# Dutchagumi !



## Dman911 (Nov 24, 2016)

Love the title Eh! Looking forward to seeing the progress.

Dan


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Dman911 said:


> Love the title Eh! Looking forward to seeing the progress.
> 
> Dan


Thanks ! It's been fun so far, but I wish I had started the journal last October when I set up the tank. It's a good thing I kept copious notes & photos 😉

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## Esteban Colberto (Mar 7, 2017)

@Deedledee I highly recommend Aquarium Note if you are running android on your phone. It is a superior app.. no lie. Lovely journaling for sure.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Esteban Colberto said:


> @Deedledee I highly recommend Aquarium Note if you are running android on your phone. It is a superior app.. no lie. Lovely journaling for sure.


Thanks, that's a cool app. I will have to read the instructions!

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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Deedledee said:


> I have been hearing a few members encouraging people to do a detailed journal of their tank builds, so here is the start of my 34 gallon "Dutchagumi". I came up with that name because a couple people have said my aquarium looks kinda, sorta like a Iwagumi with a smattering of Dutch influence . It all began last October 7th, so fast forward 9 months & I am still trying to get it to the point where I am really happy with it. I really wanted to go with an Iwagumi style, but couldn't find the right equipment to do so. I used to live in a big city, but now I'm in a small town, where it is sometimes very challenging to find just the right plant , fish, or piece of equipment. Thank goodness for Amazon.ca !
> I found this Fluval Fresh 34 gallon kit, originally online at a retailer in Vancouver, however it was out of stock, so I had to order it directly from Hagen in Montreal. It arrived in a timely fashion, and included a rimless 34 gallon tank, with a very sturdy stand ( some assembly required !) It's a drilled tank, with a Fluval 206 canister filter a Fluval Plant and Fresh 2.0 LED canopy, and a Fluval 88gm pressurized C02 kit.
> I can not begin to describe how difficult it was to put the stand together ! It came with a parts list, but no instructions, and after a extensive internet search I was unable to find anything useful, with the exception of a short video in Spanish about "unboxing" . After several hours, and a lot of muttering from my hubby, it all went together ! I ordered a lot of Tropica 1-2 grow plants online, and used the Tropica Inspiration page to give me an idea of plant layouts, but I kinda drifted off in a couple directions, and my tank has evolved (mutated really) into something I am pretty happy with overall. I have gained a lot of valuable information from this forum, and I appreciate all the advice and tips many of you have offered along the way. I will continue to add more pix, as I find them. Thanks for looking !


When I decided to do a fresh water planted aquarium, I didn't have much experience keeping live plants. I have had an aquarium of some kind my entire life since I was a kid. Most recently prior to this one ,I kept only saltwater tanks. I started keeping marine fish in the mid 80's and have kept a couple mini reefs. I was always convinced nothing could compare with the beauty of a well maintained reef tank until I stumbled onto this site last year. So I decided to set up my first planted tank 9 months ago. I gained a lot of inspiration from many outstanding aquariums here on TPT. I was a bit overwhelmed by some of the technical details, but decided to jump right in ! I filled the 34 gallon with Seachem Flourite 45 lbs of the black, and 2o lbs of the Flourite sand underneath. I placed 24 Seachem root tabs in the substrate ( no, I don't work for Seachem) and started planting! I started with:

Heteranthera 
Echinodorus Vesuvius 
Cryptocoryne willisii 
Ranunculus 
Potamageton gayi 
Pogostemon Helferi 
Bacopa Caroliniana 
Staurogyne repens 
Hemianthus callitrichoides 
Hydrocotyl tripartita 
Anubias barteri/ nana
Vesicularia montagnei 
Micranthemum "Monte Carlo"


























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## Esteban Colberto (Mar 7, 2017)

Love your hardscape and placement sir. Hits the rule of thirds points perfectly. Looking forward to seeing it grown out. Well done.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Esteban Colberto said:


> Love your hardscape and placement sir. Hits the rule of thirds points perfectly. Looking forward to seeing it grown out. Well done.


Thank you sir ! You may call me Madam , lol . Most of my scape has disappeared into the jungle I'm afraid! A mega pruning is in order soon. More to come....

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## Esteban Colberto (Mar 7, 2017)

Deedledee said:


> Thank you sir ! You may call me Madam , lol . Most of my scape has disappeared into the jungle I'm afraid! A mega pruning is in order soon. More to come....
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk


Laugh sorry well that must be your hired help in the picture up top.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Esteban Colberto said:


> Laugh sorry well that must be your hired help in the picture up top.


Hmmm, I uploaded a picture. Does it not appear? 

