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Windswept Eternity

I'm not seeking sympathy, but merely writing this as an entry in to the journal as a reminder of my own oafishness...

Today the bucket I was using to refill the tank after yet another 50-60% water change slipped and dumped a huge amount of water in to the tank in one go.
I was left with a moon sized crater in the Amazonia and a very cloudy tank swimming with mud and plants...
It took me two and a half hours to drain the tank remove the plants again, sculpt the substrate, replant and refill...carefully this time...and then clean up. The HC is now beginning to look the worse for wear and if it survives it'll be a miracle.

On the plus side the disaster afforded me the opportunity to reposition the mini hairgrass, and sort the Rotala bonsai out, it'd rotted from the roots up but the new leaves at the top were healthy. I uprooted them and replanted the healthy shoots.
 
If you'd made the offer just after it happened I'd probably have taken it, but it's all fine now...maybe next time:rolleyes:
 
Troi said:
I'm not seeking sympathy, but merely writing this as an entry in to the journal as a reminder of my own oafishness...

Today the bucket I was using to refill the tank after yet another 50-60% water change slipped and dumped a huge amount of water in to the tank in one go.
I was left with a moon sized crater in the Amazonia and a very cloudy tank swimming with mud and plants...
It took me two and a half hours to drain the tank remove the plants again, sculpt the substrate, replant and refill...carefully this time...and then clean up. The HC is now beginning to look the worse for wear and if it survives it'll be a miracle.

On the plus side the disaster afforded me the opportunity to reposition the mini hairgrass, and sort the Rotala bonsai out, it'd rotted from the roots up but the new leaves at the top were healthy. I uprooted them and replanted the healthy shoots.
Click to expand...

Ouch!
 
Troi said:
Today the bucket I was using to refill the tank after yet another 50-60% water change slipped and dumped a huge amount of water in to the tank in one go.
Click to expand...
Make one of these up bud!
Just lay a piece of unstained plank of wood over the length or width of the tank then place on top open the tap!
You can always add a piece of hose to the tap for less disturbance of the substrate.

P1030654 (Mobile).JPG


P1030655 (Mobile).JPG

hoggie
 
Troi said:
t took me two and a half hours to drain the tank remove the plants again, sculpt the substrate, replant and refill
Click to expand...
that's awesome time management in my book - I can wile away 2 hours just thinking about the task :oops: o_O

I really appreciate that you post all the (gory) details - it makes the journal so much fun ... errrrr .... I mean interesting :D


Troi said:
it'd rotted from the roots up but the new leaves at the top were healthy.
Click to expand...
It's odd that way, sometimes seems to happen to every stem, other times hardly at all - & once established, it's very enduring (I like to challenge my plants commitment to life :rolleyes: )


I use the Python to refill the tank - have made several unplanned substrate re-sculpts :mad:
 
I admire your perseverance, I'm sure it will be rewarded. As a testament of my own oafishness - I paid full price for 5 of those Buces off Ebay, didn't even consider making an offer :sour:
 
AnhBui said:
Ouch!
Click to expand...
I can't write what I actually said:eek:...but Ouch kinda sums it up:rolleyes:

hogan53 said:
Make one of these up bud!
Just lay a piece of unstained plank of wood over the length or width of the tank then place on top open the tap!
You can always add a piece of hose to the tap for less disturbance of the substrate.

View attachment 85424

View attachment 85423
hoggie
Click to expand...
Awesome idea hoggie, definitley worth following up on;)
Knowing my luck though it'll get nudged off and break my tank and turn my study in to a quagmire:(

alto said:
that's awesome time management in my book - I can wile away 2 hours just thinking about the task :oops: o_O

I really appreciate that you post all the (gory) details - it makes the journal so much fun ... errrrr .... I mean interesting :D



It's odd that way, sometimes seems to happen to every stem, other times hardly at all - & once established, it's very enduring (I like to challenge my plants commitment to life :rolleyes: )



