# First planted tank: A story of dirt, chagrin, and humility



## Jahn (Apr 26, 2013)

another thing that might have happened is that you started running the filter before the big heavy bits in the water from your substrate settled down. If you didn't wait and didn't have a prefilter sponge on your intake tube, odds are some big rock chunks of gravel made it up your tube, blocked your filter's impeller, and maybe even burnt out the motor. don't ask me how I know that this is a possibility, haha.

for now, take the filter apart and check the impeller. if you have a bunch of gravel in there with the impeller, there's your answer. clean that out and try running it in a bucket of clean tap water to see if the filter's ok. if so, stick a sponge on the end of that intake tube for now before sticking it back in the tank.


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Thanks, Jahn. In fact, I did exactly that, today...Ran it in clean water on a five gallon bucket. The impeller was clear, and in fact ran fine. It just would not take up water, sometimes. Especially not through the long tube. I tried priming it, and even starting it with the clear tube filled with water. It would sometimes pump long enough to fill the filter reservoir, but then quit, with motor still running. I am just going to have to get another...


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Mini-Update: Hey! I can actually SEE through the tank, front to back, today. I am a little more confident that once I cover the top soil with the Eco Complete, it will settle down. Moving the tank to the permanent location should happen tonight or tomorrow, and I will post pics once I have the Eco Complete in.

I also now have a list of plants, and later fish...Will try to post those up for input later tonight.


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## jamntoast (Apr 16, 2012)

yea i've had similar problems with soil going everywhere, i always make sure to put the sand cap on before addding water it helps to have a plate or something in there to prevent the water from punching right down through the sand and stiring up the dirt. it will eventually settle your wood will be a little crudy from all the sediment but you can just sorta brush it off. it's a nice peice of wood though, it fills the space well.


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Progress! Son of a friend has taken an interest in my tank, stopped by tonight with an Aqua Tech 30-60 filter that he is not using, anymore. Did not take any money for it.

It is actually MUCH larger than the non working Aqueon. Too late to mess with it, tonight. I was going to try a little sand over the topsoil, and the Eco Complete, before work tomorrow. But I don't want to start the filter untested while I will be away from home.

SEE??! I AM learning!

I said I wasn't going to rush things...This is a test.


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## theericafish (Apr 27, 2012)

Seems like a good start so far. My 10g is dirted with miracle grow organic potting mix.

I started by soaking the soil in a 5g bucket with de chlorinated water and removed the larger wood chunks with my hand. If you stir the dirt a bit the wood will float and the soil will sink to the bottom and form a pretty soft mud that you can scoop out and apply directly to your tank. 

First time I tried I had waaaaaay too much dirt and too much cap. All together it was probably around 4inches of substrate. I ended up removing it all and using about 1.5inch of dirt and 1.5inch of gravel cap. Its better to get things right for the longrun before you have plants grown in everywhere :O. In reality anything is fine as long as you are satisfied with how it looks.

Looks like you started well with soil that looks ok(looked it up on google) and eco complete. I'd probably cap with eco complete if I did another dirted tank because gravel is a bit harder to plant in.

As a guess to the filter.. When you were doing the tests in the 5g bucket was the water level up to the top of the bucket and the filter hanging directly on the rim? Basically the part where the water comes out should be at the height of the water level. Then fill the filter completely with water and fill the clear tube part.

Could be the motor is dying or could be clogged. On most of the hang on the back type filters you can actually remove the impeller completely and check if there is dirt etc on it and just wipe that off. I have this issue with one of my filters and after a couple months the filter will sometimes make a stuttering noise and continues.

Sounds like it could just be an old filter that doesn't work though, just running through the checklist .

After a couple large water changes the tank will clear up but will leak tannins from the peat for quite some time. The water turns a bit brownish but its ok its beneficial.

+1 to prefilter on your filter. If you don't want to buy a sponge type(they only run about $2.99) you can use stockings as long as they don't have any chemicals on them. I do recommend the sponge prefilter though because it will sift out some of the dirt particles before they make it into your filter(saves you some effort when cleaning). 

