# 24G long nature tank (35x16x12" and photoheavy)



## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Hiya!

Feels good to re-enter the hobby after a couple of years absence. I'm limited to only one tank, and I must've had a thousand bubbling ideas so far. Started off planning a blackwater tank, then a strict biotope, but realized I always felt I was missing out on something, so it'll be a mixed community instead. I want a planted, natural looking tank with an interesting mix of fish. 

I've spent good chunk of my free time on this forum the past few weeks, and seen alot of people doing amazing and ambitious projects with hi-tech dosing pumps and micro-managed Dutch gardens. I can certainly understand the fascination of that, but don't expect that in this journal. This one will be less detail-oriented as I try to accomplish a relaxing and aestethically pleasing balanced tank, albeit not necessarily technically perfect or optimal. To put it this way, I can guarantee there won't be any excel-sheets of my dosing regime (I get enough of that at the office) :grin2:

Tank is currently being built, expected to be ready end of February. Until then I hope we can bounce some ideas along the way as I've been out of the game for a while. I've planned alot in my head, and frankly I think that's what I enjoy the most. Just researching fish, plants and layout. I'm not a guy who keep the same setup for 10 years straight, I enjoy the build and planning too much. 

My aim is to mimic a slow moving river/ flooded river bank, that could be anywhere south of the equator. I've pictured half the bottom of the tank being filled with a reddish sand, other half a carpet of HC Cuba or similar, together with AR mini and starogyne repens. Moss, anubias and perhaps a java fern to be attached to the wood, which will partially be emersed. 

I'll update with intended products and stocking tomorrow, time for bed now!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Let's talk stocking! 

Firstly, fish. The top 3 I'm fairly decided on, the 4th depends on how crowded the tank feels like. Also a bit afraid it'll skewer the sense of scale as they're significantly larger than the rest.

2-4 Betta Channoides
10-12 Corydoras Hastatus
10-15 Vampire tetras
2-3 African Butterfly Fish alternatively Halfbeaks

The Corys fare better in higher numbers, and absolute minimum would be 8. When tank gets in place I'll see how it feels, don't want a crowded tank.


Plants;
Alternanthera Reineckii 'Mini' - love these!
HC Cuba - Potentially, I'd need CO2 for these. Cory's often frequent flooded forests & marshes, maybe it can work if I let the carbet spread before introducing the catfish. Carpet would cover ~half the back of the tank, the rest would be fine sand
Staurogyne Repens - Used in conjunction with HC, closer to the wood
Foxtail - or similar fast growing plant in the start
Various moss will be used to decorate the wood, probably some _Anubias var nana_ and _Java fern_ too.


Tank will sit where the printer currently is. Bench will be reinforced allthough it's quite sturdy already, and it'll be cleaned out to house canister + potential CO2 system. I hate the red wall but I just rent the place so what can you do. Black plastidip will be applied to the back of the tank, a personal preference. Was in the midst of a cleaning session as you can see, apologies for the mess.




The stuff I've acquired so far. Tape measure for scale, tank height will be 35 cm




The bench is almost same footprint as tank (like 5 cm shorter) so in anticipation for tank to arrive, I started to try out 3 scapes. Happy to hear your thoughts on them. The idea is for wood to break the water surface, links in end of post showing what my inspiration is. 

Version 1:






V2, less crowded without the chunk in the middle?




V3 Not sure I like this vertical placement, but then again couldn't adjust angles fully to my liking



http://www.amanotakashi.net/portfolio/amazon/underwater.html


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

Love all the configurations for the wood, but 2nd would probably give you the most space if you decide to go with HC. Any chance of flipping the longer right-hand piece of wood so that the stick is pointing right instead of left? 

What are the exact dimensions of the tank? My "big" tank is 80cm long x 40cm wide x 30cm high, so I'd imagine similar size. Love scaping it with the width and depth, and plants seem to grow much faster in my shallower tanks than they do in my deeper tanks. I'm a little concerned about the missing corners at the back though?

Seems like you're going fairly high-tech, so have you thought about running a small pump round the back of the large left-hand piece of wood so that water trickles down the front? You could potentially grow emergent plants if so - I've done fairly well with java moss, java fern, an unknown buce, and anubias coffeefolia in a similar set up, although it has always been in a covered tank, so high humidity. Have you looked at any of the pennywort species?

Which fish do you mean by "Vampire tetra"? The only one I've heard of is hydrolycus scomberoides, which grow huge! I'd also be a little concerned about the butterfly fish jumping out the top, but will follow this journal closely as they've always seemed super interesting.

Final question - please tell me you got that would online from a UK site?? It's gorgeous!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Thelongsnail said:


> Love all the configurations for the wood, but 2nd would probably give you the most space if you decide to go with HC. Any chance of flipping the longer right-hand piece of wood so that the stick is pointing right instead of left?
> 
> What are the exact dimensions of the tank? My "big" tank is 80cm long x 40cm wide x 30cm high, so I'd imagine similar size. Love scaping it with the width and depth, and plants seem to grow much faster in my shallower tanks than they do in my deeper tanks. I'm a little concerned about the missing corners at the back though?
> 
> ...


Thanks very much! I'm quite thrilled by your response, it really seems you read my mind here, and we even got very similar tank measures as well! I'll pop in your journal soon enough, "unfortunately" I'm just about to head to Donegal this weekend with the gf so will be next week.

Agreed the 2nd seems best so far. I'll definitely try and swap the direction around for the right-hand piece and upload a photo when I get a chance. We got almost the same footprint of our tanks, mine will be 90cmx40cmx35, 35 being the height. The bench is a tad smaller than the tank, so I'll use a particle board between bench and tank to make sure there's support all around the bottom, that's probably my next step in getting this all setup. Not sure of which coulour to go for though, perhaps black.

You actually read my mind about a pump watering down the left root, that's why I got the powerhead  Pennyworth is unknown to me, I have plenty of reading to do around plants as it's quite new to me, I'll add it to the list for sure. I've done some low-tech tanks before, even with DIY CO2 but I don't wanna do that again. Right now it feels like I'll get the pressurized version, but I don't have an interest in building it as advanced as possible. Medium-tech tank is perhaps the most accurate description of this build!

There's links to all the fish species in the above post, here's the one for vampire tetras:https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/gnathocharax-steindachneri/
I really hope my LFS can bring them in as they look awesome and would fit really well in accordance with what I want to have, and they'll max out at about 5cm!

Finally, I hate to break it to ya but wood was all sourced locally. I visited a handful shops and ended up buying from two different ones. I got 6 smaller & medium pieces of mangroove so I could puzzle them together, and the big trunk to the left-hand side is some form of driftwood. It only cost 25 eur!! Didn't have to think much about that one before opening the wallet...


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Visited a great fish store today, unfortunately located ~2 hours drive away. My car is at the shop so using public transport I had to limit my purchases a bit and therefore opted for just a small bag of Tropicas soil. I'm probably only gonna use it in certain areas for the carpet so it may last or I'll pick up another bag later. I wanted the Eheim Classic 250 but they only had Eheim Classic 350 or Ecco Pro 200 in stock so I chose the latter one due to smaller dimension. JBL sand purchased earlier. 



Also picked up two small caves which I think will fit nicely with the real stone I have. Colour wise it didn't stand out too much and will probably put some moss on it to further blend in. In one of the display tanks in the shop they had the AT-AT with lots of algae growth on it, looked so cool so couldn't help myself from getting one. Not sure if I'll actually use it in tank or put it to use somewhere else.


As I hade a few hours on the bus today I researched my CO2 setup a bit more and found this great site to order from. I'm thinking of going for Sodastream cylinder as container as it's widely available. Just not sure how long I can expect it to last or if it'd be worth the hassle of sourcing a bigger container? Inline diffuser will be used and volume will be ~90L/ 24 US gallons. 

Would also appreciate input on the below kits, I fail to see the difference more than the two more expensive ones have an extra pisco flow controller. Rather spend a few extra quid now and have no hassle later on. All below will have adapter, solenoid and UK plug.

Advanced:
https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/co2-system-advanced-p312.html
Pro:
https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/co2-system-adjustable-pressure-pro-p509.html
Ultimate:
https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/co2-system-dual-stage-ultimate-p486.html


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## Matt69 (Jul 9, 2017)

Hujeta said:


> Visited a great fish store today, unfortunately located ~2 hours drive away. My car is at the shop so using public transport I had to limit my purchases a bit and therefore opted for just a small bag of Tropicas soil. I'm probably only gonna use it in certain areas for the carpet so it may last or I'll pick up another bag later. I wanted the Eheim Classic 250 but they only had Eheim Classic 350 or Ecco Pro 200 in stock so I chose the latter one due to smaller dimension. JBL sand purchased earlier.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I used soda stream for about 2 years on a 7.5 gallon tank, a tank would last like 6 months on that. I was using a regulator I bought of marine depot so not sure about these kits, they look like they would work great though. 
I like the hard scape layout and fish stocking ideas, I had a African butterfly fish a long time age really fun fish to feed but his food would always escape in the house. And I was always chasing down crickets. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Matt69 said:


> I used soda stream for about 2 years on a 7.5 gallon tank, a tank would last like 6 months on that. I was using a regulator I bought of marine depot so not sure about these kits, they look like they would work great though.
> I like the hard scape layout and fish stocking ideas, I had a African butterfly fish a long time age really fun fish to feed but his food would always escape in the house. And I was always chasing down crickets.


Many thanks for the nice comment :bounce: A quick calculation means that with same disbursement of CO2 one sodastream cylinder would last 1.5-2 months in my tank factoring in the larger volume, which I'd be content with. Yes the butterfly feeding behaviour is one of the prime reasons why I wan't to keep a few, only issue is I won't have lids since I intend to have the roots breaking the water surface. Were they avid jumpers in your experience?


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## Matt69 (Jul 9, 2017)

Hujeta said:


> Many thanks for the nice comment :bounce: A quick calculation means that with same disbursement of CO2 one sodastream cylinder would last 1.5-2 months in my tank factoring in the larger volume, which I'd be content with. Yes the butterfly feeding behaviour is one of the prime reasons why I wan't to keep a few, only issue is I won't have lids since I intend to have the roots breaking the water surface. Where they avid jumpers in your experience?




They don’t jump they fly out of the tank. If they have room to take off they can make it quite a ways. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Tank should be ready this coming week (fingers crossed). In the meanwhile I've been conducting some reconnaissance for new LFS's and found a new one tonight - by far the best one so so far. Got me an inline heater and some Tropica fertiliser, and I'll come back when it's time for fish.

Also went to a DIY store and got a MDF board cut, which matches the footprint of the tank thus providing an even surface to avoid any tensions in the tank and ensuring that the load is spread across the whole bench. With this in place I tried some more compositions, think I like this one the most so far. The idea is to resemble a flooded ditch or riverbank, and I plan to have the sand build up towards the root (on the left, roughly from where the stones are placed), simulating an old shattered tree trunk that's now submersed. Around the root itself there'll be a carpet, likely of HC Cuba, and mosses covering the wood to give more of an aged feeling. Sand will cover most of the rest of the bottom. On top of this I plan to run water via a powerhead to water the mosses, and I've also gotten a mister which I hope to fit in there as well.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Tank is scheduled to arrive this week so doing some prep work around the scaping. With the mdf board cut to the exact footprint it's easier to compose it. The aim is a somewhat natural part of a flooded riverbank, and I'm gonna add a fogger for some extra zeist! Instead of wasting money on expensive substrate I ordered some net bags and filled them with gravel from the backyard, hoping this wouldn't cause any nasty pockets underneath the top-layer substrate.

The bags filled with coarse gravel, rinsed and hung to dry


Cut the aquarium mat after painting the edges of the board


You've seen this tree trunk before, I modified it to house the fogger. Quite amazed how well the different roots fit together, all bought from different stores at different times. Contemplated if I should try and capture this in a video instead but don't have a program for editing it, nor the knowledge required.

















