# Duke City Aqua's Aquarium Room



## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Whew, it's been a while since I have posted here! I have still been very active with the hobby, but went to Facebook for sometime due to ease of posting, but was frustrated with the lack of methods to document progression. To summarize my journey thus far, I started with a 15 gallon high tech planted tank in April of 2016, added a 5 gallon high tech bonsai scape, added three more ten gallon tanks for shrimp, mosses and buces, won a 20 gallon planted tank from an AGA raffle in spring of 2017, got married, and had to decommission/rescape several of my tanks! At present, I have 5 planted setups, a 22 long, 20, 10, 5 and 2.5. Please see the images below and thanks for stopping by!

Link to Photo Gallery:

Hybrid Dutch/Iwagumi 15 gallon Aquarium Photo Progression
Duke City Aqua's Fish Room


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Link to PAR data on FINNEX Lights*

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/145-finnex/189944-finnex-ray-ii-fugeray-par-data.html

Bump: Here is some interesting info about Finnex PAR lights.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Also, if anyone has suggestions on ways adjust the gravel i am open ears!


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Don't order the plants until you have everything needed. In addition to the co2, you'll need ferts as well.


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## bereninga (Mar 18, 2006)

I like the rocks!

I would try to angle the rocks a little more, maybe into 45 degree angles relative to the ground. Also, I would create larger mounds of substrate under the rocks. It looks very level and a little too even and symmetrical, not natural. Maybe play around with several layouts and placements. This is the best time to try different things.

The left, tallest rock is definitely one you'd want more towards the middle than on the outside border since it's the biggest and strongest rock of all. Also, more of a slope would help expose the smaller rocks more because once you have plants, they could easily get swallowed up by them. It's happened to me so many times. heheh 

Good luck! Amano is definitely inspiring!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Thanks for the suggestion. i do have a DIY CO2 setup that I had been using before, so I was planning on using that until all the parts came in the next week or so... I am really having trouble finding all the parts to make my own regulator though merp...

Bump:


houseofcards said:


> Don't order the plants until you have everything needed. In addition to the co2, you'll need ferts as well.


Thanks for the suggestion. i do have a DIY CO2 setup that I had been using before, so I was planning on using that until all the parts came in the next week or so... I am really having trouble finding all the parts to make my own regulator though merp...

Bump:


bereninga said:


> I like the rocks!
> 
> I would try to angle the rocks a little more, maybe into 45 degree angles relative to the ground. Also, I would create larger mounds of substrate under the rocks. It looks very level and a little too even and symmetrical, not natural. Maybe play around with several layouts and placements. This is the best time to try different things.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for the suggestions! I have been tinkering with the layout for the past day and agree that the larger stone needs to be more of the "centerpiece" I have more fluorite to play with from my low tech aquarium so I will get so more substrate to create mounds. I did receive another larger stone but it had almost no character and resembled a tomb stone...


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Iteration 2*

Here is my second configuration with the stones that I have. Let me know what you think! Also, I have attached the extra stones that i have that I did not use. If I need to substitute or add any let me know!


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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

I think you are off to a great start!
Why have you come to the conclusion you need to build your own regulator? There are plenty on the market and some aren't too costly.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Jamo33 said:


> I think you are off to a great start!
> Why have you come to the conclusion you need to build your own regulator? There are plenty on the market and some aren't too costly.


Based on the general consensus of this website, building a regulator will get you better components at better rate. I have looked at CO2 art , GLA and Aquatek Regulators but the claim is that the needle valves are not the best and finnicky or just over priced.


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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

JuanSan said:


> Based on the general consensus of this website, building a regulator will get you better components at better rate. I have looked at CO2 art , GLA and Aquatek Regulators but the claim is that the needle valves are not the best and finnicky or just over priced.


That makes sense 
Will definitely be interested to see your build when its done.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Jamo33 said:


> That makes sense
> Will definitely be interested to see your build when its done.


I decided to heck with it. I just got my tax return so i busted a move and got a GLA regulator and drop checker. I decided to get a 5lb. co2 cylinder so that I would not have to refill it as often. This hopefully will last me a significant amount of time in the long run!

GLA Gro CO2 Regulator | Green Leaf Aquariums

CAL AQUA LABS Nano Drop Checker | Green Leaf Aquariums

Amazon.com: 5 lb. co2 Cylinder - New Aluminum Tank CGA 320 Valve: Industrial & Scientific


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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

Very nice choice of equipment!!!!
I hopefully will be able to save the pennies to invest in something like this, but being a student makes luxuries like this seem impossible!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Jamo33 said:


> Very nice choice of equipment!!!!
> I hopefully will be able to save the pennies to invest in something like this, but being a student makes luxuries like this seem impossible!


