I have a 10g tank with a single female beta (Alpha, I've had her a little over 3 years). I've been thinking of getting a snail or two to help control the algae. And just cause I like watching snails. I especially love mystery snails, they're so fun to watch, low maintenance, and are great window washers. At least in my experience. I used to have a golden mystery snail named Speedy Gonzales, he lived for a few years.

Anyway I wanted to test the tank parameters first before considering adding anything else and this is what I got. I'm surprised at the ammonia and nitrate results. I did a fishless cycle on this tank before I got Alpha and this reminds me of early test results...I have been using an API water conditioner lately instead of Prime, and the air pump was pretty old so I got a new one today that's working great.

Admittedly this was the first time Ive done a full master test in a year or longer. Alphas never had a problem and aside from the occasional buildup of algae, the waters clear and everything is functioning properly.

Did my cycle crash and if so do I have to essentially start over the cycling process?

Hi everyone! I’ve been fish-keeping for about a year and a half but over the last year or so I’ve been having a bad acidity and algae problem… my aquarium is far too acidic and I can’t figure out why. I don’t understand why but the algae has been changing in colors (from green to brown and vice versa) and it just keeps growing. I want my fish to have the happiest life possible and I know that with these conditions it’s not possible. Can someone please help me understand what is going on and how to fix it?

P.S. the picture attached is what the tank looks like directly after cleaning. It’s a 20 gallon tall tank holding 6 Cory’s, 1 Long Red-Ginned tetra, 1 Guppy, 1 Pleco, 1 Octo, 2 Neon Tetras, 5 baby Tetras (I’m not completely sure which ones, I believe they’re a mix of long red finned and black skirt), and 1 African Dwarf Frog. Please let me know if you need any additional information!

Maybe a small rant, but i dont get the posts on here asking for fish identification for ones already purchased, knowing nothing about the fish or what it needs to thrive.

Too frequently (imo) someone will post asking what they just bought from a lfs, having no idea about the fish or its care requirements. My tank is unheated in hard water, so I spent days researching what would be thrive, in what environments, with what tankmates, what its natural environment is like, etc. The quality of life and harmony of species is critical to me.

I simply dont comprehend the act of purchasing a fish, then hoping that its needs are congruent with the tank you just dropped them in. Im sure the majority of fish will survive to an extent outside of their parameters, but isnt the idea of the hobby to provide them with a healthy environment tailored to their needs?

Maybe their intent is to later set up a dedicated tank- but why would you purchase them without knowing you have suitable husbandry???

Finally getting to start the cycle on my first tank in 5 years I'm so excited! I put in ammonia with fritz turbo start tested parameters yesterday and got to about 3ppm Ammonia 0 nitrites and 0 nitrates. However there's already some progress!

The current plan is to stock this 20g with guppies harlequin raspbora and panda corys. While I'm here I did also want to ask for plant recommendations. Specifically plants that need to be planted into the substrate. The plants in here currently are java fern and anubias.

For my floating plants I'm looking at water sprites and red root floaters definitely open to suggestions though.

Hope everyone here is having an amazing day!

Hello, I have norman lampeyes currently and I wanted to get more, but the ones in the pet store (inage with the big rock) don't look the same. Are the ones at the pet store same as the oes I have? Will the shoal with the ones I currently have and reproduce, or are they different species and the ones at the pet store aren't norman lampeyes?

Thanks :)