# 46G HARMONIOUS FAUNA GARDEN by WaveSurfer



## NJPlantFan (Jun 29, 2011)

Very nice.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

NJPlantFan said:


> Very nice.


Thank you.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Took some photos from different perspectives just moments ago and wish to share with you folks here. 

Tank's side view with the Mondo Grass at the front:










One of our Siamese Algae Eaters resting on the gravel while the Neon Tetras hover above him:


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## audioaficionado (Apr 19, 2011)

> SPECIFICATIONS AND ROUTINES
> 3 x 1.5 x 1.5 Feet planted tank (46 Gallon)
> 1 x T5HO 39W 6700K, 1 x T5HO 39W 10000K and 1 x T5HO 39W 14000K tube at about 5.5 inches from the water surface
> Lighting period is 8 hours (6.30am to 9am and 6.30pm to 12 midnight)
> ...


That sounds like too much light for that tank. I have only two 6500 K T5 lamps the same distance from the substrate as yours and my light is on the high side. Keep a close eye out for any algae outbreaks.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

audioaficionado said:


> That sounds like too much light for that tank. I have only two 6500 K T5 lamps the same distance from the substrate as yours and my light is on the high side. Keep a close eye out for any algae outbreaks.


Thanks for the advice.

I'm worried of having too high a light output too, but thought the 14000K wouldn't be contributing much to the plant/algae growth since its spectrum is not meant for them, and is purely for cosmetic purposes only?

Anyway, will definitely be watching out for signs for algae outbreak and first thing I'll do when that happens, is to switch off the 14000K tube (have set it to be stand-alone so I can just switch this tube alone).

I've been dosing light ferts at the moment (half the EI suggested amount or general ferts) but not sure when I should start dosing the full fert amount. What are the signs I should be looking out for regarding dosing?


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Also, I've noticed some of the leaves of my E. Tenellus are turning brown/pink. Is this something I should be concerned about and if so, what might be the reason?


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## audioaficionado (Apr 19, 2011)

WaveSurfer said:


> Thanks for the advice.
> 
> I'm worried of having too high a light output too, but thought the 14000K wouldn't be contributing much to the plant/algae growth since its spectrum is not meant for them, and is purely for cosmetic purposes only?
> 
> ...


I noticed you split your daily photo-period into 2.5 & 5.5 hrs. I'm assuming this is for your before and after work viewing convenience. I don't know enough about evidence based studies on aquatic plant physiology to say it is a bad practice, but I'd just run them 8hrs straight and enjoy them mostly after work. As long as you don't get algae issues, I don't see why you couldn't run all 3 lights. I have only 2 and I run them for a 10 hr period with each light getting 6 hrs daily run-time and a 2 hr overlap burst. That's an equivalent of 12 hrs of single lamp time. Again, I'm just another n00b here and keep reading posts and stickies in here from people like Tom Barr to try and understand the what, why and how of lighting, CO2 and fertilizing.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

audioaficionado said:


> I noticed you split your daily photo-period into 2.5 & 5.5 hrs. I'm assuming this is for your before and after work viewing convenience. I don't know enough about evidence based studies on aquatic plant physiology to say it is a bad practice, but I'd just run them 8hrs straight and enjoy them mostly after work. As long as you don't get algae issues, I don't see why you couldn't run all 3 lights. I have only 2 and I run them for a 10 hr period with each light getting 6 hrs daily run-time and a 2 hr overlap burst. That's an equivalent of 12 hrs of single lamp time. Again, I'm just another n00b here and keep reading posts and stickies in here from people like Tom Barr to try and understand the what, why and how of lighting, CO2 and fertilizing.


Thanks for your sharing and recommendation.

I've been thinking about the split photo-period too, and worried if the fishes are not getting enough shut-eye time between 12midnight and 6.30am when the lights are off in the night, or having their bio-clocks disrupted.

I will change the photo-period from 4pm to 12midnight from today onwards and removing the early morning photo-period. I'm sure I can do without viewing the lighted up tank before going to work. 

I agree with what you mentioned about algae vs lighting; as long as there's no algae issues, I will be keeping with the 3 tubes.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Anyway, in case anyone is wondering why there isn't any moss in the tank, I've done an experiment by tying a small piece on a driftwood and the next day, the moss is totally gone!

The very likely culprits are the SAEs, since they are lovers of mosses. That's why I had to work around mosses and use other plants instead.