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## Esteban Colberto (Mar 7, 2017)

Deedledee said:


> Hmmm, I uploaded a picture. Does it not appear?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk


I was speaking of the one with all the parts in front of the fireplace. If that's you then you've got some short hair.  You don't have an avatar picture that I can see if that's what you mean.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Esteban Colberto said:


> I was speaking of the one with all the parts in front of the fireplace. If that's you then you've got some short hair.  You don't have an avatar picture that I can see if that's what you mean.


Oh ya, that's my husband. I wonder what happened to my avatar ? It shows up on my profile pix, so ?

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## Esteban Colberto (Mar 7, 2017)

Deedledee said:


> Oh ya, that's my husband. I wonder what happened to my avatar ? It shows up on my profile pix, so ?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk


Can you see it here in the stream?


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Esteban Colberto said:


> Can you see it here in the stream?


Nope, just a generic silhouette 🤔


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Esteban Colberto said:


> @Deedledee I highly recommend Aquarium Note if you are running android on your phone. It is a superior app.. no lie. Lovely journaling for sure.


So I just downloaded this app. I like it. May take a while to figure it out, but I like the way it simplifies things 👍

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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Dman911 said:


> Love the title Eh! Looking forward to seeing the progress.
> 
> Dan


November 8th / 2016
Tank has been set up for 31 days. 
This is what's going on:
34 gallon rimless tank - Hagen
Fluval Fresh & Plant full spectrum LED. 7500 K . 66 Par at substrate
Fluval 206 Canister (drilled)

Fluval 88 gm C0c. Running 2bps.
50 % weekly water changes.
Only fertilizers currently are Seachem root tabs & Seachem flourish x 3 weekly.

Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite : 0 ppm
Nitrate : 5 ppm (or less)
PH : 6.8
KH :140 ppm
C02 : 15- 25 ppm

In addition to plants, a few fish have been gradually added. They are 2 pair of dwarf blue rainbows,
6 otocinclus catfish & 2 dwarf frogs.
















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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Looks like you have a great start. Healthy plants and nicely laid out. 

Looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Nice work! Subscribed.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Greggz said:


> Looks like you have a great start. Healthy plants and nicely laid out.
> 
> Looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.
> 
> Nice work! Subscribed.


Thank you ! Trying to post a few pix each day 🐟🦐

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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Deedledee said:


> Thank you ! Trying to post a few pix each day
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk


DEC 7TH / 2016
Aquarium has now been running for 60 days. Since last update 6 Threadfin Rainbows have been added. Also 6 Cherry Shrimp & 6 Royal shrimp and a pair of honey gouramis. 
Over the last couple weeks I've had a couple different algae outbreaks as to be expected because let's be honest here......I am an algae grower 
I ordered a Green Machine 9 watt U.V. sterilizer to see if that will help with the "pea soup " water. My light fixture has a dimmer on It, so going to try to keep it on a lower setting until things settle down. I have also recently added a Hagen powerhead & a bubble wall to aid in water circulation. 
Current water parameters:

Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite : 0 ppm
Nitrate : 10 ppm
PH : 6.8
Temp. : 75
C02 : 15 - 25 ppm (drop checker is lime green )

Ferts: added 12 new root tabs.
Dosing Seachem Flourish 5ml x 3 weekly & 5 ml Seachem Iron × 2 wrekly

R.I.P.
both frogs decided to bail during the night. Hazards of open concept aquarium
















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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Deedledee said:


> DEC 7TH / 2016
> Aquarium has now been running for 60 days. Since last update 6 Threadfin Rainbows have been added. Also 6 Cherry Shrimp & 6 Royal shrimp and a pair of honey gouramis.
> Over the last couple weeks I've had a couple different algae outbreaks as to be expected because let's be honest here......I am an algae grower
> I ordered a Green Machine 9 watt U.V. sterilizer to see if that will help with the "pea soup " water. My light fixture has a dimmer on It, so going to try to keep it on a lower setting until things settle down. I have also recently added a Hagen powerhead & a bubble wall to aid in water circulation.
> ...


JAN 7TH/ 2017

Just passed the 90 day mark, and tank is filling in quite well. Have done a little pruning & added a couple new plants. A small bunch of Limnophila Sessiliflora has rapidly taken over ! It needs the tops trimmed almost daily. The one small cup of Heteranthera has also turned into a bamboo forest. Not sure I'm liking the look though, as it gets leggy looking & the old leaves turn black. Next pruning it will probably be replaced. Over the last 3 months I have had a few different algae issues. The Green Machine UV sterilizer I ordered did a great job at removing the green water. I ran it 24/7 for 2 weeks & then removed it. So far so good! New fish this month are 6 SAE. I was able to purchase some juveniles. Hopefully they will gobble up the bba which has begun over the last week or so. Still trying to strike a balance between high light tank & C02. Looking into switching my Fluval 88 co2 cartridges to a 5 lb tank. Currently the small c02 canisters last approximately 5-7 days at the most, so not cost effective at all !
















