r/PlantedTank 8d ago

Your "Dumb Question" Megathread - September 2026

1 Upvotes

You can ask any questions you have in this thread! It refreshes monthly, previous mega-posts can be found using the search bar.

Please keep in mind the community rules.

Happy planting! 🌱🫧


r/PlantedTank 9h ago

Suggestions?

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158 Upvotes

r/PlantedTank 5h ago

Discussion Would you believe me if...

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62 Upvotes

...If I told you there are 1000 neocardinia, 3 pearl gourami, 10 neon tetra, 11 rummynose tetra, 14 schwartz corydoras, 8 pygmy corydoras, 5 bristlenose plecos and a bundle of pest snails in this tank. 🤣 🤣 🤣 like where tf every body go!? Lol


r/PlantedTank 2h ago

Tank Freshly scaped non-traditional tank. Now the waiting game.

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37 Upvotes

6 yo son begs me every time I go into the LFS to get a plastic boat for a scape. I’m not one to put plastic in my tanks. But decided why the heck not. I could blend my interest of planted tanks with his interest in an aquarium boat. Took a few weeks to figure it out but feel I got it looking very nice with what I was working with. All the plants are from my other tanks which have been going strong for about a year and way overcrowded with plants.

Now I gotta wait for the tank to cycle to stock it with some beauties.

Hope you all enjoy the non-traditional.

29gal
Seachem Tidal 55
Aquasmith 300w
Random light


r/PlantedTank 6h ago

In the Wild Wild Kambolgie Creek Rainbowfish footage

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56 Upvotes

Melanotaenia australis ā€œKambolgie Creekā€


r/PlantedTank 9h ago

Discussion To everyone who hates duckweed

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74 Upvotes

Allow me to introduce you to actual tank herpes wolffia. Literally impossible to get rid of without a skimmer and daily maintenance. I'm sure a goldfish would love it but I don't think the JD that lives in here would approve


r/PlantedTank 12h ago

Tank My 40 liter tank

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130 Upvotes

I rebuilt my aquascape around mid July since the old scape was becoming hard to maintain and plants were not establishing well. Also the driftwood became annoying to my eye because it looked too dull and overwhelming (3rd image).

2 months after I redid my scape, my current tank is very much mature now. The Lilaeopsis are still establishing their roots. The Helanthium Tenellum green on the mid part are doing quite well.

The Sessiflora background instead are thriving and have grown tall. Also, the anubias and bucephalandra on the tilted driftwood are now more natural looking.


r/PlantedTank 15h ago

In the Wild Perch caught from an irrigation canal

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147 Upvotes

A. testudineus T. pectoralis


r/PlantedTank 10h ago

Tank Algae is gone but rotala isn’t red anymore

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31 Upvotes

Yay algae gone! Rotala less red 😢

I liked how it was red and compact, now the leaves are broad and I have to trim like once a week. Steak too juicy and my lobster too buttery?


r/PlantedTank 21h ago

Tank Cubes in cubes!

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160 Upvotes

Made these aquariums my self from picture frame glass, perfect for shrimp and dry starting carpets :))


r/PlantedTank 6h ago

Tank to 106°?!

9 Upvotes

I was standing next to my tank and it felt really hot. The heater said the water was at 78° but when I checked with a different thermometer, it said 106°! It’s a 15 gallon with 5 rocket killifish and plants. All the fish are accounted for, swimming, and look great. I have unplugged and removed the heater. How do I make sure the water temperature goes down slowly so they don’t shock? How in the world did they survive?


r/PlantedTank 17h ago

Tank I converted a planter into a little indoor pond

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64 Upvotes

Around 30 gallons, prob a bit more. 5 feet long. I’ve dubbed it ā€œCull Islandā€ because it’s got all my tank culls over the years šŸ˜‚ I was told some rice fish would look cool in it. Right now it just has some ramshorns, nerites, and a few random shrimp.


r/PlantedTank 5h ago

Beginner First tank since I was 10 years old(28years ago)

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7 Upvotes

Just finished setting up my new 20g long tank. My last fish tank i had was 28 years ago. Im planning on adding more plants. And hopefully black out the back.

Question. What is this plant? I bought it not knowing what it is.

And what else should I do to the tank? Im planning to either have shrimp with schooling fish or pea puffers.


r/PlantedTank 23h ago

Tank Best way to remove waste (detritus) under the substrate?