Also spent a significant amount of time installing the filter in my whiskey cabinet, took some effort but it'll be fully hidden and the bonus of keeping it in the cabinet (contrary to directly in the shelf under the tank) is the added soundproofing, which'll come in handy considering I'll be sleeping in the same room. Also gonna pick up the lighting units this weekend.


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## Blue Ridge Reef (Feb 10, 2008)

Really cool project you have here, can't wait to see it progress. This is going to be fantastic!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Blue Ridge Reef said:


> Really cool project you have here, can't wait to see it progress. This is going to be fantastic!


Much obliged good sir, means a lot to hear that. 

Also couldn't contain myself so just ordered this CO² kit: https://www.co2art.co.uk/collection...arium-co2-system-with-new-inline-co2-diffuser I'm gonna have to live off nudles the coming months lol...


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

I've gotten alot of positive news today. 

-Tank ready for collection tomorrow
-Lights are set aside in the store for collection on Saturday
-DHL express estimates the CO² stuff to arrive tomorrow before 6

I still have my doubts about DHL, considering that it'll be shipped from UK but fingers crossed. Don't think it's the end of the world if I'd start cycling a day before the carbon gets installed and nevertheless, perfect timing as I have the whole weekend free for starting up the tank!! I'm so excited (and just can't hide it) :biggrin:


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

!!





Letting the tank stand overnight to make sure it's leak-free. Dropped the roots in to make sure they're sinking. Suppose it's good to get an indication if there's tannins that'll stain the water - which I'd have no objections against. 

Tomorrows shopping list:
-black background
-lights 
-plants (going for ~6 species, Anubias petite, HC Cuba, AR 'mini', something fast-growing, a bucephelandra and potentially something else)
-sodastream cylinder
-thermometer
-maybe a test kit, allthough I might just bring a selection of water to the store for testing to have a reference. Heard rumours the water is rather hard over here, some soil and CO² should take it down a notch. Gonna ask the lfs for advise as I believe the tap water is treated with chlorine.
-hose, for waterchanges. If I can find one that has some sort of adapter for the tap, as the ones in the house lacks threads. Took 10 buckets just to fill up the tank, and now that I only have 1 tank I thought I'd be fine 'bucketing' but soon realized I've been kidding myself.


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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

Nice! You did all the planning, now you get to make it happen!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Streetwise said:


> Nice! You did all the planning, now you get to make it happen!


Thanks! Yeah it's been a long wait for the aquarium to be built, I've made the most of the situation and enjoyed the planning and visualization of it very much so far. Suppose it's not bad having to long for something once in a while either. A big part of what I like about the hobby is the connection with nature and taking a step back and relaxing. Been watching lots of nature documentaries lately as well, of course narrated by Sir David Attenborough.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

So I've been lagging behind a bit with the updates, I spent most of the weekend setting this up and I'll divide it into several posts for easier reading. There was some setbacks too which I'll detail later, and some alterations and lessons learned along the way. Some were due to lack of experience, others were just plain bad luck (I keep telling myself :biggrin

All the important stuff in one place




In my estimate the particle board on top will be sufficient reinforcement enough as tank is quite shallow, and with me sitting on the bench it still feels very sturdy. Nevertheless, I had this surplus board saved from an earlier project and usually the death of DIY aquarium benches is the shear diagonal or longitudinal force so why not attach it? It's just cosmetic dirt on it but won't be visible anyway.




The background; this was one of the more annying mistakes. I'm embarassed to share how long time I spent on getting all the bubbles out of it, only to later find out it was in vain. The glass in the tank is 8mm thick, the light brackets open to max 8mm so it'll inevitably move the background and create (big) bubbles... Some day when I feel crafty I'm gonna remove it and use paint instead.






This rope weren't in the first picture, it's to create a vine - an idea I stole off a youtuber. Simply rub it in silicone and dip it in coco fiber (I used the chip from drilling the tree trunk for the fogger) - done!








Time to scape!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Part II:

Flooding


Planting weeping moss, anubias petite, echonoderus, starogyne repens, althernanthea reinickii 'mini'


HC Cuba


Some hardy snails. Would be great if someone could ID the middle and left one, the right one I understand would be zebra snails


The engine room. If it looks crowded it's because it is! 


More pictures coming tonight, daisy fresh, as by now the tank has cleared up a bit more and I've rearranged some stuff.


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## Boostr (Dec 8, 2016)

Great build. The snail on the left is an Assassin snail, the 2 in the middle are Nerites a Tiger and a Zebra and the one on the right is a Zebra as well.

Bump: MDF doesn't play well with water...


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

Looking great - and we have the same filter!

Really interested to see how well the substrate stays on those bags of filler, it's something I've wanted to try for a while, but worry that it'll all slide off.

Have you decided on final stocking?


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Boostr said:


> Great build. The snail on the left is an Assassin snail, the 2 in the middle are Nerites a Tiger and a Zebra and the one on the right is a Zebra as well.
> 
> Bump: MDF doesn't play well with water...


Thanks a mill! Hmm wish I'd known the assassin snail would cannibalize on the others, not really what I want. If I see them I'll bring them out of the tank, for now they seem to be buried somewhere in the sand.



Thelongsnail said:


> Looking great - and we have the same filter!
> 
> Really interested to see how well the substrate stays on those bags of filler, it's something I've wanted to try for a while, but worry that it'll all slide off.
> 
> Have you decided on final stocking?


Thanks very much! The filter's got a good reputation so hopefully it'll stay in service for many years for both of us. I think it can be quite useful with the filler bags, for me the actual layer of soil was too thin in some places, making it hard to plant, so think twice about that. Also I didn't want to build 'barriers' to separate the substrates, which I'm already regretting. I may actually do a 'retrofit' of that. So, the basic principle is good, just execute it wisely 

Stocking;
Pygmy Cory's
A school of tetra (I'm waiting on response from my LFS if they can bring in this fish: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/gnathocharax-steindachneri/)
I really also want to get a few pleco's, like the L183 and Zebra pleco (found a local breeder with a more human price point) but not sure how strong current they'd need to thrive, I believe at least the water will be well oxygenated with all the plants
Perhaps african butterfly fish & some form of betta, but they'd need timid water as opposed to the plecos. Choices...


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## Boostr (Dec 8, 2016)

Hujeta said:


> Thanks a mill! Hmm wish I'd known the assassin snail would cannibalize on the others, not really what I want. If I see them I'll bring them out of the tank, for now they seem to be buried somewhere in the sand.


They shouldn't be a problem if the Nerites are bigger. I had a few, and they left the Nerites alone. If you do ever get a snail out break those Assassins are great to have.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Boostr said:


> They shouldn't be a problem if the Nerites are bigger. I had a few, and they left the Nerites alone. If you do ever get a snail out break those Assassins are great to have.


That's reassuring to hear! I've been reading up on snails since you ID'ed them, and I've had malaysian snails before, mainly to make sure there's no nasty gasses building up in the sand. Would I dare to add a few of them and keep the assassins, as they'd keep them at bay?


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## Boostr (Dec 8, 2016)

How many Assassins do you have? If the Malaysians are bigger than the Assassins it should be fine. If the Malaysians are fast breeders, then yeah the Assassins can take care of the excess.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Another hobby of mine is landscape photograpy, and must say it's a very challenging subject the aquarium. If you're not perpendicular there's all sorts of optical refraction, very high dynamic range beyond what the camera can cope with, flare, co² bubbles etc... Fun in it's own way with a change of pace so here's a bunch of photos!























Think I'm off to a good start, loads of biomass in there (went kind of overboard at the store haha), most of them easy but will be replaced as tank progresses. The weeping moss has been a pain so far, leaving all sorts of litter in the tank. The bucephelandra 'wavy green' was by far the most fun to plant in crevices, the Cuba was a bit of a pain as in some areas the substrate was a bit thin so I've redone that a couple of times. Think it's good now, and once it starts rooting I'll top up with some more soil. I've rearranged the lights to an position as the trunk made a deadspot where I definitely wanted a carpet, it's unevenness annoys me but the carpet is worth it.

Bump:


Boostr said:


> How many Assassins do you have? If the Malaysians are bigger than the Assassins it should be fine. If the Malaysians are fast breeders, then yeah the Assassins can take care of the excess.


3 assassins, 2 zebras and 1 tiger. In my experience the Malaysians are avid breeders, but if I get a few fully grown one I'm more than happy if the assassins would feast on their offsprings!


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## Boostr (Dec 8, 2016)

Lol, that AT-AT


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Boostr said:


> Lol, that AT-AT


Saw it in the kids corner together with all the pink bubble-blowing castles and couldn't keep my hands away :biggrin:


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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

It looks awesome!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Streetwise said:


> It looks awesome!


Glad to hear that, thanks!

Here's the lighting schedules. As the substrate is much taller for the left light I've lowered the intensity there, it's still a bit stronger in reality but as I want to promote the carpet I think that's fine. Also it "sunsets" a bit ealier than the right one, as it's in close proximity to the fogger I don't want it running hot when the mist comes out. It's hard to see but the right light has a long sunset followed by an hour or so of moonlight before switching off. Once tank is cycled I'll increase photoperiod.





Also added a handful malaysian snails today. I had to convince my LFS that I wanted them as they were 100% convinced they're pest and don't belong in a tank, in the end I got them for free. We'll see if they can outlive the assassin snails as they're rather small, don't matter too much for me to be honest. It's only around the built up area I used a deep layer of sand as to not show the layers, and frankly don't _think _that's gonna lead to any problems with dead pockets.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

A bit surprised to see that the petite Anubias is the plant that pearls the most! It's mainly that one and the cryptocorone in front of it where it's a visible trail of bubbles. Just before the sunset I've noticed pearl drops on the Cuba as well, but it's more of an oxygen bubble stuck to the small leaves and not a trail. 

For now some of the technique is visible, like the bubble counter, thermometer and powerhead on the backwall. This is more for monitoring during the cycling, once I'm calibrated they're gonna be more hidden. Also ordered a smaller powerhead, and once the plants grow a bit more it'll be fully hidden.


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## Boostr (Dec 8, 2016)

Looking good.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Boostr said:


> Looking good.


Thanks mate


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

When I first installed the CO² kit I was baffled, it started leaking just as I mounted the cylinder to the regulator - as it was my first time with pressurized CO² I assumed I was doing something wrong, kept trying to screw it in and out during the leaks to figure out what I was doing wrong. Eventually I somehow found a sweetspot where it didn't leak (or so I thought) after moving around the plastic washer. 

I tuned it to 2-3 BPS. The high-pressure clock measured about 500 PSI. Normal working pressure is 800-1000 and supposed to keep steady for a long time, only when container is almost empty it's supposed to drop in pressure (when no more liquid is left, only gas). 

Well during this week I've seen a decrease of about 100 PSI daily so when I got home today it was depleted. Went to exchange the cylinder as I figured I emptied the first one prematurely during the install as a result of my clumpsiness. New one leaked as well when I screwed it in, just like the first install. Noticed a few small dents on the top of the cylinder so went and got it replaced. Came back with a fresh one that looked class. Installed it, and it still leaked. By now I felt I had a good grip of how this works (it's not really rocket science) and was baffled as to how it could still leak when I got it working for about a week. Turns out the CO² adapter for the cylinder was damaged, I didn't notice it at first as it's rather hidden in the joint between the adapter and the regulator. Contacted the seller, they're closed for the weekend so let's see what they came back with. 

At least it feels good that I wasn't a complete idiot who couldn't get it working from the start even though it's supposed to be super easy.


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## newportjon (Mar 22, 2011)

Great start, man! Looking forward to seeing it progress.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

newportjon said:


> Great start, man! Looking forward to seeing it progress.


Thanks for the encouragement! A simple expressment of interest like this one can really lift one's spirit


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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

Your story would not be complete without a tech problem! (says IT guy)

Cheers


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## SkinnyKirby (Feb 19, 2020)

Looks great! Nice to see another swedish aquascaper. Cant wait to see the progress pictures.

