sand but when I put it in, the sand never settled and the tank was always dirty.

Are plants able to live in sand? I wasnt sure what to do. I am so confused right now :[ because I want to try to have the perfect tank but things seem wrong. The fish don't like to act normal (normal as in always hiding never coming out) and the plants seem messed up...

Could It be the water chemistry?

I just feel like starting all over again.. please help.

-richard
 
first, brown (diatomaceous) algae is usually found in newer tanks. . . have you tested your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate lately? if something caused your cycle to fail and start over the brown algae would be an indicator of that.

the pH is fine. anything in the 7's is great for fish, and almost all store-bought fish will do perfectly well in water from the low 6's to the mid 8's. don't mess with it.

sand - did you rinse the sand very, very well before putting it into the tank? did you keep the filters on the whole time,which would keep it from settling?
plants can certainly live in sand. malaysian trumpet snails should be added as they live in the sand and prevent it from compacting, which is the only problem as far as plants. the snails keep the sand loose so the roots can grow as easily as possible.
 
hmm.. the sand itself, there were pieces of like driftwood, plastic and god knows what in it. Where else can I get sand? I was told plants couldnt live in sand because they could not root well.

Should I get RO water?
 
You don't want to use RO water because you will have to put back in all of the trace ellements that the fish need and it will make the water too soft.
 
buy this book :
" For Dummies" guide to aquariums
or
The Complete Idiot's guide to freshwater aquariums

no I am no saying your dumb !
I have both these books and they were a great start.
I have read many books and each gives me a little different info.

If you search this forum most your answers are their and you don't have to wait for some one to respond to a thread.
Do make threads though I love helping:headbang2
 
I use small grade gravel and crushed marine coral for subsrate in my 55 gal Jack tank. Jacks will uproot and shred just about any live plants, I use fake plants and anchor them using rock bases or just wedging them under decor. Hiding Jacks aren't necessarilly unhappy, as long as they are feeding. Mine love to hang out in their log.

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richardhmc;1132192; said:
Hi, I need some help. I have a 55 tank i think that everything is wrong. There is brown algae here and there which i read was a bad sign of water and my dempseys wont breed no matter what.. I have been waiting for months. Other tanks I have seen, the water is crystal clear and nothing wrong. Could it be the gravel? Should I just dump out the whole tank and start over? Thats what I feel like doing. I checked my PH and its 7.2 - above avg.

I was also thinking about switching up my gravel to sand, but where can I get this sand? I went to home depot and bought play sand but when I put it in, the sand never settled and the tank was always dirty.

Are plants able to live in sand? I wasnt sure what to do. I am so confused right now :[ because I want to try to have the perfect tank but things seem wrong. The fish don't like to act normal (normal as in always hiding never coming out) and the plants seem messed up...

Could It be the water chemistry?

I just feel like starting all over again.. please help.

-richard
Click to expand...

1. There's nothing wrong with your pH. 7.2 is nearly neutral.
2. Brown algae isn't always a sign of water quality problems. It can come from high silicates in tapwater. I have in brown algae in all my tanks and it's actually worse AFTER I do a water change and add new tapwater.
Also, brown algae can be worse the lower the light level in your tank.

Test your ammonia, nitrites and nitrates anyway to make sure nothing is wrong, but brown algae doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong that will effect the health of your fish.

Why do you say your dempseys won't breed no matter what? How old are they and how long have you had them? Maybe they're just not ready to breed yet.
 
Okay, I am all calmed down now and ive changed the gravel into a new color one and the fish seem to love it. I think Im just overreacting and everything is fine... Ive had my dempseys for almost a 3/4 year and they are both around 5 in, and they have that tube thing that shows that they are about to breed
 
richardhmc;1132673; said:
Okay, I am all calmed down now and ive changed the gravel into a new color one and the fish seem to love it. I think Im just overreacting and everything is fine... Ive had my dempseys for almost a 3/4 year and they are both around 5 in, and they have that tube thing that shows that they are about to breed
Click to expand...

Yeah, you should be fine. You haven't even had them a year and they're only 5 inches, there's no reason to freak out because they haven't bred yet. Some fish can take awhile to settle in, mature, and get used to each other before they start breeding, but once your fish start you probably won't have any issues.
 
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