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## AVN (Oct 3, 2012)

I am diggin' the overgrown look


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Love the Fluval tank and cabinet. The plants are lovely, especially can appreciate the smaller, up close pics which allows one to see them even better. 

It does seem you may be ahead in the long run with a larger tank style C02. Will happily be following the progress.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Deedledee said:


> JAN 7TH/ 2017
> 
> Just passed the 90 day mark, and tank is filling in quite well. Have done a little pruning & added a couple new plants. A small bunch of Limnophila Sessiliflora has rapidly taken over ! It needs the tops trimmed almost daily. The one small cup of Heteranthera has also turned into a bamboo forest. Not sure I'm liking the look though, as it gets leggy looking & the old leaves turn black. Next pruning it will probably be replaced. Over the last 3 months I have had a few different algae issues. The Green Machine UV sterilizer I ordered did a great job at removing the green water. I ran it 24/7 for 2 weeks & then removed it. So far so good! New fish this month are 6 SAE. I was able to purchase some juveniles. Hopefully they will gobble up the bba which has begun over the last week or so. Still trying to strike a balance between high light tank & C02. Looking into switching my Fluval 88 co2 cartridges to a 5 lb tank. Currently the small c02 canisters last approximately 5-7 days at the most, so not cost effective at all !
> 
> ...


FEB 8TH/ 2017

It's been a rough month for fish ! I have had several jumpers over the last few weeks . I didn't realize how nervous rainbow fish are. At first I didn't know where they went, however one night I came out to the living room and found my cat sitting right under the aquarium. I saw a tiny puddle & several small fish scales on the floor. I asked my cat WTH!, but he wasn't talking. Turns out he is rather fond of sushi ! Going to the local glass shop and having a custom top made. I already ordered some plastic clips that hang on the inside ledge, so I am hoping that will stop the fish loss. I just got a school of 18 Ember Tetras . They are very colorful against all the green foliage.
I am still in the research stage with the 5 or possibly 10 lb C02 canister. Just added up how much I've spent on the 88 gram Fluval c02 cartridges, and it's $220.00 already 😲
Still experimenting with fertilizers, as I'm finding it really hard to keep the Nitrate/ Phosphorus levels where they should be. Currently using liquid ferts (Seachem) but thinking dry is the way to go. Here's how things are looking this month.























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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Yes the Ember Tetras are a nice contrast. Cats are pretty smart like that - eat but don't tell  Fast food for cats.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Deedledee said:


> FEB 8TH/ 2017
> 
> It's been a rough month for fish ! I have had several jumpers over the last few weeks . I didn't realize how nervous rainbow fish are. At first I didn't know where they went, however one night I came out to the living room and found my cat sitting right under the aquarium. I saw a tiny puddle & several small fish scales on the floor. I asked my cat WTH!, but he wasn't talking. Turns out he is rather fond of sushi ! Going to the local glass shop and having a custom top made. I already ordered some plastic clips that hang on the inside ledge, so I am hoping that will stop the fish loss. I just got a school of 18 Ember Tetras . They are very colorful against all the green foliage.
> I am still in the research stage with the 5 or possibly 10 lb C02 canister. Just added up how much I've spent on the 88 gram Fluval c02 cartridges, and it's $220.00 already 😲
> ...


MARCH 15 TH / 2017

Day 153 
Aquarium is looking a little less wild this month. I ended up ripping out all the Heteranthera from the back left corner. It was getting very leggy & was sending off some pretty crazy roots that were about 6 inches long.
So far since day one I have had to deal with some kind of algae. To date, I have battled with bba, staghorn, cladophora, green spot & hair algae!! I did order some Seachem macros, so now this week the N03, K , P are being dosed as per the E.I. recommendations. Finally got the N03 up to an acceptable level, so perhaps that will help with the various algae outbreaks. Good to see I'm living up to my title "algae grower " Seriously though, it has all been quite minimal , and for the most part , easily removed and no actual loss of plant mass. 
I have also added an additional 10 Ember Tetras. Now there are 28 in the school, and they look really cool all swimming together. The SAEs are doing a good job keeping things in check.The cherry shrimp are quite prolific, too many to count! A pair of honey gouramis also add a nice splash of color. 
Here's how things are looking ...























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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Deedledee said:


> MARCH 15 TH / 2017
> 
> Day 153
> Aquarium is looking a little less wild this month. I ended up ripping out all the Heteranthera from the back left corner. It was getting very leggy & was sending off some pretty crazy roots that were about 6 inches long.
> ...