I will be ordering the same co2 sodastream kit so Im glad you are sharing your experiance with it.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

A replacement sodastream adapter is on it's way, unfortunately seems there's shipping delays as it was dispatched last tuesday but haven't arrived yet. Initial order of the full CO² kit was delivered the day after... It's really unfortunate timing as I really tried to have everything setup from the start to avoid algae outbreak, with lack of CO² it's been inevitable. 

Picture from March 8 (2 days after CO² deficit)


March 12:




During the week I added 3 amano shrimps, hoping they'd combat algae together with the already introduced snails. Suppose they've done a decent job overall, tank hasn't (yet) been fully invaded by algaes, and the 3 shrimps are quite small as well. Might add a few more, was unsure if they'd survive as it was early in the cycle. 

These little rascals are rather good at escaping the camera but here's a few half-decent photos (shot at 230mm on APS-C sensor for you photographers out there):








Bump:


SkinnyKirby said:


> Looks great! Nice to see another swedish aquascaper. Cant wait to see the progress pictures.
> 
> I will be ordering the same co2 sodastream kit so Im glad you are sharing your experiance with it.


Thanks man! Think the kit itself is great and I just had some bad luck. One thing to be aware of is the mist the inline diffusor creates, all the microbubbles are clearly visible if you compare earlier photos with the most recent ones. Let me know when you got your own journal up


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Emptied the tank this weekend to correct some things I wasn't overly satisfied with. The level of soil was too shallow, making it hard to plant the Cuba, and the background was driving me nuts as the light brackets would move it and create bubbles. With the recent addition of algaes it became apparent that surface agitation was subpar, an oily surface skin being the proof of that. Plus too much of the technique is visible, all this making a good argument for a restart. I like detailed description via images so I'll put this in two posts.

Emptied


Collected the soil for recycling


Removed a few of the net bags filled with gravel and repositioned them slightly. As descibed in all these pictures, you can see the background peeling off on the left hand side. Once I moved the tank it all fell off.


Cleaned off the back with rubbing alcohol


Spray painted it black with plastidip, it creates a rubber skin so you can easily peel it off without it leaving residue


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Part II: Filling it up again

Building a walled box with sand



My LFS don't carry Tropica so bought their own brand, More Aquascape substrate. Seems to be a mix of clay, sand and volcanic gravel.



Bringing back the big trunk. Going for a slightly different angle this time around



Reworking the scape. Picked up an extra piece of mangrove wood in a recent visit to LFS, it fit perfectly in the foreground





After deciding on scape removing the wood to add the Tropica soil. Placing technique to be as inconspicuous as possible, replaced the green hose for a smoke tinted one. I'll probably add lily pipes in the future but this will do for now


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## Boostr (Dec 8, 2016)

Hujeta said:


> Spray painted it black with plastidip, it creates a rubber skin so you can easily peel it off without it leaving residue


And received a sweet chemical buzz.....:laugh2:

Bump:


Hujeta said:


> During the week I added 3 amano shrimps, hoping they'd combat algae together with the already introduced snails. Suppose they've done a decent job overall, tank hasn't (yet) been fully invaded by algaes, and the 3 shrimps are quite small as well. Might add a few more, was unsure if they'd survive as it was early in the cycle.
> 
> These little rascals are rather good at escaping the camera but here's a few half-decent photos (shot at 230mm on APS-C sensor for you photographers out there):


Can never have to many Amanos, I had 5 in my 20 gallon long at one point.

Bump:


Hujeta said:


> Emptied the tank this weekend to correct some things I wasn't overly satisfied with. The level of soil was too shallow, making it hard to plant the Cuba, and the background was driving me nuts as the light brackets would move it and create bubbles. With the recent addition of algaes it became apparent that surface agitation was subpar, an oily surface skin being the proof of that. Plus too much of the technique is visible, all this making a good argument for a restart. I like detailed description via images so I'll put this in two posts.


Lol, just redid my 20 gallon long for the third time in a month... I feel your pain...:hihi:


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Boostr said:


> And received a sweet chemical buzz.....:laugh2:


Hehe yeah. Did my best to create a draft, front door wide open and window too. Not sure my housemates was as thrilled about this hands-on approach as I was... :biggrin:


Boostr said:


> Can never have to many Amanos, I had 5 in my 20 gallon long at one point.


I haven't kept shrimp before, to be honest I didn't expect as much enjoyment from them as I've had so far. Added 3 more today, suppose we're equal now on a shrimp/gallon quota! 


Boostr said:


> Lol, just redid my 20 gallon long for the third time in a month... I feel your pain...:hihi:


As long you got the time to spare I find it quite therapeutic, if there's a lack of time it becomes a chore. Hope third time was the charm for ya mate.


Here's some more shrimps in action from today's purchase!










I picked up some terrestrial moss in a nearby forest as I went to collect the shrimps. Seen terrarium guys try the same on Youtube so figured I give it a go, I've been on the lookout for some moss to make the trunk look more aged but haven't found anything to my liking in garden shops. We'll see how they like the more tropical environment here. Previously the timers were set to run the powerhead for an hour during sunset, creating a waterfall/ stream down the trunk, in conjunction with the fogger. As the addition of moss made the waterfall completely silent (negated all trickle) I'll probably extend that time to make sure the moss is plenty hydrated.


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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

Your tank looks beautiful.

I would like to thank you for joining the community, taking advice, sharing your path, and now your tank updates.

Cheers


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## Boostr (Dec 8, 2016)

Nooice for sure!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Streetwise said:


> Your tank looks beautiful.
> 
> I would like to thank you for joining the community, taking advice, sharing your path, and now your tank updates.
> 
> Cheers


Makes me very happy to read your comment! Must admit although I'm a new member I've grown fond of this forum, so much knowledge here (and a good spirit) so happy to take in advice and share my own process and the things I stumble upon along the way.



Boostr said:


> Nooice for sure!


Cheers bud!

Today I finally received the new CO² adaptor. This time around I did some thorough leak-testing with soapy water which indeed paid off, as I had a very small leak that I wouldn't have detected otherwise. The old one was definitely broken, as evidenced by earlier photo, the trick with the new one was to allow the regulator to rotate as I tightened the bolt between adaptor and regulator (as opposed to holding the regulator in place). Suppose that free movement helps it align itself. Most valuable lesson learned here is to do the soap bubble test during install or future replacement of cylinder. 

As photoperiod was already started when I got everything hooked up I only reached light blue colouration in the drop checker after a few hours, I'll fine tune it over the next coming days as to not make 100liters of sparkly water with shrimp taste!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Hereby I nominate myself for aquarist of the year as I've managed with the great feat of bringing my hair algae back to life, and not only that, but in such a great manner they're even pearling! I can't say the same about my plants unfortunately... Apologies for the dust on the sensor







It's day two with CO² running after the unfortunate downtime, which I'm ramping up day by day. I'm not panicking, more genuily curious as to why this is happening. There's been a load of changes recently, one of the few constants has been the lighting schedule. Of course I redid the tank, also I've added terrestrial moss on the tree trunk the other day (and increased running time of the water stream from it), last night added some alder cones, today I added some ivy to the trunk (picture of that later). Is it because of the light being so close to the places of the algea that they're pearling, or is perhaps something leeching nutrients?


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

The alder cones have had surprisingly big impact, the water is now lighlty tea stained and I've removed a handful of 'em, wanted the look of natural debris on the bottom, not the stained water. I like how it looks but for now I want the HC to get a good grip first, might revisit this in future and make it _darker_.

Look at them play in the stream!




The super flat lighting makes it look like super boring. Yesterday I collected some Ivy from the back yard and added, think it looks neat. Remains to see if they find it habitable.


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## Boostr (Dec 8, 2016)

Try to hit that algae with some Excel.


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## SkinnyKirby (Feb 19, 2020)

Boostr said:


> Try to hit that algae with some Excel.


I think the equilivent in Europe is "Liquid Carbon" like happy life procarbon. I havent tried it myself but dose carefully. my lfs killed an entire tank by not measuring properly 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Boostr said:


> Try to hit that algae with some Excel.





SkinnyKirby said:


> I think the equilivent in Europe is "Liquid Carbon" like happy life procarbon. I havent tried it myself but dose carefully. my lfs killed an entire tank by not measuring properly
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk


Is this the stuff you're talking about? https://www.petstop.ie/seachem-flou...z10gIYlrPzyplPa8NYt-uvYaApZrEALw_wcB#217=1391

From reading about it, seems fairly safe to use, at first I though you were talking about a pesticide. Found an interesting thread relating to it's toxicity here: https://www.reddit.com/r/PlantedTank/comments/7shehb/excel_in_tanks_toxic_or_helpful_i_found_some/

I'm certainly open to trying it, but think I'll give the tank another couple of days to see if it bounces back now that CO² is back in the game. I've also adjusted the lighting a bit (increased intensity) consider the water is slightly tainted now. Also increased the carbon gas a tad to make sure it's reaching lime green before light comes on.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Ok purchased Seachem Flourish Excel today (better be safe if LFS would close down), what dosing regime is recommended? Don't have a syringe to spot treat. I've read of some people dosing the recommended initial dose daily. My only concern is the health of my 6 amano shrimps but hope that level should be safe. 

Recommended dosing on bottle:
_Initial/after WC: 1 cap/ 40 liters, after that 1 cap/200 liters daily_ Tank is 96 liter filled to the brim without decor, figure I got somewhere around 60-80 liters net water volume. Dropped in two caps today. 

Today I removed the alder cones, leaflitter and trimmed off some withering leaves off the plants. Upped the CO2 slightly and will start dosing Tropicas green fertiliser on a (somewhat) daily basis as means to combat the hair algae that's currently spreading (and pearling).

Trying to follow the advise in this article, which suggest poor delivery of CO2 being main trigger of the algae, which makes sense in my case. Should I decrease the lights intensity/duration too? 
https://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/blog/2012/07/my-tank-has-hair-algae-how-do-i-get-rid-of-it.html


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## Matt69 (Jul 9, 2017)

Hujeta said:


> Ok purchased Seachem Flourish Excel today (better be safe if LFS would close down), what dosing regime is recommended? Don't have a syringe to spot treat. I've read of some people dosing the recommended initial dose daily. My only concern is the health of my 6 amano shrimps but hope that level should be safe.
> 
> Recommended dosing on bottle:
> _Initial/after WC: 1 cap/ 40 liters, after that 1 cap/200 liters daily_ Tank is 96 liter filled to the brim without decor, figure I got somewhere around 60-80 liters net water volume. Dropped in two caps today.
> ...



Read the article, I agree but wording might make some people think the balance between CO2, light and ferts might not be important. And I use Excell also but I only use the daily dose every time I’ve used the initial dose my plants melt, but a lot of people do have luck with overdosing it I just never have. 
Tanks looking good though. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Matt69 said:


> Read the article, I agree but wording might make some people think the balance between CO2, light and ferts might not be important. And I use Excell also but I only use the daily dose every time I’ve used the initial dose my plants melt, but a lot of people do have luck with overdosing it I just never have.
> Tanks looking good though.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks for your input Matt. What sort of plants have you had that's melted with increased Excel dosing? I have that problem without dosing so may be worth upping the dose to at leas get rid of the algae. Thanks for the comment!


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

My 2 cents:

Although I agree with most of that article, you can't simply blame co2 as THE reason. You have to ask yourself why does co2 help with algae reduction. It's not a algacide like excel could be, I mean algae likes co2 also.

Providing good co2 and reducing algae is reliant on plant mass and uptake. Without the plants the co2 would do nothing to prevent algae. Fast growing plants in good amounts remove toxins which come form decaying organics from the water, before they feed alga spores and become algae. This is even more effective than water changes since they are constant. 

