Dan's 200 litre Journal

[livewire]

Hello everyone, I have decided to start a journal to guide me through the overhaul to my Fluval Roma 200. I am going to need plenty of help and advice because I have mastered the art of growing plants but need to learn how to create a half decent aquascape.

The equipment I will be using is as follows;

Tank; 200Litres 100 x 40 x 55 cm
Lighting; 2 x 39w T5 Plant Pro (if higher light is required I can add 2 x 30w T8)
Filtration; 2 Tetra Tech EX1200's, and a Hydor Korila Nano 900lph Powerhead
Heater; Hydor 300W inline heater
Substrate; Eco Complete Fine
Co2; 5KG FE, Inline Diffuser.
Ferts; Mixed from dry salts using James Planted Tank All In One DIY TPN+ (3) mix Daily Dose of 9ml

Liquid CO2; Daily dose of 4ml
Water change routine; 50% per week
Hardscape; Landscape rock and wood.

Plant list; here is what I have at the moment and can utilize any in the new scape
Trident Java Fern (lots of this)
Cryptocoryne Balansae
Cryptocoryne Crispatula
Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Sagittaria Subulata
Staurogyne Repens
Echinodorus Red Diamond
Anubias Barteri Coffeefolia
Fissidens Fontanus (lots of this)
Monosolenium Tenerum
Xmas Moss (lots of this)
Java Moss (lots of this)
I have no problems with buying more plants.

After being in the hobby for around 18 months my tank looked like this;

The tank will be fully torn down and the plain substrate will be replace with 3 bags of Eco-Complete (Fine)

Here is the wood that will be going in;

I am looking for advice on what plants I should use and where they should be placed ect; I would like to use as much from the plant list as possible but am happy to go and buy more plants.

My first thought is to place this wood on the second third of the tank on a raised hill of substrate and plant around it. I have a couple of weeks before the transformation starts so I want to get a plan sorted.

Please can people offer advice and ideals?

 

[NanoJames]

Considering the fact that you aren't far off 0.5 watts per litre I think lots of plants are possible. You might struggle with the small carpeting plants like HC and Glosso but I don't have experience with these so I'm not too sure. I think most plant species would be OK in this set-up.

 

[greenink]

I'd advise getting together lots of images of crypt / moss / wood tanks, seeing what you like and 'copying' loosely from your favourite, to see how it works. Then being more original with subsequent tanks... But that's just me.

Would also consider taking a saw to that redmoor - is very tight and most great wood scrapes have 'artificial' wood made up of lots of smaller pieces siliconed or tied together. Finding the 'perfect' bit of wood is harder than making it!

Great plant health though.

 

[jack-rythm]

I think if you saw that beautiful bit of wood up, a few months down the line at some point you will regret it

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Iain Sutherland]

looks like a nice piece of wood, will be interesting to see how you plant up.
if you havent bought the eco complete yet then id suggest considering some others, its quite shiny which can look unnatural and also sharp so bottom feeders dont like it much.

 

[stu_]

Interesting wood mate, where'd you get that from ?
Please don't tell me it was AquaJ yesterday.

 

[livewire]

I'd advise getting together lots of images of crypt / moss / wood tanks, seeing what you like and 'copying' loosely from your favourite, to see how it works. Then being more original with subsequent tanks... But that's just me.

Would also consider taking a saw to that redmoor - is very tight and most great wood scrapes have 'artificial' wood made up of lots of smaller pieces siliconed or tied together. Finding the 'perfect' bit of wood is harder than making it!

Great plant health though.

Thanks for the advice, I already have the plants that I have listed so just need ideals of where to place them all.
After looking at the redmoor for a few hours I am going to remove a lot of the thinner branches so it will be a lot different when it goes in the tank.

I think if you saw that beautiful bit of wood up, a few months down the line at some point you will regret it

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

It wont be changing much, I will just thin it out a little by removing a lot of the skinny branches.

looks like a nice piece of wood, will be interesting to see how you plant up.
if you havent bought the eco complete yet then id suggest considering some others, its quite shiny which can look unnatural and also sharp so bottom feeders dont like it much.

Hello, I am going for the Fine version of the Eco-complete which by the looks of it should be fine. The reason I didnt go ADA AS is I am already stocked so cant mess around with the ammonia spike. Here is a picture of the fine Eco-Complete. I already have the original Eco-Complete in my Arc60 which is a lot bigger and sharpish.

Interesting wood mate, where'd you get that from ?
Please don't tell me it was AquaJ yesterday.

I am afraid it was, don't say you were going to buy it!! if you were I am sorry.

