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The Scape with no name

David Edwards

Member
Joined
7 Mar 2018
Messages
52
Location
Market Drayon, Shropshire
Hi all,

Though I would start a journal regarding my scape after gleaming lots of info from our knowledgeable members.

The Scape with no name

Lido 200.

Standard 2 T5HO bulbs in Juwel fixture with iquatics reflectors.

Filter - external with 2200lph rate - not sure it produces that.

Additional circulation aps wavemaker 2500 lph.

Input via spray bar fitted from Eheim shepherd's crook outlet.

Glass inlet with surface skimmer.

Powersand and Amazonia substrate 3 x 9l bags.

Hardscape - dragon stone and bogwood.

Co2 - 5KG FE with regulator and solenoid - inline diffuser.

substrate and hardscape having been flooded since end of March.

Currently 6 hour photo period - not sure if should reduce to make sure limit the chance of algae.

Planted last sunday -


Plants

Monte Carlo
Eleocharis acicularis
Staurogyne repens
anubias barteri nana
bucephalandra - not sure which variety
hygrophilia pinnatifida
rotala roundifolia
christmas moss
java moss
Fessidens fontanus
Trident fern
bolbitis heudelotii
Hyrocotyle tripartita

Photos are 1 week since planting - apologies in advance for quality as on iPhone
7 days post planting 1.jpg
7 days post planting 3.jpg
7 days post planting 2.jpg
- no fancy camera work here!
 
Nice david, was looking forward to seeing your set up, it looks great, textures are going to be wicked once it's filled out a bit.
 
Thanks Gus - looking forward to it myself especially when the rotala starts to take off - hopefully.

Forgot to mention in the initial post - am doing full EI dosing.

David
 
Looking nice!

Forgot to mention in the initial post - am doing full EI dosing.
I believe you should start with a lower dose of EI for a couple of weeks and slightly increase the dosage every week until you get to the full dosage.

Oh, and water changes... lots of them for the first couple of weeks. Once a day for the first week, every other day on the second week, 2 on the third and fourth weeks and then once a week.
 
Rightly or wrongly I’ve not worried about full EI dosing (until now!) as I understood that over doing ferts within acceptable perameters is to unlikely to cause a problem? I.e the ethos of EI.
I’ll reduce if full dose Is not advisable in new set ups? I only started dosing after planting which happened 4 weeks after flooding.

I only planted after tests showed 0 ammonia and nitrate. I’m currently doing a 50% water change per week.Should this increase?

I was considering adding some Amano and or cherry shrimps this weekend. Do people think that this is too soon?
 
Why did you wait 4 weeks to add the plants? From my understanding (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) Ammonia and Nitrites are used by plants as a source of Nitrogen pretty much like they do with Nitrates, so you could have planted from day 1. Ammonia and Nitrites in the levels we usually get in an aquarium are harmful to fish and inverts, not plants. One of the best methods (for me) to start a planted tank is the Dry Start Method, which is planting a few weeks before flooding.

Plants usually need to transition from growing emersed (this is how they are usually grown), to submersed which a lot of times means that the plants' old leaves will melt (unless you use a lot of CO2 to ease the transition), but the new leaves will grow ready for the new environment. Melting plants produce waste, so it's why it's advised to do lots of water changes in the first few weeks and not starting with full EI is so that algae won't have too much to grow with while the plants are getting settled.

You'll probably be fine adding some shrimp to the tank, if it's cycled.
 
Hi kadoxu the main reason was I had not decided on planting scheme and was somewhat impatient to get the tank started for cycling particularly as I understand Amazonia leeches ammonia.
I’ve been lucky so far that I haven’t had any plants melt thereby producing waste.
 
Hi kadoxu the main reason was I had not decided on planting scheme and was somewhat impatient to get the tank started for cycling particularly as I understand Amazonia leeches ammonia.
I’ve been lucky so far that I haven’t had any plants melt thereby producing waste.
You will soon learn that patience pays a lot in this hobby (I did learn it the hard way as well). What you did was giving algae a 4 week head start...
Melting (if happening) will take 2-4 weeks for you to start noticing it, so I wouldn't expect you to be experiencing it at this point.
 
