# This Tank Is Getting Hilarious



## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

You laugh or cry, right? 

I got a betta recently, set him up in a lovely, normal 5 gallon with a filter/heater. ...Then I almost immediately decided that I wanted to upgrade to a 10 gallon dirted aquarium. This would be my first dirted aquarium.

(Please note, the betta is currently happily in his 5 gallon with a glorious bubble nest. He has not yet joined the fiasco below, nor will he until it's no longer... well.)


SO! Story time. 

July 27, I set up a 10 gallon with Miracle Grow Organic Potting Mix and black pea-sized gravel on top. I met up with a local guy who sold me a bunch of plants (a sword, wisteria, java ferns, dwarf hairgrass, ludwigia repens, frogbit) and some small pieces of driftwood. I added some bacopa from Petsmart. Rather than buying a new filter, I elected to steal the betta's filters for a few weeks until the tank cycled and I could just add him in, planning on doing constant water changes on both tanks. 

July 29, I add three peppered corydoras to the 10g. They seem quite content and haven't slowed down a bit since then in their furious investigations of their new home. Nearly all of the plants are starting to melt, but I kind of figured this would happen with my luck, and I'm giving them time to see if they'll regrow leaves.

July 31, I've spent the entire day--the *entire day* away from home due to work. Like, left at 7am, came back at 10pm... to a carpet covered in water. The filter had started spewing water on top of the lid and dripping down onto the floor. I removed the lid and the lighting, ordered a new HOB filter, soaked up the water with a towel, put a fan on it, and waited with bated breath for it to arrive the next day. 

August 1, new filter arrives and is installed. Betta, Rime, gets his filter back. I love the new filter. It is wonderful--perfect current, adjustable current, not ugly, works great. The packaging had a little ding on it, but the filter looked fine, so. I'm good with it. And there is no chance of spillage.... right? 

August 2-3, ammonia levels are spiking something fierce, but I continue doing water changes and removing dead/floating leaves. About 30% of the sword's leaves have melted, the dwarf hairgrass is basically all brown, and the ludwigia cuttings are almost certainly not only melted, but dead. The java ferns and wisteria look alright, and the bacopa has shown no change for better or worse since purchase. The frogbit got a little worse, but now appears to be recovering. Nitrites still at 0, unsurprisingly.

August 4, I'm sitting in a chair, reading. I hear a loud POP, CRACK at the aquarium on the other side of the room. The filter has cracked along one edge. More water on the carpet. Amazon is sending a replacement filter, which should arrive the same day--today. 

I'm never going to get this tank cycled.


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## christinamac (Jan 2, 2016)

I'm sorry to hear you have been having so much trouble. I have had many similar experiences over the years, where one problem is followed by many others that may or may not be related to the original problem. But, these experiences make good stories and getting through them allows you to learn and become a better fish-keeper. :smile2:


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

Pictures of the plants? Almost ever plant I've ever bought melted before exploding. I'd love to see what they look like out of curiosity. Are your corys still alright?


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

Corys are doing great despite the high ammonia. I waffled over doing a fish-in or fishless cycle, but I went with fish-in, and I'm glad that I did. It's forcing me to stay on top of it much more than I would have, otherwise.

I'm glad to hear that about your plants! Most things online suggest that it's not uncommon. I'm just sitting here like the comic of the dog in a burning house. "This is fine," and trying very hard to believe it. 

Keep in mind, my filter is currently not on. New filter should arrive within a few hours. I also plan on getting a nice centerpiece, but I haven't found one that I like yet. I'm in no rush.


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

Looks a LOT better than mine ever did! Do you have any ferts? I only see a tiny bit of melt here and there and believe me when I say that my stargrass _disintegrated_ before turning into what it is now.

When it rains, it pours. Believe me, I know. I’ve had more fish crises than I can count.

Corys are a resilient little fish. I’ve only ever had two pass away out of my ten for a little over a year, one to injury and one to old age or just passing on.


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

Nope--no ferts, no added CO2. I'm trying to keep it simple. The lighting came with the set up (aquarium/top/light were actually all free). I'm a little heavier on the gravel than I should be (1" dirt, 1.5" gravel), but better than the other way around, right? 

Thank you so much for that! That makes me feel so much better. @[email protected];; -snuugs-


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

Sure! Better safe on substrate than sorry. All I add in is Seachem Flourish and that’s it. Once a week, easy peasy.


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## MysticSky22301 (Apr 16, 2016)

One problem was using miracle grow o..o the fertilizer can cause problems in a tank it's better to use unfertilized potting soil mixed with worm castings ( also without the styrofoam beads/ vermiculite)


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

How high is your ammonia spiking to? I have read that very high levels of ammonia can kill aquatic plants. Also, some species of aquatic plants are cultivated emersed, and melt when they go into your tank because they have to adjust to growing in their submersed form. Otherwise, I'm not sure what your lighting is, but perhaps it may not be suitable for growing plants. 

