• 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

The Valley

Ruben_SL

Seedling
Joined
1 Jan 2018
Messages
11
Location
London
Hello,

My name is Ruben, 30y and living in London. Originally from Portugal :happy: where my enthusiasm for fish tanks start when I was younger. Moving in to UK and having my own money to spend in whatever I wanted gave me the opportunity to start the hobby.

With me it all started with a small Biorb with 15L and 4 male guppies, I think almost everyone starts with this little nice fish, but the addiction to have a bigger tank was always present until I saw the AquaOne 130L on sale at Pets at Home.

My first big setup was pretty simple low-tech with a few more fish, such as Gouramis, BN pleco, Amano Shrimp, Corydoras, Neon Tetras and off course Guppies.

IMG_2466.jpg


As the time passed, I feed up with white sand (looks amazing but to maintain, takes a lot a time) and end up changing it to gravel, until a major power supply surge hit my place while I was in Portugal, losing 90% of my live stock. Since I still had the Biorb and a small 19L tank, I kept the remaining fish in there and decided to dismount my current tank.

Off course, it was only a small break until I decided to get back and end up dismount the built-in filter that came with the tank and started to buy slowly all the parts that I currently have (all below).

Comparing with the previous setup, I can say that this is what I always wanted, a kind of mixture of Dutch style and Iwagumi. Of course this an ongoing project, in which I'm planning to make a few more changes to make more pleasant for me and for those who enjoy homemade projects (mostly me :D:D).

Enough talk and lets get to some pictures that I toke myself with my Canon.

IMG_1355.jpg


Start: 12 of November 2017

Dimensions: 80x40x40 ~ 130 L

Stand: From Amazon (had the exact measurements for the tank, as the one from AquaOne never like it)
CO2: Barn Dual stage regulator + solenoid with pressurised 2kg fire extinguisher, running from 17:30 - 22:30.
Filtration: Eheim EccoPro 300 & Purigen
Lights: AquariumEco LED 29W
Heater: Hydor inline 200W
Photo Period: 16:30 - 23:30
Fertilisation: Tropica Plant Growth Premium & Specialised and Seachem Flourish Iron
Substrate: ADA Amazonia
Hardscape: Dragon stone

Flora: Pogostemon Erectus, Gratiola viscidula, Rotala macrandra, Rotala wallichii, Staurogyne repens, Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' (all tissue culture from Tropica).

Fauna: 9 Neon Cardinals, 1 Zebra Angel (sold as Blue cobalt), 1 Apistogramma cacatuoides Triple Red (female), 7 otocinclus, 1 lamp eye kilifish, 1 goldpencil fish, 2 white cloud mountain minnows, 5 nerite snail.

I'm aware that the stocking levels might be close to the limit but I bought a higher capacity filter in order to accommodate a more fish.

It always start with an empty tank
IMG_1267.jpg

IMG_1268.jpg

IMG_1270.jpg
IMG_1271.jpg
IMG_1272.jpg
IMG_1274.jpg


After a few hardscape attempts, I end up with this (just note that I end up changing a bit the big stone on the left and pointing it up but with the water it didn't stay on the original position). :)

IMG_1276.jpg


And now planted with the ones mention above :):)

IMG_1281.jpg

IMG_1365.jpg
IMG_1366.jpg
IMG_1367.jpg

2 weeks:
IMG_1296.jpg

The filter cycled faster as I used media from my nano tank (I will create a journal for that one as well later on), allowing me to stock with a few fish that I have and others that were been quarantine.

3 Weeks:
IMG_1321.jpg


4-5 Weeks:
IMG_1323.jpg
IMG_1325.jpg
IMG_1328.jpg

Photobombing all the time :banhappy:
IMG_1329.jpg
IMG_1330.jpg

ohh hello again :what:

IMG_1332.jpg
IMG_1335.jpg

:mad::mad::mad:

2 months before major change
IMG_1343.jpg
IMG_1344.jpg
IMG_1347.jpg
IMG_1348.jpg
IMG_1350.jpg
IMG_1351.jpg


After the big change, removed the Vallis Nana (it was growing very very slow and started to dislike it) and moved the rotala macrandra to the corner.
IMG_1355.jpg
IMG_1356.jpg

Ignore the scratches on the glass :( lack of knowledge in the beginning when I started.

