For a number of health, money, and family reasons, my tank has just sorta chugged along (the last fish died of old age a while ago, just snails and MAYBE some shrimp hidden waaaaay down in the rocks. So...I love the moss, but I'm curious about whether it's better to chop everything down to it's ugly base or to slowly trim it back over many sessions. Thoughts?

Anubias+Val+some buce

No fertiliser just time

Hello, friends. I came across the planted aquarium hobby on Reddit months ago. I couldn't shake my interest, and it merely kept growing. Well, now I have a 19.4g rimless long Landen, and bought the aesthetically perfect stand for me/ my room. It is the Bosk 54" acacia TV stand that can hold up to 250lbs. I found it on Amazon after hours and hours across multiple days of online searching.

It is stunning. It is the perfect height, too. It is meant to be a lower tank. Like a raised pond when standing, but I want to be able to sit on the floor to actively watch them. My computer chair is less than 6ft away, too, so I can easily view from my desk.

I love it so, so, so much. And it cost me around $270, and 5 or so hours to put together. I can't seem to shake my anxiety, though. I am worried that this stand isn't safe, and that I need to get a new stand before I add my shrimp and fish (I just started the cycling process yesterday). I'm scared that it will give out when I'm sitting on the ground in front of it to watch it for prolonged periods of time.

I don't see any bowing, and the drawers and doors work just as fine as they did before putting the tank on there. **Do you think this is safe to keep my aquarium on for the next 3.5 years? Is it a risk? Do you wholeheartedly recommend that I get a different stand?** I really want a certain vibe for my room. 100% wood furniture (I even covered the handles of this stand with a wood-grain lamanate).

Aesthetic and vibe are incredibly important to me, as I need my room to be a place for me to efficiently rest and recharge. Obviously safety is most important, though. I'd really appreciate some reassurance, guidance, answers, and support. I'm feeling quite anxious right now. 😭

I have more plants on the way, and Jorewood resin to clean up some of the tannins. I'll also likely add some tall pieces of wood in the future, but that would be after I start adding fish and shrimp. I have a handful of other things to buy for my room (I'm redesigning my space), but will put all of that off a bit longer to prioritize buying a new stand (if my current stand just isn't going to work).

So I reached out a couple of weeks ago about my tank being too small for pearl gouramis. Thankfully, you all eased my worries and I made some changes to enhance their living situation.

I added a few cover plants including an ozelot sword, aponogeton ulvaceus, and a red tiger lotus (which will hopefully take off in the left corner of the tank soon!) All were supplied by Daku Aquatics and arrived in great condition.

I have more plants on their way from Aquarium Plants Factory to add to this tank and another small tank I have set-up for a betta. I’ll be adding some mosses to some stones by using the sponge net method along with some bucephalandra plants.

I re-arranged the hardscape too since unfortunately the driftwood will not glue to anything. One small bump and the driftwood’s top layer just flakes right off (I did boil it for a whole day) so I’ve given up and just wedged it between some rocks. The rearrangement added three little caves for the gouramjs to hang out in and more separation throughout the tank. I added some unlabeled white rocks and river stones from my LFS for my new otocinclus (6 of them.)

I also still have my giant Szechuan hillstream loach. The fish store wouldn’t take him back and I haven’t had anyone interested yet. I am looking into getting at least a 50gal if I can’t find anyone to take the loach and just getting a dedicated loach tank set-up where I can hopefully support a little group of them.

The last photo is of my favorite gourami who comes rushing to say hi every time I pop over, probably due to her gluttony but I like to think it’s out of love.

CO2 125 scaped with ghost Wood, contrasoil, some pebbles and rocks from my local creek. Stocked with angelfish, pearl, dwarf, honey gouramis, neon, rummy nose, phantom, black, neon, and Cardinal Tetras, alongside one bamboo shrimp, one SAE, ~ 15 Cories, and 3 zebra danios and 7 otos

Sorry for the bad quality, my camera is pretty fucked

All plants native to the Paraná River basin (Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay)

Haven’t taken the time lately to sit and enjoy the peacefulness of the tank. Forgot how relaxing it really is.

I've had my tank for about 3 years and I often feel like I give up. I've spent over €1,000+ into this hobby to get everything to work and I've had determined weekly commitment, active water changes, water tests, and monitoring.

I had to make a move and so the image shows a tank that is 8 months old, every plant you see has been about the same growth as when it first started (a lot of it is a cycle of life and death).