Haha i feel you, i had a low tech 12 gal. For 4 years in the dorms and i have to say it was a godsend for my sanity.... Plus it was a really good talking point for any visitors!


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## bereninga (Mar 18, 2006)

Ah, this second layout already looks very much improved! Also, don't be shy about using more stones since you've already spent the money for them. Maybe you could add more of the smaller rocks (the five in front in the spare pieces pic) somewhere.

Even if you don't add any more pieces, this looks pretty nice to me. One thing I would do is change the substrate slope slightly. I like the slope from front to back, but I would slope the back part more towards the center since you have this more centered layout. I also think that one of the outermost rocks could either be smaller, or put into the substrate more. It currently looks a little too balanced. Maybe the left-most rock could be adjusted to be lower to make the strongest rock look bigger.

Also, great choice on the GLA regulator. It will last you a very long time.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

I see what you mean now. Thanks for the help! Iteration three here we go!



bereninga said:


> Ah, this second layout already looks very much improved! Also, don't be shy about using more stones since you've already spent the money for them. Maybe you could add more of the smaller rocks (the five in front in the spare pieces pic) somewhere.
> 
> Even if you don't add any more pieces, this looks pretty nice to me. One thing I would do is change the substrate slope slightly. I like the slope from front to back, but I would slope the back part more towards the center since you have this more centered layout. I also think that one of the outermost rocks could either be smaller, or put into the substrate more. It currently looks a little too balanced. Maybe the left-most rock could be adjusted to be lower to make the strongest rock look bigger.
> 
> Also, great choice on the GLA regulator. It will last you a very long time.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Here is iteration three. I reduced the height of the leftmost rock and added some more sacrificial stones. I also moved the gravel more towards the center and it made a huge difference. Sorry for the potato quality photos, I am using my phone and the lighting is terrible where I am!


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

I think you got some really good advise from bereninga. That looks much better. Building up the substrate to the center works well and will add a lot of depth and interest once the ground-cover fills in. Hard to tell with the newspaper, but the 2nd largest rock right center maybe can be more on an angle, but overall it looks good.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

houseofcards said:


> I think you got some really good advise from bereninga. That looks much better. Building up the substrate to the center works well and will add a lot of depth and interest once the ground-cover fills in. Hard to tell with the newspaper, but the 2nd largest rock right center maybe can be more on an angle, but overall it looks good.


I was trying to use the paper to block the background but i will make those adjustments as soon as i get off!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Version 3.1 With LED on*

I adjusted the angles of the rocks slightly and worked out how to best take a photo with my phone. I think that I will plan to add more substrate to raise the rocks up slightly more (about 2") and the hardscaping is done! Then onto plants


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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

I'm liking it mate! 
You're definitely making a lot of progress with your hardscapes!
Its great that you haven't rushed your design and planted and flooded the first chance you got.
That being said....cannot wait till you plant and flood :thumbsup:


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Next week I will get the regulator and the HC's so I cant wait to start!!!


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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

JuanSan said:


> Next week I will get the regulator and the HC's so I cant wait to start!!!


Very excited for you!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Version 3.2 More gravel added*

I added more fluorite from my old tank and built up the middle. I am not 100% happy with the hardscape placement though... Need to keep tinkering.


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## bereninga (Mar 18, 2006)

Odd numbers are usually better when it comes to hardscaping. This is too symmetric and the rocks look too similar in size and height. Almost there, though!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

bereninga said:


> Odd numbers are usually better when it comes to hardscaping. This is too symmetric and the rocks look too similar in size and height. Almost there, though!


There are actually seven stones in the tank but I see your point. The heights of the stones do need to be varied more dramatically. Once more!


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## Willcooper (May 31, 2015)

I thought your version just before this one was best. Before you added more grave. It looked kind of like a mountain range and now it looks more unnatural. I like seeing those stones in the very front.


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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

I will say that i now feel there is a bit too much gravel, best to slope towards the middle like you had before, whilst also sloping front to back. That will give better perspective whilst also building up your mountain style stones. 
No. 3 was great i thought, however you could have maybe made the slope more extreme  still going great mate good work!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*The Build!*

Here it is in all of it's glory! I can't believe that It is finally assembled. The link is a walk through of my process. Hope you enjoy!

First time 15 gallon Iwagumi Aquarium - Album on Imgur


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Looks good!. Remember don't over do the lighting duration, dose and keep up with water changes especially until the plants really kick in.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

houseofcards said:


> Looks good!. Remember don't over do the lighting duration, dose and keep up with water changes especially until the plants really kick in.