Good luck


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Okay, I didn't make it to the weekend...HAD to get my arms wet.

The water had settled, a bit, without any filtration. I sat and stared at the tank for half an hour, really loathe to stir it up, again. I decided to try and cap with sprinkled sand, and then the Eco Complete. My thinking was that the sand might keep it from silting up when I put in the Eco. 

Of course, I made a hash of it, hehehe!

I poured the Eco Complete direct from the bags, and punched a few holes through sand...Stirring up the silt. Then, the GIFT pump didn't work, after water fill. Got a replacement, because my girl is awesome, and hates to see me sad. (Also, I think she wanted the 'mud puddle' phase over as quickly as possible.

The filter is an Aqua Tech 30-50, same as the one that was given to me. It has been running for about an hour, and water is somewhat clearer. It generates a LOT of water movement! 

A few pics follow...


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Front shot...You can see my attempted sand cap, the thin white line. You can also see that it did not do what I hoped.










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End view, showing substrate layering










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Front view, after 45 minutes of filtration...LOOK! You can SEE the driftwood! Sort of.










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End view, and I can now see THREE WHOLE inches into the tank!










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I bought one of those cheap bulb packages at WalMart...These are Hardy Aponogeton. Three of the four have come up already.










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Front of the glass, because it has my family name, AND it is World Cup related!


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Much better this morning! I can at least see WHY it was so murky: A few sport where the topsoil is still 'sticking out' through the sand and Eco Complete. Will fix after work, this evening.


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## Jahn (Apr 26, 2013)

personally I wouldn't have put a filter in that tank until the substrate settled out of the water. as said above, by using the filter to clear the water, what you're doing is basically sucking up substrate en masse into your impeller. if you water is "dusty," it means you probably didn't rinse your substrate before putting it into the tank - don't use your filter as the rinser. it also looks like you didn't put a prefilter over your intake tube as suggested - odds are that bits bigger than just dust made its way up the tube and gunked up your filter.

take your new filter apart and check the impeller. really rinse out everything that's there. it only takes a little grime to gunk up the mechanism and make your filter stutter or run slower, or even so slow that it doesn't suck water up the tube anymore.

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you also have to think about how deep you're making that substrate. if you make it too deep, there is a good chance that some nasty pockets of anaerobic toxic gas are going to eventually build up in there, and not be able to escape from the substrate until one day it all rushes out, gasses your tank, and kills your fish. 1-2 inches? sure. 4-5 inches? problem. if you keep it that deep, make certain you get plants that reach all the way down there with a strong root structure, and/or get a bunch of burrowing fauna like malaysian trumpet snails. otherwise, just never disturb the substrate in fear that a pocket lurks...

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in the future if you ever do want to add even more substrate (not recommended), you can rise a cup of say eco-complete, then add that wet substrate by lowering it in a cup down to the existing substrate and gently pouring it out right on the substrate. that way you don't scatter it all over the water column. other people have tried funnelling it down a tube, but i find the cup approach to be more controllable.


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Thanks, Jahn. I realized last night that I had WAY too much substrate. Unwilling to start over from scratch, so I am just going to have to be extra vigilant. You are correct, I did not pre-rinse the substrate soil...Had no good way to wet it, spread it, etc.

Will take the filter down this afternoon, and give it a good going over. A very few bits of woody material were, indeed, on the intake screen this morning.

I also meant to add, above: I am THRILLED with the driftwood...It really has a great 'presence' in the tank, there are spaces under it, that make little caves and passages, and it STAYED DOWN! I was a little worried that it would, well...Drift.

Question: Are Anaerobic pockets a problem in non-fertilized top soil? For some reason, I thought that was only a problem using the potting soils that had ferts in them...Though, I am probably wrong. Will follow your advice about deep planting and trumpet snails.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

A bit too late of a comment, but that's a lot of substrate: volume and types... Planting and replanting will be tricky, you might want to invest ~$10 into long stainless steel tweezers.
The driftwood is a real gem, even much so for the price.

