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Surface scum is just bio film. It should become less of a problem as your tank matures and things settle down.
Most of us either live with it or use a surface skimmer of some description. I have one permanently attached.
Good surface agitation definitely helps. But when it’s really bad the...
Welcome to UKAPS 🙂
If those are your two choices, it’s a no-brainer. Superfish Scaper all day long. APS tanks can be a bit hit and miss in terms of quality.
Or go for another make of optiwhite, rimless and braceless aquarium and the Twinstar RGB. For starters take a look at what our sponsors...
Take a look at this
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/the-shed-tank.35077/#post-376157
@Ady34 might be worth contacting for advice if you’re thinking of having dedicated plumbing.
Post in thread 'Re-education.....'
Re-education.....
Paracheirodon axelrodi, is my favourite, and often go to aquarium fish. It’s very underrated probably because it appears to be so common.
Anyway, nice observations; I think you’re right @Dr. White. The bigger the school the more you’ll observe natural behaviour...
Love those little fish. They’re highly intelligent and very entertaining to watch. Some folk, including me, have had trouble keeping them with adult cherry shrimp. Others haven’t.
Post in thread '60l tank is ready...sparkling gourami or something else?'
60l tank is ready...sparkling gourami or...
A small internal filter for biological filtration and water movement is always beneficial, especially in a small volume tank. It will help with stability and overall tank and critter health. It will also help keep things simple and low maintenance.
If you want a thriving invert or live food...
I don’t own anything fancy or laboratory grade. I’m old school, mostly just wing it when it comes to fertz, and don’t test. Don’t think I ever imagined I’d own a pair of wave or sprung scissors though.
I’ve seen Pro-Shrimp’s plant set up and it’s perhaps not the best. The dry goods and equipment are usually very good and at reasonable prices though.
AG, uses ebb and flow hydroponics so plants continue to grow and stay very healthy. When it comes to planting, plants are in peak health with...
How about the forest moon of Endor?
Post in thread 'Return of the Shallow'
Return of the Shallow
My other hobby, when I get time…
Thread 'Adult Fans of Lego, AFOL'
Adult Fans of Lego, AFOL
I’ll definitely be there, complete with sticky labels for name badges so we can all put faces to names.
Hope to see as many members there as last year, both new and familiar 🙂
Not sure what could have caused that. Really looks like something has been munching on them. Doesn’t look like any melt I’ve ever seen.
If there isn’t any other possible culprit I’d have to guess the Cherry barbs have developed a taste for your plants. From what I can gather it’s not...
That’s exactly what I do too. I once made the rookie mistake of using electrical tape, it was all I had to hand. Of course it stretched over time and slowly but surely throttled the CO2.
As Paulo has said we are evaluating the situation. Unfortunately, this member’s behaviour has often been in violation of the forum rules. We also received several complaints from other members. Further our continued efforts to moderate this behaviour were ignored. These decisions are never...
Nicely laid out scape. Personally I wouldn’t add fish to a tank less than 30 litres in volume. Not just because of swimming space, but also small tanks are notoriously unstable in terms of maintaining water quality and other parameters like temp etc.
Crikey @tiger15 you should be so lucky. It’s very rare. I can understand how it might be a pita if it grows on the glass though. But at least you know your water quality is good 😊
I’ve had tanks as heavily planted as yours and needed a weeks stated TNC Complete dose every day. I wouldn’t put too much stock in online or retailer info. The later is a rough guide. Just observe your plants closely. They will tell you what they need.
I guess it’s always been the same. But it seems particularly bad atm. All these public services should never have been privatised. They should be run as nonprofit organisations, with surplus reinvested in the service and used to keep prices low. Instead the profits are used to pay exorbitant...
It’s not just the theatre. We all know everything is much more expensive. It’s the cost of covid crisis. Everyone from major corporations down are just transferring the cost to consumers.But I doubt the price hikes reflect the real cost of living. I’d hazard it’s mostly just greed. Everyone is...
Rinse and reuse. Stick in some root tabs or scatter a small handful of slow release Osmocote before adding the substrate. But neither is really necessary if you’re going to water column dose fertz. Although both root and foliar feeding makes sense.
I think at the lower end a degree can make huge difference. Personally wouldn’t go below 23 degrees. At the middle to upper acceptable end I think there’s perhaps a little more wriggle room. But obviously extremes at either end are not a good idea, especially for prolonged periods.
Amazing place. It’s come up in a previous discussion regarding clear water habitat 🙂
Post in thread 'A Brief and Incomplete History of Aquascaping'
A Brief and Incomplete History of Aquascaping
It has that look usually only achieved in a long term scape when the plants have been allowed to mature and grow in to one another. Excellent work, well done. I’d definitely enjoy it for a while longer yet 🙂
Crikey, that is a stroke of good luck, not to mention a freaky coincidence. Maybe the universe is benevolent after all and there is something to this manifestation business.