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## audioaficionado (Apr 19, 2011)

Thanx for that SAE/moss tip. I'll not be getting any mosses to distract 'em from the algae. However they always come up to compete when I feed everyone fish food flakes. They are real pigs and growing fast.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

audioaficionado said:


> Thanx for that SAE/moss tip. I'll not be getting any mosses to distract 'em from the algae. However they always come up to compete when I feed everyone fish food flakes. They are real pigs and growing fast.


Oh why would you want to distract the SAEs from the algae? The main reason why my 3 SAEs were in the tank is to get rid of the red and hair algae.

Same here, the SAEs will always fight with the other fishes for the fish food (I use wafers here) and they are now the biggest inhabitants in the tank. I don't really mind their size though, since they are still pretty elegant when swimming around (except during feeding times).

By the way, one of my SAEs has been pale and getting skinny lately, though he still continue to feed on food/algae regularly. He does appear lethargic at times though. Any idea what could be the reason? The other two SAEs are doing fine though.


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## Chaos_Being (May 18, 2010)

That driftwood you have in there is a great piece. As for your question regarding your e. tenellus, I believe it can turn pink under higher light (although I may be wrong.)


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Chaos_Being said:


> That driftwood you have in there is a great piece. As for your question regarding your e. tenellus, I believe it can turn pink under higher light (although I may be wrong.)


Thank you! I like that driftwood very much too, unfortunately I couldn't have more of that type in my aquarium.

Thanks for the info on the Tenellus. I did read a few threads on the turning of pink too; hoping this is for my case and not melting...


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Phew! Finally gathered sufficient evidences that the Neon Tetras had been victims of the two cichlids in the tank, and have successfully removed these culprits for now. More Details.


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## acboothby (Jun 16, 2011)

Love your tank!

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

acboothby said:


> Love your tank!


Thank you!


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

UPDATE: Started running one single 8-hour photo period from 4pm to 12 midnight, removing the early morning photo period, with the three T5HO still switched on throughout.


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## audioaficionado (Apr 19, 2011)

I've started increasing my total photo-period too as the GSA isn't a result of too much light.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

audioaficionado said:


> I've started increasing my total photo-period too as the GSA isn't a result of too much light.


Thanks for the sharing. So are you dosing more fert or increasing CO2 at the same time?

I'm planning to gradually increase the CO2 at 0.5bps each time, and starting the full EI dosing regime.


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## audioaficionado (Apr 19, 2011)

I've finally been able to achieve 'lime green' with DIY yeastie-beastie CO2. Bubble count in a water bottle is going to be less than a small inline counter because the bubbles are larger. My Cerges' reactor is the main reason plus I now have two 1gal jugs going at once with red wine yeast.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

audioaficionado said:


> I've finally been able to achieve 'lime green' with DIY yeastie-beastie CO2. Bubble count in a water bottle is going to be less than a small inline counter because the bubbles are larger. My Cerges' reactor is the main reason plus I now have two 1gal jugs going at once with red wine yeast.


I see... Looks like I will need to go get a CO2 checker. Thought I could figure out what's the approximate optimal CO2 dose by observing the plants and fishes.


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## audioaficionado (Apr 19, 2011)

WaveSurfer said:


> I see... Looks like I will need to go get a CO2 checker. Thought I could figure out what's the approximate optimal CO2 dose by observing the plants and fishes.


You always have to do that, but a BC is an easy way to see at a glance how close to the limit you are getting. If my fish are acting OK, I won't worry about the color until it gets too yellow.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

audioaficionado said:


> You always have to do that, but a BC is an easy way to see at a glance how close to the limit you are getting. If my fish are acting OK, I won't worry about the color until it gets too yellow.


Okay thanks. Will keep that in mind.


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## ReluctantHippy (Jun 23, 2011)

Great tank. You're your tetras hero.


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## speedoflife (Jun 12, 2011)

ReluctantHippy said:


> Great tank. You're your tetras hero.


True. Awesome looking tank. Always easy to "get the itch" for this hobby even after putting it aside for a while. Hope you stick with it for a while this time! Great looking tank.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

speedoflife said:


> True. Awesome looking tank. Always easy to "get the itch" for this hobby even after putting it aside for a while. Hope you stick with it for a while this time! Great looking tank.


Thank you!

Haha I'm very glad that the 'itch' finally came back to me after so many years of neglect! My wife and I were even planning to sell/give the stuff away after seeing the tank in that dire state.