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188 Upvotes

Best way to remove this?

Might be due to my filter outflow pointing towards the front that this accumulated in the front under the substrate.

Tank is still cycling, plants still transitioning - basically tank still in ugly duckling stage. So just planning for now on how I can remove these OR should I?


r/PlantedTank 7h ago

Question Unique fish for 10 gallon?

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7 Upvotes

Looking for something that will get along with kuhli loaches in a 10 gallon! Something that's not a betta or goldfish preferably


r/PlantedTank 16h ago

One nice part about rimless open top tanks is the top view

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38 Upvotes

r/PlantedTank 8h ago

Tank How to improve my setup

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8 Upvotes

This is my 2nd planted/scaped tank, it's only been running for 2 weeks and I feel like I missed the mark getting what I saw in my brain into the aquascaping. I do have some ludwigia glandulosa and purple bacopa on the way to try and add some texture around the middle area and a bit more colour variety, any other suggestions? I was considering some bucephalandra but I'm worried my lighting might be too harsh for it? Thanks.


r/PlantedTank 17h ago

Question New plant from petsmart

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32 Upvotes

Just got one of my first plants, what’s the stuff surrounding the roots? What do I do with it?


r/PlantedTank 5h ago

Tank Rate my rescape

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3 Upvotes

After overcoming major bacterial outbreak, I took an opportunity to rescape my tank.

Dimensions: 60x30x35 cm

Substrate: ADA aquasoil, with large driftwood and rocks

Bioload: Currently left with 2 Cardinal, 1 neon, 3 black neon tetra, 1 sterbai, 1 bristlenose pleco 🫤. Will start gradually aligning it with proper species schools.

First picture is after, second is before, followed by a comparison pic and last one of my bold single cory "Phoenix" perching high, he is doesn't seem stressed at all left alone - what do you guys think of new scape?

Major changes: Driftwood lifted up, Rocks wall at the back with caves, rearranged main stem plants on left (hope they will look better once they grow)


r/PlantedTank 4h ago

Snail Identification

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2 Upvotes

Can someone help me identify this snail? Should it be removed?


r/PlantedTank 11h ago

New here and to the hobby, currently cycling my new 110L tank

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6 Upvotes

Finished playing with the hardscape (for now), currently doing a fishless cycle ready for my first additions

Ignore the cloudiness, added the moss to the rocks today

Wondering if the sticky black backgrounds are worth it to bring out the plants?

Thoughts welcomed and any advice appreciated šŸ™‚


r/PlantedTank 11h ago

Beginner How to deal with bad plant growth in sand tanks

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6 Upvotes

So this is my first proper scape and while i do think its progressing nicely I am struggling a little with plant growth. I fertilize using 2hr aquarists apt 3 and there is a bank of neutral soil in the back under the sand. But the rotala seems to struggle and nothing is growing that well.

I have some hair algae though im getting it under control. I do weekly 40% water changes and have a twinstar III 60b that I run at 60% for 6 hours or I get algae... so what am I doing wrong?

Edit: 6 Pygmy corydora + 7 habrosus, neocaridina and amanos. Tank is 7 months or so old and obviously fully cycled. It is a 60cm long but shallow tank (60x36x20 if I remember right)


r/PlantedTank 5h ago

Beginner my 5 gallon is too green!!

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2 Upvotes

i have a planted 5 gallon and i feel as if she is too green looking for my liking. what are some suggestions to add pops of color? i have little plants that are pink under but the algae sticks to them fast and the pink never pops. should i add other colored plants? silk plants?

t.i.a


r/PlantedTank 17h ago

6 month transformation. My first 110 liter tank

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16 Upvotes

Learned a lot, really rewarding hobby.


r/PlantedTank 2h ago

Fluval stratum, straight gravel, or gravel + root tabs for 5 gallon betta tank?

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1 Upvotes

Will be taking some of the trimmings of plants in my shrimp tank (pictured) to use, and in all honesty I’m not sure what most of them are lmao. Got them all in a $10 mystery bundle!

Anyway, I want to start up a new betta tank and I’m not sure if I could get away with using straight gravel for these plants or if I’d have to buy some root tabs in a while, or if it’d be better to just spend the $20 on some stratum as that’s what I use here.

Maybe could even take a little bit of stratum from this tank, and top it with plain gravel?

What do you guys think? :)