Love your humor an attitude: see you at the bottom of that cliff 

via Droid DNA Tapatalk 2


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Thanks OVT...As I said, first attempt. Bound to be mistakes. 

In a way, I kind of wish the girlfriend (Anita) hadn't been excited to have it in the living room. I would feel better making mistakes in the dank confines of my den. There is a bit of pressure to get past the "Glass cube of muddy hell" phase in the living room.

Next time around:

1) Less substrate, probably potting soil and sand
2) Better lighting plan
3) Cannister filtration instead of HOB


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

Mistakes are one of the most effective ways to learn...keep at it.


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

*Update*

Took Jahn's advice, came home, took filter off and cleaned it. Not much wood, but the blue filters were verrry dusty. Put it back together, and now, it looks like this:


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

*Late tonight...*

MUCH happier with how things look, tonight:

For comparison, one of the shots I took immediately after filling the tank, and one I took tonight of the same end...


















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Full tank shot, front:










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Closer up of the driftwood:










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Other end of the tank:










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Now time to consider plants...Hope to be able to buy some Thursday. My working list:

Java Moss
Java Fern
Anubias
Cryptocyrene usteriana
Amazon Sword
Nymphoides aquatica (banana plant)
Vallisnaria nana
Dwarf Bonsai
Brazilian pennywort

Fish list...This decision still a ways away:

Cory cats
Guppies
Congo Tetra
Thai micro crabs
Featherfin Rainbow
Freshwater puffer
(burrowing snails were suggested, upthread, for substrate health, since I put too much in)

These lists are nowhere NEAR finalized...Just things I like the look of, that seem to me low-med light plants, and easy to medium plants. On the fish, just things that SEEM fairly okay in a community tank...Still need a lot more input on my fauna choices.

Your ideas welcome...


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

*Simple solutions, and a gift...*

Couple of things:

1) From the DON'T OVERTHINK IT Department- I have those bulbs in a glass, and they have all sprouted. I want them in the tank water, but was worried about them moving around in the water flow...So I was trying to come up with a way to hang a basket on the edge, etc. It suddenly hit me, the simplest possible solution:










2) Had a private message from a TPT member about my plant list...He has very graciously offered a BUNCH of good plants, if I can be patient and wait a few weeks. I can, but am going to go ahead and get some java moss started, because I want to get it established on the driftwood as soon as possible.

So, thanks, *dtejeda.arias*...I anxiously await your RAOK!:icon_lol:


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Just took my first set of water readings...YEESH!

API 5 in 1 kit showed:

General Hardness: 180
Carbonate Hardness: 120
PH: 9.0 (!)
NO2: .5
NO3: 0

I know those numbers are not good...Am going to ask some questions in the 'Tank Parameters' section. My first guess is the driftwood, which was originally in salt water, but has been 'leeching and bleaching' at a garden shop for four years.

When I filled it from our tap water, I DID use the API water conditioner when I filled the tank...Would that affect my readings?


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## dtejeda.arias (Mar 5, 2013)

Your puffer will love the micro crabs, feather fins, and guppies. Might want to reconsider that sp. they are awesome in a sp. tank only


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## nate2005 (May 29, 2013)

whats the ph of your tap water?


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

*nate*: Because I am SUCH a noob, I did not test it for a baseline comparison. Will try to get a sample tested at the LFS tomorrow...one of tap, one of tank, and see where we are more accurately.

Danny, thanks for the heads up...The puffer was kind of a long shot, anyway.


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Forgot to grab water samples when I left home, this morning. In the 'tank parameters' thread, someone suggested that the play sand may be the culprit, but that the spike may not last. 

Feeling a LITTLE better today, thanks to some reading, and good advice from you folks.


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## theericafish (Apr 27, 2012)

I would invest in a api master test kit(much cheaper than buying them separately). Will cost around 20$ on amazon(it was on sale a while ago). It will help a lot in the long run in diagnosing problems with your tank and assuring you that your nitrogen cycle has finished, and later in helping you by telling you your nitrate levels so you know when its time to do a water change.