Thank you! I have light and CO2 on 8 hour timer, and will do 25-30% water changes weekly. Will that work? Also, for ferts, I am have Flourish, and flourish excel, should I dose each of these twice a week?


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

JuanSan said:


> Thank you! I have light and CO2 on 8 hour timer, and will do 25-30% water changes weekly. Will that work? Also, for ferts, I am have Flourish, and flourish excel, should I dose each of these twice a week?


If it was my setup I would leave the co2 were it is and reduce the lighting period to 6 hrs. On 1 hour later and off 1 hour earlier. You really don't need excel. Your running pressurized co2. The seachem flourish is O.K. for the micros, but where are the macros. Your providing light, co2, but not main ferts. You should really be dosing NPK. If you do all that you should be changing around 50% of the water especially in the beginning to remove excess ferts and organic waste until the bio-filter of plants and bacteria mature.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

houseofcards said:


> If it was my setup I would leave the co2 were it is and reduce the lighting period to 6 hrs. On 1 hour later and off 1 hour earlier. You really don't need excel. Your running pressurized co2. The seachem flourish is O.K. for the micros, but where are the macros. Your providing light, co2, but not main ferts. You should really be dosing NPK. If you do all that you should be changing around 50% of the water especially in the beginning to remove excess ferts and organic waste until the bio-filter of plants and bacteria mature.


I see what you are getting at. I need to find a good brand of macros, preferably dry then. Any recommendations?I will play with the lighting schedule a little then to see what I can figure out. Thank you for the recommendations!


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

JuanSan said:


> I see what you are getting at. I need to find a good brand of macros, preferably dry then. Any recommendations?I will play with the lighting schedule a little then to see what I can figure out. Thank you for the recommendations!


I get my stuff from TPT member Nilocg. 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/1...stom-fertilizer-mixing|cholla-wood|ials|.html

Go about 1/2 way down 1st post you'll see his dry fert stuff. 

This is pretty much what I use. He sells it various ways or separately. The CSM+B can replace the Flourish eventually. 

NPK + CSM+B Package- $21 shipped
1lb KNO3, 1/2lb KH2PO4, 1lb K2SO4, and 1/2lb CSM+B


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

houseofcards said:


> I get my stuff from TPT member Nilocg.
> 
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/1...stom-fertilizer-mixing|cholla-wood|ials|.html
> 
> ...


Done and done! Thank you for the suggestions I did some research and went with this very item!


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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

YES! Flooded and looking good mate well done!!!!


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## xxoczukxx (Aug 16, 2014)

it might just be me but i feel like the rocks look a bit too symmetrical in their placement


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

xxoczukxx said:


> it might just be me but i feel like the rocks look a bit too symmetrical in their placement


I could see that, how would you recommend placing them?

Bump: 1) I am still dialing the CO2 levels in, i don't want to shock the system too much.

2) I have been dosing with Seachem Flourish and Cycle daily to establish a sound bacterial colony in the substrate. 

3) I also had to move the influx and efflux tubes around after a little research. 

4) Disregard the Java fern, I need to find a home for it and haven't been able to yet! 

5) Also, I am ordering a new heater since this one cannot keep up with the volume of water needing to be heated. 

6) I did not sink a majority of these dwarf baby tears into the ground! agh help?

7) I am thinking I will put a blue background. I wonder If I should paint it (is it too late?), or just get a plastic film from my LFS... Decisions decisions.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

I just saw an amazing picture on the interwebs and was thinking about changing my hardscape.....My rocks have a lot of character but or more pillar shaped which has made it difficult to arrange properly. I am thinking about changing the configuration so that it looked something more like this....So inspired!


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## bereninga (Mar 18, 2006)

Hahah Already? You just started!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

bereninga said:


> Hahah Already? You just started!


Haha I know I know, when I saw this rockscape though, it spoke to me, much more so than the setup that I have right now. I keep hearing in the back of my head, "out of the dragon's mouth" since a lot of my rocks are "teethlike". I may commit to this design, I may not... this is going to annoy me haha


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## d33pVI (Oct 28, 2015)

I might suggest a simple adjustment, take the center-right rock and rotate it 180* so it leans slightly towards the center-left rock instead of leaning away from it. Sloping the substrate up towards the back left would also help accentuate the main stone.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

d33pVI said:


> I might suggest a simple adjustment, take the center-right rock and rotate it 180* so it leans slightly towards the center-left rock instead of leaning away from it. Sloping the substrate up towards the back left would also help accentuate the main stone.


This weekend I will give it a shot!!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

JuanSan said:


> This weekend I will give it a shot!!


