I will be honest up front. I've kind of neglected my tank. Normally during the winter I go into just cold weather maintenance mode on my tanks. Water changes become bi-weekly instead of weekly, no new fish are added and the fish are fed and nothing more.
This tank consequently has a ton of issues. It's a 75g tank inhabited by about a dozen neons and a rubber lip pleco. I'd like to add more fish for obvious reasons, but that's side issue #1 and I can't do anything about it until I deal with the other issues which are as follows.
Problem #1 The surface of the water is covered with duckweed that seems to thwart every attempt I make to remove it. I once spent about an hour to an hour and a half pulling out every shred of duckweed I could find. At the end I couldn't find any duckweed anywhere in the tank. Sadly, I missed some somewhere and the tank is now covered in duckweed again. It kills me that if you miss one piece it all comes back. Someone once suggested adding a goldfish as they will eat duckweed like candy. Problem is I have no where to put goldie afterwards. The only empty tanks I have are a 5 and a 10G. The only other tank I have that's big enough for a goldfish is a 55 currently occupied by a 6 inch Jack Dempsey who would love a goldfish as a dinner guest.
Problem #2 - the surface of the gravel is covered in spots by green scum algae. I've tried black outs, but they don't seem to work. I've tried scooping the scum out with my bare hands, but this doesn't seem to get all of it. Additionally since I used Turface for a substrate, I've got lots of detritus that has fallen into the the substrate and is difficult to remove without sucking up the substrate as well.
Problem #3 - The filter and it's media is constantly clogged with brown goop. The intake is constantly clogged with detritus that floats around the tank. I can unclog the filter, but it quickly sucks up other floating detritus. I think the only solution for this is to replace the media and flush the filter thoroughly. I'm open to other solutions.
Problem #4 - The few plants I still have alive have lots of dead leaves and holes in the leaves they have. I think this is a lack of ferts/lights. I have the former on hand, but don't know if I have the latter which brings me to problem #5....
Problem #5 - This is a 75 g tank like I mentioned earlier and I currently have a CF light on it that has two 55w bulbs. I don't think this is enough light and I'm wondering if I need to but an additional fixture? I don't know what kind of fixture I need?
I'm thinking the only real solution I have here is to temporarily re-home the fish, break the tank down completely, re-do it and re-add the fish. I can then add another light fixture, more plants, fire up my CO2 again (forgot to add that I do have a pressurized CO2 system on here) and start ferts again. Are there any other ways I can do this that don't involve so much of a headache or have I made my bed and now I have to sleep in it? I'll try to post some pics later.
This tank consequently has a ton of issues. It's a 75g tank inhabited by about a dozen neons and a rubber lip pleco. I'd like to add more fish for obvious reasons, but that's side issue #1 and I can't do anything about it until I deal with the other issues which are as follows.
Problem #1 The surface of the water is covered with duckweed that seems to thwart every attempt I make to remove it. I once spent about an hour to an hour and a half pulling out every shred of duckweed I could find. At the end I couldn't find any duckweed anywhere in the tank. Sadly, I missed some somewhere and the tank is now covered in duckweed again. It kills me that if you miss one piece it all comes back. Someone once suggested adding a goldfish as they will eat duckweed like candy. Problem is I have no where to put goldie afterwards. The only empty tanks I have are a 5 and a 10G. The only other tank I have that's big enough for a goldfish is a 55 currently occupied by a 6 inch Jack Dempsey who would love a goldfish as a dinner guest.
Problem #2 - the surface of the gravel is covered in spots by green scum algae. I've tried black outs, but they don't seem to work. I've tried scooping the scum out with my bare hands, but this doesn't seem to get all of it. Additionally since I used Turface for a substrate, I've got lots of detritus that has fallen into the the substrate and is difficult to remove without sucking up the substrate as well.
Problem #3 - The filter and it's media is constantly clogged with brown goop. The intake is constantly clogged with detritus that floats around the tank. I can unclog the filter, but it quickly sucks up other floating detritus. I think the only solution for this is to replace the media and flush the filter thoroughly. I'm open to other solutions.
Problem #4 - The few plants I still have alive have lots of dead leaves and holes in the leaves they have. I think this is a lack of ferts/lights. I have the former on hand, but don't know if I have the latter which brings me to problem #5....
Problem #5 - This is a 75 g tank like I mentioned earlier and I currently have a CF light on it that has two 55w bulbs. I don't think this is enough light and I'm wondering if I need to but an additional fixture? I don't know what kind of fixture I need?
I'm thinking the only real solution I have here is to temporarily re-home the fish, break the tank down completely, re-do it and re-add the fish. I can then add another light fixture, more plants, fire up my CO2 again (forgot to add that I do have a pressurized CO2 system on here) and start ferts again. Are there any other ways I can do this that don't involve so much of a headache or have I made my bed and now I have to sleep in it? I'll try to post some pics later.
Once I get the tank cleaned up do I need to add another light, turn on the CO2 and start fertilzing again? Is the missing part of my equation more light? More plants to compete with the algae?
