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Time flies eh?! Apologies for the lack of updates and photos will follow when I get the chance, looking forward to getting a decent nosey at the updates on here soon too :) My tank has past the brown algae stage (couple of weeks ago) and has just a very very light dusting of green stuff on the...

Great shot there :) if I may, what white balance did you use on the camera? (sorry for off topic and pm if you wish) and is it a DSLR camera? I ask as my anubias flower is white yet the picture shows more yellow ... Do anubias have different coloured flowers??? If the flower is more white "in...

Looks lovely Tim, coming along very nicely :)

Duly done, very many thanks for your generous offer :) Ps new kit arrived very quickly and is working correctly ... Delighted :)

I'm going to whisper this ... I think the brown algae has stopped :) I have seen no new diatoms appearing in the tank over the last three days i.e. none on the acrylic or rocks and just need to clean up the few remaining light patches on the anubias :) happy days apart from the remaining tall...

Going to have to follow this one, and would love to keep the fish you have planned ... One day! Please keep us updated with progress and details :)

Thanks Ali, never thought of that!! Yeah, the ferts would still be there in the morning!! Can't image what I thought happened to them!! Lol :D

Cracking big snail that, easy to keep and more over do they multiply?! :)

Really like that hardscape, simple yet highly effective :) As for plant position, I'm far from an expert, but how about the java fern on the low end (left) of the stone and moss on the rest, with your stems at the back? :)

Well the house was still standing and the new Sodastream co2 rig is working a treat :) ... I missed the photo period and co2 as I got home late and will need to reign it back a bit as the drop checker was bright yellow! Good for plants I believe but not if I want to add some fauna, will...

Lovely looking tank Ali, one day mine might get to the point of looking half as good as this :)

It's a nice wee 2' AquaOne tank she got when she was a grand age of four (now seven!) from Santa and has a small hang-on filter hence a big weekly water change. No guard on filter yet, but it's on the cards now as is a bit of mesh for the inlet on my nano (also, will need another bigger bit of...

Cheers Ali, cheered me up no end and my eldest is delighted too ... Her tank is low tech and also spotted a 4 or 5mm shrimplet out and about yesterday ... I'll say it again, her tank is going far better than mine at the moment :D

Truly sorry to hear that Alastair :(

Oh and noticed one of my daughters scarlet cherries is berried, a few have been showing a saddle for a while now, but this is the first time I have seen all the eggs being carried on one of the best coloured females in the tank :)

Mission accomplished and well chuffed, second cylinder fitted (bigger whoosh than last time but still nothing major as it engaged), timer fitted plus set and all tested ... So far it appears to be working fine, coming on when timer on and off when timer off! Happy days :) Think the one gauge is...

And an epic fail with the first cylinder of Sodastream co2 (and a lot of swearing too!) :( Put reg on cyl and all I got was a sort of suction / thud sound as the reg and cyl engaged ... Brilliant I thought, job done ... then it went pear shaped! The regulator nut which the adaptor screws into...

Looking forward to see what you do with this :-)

Welcome :)

Looks great, what's the small 'cress' like plant in front of the rock work in the middle picture above? :)

Still looking for a plant to fill the back left corner (as the Eleocharis sp melted on this side only) and cannot find any blyxa as you suggested Ali, can't find any tropica Lilaeopsis Mauritania either (have trawled aquaessentials site this morning!!) I'm thinking now about maybe a thin...

Thanks again Ali, have dialled the lighting timer back to five hours and put the co2 back on this morning ... Will give the tank a thorough clean at the weekend and get the new co2 rig going. Fingers crossed it helps with the algae :)

Oh and plants appear healthy, anubias Petites both on their third leaves since adding and the micranthemum and Eleocharis mini and Parvula are growing well. The Xmas moss is starting to really bush out now and branch too (albeit with a brown tinge to the lot) The only issue was one clump of...

