do you guys ever feel this way?

OF COURSE! You just have to chin up and figure out what went wrong and then remember to not do that again


K, my story I didnt wanna type on AC for fear of others judging my experience level. But I was doing my water changes as usual every sunday 50% like ive done for awhile now. Ive been back in the hobby for about a year now. But I SWEAR I put the faucet handle to the middle and it would be about what it always was luke warm. Well it must have been a bit to the left tooo much. I went to fill it. Used the bathroom for a second. Its a 10g. I came back and seen my barbs darting and gasping. It was too late. I touched the water and it was WAY to hot. In seconds literally half second the tank was demolished. Tiger barbs were floating and the danios stomachs exploded.

I seen it was hot. in 1 second I
Ran to the faucet, turned it to suck, didnt wanna turn it cold and shock more, frig across from sink, half sec turned around and
Got Ice cubes to add to tank, 1 second at tank with cubes-
All dead. I nuked all my fish. I felt horrible. Like what the heck was I thinking.

I always double check the water temp before a fill and constantly check it at the gravel vac when filling. I also never leave the tank while filling, I now "hold it"

I hope that made you feel better lol. I feel like a horrible fish keeper again. But I know mistakes happen.

My plants die and melt. I changed gravel to eco-complete, flourish, as well as increased the wattage. Plants still die, and I have no clue why. Parameters are at the safe zone, frequent water changes.

Some of us just doesn't have a green thumb, or my plants are having a hard time grow and root in the eco-complete.

As to your fish part, all my fish pretty much live without any problems.

I have plants disentegrate every so often. I dream of one day propigating bananna plants but at present I can't even keep them alive. My mollies ate my last attempt.

I think my plants just don't have enough room to root... but my only substrate is Eco-complete... supposedly one of the best ones for plant growth :/.

But when none of the plants were stuck into the substrate they were free floating and seemed more healthy.

I've been feeling the same way lately as well. My tank is a mess with algae and I know a large reason is that I have let my maint. schedule slide. I also know that I need to start testing the water and do some homework on a custom fert regimen if I want it to look the way I know it can. Instead I just feel crappy about it and ignore it more...

Don't get down though. Test your water, re-think your plans and don't stop trying.

I sometimes hope the lighting recommendations don't apply to me. They're in a south facing room, lights on 12+ hours etc. It's ok short term but after that...hmmm.

I've been back into the hobby for a solid year now and this is the first time I feel like I have a handle on things like I should have had in the past. All was going well on my second attempt with plants. I had an algae problem (who hasn't had one) and so decided to use Excel to see what it could do. My vals, which I read might die with Excel, have finally shot up! Go figure. On the other hand I'm dealing with all my crypts melting right now after they were doing better than just about every other plant in the tank. I was more POed than anything. Time will tell if they come back but at least I know where I can get more. I'll just have to deal with the algae untill my tank is massively planted out.

Q

The only thing that is thriving is my lily bulb plant thingy. But I still think my substrate is to compact, the roots rot, and not able to grow.

I can't even grow java moss fast enough even with flourish :/.

My only tank that is a success is my red cherry shrimp tank, flame moss, HC, crypts, wisteria.