Test strips are much less accurate than the liquid type kits(which at times can also be difficult to read or inaccurate but are generally better).

As for the depth of the soil and gas pockets.. you can lessen the effects of them by using a chopstick(or any other thin object) and poking around through the soil to release the gas pockets. Later mts(Malaysian trumpet snails) will help a lot in the aeration of your substrate although I am not sure how deep they will go.

In my 10g even with much less substrate I did get gas pockets accumulating in the beginning of the tanks lifespan.

Wood will rot being buried in the substrate after some time so id keep that in mind too.

An aquarium is basically an ecosystem built from the ground up, its not wise to rush things and it can come back to bite you later on. With that said there is not right or wrong ways, just easier or harder ways. 

It seems that you've chosen a harder way but that doesn't mean it wont work. it will just take longer for the root systems of the plants to reach to your dirt which has the most nutrients.


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Thanks for the input...My plan is to purchase the API Master Test Kit on Thursday (I get paid Wednesday evening), and sort out exactly where I am at, then.

I also have some long BBQ skewers ready for poking the substrate. How will I know if I DO have air pockets? Should I just go ahead and do some poking around, anyway?

My initial intent was to get some plants, Thursday, Java moss and the like...But that will just have to wait to the weekend.

Honestly, I have enjoyed just staring into the hardscape, watching the air bubbles get smaller as they flow through the tank. I DID go ahead and plant the Aponogetons sprouts, today. There are three, one much bigger than the other two. So, there is SOME plant life in there, already. We'll see how they look after a day in the current water.

I have a question: Since the Eco Complete comes wet, would changing the water be detrimental? I don't want to get rid of anything that is beneficial in there.


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## theericafish (Apr 27, 2012)

I've never used eco complete but I know the bag says it contains live bacteria. Doing water changes will not remove enough bacteria to cause a problem in your tank. Water changes at a later point are essential to keeping a "balance" in the aquarium. The majority of the bacteria is attached to the substrate itself and any highly oxygenated areas in the tank. 

Basically the majority of the bacteria will live in the filter and substrate/glass.

If you want to clear up the water a bit feel free to do water changes, it will also help remove excess nutrients in the water column. 2 or 3 50% water changes will most likely clear everything up(just be cautious to add the water slowly into the tank so you don't stir everything up again.. you can use a plate to pour the water on or a Tupperware or something). Make sure you are dechlorinating the water with dechlorinator(prime seems to be the dechlorinator of choice)

Once you have your water all cleared up you will need to let the tank cycle. There are many methods for cycling a tank but I think the fish less method is the most humane and will cycle the tank just as fast as using a fish without causing damage to the fishes gills or killing them.

You can read up on it here: http://www.tropical-fish-success.com/fishless-tank-cycling.html

Basically you will need to add a source of ammonia, sometimes ammonia appears almost out of nowhere(you will probably get snails on your plants you buy and they will start breaking down plants which are decaying and producing waste..very small amounts of ammonia). Or you can use janitorial grade ammonia which is just water and ammonia, no additives. If you shake it and there are bubbles you cannot use it. You will need a test kit to figure out how much ammonia you are adding to the tank.

During the cycling process I tend to just do top offs(fill up the water that evaporates from the tank) but I do not do water changes because it can remove the ammonia/nitrite the bacteria are using to grow.

Once you have ammonia, then it will be broken down to nitrite, and after that to nitrate by different colonies of bacteria. The process takes around 16-30 days depending on how you are cycling the tank. It will be shorter if you add filter media from an established tank into your filter...etc(read the link )


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

I have a thread open in the tank parameters, but thought I would cross post my first water tests:

Just got home from work, and a stop at the LFS. I got the API Master Test Kit (Freshwater).

Tap water test (I added the dechlorinator, so I am testing the tap water as it went into the tank):

pH 7.6+
High Range pH 8.2
Ammonia 2.0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

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First test of tank water:

High Range pH 8.2
Ammonia 2.5
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

I also received a RAOK plant package, (THANKS, cah925!) today.