Thanks Tim, always thought PH was related to the hardness ie PH 8 hard, and so on... Learning again I guess, and going to invest in a drop test for GH / KH (thanks Lindy!) to see what's what. Learning too that the small volume means a lot of effort, difficult to get my hands in to clean too ...

Hmm ... Might 'borrow' a few from my daughters tank and see if they get on ok! Seriously though, their welfare comes first and not sure tank is mature enough yet?

Hi Ali, I turned it off as the lights are off and thought as it would be of no benefit if the plants are not using it?!

Day 26 (13/03) and resorting to desperate measures re the diatoms! I have dropped the light to 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon to try and curb the brown algae invasion! I have switched the co2 off as well and will try it for a couple of days. I note the algae is only on...

Stunning tank :)

Looks ace! I'm going to have to follow this one :)

Thanks very much Tim, appreciated :)

Thanks for the notes above Harry, I have just got my hands on a Sodastream cylinder or two and a setup from co2art ... Not been brave enough to connect the cylinder to it all yet but will give it a go tonight. Thanks again

Thanks Thom, very kind of you to say so :)

oh and a couple of snaps of some of the shrimp in my daughters low tech tank (which runs a lot better than mine is at the moment!) :)

wow! they both look great :)

hi, how's it going now? hope you are getting a decent bit of growth now :)

ouch ... think i will wear gloves the first time and do it outside as the cylinders are 425gram which is a tad more than the 20gram nano ones i have used of late! :eek:

Thanks Ali, thought that would be the case and will connect it to the same timer my light runs off of. The adaptor is a simple big nut that screws into the regulator and then would screw onto the cylinder ... it has no tap, but the regulator / solenoid has a needle valve to open and close as...

Day 24 (11/03) and sorry for the lack of updates. Again not much happening bar a shedload more brown algae on almost all surfaces :( anyone any suggestions please? blackout? On the upside, however ... few daft questions again though, hope you don't mind? 1. Is the solenoid on or off when...

Quick stocking level question if I may Alastair? I think I can count over 20 shrimp in your 12 litre tank - how many are there actually? I ask as I'm hopeful of stocking my 8 litre nano soon with orange Sakura and was aiming for around six ... Would I be able to increase this amount to maybe 10...

Looking great :)

The grass may be gone, but it's still a lovely looking scape. Very nice and liking the DIY C02 - I messed around with that method over a decade ago and yes mine was just as effective and ugly! :)

Day 17 (04/03) and not much to report other than somehow managed to rocket through a full cyclinder of co2 in around 3 days against the previous one lasting almost 2 weeks? Must get a proper set up ordered! TDS and PH still fluctuating , with the brown algae appearing to stabilise a bit ...

Fantastic :)

Thanks again, looks good in your setup ... Must get the upgrade sorted and soon ... Still finding it tricky with the tiny fluval co2 rig currently deployed!

Found the blyxa Ali! Blyxa japonica and Tropica label it as 'advanced' eek! Might give it a go, but also like the look of Lilaeopsis Mauritania ... It's listed as medium and fits the bill height wise (5-10cm'ish!)... Bit more research required on my part I think! Anyone any thoughts on the Blyxa...

Thanks Ali, I will look the plant up ... Is blyxa it's full name? The hair grass (Elecocharis sp mini) is going great as is the Elecocharis Parvula, it's the tall Eleocharis sp that has melted? It's meant to be the 'easy' plant too per Tropica! Maybe it was its location (back left corner) but...

Great pictures and a cracking tank, well done :)

Morning, day 16 and sorry for the lack of updates - not much happening apart from a battle with brown algae and one half of my Eleocharis sp completely melting:( PH last night was at its highest (8) and the TDS was up at 223, this is in part due to a lack of water changes. Back on track with the...

Thanks Ali, I'm aiming for a Sodastream setup as there is an Argos near me so refills won't be an issue under their replacement / refill scheme. :)

Many thanks Tim, appreciated :) I suspected the rock and mineral stone (as per previous posts) and hoping it will settle out a bit as it's all new rock etc, water changes are the answer here. The PH is my main concern as livestock (shrimps) and their welfare are my top priority, their needs...

