55 gallon planted tank progress( for those who care)

redchigh

If you trim a val leaf, that leaf will die. Of course if it's damaged, it'll die anyway, so it doesn't hurt anything.

Given any thought to foreground plants? Maybe dwarf sag or dwarf hairgrass?

Jayy

I have, but wasn't sure what to get, but I will check those plants out. Thanks!

Attached Images

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Jayy

I have algae spots all over, at this point should I do something about, or wait until I get more plants and see if it's still there?

teddyzaper

the less plants the more algae. I would scrub it off with your fingers until you get more plants.

Boredomb

Can you tell what kind of algae it is?

Jayy

It's just plain brown algae.

Boredomb

So diatoms then. Don't worry about it right now. It common in new tanks and should disappear as fast as it showed up. If on plants just wipe them off with your finger. Should come off with ease. Same with the glass if it bothers you.

beetlebz

all my tanks went through a second diatom bloom when I changed them out to planted. Some went right away, some didnt. I still have some ugly spots in my 20 long 3 and 4 weeks later, but as the plants bounce back, the diatoms are getting less and less. I shudder to think what my 55 is going to look like next week after I change the substrate

Jayy

Ugh!! When I changed from gravel to sand, my tank as a mess!! I don't mean to scary you. But as you can see it's looks pretty ok now.

Byron

True, changing the substrate will cause a cloudy tank for whatever period it takes the substrate bacteria to re-establish. I have changed all my tanks but one over the past year, 4 went to sand, 1 to Flourite, 1 to gravel. The enormous colony of bacteria in the substrate--and we are talking all sorts of different bacterium species--gets lost and has to re-establish. Perfectly normal.

BTW, don't be tempted to use any clarifying product. Most work by binding particulate matter, but they also bind the fish's gills and are very stressful. The tank will clear naturally.

Byron.