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

*We have plants!*

Okay...A bit more of a complete update. Won't repost the water parameters, they are in the post above this one.

I have got the gift plants in the tank, floating until I read a little more.

In addition to the wonderful stuff cah925 sent me, I had sword bulbs that I started. Put them in the substrate a few days ago:










The one nearest the filter intake is easily four inches high, and has three leaves.

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As excited as I am about the plants I RECEIVED, came home to find something pretty neat: A VOLUNTEER. Has to have been a seed in the topsoil, I can't imagine where else it came from. Very tiny, growing atop the driftwood mid-tank:










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Here are the plants that I received, bunched by species. Blyx japonica, Hygrophilia compakt, rotundiflora, rotala...aaaand I am STILL trying to figure them all out, lol. More pics once I have them in the substrate.


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Started sticking them in!


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## theericafish (Apr 27, 2012)

Nice plants


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)




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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Only tank parameter change is nitrate is up, to 5ppm. No change to ammonia, which stands at .25.

Full tank shot (sorry for leaking daylight):










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Close up of the driftwood...Showing some fuzz algae. This is the 'still' end of the tank, needs some better water circulation:










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End shot, from the still (right end):










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Left end, showing some plant matter caught on the filter intake:










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River rock, driftwood, and the plants. They are rooting, and despite some die back, there is new growth showing:










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My favorite pic, so far:










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Near the beginning of this journal there is a pic of a bulb sprouting in a glass. The tall plant next to the filter intake is that bulb, now over ten inches tall. The others are smaller, and more red in color.


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## Jahn (Apr 26, 2013)

hmm by now the substrate should have settled, so i'm guessing the water color is due to wood tannin? i like the hardscape layout and look forward to seeing how it looks all grown out! if you're starting to see nitrates, the cycle should be about done - maybe it's time for a few hardy fish?


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Jahn said:


> hmm by now the substrate should have settled, so i'm guessing the water color is due to wood tannin? i like the hardscape layout and look forward to seeing how it looks all grown out! if you're starting to see nitrates, the cycle should be about done - maybe it's time for a few hardy fish?


I definitely think the color is from the driftwood. Because that is a 'natural' color, here...I kinda like it.

Guppies are on my list, for this tank. What, if not guppies, would you recommend?


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## Jahn (Apr 26, 2013)

I think a few guppies to start are just fine.


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## dtejeda.arias (Mar 5, 2013)

Tanning is from the wood. As far as live stock. You can go with some scarlet badis(Dario Dario) white cheek gobies, and a few guppies or a school of cardinals or boraras


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

dtejeda.arias said:


> Tanning is from the wood. As far as live stock. You can go with some scarlet badis(Dario Dario) white cheek gobies, and a few guppies or a school of cardinals or boraras


*Googles "scarlet badis"*



Ooo, I LIKE those!


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

*A few new pics...*

Okay. After the previous set of photos, I did the following:

Removed the long pipe from the filter, hoping do draw more water from the 'dead' end of the tank, closer to the driftwood. Added an air pump and bubble stone. The bubbles rise around the driftwood to the right corner of the tank. 

10 gallon (1/3 volume) water change, and cleaned to filter while I was at it.

Added a few black/grey stones, to contrast all that Martian red.

Now that I have a clearer view (hehehe), a few questions:

One of the bulb plants (aponogeton) bulbs threw the roots straight down. The other two, the roots seem to be growing mostly along the surface. Is it okay to replant them, bury the roots? They are NOT floating, and seem well anchored. Should I bother, or leave the roots like this:










You can see that the larger one, the roots are not visible (right side). The one on the left, you can see the bulb, and quite a bit of white roots along the substrate.

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I discovered a bit of a 'tunne'l, between the driftwood and plants. I already love how there are mysterious nooks and passages because of the driftwood:











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Blyx japonica, Hygrophilia Kompakt, rocks, driftwood. Also, one of the aponogetons top right:


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

SmittyInFla said:


> There is a bit of pressure to get past the "Glass cube of muddy hell" phase in the living room.