APRIL 15/ 2017

Perhaps one of the worst things that could happen to an aquarium is an extended power outage ! Yesterday we had transformer blow up in my neighborhood. It caused the power to be out for almost 10 hours. Beneficial bacteria starts to die off rapidly when it is no longer oxygenated, so I was really worried that the entire tank was going to crash ! Luckily, the temperature didn't drop dangerously low, but the Ammonia did creep up to .5 by the time the power was restored. I had to do several large water changes for 3 days, and two otocinclus catfish succumbed due to the ordeal. On the fourth day after the outage, thinking that everything was back to normal, but no . What's that I smell ? Ewwww, it's a cyanobacteria outbreak!! The putrid smell is unmistakable. It's like raw sewage ! And if you get it on your fingers, it stinks for ever ! 
So I removed as much as I could. ( peels off in sheets ) again , ewwww!. Another 50 % water change, and it was back with a vengeance the next day. Of all the algaes I've had , this one had to be the nastiest. I ended up ordering some Ultra Life Blue Green Algae Remover, and after 3 treatments, over 3 days or finally disappeared. I added an airstone & a couple more small water pumps to ensure there was a good flow through out the aquarium. You can really see in the pictures below, how quickly BGA can smother plants & substrate! I read a lot of posts about this nasty bacteria ( Not really an algae) and I have to say the treatment I used totally eradicated all the green slime. I definitely give it two thumbs up !
Better days ahead  

* note*
I think the BGA came into the tank on the roots of the Anacharis I planted in the left back of the tank a couple days before the power outage. 
" A perfect storm "






























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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Deedledee said:


> APRIL 15/ 2017
> 
> Perhaps one of the worst things that could happen to an aquarium is an extended power outage ! Yesterday we had transformer blow up in my neighborhood. It caused the power to be out for almost 10 hours. Beneficial bacteria starts to die off rapidly when it is no longer oxygenated, so I was really worried that the entire tank was going to crash ! Luckily, the temperature didn't drop dangerously low, but the Ammonia did creep up to .5 by the time the power was restored. I had to do several large water changes for 3 days, and two otocinclus catfish succumbed due to the ordeal. On the fourth day after the outage, thinking that everything was back to normal, but no . What's that I smell ? Ewwww, it's a cyanobacteria outbreak!! The putrid smell is unmistakable. It's like raw sewage ! And if you get it on your fingers, it stinks for ever !
> So I removed as much as I could. ( peels off in sheets ) again , ewwww!. Another 50 % water change, and it was back with a vengeance the next day. Of all the algaes I've had , this one had to be the nastiest. I ended up ordering some Ultra Life Blue Green Algae Remover, and after 3 treatments, over 3 days or finally disappeared. I added an airstone & a couple more small water pumps to ensure there was a good flow through out the aquarium. You can really see in the pictures below, how quickly BGA can smother plants & substrate! I read a lot of posts about this nasty bacteria ( Not really an algae) and I have to say the treatment I used totally eradicated all the green slime. I definitely give it two thumbs up !
> ...


MAY 15/ 2017

I'm happy to report that everything is back to normal after all the BGA issues I had last month. I can now say that I've had just about every kind of algae on the planet! I certainly did not expect to deal with all of them in the first six months, however it's been quite the learning experience.
I really appreciate all the knowledgeable members on this forum & the resources that are available. One of the most important things I've discovered since starting a planted tank is "know your aquarium parameters "
I'm almost ashamed to admit that when I first set-up this planted tank , I rarely checked anything other that Ammonia, Nitrite & PH. So now that I have become totally obsessed with my aquatic garden , I regularly keep a close eye on everything! My most recent acquisitions are a PH pen, KH/ GH
Fe / & Potassium test kits.
This month I added two Echinodorus Reni & a Hygrophila Siamensis. Did a little thinning out , but still looking like a jungle in there ! Current inhabitants are :
28 Ember Tetras 
3 honey gouramis 
3 Siamese Algae eaters
2 Threadfin Rainbows 
2 Neon blue Rainbows 
20 + Cherry Shrimp 

Here's another look 👀























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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Deedledee said:


> MAY 15/ 2017
> 
> I'm happy to report that everything is back to normal after all the BGA issues I had last month. I can now say that I've had just about every kind of algae on the planet! I certainly did not expect to deal with all of them in the first six months, however it's been quite the learning experience.
> I really appreciate all the knowledgeable members on this forum & the resources that are available. One of the most important things I've discovered since starting a planted tank is "know your aquarium parameters "
> ...



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## Dman911 (Nov 24, 2016)

Looking great!.