I will also add, just be careful about your corydoras. Just because they seem to be handling exposure to high ammonia levels at the moment without issue, doesn't mean that there may not be health complications further down the line. Are you relying solely on water changes to bring ammonia down, or are you using water changes in conjunction with a product like Prime? Also you will need to add more corydoras at some point (obviously once the tank is cycled and the parameters stable). Ideally, they should be in groups of at least six.


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

New filter arrived and is installed! ...Though I suspect I know how the last one broke, now, and I'll be keeping an eye on this one. The delivery man basically slammed the package down on the ground. As he was leaving, he also tossed a cigarette butt on our grass. Thanks, man. 

I'm keeping the filters from the last one, so hopefully I won't lose too much time/effort. Filter had one tiny divet in one of the lips, but I don't think it'll affect its structural integrity. We'll see. It's working for now.

I'm also not too worried about the Miracle-Gro. I did some research beforehand, and a lot of people use the MG Organic Potting Mix. I'm good with it. I could have done crazy things like mineralized it or used something else and mixed it with something different, but let's be honest--I'm wanting an easy dirt tank. <3


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

I'm sorry, LittleBettaFish, I totally missed your post. 

At one point amidst my filter fiasco, my ammonia spiked to an outrageous 3.0. It's down to (a merely horribly high) 0.75 at the moment. I'm basically controlling it with water changes, though I'm using Stress Coat as a dechlorinator (mainly because it was the only thing I could accurately dose by the gallon). The high spike of 3.0 may have caused the plants to melt, actually. That's a good point.

Lighting is Colormax 15 watt. Not perfect, but free. 

I will definitely be adding more corys once the tank is cycled. <3 They have such fabulous personalities! I was originally planning to cycle with rasboras instead, but after searching four different stores, I couldn't find any. ...I'm kind of glad that I missed out, actually. These little guys are tough.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I would recommend purchasing a bottle of Seachem Prime. I personally find it very easy to dose small amounts simply by using a plastic 1ml syringe. While your corydoras may not be showing visible signs of distress, it's not good for them to be exposed to any level of ammonia. If you don't have a product like Prime to temporarily detoxify the ammonia and buy you some breathing space, you really need to get your ammonia levels to as close to 0ppm as possible. Toxicity of ammonia does also change depending on the pH and temperature of the water. The higher the pH and temperature, the more toxic the ammonia becomes. 

The parameters can fluctuate wildly over the course of a cycle, so a product like Prime is vital IMO, if you are doing a fish-in cycle.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

LittleBettaFish said:


> I would recommend purchasing a bottle of Seachem Prime. I personally find it very easy to dose small amounts simply by using a plastic 1ml syringe. While your corydoras may not be showing visible signs of distress, it's not good for them to be exposed to any level of ammonia. If you don't have a product like Prime to temporarily detoxify the ammonia and buy you some breathing space, you really need to get your ammonia levels to as close to 0ppm as possible. Toxicity of ammonia does also change depending on the pH and temperature of the water. The higher the pH and temperature, the more toxic the ammonia becomes.
> 
> The parameters can fluctuate wildly over the course of a cycle, so a product like Prime is vital IMO, if you are doing a fish-in cycle.


Absolutely. Scaleless fish are extremely vulnerable. Surviving trauma does not mean they are resilient as long term problems aren't immediately apparent. During fish-in cycling water should be changed when Ammonia reaches .25ppm. If it allowed to get above .50ppm then a fish-in cycle is not being done properly and safely.

If you haven't already I suggest you read and follow this tutorial and get a bottle of Seachem Prime to protect the Cory.
http://www.bettafish.com/30-betta-fish-care/507585-cycling-two-sentence-tutorial.html

PS: Sorry you've had such a plethora of problems. It's true that sometimes when it rains it pours!


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

I'll grab some tomorrow after work and start adding it. Thanks, guys! I presume this won't harm my plants or substrate, correct?


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Nope, Seachem Prime is perfectly safe to use and shouldn't harm anything if dosed correctly. 

I didn't want to sound too overbearing. It's just I didn't want you to successfully cycle your tank, only to have your initial three corydoras sicken or die. I believe Seachem Prime also detoxifies nitrite (although it seems like some hobbyists don't believe this claim), which will also prove useful during a fish-in cycle. 

Just remember, the detoxifiying effects of Prime are only temporary and wear off after 24-48 hours.


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

Nope, you guys are the experts. This is why I'm here! If I get there and it's $30/bottle, I may have second thoughts, but I don't suspect that. 

And with my current levels of ammonia, I'm doing lots of water changes, so... that shouldn't be a problem to remember.


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

I had a horrible migraine last night, so I just grabbed some Prime at Petsmart and added some into the tank without a water change or looking at the fish. I crashed into bed.

This morning, the smallest cory isn't able to use his right pectoral or pelvic fins. The left side is working normally. He's eating and moving around, but he's obviously having trouble and is resting more often. No visible lesions. Sadly, I'm racing out the door to work. x_x; Hoping he's still with us when I get home this evening. 

Ammonia is back up to 1.0 before a quick water change with Prime/Stress Coat added. Oddly, the pH dropped like 0.5 since I started using the Prime. Is that normal?