I'll make sure the tanks (we have another 2 feet shrimp tank) will be upkept nicely for the years to come. Who knows, as our son grows up, he may even be able to take over the tanks!


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

UPDATE: Increased CO2 to 2bps since last night. So far no weird behaviour from the fishes yet.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

ReluctantHippy said:


> Great tank. You're your tetras hero.


Thank you!

I appreciate the 'tetras hero' compliment, as I'm actually feeling a little sad now, after sending off our 2 cichlids to a suitable adopter. :icon_cry:

Over the past two days, they have been kept in a small temporary tank after I netted them up, and I could see they were very upset and uneasy, and refused to get the food I gave them. I kept telling myself that it's for the greater good (i.e. the health and lives of the tetras) that I had to be hard-hearted to do this to the cichlids.










Just moments ago, I transferred them into an air-tight container as their new owner were collecting them from me, as arranged yesterday. He is rearing cichlids in his tank(s) too so I believe he experienced in handling them and providing them with a nice, new home.










Bye bye, dear cichlids! Hope that you will lead happier lives at your new home! :redface:


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Went out to buy a CO2 checker for easier approximation of the CO2 level in the tank, without always needing to take the pH and kH. The only type the LFS was selling looks different from those spherical ones I saw on this forum, but as long as it works the same way, I didn't mind.










Bought it and glad to see that the liquid is lime green in colour, which shows that the CO2 concentration in the tank is okay. Will maintain at the 2bps I've set since yesterday.

Happy to see some of my plants bubbling, though surprisingly they were from the Mondo Grass, which was supposed to be a non-aquatic plant. Not sure what to make out of this symptom...










As for the Neon Tetras, they look much more at ease now that their predators are gone for good, scattered all over the tank. I do miss them swimming in schools though... :icon_roll


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Noticed the Nana (Anubias barteri 'Nana') started bubbling last night , though not from its leaves but from its stems. o_0|

The Mondo Grass was still happily bubbling throughout the night.

Also spotted our SAE getting curious with the CO2 checker and thermometer:










This SAE has been looking thin and sickly for quite a while now, though he would still be eating normally. Not sure what's happening to him and how I can help him...


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## audioaficionado (Apr 19, 2011)

WaveSurfer said:


> Noticed the Nana (Anubias barteri 'Nana') started bubbling last night , though not from its leaves but from its stems. o_0|


Mine's doing the same thing. It's called pearling as the plants make so much oxygen that it can't all dissolve into the water and bubbles off into the water as gas. All that sugar it's making will help it grow faster during the dark period at night.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

audioaficionado said:


> Mine's doing the same thing. It's called pearling as the plants make so much oxygen that it can't all dissolve into the water and bubbles off into the water as gas. All that sugar it's making will help it grow faster during the dark period at night.


Nice to hear your plants are pearling too!

May I know if it's normal for the plants to bubble from their stems instead of their leaves?


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

The Mondo Grass and Nana continued to pearl happily today, and I managed to capture a shot of the Nana bubbling:










When I examined closely, I noticed that several of the Petite Nana was pearling too:










These were exciting to watch, at least to me, since it has been a long while since I've seen my plants pearling. Hopefully the other plants will start pearling soon. ^^

Anyway, I noticed that the CO2 checker has turned blue today. Currently CO2 is still set to run at 2bps. Looks like I'll be pushing up to 3bps starting tomorrow since the reading by the checker seems to indicate less than optimal CO2 in the tank.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Been busy with work over the past few days so didn't have much time to sit down and enjoy the aquarium. During the short and valuable times when I had the luxury to do so though, was glad to see more and more plants happily pearling:

The Whorled Pennywort started pearling too, though not as obvious as the nana and mondo grass:










I could even see the Tenellus pearling, though it's still a rare sight.










And glad to see the Tenellus are mostly growing well and getting bushier. Hoping to see some runners soon!










Just moments ago, suddenly noticed strange looking, pointed stems growing out from each of these unidentified spikey plants. Wonder what these stems will grow to become?










Here's how the tank looks like now, the more obvious difference from the photo in the first post is the Water Hyssop (Bacopa monnieri), which have grown quite significantly. Looking forward for the plants to continue growing and get bushier! ^^










The Vallis (hidden) on the left background doesn't seem to be growing much though. Hoping they will soon buck up and flourish to cover the pipings there soon!

Anyway, CO2 is still at 2bps but plants are growing well and the CO2 checker is now lime green in colour again.