Dan


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Dman911 said:


> Looking great!.
> 
> Dan


Thanks Dan. I just tried to embed a youtube video on here, but ended up with a double post of May 15th entry . Good grief :surprise:


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## Dman911 (Nov 24, 2016)

Deedledee said:


> Thanks Dan. I just tried to embed a youtube video on here, but ended up with a double post of May 15th entry . Good grief :surprise:


I have done that a few times when I try to edit a post when using advanced. IDK if thats the same issue you had.

Dan


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Dman911 said:


> I have done that a few times when I try to edit a post when using advanced. IDK if thats the same issue you had.
> 
> Dan


Yes , exactly. I don't know my way around here yet. I'll keep trying until I figure it out .

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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

www.youtube.com/embed/KweHXQqrRPg

This is my aquarium 8 months after set-up
June 15th/ 2017



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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Yay ! It worked . This is a video from about a month ago.

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## Dman911 (Nov 24, 2016)

Nice... Lots of flow there. I don't see it as embedded. Try to edit the post and delete everything before the www. and everything after the series of letters and numbers after the = so including the & symbol and after. 

This before: https:// and this on the end: &feature=youtu.be 

Dan


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Dman911 said:


> Nice... Lots of flow there. I don't see it as embedded. Try to edit the post and delete everything before the www. and everything after the series of letters and numbers after the = so including the & symbol and after.
> 
> This before: https:// and this on the end: &feature=youtu.be
> 
> Dan


I think the issue I'm having is my phone. It's a bit different than uploading on my laptop. I don't find the mobile site user friendly 😒
Thanks for the tips though !

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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Beautiful tank, saw the video!


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

AutumnSky said:


> Beautiful tank, saw the video!


JULY 15TH/2017

It's been an interesting 9 months since starting this planted tank. I have made several changes over the last few months, many due to the inspiration I have attained through this forum & a lot of really beautiful aqua scapes I have seen here.
I remained determined and steadfast through some really annoying aspects of this hobby. Rallied and rejoiced after conquering a nasty algae outbreak, only to have it replaced by yet another heinous variety ! If I tallied up all my receipts, I'm sure I'm around the $3000.00 dollar range, and I'm not done yet ! One of the best purchases I've made so far is this 5 lb aluminum tank with a Taprite/ solenoid regulator. Admittedly, I had little or no knowledge of how C02 works in an aquarium until I joined this group. It's only been about a month now, but what a difference from the Fluval 88 gram cartridges I was using in the beginning!
I think I've figured out the EI dosing schedule, again with many thanks to the members here for so much good advice & numerous links explaining the step by step approach.
Things have really changed over the years since I first tried keeping live plants.So happy to have the internet & a huge community of like minded individuals. I'm pretty happy with my "fish family" To date I currently have 40 Ember Tetras, 3 dwarf honey gouramis, 2 big SAE, 2 Threadfin Rainbows. Several red cherry shrimp , and 3 assassin snails. 
My water parameters are fairly consistent now, especially since starting the EI dosing. I've gone from daily testing, to just once per week on my 50 % water change day.
I'm happy to report that I haven't lost any fish this month, due mainly to the fact that I had a glass shop cut a custom top for the tank. Prior to that , I was losing one or two fish per week ! 
* note to self* Siamese Algae eaters are very jumpy ! So here are a few more recent pictures. The last one is a " now & then " collage. Hard to believe how much it's grown !












































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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Lovely, hard to believe it is the same tank from the bottom pic!


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

AutumnSky said:


> Lovely, hard to believe it is the same tank from the bottom pic!


I know! The only recognizable thing is the stone in the middle ! Everything else was swallowed by plants 😊
I did a big pruning yesterday, and I can see some of the original scape returning from the jungle 😉


AutumnSky said:


> Lovely, hard to believe it is the same tank from the bottom pic!












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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

So this just happened today ! I finally trimmed the mountain of Monte Carlo in the front center. Well actually, it was more like pulling it all out because I tried mowing it down , only to discover that it was all yellow & decaying at the substrate ! So I replanted a bunch of small clumps in the hopes that it will eventually carpet again. Before & after pix below. I'm also happy to report that after 30 days running the new 5 lb c02 tank , the gauge has only moved slightly . It started at 1000 psi on June 29th & today it's at just over 900 psi ! My working pressure is set @ 35 psi & I'm running a steady stream of bubbles . Too fast to count, however my new PH meter tells me I have a full one point drop, so it's all good.
The only issue I'm having this week is some bba growing on the edges of my sword plants, hmmmm. Not sure what is causing that. I was hoping at this point that all my algae woes were behind me, but I am still trying to balance the EI dosing & light duration. Jeepers there is always something !!























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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Nice!


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

In my experience, the gauge does not move much for quite a while.