Shrimplets on the way by the look of that on on the left :)

Hi guys, would appreciate your thoughts on yesterday's questions if you get the chance :) Another two 2 litre water changes done tonight (day 10) as brown algae spreading onto a few more anubias leaves ... Had a go with a toothbrush to see if it would shift and it comes off quite easily. TDS...

How's it looking now mate? I hope all is going well :)

Hi all, day 9 (Tues 25/02) and another rushed effort last night, I carried out two 2 litre water changes (the tank is only 8 litre!) as the diatoms (brown algae) appear to be spreading ... It's by no means a major outbreak and I'm not worried ... yet! I hope it will sort itself out as the tank...

It's great so far, and looking forward to seeing it planted :)

Hi, day 6 and 7 were too busy and late in on day 8 (mon 24/2). Usual routine carried out tonight and my PH is 7.7 Seems to be rising a little? TDS is 197 I have spotted the dreaded algae too! Got diatoms of brown algae on one anubias leaf and the mineral stone ... Really not much and a good...

A nice rosy pink? ;)

Looking forward to seeing it flooded ... Hope the MC stays rooted! :)

Good luck again mate, fingers crossed. Is it DSM you are trying again per the pic? :)

super photos and really liking your bridge between the two islands :) think i agree with ldcgroomer above, i could not resist growing something along that bridge :D

Day 5 and same routine carried out - not sure when i will step down the daily water changes, current thinking is moving to every 2nd day after 2 weeks, then down to every 3rd day from week four. possible overkill? The MC is taking off at the moment and, in the 5 days or since planting, the...

This is simply brilliant, really really like it :)

Peach of a set-up, looks lovely and healthy :)

Hello, great journal name and it looks good :)

Day 4 and not much of an update - work gets in the way of all my fun and the usual routine of water change etc carried around 11pm last night! Quick question though, what's the best time to add ferts? I have been dosing of an evening as that's when I get in from work and do the water change ...

Day 3 Added a bit more Eleocharis Parvula and the Eleocharis Sp. arrived today too - bit bigger than i had seen a good few weeks back and thicker? hmm ... planted it anyway :D also, no idea how, but some bits of bogwood and spiky moss etc somehow managed to get into the box that was...

ok thanks once again Ali, i will pencil mine in for a change of solution this weekend then! :)

Would love to see an update on this, did you manage to get shrimp in and a par reading? :)

it's a good rich colour ... i loaded mine up for the first time and got an airlock i.e. no 4dkH in the orb bit, then only added enough Bromo to turn it a pale blue (and get a pale green, funnily enough!) :oops: how often to you refill your drop checker?

Many thanks Ali, greatly appreciated :) Looks like there is a good amount of CO2 bubbles flying about in there, which puts my mind at ease too. There is a fair 'mist' of bubbles in mine from the diffuser and i was wondering if it was too much for shrimp - my drop checker is green (like yours)...

going to have to watch this one ... both rock and wood layouts are fantastic and i could not choose between them :)

Day 2 (18/02/14) 2 Litre (20%) water change with de-chlorinator Temp - 25 Degrees (no change) TDS - 199 (was 157 on Sunday) PH - 6.8 (was 7.2 on Sunday) 1.3ml (one pump) Vimi All in One Fert added 1ml Nutrafin Cycle Bacteria Supplement added Plants all looking fine and CO2 mist still reaching...

Cracking looking bits of glass, very nice :)

wow and wow again! that's brilliant :thumbup:

Bit of a disaster kicking off the routine mentioned above tonight - central heating boiler packed in so no warm water or heating, hoping the engineer can fix tomorrow :banghead: :mad: tanks are all fine though :D so i added the fertiliser and filter supplement, checked the CO2 and fired a few...