 

[stu_]

It's my own fault for putting it down.
Actually i saw a good point on it to split into two.
We should wear little UKAPS name badges, i'd have said hello.

 

[livewire]

Lol this is 2 pieces tied together. Did you see me pick it up?

 

[stu_]

Ahh. i was thinking about the smaller piece, which i was going to break up into 2.
I fished it out from the bottom of the pile, 'Jenga' style.
Only went in for a few bits & pieces with my daughter, so wasn't a serious buyer.
Yes, i did see you waving it about though.
Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

 

[livewire]

Thanks, Hopefully I can get the tank looking decent.

Still looking for advice on where to place the plants! I am not looking to win any competitions just want the tank to look good so please give me some ideals guys; here is a list of the plants I have to use; need to know what should be placed with what, also what combinations should I avoid?

Trident Java Fern (lots of this)
Cryptocoryne Balansae
Cryptocoryne Crispatula
Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Sagittaria Subulata
Staurogyne Repens
Echinodorus Red Diamond
Anubias Barteri Coffeefolia
Fissidens Fontanus (lots of this)
Monosolenium Tenerum
Xmas Moss (lots of this)
Java Moss (lots of this)

 

[Ian Holdich]

It depends on how you're gonna place the hardscape to how to layout the plants. What are you thinking regarding the hardscape? Got any pics of how you're setting it up?

 

[livewire]

I would like it to look "similar" to this tank. I have a lot of landscape rock along with the wood.

I have trimmed a lot of the thin branches off the wood and if I set the two pieces apart slightly it still looks like one piece.

 

[Ian Holdich]

The way to plant in an island tank is to place the trident in the centre of the island, the crypts would look good in the shadows around the bottom along with the anubias. Place the stems at the back of the island.

 

[livewire]

Thanks Ian,


Would it be good to add the Cryptocoryne Balansae at the edges of the island or should they be mixed in randomly within the island?
The two Cryptocoryne Crispatula that I have reach the surface so should I place them at the rear of the island just off center?
Sagittaria Subulata and Staurogyne Repens at the front of the island mixed in with the crypts?
My Anubias is huge so should I get a smaller variant?
And should I just stick with Fissidens Fontanus attached to some branches? or should I also add some Flame Moss or Java/Xmas?
Lastly what plant is at the edges of the tank? Grassy looking plant, because I may have to purchase some of that.

Sorry for all the questions I just want to try and get things right first time. A few pictures of the plants spread out in my tank waiting for the overhaul to give you an ideal of what i have to work with. Just placed around to keep them alive at the moment.

CHECK THIS OUT FOR A MESS, Just a holding tank at the moment.

Huge Anubias, maybe to big?

A lot of Trident and Fissidens here!!

Shrimp Heaven, Cryps pearling like crazy at the rear. (also fish feeding time)

 

[livewire]

Also just to add my stocking will be as follows;

7 Laser Orange Corrydoras
25 Cardinal Tetras
15 Celestial Perl Danios
6 Otocinclus
Lots of Cherry Shrimp

All the other fish are going to my local MH Aquatics.

 

[livewire]

Right I now have an ideal if where to place the plants, so next thing to think about is shrimp. I will be completing the scape on Wednesday so only a couple of days to go.

I have loads of Cherry shrimp but also have a breeding tank full of Crystal Reds, 100+
My tap water shows PH level at 8.2 but online the water in my area shows a PH level at 7.5, I don't know which to believe?
Using a TDS meter my tap water shows as 288, I have a RO/DI filter so when I cut the tap water with RO water at 2 parts tap and 1 part RO, TDS reads out as 195
Will my daily fert dosing push the TDS up enough to stress the CRS?
Should I use a 50/50 Tap/RO mix? TDS would then be 145.

I will get some photos up later of the wood cable tied between some stone to give it some width and to also help hold it down, the stone and ties will be under the substrate so wont show.

The bigger older shrimp have lost a bit of there white but all the smaller ones are Grad A's

 

[livewire]

Here is the landscape rock I have to use;

And the Redmoor wood soaking away;

Eco-complete is on its way to me in the post but it is saying it is due to arrive on Thurs, so I may have to delay the overhaul till Saturday.

 

[NanoJames]

Looks like some nice rock you got there! Was it sold for aquarium use or for gardens?

 

[livewire]

Looks like some nice rock you got there! Was it sold for aquarium use or for gardens?

Mini landscape rock, purchased from a LFS where the owner is not into planted tanks so he got me 20Kg's for cost price @ £20. The pictures don't do it any justice as it looks much nicer close up. Also a bargain when you consider some shops sell this for up to £3.50 per kilo

Still need to decide how much I am going to use, to many decisions to make I need some guidance