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## TankZen (Jan 31, 2011)

Looking nice....looks like plants are growing in well!


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## ReluctantHippy (Jun 23, 2011)

Beautiful update. Congrats on the pearling!


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## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

Those spikey plants are so cool! Great tank.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

TankZen said:


> Looking nice....looks like plants are growing in well!





ReluctantHippy said:


> Beautiful update. Congrats on the pearling!





Lil' Swimz$ said:


> Those spikey plants are so cool! Great tank.


Thank you TankZen, ReluctantHippy and Lil' Swimz$! 

I'm still trying to figure out what those spikey plants are though... :icon_neut


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Decided to clean up my EHEIM ECCO 2233 filter today, after the last cleaning which was at the start of the year.

I've always been procrastinate about cleaning this cannister filter and everytime, despite trying my best to follow the instructions on the manual, I still couldn't prime it right the first time after the cleaning.

Furthermore, I broke both handle clips the last time I tried to prime it, and only managed to find the spares just less than a fortnight ago.

I managed to locate a thread I started many years back and found this particular post very useful (not sure if the writer is still here on this forum today):



baz said:


> To prime mine I:
> - Have no water in the canister, though some is ok. (power off)
> - Cover the canister with the powerhead, push handle closed to the up posistion and attach the taps. (taps closed)
> - Open the taps all the way
> ...


Thanks to him, my priming today was a total success, and I won't be afraid to do it again for all my subsequent cleaning! ^^

With the filter cleaned up, the fishes are of course very happy. I believe the plants will be too with a cleaner environment.

Plants continue to pearl these few days, though I am hoping the Echinodorus Tenellus, Whorled Pennywort (Hydrocotyle verticillata), Red Ludwigia (Ludwigia repens) and Water Hyssop (Bacopa monnieri) will start pearling more too.

I also enjoy looking up to the surface of the water with the oxygen bubbles floating on it, like I'm admiring a night sky with plenty of stars in a galaxy:










While I was admiring the tank earlier, I noticed a new leaf appearing behind the branching driftwood. Upon closer observation, it belongs to a Whorled Pennywort which was unfortunately hidden under the driftwood previously, due to the limited space.










I find it very encouraging to see this stalk striving hard to push itself higher to go beyond the driftwood in order to get into a better position for light, a sign of the fittest survive. Admirable spirit from this plant! ^^


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## JRMott (Jul 30, 2010)

I think the tank looks great! I esp like how you've shown how it has progressed from when you first started out.

Is the 14000K helpful to the plants at all? I run a 6700K and 10000K bulb, but I thought they couldn't use much over that.

In any event, keep up the good work!


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

JRMott said:


> I think the tank looks great! I esp like how you've shown how it has progressed from when you first started out.
> 
> Is the 14000K helpful to the plants at all? I run a 6700K and 10000K bulb, but I thought they couldn't use much over that.
> 
> In any event, keep up the good work!


Thank you JRMott! It was a very long journey indeed, when I started looking back the times when we first made the purchases for our initial setup.

Meanwhile with this setup, guess it will take a little while more for the Vallis and Bacopa to grow more and cover up the background so that the tank won't look too bare in the back.

I've moved and spread the Vallis out last night around the filter inlet so that they can grow better, and was glad to find out that their roots are growing well (though can't see from their leaf growths yet).

Also started trimming the Bacopa so that I can create a bushier look in the middle. Waiting patiently for their growth... 

About the light tubes, frankly I do not know too, since I mounted the 6700k and 10000k together with the 14000k, and had not tried switching one set without the other. What I do know is that I'm not experiencing much typical side-effects of over-lighting, though I do see GSA on the glass walls and some black spot algae (not sure the name) on the Nanas.

Most importantly, I love the bright look of the tank, which I believe is largely contributed by the 14000k tube. Makes viewing the plants and fishes such a big joy!


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## doncityz (May 17, 2011)

Hi, very nice tank you have. Anyway do you have plant soil underneath those gravels? I have lots of these gravels (from my past cichlids tank) and thinking of topping up at some area in my tank.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

doncityz said:


> Hi, very nice tank you have. Anyway do you have plant soil underneath those gravels? I have lots of these gravels (from my past cichlids tank) and thinking of topping up at some area in my tank.


Thank you, doncityz!

