My new 60 litre scape

[EthanRank]

Hey guys,

I've decided to post the progress on my new 60 litre scape here and would appreciate any helpful advice i could get.

Tank specs:

Lighting: All pond solutions 4 tube T5 HO lighting
Filtration: All pond solutions EF1000 External canister filter
CO2: DIY Yeast CO2 setup with modified 5l garden sprayer, power head and ceramic diffuser
Substrate: Dennerle Scapers soil and Aquarium sand
Decoration: Red Moor Root, Slate Rock
Plants: Hemianthus Callitrichoides Cuba, Rotala Rotundifolia
Fish: Cardinal Tetra, Otocinclus, Electric Blue Ram


Progress

Still looking to get some riccardia moss and anubius to attach to the wood. Also would like to add more stem plants at the back. The rotala at the back still has alot of growing to do. Would like to get some cherry shrimp and nerite snails once the tank is a bit more mature or if i start getting attacked by algae.

I lost 2 otos as they swam into the power head intake which is why i currently have that yellow tube above the diffuser, until i can afford to get a CO2 reactor or something that looks a bit better. Also would like to replace the heater with an inline heater and possibly replace the filter intake and spray bar with glass lily pipe for aesthetic purposes.

Please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions!

Thank you

 

[Jakes]

How effective is the powerhead/ceramic diffuser setup in getting CO2 dissolved? I use a inline diffuser on my return from my canister personally.


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[EthanRank]

It seems to be working okay so far, the tank is full of micro bubbles, the HC is spreading. I'd definitely like to get a reactor or inline diffuser setup soon though.

 

[RickB]

Looks ok, I like what you have done with the power head, I have a spare juwel one from my old filter and I am tempted now

What canister filter are you using?

 

[EthanRank]

I'm using the all pond solutions EF1000. I've got the spray bar positioned so that the micro bubbles from the powerhead are pushed downwards, to try and give the co2 a bit more time to dissolve.

 

[RickB]

Ahh I have the same filter, do you have to mess about to keep the spray bar where it is? I tried the spray bar but the weight of the tubing dragged it out of position all the time, now I just use the normal outlet.

 

[EthanRank]

I have to position the suction cups weirdly to get the bar straight but I dont have a problem with it moving out of position.

 

[EthanRank]

Quick Tank Update:

Added some christmas moss, riccardia, staurogyne repens, anubias nana petite and Bucephalandra Mini needle leaf. Also added some rotala colorata which still has a lot of growing to do.

My rotala rotundifolia has grown quite a bit, just trimmed the left hand side (growing faster for some reason) as it reached the surface. HC has grown quite a bit and is spreading, starting to have a bit of a brown algae/diatom bloom.

Added 4 Corydoras Habrosus, 3 amano shrimp, 5 cherry shrimp and 6 nerite snails to keep my algae under control. Also added 2 more otos and 2 electric blue rams, lost 1 electric blue ram due to internal parasites (couldn't save him in time)

Also neatened up my little diffuser setup, using tube from a mini gravel vac that happened to be the perfect size, and a spare part from the powerfilter.

 

[EthanRank]

Tank Update:

So I've added quite a bit. Added a smaller piece of red moor root in the top left.

Added some rotala colorata along with the rotundifolia. Replaced my HC carpet with some rocks, dwarf hairgrass, alternanthera reineckii mini, staurogyne repens and HC. Added some more bucephalandra mini needle leaf, and some bucephalandra kedagang purple, hygrophila pinnatifida.

Replaced filter inlet pipe and spray bar with lily pipe.
Also going to be adding a glass CO2 inline diffuser (setting it up this evening.)

Having problems with brown algae on the substrate, green dust algae on my anubias and hair algae on my moss. Planning to cut the lights to just the 2 bulbs instead of 4 and double dosing excel .

A bit unhappy with the lighter rocks i've added (mistakenly thought they were seiryu stone or similar) was looking for a dark grey stone to compliment the slate rock.

I'm currently stocked with: 2 electric blue rams, 6 cardinal tetras, 4 otos, 4 salt and pepper cories, red, blue, orange and yellow cherry shrimp and amano shrimp and some nerite snails.

 

[Daveslaney]

Very nice.

 

[Eduard18]

very nice indeed; don't be so harsh on yourself about the algae, a little bit here and there it's what makes a tank looks mature

 

[Robbie X]

Lovely looking tank.