So as the plant mass/uptake goes up so does the benefit of co2. It's common knowledge that a tank full of fast growing stems and low livestock are the easiest to maintain algae free, while a tank with just a few plants and heavy livestock is the reverse. The later has heavy organics and low uptake. 

Your tank for example has slower growing plants and lots of hardscape, which means most of the footprint is not holding plants (i.e. dutch or similar) but has hardscape that attracts and holds organics. So for you it's extremely important to manage yes co2, but equally important organic control and lights. Ferts in general won't cause the algae issues, even with somewhat relaxed ratios via EI. 

Lighting is critical. I would reduce lighting to around 5 hrs with a 2 hr peak to feed more light demanding plants like HC. You need to keep up with water changes and I would use carbon in the filter to purify the water. Whatever you can do to keep it uber clean is paramount.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Asteroid said:


> My 2 cents:
> 
> Although I agree with most of that article, you can't simply blame co2 as THE reason. You have to ask yourself why does co2 help with algae reduction. It's not a algacide like excel could be, I mean algae likes co2 also.
> 
> ...


Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the matter Asteroid, good with a sanity check. On my phone so I'll keep it a bit shorter atm.

Agree on the role of CO2, and I kept the lighting schedule on for a week when it was malfunctioning. Laziness and the expectation spare part would be delivered sooner than they got. It was also apparent that the algae growth started closest to the surface under the lights on the tree trunk.

Did a wc today, filled a glass with the excel dose and used an old toothbrush to rub off the algae - much cleaner now! 

I'll probably revise light schedule and stay on top of trimming/ cleaning out dead leafs. 

You're very much right about decent bio mass but mainly slow growers - I'll look to add a lot of two of stem plants to aid in balance.

Cheers!


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## Matt69 (Jul 9, 2017)

Hujeta said:


> Thanks for your input Matt. What sort of plants have you had that's melted with increased Excel dosing? I have that problem without dosing so may be worth upping the dose to at leas get rid of the algae. Thanks for the comment!



Crypts is what usually melts, stem plants seem to handle it fine, usually I like to run low light low maintenance and I usually am crypt heavy so just use the daily dose even after water change. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Asteroid said:


> ....Lighting is critical. I would reduce lighting to around 5 hrs with a 2 hr peak to feed more light demanding plants like HC. You need to keep up with water changes and I would use carbon in the filter to purify the water. Whatever you can do to keep it uber clean is paramount.


I've heeded your advice and cut back the light period. I've cited the old schedule below for reference, now there's a quick morning display and main focus on afternoon, blasting for about 3,5 hours + dimming time. 

Old schedule:


Hujeta said:


>


Current schedule:




It's still enough to make the HC pearl towards the end of the afternoon. I noticed a funny thing, it's only the HC around the edges where there's sand that pearls, supposedly since the bright sand reflects the light better. These pictures are a couple of days old, I did add some more sand this evening around the tank but waiting for it to clear up before taking pictures of it. I've also noticed two deaths of my amanos so far, a couple of days apart. I'm leaning towards blaming the excel, cutting back on that to staying on strictly dosing the recommendation. I also recently did a larger water change so going forward I'll make sure to give the Seachem Prime plenty of time to air out the chlorine/chloramine before adding the new water.





The activity level of shrimps has dampened the past week or so. Not sure if it's because I started dosing excel, or if it's a result of the diminishing colony...? Still there's a few of 'em hanging in there





Matt69 said:


> Crypts is what usually melts, stem plants seem to handle it fine, usually I like to run low light low maintenance and I usually am crypt heavy so just use the daily dose even after water change.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ah sorry didn't see your post until now. OK good to keep in mind, for now I've only got one pot of Crypts so I'm not overly worried if they'd melt.


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Are you doing a seista?


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Asteroid said:


> Are you doing a seista?


I do yes


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

Love this, I hope the ivy grows in well because it looks cracking just now.

Seeing your tank makes me want to get some moss again. Apologies if you've already mentioned, but have you tied it or glued it on?


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Thelongsnail said:


> Love this, I hope the ivy grows in well because it looks cracking just now.
> 
> Seeing your tank makes me want to get some moss again. Apologies if you've already mentioned, but have you tied it or glued it on?


Oh thanks so much! Feel I've been struggling a bit lately. Just found out the vine I made of ropes with glued on wood dust have been leaching the fine dust to the tank so there's a layer of dust everywhere... 

For the submersed (weeping moss) I superglued them to the wood before flooding. The terrestrial moss I collected in a nearby forest and most of it stuck to the wood naturally with moisture, only small parts I glued.


So, stocking. Would love some input here. I have a soft spot for oddballs and predators and the African butterfly fish have been in sight for a long time. Saw it recently at LFS but they grow bigger than I thought. I'm afraid they'll throw off the sense of scale but could make a cool addition still. 

Instead I'm thinking schooling fish (likely tetras), some bottom dwellers such as pygmy cories (if they'll leave the HC alone??) and a few centrepiece fish. Recommendations welcomed. 

For tetras I'm thinking something fairly simple, like black/ green or wild neon tetras. Potentially rummy nose or lemon tetras as well. Really anything that compliments tank nicely. Perhaps I could try breeding this time?


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

Cool that you have access to and have used wild moss! It's looking great.

I'd still be worried about the African butterfly fish jumping, have you seen a video of them doing it? Nothing worse than finding crispy fish on the floor (and that's from personal experience!) I'd also be concerned about them eating the tetras.

Regarding oddballs, have you seen oil catfish? They're small, fairly gregarious, apparently unfussy, and certainly fit the oddball look! I have no personal experience, although they've been on my list for a while. A member in another forum I'm in has just started keeping them with Badis Badis and CPDs and they're lovely looking fish.

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/centromochlus-perugiae/

Alternatively, Rosy loaches aren't seen too often in tanks, but my local "good" LFS has had them in a few times now. They need a mature tank, but that would give time for your carpet to grow in. Another one on my list, and a big contender for when I get a 3rd tank (Badis, CPDs, the remaining corys, and hopefully rosy loaches). 

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/yunnanilus-sp-rosy/

Both of the above fish have been bred in home aquaria  

Not sure on the shoaling fish as I've never had tetras in my own tanks. I'd probably go with cardinals over neons though as a lot of neons seem to be riddled with NTD nowadays, parameters permitting ofc. 

Have you thought about apistos for your centrepiece fish?


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Thelongsnail said:


> Cool that you have access to and have used wild moss! It's looking great.
> 
> I'd still be worried about the African butterfly fish jumping, have you seen a video of them doing it? Nothing worse than finding crispy fish on the floor (and that's from personal experience!) I'd also be concerned about them eating the tetras.
> 
> ...


Yeah jumping fish is another parameter to consider - I've also had that happening in the past and it's a very sad affair. For the right fish I'd consider manufacturing a cover sheet in acrylic, but I'd rather avoid it. Another con for the butterfly fish then. 

Thanks for the links! The oil catfish is interesting, looking appealing and unappealing at the same time! The loaches are also something to consider. Forgot to mention it before, but CPD's and Badis are also contenders here. I've seen some more rare variations of Apisto's that I've considered, and they'd make for a nice combination with tetras for a SA biotiopish stocking. Below fish is in same category and my LFS actually had them the other week, but as they need spotless matured tank I didn't get them at the time.
https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/biotoecus-opercularis/

Still got some thinking to do, mainly deciding on what type of stocking I want. It's been narrowed down somewhat to these alternatives:
-Peaceful community, i.e. tetras and apistos with cory's
-Mix of oddballs, butterfly fish + halfbeaks and some other, a goby or killi fish perhaps
-Species tank, as in dwarf snakehead

It's becoming more and more clear I need a larger living space and more tanks...


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

Hujeta said:


> Below fish is in same category and my LFS actually had them the other week, but as they need spotless matured tank I didn't get them at the time.
> https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/biotoecus-opercularis/


Ooft, those are right up my street . They remind me of tiny geos/microgeos, but that makes sense considering their location. Would be very nice with boraras urophthalmoides or maculatus or similar. I feel anything larger could well throw off the scale if they're to be the centerpieces. Pygmy corys only barely overlap with both those species re: hardness though.

Just out of curiosity, what's your water hardness like? I bought a "Hydra" filter a few months back hoping to test run it with super soft water (it apparently ionizes ammonia into ammonium, so pH can drop below the standard for bacterial colonies) but the science was too shaky and I took it back. I'd love to try some of the v soft species as my tap water suits them, but wouldn't know how to go about maintenance?

Re: Badis Badis and CPDs, they're nice & fairly unfussy fish if you've not had them before. Maybe I just see them as a bit "eh" because I've had them for a while lol. The Badis badis seem to show much more colour and interesting behaviour in groups, but as mine still isn't definitely a B. Badis, I can't mix her in a group in case of hybridization. There's a group on facebook named TFUK where one of the admins has a group of them, if you'd like to see more images/videos - there isn't really much in general online it seems.

Apologies for such long responses - I can't do much with my own tanks so I'm living vicariously through everyone else's!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Thelongsnail said:


> Ooft, those are right up my street . They remind me of tiny geos/microgeos, but that makes sense considering their location. Would be very nice with boraras urophthalmoides or maculatus or similar. I feel anything larger could well throw off the scale if they're to be the centerpieces. Pygmy corys only barely overlap with both those species re: hardness though.
> 
> Just out of curiosity, what's your water hardness like? I bought a "Hydra" filter a few months back hoping to test run it with super soft water (it apparently ionizes ammonia into ammonium, so pH can drop below the standard for bacterial colonies) but the science was too shaky and I took it back. I'd love to try some of the v soft species as my tap water suits them, but wouldn't know how to go about maintenance?
> 
> ...


Yes they're gorgeous right? Even their behaviour is similar to a geophagus, I saw them sifting sand in the store. They're definitely a top contender for me, together with Rummy nose tetras and cory's. 

I've heard it's quite hard here, I bought a JBL test kit but could for the life of me not figure out how to use the darn KH test kit. pH is precisely 7 straight from the tap. I've got the wide-rang pH test kit and it measures a drop to 6.5 pH in the afternoon with CO2, dropchecker being nicely lime green the whole time. Might invest in a more niched test kit to more accurately measure the drop. Not familiar with the Hydra filter, what's that?

After a while it's easy to get used to what you have, as with anything, good to change it up every now and then. 

Don't you dare apologize for that!:wink: It's superfun to read your thoughts and ideas ! Suppose a lot of us are spending more time with our tanks and on the forum which I for one think is great. My LFS have even started offering free delivery so probably gonna put an order in soon for some fish, if I could just make up my mind.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Todays carry on included waterchange, filterclean and some DIY. I might've mentioned it before, tank's been riddled with fine wood dust from the artifical vine I made. It's really been annoying me so decided to try and get it out during the waterchange. Normally I wouldn't use a gravel vacuum, as I'm a strong believer all the organic stuff should be taken care of by invertibrates or the microbe process in the aquarium. To riddle this dust though I needed one, so made my own instead of rushing to the store. 



Very handy to easily be able to raise the light to get some working space, by reversing the brackets (thanks Streetwise for the tip). The vacuum worked really well and it fills the bucket quicker than when I'm using a (lowend) powerhead!


During WC today I noted 6 shrimps, so what I believed was 2 deaths proved to be the shrimps molting! Even found a third empty skelet as I filled up the tank again. In two weeks time 3/6 shrimps have molted, I'll take that as a good sign (and explanation why they've been so shy recently)!


Current status



Mounted this elbow instead of having the hose crumble like it did before, as seen in earlier picture quoted below



Hujeta said:


> Part II:
> The engine room. If it looks crowded it's because it is!




Added two new plants a few days ago, Nymphaea Lotus and Hygrophila Corymbosa, both supposedly quick growing and adding decent biomass to counter algae




HC still rolling on


FTS. Once tank is settled I'll revise the plants I'm using, not fully satisfied as it's a bit too crowded and want plants with smaller leaves for a better sense of scale. Echinoderus will likely be first to go but will do for now


I run the fogger for 30 minutes during sunset and this is what it looks like. Picture taken the night before WC, hence low water level


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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

Great update! Everything looks terrific!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Streetwise said:


> Great update! Everything looks terrific!