Many thanks and I'll email soon ... I just need to work out what I'm actually trying to say in my questions without sounding like I'm speaking in tongues!!

Would love too :) Is there a way I can message you (excuse ignorance of how to as new on here!) as I'm looking for a full setup for two tanks / dual bottles and am keen on the Sodastream route? Pressurised CO2 is new to me and want to ask some daft questions first :)

Superb scapes George, as in all of them! Without wishing to get all gushy! it's your setups and the superb Chocolate series from Alistair that made me decide I really have to get back into this :)

Thanks very much and no, it was a job shooting at an event in The Caves, Edinburgh (not my full time job, just a hobby)

Fully agree that this is simply far too small for any fish ... Pushing it with shrimp even IMHO, planning on it becoming a growing on / display tank eventually once I get the other Christmas present setup ;) 'Betta' is the manufacturer name I believe or it denotes the range of tanks, not a...

Liking it a lot, good shapes going on with the wood and am sure when grown in a bit it will be a winner :) I have found in the sort time I have been back into planted tanks that they grow like no tomorrow and after a trim, just replant the cuttings to fill some gaps ... It will hopefully be a...

Liking your taste in music fella! I have also been lucky enough to get free passes to the likes if Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson to name but a few ... It's quite a struggle to remain laid back when these guys wander into the promoters office. Act casual bob, act casual!!! :D

Thanks very much Ali, t'was a great gig and lucky enough to know the promoter so had full access backstage etc :)

Those yellow ?sakura are stunning ... I was planning the same since Santa brought my kit, but thinking Orange Sakura now? Decisions decisions!! :)

Oh and as part of the routine I will be adding a few millilitres of Nutrafin's 'Cycle' bacterial supplement with each water change :) I resisted the urge to use some mulm and filter media from my daughters tank due to the algae issue ... I will just have to be patient and let it mature!

Hi all, Thanks for the comments and Ali as requested I will get a couple of shots of the plants up on here tonight. There are a few more snaps on my Flickr pages and actually a bit embarrassed by the state of some of them ... I will get some proper photos done soon :) So this is what I'm...

Gorgeous looking scape that and good luck with the micranthemum, I will be watching this one as I have just planted some Monte Carlo too and will be keen to see what you do with yours :)

That's an incredible scape and thanks so much for the time and effort you put into your comments, it's a great journal :) As a newbie on here (returning to aquascaping after a decade) it's a huge help and maybe in the years to come I can achieve something near this level. Maybe!

that really is a cracking set-up :)

sorry, to hijack your thread too Mitchell. Where in Fife are you? - spot my mistake and the newbie, just seen your profile ... same town as me then! :)

managed to post! yay! :crazy: yup, distinct lack of TMC Signatures to the point i have not seen one in the flesh yet!

Hi All, Thanks for the hello's to my intro post a few days back and i am delighted to be on here - truly been bitten by the bug again! This is my first journal; which i will try to keep up to date and i would be very grateful for any thoughts and comments as i go (please also excuse the...

hi ... high tech and trying very hard to get my journal to post ... keeps returning a "server error, try again later message" :banghead:

As with the chaps above - Aqua Essentials, I have just received my first delivery (ever) from them and very impressed. The packaging was first rate and obvious care was taken when wrapping up the potted anubias (leaves neatly wrapped so no breakages) and the 1-2-Grow tubs were double bagged etc...

Absolutely gorgeous :)

Thanks very much for the welcome :) I will get my first journal going as soon as I can

Looks good, will keep an eye on this and see how it progresses :)

Quick update: just been reliably informed by the boss that a parcel has arrived so I will be planting when I get in from work! It should be the following plants, all tropica 1-2-Grow bar the Anubias and Parvula ... Anubias Barteri var. Nana 'Petite' Eleocharis Sp. Mini Eleocharis Parvula...

Brilliant, thanks so much for the step by step and hoping to start my own when my 1-2-Grow pots arrive :)