Put a bag with some purigen in the filter.


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

_Cross posted from the tank parameters thread, would definitely love your input:_

Three days out from a 25% water change:

pH: 8.0-8.2 (slightly down)
Ammonia: from .25 to 0 (down)
Nitrite: .25 (*up* from 0)
Nitrate: .5ppm (down from 5ppm)

I am surprised changes have not been larger. New growth on all the plants, roots are taking. Reduced light time, less algae. Water circulation and 'going after it' seem to be disrupting the fuzz algae.

Question: Is the carbon in the blue filter cartridges altering my water chemistry? Should I remove the carbon, and just put some filament in there? I am going to be putting a few plants in the HOB, soon.

Guppies, probably Thursday or Friday, and another gift pack of plants soon, as well.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

SmittyInFla said:


> Three days out from a 25% water change:
> pH: 8.0-8.2 (slightly down)
> Ammonia: from .25 to 0 (down)
> Nitrite: .25 (*up* from 0)
> ...


Once your nitrites go down you won't need the carbon.


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

New stuff:

Got inspired by the planted HOB thread, and stuck some pothos, and a few other plants cuttings in the filter. FTS from tonight:


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## I<3<*))))>< (Jun 10, 2013)

Really loving your driftwood!! Also the plants are looking great so far, especially love the Blyxa! 

Those plants in the HOB look epic as well! 
Can't wait to see what cha stock it with!!~


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

*We haz fish!*

Argh...Made a post, and it disappeared:

LFS had Cobra Guppies, so I got two males, and four (assorted) females.

In the pic, both males and one of the females:










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I also got two emerald Cory Cats...They have been pretty shy, but a few minutes ago, one of them zoomed out, and stopped right by where I was sitting:










Everyone is adjusting well...After an hour or so, ALL the guppies came out of hiding, and are hovering near the surface. I sprinkled a tiny bit of food, and they all ate. I just saw one of the Cory Cats eating some that had reached to bottom.

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Made a mistake (shocking, really!)...NONE of my LFS had the Koriala Nano pump that was recommended to move water around in the dead corner. Petco had a $17 one, which I bought, of course. IT WAS LIKE A HURRICANE IN THERE!!

Could not shut it down fast enough. Fortunately, I tested it BEFORE adding the fish. Not a total loss, because the flexi hose I have been using for water changes fits the output nozzle...Which means I can pump water in and out for water changes, instead of balancing a five gallon bucket above the water level.

In fact, I am actually considering a small HOB for the dead corner...Just enough to move the water a little. Also, the fish seem to like the non agitated corner...Perhaps they will be enough to move the water, and keep the fuzz algae back. A combination of toothbrush, air bubbles, and less light have knocked it back almost all the way...So we will wait and see.

I intend to add more fish, still deciding on my options. I like the suggestions I got...Including Dario Dario and White Cheek Goby.

Any thoughts, or tips for best foods, etc. would be most welcome.

Also, better pics are on the way...Daughter Number One returns, tomorrow, with my Nikon DSLR.:biggrin:


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## dtejeda.arias (Mar 5, 2013)

Your tank is looking awesome!

Will your HOB fit on one side of the tank? If it does your will have more than enough flow

Frozen brine shrimp, or get your self a culture of daphnia running in your back yard. Another suggestion on food is buying blackworms and adding them to the tank, and weekly keep adding a bit more if your fish are snacking on them before they start to culture. 

As far as fish. 
Apistogammas are awesome and come in many different colors. 

Pelvicachromis pulcher aka kribensis

Shellys are cool

Hara jerdoni

Keyhole cichlids

The boraras sp specially the chilli rasp are cool

Killi fishes rocket clowns make awesome top swimmers


That's just a quick few of the top of my head.

Celestial pearl danios are gorgeous, but a bit on the $ side


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

*Major journal update...Lots going on*

First: A contrast from a week ago (June 28th) and today (July 5th):



















New plants came in from Danny Tejeda, today...Some go pretty melted in shipping. Smelled like boiled cabbage when I opened the ziplocs.