Cheers, appreciate the friendly comment!


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## Matt69 (Jul 9, 2017)

Everything is looking really good, the fogged is a cool idea.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Oh very nice with the fogger I feel like it really suits this tank 👌


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Matt69 said:


> Everything is looking really good, the fogged is a cool idea.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk





andrewss said:


> Oh very nice with the fogger I feel like it really suits this tank 👌


Thanks very much guys, glad you like the fogger as much as I do!


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## schooldazed (Mar 31, 2013)

The fogger, the layout, the plants including the ivy and terrestrial moss, the future livestock choices, the thoughtful attitude; love everything about this tank. Shame re the diy vine. Been following from the beginning. Has really developed nicely. Cheers


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

schooldazed said:


> The fogger, the layout, the plants including the ivy and terrestrial moss, the future livestock choices, the thoughtful attitude; love everything about this tank. Shame re the diy vine. Been following from the beginning. Has really developed nicely. Cheers


That's a really nice comment of you schooldazed, I really appreciate it. A lot of time and thought (and some cash  ) have been invested here and really glad that it shines through. I'm active on many hobby forums and I always find the thought behind it all being the most interesting, not the products, so that's the angle I'm trying to take. I'm more than open to constructive criticism as well, been out of the game for a while and loads to learn. Aquascaping now seems so much more popular than just a few years ago...


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Moonlight shot from last night


Shrimps seems more activate today and yesterday after waterchange. As I replanted some HC my hand was maybe 5cm/ 2" from one of the bigger shrimps, surprisingly fearless






One thing I've noticed is that the last day or so before wc there's a oily film forming on the watersurface, on the corner where the HC is. The water is really stagnant there despite moderate to heavy surface agitation in the opposite side of the tank. I've been moving the inlets/outlets around quite a bit to overcome that but to medium success at best. Gave it another go today. Removed the eheim outlet pipe and just hid the hose between to pieces of wood. Glad I exchanged the hose for a smoke tinted one, think it blends in nicely and with some added moss it makes for a very inconspicuous water return


Did a minor rearrangement of the caves and some stuff on the right hand side, think it's a bit more open in the center now (notice the lack of filter appliances)


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## SkinnyKirby (Feb 19, 2020)

Its looking super cozy! Love the pictures!

Do you think you will add more light? 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

SkinnyKirby said:


> Its looking super cozy! Love the pictures!
> 
> Do you think you will add more light?
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk


Thanks Kirby!

The though of adding a third light has crossed my mind but don't think it'll happen anytime soon. I like the variation and shaded spots this setup brings. It's mainly the HC Cuba carpet who requires high lighting and it should be plenty enough in it's shallow corner as it's pearling on a daily basis.


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## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

Hujeta said:


> One thing I've noticed is that the last day or so before wc there's a oily film forming on the watersurface, on the corner where the HC is. The water is really stagnant there despite moderate to heavy surface agitation in the opposite side of the tank. I've been moving the inlets/outlets around quite a bit to overcome that but to medium success at best.


This is a constant battle for me as well. I defeated it in my walstad bowl after using a uv filter for a week. Now that tank has no film despite there being no filter on that at all. In my 40 breeder I defeated it as well but through different means. I installed an intake that has a built in skimmer. This gets rid of the film within minutes of being used. 

Eheim makes an accessory for this:

https://www.eheim.com/en_GB/products/accessories/cleaning/new-surface-skimmer_3535000

But there are also a variety of 3rd party products to do the same thing including some lovely stainless steel versions. You just need to be careful with the size of these things since your tank is so shallow.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

minorhero said:


> This is a constant battle for me as well. I defeated it in my walstad bowl after using a uv filter for a week. Now that tank has no film despite there being no filter on that at all. In my 40 breeder I defeated it as well but through different means. I installed an intake that has a built in skimmer. This gets rid of the film within minutes of being used.
> 
> Eheim makes an accessory for this:
> 
> ...


Good to hear I'm not alone in this struggle! Some very insightful tips here, thanks for sharing. I've actually been looking at a skimmer intake to the canister, potentially in conjunction with a lily pipe upgrade. The shallow tank, like you anticipated, has rendered this a tough quest. 

I hadn't considered the eheim skimmer before, as it'd further add clutter to the tank, but potentially I could get away with just running it arbitrarily? Reading your post I'm thinking if I could use it a day or two here and there to clean up the surface and then it should hold for a while.


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## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

Hujeta said:


> Reading your post I'm thinking if I could use it a day or two here and there to clean up the surface and then it should hold for a while.


Ehhh..... not sure ... maybe???

So my walstad tank is magic. I mean I have absolutely no idea why the scum cleaned up and never came back. It happened after I used the UV filter for a week. So clearly the uv filter did its part, but why didn't it come back? I have used a uv filter on that tank once before and the scum came right back. I have some surface action in that tank from amano shrimp that go up there to feed and from the fish which eat at the surface. Plus my wife's darn cat drinks a couple times of day from that tank. Is one of these or all of them together the reason?? No idea.

In my 40 breeder the skimmer is part of the intake and it runs constantly. When it clogs from debris the scum comes back within a day.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

minorhero said:


> Ehhh..... not sure ... maybe???
> 
> So my walstad tank is magic. I mean I have absolutely no idea why the scum cleaned up and never came back. It happened after I used the UV filter for a week. So clearly the uv filter did its part, but why didn't it come back? I have used a uv filter on that tank once before and the scum came right back. I have some surface action in that tank from amano shrimp that go up there to feed and from the fish which eat at the surface. Plus my wife's darn cat drinks a couple times of day from that tank. Is one of these or all of them together the reason?? No idea.
> 
> In my 40 breeder the skimmer is part of the intake and it runs constantly. When it clogs from debris the scum comes back within a day.


Surely there's no straight answer, but I think it's something I'll test and worst case I'll keep it running constantly. I read some comments on Amazon and it seems quite a few people just run it for a little while and have clear water for a good while after. As this has built up since I started the tank with all the new materials it'd likely take longer for it to build up again, once a skimmer has cleaned the surface once but I could be wrong.

How's that skimmer intake working for ya, other than the clogging? Suppose there's different models but some people reported it sucking air from time to time. Interesting around your Walstad tank and UV light. I for one like to think it's the cat that's the hero without a cape :icon_wink


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

A bit hazy after adding a few stones and moving around the caves a bit. Maybe it's just the plants that needs to grow a bit more but can't really get the righ hand side of the tank fully to my liking. Any criticism or ideas are welcome.

For stocking, I think I've decided to go with nano-size fish. For a long time rummy nose tetras were the top candidate, but I think the tank will be too small for them to truly display their natural behaviour as it's generally recommended 20 gallons and up. Thinking about it, the tank displays I find the most impressive are oversized with big schools of small fish. As my tank isn't oversized, logically the size of the fish would need to decrease to achieve similar proportions. Would love to hear input on species that might fit well, something small (boras/rasboras and similar), preferrably red/orange for contrast, ideally with interesting behavior (keeping your earlier suggestions in mind Thelongsnail  ).

A few species that comes to mind:
CPD - gorgeous exterior, but wouldn't really school from what I read and can be really shy. Perhaps it's different if they're kept in numbers of +20 or so?
Lambchop rasbora - think colous could contrast well, in a big group they look incredible
Microdevario Kuboati - looks stunning in photos, perhaps they're too similar in colour and would blend in? https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/microdevario-kubotai/


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## finsfeathersandtails (Jan 30, 2020)

I'm enjoying this thread a lot. Your tank really looks great. I love the above the water line parts too. Very cool ideas.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Boraras brigittae is never a bad choice really! 

I think green(blue) neons could work as well - however they do get bigger than Boraras brigittae and the other micro rasboras.


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## Boostr (Dec 8, 2016)

Would Archer Fish be way to big for that tank. They would look great in that type of tank. Lay a couple of bugs on that tree and watch them get shot down.


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

SO I wrote a very long response and then my computer crashed :surprise: but:

With a degassed pH of 7, I'd be concerned that the gH and kH would be too high for the Biotoecus - it would be a shame to lose such a beautiful and rare fish early on because of the hardness. 

If you're going with lots of smaller fish then CPDs are a nice, easily accessible shout, and certainly have that "wow" factor once they've matured a bit. Might be a bit difficult just now but I'd try and get them off a local breeder/hobbyist/good LFS if possible as imported specimens are coming with some sort of internal parasite more and more nowadays. It starts with some sort of internal rupturing and often a growth around the jaw followed by dropsy. No actual scientific info on it yet, but it's appearing on online forums around the world, and nobody seems to be able to cure individual fish once it's started. That said, although I lost 11 of the original 15 that I purchased, the 4 survivors are gorgeous fish now and a nice easy breeding project - the 5 juveniles I accidentally bred are colouring up nicely and I might breed some more over the next few months. A group of 20 would be lovely and they probably would be out and about more, but mine aren't shy now that they've matured tbh.

I think you're right that Microdevario Kuboati would get a little lost, but I like the idea of Boraras Brigittae that others mentioned - they'd be better in your parameters than the previous boraras I'd listed and they've got the red/orange that you're looking for. 

Lambchop rasboras are great too, a bit larger than the others but that may be better for viewing from a bit further away. 

Regarding your centrepiece fish, how small are you actually planning on going? A big range of options here:

You mentioned Badis Badis before, which seem to cap out at about 7cm. I very rarely see my Badis but they're usually kept in groups which seems to give them a bit more confidence (I would but she's still not confirmed as B. Badis and I'm not down with introducing hybrids into the hobby if they breed). They're very similar to dwarf cichlids in behaviour and breed fairly readily. Word of warning though - most people manage to wean their Badis onto frozen food, but mine will not touch frozen food apart from bloodworm, which can lead to major health problems. Instead, she seems to eat shrimp, small ramshorns, and fish fry. It will probably be fine but be ready for fussy eaters just in case.

Speaking of badis and fussy eaters, if you want really titchy you could go with Dario Dario or with "Black Tiger Dario" - a colour morph of D. Hysginon. They'll require live food but you could have a really nice group in there and they're more suited than the Biotoecus but the same scale. I wouldn't want to introduce them for a good 12 months though to be honest. (https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/dario-sp-myanmar/)

Alternatively, Croaking or Sparkling Gouramis could be kept in a nice group in that tank. The sparkling are a little prettier and seen more often, but the idea of a fish that croaks has always appealed for some reason (https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/trichopsis-vittata/). These were my planned fish when my badis badis was thought to be a dario dario - no chance would she be okay with these now though. As labyrinth fish though, I'm not sure how they'd be with your (very cool) fog machine? Would need to check that one.

Not sure what your plans are with bottom dwellers, but have you looked at Asian Stone Catfish? Very small, seemingly adaptable, and gregarious. (https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/hara-jerdoni/)

And you mentioned killifish previously? Although a pair of the larger killis would be amazing, you'd most likely end up finding them on the floor. However, a group of Clown Killifish would look nice and stick to the surface, but are less notorious for jumping. I'd recommend a group of 12 plus - I had 6 when first starting out with my own tank (other than bettas) and the aggression was astounding for such a small fish. I'd make sure there's always at least an inch between the water level and the rim to minimise jumping risk, but you seem to do that anyway. Only other thing is that they seem to be more confident with floating plants, but it looks like you'll have a fair bit of cover once your plants have grown in. It's another one that needs a mature tank though. (https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/epiplatys-annulatus/).

Last but not least - INVERTS. I know you have a few nerites already, but horned nerites are fab little algae eaters and would help with the scale. Titchy, surprisingly fast, and great algae eaters. You don't often see them in shops but they're pretty cheap online. Pic of one of my old ones for tax - I miss those dudes, should really get some more sometime soon:










Really looking forward to seeing whichever stock you choose and for all the plants to grow in!