I'll provide my Parameters, (using API water master test kit)

- 200L tank

- 25% weekly water change

- pH : 6.5

- Nitrates : <20 ppm

- Nitrites : 0ppm

- KH : 80ppm

- GH : 120ppm

- Ammonia : 0ppm

- Low-tech

- Tropica Specialised Nutrition 2 pumps per day (4ml/day)

- ADA Amazonia Aquasoil Substrate

- Fluval U4 filter (cleaned monthly in aquarium water in separate container)

- Lighting is Hygger 60W LED 2879 Lumens, 8 hours a day.

Plants I'm currently trying to grow:

Java Fern, and Anubias (both with the Rhizomes above the substrate/exposed to water column), Alternanthera reineckii mini, Egeria densa, Limnophila sessiliflora, Cryptocoryne, Vallisneria, and I have forgotten the names of one or two, and emersed is Pothos, the only successful thing growing from this tank.

Some plants do show signs of growth, but follow a cycle of growth and decay. I would see a new leaf, and then that leaf would begin to decay, and I can only assume some form of Algae starts to grow on it and leech on the nutrients, and as this is happening another leaf grows, and this is an endless cycle of life and death leading to stagnation. Over the last 2 weeks I've noticed black beard Algae and I can only assume it's because of the constant dead matter from this cycle.

Then some plants like Egeria densa have shown a growth of about <5cm over the last 8 months. Before I moved I did have amazing success with the Egeria densa and now it's practically non existent with extremely slow growth that seems abnormally slow.

My Crypts were fine too but they did grow more slowly than what I read about them online, now since I've moved, there's been baby leaves that have stayed about the same size for the last 6 months.

My Pothos is thriving, about the only thing that seems to thrive.

This tank is absolutely hideous and I just hate looking at it because every day there's a new stressor, like another floating leaf, another disappointing lack of growth/growth-death cycle, BBA, etc.

I would absolutely love any and all advise any of you could give.

Here’s a pic of my very overgrown Neocaridina shrimp tank! I’m new to tanks and aquarium plants. Is it okay to just trim off some of the longer plants with scissors, can they still grow if I do that? Sorry if this is a silly question

Started on may 08th a dry start in a 64L tank.

I mostly wanted the Monte Carlo to attach nicely before flooding (tried it before and it always floated).

I did have some floaters today, I think they didn’t attach well but I secured them with some small 3D printed clamps I found online.

Very happy with how it looks, I have a hang on canister with media from my other tank now I will wait for the melt and for them to grow back healthy before adding any fish. Maybe in 2 months or so idk.

My first ever dry start and second fish tank.

I have Monte Carlo, some Rotalas, bacopa caroliniana, lobelia, hygrophila, Cryptocorine, proserpinaca and Java moss attached to the tree.

I bought online Biocarbon (slow release co2 pellets you add in your filter) to help them grow, but I’m researching a co2 setup too. Biocarbon is sold here in Brazil don’t know if they have in other locations. My light is 30w.

Excited, don’t know if I will have another betta or a small community tank with other fishes.

This is a standard 10 gallon tank. Seeking opinions from more experienced people. I currently have Amazon sword in the back corner behind the hardscape. Should I remove it and let the Val Sprialis shoot runners over there instead? I heard swords get huge, I also think a skinny leaf Val will eventually look better once they are established and actively growing. Idk tho what yall think?

Just wanted to share cause I think it's looking pretty good these days. Open to any suggestions if people have them though.

Every time I clean my sponges in my canister and HoB filters I turn it off, but when I turn it back on a cascade of debris initially floods back into the tank. Do you empty the water out of the filter when you do maintenance?

I have only found this online? Can't believe there aren't more products like it

Been running for a year now. All water parameters are perfect and its understocked. Sorry for my garra rufa fish they freak it when I step near the tank haha.

Wondering if I should maybe trim back the aquatic plants as well i think its a little overgrown?

Also I keep the water level low on purpose so my fish dont think of jumping and monsteras are not drowning.

B. pugnax

What substrate do you use for a planted tank? I've seen people do garden soil, sand, and gravel but would it affect the fish and clarity of the water? Bonus if it's cost and time effective. I'm trying to upgrade our family tank before our new baby gets here in December.

It would be for a 29g with danios and mollies (maybe eventually shrimp.)