Do you think since the filter pipes are on the left that it will seem unatural that the rocks are flowing against the current?


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Hardscape configuration 4.0*

So after a little stewing, and a lot of coffee, I altered the hardscape to close that gap in the middle and accentuate all 5 stones. This required more work than I am willing to admit, but it let me dig into some of the other issues that I noticed with the tank: 

1) Had to move the CO2 tank so that I could actually see the bubble counter.

2) Had to shorten the 12/16 tubing on both the inlet and out let. 

3) Had to move the efflux filter pipe so that it would stop clinking against the wall of the tank.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Background complete!*

Got two cherry barbs, some water based latex paint from Lowe's, and also set up my other light bar! Pictures to come in the AM.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Background Painted*

Painted the background using matte black latex paint. painted about 4 layers, applying at 90 degree angles to prior coat.


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## bereninga (Mar 18, 2006)

That background is looking good!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

bereninga said:


> That background is looking good!



Thank you the border was such a pain! It definitely looks more dramatic!!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update 4/25/2016*

1) First water change (33%).

2) Algae was starting to develop on the tank walls. I reduced lighting hours to 9 CO2 and 7 light to see if it helps. 

3) Got my 75W Eheim Jager Heater today. I let it equilibrate to the water temperature and got that baby rolling. 

4) A white milky film developed on the surface of my aquarium. I lifted up the outlet lily pipe and the film disappeared within hours.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update: 05/01/2016*

Another interesting week! The DBTs are starting to spread and I got two more otos to help out with the tank. I unfortunately got some BBA (black brush algae on my Pygmy chain swords so I cleaned them and the valisneria off with a 1:20 bleach solution. Well that worked well.... I killed off all of my vals so now I need a new background plant. I also moved the heater to lay flat on the back.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

I had a feeling you might run into some algae issues. I think I suggested you start off with no more than 6 hrs lighting and make sure you have all the ferts and co2 where it should be before you fill. I also always recommend carbon in the filter and/or purigen to reduce organic load that causes algae issues.

But it's a learning process so I'm sure the tank will pull through it.


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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

Looks good mate!
Its all a learning curve! You'll get it dialed in soon and everything will settle and Im sure you'll be looking for a challenge soon after!
Well done and keep it up!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

houseofcards said:


> I had a feeling you might run into some algae issues. I think I suggested you start off with no more than 6 hrs lighting and make sure you have all the ferts and co2 where it should be before you fill. I also always recommend carbon in the filter and/or purigen to reduce organic load that causes algae issues.
> 
> But it's a learning process so I'm sure the tank will pull through it.





Jamo33 said:


> Looks good mate!
> Its all a learning curve! You'll get it dialed in soon and everything will settle and Im sure you'll be looking for a challenge soon after!
> Well done and keep it up!



Thanks for the support! I have the lights on a seven hour timer but if the issues continue, i will dial it back to 6. I will also put a purigen pack into the canister (i have the oem carbon pad still in there). Pps-pro system are a week in. Anything else i can do? Raise the lights?

What are your thoughts of background plants that i could use? I was never in love with the straight valisneria...


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Background plant maybe Giant Hairgrass or even a Rotala sp. Green or something. The Rotala might be better because it can suck up alot of nutrients from the water to keep it 'clean'. You can alway remove it eventually if you don't like it an replace iwth something else. Once you have the algae it's harder to get rid of it without adding alot of plant mass and doing the other things like changing water regularly, good co2 and reducing light cycle.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

houseofcards said:


> Background plant maybe Giant Hairgrass or even a Rotala sp. Green or something. The Rotala might be better because it can suck up alot of nutrients from the water to keep it 'clean'. You can alway remove it eventually if you don't like it an replace iwth something else. Once you have the algae it's harder to get rid of it without adding alot of plant mass and doing the other things like changing water regularly, good co2 and reducing light cycle.


I did some research and am going to go with your advice. 24 6" plantlets ordered!Based on the layout of my tank, I was thinking about creating a wall of the plant. Thoughts?


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

wow, looks like you have awesome equipment! 

yeah, i had bleached some vals, they never bounced back. 

have you thought about echinodorus angustifolia vesuvius


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

monkeyruler90 said:


> wow, looks like you have awesome equipment!
> 
> yeah, i had bleached some vals, they never bounced back.
> 
> have you thought about echinodorus angustifolia vesuvius


No i had not considered these plants! They look sick! And they tolerate hard water!!!! Wow thats awesome. Im thinking i could build a wall of straight vals in the back and place something like that in the crevices of the rockscape. Thoughts?


