Hi Folks,
Tanks's a couple of months old, I work away from home 2 weeks of 5 so when I'm not around my wife does what she can but in 2 weeks that amounts to two 25% water changes and feeding the neons plus a dose of TNC once a week. So while I was away got a fair bit of algae, of the algae starting on the huge frogbit roots (Pic 1) and then swamping the big bit of wood, and by the time I got home today (a few days after Pic 1) the Java fern and short sword had a lot of whispy stuff too. The good news is the Amazon swords are going great guns and the fish are alive!
Anyway, no problem I've got time now so today took a look and flow was near zero, so an obvious culprit, spent a couple of hours cleaning the tank and filter, cutting back the frogbit roots and a bit of hardscape tinkering while I was at it. Now I am thinking of replacing the short sword as it has not grown much and the algae is the final straw so would appreciate advice for a good, robust and not fiddly replacement! Anything shortisht that can tolerate low tech and 2 weeks of neglect! I don't need a carpet, just some green, maybe short stem plants?
Thanks for the help
Dave
Before (Phone photo my wife sent me 5 or so days ago shows about 50% of the algae)
After
After a 50% water chnage, clean up of filter and trimming of frogbit roots etc. Short sword area that I would like to replace circled
Tanks's a couple of months old, I work away from home 2 weeks of 5 so when I'm not around my wife does what she can but in 2 weeks that amounts to two 25% water changes and feeding the neons plus a dose of TNC once a week. So while I was away got a fair bit of algae, of the algae starting on the huge frogbit roots (Pic 1) and then swamping the big bit of wood, and by the time I got home today (a few days after Pic 1) the Java fern and short sword had a lot of whispy stuff too. The good news is the Amazon swords are going great guns and the fish are alive!
Anyway, no problem I've got time now so today took a look and flow was near zero, so an obvious culprit, spent a couple of hours cleaning the tank and filter, cutting back the frogbit roots and a bit of hardscape tinkering while I was at it. Now I am thinking of replacing the short sword as it has not grown much and the algae is the final straw so would appreciate advice for a good, robust and not fiddly replacement! Anything shortisht that can tolerate low tech and 2 weeks of neglect! I don't need a carpet, just some green, maybe short stem plants?
Thanks for the help
Dave
Before (Phone photo my wife sent me 5 or so days ago shows about 50% of the algae)
After
After a 50% water chnage, clean up of filter and trimming of frogbit roots etc. Short sword area that I would like to replace circled
