Bring a water sample and a photograph. Most problems are the water, and most water problems are boring and fixable.
| What you see | Usually | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudy white water | Bacterial bloom, usually days 3–10 of a new tank | Test, wait, stop changing water daily |
| Green water | Too much light, too few plants, excess nitrate | Blackout, UV if needed, then fix the cause |
| Brown dust on glass | Diatoms, normal in a young tank | Otocinclus and patience. It passes. |
| Black brush algae | Unstable CO2 or low flow | Fix the CO2 curve before touching the algae |
| Fish gasping at surface | Low oxygen, or ammonia | Test immediately. Surface agitation now. |
| Plants melting after planting | Emersed-grown stock converting | Expected. Trim the dead leaves, wait three weeks. |
| White spots on fins | Ich, often after a temperature swing | Raise temperature slowly, treat the whole tank |
A diagnostic visit is €45 and comes off the price of any work that follows from it.