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update 05/08/2015*

1)I kept looking at my tank and thinking..... the hardscape seems to flat! So i rescaped it. I like this one a lot better and it gives me opportunity to put more plants! 

2)I am going to go for some blyxa japonica and AR mini to add some nice mid ground plants. After my disaster of trying to treat BBA with diluted bleach solution for to long (10 minutes as one site reccomended), I had to order some straight vals as well. I should be getting these in the next week or so more pics to come!

3) I also added an Eheim surface skimmer to get rid of the milky white layer that was aggregating on top of my tank and to increase water flow. Super impressed with this product it worked like a charm.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update 5/14/2016*

1) I Purchased some mid ground plants for the aquarium. Cant wait to see these babies grow!

2) I need to figure out the proper distance to put my aquarium lights. I have them about 5" from their respective center but I can't seem to find any information on the optimized distance for the lights.


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Distance of light sort of depends on what plants you get, substrate height etc. So just experiment a bit till things in the tank seem right.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Opare said:


> Distance of light sort of depends on what plants you get, substrate height etc. So just experiment a bit till things in the tank seem right.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


To your point i will need to raise my front light slightly and lower the other one haha.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update 06/13/2016*

1) I decided that I wanted a more peaceful tank and traded some of my stock for some fantastic juvenile fire red cherry shrimp. I also got some Amano shrimp because they look awesome and are great cleaners. 

2) I needed a different green in the tank that could be a nice transition from the tall background plants, and a plant that could go between the rocks on the right of my tank. I went with Staurogyne repens for this. I also got talked into so really cool Rotala macandra type IV that I had never heard of, but what can I say? I am a sucker for red plants I guess. 

3) Was still having algae problems until it was pointed out to me that I have way to much light in my tank. Took off the Ray 2 DS and am just running the Planted Plus for 6 hours a day. I also started using Fourish Excel at the recommended dose to get the algae off of my DBTs and Blyxa japonica. I need to figure out an efficient way to clean the algage off the very bottom corner of the tank where the wall meets the substrate. I dont want to disturb the DBTs though.... We will also see if this helps the DBTs to finally start spreading more. 

4) As soon as I got the shrimp I noticed these little white worms crawling on the glass of the tank. I think that they are either detritus worms or planaria.... not sure what I am going to do about that now as meds will kill the shrimp.


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

I have had detritus worms and the sort of just went away after a while.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Opare said:


> I have had detritus worms and the sort of just went away after a while.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Upon further review its most likely planaria. I have Safeguard just in case they get crazy!


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

*&quot;The Grand Tetons&quot; 15 gallon Iwagumi Tank*

I think fish eat them. Could you possibly get a picture of the worms? It's kind of impossible but just asking hahaha.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Opare said:


> I think fish eat them. Could you possibly get a picture of the worms? It's kind of impossible but just asking hahaha.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I think so too, but i swuished them with my magnetic algae scraper and havent seen any since that night i noticed it. I didnt take a picture but this is what they looked like:


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Probably detritus worms, won't cause any harm I think. May have some still kickin about in the substrate before they all die off.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Opare said:


> Probably detritus worms, won't cause any harm I think. May have some still kickin about in the substrate before they all die off.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


good to know! Still no sign of them though.....


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update 07/02/2016*

1) Tank went through a bit of a transition.... Everything was growing in well and suddenly the tank crashed. I feel that I inadvertently recycled my aquarium by changing too much water and everything died; all the shrimps and fish. I was a saddened by this but I knew what I did wrong and promised myself that I would be more patient when adding fish and reduce my water changes if necessary. 

My only rationale on the water changes was that GLA's website recommended 50% water changes @400 TDS which I was at. However with livestock in the tank, I crashed it, there's no other way of putting it. 

2) Since that time, I have recommitted to taking my time with the changes I make in the tank. I have been adding more RODI water to soften the tank up a little to make it more hospitable for the plants that I am keeping, and to continue my effort to successfully carpet the foreground of the tank. 

3) I have ramped up my CO2 and all of a sudden, there was an explosion of growth!! Im talking a doubling of background plant height in two weeks. Everything is pearling a lot more with the bump up of CO2. I just hope that I can maintain these CO2 levels and have livestock in the tank....

4) Since I have been using RODI top off and water changes, my dKH and dGH have trended downward. Once again, rather than replacing large amount of water, I am taking my time. The plants seem to appreciate this. 

5) Created more of a valley effect in my negative space. This will be accentuated with a carpeting plant. Also sloped the back right corner a little more. 