But when it does start moving and ticking down, it accelerates quite a bit. For me it's once it gets below 700 or so. I know then to keep a close eye on it, as it's getting pretty close to running out.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Greggz said:


> In my experience, the gauge does not move much for quite a while.
> 
> But when it does start moving and ticking down, it accelerates quite a bit. For me it's once it gets below 700 or so. I know then to keep a close eye on it, as it's getting pretty close to running out.


Okay , thanks Greggz. I will keep an eye on it. I'm already liking it a lot more than the tiny 88 gram Fluval c02 cartridges I used for months !

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## vijay_06 (Apr 11, 2017)

Nice set up! I love the clean look and lighter shades (tank seams, stand, background, etc). A couple of questions:
1. Do you run all the lights on your LED during day time? I have 2 of these fluvals connected to a fluval wifi controller. I run the blue/night lights only at 1% intensity during day time. 
2. Is the white background paint or some kind of film?
Thanks!


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Hello Vijay,
Thank you ! I have my lights on from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm . I seldom have the lights on full power, as it promotes too much algae. I run them about 60 %. There is no background on the tank, the walls are a painted a light grey. 
You're welcome [emoji4]

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## vijay_06 (Apr 11, 2017)

Deedledee said:


> Hello Vijay,
> Thank you ! I have my lights on from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm . I seldom have the lights on full power, as it promotes too much algae. I run them about 60 %. There is no background on the tank, the walls are a painted a light grey.
> You're welcome [emoji4]
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk


Thank you!


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Aug 29 TH update

So I've made a few changes since last month. Still doing the E.I. dosing, but switched to Thrive liquid fertilizer. Currently using the recommended 3 doses per week. Had some BBA last month, however it seems to be under control now. The " flavor of the week " is Cladophora. I don't actually mind it because it's growing on a piece of Mopani wood & it kinda looks like a moss. My sae really seems to like it, so I'm not in a hurry to get rid of it. A few days ago I added a second LED light fixture. I researched a lot on this forum & found Beamswork is a popular choice among many members, so I added one to the Fluval Fresh & Plant 2.0. I don't have a PAR meter, but I estimate or to be close to 100 at the substrate now since I lowered the fixture, so now it's sitting on the frame. It took a few weeks , but I finally got the C02 distribution figured out& my plants are pearling again ! I discovered that the fine mist created by the ceramic diffuser really needs to be fine tuned so the C02 is evenly spread throughout the aquarium. 
Haven't added any new fish this month, as it is pretty busy with 40 Ember Tetras, 3 honey gouramis, 2 apistogrammas, 2 sae, 2 otocinclus & several cherry shrimp.























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## Chizpa305 (Feb 13, 2011)

Very sexy tank. There's a lot of different plants, but still doesn't look disorganized and chaotic. I think a few (maybe three) angelfish would look nice there.


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## freshestemo412 (Aug 19, 2016)

You have / had the same issue I had. When I was EI dosing, I also had BBA and algae show up. I adjusted measurements, watched the plants, raised light and intensity (with that light its kind of hard to do with the touch button) to no avail and the algae still was popping up.

Recently since I started up my 12 long, I have only used Thrive and theres no algae what so ever. My Current light is right on the rim of my tank, and has been that way since day 1...


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Chizpa305 said:


> Very sexy tank. There's a lot of different plants, but still doesn't look disorganized and chaotic. I think a few (maybe three) angelfish would look nice there.


Thanks ! I was going for sexy [emoji6]
I do love angels, but probably going to add more apistogrammas soon.

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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

BBA is all gone, it's the clado that's going strong this week 🤤

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## dee.taylor (Jul 8, 2017)

It's been almost a year since I've posted any updates ! Travelling a lot for the last 6 months, so not doing the maintenance I should. Neglect seems to have worked in my favour ? Here are things after a big pruning. Really trying to get back into a regular water change routine also !
















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## SKYE.__.HIGH (Mar 18, 2017)

Looks very nice [emoji106]


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

SKYE.__.HIGH said:


> Looks very nice [emoji106]


Thanks ! It has been so long since I posted something on Tapatalk that my user name has been forgotten & I'm back to being a newbie


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## Grobbins48 (Oct 16, 2017)

If that is what neglect will get you, then I need to start on that routine! Looks great!