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

^ Nice detailed response!

I have some more input for this stocking as well: I kept sparkling gouramis (had to get rid of that tank though so I found someone for them). They are really cool fish! However they seem a bit tricky, I found mine to be quite aggressive to shrimp and that they occasionally killed them but certainly scared the little shrimps a lot! The males can be quite aggressive to each other as well, I had one younger male that I believe was gonna be killed so I had to take him out and isolate him. Though I have heard many people that don't have many problems with aggression. My tank was a bit small, although it was very thickly planted.

Above me he mentioned Dario Dario - well I actually had never even seen that fish in person before but decided after a lot of looking around that I wanted to try them out despite the rumors of being picky eaters (not that big of a deal anyway). I have them only like 12 hours now haha but I have to say they have made a very good impression on me - they are like super MINI apistos, they hover and move around hunting (my tank still has a few water mite things and some detirius worms that apparently won't last long lol) - they move very deliberately and inquisitively, how a fish moves really comes into play with it's overall appeal for me. I like them so much I am going to get a few more females to round out my group a bit more and mayyyyyyyyyybe with a lot of luck they might breed and maaaaaaaaayyybe I can manage to save some fry (probably not very likely in my tank though).

Stocking decisions are very hard though, it took me forever to finally decide!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

finsfeathersandtails said:


> I'm enjoying this thread a lot. Your tank really looks great. I love the above the water line parts too. Very cool ideas.


Very grateful for your nice comment  Welcome to the forum/ hobby, hope you can find ideas for your own tank and I'm happy to answer any questions should you have some. 



Boostr said:


> Would Archer Fish be way to big for that tank. They would look great in that type of tank. Lay a couple of bugs on that tree and watch them get shot down.


It's an interesting idea and would surely make for a nice display but the fish in general doesn't appeal to me, thanks for the suggestion though.



andrewss said:


> ^ Nice detailed response!
> 
> I have some more input for this stocking as well: I kept sparkling gouramis (had to get rid of that tank though so I found someone for them). They are really cool fish! However they seem a bit tricky, I found mine to be quite aggressive to shrimp and that they occasionally killed them but certainly scared the little shrimps a lot! The males can be quite aggressive to each other as well, I had one younger male that I believe was gonna be killed so I had to take him out and isolate him. Though I have heard many people that don't have many problems with aggression. My tank was a bit small, although it was very thickly planted.
> 
> ...


Haha preach, think I've been planning stocking for well more than 2 months now and still haven't decided, allthough finally zoning in on the choices. Haven't really seen the attraction towards gouramis. but reading about them they'd surely fit the tink nicely. Could be one of those situations where the'd be a nice addition to the tank as a whole but I don't see it on individual fish level. Someting to keep in mind.

Dario dario would certainly be higher on the list before gouramis, they'd be a nice addition. Appreciate you sharing your experience with these fishes, your description of their character certainly is a plus in my book. Do you have a shot of the new companions?


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

As a direct result of Thelongsnails post, I've done some research in local water parameters.


First off, I can easily admit that I've never worryied much about water chemistry. In fact, this is the first time I've even tested water but we probably had about the best tap water possible where I lived the last time I kept fish. Now, as I'm looking to keep more susceptible species it's probably about time. I'm aware of the role of pH, and pH swings, but not sure exactly how hardness impacts the wellbeing of fish, other than the buffering capacity and breeding potential and that it's usually soft in Asia/SA but hard in Africa. 






And with this calculator (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_water ) :


I should have roughly ~12.8 dH if I understand it correctly. 

Additionally a source said (2017): _Monochloramine is not monitored at our water treatment plants as monochloramine is not used as a disinfectant in the treatment process. In fact monochloramine is not used in any of Irish Water’s treatment plants in Ireland._ Which I take as a good thing, it's chlorine that they're treating with instead which I understand is easier to get rid of (I'm using Prime).


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Thelongsnail said:


> SO I wrote a very long response and then my computer crashed :surprise: but:
> 
> With a degassed pH of 7, I'd be concerned that the gH and kH would be too high for the Biotoecus - it would be a shame to lose such a beautiful and rare fish early on because of the hardness.
> 
> ...


Oh that's terrible! But I appreciate you taking the time to write it up again 

Firstly, I added some research on local tap water quality in a separate post, to better understand my starting position. R/O unit is out of the question as I live in a shared house and there's simply no good area for it. I'm just curious how this would affect fish, I've read some different takes on it, some say it could lead to death and some say it may impact breeding and some say it's nothing to worry about and actually good as it'd buffer pH and preven sudden swings. I'll probably get a more precise pH test kit, to accurately measure the drop with CO2.

The Biotoecus is my primary choice for a centerpiece fish at this stage, which'd be housed with a schoal of CPD's, to about 90% certainty. Assuming it works chemistry wise, Boraras Birgittae being the runner up and Lambchop rasboras coming in third. Very useful tip on wild caught vs captive bred. How can I tell if my LFS has good specimens? It's a reputable firm and the biggest in Ireland so I'd think they'd keep good stock but is there any specific to ask/look for? I know they keep fish in quarantine for a good time before selling them.

Main alternatives to Biotoecus so far is different variations of Betta fish, and potentially Badis/ Killi fish as they look similar. However they're jumpers and seemingly prefer a larger group, which I won't be able to house. 

For centerpiece I'm thinking 1-4 species, around 5cm tall. School of 2-3 cm large tetra/rasbora/boraras. For bottom one of the 3 pygmy variations of Cory's. I know Rachel O'leary talked about one of 'em being more bottom-oriented, which I'd like, can't remember which now. I housed larger Cory's temporarily and they are a fun, cute and active species, which could be nice addition if the other inhabitants are more withdrawn. That Hara catfish looks cool too, and certainly something that could work well for a more relaxed and less busy display. Would perhaps be possible to keep a few of 'em with the Cory's? 

All of above are assuming it works with the local water, and I'll adapt the numbers of fish as I want a natural display, not overstocked and more importantly, don't want the fish to be stressed. In estimated numbers I'm thinking 
~20 schooling fish
1-4 centrepiece fish
8 or so of the Cory's
Possibly a handful Hara catfish
Add a few Amano's to the current stock of 6
Add that Horned Nerite!! It looks freaking awesome, it's a great tip!

Again, thanks for your elaborate responses, kind words and wise input.


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

If it makes you feel any better, my tank has a GH of 11 and a KH of between 6-11 (after / before water changes, due to Seiryu Stone) My tap KH is 4 (used to be 2).

Anyway I'm housing mostly soft water fish like Black Neons and Ember Tetras and haven't lost any since starting the tank. They were all purchased locally so they were probably in similar water with the exception of the KH and the Co2. I acclimated them with a 15 minute temp match, no water transfer to bag and released them into the tank. I always turn off co2 when acclimating.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Asteroid said:


> If it makes you feel any better, my tank has a GH of 11 and a KH of between 6-11 (after / before water changes, due to Seiryu Stone) My tap KH is 4 (used to be 2).
> 
> Anyway I'm housing mostly soft water fish like Black Neons and Ember Tetras and haven't lost any since starting the tank. They were all purchased locally so they were probably in similar water with the exception of the KH and the Co2. I acclimated them with a 15 minute temp match, no water transfer to bag and released them into the tank. I always turn off co2 when acclimating.


That's indeed reassuring to hear! My two LFS are both doing fully R/O so afraid I couldn't hope for the fish to be acclimated to local tap water conditions.


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

A few minor changes recently. Ordered 2 of these small pumps to pump water up the log for the fogger, reducing clutter in the tank. I run both that pump and the fogger 30 minutes each evening, but this smaller pump would for some reason get filled with air and make noise for the first 5-10 minutes, and as I'm sometimes asleep when it comes on that was a no-go. Thanks for a helpful tip earlier in the thread I ordered an Eheim skimmer which now doubles as pumping water to the log, and that small pump is constantly running to increase surface agitation and create more SHIMMER. 



Smaller than I expected, much appreciated. Added a net to avoid shrimps/ fishes to be sucked in.


Decently inconspicious apart from the rubber band. Trying to minimize visible appliances in this corner, once the echinodorus fully grows in it'll be almost invisible


Halfway through the light cycle most plants aren't pearling but at least they're not far from


With these small alterations and yesterday's waterchange the water is crisper than ever, plants are more saturated and as I sit back and have a beer a nice motin of "this is really coming together nicely" is apparent.


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Looking good! Is that first FTS straight away or on an angle? Looks like its on a slight angle if I had to guess. If yes so the tank is going from high to low, left to right.


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

Nice new kit! And your tank is somehow looking even better than last time?! :grin2:

Re: water hardness - correct gH levels are integral to osmoregulation and if fish are in water with incorrect parameters then the stress can lead to a lowered immune system, so a higher chance of disease etc. Soft water fish may survive longer in harder water than vice versa, but it's still likely to cause issues down the road, especially for what seems to be such a delicate fish.

Although Black Neon Tetras are considered soft water, they're comfortable between 18 and 215ppm according to Seriously Fish, the upper bound of which equates to just under 13dgH, so @Asteroid those fish are within their advised parameters. Ember Tetras cap out at 179ppm, which is just under 11dgH so not exactly far outside of parameters either. These fish have also been commercially bred for the hobby for a while.

The Biotoecus on the other hand need a pH of 4.5-6.5 and a gH of 0-90ppm (5.4dgH) so although all these fish are "soft water" there's a BIG difference in needs - under half the upper bound for gH for the tetras. You could always give them a go and see, but it would be such a same if such a rare beautiful fish was lost early. What have your LFS said about them?

If you diluted with RO to a pH of 6.5 and a gH of 90ppm (5ish dgH) you'd be right on the upper bound for the Biotoecus and the lower bound for the CPDs and pygmy corys. It would be a bit soft for the Haras and I'm not sure how they'd like that - glad you like them btw! On the other hand, any of the Badidae would probably be fine in your water straight from the tap.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Tank is looking great! I looked through the thread again a bit and realized I am really jealous of your fogger setup with the driftwood. Now you are making me think I might maybe need to follow suite. Any links, info, input about your approach to doing the fogger install? 








looks so good


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Asteroid said:


> Looking good! Is that first FTS straight away or on an angle? Looks like its on a slight angle if I had to guess. If yes so the tank is going from high to low, left to right.


Thanks man! As there's an armchair in the way the camera is slightly off-center as the tripod requires some space, and think it leads to a bit of an optical illusion/ converging lines. Not sure camera is perfectly level either in that shot. When I set up the tank I did some measuring to make sure it's not leaning.



Thelongsnail said:


> Nice new kit! And your tank is somehow looking even better than last time?! :grin2:
> 
> Re: water hardness - correct gH levels are integral to osmoregulation and if fish are in water with incorrect parameters then the stress can lead to a lowered immune system, so a higher chance of disease etc. Soft water fish may survive longer in harder water than vice versa, but it's still likely to cause issues down the road, especially for what seems to be such a delicate fish.
> 
> ...


Aaaaw thank you!0 It's really visible how much clearer the water is now, right?? The skimmer is easily the best aquatic gear I've purchased in terms of benefit for price. Can't believe I haven't tried one before. 

Seems you really know your chemistry miss, and I have plenty to learn. The pictures I posted below, from the counsil websites, would that be the same PPM seen on Seriously fish or is it something else it refers to? Is it kH or gH? When it's more elaborate than hard or soft water I get confused...

Water requirement werent' really discussed when I saw the Biotoecus at LFS, it was very busy so only got a quick rundown of their characteristics. Think I'll actually email them to see if they have any thoughts of keeping them in the local tap water. I'm really reluctant to mixing with R/O out of practicality, as I cannot keep my own unit where I live. Going to the LFS once a week would surely be enjoyable, but long term a hassle and risking financial suicide. They'd probably be the last fish to be added considering their susceptability, giving me plenty of time to do my homework and prep. Don't want to keep fish in an environment where they cannot thrive, just for the sake of my own entertainment.