About your question, yes, I do have a layer of fertilizer underneath the gravel, which was laid since the first time the tank was started (which is 4 years ago). I'm not sure if the fertilizer is still effective but the thought of revamping the tank and removing the gravel brought cold sweat to me. That would require a lot of effort (and probably $$$ if I am to replace the fertilizer and/or gravel), while affecting the condition of our cycled tank.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

While reading through some of the threads on this forum this afternoon, one of the plants struck me all of a sudden --- Hemianthus micranthemoides, or commonly known as Baby Tears.

That was not the first time I have come across this plant in the forum, and had even wanted to get it for my revamped tank at the start of the month. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find it in my neighbouring LFSes so called off the plan.

This time round, I was bent on finding the Baby Tears again as I knew it would make a suitable mid-ground plant for my tank, especially in the middle between the two driftwood. This space is currently taken up by a few unknown spikey plants, which are starting to turn pale green and even brown.

I realise one of the things missing in my scape is a bushy mid-ground plant in the middle, which will help bring out more greenery in the tank, and the Baby Tears will be one of the best choices since it's adaptable and can be groomed to grow into a lush bush.

Fortunately, when I went down to one of the LFSes this evening, I managed to find the last remaining Baby Tears pack available. However, it appeared that this pack had been left there for quite some time as the condition of the plants wasn't very good, with the leaves turning pale green and some falling off and floating around in the water.

Still, believeing that they would be able to settle well in my tank given its adaptable characteristic, I bought them home and started planting them in batches of 4 to 5 stems each. I'm sure they will acclimate to the tank soon.










While at the LFS, I also saw a pack of long, nicely grown Vallisneria Americana (Gigantea) and was tempted to buy it, since the Vallis I had in my tank (left back corner) has been slow in growing (though I believe they are growing healthily) and it will take some time for them to cover the filter pipe and CO2 tube located there. In the end, I resisted the temptation and told myself that it's much more meaningful to grow my own scape than to rely on so-called 'ready-made' plants. 










With the addition of Baby Tears, I believe the overall fauna selection of the tank is more or less finalised (except for the Mondo Grass), and now it's just to wait for them to grow healthily and cover up the tank with their beautiful green (and red)!


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

By the way, the spikey plants have been moved to my shrimp tank. Hopefully they will be able to grow well there despite its low-tech setup. The shrimps seem to enjoy clinging onto its spikey branches though.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Decided to tidy up the two wooden cabinets of the planted and shrimp tanks this evening, discarding all the expired medication and fish food, wiping off the dust of stuffs and re-organising everything neatly in the various compartments.

Will be buying 3M hooks tomorrow and mount them onto one of the inner cabinet walls to hang the nets.

Feels much better with the cabinets tidied up and easier to access the items I will regularly use, such as the fish food, liquid fertilizers and diary (to keep track of what fert was dosed on which day).










Realised I have so many spare mini tanks (used them as fry or hospital tanks in the past) and hang-on filters when tidying up. I wonder how much I've spent on this hobby over these few years...


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Bought a set of 3 mini-hooks by 3M last evening, and mounted them onto the inside of a door of the tank cabinet to hang up my nets and torchlight, for easier access and tidiness,










Regarding the feeding of CO2 into the filter inlet, instead of using a spare part from another hang-on filter as an 'inverted cup' to catch and hold the CO2 bubbles before floating them into the filer, I took out the entire inlet netting and tried feeding the CO2 tube directly into the filter instead.

Using the 'inverted cap' method:









This was because the cup was not working properly when I tried to increase the CO2 dosage from 2bps to 3bps, where huge bubbles would flow out of the cap.

However, on the next day after the CO2 was pumped directly into the filter inlet, I discovered that the flow of the filter had been decreased, probably because the tube had blocked most of the empty spaces in the inlet and thus only allowing lesser water to be sucked into the filter.

Part of the tank's surface was not being circulated at all:









As a result, I thought for a better solution and in the end, cut out a small hole on the side of the filter inlet netting so that I could insert a small portion of the CO2 tube into it. This would allow CO2 bubbles to go directly into the inlet without fear of them coming out when the dosage is increased, while continue to allow ample space for the filter to do its work while sucking in the water.










To end today's journal post, here's some updated photos of the tank. All the plants have been doing well with minimal algae growth. I'm especially focusing on the growth of the most recently added plant --- Hemianthus micranthemoides, or commonly known as Baby Tears. Some of the yellowish leaves couldn't make it and were floating onto the surface but most of the plant appears to be doing fine.