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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

Re read the whole journal and it seems like an interesting journey ! ughh I feel you, algae always makes a come back. But I like the challenge of trying to keep it under control

Random question, is the top inch of your tank frosted? looks nice, that way you don't always need to have the tank filled to the top


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## dee.taylor (Jul 8, 2017)

monkeyruler90 said:


> Re read the whole journal and it seems like an interesting journey ! ughh I feel you, algae always makes a come back. But I like the challenge of trying to keep it under control
> 
> Random question, is the top inch of your tank frosted? looks nice, that way you don't always need to have the tank filled to the top


Thanks, it's been quite challenging at times. This is the first time in almost 2 years, that I have zero algae. Like I said, the less I fiddle with things, the better it gets. I still only keep lights on for 4 hours a day & I use Thrive , 3 squirts every 2 days. Yes, the top & bottom 1.5 " is frosted glass. [emoji4]

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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

I'm back ! I have been away for well over a year. Had to contact admin to restart my account. Things have changed a lot since my last post in 2018 ! I am hoping to purchase a Fluval Flex 32.5 gallon soon. My current set-up ,as pretty as it can be at times it has caused dozens of fish to bail out & this particular aquarium line has been discontinued by Fluval ! Better days ahead


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## TheUnseenHand (May 14, 2017)

Who doesn't like a good comeback story? I envy your ability to keep your AR mini so mini


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

TheUnseenHand said:


> Who doesn't like a good comeback story? I envy your ability to keep your AR mini so mini


I am going to try and post more frequently ! I scrapped my plan to purchase another aquarium though. I have put so much money/time into this aquarium, so the alternative was a total tear down, which I just did a couple days ago. Replaced all substrate, gravel, and plants ! Here we go again :fish:


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

I don't do New Year's resolutions, however it has been 3 & a half years since I began this tank journal, I decided to do a total tear down & start fresh. A couple days ago I pulled out all my old plants, and about 50 lbs of black fluorite gravel. Why you ask ? I was ready for a change, and decided I wanted to go with a more neutral look, so I went the my lfs and bought the Tropica substrate and 40 lbs of Marina river rock gravel. I repurposed a couple pieces of my original Mopani wood, and kept all the seiryu stone. I bought all new Tropica plants ,and starting from scratch is a good thing ! In the back I planted Pogostemon stellata, left back corner I planted Rotala wallichii, right mid foreground Pogostemon erectus. In the foreground left is Pogostemon helferi. I put 2 clumps of Bucephalandra sp. red on the mopania, and seiryu stone. one small echinodorus Reni is the only survivor from the previous set up. I run my C02 at 3 bubbles/second, and lights are on a 50% daylight, with only 5% actinic blue. I am also trying the different sunrise/sunset options that the new Fluval 3.0 offers. So here we go again !


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

New Fluval 3.0 is a lot of fun to play with. All the recent additions are really taking off already! It is quite remarkable. I currently have a small number of fish, however will be adding another dozen Harlequin rasboras and some cherry shrimp. I had planned on trying some rainbows, but they are not too compatible with the open concept. More later...


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Holy cow ! Getting incredible growth from the new Tropica tissue cultures !! Tomorrow will be 7 days since I installed Fluval 3.0 light & planted Pogostemon stellata (back center) Rotala wallichii (back left) Pogostemon erectus (right front) 
Did a 50% water change today. Nitrates are 20 ppm after change. PH is 6.6. KH is 50ppm.GH is 100ppm(adding a couple API water softener pillows) No visible signs of any algae yet. Have been experimenting with different light parameters, and keeping the actinic dialed right down to 2 %. There's a lot to learn when it comes to planted aquariums! Thanks again to all of you for your wisdom, and most excellent tips !!


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Rotala wallichii update
After rehoming my unruly sae, I have seen a significant improvement in my rotala. Apparently SAE like to nibble the delicate red tips off this plant. Since he has been gone, the plant has rebounded & really starting to get some nice color. I am pretty happy about that since it has been less than two weeks since I introduced all new plants! Also the Pogostemon Stellata has been trimmed already & tops replanted ! More updates later! Exciting new Manzanita branches arriving soon.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Manzanita branches arrived today ! Yippie ! Ordered from Manzanita-Driftwood.com in California. Really nice quality wood. Now I just need to soak it for a while before it goes in the tank. I got 3 different pieces, the largest is 24 inches long, so it looks like it will be fun to work with. More later...….


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Feb 2020 update
Out with the old & in with the new ! I never liked my Fluval Fresh aquarium cabinet, Hagen installed the door hinges backwards, so the two sides never mstched up properly. My ocd could not handle the grievous error,so this week I painted the doors & I gotta say I'm liking it much better ! Also , it's been 3 weeks since I did the tank tear down & started with all new plants. Here's the before & after. Still waiting to put in new Manzanita driftwood, should be ready next week.All the new plants are thriving, and have needed to prune frequently!


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Manzanita wood is in ! Well sort of, am still soaking it, as it isn't quite waterlogged yet. Have been playing with a few different layouts ,so that's to be decided in a few days. My fish ,12 Harlequin rasboras & 9 Celestial danios don't know what to think & are just hanging off to the side. Hopefully in time they will like it as much as I do ! Aquascaping is fun ! Lots of possibilities 🤔


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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

That is very nice!


