• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

From hell to heaven - I hope! (28L)

Lairewen

Lairewen

Member
Joined
31 Aug 2010
Messages
41
Location
Bracknell, Berkshire
Thought I'd post here, both for my own information and to update all the people who've been so helpful to me!

My 28L has been running as 'planted' for well ocer a year, but it's never really been successful. Occupants currently are one male betta, two otos and a lone amano shrimp.

This was the tank when I first joined the forum a few weeks ago. Full of algae, half dead plants and generally quite a mess!

SDC15459.jpg


After some heavy maintinance:

20100910_004.jpg


After a week or two with easycarbo and API leaf zone:

20100926_001.jpg


It was growing, but the plants were starting to get spindly, so last night I went in and did some pruning and rearranging. All the tall plants were moved to the back and even though it looks a bit bare at the moment, I think it will be worth it in end.

20101006_020.jpg


My dry ferts arrived today, so I'll be using that as of tomorrow, once I've done a water change. It's a dry version of TPN+, so should be just what the plants need. Hopefully I can add more plants before too long.
 
Hi,

This is the kind of thread that newcomers to this forum and indeed the hobby can gain faith from.
It's obvious your tank is not yet perfect and full, but what is there looks healthy and with new plans has potential for future growth. Excellent!
Your plant positioning is better and once you've seen some growth I'm sure you'll see what's needed and have ideas of new planting to compliment what you have already.
I'd have to put a nice small piece of wood with maybe a small anubias or java attached in that open area somewhere. But best of luck going forward. I think it's lovely to see folk happy with such improvements and I know how you feel. Suddenly there's light at the end of the tunnel and you're able to feel happy with the tank that's caused you considerable stress fairly recently.
Cheers :)

Gavin
 
Lisa - thank you! I certainly hope so!

Gavin - Thank you for the lovely comment. If my troubles can indeed help someone else, then it's definitely worth it. There is still a long way to go, I agree, but at least I'm going forwards not backwards now! :p

I don't have a natural eye for aquascaping, so any advise is welcomed. As regards to wood, I can't decide if I should leave that small bit in or not. It's a bit - flat. I could prop it up with a rock or two perhaps. I love mopani wood, but the cost of it is scary!
 
You can get shards of bogwood from most lfs for next to nothing, about £5 would get you more than enough shards for this tank.
 
Hi there,glad to see your nano is doing better after the clean up,to be frank tank husbandry is 99% the main thing to do for a successful planted tank,as your nano is so small it should be a 10 minute job to keep it clean,and a weekly water should only add 5 minutes,the better its looked after the better it will look,i know being a mum is a very time consuming job,i notice you still have some algae on the front glass,a bit of filter wool will rub that off :thumbup: , all the best,
john.
 
hi, do you have a Range store near you? i had a look in the pets section in there and you can get pieces of mopani for a few quid. :D
 
Id look for a really small piece that had 3 or 4 branches coming off it, and place it in there with a few nice round pebbles. It really is just about playing with positioning of things and deciding for yourself. At the end of the day it's your eye it needs to be pleasing to, remember :)
Round pebbles are many places for Free and if you know of anyone with piles of cut dead trees, especially small fruit trees, you'd be able to cut a small branch or two away for free too. Try finding pieces that are dried out, but either way, small pieces are easy to boil he'll out of to prepare for the tank. For a tank this size, cost of decor should be absolutely minimal.
I'm viewing your pics on my IPhone and didn't even notice that wood you have laying down in there. Find a piece that clashes with the substrate better :)
Best of luck, and enjoy the aquascaping.
Cheers
 
I think one key aspect that will help is sense of scale. Small tanks require small leaved plants to help it look bigger. Your plants are quite big leaved.

I haven't ever got the aquascaping thing down tbh. I expert in tanks I don't have to do much to lol. Currently only got one marine tank :thumbsup
 
Thanks all. I'm working on a better maintinance schedule - it's fitting it in after the little one is in bed and not on work nights! (I could do it when I get back, but I'm worried I won't have got all the grease and rubbish off my hands.) But I think it's going to work... I'll make it!

I did consider native wood, but I wasn't sure if it was safe. Are there any kinds I need to avoid? Clearly the bogwood isn't making an impact if it's blending into the substrate! ;)

Never heard of the Range stores, but I'm going to the festival of fishkeeping on sunday, so will hopefully snag a bargain or two.
 
Hi all,
Lairewen you don't have to buy your wood, you can use a lot of dead wood you can find in the countryside. Autumn is a really good time for "dead wood" hunting, as soon as we have some strong wind go out to your nearest park, country park, wood, NT property etc. and look out for dead bits that have been blown out of the trees. Oaks are really good for this as they often have a lot of dead wood in them and it is long lasting in the tank. The advantage of dead wood from the trees (rather than fallen wood that had lain on the floor) is that the heart wood doesn't tend to decay very much on the tree (too bright and dry), and can be soaked and put straight in the tank.

These are the trees to look out for:
sep_2001_1.jpe


Another possibility are Beech twigs, as soon as the leaves have fallen (or only the dead leaves remain on the twigs) you can cut these and use them with the bark on, they will eventually decay but they are good for several months.

Here is a tank set-up (from PFK) by our very own George Farmer. <http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=66>

cheers Darrel
 
That's a great tip Darrel :)
You'll have us all running about fields and forests right after the next high winds. Hope it blows like hell real soon lol
 
Native wood should be very easy to get, this is the view from my front door!

SDC15684.jpg


There are lots of oak trees here and I'll keep my eye out for good bits once it starts to get windy. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top