I use the Python to refill the tank - have made several unplanned substrate re-sculpts :mad:
Click to expand...
Haha, thanks alto...that's the idea warts an' all...I'm glad to be of service:p

BexHaystack said:
I admire your perseverance, I'm sure it will be rewarded. As a testament of my own oafishness - I paid full price for 5 of those Buces off Ebay, didn't even consider making an offer :sour:
Click to expand...
Thanks, and...if you're like me haggling doesn't come naturally, it takes practice and perseverance to get over the good old English reserve;)

ldcgroomer said:
I use a pump to refill my tanks. No dribbles, slips or knackered back!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
You're gona need a big pump for that new tank of yours...that's for sure:)
 
I thought of you today as I was mopping up the mess I created while removing the eheim from under the big tank. Was disconnecting all the double taps and forgot to close the last one. A couple of litres emptied before I got it closed doh!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 
ldcgroomer said:
I thought of you today as I was mopping up the mess I created while removing the eheim from under the big tank. Was disconnecting all the double taps and forgot to close the last one. A couple of litres emptied before I got it closed doh!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Thanks Lindy, nice to know I've become a byword for disaster:p
 
Thanks Roy...
That must have been a heart stopping moment.
If you're like me you've probably had more than your fair share of near misses, it's not till Pete Tong pays you multiple visits that you begin to reflect on the fact.
 
I'm getting more and more font of the use and convenience of a sump filter.. Since the tank is drained with overflow syphons the water level in the tank never fluctuates, it's te level in the sump bellow the tank which changes.. So when water evaporates, the water level in the sump lowers but not in the tank. Have a marker on the sump to monitor the water level. Even use the sump for refilling after a water change, it has a adjustable pump, so i fill the sump and adjust the pump to filling speed of the sump. the water is pumped to te tank. In my case i hang a hose in the sump connected to the tap. So i can adjust filling speed and draining speed to be equal. But if i would use a bucket, the sump is bellow the tank, so a bucket on a stool will always be higher than the sump and could syphon it in.

I never used a sump before this is my first one. And im realy thinking why i never did.. They are so easy and cheap to make and so much more easier to maintain and filter so much more sufficient..

I can only say to everybody having a a cabinet bellow their tank, you realy should consider the use of a sump.. Size aint realy an issue, they can be made in all kinds of dimensions.. I used a little tank 1/4 of the main 110liter tank capacity.. So its a 25 liter tank/filter only holding about 12 liters of water. And it's actualy oversized.. But again another convenience, i did put a light above it and grow plants in the extra space.

Anyway i can go on and on about sump bennefits and conveniences.. Just saying i could sump up a few more.. :) :thumbup:
 
Tim i can only say.. :) Since it works partialy with laws of nature it probably wont function straight ot of the box.. Once you know how to tweak them into functioning properly you wont regret having one. Reading your water ballet post, i thought another reason of having one and i'm realy happy i have, no more lifting buckets higher than the sump. ;) The benefits keep adding up.
 
I am slightly regretting getting rid of the sump on the big tank...

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Nothing's ever simple, and this scape has taught me that over and over again:rolleyes:

After boasting that my stauro was growing like the clappers, it just up and melted on me...along with the R. bonsai and one of my buces...:(

...And then I came back from a long weekend away to a tank overridden with various kinds of algae...:grumpy:
I've a sneaking suspicion that it was introduced via the mosses taken from my low-energy...again after confidently thinking the algae would soon die in my high-energy tank.

Just when you think you've got this planted tank malarkey figured...it throws you another curve ball:arghh:

I've spent most of the day manually removing as much algae as I can, and on a minor rescape; adding more little rocks to the shady parts where the plants had been struggling.

I've also lowered light intensity, cleaned the filter, and given the tank a 100% water change...I guess I'll also be over dosing LC for a couple of weeks too.

Next I need to stabilise my CO2 at a level that's OK for critters...it's never been great...and get a clean up crew in there.

Warts 'n' all pics.
The rot setting in...
27220512715_6f2e8580ef.jpg
Algae outbreak...
26613603314_b6f5069359.jpg
 
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