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Streetwise said:


> That is very nice!


Thanks ! I am really not 100 % lovin it, so I will probably keep moving it around until I get it right ! I screwed up by adding the wood after planting. Lesson learned !!


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

*Covid quarantine update*
I've been spending a lot of time doing "routine maintenance " ha! I seriously think I probably spend about an hour or more a day since the lockdown started. At the beginning of Feb, I did a total tear down & new substrate.Then a few weeks later I went on a holiday to Nicaragua. Little did I know then, that the entire world would erupt into chaos & I had to go into self quarantine upon returning to Canada. My hubby tried to keep my tank running smoothly, but it was a hot mess when I returned, almost a month after I had left it. When I got home I discovered almost every type of algae !! Have been home just over a month now, and finally starting to regain control. A wee bit of hair algae remains, but the bba & clado is gone. *phew* Better days ahead 🐟


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Change is good ! I've been spending a lot of time indoors, as most people all over the world, so naturally I have spent most of my time tinkering with my aquariums. I started lockdown with just my original Dutchagumi setup, but with so much time on my hands I purchased a 15 gallon Fluval Flex, and resurrected my flex spec, originally as a quarantine tank, but now home to three adorable pea puffers. 
Things are kinda evolving in the 34 gallon. I am moving away from the hard scape & trying more plants, not a Dutch theme by any stretch, more sort of Wabi-Sabi. So here's how things are looking this week.


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## belka085 (May 10, 2020)

Loving the new 'quarantine' overgrown look! haha. The new 15g is looking beautiful as well, I've always wanted a tank solely for pea puffers... One day I'll convince the hubby. Keep up with the wonderful updates.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

belka085 said:


> Loving the new 'quarantine' overgrown look! haha. The new 15g is looking beautiful as well, I've always wanted a tank solely for pea puffers... One day I'll convince the hubby. Keep up with the wonderful updates.


Thanks so much for the encouragement ! I used to post here pretty often, but I kinda drifted away. It's good to be back !! I must say though, pea puffers are feisty little dudes ! They are constantly picking a fight, so because I loves them, might need to buy them a bigger home :wink2:


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Total tank wipe out !!
I have been active in this hobby for over 40 years,but yesterday something catastrophic happened in my 34 gallon aquarium. I am just beside myself, and feeling totally responsible for the death of most of my fish. It started out normally,after soaking my purigen in a bleach solution overnight, rinsing really well & soaking in a bucket of clean water/ prime. Did the sniff test, all good, no bleach smell. Replaced the purigen back in the canister filter & got on with the rest of the day. Then after a few hours I noticed my dwarf rainbows kinda hanging at the surface. I thought that was odd,as I haven't increased the c02 for ages. I decided to shut it off, just to be safe. All my fish appeared normal at the end of day,so when lights went off after dinner I thought nothing more of it. Then this morning when I approached the tank, the gang usually greet me looking for their breakfast, imagine my horror when I saw nothing but dead floating fish ! I spotted a couple of Harlequin rasboras& my 2 panda garras, and my 4 year old oto were still alive, so I sprang into action & began a 75 % water change. Checked ammonia, PH, nitrite, all normal, what the hell ? Then I jumped on Google to see if I could find a reasonable explanation. After about an hour I found a link about recharging purigen, which I have done for years with no problem, however the other day I used a new bottle of bleach and much to my surprise, it was different! Apparently I purchased the "splash proof " bleach, which I just discovered, has surfactants in it !! Oh crap, too late. So note to self READ THE LABEL!!
It's been a few hour after large water change & put in a new activated carbon, so fingers crossed, hope my survivors are going to pull through.
Ps, I feel just awful about this.😥


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Deedledee said:


> Apparently I purchased the "splash proof " bleach, which I just discovered, has surfactants in it !! Oh crap, too late. So note to self READ THE LABEL!!


Wow very sorry to hear this. I have had a few "incidents" over the years and it's always heart breaking to lose livestock.

I bet other folks have had the same experience using "Splash Proof" bleach. I hope others read this and it saves them the agony. You might even want to start a separate thread about it.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Thanks Greggz,
I am still crying over the loss, it's just heartbreaking . Yes, I may start a new thread about the dangers of certain bleach products !


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Order has been restored ! After the carnage, did another large water change & put a big bag of fresh carbon in the canister filter. Everything seems to have settled down now * phew * won't be doing that again anytime soon. I think I will just replace the Purigen with a new bag every month from now on !! Valuable lesson learned. Here's how things are looking this weekend .


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Labor Day update 🐟
Replaced black background with a fresh frosted white !


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