Thanks a lot if you had the patient to read my huge testimonial, but I wanted to give a good history about my "Valley" and how it all started.

For the future that comes, I'm planning to use the espace used previously by the Rotala macrandra and plant Alternanthera reineckii ''Mini' and probably replace the Gratiola Viscidula for Didiplis diandra.

What you guys think!? I'm open to suggestions and critics, as long its to improve my tank and my experience.
I will try to update The Valley at least 1x a month or when any major change occur.

Thanks!!! :clap:
 
I don't think your tank is fully stocked. If you start getting algae blooms or nitrates accumulate too high (not sure how high although definitely below 40ppm) you could be overstocked. Stock to a level you're comfortable with and the maintenance level. What temperature are you running it at as the WCMM like it < 23 and cardinals around > 24 as do angels and appistogramma, although at 24 you could probably keep them all. Also, you could do with more lampeyes and more WCMM, perhaps 6 each ideally. The plants could probably do with adding some more height in my opinion, but anyway you have a wonderful scape with great plant growth. Keep doing what you're doing.
 
What temperature are you running it at as the WCMM like it < 23 and cardinals around > 24 as do angels and appistogramma, although at 24 you could probably keep them all. Also, you could do with more lampeyes and more WCMM, perhaps 6 each ideally. The plants could probably do with adding some more height in my opinion, but anyway you have a wonderful scape with great plant growth. Keep doing what you're doing.

Thanks for your comments

Currently I have at 25°C and has been stable so far with nitrates levels of 0.

This Friday more stock will arrive but I need to quarantine them first, more lampeyes and goldpencil fish to add later. These ones are low numbers because a few tried to evolve outside the tank and others just died with acclimation/stress/disease during quarantine. As the for the WCMM, the plan is to move then to my nano tank when the time comes and by that time I might increase their numbers to make them feel better.

More height on the plants, I just need to let The grow, the Rotala Macrandra looks like a weed that never stops (don’t know why is classified as hard to keep) and the others will reach higher with time.
 
I think the angel will be to big when fullgrown, and it can jump when startled, so i don't think it's a good choice for this tank:(

The plan is to keep it as a central fish, of course I will have to rehome (sell it or give it away), when he becomes to big for the tank, until that time comes, I will have it as he has a nice personality.
 
Time for an update :)

2 weeks after move the Rotala Macandra, time to trim it again (replanted the stems) as this plant grow like no other. Trimmed and moved a few others.

Here's the photo pre maintenance:
IMG_1374.jpg

IMG_1375.jpg

IMG_1376.jpg


Planted new ones!!!!! :happy:

Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini'
IMG_1389.jpg


Ludwigia arcuata
IMG_1390.jpg


Photo post maintenance:
IMG_1381.jpg
 
Maybe I've posted this on the wrong site, maybe I've created too much expectations with this forum, but not even a single reply about my problem as the photo above shows.

Here's a new update of my tank, last january I've upgraded my light to the Fluval Fresh & Plant 2.0, a few weeks later, I've notice a good growth on the plants. Except the Ludwigia Arcuata, my fish keep snacking on then and its been hard to have a bit of success.

Gratiola viscidula was replaced by Rotala 'Vietnam H'ra' as it was growing very very slow and didn't create that I was expecting.

IMG_1455.jpg


IMG_1526.jpg


Playing the mobile light.. I really like the effect!! :)

IMG_1510.jpg


These photos were taken 2 weeks ago and today was trimming day.
Will post updated ones as the tank clears a bit. :snaphappy:
 
Currently I have at 25°C and has been stable so far with nitrates levels of 0.

Hello mate, you don't want to be running at 0 nitrate and I doubt you are tbh. Would maybe explain the plant issues you mentioned earlier.I may have missed it somewhere but how do you check your co2 levels?
 
Hello mate, you don't want to be running at 0 nitrate and I doubt you are tbh. Would maybe explain the plant issues you mentioned earlier.I may have missed it somewhere but how do you check your co2 levels?

I’ve typed it wrong, I was meant to say “nitrites” than “nitrates”.

I have a CO2 drop checker, but it’s the hanging one which it’s prety stable on the green colour.
 
Back
Top