6)Flow was a concern in my tank. The inlet pipe that I was using was creating dead spots underneath it. It was simply too low for the tank. I moved the inlet and outlet closer together toward the front of the tank to reduce the dead space, and diatom bloom that was occurring there. This was successful. Getting a longer inlet pipe next week. I am using the stock Eheim one until then. I have also considered the use of a power head to promote more flow of CO2 around the tank. Ill hold off on this unless I see dead spots continue to remain. ATM, the drop checker is a nice lime green everywhere so if it aint broke I wont try to fix it. 

7) Here is a picture of my creative vision from this point onward with the tank. I will need something bushy and green between the right rocks and something low lying to transition the from the AR mini to the substrate on the left side. 

8) The dosing of fenbendazole and substrate cleaning alleviated my planaria/detritus worm issue. I crushed the powder that was purchased with a mortar and pestle and dosed twice, .1mg/10gal. The fine powder was absorbed better than expected. 

Things are trending upward now and everything is growing. I love where this is going, but I know that there is still more work to be done.


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Great job! All the problems you've encountered you've tackled well and learnt from them, which is super important in the hobby.
The tank will look great once filled in.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Opare said:


> Great job! All the problems you've encountered you've tackled well and learnt from them, which is super important in the hobby.
> The tank will look great once filled in.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Much appreciated! I am shocked with how much everything is growing now. It is incredible to see the changes within a couple of weeks let alone a month.


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

I think it also has to do with maturation of bacteria and what not in the tank. Really helps facilitate growth.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Opare said:


> I think it also has to do with maturation of bacteria and what not in the tank. Really helps facilitate growth.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Next time if I go for another high-tech aquarium, I would most likely by the supplements from ADA. It seems like their plant growth takes off white lightning from the beginning with the supplements. I think I would also mix my subStrate with black blasting sand to make it just a little finer slept with things can root a little easier.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update 7/19/2016*

1) TDS has officially dropped down to about 280 ppm. The water changes and supplementation of RODI water seem to be helping to soften my liquid rock. 

2) I saw a thread on reddit about maturing the appearance of seiryu stones with muriatic acid. I gave it a shot and was thoroughly surprised how dramatic of a change it made. I added about two cups of muriatic acid to a bucket with the stones in there and left it for about twenty minutes. After, I neutralized the solution with baking soda and soaked the stones in a bucket with prime for the rest of the day. After, I scrubbed, washed one last time and placed the rocks in the aquarium. 

2) I noticed after my last update that a lot of the leave of my ar mini, r. macranda and r. vietname were becoming brittle and falling off. I realized after some reasearch that I planted them far too close together. I rescaped the tank a little bit to allow for much more space between the plants. 

3) The r. mexicana is not doing well. It blackened on me and so I cut off those bits and propagated the newer parts of the plants. I am not expecting for them to make it but I will be cautiously optimistic. 

4) After speaking with several fellow users of this forum, i came to the conclusion that the r. macranda and ar mini being in the same vicinity was aesthetically displeasing. I will move them to the right of the tank but I will most likely try to sell them since having two plants that really pop is distracting. I will also be planting a. bonsai in the back right of the tank. 

5) Added a small powerhead to the back of the tank to increase flow. I noticed a lot of detritus matter in the rear as well as some diatom buildup so hopefully this will fix that. 

6) I am wondering now that things are starting to stabilize whether I should add an additional hour of lighting and for the plants? I wonder if this would be more beneficial or negative resulting in algae buildup. 

7) Nitrates are upwards of 40 ppm, I have been doing 25% water changes to bring it down a little as i am noticing a slight amount of hair algae on my monte carlo. Doing this every other day until the levels are down a bit. I contribute the levels to die off from the plants. 

8) Added some downoi, c. wendtii 'brown', and monte carlo to the tank in various areas as a result of the last post. I will post a picture in the morning as the CO2 is still running and pictures are fuzzy with all the bubbles.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update 08/19/2016*

After reviewing my past log entry, there have been some considerable changes. 

1) TDS now sits around 220 ppm with addition of solely RODI water

2) Added a siesta period to combat algae issue and so that I can actually see the tank with the lights on when i come home from work

3) Adjusted the co2 bubble rate so that the pH swings are not as drastic throughout the day. 

4) Scrapped my background plants that were no longer doing well and swapped them out with some ammania sp. 'bonsai', which has taken off like a weed. 

5) Added blue dream shrimp and ammanos, and have managed not to kill them so far.... haha

6) Spread out the plants and generally restructured the layout of the plants in the tank. The are growing so much healthier now and throwing out so many leaves!