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

He's still alive, but doing poorly. It definitely looks like an injury, now that I'm able to look at it a bit closer. He's in a small hospital tank for the moment, mostly so it's shallower and he doesn't have to fight quite so hard to get around. Prognosis is pretty grave at the moment. The rehabber in me really kind of wants to just put him down so that he isn't suffering through this. He looks pretty rough at this point. I suspect that he may have gotten stuck in the hole in the little pot that I have in there. It's too small for the other two cories to fit, but I'll still plug that as soon as I get something to plug it with safely. If not that, I have no idea.

The two larger cories are still foraging and looking good. The wisteria is looking a bit brighter, as well.


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

Smallest cory died during the night. I took a look at him this morning. He'd developed a huge bruise on his right side, just caudal to his gills, with a 5mm long laceration near his pectoral fin on that side. He smacked himself good on something. o.x; Even in death, he would float left-side-up, making me think that he damaged his swim bladder in the process. I'm sure the horrible, fluctuating levels of toxins in the tank didn't do much to help him with that. 

However, there is some good news! My nitrites finally bumped off of 0! ...They went straight to 0.50, because this is my tank. |D I'll still take it. Progress with the cycle at last!

@*RussellTheShihTzu* This is turning more into a journal than a question on planted tanks. Should this be moved, or shall I just stop posting and make an actual journal post? Thank you!


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

@altheora I had a cory the other week bump into something and get a very swollen side with a red mark in the place you described, only he recovered. I wonder how they get them. I’ve noticed they like to school at night in the dark so maybe if I rearrange the tank it messes them up or something.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

You can make a journal post and link this one to it.


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

@ShadeSlayer did you do anything or just leave him be? 

And I'll make a journal tomorrow. <3 Thanks, @*RussellTheShihTzu* !http://www.bettafish.com/members/49434-russelltheshihtzu.html


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

I'm bubbling with questions, today. 

I bought a couple nice pieces of driftwood (hooray!) and I'm soaking them, but my pH has been hanging out around 6.8 and I'm nervous about it dropping it more. Should I be afraid, or should I just monitor it?

Also, I'm kind of wanting to upgrade my lighting. Currently 15W, 120V florescent colormax bulb. The hood only allows for a single bulb. Ideas?

PS: Happy update! My nitrates are finally growing! The cycle is happening at last!


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

Still soaking the driftwood pieces. Not much in the way of tannins are being released (just a faint golden glow to the water it's in), and it's pre-treated, so I *could* apparently just plop it in the tank, buuuut. I am a worry-wort and don't want it to lower my pH more than it already is. I suppose I could add some shells at the same time in an attempt to negate the lowered pH before it happens? 

I also went browsing for lights online last night. The internet has me wanting to get high lights, now. They're so gorgeous. So much for an easy dirt tank. XD Nothing purchased, yet--still waiting and browsing.


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

For the curious!

My heater died...because why not? Everything else has. I got a new heater. I upgraded my lights slightly to Floramax--lights will get a better upgrade in a few months. 

I also added a piece of driftwood and did some reorganizing. No betta yet, since it's not quite finished cycling.


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

My tank is cycled, and I have a total of 4 corys now. Unfortunately, after a couple rough weeks at work, I also have an outbreak of algae, snails, and detritus worms. I just got a lighting timer, so that should help, and I'll have some time tomorrow and after the weekend to really dedicate some time into fixing this planted 10g.


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

Big update time!

Christmas in August in my tanks! I bought some AMAZING plants from someone at another forum, and they made it here safely, hooray! Let's see how many of these I can keep alive.

Just arrived:
Java fern (needle leaf), Lobelia cardinalis (small form), Polygonum kawagoneum, Ludwigia marila + atlantis, Staurogyne repens + sp. purple, Cuphea anagalloidea, Limnophila Belen + repens + aromatica mini + unk sp, Hygrophila kannur, Rotala sp, and my favorite, Alternanthera reinekii mini.

I didn't finish planting them all. I eventually got tired and just tossed the rest in to float and threw some in the second tank. Tomorrow will complete the planting! 


PS: The little dish in the back will contain sand for my corys--or the pot I had before will. Not sure yet. I plan on adding the sand once I finish planting. <3


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

o__o; 

I added some plants to the betta's tank last night. 

Rime demolished his tail overnight. He bit it to pieces. Eeeeek! Poor little man! He has like half of a tail now. Not good.


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

Yeahhh.... My halfmoon boy eats his tail sometimes too. 
Bettas.


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

I've left a lamp on in the room the past couple nights as a nightlight for him. So far, he hasn't done any more tail biting. Silly boy, scared of the dark!


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

I figured out that poor Rime was tail-biting due to a fear of the dark. He's been doing it just a little before the plants, but then he demolished it the night I added the plants. I started turning on a lamp in the room at night, and he is a billion times happier and his tail is healing. 

Go figure!

PS: He also has built a MASSIVE bubble nest in the past couple days. <3


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

Hmmm. So I'm working on my 10g dirted tank still. 

I purchased a recirculation pump today, because I have a lot of dead areas in my tank. However, even on its minimum setting, it's going to be way too strong for the betta once he moves in. 

*Do you guys have any good tips on reducing the flow of recirculation pumps?*


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