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The water parameters have been very consistent. Got a bit of an ammonia spike a few days after I added the guppies and cory cats. pH is still high (8.0), and I think it is probably going to stay that way. No spikes of nitrites or nitrates. I have done two pretty big water changes in the past two weeks. I got a power head, with the idea of moving water in the slow end of the tank...It was WAY too strong, but is working well as a pump for water changes.

The fish, plus plants, plus airstone have killed ALL the fuzz/hair algae. I also got rid of the HUGE high output Flourescent, and replaced it with two compact CFLs, one at each end. Eventually, these will be changed to pendant fixtures, hanging over the tank from a shelf.

One of the guppies must have come in pregnant...I counted NINE babies, today. They are big enough already that the adult fish aren't eating them...If fact, when I turned on the lights this afternoon, the babies were hanging in the open very close to the adult guppies. 










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Following are some photos of the new plants. ID help would be welcome:














































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Finally, some action above the water line. I have planted pothos in my HOB filter. They are doing fine. We had quite a bit of wind here, this week, and I obtained an EXCELLENT Tillandsia (airplant) that fell out of a tree downtown. While there, I noticed some VERY healthy resurrection fern growing on a cypress tree. Took a nice section of very moist bark with some fern:



















Working on a plan to mount them on a branch above and behind the tank.

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As always, input and advice welcome!


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Got a message from a member, thought I would update this journal:

Since the last update-

1) ZooMed dual T5HO fixture added, to give the proper spectrum.
2) Added Pothos to the HOB filter, and they have taken over!
3) Added a piece of oak bark, with two tillandsia attached to it, plus another tillandsia attached to cedar branch along the back of the tank.


Here are some more recent shots:
































































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The next big change will be the cabinet. We are replacing it with an Ikea entertainment center...Featuring the aquarium in the 'TV hole'. Plenty of structural support on the model we are getting, plus added display area for other 'projects', and a way to hang the tank light pendant style.


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## dtejeda.arias (Mar 5, 2013)

The tank is looking amazing! Would you like to swap tanks?


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## jpappy789 (Jul 28, 2013)

Really like the emersed look the other plants give the tank!


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Thanks, guys! Since these photos, the duckweed has EXPLODED. I had to build a surface dam to keep it all in one end of the tank.

I actually wish the plants were thicker...I know I need to be patient, but I have a strong temptation to overplant it!

The light spectrum change was definitely the right move...Although the tank SEEMS darker, the plants are definitely responding well.

Here's a few more pics, taken with the Nikon on 8/14/13:


































































Danny, I suspect you'll recognize some of the plants, including the Alternathera, and the java fern next to the Banana Plant.


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## dtejeda.arias (Mar 5, 2013)

I'm so jealous... You can get fern to grow


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Not doing anything special, Danny!

When they came from you, I didn't know a rhizome from a root. Hell I didn't really even KNOW this was a Java Fern! The leaves, as you know, were loaded with new daughter plants. Very soon after arrival, the two large leaves simply came off the rhizome. I kept them twist tied to an airline for a week, while the daughter plants started detaching. These, I placed in holes in driftwood, and tied to rocks.

The main Rhizome you sent me is bound to a red lava rock piece with thread...And it is going gangbusters. The first photo in my above post shows the rhizome plant...The leaves are thick, and about three inches long. Just water parameters, or something!


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Really cool how you bounced back after each foobar the setup adventure put in front of you as you established this tank. 

Enjoyed reading through your journal!


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

Thanks, *Wkndracer*...

Oh, I am still paying for some mistakes. The biggest one is substrate depth, and using NON mineralized topsoil. I do get gas bubbles, and every couple of days, I have to take a skewer to the bottom to release it.

At this stage, I am beginning to consider fertilizers to lush out the tank.

Also, I can not even LOOK at any clear glass vessel, without wanting to put dirt and plants in it. :biggrin:


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

I pulled the Java Fern rock out, took it off the rock, and attached to a nice piece of wood. I am hoping it will root and grow along the curved piece of wood, making a kind of fern arch.


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