I don’t think it’s easy to tell any more back in the day it was pretty obvious.
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/ram-male-or-female.73716/#post-742945
Can’t really tell from the info in the link. If you’re concerned you could always add some sort of vertical bracing in the middle. I’d use a couple of timber pieces.
I can understand the attraction. I kept an Ancistrus dolichopterus way back in the day. But I wouldn’t put a plec in a planted tank now. I cringe watching this
Crikey that’s a great attendance. My invitation must have got lost in the post 😁 If only I’d know I might have made the schlep to your end of the country for a change Ady.
Anyone got excited and made anything recently, or just come across something worth sharing in the spirit of this thread? Be great to get it going again 🙂
By far the most convenient and cost effective way is the fire extinguisher method
Fire extinguisher CO2
For the hardware check out our sponsors. They offer some decent solutions, and will be happy to talk you through it if you give them a call.
You don’t have to be an artist, you just need a little creativity and imagination. You’re an engineer, I bet you come up with creative and imaginative solutions to problems all the time.
Take a look at the Planted Tank Gallery, especially the 2 sticky threads, find a scape you like the look of...
To reduce EI or tailor it to your own requirements, Tom recommends you back off the Fertz incrementally until a deficiency occurs then return to the previous level. It’s not rocket science nor is it particularly controversial, just horticultural common sense.
It’s a shame Tom @plantbrain isn’t around to comment, and perhaps set the record straight. I think his ideas were often misunderstood from the get go. And over time seem to have become more so.
I think 22-23 degrees is fine for most species. That also suits many aquascapers too. Open top tanks loose a lot of moisture to evaporation, even more to transpiration if plants are emergent, and this helps keep it to a minimum
Amazon. I think Tai mentioned something about, or might be persuaded to do, a signing at AG. We could possibly organise a UKAPS meet up at the same time.
I saw that too @John q, not surprised though. Last time I talked to Tai he seemed doubtful it’d be out earlier. Didn’t stop me from buying and reserving my copy though. I’m sure it’ll be well worth the wait 🙂
It’s probably reverting to type. That is, its original parent type. It’s pretty common with variegated varieties. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it. Just makes sense for a plant to grow leaves with more chlorophyll, greater energy production. These leaves are much more vigorous...
Pure Walstad method is as the title of the video. But dirted doesn’t necessarily mean low-energy or low-tech.
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/soil-substrate-or-dirted-tank-a-how-to-guide.18943/
@_Maq_ I think the point is it’s not necessary to denigrate one method in order to validate another.
There is more than one route to success. And I’m sure yours works for you, just as Tom’s works for many hobbyists.
Please try not to wade in with your opinion at every opportunity, especially...
There is this one, and I’m still around if you have any questions 🙂
Soil Substrate or Dirted Tank - A How to Guide
Tom’s article is still very much relevant and it can be adapted to suit different goals. I still link it if I think it might be helpful.
@_Maq_ That’s perhaps a little unfair...
Very nice. The gap between the rocks and the wood looks great. I like that you’ve not been tempted to infill with more rocks, and it’ll look even better interwoven with epiphyte roots Fish will love all those hiding places.
@FrozenShivers believe it or not your small peace lily could grow quite large, depending on cultivar. The one below was tiny, I think it came in a 4inch pot. A good few years later it stands over 3 feet tall and just as wide.
But there are so many to choose from. It’d be great if this thread...
Thought I’d start a thread for members to showcase their house plants. I’ll start with the latest addition to the collection, an alocasia. Spotted it in IKEA and couldn’t resist; it’s an amazing looking plant.
Can you give us more info please. Read this post first. But tissue culture can be a bit hit and miss.
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/please-read-the-guidelines-for-plant-help.60671/
Anyway, just noticed this article has over 200,000 views, coinciding with the UKAPS landmark of reaching 20,000 members. Who ever would have thought. . . 🙂
That doesn’t appear to make immediate sense. But roots will eventually reach though the gravel filled bags and find the soil.
However, wouldn’t it be better to layer the soil over the media bags and then cap? The plants then have almost immediate access to substrate nutrients. I’ve done it this...
By all means bake both soil or filter media it won’t do any harm. But I think algal spores exist everywhere just waiting for suitable conditions to germinate.
It’s perhaps a better idea to try and work out why this persistent bba problem occurred in the first place, so it can be avoided in...
Took delivery of a copy of Encyclopaedia of Water Plants yesterday. This copy wasn’t in too bad condition despite its age; published in 1967. Perhaps a little on the grubby side but it wiped down okay. Still smells fusty though 🙂
Fantastic book, describing over 200 species, each beautifully...
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