Who Gives A Fish Forums

estra wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 12:22 am Yeah, crashing the cycle's a nightmare. I test my water weekly just to be safe. Ammonia spikes are no joke with bettas.

For real. My first betta got fin rot from a mini cycle. Now I'm paranoid and test every few days.

I've got the same setup, 5 gallon with a sponge. I rinse mine every 3 weeks 'cause my guy's a messy eater. Just squeeze it in a bucket of tank water during water changes. Easy peasy.

Exactly. Plants are part of the solution, but they're not a free pass to skip water changes. Balance is key.

I've got a 40 gallon with Amazon Swords and Vallisneria, and my nitrates are consistently low. But I also dose liquid ferts and run CO2. If you're not supplementing, plants can't grow fast enough to make a dent.

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna test my nitrates and maybe invest in a CO2 setup. Appreciate the help.

Thinking about adding dwarf hairgrass to my 20 gallon planted tank. Anyone got experience with it? My substrate is Fluval Stratum, and I've got a Nicrew light running 8 hours a day. Not sure if it's gonna spread well or just melt on me.

I really appreciate all the input, it's been super helpful. I'm actually thinking of going with non-cichlids now, just to keep things peaceful. Would a mix of tiger barbs, neptunes, and gouramis work well with my Kribs? I'm trying to prioritize happy fish here.

Also, I've been wondering about the ...