7) Still on the pursuit of carpeting my damn foreground. I have gotten another golfball of emersed monte carlo and am floating it on top of the tank for a couple of weeks in a petri dish to acclimate it to the tanks parameters and give it a fighting chance to actually grow. 

8) The c. wendtii is literally growing like a weed. I have a new leaf ever couple of days and there are some gorgeous green striations in the leaves that bring a whole new depth to the plant.

9) I trying to find a better place to hide my heater, however, if I lay it flat at the moment, the intense blue/red on top can be seen through my young background. 

10) I had another detritus worm outbreak that was quickly quelled with the use of some fenbendazole.


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Any pictures?


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Opare said:


> Any pictures?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'm out of town and I can't upload pictures at this time. I most likely will tomorrow evening. Unfortunately my phone does not take the best pictures so I need to figure out a way to take better photos.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

If you don't have a regular camera throw as much light on top of the tank before you take pic.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

houseofcards said:


> If you don't have a regular camera throw as much light on top of the tank before you take pic.


Sound advice! I will definitely try that! I think that my biggest issues are the shadows created when I dont dump a bunch of light on it. Ill do this when I get home from work.

Bump: Tank Update 08/22/2016


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update 09/05/2016*

1) Blue dreams and Amanos are in the tank and praise the lord, I haven't killed them!

2) Plants are continuing to grow, however, I am getting some GSA on the rocks now so i may need to bring the CO2 levels up or lift the lights up slightly. 

3) Began feeding the shrimp once every other day and i have found that they like snowball food the best. I may need to find a better way to lay the food as I am putting a petri dish on the s. repens and blocking them from light for hours at a time. Ledge maybe?

4) Planted the Monte Carlo and it hasn't browned or died yet! I think floating them for two weeks was a sound option. 

5) I want to round out some of the rocks and put buces in the crags. This will most likely be my next purchase. 

6) Cardinal tetras will be the next fish that I will want to add. I love the idea of having these guys but what I really want are a schooling small tetra that will enhance the aesthetics of my tank. Have to contemplate this.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update 09/22/2016*

Since my last post a fair bit has changed. 

1) Bumping the CO2 even slightly over such a long time period was too large of a pH swing for my shrimp. I could tell by the end of the day they weren't moving as much and there were casualties. When I checked the CO2 levels after that period of time, the pH was down to 6.2 and with a dKH of 6, that would mean that the CO2 levels were aroun 110 ppm! Not to mention, I had another small outbreak of BBA and GSA due to the fluctuating CO2 levels. After getting some advice from more advanced aquarists on facebook and reddit, I decided to scrap the siesta period idea in place for a traditional 7 hour photoperiod with the CO2 coming on 2 hours before the lights turn on and off one hour before the photoperiod ends. THIS HAD AN IMMENSE RESPONSE BY THE PLANTS. Pearling was evident and everything seemed to perk up. No more BBA was developing on the AR mini, however the GSA was still prevalent and proliferating. I would consider this change an overall success, however measures needed to be taken on the GSA front. 

2) Now onto the next big change, I switched from PPS PRO dosing to daily EI, due to an overall lack of phosphate levels in the tank. The leaves of my AR mini, S. repens and Rotala indica were showing all of the tell tale signs of a PO4 deficiency, and I would contribute this to the continual 2x20% water changes to lower the kH of the tank. PPS PRO was simply not working for me or my plants so I decided to try alternative dosing philosophies. The results of this change are to be determined. However, I will be cautious on my water changes on day 7 to slowly drip the RODI water back in to ensure that I dont shocks the fauna of my tank. 

Here are the measurements in grams of the fertilizers that I used for future reference: 

KNO3-29.63 g
KH2PO4-4.88 g
K2SO4-40.49 g
MgSO4-115.16 g
Plantex CSM+B 17.39 g

I used the EI Daily dosing option at 5 mL. I used the rotalabutterfly.com website. 

3) Snowball food became far to messy as the amanos were kicking up the flecks out of the petri dish. This coupled with the fact that during the day I was covering up plants led me to reduce the use of this food type in exchange for Shirakura Dama, EdgeOmniPro and Ebi210. The Ebi210 is destroyed every time, followed by the omnia and lastly the Shirakura food. I am still dosing Glasgarten Bacter AE on days 3 and 7 post water change by wetting the handle of the supplied spoon and dipping it into the powder. 

4) Monte Carlo is still growing in, but rather than it expanding, the roots seemed to have double in length and the "stems" that I planted are growing more dense. The progress is moderately slow but is present. 

5) Buces were purchased, I ended up getting mini coins, malawi blue, metallic blue, and paris. THEY MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I put them in the crags between the rocks and I could be happier with the results. 

