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Tom's Do!aqua20

Here's how it is this morning. It's not amazing as all the bad growth is still there - particularly the stems. But at least the new stuff is pretty good. Might be time to actually make a scape soon!

IMG_1136.jpg
 
Ahh nice one Tom, looks really good mate.

That hydrocyedhduejhdk japan stuff looks sexy teamed with a mossy carpet! That dark area infront of the stems on the left , next to the H.japan is crying out for a little rock haha

DO IT!!! :D
 
It's only sibthorpioides I'm afraid, not sp. Japan :/ But yeah, it does look great when it gets going. I won't be scaping this one really for the time being, it's still a tester tank and I'm just seeing what grows. It's all starting to grow well now though anyway, so it just needs to increase in mass so I can lay it out properly. I'm thinking of having a center mound (dead center) with a feature Crypt/A. madagascariensis/Nymphaea sp. on top. Then around that would be Hairgrass and the odd bit of Hydrocotyle, sloping down to a mossy foreground on either 2 or 3 sides. The question then, is what moss. I have just added some Xmas Moss on a mesh that's been sitting emersed for a few weeks. Will see how it does. Might even mix it with Spiky, but who knows....
 
Right, I gave in today and decided to make a little scape for a month or so, before I do something properly with it. I was only going to replace the stems with nice cuttings, but in the end ripped the whole lot out. Had some petrified wood lying around, so I thought I'd use that. Cleaned out all the sand which was filthy, and added a little bit more at the back. The moss stones then got a trim, and some more stones were tied from the trimmings. Hopefully in the next few weeks it will grow in. The stems have been a bit slow so far though.

IMG_1149.jpg
 
It doesn't look quite a flat as that picture in person, and when the stems grow it should have a nice shape to it!

From today, I'm going to stick to the dosing of:
0.2ml AE Aquacarbon (was previously dosing 1-1.5ml as I was getting algae, but I'm now wondering if that huge amount was what was causing the algae in the first place!)
1 squirt Spezial N
1 squirt Flowgrow Mikros
0.45ppm PO4
Some MgSO4 (can't remember the ppm I worked out, but I know it's 1ml!!)
 
Re: Tom's Do!aqua20 - Re-scape

Like it mate,

Looks decent already, can imagine looking really good once the stems get going,

Cheers
 
Re: Tom's Do!aqua20 - Re-scape

Thanks - I would have liked to have some Staurogyne in there. I have some in the Mini M, but like most things there it isn't really suitable any more! A tad browner than I'd like. I've got a bit of Xmas moss John Starkey sent me a while back. Some of it is still emersed on a grid so I could add some more around the rocks and see it it takes. There is a bit in there already, but until it grows I couldn't tell you which is which!

I'm thinking I might try some AS Malaya for the proper scape, then carry on with the current ferts. That way, it can only be an improvement for the roots. Could do with an Assassin snail too at the moment.

Tom
 
Re: Tom's Do!aqua20 - Re-scape

Like this Tom - reminds me of those South American plateau mountains (they have a name that i can't remember!) which i;ve thougth for a while would make a great 'scape. Just got some 1-2-Grow Staurogyne and i can't believe how much you get! For a fiver it might be worth a go...
Cheers
Matt
 
Re: Tom's Do!aqua20 - Re-scape

Just got back from Kesgrave Tropicals with some Amano shrimp and an assassin snail. Only one shrimp is going in here, and the rest are in the Mini M. He looks a bit shocked at the moment, but hopefully will perk up. The Mini M ones have got right to work.

I bought an Aquafleur Anubias too for £2.50 on impulse. Not a clue what to do with it. It's now sitting in the emersed 10 liter.
 
Re: Tom's Do!aqua20 - Re-scape

I like the re-scape, Tom. Lovely rock work.

I'd be interested to see how your assassin snail gets on. I assume you have pest snail issues. I bought 7 for my 60 litre and they didn't touch them. It was only when I removed them religiously every day and stopped feeding the fish for a while that helped.

Have you used Aqua Soil Malaya before? I've read reports that it can cause cloudy water due to it's structure.
 
Re: Tom's Do!aqua20 - Re-scape

Thanks George. Hopefully if it all fills out it will make a nice island. Nothing spectacular, but nice for the desk :)
Yeah I have quite a lot of pond-snail type ones. I'll keep an eye on the Assassin and see if I can see him eating anything. He's just been buzzing around since I put him in. The Amano has perked up and is hard at work on the moss. The new ones in the Mini M are also much bolder, more active and hungry than the remaining 2 from before. I've put the Anubias in here too at the back right inside the stone "island", and had a shuffle round with some moss stones that were there before.

I used Malaya for "At Forest's Gate" and the following successful tanks I entered to AGA the year you judged them - maybe 2008? It did crumble to dust after the 71 ish days the tank was running and it did cloud easier than the Amazonia I have now, but I didn't find it a problem. I just siphoned off the dust whenever I moved something.

Tom
 
Re: Tom's Do!aqua20 - Re-scape

Honestly can't remember. I took them out of a school tank I maintain as they were growing wild. All I can remember is I bought a boxfull from AquaDip a couple of years ago. I would guess at Wendtii brown. I know I got a brown batch and a green batch.
 
Re: Tom's Do!aqua20 - Re-scape

I'm just sitting here watching my shrimp at the moment - it's doing a cracking job already (in the dark!) It's currently blowing about all over the place on a crypt leaf eating some tiny bits of BBA :D The Assassin has run over quite a few little snails, but not eaten anything yet as far as I can see.

These are the best batch of shrimp I've ever had activity-wise. Will probably get another 5 soon to spread between the two tanks
 
Re: Tom's Do!aqua20 - Re-scape

Hi Tom,i like the rescape,interestingly the vision i get with the way the rock,s sit,if you had a red plant in there it would look a volcano erupting :thumbup: ,nice little tank mate,

What have you got planned next ?

john.
 
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