Thought about collecting rainwater for a while, but getting enough quantities on time for WC will be hit and miss. A hard proof of that would be that since this lockdown came in place we must've seen the sunniest spring in ages?? 



andrewss said:


> Tank is looking great! I looked through the thread again a bit and realized I am really jealous of your fogger setup with the driftwood. Now you are making me think I might maybe need to follow suite. Any links, info, input about your approach to doing the fogger install?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Cheers man, happy to hear it! Fogger setup was really easy actually, like 12$ for the fogger and then you need to create a pool about the size of a rubicks cube, fed by a powerhead. There's an asian aquascaper who does alot of those miniature landscapes which I was inspired by. Let me see if I can dig up a link for his builds, they're truly magnifiscent builds.


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Hujeta said:


> Thanks man! As there's an armchair in the way the camera is slightly off-center as the tripod requires some space, and think it leads to a bit of an optical illusion/ converging lines. Not sure camera is perfectly level either in that shot. When I set up the tank I did some measuring to make sure it's not leaning.


Sorry, I phased my question poorly. I wasn't questioning whether your tank was level. I'm sure it is. I was referring to just the scape. I couldn't tell if it was the picture of is the scape going high to low form left to right. So is the substrate and hardscape much higher on the left and going downhill to the right?


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Hujeta said:


> Cheers man, happy to hear it! Fogger setup was really easy actually, like 12$ for the fogger and then you need to create a pool about the size of a rubicks cube, fed by a powerhead. There's an asian aquascaper who does alot of those miniature landscapes which I was inspired by. Let me see if I can dig up a link for his builds, they're truly magnifiscent builds.


I've seen em on youtube before as well, curious if you had any more details. Fog is a bit over the top but I LOVE it, haha - really hoping I can create a good space in my 30 liter cube for it with the rocks I am getting, I think I can figure something out - at least I can fab something with plexiglas as well if it is difficult with just using the lava rocks.


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## jcbradt (Apr 4, 2020)

excellent tank and I love the progress updates! Keep up the good work!!!


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

Hujeta said:


> The skimmer is easily the best aquatic gear I've purchased in terms of benefit for price. Can't believe I haven't tried one before.


I used to have one integrated into a hob filter and have missed it ever since switching. Heavily tempted to get one though, and the fact that you've hooked it up to the wood is such a good idea, may have to steal it for future plans!



Hujeta said:


> Seems you really know your chemistry miss, and I have plenty to learn. The pictures I posted below, from the counsil websites, would that be the same PPM seen on Seriously fish or is it something else it refers to? Is it kH or gH? When it's more elaborate than hard or soft water I get confused...


I really don't! It's all been in the last 2.5 years that I've been keeping fish myself, and I've only learned through necessity as chemistry is not my forte - I only ever got to GCSE level with it. I never really paid attention to much of it when starting out with my own tanks as my parents' (or rather, my mum's) 17 tanks were all full of hard water or very adaptable fish. She did try the usual kuhli loaches, apistos, rams, etc. but they never lasted long - she's even had issues with bettas in the past. When I first started out in Edinburgh, I was under the assumption that my water was "neutral" and therefore fine for most things - not the case and the subsequent pH swings due to very low kH killed far more fish than I like to think about, so I had to learn fast. I also recently moved my endlers down south as the soft water here was starting to affect them (albeit minorly) both physically and possibly neurologically. They honestly look so much better now they're in water that suits them. Bit of a dramatic comparison, but that's why I'm so obsessive over it. 

I can't believe I missed that post, apologies for that! As far as I understand it (anyone with more experience please feel free to correct me!) mg/l and ppm are reasonably similar so 219mg/l would equate to about 219ppm, however, this is for CaC03 (calcium carbonate) which is expressed in kH whereas we have been discussing gH, which is a combination of the calcium and other minerals found in the water. Anyway, 219ppm would equate to jut over 12dkH so at least you know your pH won't swing too wildly with the CO2 :smile2: I'd imagine your gH will be higher than this.



Hujeta said:


> Water requirement werent' really discussed when I saw the Biotoecus at LFS, it was very busy so only got a quick rundown of their characteristics. Think I'll actually email them to see if they have any thoughts of keeping them in the local tap water. I'm really reluctant to mixing with R/O out of practicality, as I cannot keep my own unit where I live. Going to the LFS once a week would surely be enjoyable, but long term a hassle and risking financial suicide. They'd probably be the last fish to be added considering their susceptability, giving me plenty of time to do my homework and prep. Don't want to keep fish in an environment where they cannot thrive, just for the sake of my own entertainment.


Definitely sounds worth sending them an email to see what they think as they'll have actual hands on experience with the species, although I'm always a little wary of salesmen. Considering the fish you've kept before, I'm sure you'll have no struggles with them! That's your gar in the photo right?? Absolutely beautiful fish. Can totally appreciate not wanting RO units etc - no chance could I have one in my rented flat either, never mind fitting it in the kitchen. I'm certain heading to the LFS every week would result in financial ruin for all of us haha, no idea how some people manage it.



Hujeta said:


> Thought about collecting rainwater for a while, but getting enough quantities on time for WC will be hit and miss. A hard proof of that would be that since this lockdown came in place we must've seen the sunniest spring in ages??


It's gorgeous right?! 16C here in sunny Scotland. I can totally see the appeal of collecting rainwater, but can see the cons too. If you have the space, could you possibly aerate a couple of barrels of water and peat? Not something I've done so would need more research but may be a possibility? It would turn your lovely clear water tea-coloured though.

When are you planning on adding the first wave of stock? Looking forwards to seeing them!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Asteroid said:


> Sorry, I phased my question poorly. I wasn't questioning whether your tank was level. I'm sure it is. I was referring to just the scape. I couldn't tell if it was the picture of is the scape going high to low form left to right. So is the substrate and hardscape much higher on the left and going downhill to the right?


Oh sorry I was a bit slow too. You're very right, kind of a slope was built where bottom left corner would be the highest area. I have some more sand to add against the back, think it's still a bit too low over there. 



andrewss said:


> I've seen em on youtube before as well, curious if you had any more details. Fog is a bit over the top but I LOVE it, haha - really hoping I can create a good space in my 30 liter cube for it with the rocks I am getting, I think I can figure something out - at least I can fab something with plexiglas as well if it is difficult with just using the lava rocks.


It's very straight forward actually, only thing to mind is the size and covering it in a nice way. You need at least an inch of water level to submerse the fogger and depending on install you may need some extra space to angle it for smoke to come out the right way. You may have seen this video already but sharing in case some other reader is interested:







jcbradt said:


> excellent tank and I love the progress updates! Keep up the good work!!!


Cheers! Glad to hear you enjoy it. Sometimes I feel I get overly detailed in my updates but remind myself it's optional to read. I'm just excited about being back in the hobby, this build and happy to share it!



Thelongsnail said:


> I used to have one integrated into a hob filter and have missed it ever since switching. Heavily tempted to get one though, and the fact that you've hooked it up to the wood is such a good idea, may have to steal it for future plans!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think you and your tankmates really deserves a nice skimmer and I'd be honored if you use my idea :wink:

As for your endlers, agree it just feels so much more rewarding if you can keep the fish under good circumstances, to see them colour out, display natural behavior and potentially breed. Given my area of interest I'd prefer to have softer water, as I imagine it's easier to buffer than to reduce hardness but at least I won't have crazy pH swings. Where'd down south be for yourself, Glasgow?? I did a week in the highlands on my motorbike two years ago, fantastic area. Haven't experienced Edinburgh though, something that's on my list after having a few friends move there recently.

Thanks for explaining the PPM/ Mg/L readings, at least now I think I have a good base point for where I'm at. Actually just ordered a TDS meter as well after reading some about shrimp keeping, water changes and related parameters. Just to make sure there's not much else buffering solids other than what I know already. It's cheap enough too so why not. Earlier I've not been testing water as my own form of rebellion against people getting too caught up in absolute numbers and trying to micro manage them. However as water treatment here is quite different to my old residence I need to adjust for the well-being of the pets. Suppose it's not bad either to develop within the hobby. 

Yeah rainwater collection could be done with a barrel in my backyard, but as as you tend to hoard extra equipment in this hobby I'm trying to not go overboard. We'll see, it's still under evaluation. 

LFS is said to start doing delivery of fish within coming weeks so soon I hope!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Clear difference in the spread of Cuba on each side of this root. Been thinking of adding a third light as there's simply no way to have my current two covering all the areas I want. Just a bit afraid it'll be too evenly lit, I like a bit of shaded areas and shimmer. Also something to consider is how cluttered it's gonna look above the tank with a third one, currently it's spacious in a good way


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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

It looks great! Even if you add a new light, it doesn't have to run the same program.

Cheers


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Thelongsnail said:


> Considering the fish you've kept before, I'm sure you'll have no struggles with them! That's your gar in the photo right?? Absolutely beautiful fish.
> 
> When are you planning on adding the first wave of stock? Looking forwards to seeing them!


Sorry I missed this, but yes it's my old "Rocket gars", Ctenolucius Hujeta. Great fish, really enjoyed keeping them. For stocking, it happened a bit quicker than I dared to hope for!



Streetwise said:


> It looks great! Even if you add a new light, it doesn't have to run the same program.
> 
> Cheers


'ats very true, didn't really think of that. Cheers


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Random pic of the weeping moss



But what's this? :biggrin:






Picked up 10 of these little rascals yesterday. Easily the most expensive fish per kg that I ever bought! They're skittish, but exploring the tank and not being static in a corner which is great. I also picked up some new moss (Riccia Fluitans) which I wish I'd known about before, that was exactly the kind of moss I wanted for that aged look but went with weeping instead. Did a small water change today and thought I'd plant this new moss. Well, ended up being a bigger rescape than I thought. Waiting for it all to clear up. Even noticed the amano's are bigger than the CPD's! I'll try and get a photo for comparison. It's so nice with life and activity in the tank!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Some more photos of the fauna. Realized afterwards I didn't take a photo of the rescape. Picked up some of the wood pieces and used a heater gun to dry the areas where I'd apply super glue.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Looks great! Love cpds, always a good choice, think they'll look great in your scape as well. Will you consider adding more than those ten you got?


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

andrewss said:


> Looks great! Love cpds, always a good choice, think they'll look great in your scape as well. Will you consider adding more than those ten you got?


Thanks Andrewss! Yeah been thinking about stocking a lot lately. They're not overly shy at the moment actually, but very bottom oriented. Thinking to add perhaps 5 or so of the CPD's and then perhaps 10 isch of some other schooling fish, acting as a dither fish too, such as (wild) neon tetra or green tetra. I'd like something with a bit more colour too as the CPD's are actually blending in quite well with their grey hues.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Hey! Good to hear, I reckon more like 15 ish would be better!

BTW I have kept normal neons before and have to say I really like green neons now that I've had mine for a bit, prefer these to normal neons! If size wasn't an issue I still have to say cardinals would probably be hard to say no to but anyway green neons are class!


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

Very nice! Those CPDs are lovely - much better quality than mine were on arrival. You seem to have a decent number of females there too, looking at the most recent photos.

Those dwarf lotuses are coming on nicely in the background too 

Re: chemistry chat, I'm not usually that bogged down with it, promise!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Thelongsnail said:


> Very nice! Those CPDs are lovely - much better quality than mine were on arrival. You seem to have a decent number of females there too, looking at the most recent photos.
> 
> Those dwarf lotuses are coming on nicely in the background too
> 
> Re: chemistry chat, I'm not usually that bogged down with it, promise!


Thanks! I asked for a 50/50 split and that's what I got! Check out photo below to see how big the lotus have gotten recently.

This is post todays waterchange. The cuba is growing nicely on left side, not sure what to do with the other side, hopefully it'll catch up eventually.


