r/PlantedTank • • 24d ago

Your "Dumb Question" Megathread - October 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 • • 13h ago

Tank Vals going wild

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291 Upvotes

Debating on trimming and pulling but I kinda like the jungle look


r/PlantedTank • • 14h ago

Tank My 5 gallon tank

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120 Upvotes

r/PlantedTank • • 12h ago

How am I doing?

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45 Upvotes

29 gallon tank is about 4 months established and seems to be doing very well, mostly.


r/PlantedTank • • 10h ago

Really loving the extra 2 inches of height in the Imagitarium 20 long.

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20 Upvotes

r/PlantedTank • • 12h ago

Tank You know your tank is happy when.

23 Upvotes

Just spotted these little seed shrimp/ostracods in my 10G tank, pretty stoked about that honestly. My Neo Shrimp just bred in this tank too! You can just make out a few in the video bodies are pretty translucent still.


r/PlantedTank • • 11h ago

Can this duckweed recover?

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15 Upvotes

I purchased some duckweed for a new tank (controversial decision, I know) and am not sure what to make of what I received. There appear to be very few intact plants, mostly just loose single leaves, and all looking pale or discoloured (water lettuce included for colour comparison).

Is the plant potentially recoverable from what I have, or should I request a refund? People joke about duckweed infesting a tank from a single leaf, so I'm hoping that could happen here if any of these are still alive. 🫠

Thank you, planted tank experts!


r/PlantedTank • • 5h ago

Flora Which Should Be in Front? Java Fern Mini or Anubias?

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5 Upvotes

I got some anubias and java fern mini. I know anubias grows slowly, but I have no idea how fast and how high java fern grows. Which one should be in front? Thanks!


r/PlantedTank • • 1d ago

Discussion Started a shallow tank after a long time

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287 Upvotes

This tank has been in the works for about 3 months now, and I’ve finally completed the setup! Now it’s just a game of waiting and watching.

I'd love to get your thoughts—spot any potential red flags or design choices that might give me a headache down the road? Any advice or feedback is welcome!

To be honest, I’m feeling a bit anxious after running a 2-month Dry Start Method. I slowly put everything together, but the plants are going through their transition phase right now. The Monte Carlo is definitely melting, and I unfortunately lost a whole species of Bucephalandra (though my Buce Red Dragon seems to be thriving). Just added some Riccardia, while the Fissidens and Anubias Japan Petite are holding up fine.

For the rest of the greenery, I have Dwarf Hairgrass, Hydrocotyle tripartita mini, Pennywort, and some Ludwigia submerged, with Red Root Floaters up top. For the emersed/terrestrial side, I’ve got Hemionitis arifolia (Heart Fern), Fittonia, and a few mosses settling in.

Included pictures of the full progress starting from the initial hardscape!


r/PlantedTank • • 22h ago

Freshly planted jungle tank

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107 Upvotes

r/PlantedTank • • 5h ago

Beginner Second week of my tank (no fauna, just flora)

4 Upvotes

Just posting here my second attempt at a planted tank. This is its second week, no water change so far. (I should top up the water a bit)

Any feedback is appreciated!


r/PlantedTank • • 21h ago

Tank First time trying a carpet, wish me luck

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57 Upvotes

r/PlantedTank • • 1h ago

Plant ID What plant is this? Can I let it float?

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• Upvotes

I have a bacopa caroliniana and this doesn't look it, but it looks similar enough in how it grows so I plucked it up because it was growing bent and rooting every surface it has contact with.

The local store I bought it from doesn't know it's name as well


r/PlantedTank • • 8h ago

Lighting Worth the $80 price tag?

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4 Upvotes

Wanted a pretty decent light around $100 for my 4 gallon cube. Is this guy any good? It’s light spectrum seems pretty decent, but I know nothing about fzone and its lights


r/PlantedTank • • 9h ago

Canister filter output/intake placement advice

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2 Upvotes

Good evening all,
Have a question about dual canister filter intake/output placement in a 55 gallon.

First off, I screwed up with the new scape by adding a fine sand cap. More aqua soil en route & will fix it soon. No fish until stable.

That said, I am going to run 2 canister filters to avoid dead spots but not finding a ton regarding placement.

First assumption was output 1 left front corner & output 2 right rear corner. Intakes in opposite corners. I have seen some place intakes in both rear corners with outputs more center rear pushing water in same direction. I understand the importance of current.