6) Ember Tetras were purchased instead of cardinals. My LFS wanted to charge me 4.99 for these little guys, which I wasnt interested in. I like the burnt red that they have as it contrasts nicely with the greens of the tank. Limited die off, they are doing great and fed once every other day with micro pellet fish food from Han Aquatics. 

7) I also added some Blyxa japonica in front of the r. indica, which in 6 months time will look amazing. 

8) Moved the inlet filter pipe next to the return pipe as there was some sort of green 2-3 cm filamentous mircoorganism that was starting to grow on the aquarium walls. 


Guys I regardless of the trip ups with this tank, I think that I am on my way to having a very nice small aquarium. Persistence has been key, and though I "wasted" money on dead plants and shrimp, I learned a little more every time that I did it.


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

update?


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update 12/05/2016*



BettaBettas said:


> update?


I apologize that I have not updated this thread recently. I will update as soon as I get my new wide angle lens and snaps some photos!


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

*Update 02/06/2017*

Guys, I apologize for the extensive leave of absence, I became frustrated with how long at times that it took for answers to questions that I had and turned to Facebook which has a more substantial user base in a variety of pages. 

A LOT has changed since I last posted an update, mostly for the better. First and foremost, about my 15 gallon, its gorgeous at this point. Time, patience, and listening to the plants helped this tank to flourish. I have found a sweet spot between dosing ferts 3x a week, lighting and co2 to create a pretty nice equilibrium in my tank. BBA is still present, but only in minuscule amounts thanks to a nice cleanup crew. I still get the occasional GSA flair when I forget to dose. Other than that, I struggle with some pest snails from my last MC shipment but life is good!

Also, I moved onto my newest project, which was a 5 gallon high tech betta tank and I have two grow out tanks for mosses and buces. In the buce tank, I have pumpkin orange neos thriving and the standard cleanup crew of amanos. 

I am debating whether I should start a new journal to monitor the changes to my 5 gallon tank, or use this journal and update each accordingly....


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Looks great! I think I saw the 15G on Facebook too. Maybe use the journal to document all of them?


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

update?
DO I HAVE TO REMIND YOU EVERY TIME!?!?!?
lol jk


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Update:

I have since moved to a new apartment and am the proud owner of 5 planted tanks, 4 of which are high tech. I am planning to enter the IAPLC this year. I seldomly check this forum as I am much more active of FB and my local club page now. If anyone is in the Albuquerque area, feel free to join the Albuquerque Aquarium Club (A.A.C.) on Facebook.


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

JuanSan said:


> ), I decided to scrap the siesta period idea in place for a traditional 7 hour photoperiod with the CO2 coming on 2 hours before the lights turn on and off one hour before the photoperiod ends. THIS HAD AN IMMENSE RESPONSE BY THE PLANTS. Pearling was evident and everything seemed to perk up. No more BBA was developing on the AR mini, however the GSA was still prevalent and proliferating. I that I did it.


Ive been doing research on siester period versus straight lighting period and you provided Anecdotal evidence that a straight period is better. Many non co2 systems favor a siester period to allow recovery of co2, which is moot for co2 system. I currently have a siester period in my co2 system that fits my life style best. I like to wake up in the morning to greet and feed my fish, and again in the evening. 

I’m wondering if your finding is universal. You mentioned that you have a great clean up crew. What are they and could they be responsible for keeping bba out.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Tiger15 said:


> Ive been doing research on siester period versus straight lighting period and you provided Anecdotal evidence that a straight period is better. Many non co2 systems favor a siester period to allow recovery of co2, which is moot for co2 system. I currently have a siester period in my co2 system that fits my life style best. I like to wake up in the morning to greet and feed my fish, and again in the evening.
> 
> I’m wondering if your finding is universal. You mentioned that you have a great clean up crew. What are they and could they be responsible for keeping bba out.


Good question, the main problem with having a siesta period with a high-tech setup is that while the lights are off, CO2 is building up, and plants are not readily absorbing as much CO2, which is a waste. Also, I found that my fish became a lot more stressed with a siesta period due to the gas buildup.


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

JuanSan said:


> Good question, the main problem with having a siesta period with a high-tech setup is that while the lights are off, CO2 is building up, and plants are not readily absorbing as much CO2, which is a waste. Also, I found that my fish became a lot more stressed with a siesta period due to the gas buildup.


True if you let co2 run during the siester period. What if you synchronize co2 on and off with light, so there won’t be waste of co2.


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## JuanSan (May 20, 2014)

Another great question, I found that I started getting massive influxes of BBA when i turned off the co2 during the siesta periods, which is why I ultimately did away with it.


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