Along with WC I flushed the hoses to get rid of all the gunk buildup that's been leeching in to the tank. Decided to remove the terrestrial moss as I think that's where it all originates from, perhaps I'll replace it with a more aquatic species in future.


First time keeping shrimps and they're surprisingly entertaining! Been molting a lot lately so they've been playing hide-and-seek for a while but started coming out again last week. Think they were startled when I added the CPD's too along with the rescape that came with it. 


I promised earlier a size comparison shot so here it is!


And a video of an interesting behavior I spotted the other day (first time filming so definitely some improvements to be made there):


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## SkinnyKirby (Feb 19, 2020)

Havent been on here for a while, Im amazed to see how well it is doing  looks great dude

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

SkinnyKirby said:


> Havent been on here for a while, Im amazed to see how well it is doing  looks great dude
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk


Thanks man, your comment made my day


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## Chizpa305 (Feb 13, 2011)

The mist is dope. Does it affect the lighting under it in any way?


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## AquaPlantsAquarium (May 27, 2019)

Look so beautiful!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Chizpa305 said:


> The mist is dope. Does it affect the lighting under it in any way?





AquaPlantsAquarium said:


> Look so beautiful!


Big thanks to both of you! I only run the mist during sunset, honestly don't notice much light diffusion or so but then again lights are not on full power when it's on. That's mostly to avoid condensation around the hot lights and also to make it a bit more special once the fog comes on.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Amanos lookin good there, payin their rent


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

andrewss said:


> Amanos lookin good there, payin their rent


They sure are, they know that good behaviour rewards them with extra food :wink:


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

No waterchange today but reworked the circulation instead. Felt the distribution of CO2 wasn't even across the tank. I was looking back in this thread and looking at the hardscape I felt the current state is too busy, especially on the right side. I want to get rid of a few plants, now that tank is cycled and established. However for now I just moved them back a bit to give some more open space.

Before:


After:


This is the new position, increasing surface agitation just below the light source (= more shimmer). This way also resembles the traditional inlet/outlet the best way. I hope CO2 being delivered directly to the Cuba and AR Mini's is a benefit, seeing as they are hands down the most demanding plants here


The smoke grey hose pumping from the skimmer up to the tree trunk was contrasting against the black background a bit so covered it in weeping moss. In the image the only thing disclosing it's presence is the white thread I used to bind it, which'll soon be covered by the moss


A bit less busy and more spacious, I'll probably get rid of the sword plants and some other stuff soon enough but to me this is a clear improvement


I'm waiting for the lotus plants to reach the surface, it seems the leaves are just growing bigger but nothing is happening height-wise. Perhaps it could be because of relatively high light and surplus carbon dioxide there's no immediate need for the plant to stretch?


Been pruning the Althernanthea Reiniicki Mini a bit lately, tried it on one specimen a while back and saw it recovering nicely and getting a more dense shape so the rest of them got the same treatment




Evening shot


Tried doing a video as well. Picked this clip because it also recorded the argument I was having in the background with the missus (around differences between vivarium and terrarium), however unfortunate clip ended just before it was confirmed I was right!!


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Do I spy pearling on the carpet?


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

andrewss said:


> Do I spy pearling on the carpet?


You do indeed  It seems to be concentrated along the edges of the aquarium, where I have sand. I suppose the black soil in the middle doesn't reflect the light as much and therefore there's less pearling there. Unfortunately on the right side the light doesn't quite reach as well as I'd want to,together with the descending slope, so there's very limited pearling there.


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

Looking amazing! Always like seeing updates on this tank 🙂


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Thelongsnail said:


> Looking amazing! Always like seeing updates on this tank 🙂


You're too kind!  

Replaced the sodastream cylinder earlier this week. Had to order replacement online with delayed delivery so CO2 has been running on bare minimum the last 2 weeks or so, cirka 0.3 bubbles per second or so. Replaced it just before the waterchange in the previous post. Now it's tuned fully up again, drop checker is between forest green and lime green. With the reworked circulation I think the CO2 is reaching the HC much better with the return feeding directly above the carpet, and even more so because there's a maelstrom (in lack of better description) where the microbubbles are suspended, just above the carpet. Today I saw the most pearling I've seen yet in the carpet which gives a certain sense of accomplishment

Behold my awesome paint skills. Skimmer and mini powerhead place in upper right corner to make sure there's no dead spots


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Water change on a Tuesday (crazy right)...


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

tank looks awesome! the plants are really filling in and the CPD seem to be pretty active

are you going to let the lily pads float to the surface and cover the area or do you keep them trimmed back?


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

monkeyruler90 said:


> tank looks awesome! the plants are really filling in and the CPD seem to be pretty active
> 
> are you going to let the lily pads float to the surface and cover the area or do you keep them trimmed back?


Thanks man! Yeah the CPD's are not shy at all, hopefully that doesn't change if more species are added. Sometimes it's easy to oversee the steady growth most plants are doing, and I have to go back to this journal and see how it was. The Lotus have really entered a growth-spurt, I want them to cover sort of the middle ground and the first patch of sand. I like the dynamics some shade would bring, as long as it doesn't cover the carpet of course.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Tank is lookin great! Carpet really filling in  nice shots of the cpd's as well !!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

andrewss said:


> Tank is lookin great! Carpet really filling in  nice shots of the cpd's as well !!


Yeah it's getting there! Will have to fire up the lawn mover soon haha. Thanks man, happy to hear you appreciate them.

Bump: Had to stimulate my creative side as it's been quite a while since I had a real outing with the camera. Been photographing for a couple of years now, and initially I was very puristic but for the last year or so I've really been trying to make images that evokes some form of emotion. That I find to be much harder, there's less guidelines or templates to follow but it's also what makes it more fun and challenging. Most the time this is done in a monochrome palette to shift the attention more to light and patterns instead of eyecatching vivid colours. Most of the pictures in my journal are fairly documentary to their nature however, as it's also a way for me to keep records of the progression and in general I think it makes sense for a journal. 

Brought out my vintage Minolta-Rokkor 50mm manual lense tonight, with it's inherited softness, fired off some shots wide-open crushing the blacks and highlights as much as possible in-camera. None of these are post-processed not even cropped as it's more of a playful quick session. Fully understand if people think these are crap images but thought I'd share 'em anyway.





This is with the 35mm F2 native Fuji lense, generally I don't like the reflection of the camera in the picture (hence I switched to the longer 50mm) but for this particular image think it works. In my mind this reflection of the lense is a lurking predator, biding it's time the poor CPD to make a mistake.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Ah very cool bw shots, the last 2 are really nice of that little cpd, he looks clueless to your observation!


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## Matt69 (Jul 9, 2017)

Hujeta said:


> Water change on a Tuesday (crazy right)...



Tanks looking great


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

Matt69 said:


> Tanks looking great
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Cheers thanks for the comment bro


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

So, it's been a while. Been working on some other project, and a re-install of Windows left me unable to access this site for a good while. Looking back at how the tank used to look I'm jealous of myself, the tank has detoriated significantly since then. Partly negligence, my weekly water changes have been delayed to bi-weekly, and the overall attention to the tank has been reduced. Algaes have infested and I've tried a few times to get back on track with only minor success and would really appreciate some input from the forum.


First, a recap of what's happened. Last update was mid May, and by end of May I replaced the Ivy on the root as it was starting to die off with some terrestrial plants as an experiment. I was really happy with the aestathics of the new addition, however you'll soon see it came with a price...













This is approx. 10 days after adding the new plants, came back to this after spending the weekend away. In hindsight, looking at the time stamps of the photos, it's obvious the new plants triggered some inbalance (I washed the roots etc before adding the terrestrial plants) but didn't make that connection at first. I trimmed down the carpet and cleaned up the tank, with a WC of course. 










The above pictures date around 10th of June, I removed the new plants at around the 15th of June along with more pruning of the carpet and the other plants. The tank looks nothing like it did before, lost all it's lush and vivid colours and the carpet has faced a massive setback (pictures above taken a week or two ago, it's worse today). I've decreased the lighting duration and intensity, CO2 is on same level as before. Carpet is pearling in the afternoon, albeit at a lower intensity as before. 



What's your advice for best recovery here (and what are those algeas)? I might add that the livestock hasn't suffered any casualties, and testing the waters I think it's OK? This is before removing the plants, just before WC with the last one being carried out 2 weeks prior:


25 degrees C
KH 7-8
pH 7.2
NH4 <0.05
NO3 3-5

NO2 <0.02
TSD ~450


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Oh noooo sorry to see all that (staghorn algae?) spreading around, I think you ought to trim it out and get as much out physically possible. Then maybe go for excel or the likes religiously for a while. Also if you have any robust plants in there that can handle H202 baths maybe go for that as well... maybe rinse and h202 bath any infested hardscape that is removable as well. Beyond that I dunno what to tell ya at this point, I have had issues with algae for a while now (I believe from too much light too early on with the tank and stupid plant buys from people on the internet from their tanks that were infested). Anyway, I have gotten my algae well on the retreat by now but it is a lot of effort really... tons of WC and time spent trimming and removing bits... also I never skip a day with excel. I feel like my ferts are better dialed in now as well which I believe helped overall plant health and now I only see algae persisting on bits of the hardscape. Also I just realized ya gotta toss large amounts of plants away if necessary, luckily for me that wasn't but a couple little ones since most my affected plants were robust buces that can take a BIG dose of h202 bath finished by a bath of highly concentrated excel and not melt if done with the correct timing. 

Good luck!!!!!


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

andrewss said:


> Oh noooo sorry to see all that (staghorn algae?) spreading around, I think you ought to trim it out and get as much out physically possible. Then maybe go for excel or the likes religiously for a while. Also if you have any robust plants in there that can handle H202 baths maybe go for that as well... maybe rinse and h202 bath any infested hardscape that is removable as well. Beyond that I dunno what to tell ya at this point, I have had issues with algae for a while now (I believe from too much light too early on with the tank and stupid plant buys from people on the internet from their tanks that were infested). Anyway, I have gotten my algae well on the retreat by now but it is a lot of effort really... tons of WC and time spent trimming and removing bits... also I never skip a day with excel. I feel like my ferts are better dialed in now as well which I believe helped overall plant health and now I only see algae persisting on bits of the hardscape. Also I just realized ya gotta toss large amounts of plants away if necessary, luckily for me that wasn't but a couple little ones since most my affected plants were robust buces that can take a BIG dose of h202 bath finished by a bath of highly concentrated excel and not melt if done with the correct timing.
> 
> Good luck!!!!!



Thanks for your input Andrew. I'm still not sure what algae it is, but staghorn has been a suspect for a while. I used the last of my excel before I left for 10 days holiday, just shortly after last post. It wasn't as bad as I feared when I returned, however I think the carpet is the most damaged plant as it seems to be decaying from the roots now. Tank seems to be slowly recovering but carpet would need to be torn out and completely replanted. I'm sure I could get it back on track, but even if I do that, it will take at least 2 months for carpet to grow back + I may struggle with getting rid of the remaining algae in the meanwhile.


I'm thinking of doing a complete rescape instead, not as in surrendering to the algae but considering the time it'll take to bring it back to it's former glory plus I've had this scape for ~6 months now it might be the best solution. I think a part of the current detoriation is due to neglect, lot of work, summer and other interests taking priority so perhaps with a rescape it'll reignite the spark. That would not by any means be a defeat, but another lesson learned (along with tons of others including running pressurized co2 for the first time).


On a brighter subject, I welcome suggestions for a new scape. I was thinking of either doing an island layout, mixing wood and rocks and plants, surrounded by carpet and some visible sand. Alternatively a minimalistic Iwagumi scape. With the Iwagumi however I often find it looks better during hardscape stage but as it's not really evolving it could get boring quickly. Thoughts? Other ideas?


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## Hujeta (Jan 26, 2020)

The decision was made to do a complete rescape, and mix it up a bit by trying an Iwagumi-like layout: https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/...23-24g-long-iwagumi-inspired-dragon-rock.html


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