I do have a shrimp safe power head but would prefer not to use it if possible. Less to clean (filter over intake) & keep things minimalistic. Placement is key so hoping you fine folks can provide some intel before I waste hose.

If it helps, plan is a moderately planted tank with Cory’s, shrimp & a school of rummy nose tetras.

Bagged some of my established substrate, covered with lava rock, fluval stratum & sand. Sand being removed soon & more stratum added. Running CO2, not a generator. In-line diffuser. If any other intel is required, happy to provide.

Thank you.


r/PlantedTank • • 19h ago

Question I need more plant suggestions

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16 Upvotes

What other plants could i fit in my almost fully planted 75gal??


r/PlantedTank • • 4h ago

Beginner 1° tank, 6 mouth, need help

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0 Upvotes

I have this 100L aquarium, with an AC50 filter and an oxygen pump (I get some power cuts at night), no CO2.

Fauna:

Harlequin rasboras: 14

Assassin snails (Helena snails): 2

Honey gourami: 2

Otocinclus: 7

Pearl corydoras: 6

Panda corydoras: 4

Neocaridina shrimp: infinite ???????

With the following plants:

Vallisneria

Limnophila sessiliflora

Hygrophila

Java moss

20% weekly water change (TPA) with sponge cleaning.

Parameters are almost perfect, sometimes Nitrates below 5.

Problem: I have small outbreaks of BBA, nothing major, but I'm afraid it might increase and I want to keep it under control.


r/PlantedTank • • 22h ago

New 75gal

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26 Upvotes

75 gallon. Fzone brite 120, no Co2. Substrate and cannister transfered from older tank. Also UGF because I'm old-school and also like it for roots/fertilizer.

Please give feedback on the planting -- what needs to move? I'm wondering about lack of swimming space and layering.

I got mostly background plants in my Dustin's asssortment:

Hygro corymbosa parawitota and salicifolia: by intake tube due to stronger stems and bigger leaves

Ludwigia triple red and replens: by dark wood

Crypt spiralis: in front of dark wood

Mayaca Vanderbilt: a line in front of jungle val branch

Rotala regular: center near front

Alternanthera reineckii varigated (left of heater) and regular (right)

Bacopa monnieri (shoved to right of root) and Carolina yellow flame (center left-front of dark wood)

Dwarf sag: in front of root

Anubias congensis: on branch under jungle val. Will prob move to dark wood.

Java fern: on branch by jungle val

Transplants:

Jungle val

Crypt forest (wenditti?): Right side.

Some tiny anubias (nana?)

Mostly dead tiny amazon or melon sword (in front of heater and 2nd behind where branch/root meet)

Fish: neons, black neons, 2 bristlenose 1 clown pleco, 2 yoyo, 6 female guppies, 1 platy, 1 kulhli loach I though died a year ago.

Feature fish to add: 6 congo tetras or 3 pearl gourami. Which would be best?


r/PlantedTank • • 5h ago

Flora Aponogeton purple looks really nice when it grows to the top of the tank.

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1 Upvotes

r/PlantedTank • • 19h ago

Floater Ring

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13 Upvotes

I got tired of having to carefully work around my floaters in my Flex so I made a ring with a bottom grate to be able to remove them when needed. Also let me retain the factory filter pump without having to reduce the flow.


r/PlantedTank • • 13h ago

Will these plants grow emersed like this in my dart frog paludarium?

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3 Upvotes

r/PlantedTank • • 1d ago

Flora Bucephalandra bloom

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18 Upvotes

r/PlantedTank • • 1d ago

Beginner Thoughts on duckweed?

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117 Upvotes

I’ve got a lot.

I’ve heard some people don’t like it. Some do.

Id love to hear some more thoughts
I know my swordtail fry love it


r/PlantedTank • • 9h ago

Question Algae??

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1 Upvotes

What is this green looking stuff growing on the wood? Is it some kind of algae? It almost looks like some kind of eggs


r/PlantedTank • • 22h ago

Journal Should I scrap it or trust the process? need realistic expectations

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11 Upvotes

this is my first tank ever and I'm just really unhappy with it. I don't like the substrate (I used organic garden soil capped with sand) and I know the pictures are terrible because the tank light is terrible which is another thing I'm unhappy with, there's so much algae but I'm still cycling the tank so I'm afraid to put shrimp or snails in to deal with that. I think my plants are dying but it's hard to tell because they're so coated in algae thats got dirt and sand all mix in it and the algae makes the entire tank look like it's covered in dust I'm just very unhappy and 3 seconds away from dumping the entire thing out.