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The Original

There’s not much particularly happening @Libba at two weeks old.

This was two days ago, took a few shots walking passed the tank. Blyxa is waking up:

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Carpets are slow and steady. HC at the back doing its initial leggy routine before spreading outwards, Glosso mid-ground just settling in, Marsilea hirsuta and crenata mix in the foreground is jostling for space but finding it’s way:

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The shear amount of tannins being released will be dampening that light down some. Every morning the tank looks like an elephant has done a big giant pee in the tank 😆 Waiting for that to subside. There’s some additional bacterial film on the wood to keep clear, but that’s about it:

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All pretty slow schedule. Low plant mass startups give longer grow in times, will be more interesting from one month onwards no doubt. Marine tank and garden have been stealing any spare time this month. This thing just needs to get on with itself and has been running like clockwork so far.

Thanks for the update! I had a secret motive of wanting to know if your tanks go through an ugly phase like everyone else's.
 
Thanks for the update! I had a secret motive of wanting to know if your tanks go through an ugly phase like everyone else's.

Just ask bud, nothing is 100% but that’s more about timing of introducing specific species.

A lot of ugly can be negated by providing ample surface agitation at night in the first month. The heightened gas exchange makes up for the lower overall photosynthetic activity from lower plant mass during this time. The simple ‘month of daily water changes’ removes decay that would otherwise be an oxygen thief.

Some species will struggle regardless @Libba . Knew putting Bucephalandra sp. Serimbu Brown this early on would result in leaf melt:

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As long as the rhizome is attached and you can use cherry shrimp to keep it clean in the interim, it will come back swinging. Can alternatively just add it a month or two after startup, but it can still suffer leaf melt if using the in-vitro cups. I always look for the cups with the largest rhizome, rather than many leaves when buying in-vitro Bucephalandra. Gives insurance, via nutrient stores in the rhizome, that the overall plant will make it.

Same with using Monte Carlo as an epiphyte early on. Larger portions on the wood are necessary as a certain amount will float off or not make it without soil access. You only need a coin size amount plugged into a hole on the wood to get it going though.

Tank overall is pretty clean:

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Tannins and mould on the wood being the only ‘ugly’ at this stage, but that’s more just part of the process really.
 
Great update @Geoffrey Rea , like you say just ticking along nicely there, nice tip about buying buce, i am missing have a tank cant wait to get one set up 😔
 
This is what we call an "in your face" type of journal and tank. Excellent. In fact yesterday I was thinking of doing the same thing for my next journal. Picture and nada mas. I see that my idea was not original 😂
Knew putting Bucephalandra sp. Serimbu Brown this early on would result in leaf melt:
If you were here (or I was there) I would have sent you my unsold bucep bunches. I have taught them to resist ammonia and urea. Secret: I piss on them every night.
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Absolutely fantastic thread! Really enjoyed scrolling through them. Nice to see your still using our regulator. What do you plan to add livestock wise?
 
Nice to see your still using our regulator.

Yup, an older one from when you were based in Milton Keynes. Hasn’t skipped a beat, love it ❤️

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What do you plan to add livestock wise?

Green Neons from the last setup are now living in Tai Strietman’s 900 in Aquarium Gardens. Will miss them as been with us since 2017:

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So left with White Cloud Mountain Minnows and Celestial Pearl Danio’s from the last setup to go in this one.

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They seem to pair well and CPD’s are happy to swim amongst the WCMM’s, getting rid of that shyness CPD’s sometimes exhibit. Will bump up their numbers and stick with these two species probably.

As always, Yellow Sakura Shrimp going in. Colony started in 2016 and all started from a batch of six. Pretty much flooded Cambridgeshire with them now from giving them away 😂

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Yup, an older one from when you were based in Milton Keynes. Hasn’t skipped a beat, love it ❤️

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Green Neons from the last setup are now living in Tai Strietman’s 900 in Aquarium Gardens. Will miss them as been with us since 2017:

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So left with White Cloud Mountain Minnows and Celestial Pearl Danio’s from the last setup to go in this one.

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They seem to pair well and CPD’s are happy to swim amongst the WCMM’s, getting rid of that shyness CPD’s sometimes exhibit. Will bump up their numbers and stick with these two species probably.

As always, Yellow Sakura Shrimp going in. Colony started in 2016 and all started from a batch of six. Pretty much flooded Cambridgeshire with them now from giving them away 😂

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Yellow Sakura are nice change form the reds and blues. I also think the CPD and WCMM do go well together having a similar colour palette. You may have just helped me decide on what shrimp I will be adding to my next setup.
 
Nice updates Geoff 👌🏻
 
Please, not more biscuits?!

Thankfully not this time 😂

In an eternal hair algae Groundhog Day….

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Organics leaching from the wood, hair algae growing from the wood, clear all the wood, more organics leaching from the wood, more hair algae coming from the wood…

Wake up, rinse and repeat…

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Luckily the plants are going strong so can take a blackout, but not sure how long this process is going to take.

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Massively frustrating. I've no doubt you'll win through, especially since the plants are doing okay.

There’s a reason ADA pull out large pre-soaked pieces of wood when scaping, freeing themselves of this saga.

The wood needs to do it’s thing. Even if everything else is on point this will continue to be a source of woe for a while longer until it has run its course. Stuff just needs to leach out until it’s processed out quicker than the output.

Never had to resort to it before, but will be dosing the tank with Salicylic acid after the blackout. Not able to deal with the source problem for a while, which simply requires time. But it should act as a dampener to the hair algae in the interim. The wild card will be when to water change without erasing the benefit, or, the issues of maintaining concentration in the water column. Could easily slip backwards.

Plants are full of win though so hoping to remedy the replication rate of the hair algae without any downside. The manual removal method is just purgatory.

Was hoping to naturally resolve the issue. Although, Salicylic acid is a plant hormone so maybe that counts under the same flag. Either way… Budgeting a month for a win.
 
API Algaefix (busan 77) is my secret weapon for scenarios like this.

Not a fan unfortunately. Aware of applications for Polixetonium chloride in a few sectors. The issue is how indiscriminate it is as a sterilant. Akin to cutting off your head to rid yourself of a headache. Sure, it’ll solve that problem but may not be a good idea in the long run. No doubt it works satisfactorily for folks looking for instant results when the issue may be a tank ender, but nowhere near that level with this issue. It’s just irritating 🤷🏻‍♂️

Under a more holistic approach, not looking for eradication but naturally attainable balance. The source of the problem is leaching organics from wood, with hair algae only sprouting from the wood. Just takes time.

The reasoning for favourable use of Salicylic acid is breakdown into the water column also takes time. Slow and steady without creating additional issues whilst the system adapts. Meanwhile, the plants are taking over all the real estate.

Ultimately I’ve failed to get in rhythm with this tank, feel very disconnected with its needs right now. Last month was awful, personally, so tanks took a back seat. Will spend the next month working on this. See if we can dance once again.

💃🏻 🕺🏻
 
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