I've also decided to name my tank setup as *'Harmonious Fauna Garden'*, as my objective has always been to achieve a peaceful and balanced setup where fishes and plants can co-exist amicably. Besides enjoying the greenery of the healthy plants, I also get a lot of joy watching our fishes (especially the bottom feeders) swimming and living happily among the vegetation.




























Thank you for reading!


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Saw one of the Water Hyssop (Bacopa monnieri) pearled for the first time tonight! I've thought this species will only gradually form big oxygen bubbles above their leaves before they float towards the surface:










The happiest plant in the tank now is apparently the Nana (Anubias barteri 'Nana')! It has been pearling throughout the entire photoperiod, and new stems/leaves growing out quickly. Numerous roots have also been growing out from its stems/rhizome. Frankly I don't really like the look but if that's a sign of the plant growing healthily, I will have to accept it.










Noticed some black spot algae (if I'm not wrong) growing on its leaves though. These algae probably came about in the past few weeks, when the tank is still stabilising. Not sure how to go about removing them from the leaves though...


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## ReluctantHippy (Jun 23, 2011)

Tanks looking great! I love the baby tears. 

I've been using a paint brush to remove algae from my plants and it works quite well. If you're lazy hook it up to a back massager or electric tooth brush and the mini vibrations do all the work.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

I love your tank! So simple, but yet crafted so artfully.

Perhaps that spikey plant is Hydrotriche hottoniiflora? Just a guess.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

ReluctantHippy said:


> Tanks looking great! I love the baby tears.
> 
> I've been using a paint brush to remove algae from my plants and it works quite well. If you're lazy hook it up to a back massager or electric tooth brush and the mini vibrations do all the work.


Thank you! 

Thanks for your advice! Unfortunately I only saw it now, after I've trimmed off those badly affected leaves of the Nana so that those leaves won't block off the lights of the healthy leaves below them.

Will try your method on the remaining leaves which still have signs of the algae.

Here's how the Nana looks now after the trim:












Da Plant Man said:


> I love your tank! So simple, but yet crafted so artfully.
> 
> Perhaps that spikey plant is Hydrotriche hottoniiflora? Just a guess.


Thank you for your compliments! I'm humbled. 

Hmm, I don't think the spikey plants are Hydrotriche hottoniiflora after I looked at the images by Googling it. Anyway they have started to melt in the shrimps tank so I threw them all away last night...

------------------------------------------------------

Anyway, I need some help on how to trim my Whorled Pennywort (Hydrocotyle verticillata). Some of the stalks are growing much faster than others and very soon, they will be growing above the surface. Do I cut them and replant the cuttings while discarding the bottom parts?


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

Decided to do a minor rescape yesterday, removing the non-aquatic Mondo Grass and replacing the region by the Red Ludwigia (Ludwigia repens), from its original right mid-ground of the tank.

The right mid-ground was then filled up with newly bought Water Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis), which I thought would be bushier and thus help cover up the 'uglier' roots of the Nana (Anubias barteri 'Nana') in the background as the plants grow taller in time.

And in the middle, I've bought a pot of Micranthemum umbrosum and placed it in front of the current Hemianthus micranthemoides. When I was buying the Micranthemum umbrosum at the LFS, I had thought it was Hemianthus micranthemoides instead. Despite the difference in species, I guess these two plants will be able to complement each other well.

I've not yet trimmed the tall, isolated stems of the Whorled Pennywort (Hydrocotyle verticillata), though I guess I have to do that soon before they spoil the look of the tank further. ^^|

As for the Mondo Grass, they have currently found a new home in the shrimps tank, where the inhabitants are having a great time exploring their new flora:










Also, bought another two Ottos while turning down the photoperiod from 8hrs to 6hrs.


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## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Beautiful tank. IME Anubias love to root out like that.


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

2in10 said:


> Beautiful tank. IME Anubias love to root out like that.


Thank you, 2in10!

Thanks for the info on the Anubias too! Guess I might have to live with that 'rooty' look then...


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

After trimming the algae infested leaves of the Anubias, here's how the tank looks like tonight:


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

looks sweet!


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

shrimpnmoss said:


> looks sweet!


Thank you, shrimpnmoss! 

The Tenellus isn't propagating as fast as I have expected though. The individual plants have grown new and bigger leaves but so far, I've not seen any runners yet. Looks like my substrate is just not nutritious enough to encourage them from sending out runners...


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