• 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

Icelandic Lava Rock Iwagumi

Joined
29 Jul 2017
Messages
94
Location
South West London
This is my second aquascape and is a 35cm Cube Aqua Manta aquarium. Its inspired by Iceland, which I visited a year ago with a foot of snow, but I know how vibrant the greens are in summer. In particular it's inspired by some sea stacks at Reykjanes (I have some photos I just need to access from my camera). I plan on keeping Celestial Pearl Danios and Sakura Red Shrimp which continue the theme of Iceland with the somewhat volcanic colours.

I made the hardscape up today and planted all the Monte Carlo (4 pots) and Pogostemon Erectus (2 XL InVitro pots and planted 1 1/2). However I also have some Anubias 'Bonsai', Bucephalandra 'Mini Needle Leaf' (XL InVitro pot which is way too much) and some Bucephalandra 'Mini Catherinae' which are yet to be positioned. The excess Monte Carlo and Pogostemon Erectus have been put into a dry start 30cm fruit bowl pond (inspired by James Wong) and I'll add some of the Bucephalandra to it and my 'Stoneage' aquascape.

I made a few mistakes in my last aquascape which I hope to avoid with this one. Firstly I started with too few plants: Although I don't have a vaste amount of Monte Carlo, the Pogostemon should hopefully grow in fast. I didn't settle on a routine for too long: This time I'll do a 50-60% each week and dose 4-5ml of TNC Liquid Complete and for the first month I'll do water changes even more frequently. I also left the light on too long by overriding the timer and having too long a photoperiod: This time I won't be able to fall asleep without the lights going off and I'll start with a photoperiod of 5 hours moving up to maybe 7 in 1-2 months. Having said all this I still expect algae and a slow growth rate, but just an improvement on the last hopefully.

Here are the first dodgy IPad photos before and after planting:
IMG_2074.JPG

IMG_2075.JPG
 
Hi,

Pogostemon erectus is a medium grower in high tech setup so in yours it should grow very slowly.

My advice would be to add fast stem growing plants like hemianthus micranthemoides, rotala green or rotundifolia, to help against algae.

Ceratophyllum demersum should help at the beginning too!

Good luck
 
It's a shame it won't be as fast growing as I hoped. I've started with quite a lot of it though and the filter media is established so I should have minimised algae in the first weeks. This is the top view to give an idea of the plant mass I've started with:
IMG_2077.JPG
The Monte Carlo is a little covered up, as I buried them quite deeply. I meant to get InVitro plants, but got regular potted plants unintentionally. I might buy an InVitro pot at Aquadepot when I go next and hopefully some Bucephalandra. It's easily my favourite shop.
 
It's 4 weeks today since I planted the aquarium. So far I've not had any algae issues. I have a little diatoms on some Anubias that melted after I left it floating (as did a lot of Bucephalandra) and a little on the top of the main rock, but nothing much. Only 2 stems of the Pogogstemon Erectus have adapted yet, but my Monte Carlo has grown significantly (non CO2 standards). I've also glued down all the Anubias and Bucephalandra Mini Needle Leaf. I'm yet to glue the Bucephalandra Mini Catherinae (as I'm waiting for the result of Urban Scapers/Babis Bloskas' giveaway of Bucephalandra). I'm going to Aquadepot at the weekend to buy some Red Cherry Shrimp and I'm also going to buy some Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis or something similar as a transition plant so I'll replant the Monte Carlo towards the front or in my other aquarium.
IMG_2119.JPG
 
Quick Update: (I wrote that before I started writing)
I got some cherry shrimp, 11 in total. However all but 2 are missing in action and presumed dead. I will add some Celestial Pearl Danios when the Pogostemon gives them enough cover, which at this rate will be 2.5 months! I'm considering buying more Shrimp, if it will console the 2 I have left. Although I've abandoned the idea of a colony as they won't breed fast enough before I add CPDs. I think the Shrimp had molting issues, after I added some (a pinch) Epsom Salts as my other aquarium had pale green Anubias.

I didn't get the Lilaeopsis, but I will eventually add it. I may yet add some Bucephalandra, I'm thinking the Coin varieties would look nice, so if anyone has got a clue where too buy one, please share.

I have a bit of algae that is brown like diatoms, so I'm considering what will clear it up. Perhaps, I should trim the carpet, and or get some Nerites, but they might déteste the lava rock. I'm doing >66% weekly water changes and dosing 3-4ml of frets with the waterchange. Again, any advice is appreciated.

Monte Carlo is doing well and is a proper carpet around 1.5cm thick, which I think is quite respectable for 3.5 months without CO2. Pogostemon has been trimmed once to replant the tips to fill out some of the area, but they're only 10cm tall at most. Anubias is fine, it had some of the algae on it, but as it's more robust, I just scraped it off. Bucephalandra melted , not before I got a nice shot of it, but it's growing back steadily, albeit with a little algae on it. I could add CO2, as I got a CO2 art one recently, but I think I'll save it for my other tank, 'The Stoneage', in which my Hairgrass died, Trident Fern died and Monte Carlo stagnated.

Here are the pics of the Monte Carlo growth, I'll share a full tank shot when I get the Lilaeopsis, but for now you can have the Buce shot before it gave up.
5960329457977510929_IMG_0481.JPG

8671162000085587896_IMG_0478.JPG
IMG_9875.JPG
 
Back
Top