Melting plants produce waste, so it's why it's advised to do lots of water changes in the first few weeks and not starting with full EI is so that algae won't have too much to grow with while the plants are getting settled.
.

Hi
Not really very correct statement
Algae needs only trace amount of nutrients to survive and thats why when folk try to limit this or other nutrient in their tanks to control algae growth very often end up with loads of algae as a result.
Active growing healty plants produce organic waste too but not this is the main focus of initial frequent waterchanges .The main point of often waterchanges especially with Amazonia is that there is various unstable water chemistry processes that occur after initial setup till the microbal and bacterial balance is established to balance things out.
There are some examples of massive melts of mainly but not only carpeting plants planted in new Amazonia from the start but when replanted a little later when things in substrate settle a bit growing just fine.I have been there too.Resolved it by increasing oxigen levels and all grew awasome after a week.So its not always bad idea to wait a bit before planting.I did wait too with my last tank and dose heavy ferts from the first day I planted not a speck of algae so far.
Regards Konsa
 
Well that’s something I can possibly look forward to them!
I may turn up the co2 as a preventative step based on your earlier post.

Hi
its good idea to boost CO2 to ease plants transition and while U have no livestock U can literally go wild.The only catch is that when U deside to stock the tank U need to dial it down slowly(and we are talking weeks not days) or U will still shock the plants and get melt especially fast growing plants.Its better to aim for an acceptable optimum level that will suite your tank in long run and try to fine tune that.CO2 fluctuations are not good thing.
Regards Konsa
 
Running the co2 high with no livestock as your tank cycles will also lower your PH reducing the toxic effect of ammonia on your plants? as ammonia is less toxic at a lower PH.
 
Running the co2 high with no livestock as your tank cycles will also lower your PH reducing the toxic effect of ammonia on your plants? as ammonia is less toxic at a lower PH.

Hi
Ammonia while toxic to aquatic livestock is not toxic to plants.It is just plant food;)It is in fact the preferred Nitrogen source compared to Nitrates
Regards Konsa
 
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Bit of an update.
In the main doing well although have had a algae issue particularly on the bolbitis and the h pinnafitida. Was not certain the type some form of filamentous algae stag horn or bba- looked reddish in certain light. Monte Carlo and hair grass doing ok as is moss. Stem plants taking time to see growth.

So changed a few thing - flow - put spraybar on rear wall with Wavemaker in centre rear pointing forwards. Co2 dissolution may also have been a problem as the bubbles generated by the inline diffuser were not particularly fine so even when going no into filter. So recently put in tank diffuser under external intake which produces fine bubbles.

Have also tried rotating light reflector so not as much light.

I am considering a dimmable/controllable led for easy adjustment of intensity. However the wife does not want an open topped tank. I was considering some clear glass or acrylic covers was am concerned about light diffusion.

I then realised one morning that the tank actually gets the early morning sun!. I think this may have started the outbreak of algae which seemed to start quickly. So started to place a blacket over the front before hitting the sack.

Photos included
Cheers David.
 
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Bit more of an update.

Most things growing well have moved things about a bit to play with flow.

Stems doing ok now. Had problem with Monte Carlo was growing and spreading as can be seen by photos but not really rooting. Did trim but just keeps coming away from substrate and when pushing into Amazonia it’s bringing the volcanic rock additives to surface. Have put in some m crenata but thinking of getting some h tenellum.

Still no fish in there some cherry and a couple of amano shrimp. Want to add some more amano.

Any fish suggestions thinking of celestial danios or chilli rasbora?
 
looking really good David, I think chillis prefer acidic slightly blackwater ,celestials more neutral slightly alkaline conditions
 
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T TSome update pics for anyone interested.

Added lily pipes on 2 externals to aid aesthetics and flow with co2 freedong both.

New led light after issue with flooding of juwel t5 at a water change!

Chihiros on s2 pro controller.

20 dwarf Rasbora in town.
 
David Edwards

At the moment all I can see is a very over grown planted tank? I think it requires a very good trimming.

Keith:wave::wave:
sometimes thats the style people enjoy ;)
trimming does however promote lusher growth if your interested in that OP.
 
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