Aquascaper 900 - 1 Year Update . Thinking of a rescape soon.

[PAYN3Y]

Hi guys,

Decided to create an account on here as I'm sure I'll run into to problems soon and need your help.

So recently my almost 3 year old decided he wanted some fish. I had two weeks paternity leave coming up so decided I would get a fish tank sorted whilst I was off. I spent a few days googling and moved from gold fish, to tropical fish, to marine fish and then came across planted tanks and aquascapes. Thinking the aquascape would be less maintenance than marine I figured this was the way to go. (Although I'm starting to realise what I've let myself in for.)

Anyhow, I came across George Farmer's videos and watched a fair few. I priced some parts online and ordered an Aquascaper 900. My newborn arrived so I got in touch with Dave at Aquarium Gardens. He has been very helpful and gave me some advice on how to get started and supplied me with various bits for my hardscape. I then ordered my filter, lights and set to work.

When I went to order some plants I was told that without CO2 I would have to use a dimmer as my light would be too bright for the plants without it. So I bit the bullet and took a fire extinguisher from work.

The next day my plants arrived so in they went. The tank looked like it could do with some more plants so I ordered a few more which brings me to today.

Things seem to be going quite well so far. The tank has cleared somewhat. I've been doing water changes every other day, my plants seem to be starting to grow and I now have 20 Amano shrimp, which after a day of trying to jump out of the tank, now appear to have settled.

So 4 weeks ago I knew nothing about aquariums, especially planted tanks. Now I've got an unintentional new hobby that so far seems quite fun. I'm looking forward to adding some fish and not looking my first disaster.

Here's a few pics. I would love to know your thoughts.

 

[tam]

Looks like your jumping in the deep end approach is going very well! Looking great so far.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Welcome, looks good.
A dimmer is a good idea anyway especially when the tank is immature, most problems stem from too much light.
Or take a look at one of these http://www.hinterfeld.com/hinterfeld-programable-smart-controller-for-led-fan-dc-pump/
Just out of interest whats the length of your photoperiod?

 

[PAYN3Y]

Welcome, looks good.
A dimmer is a good idea anyway especially when the tank is immature, most problems stem from too much light.
Or take a look at one of these http://www.hinterfeld.com/hinterfeld-programable-smart-controller-for-led-fan-dc-pump/
Just out of interest whats the length of your photoperiod?

I actually have one of those dimmers which I ordered when I planned not to use CO2. I got bored of waiting for it to be delivered so set up the CO2 instead.

My photo period is currently 6 hours which I had planned to increase to 8 hours once it was more established. Do you still think I should run at a lower intensity for the moment? The trident fern on the right appears to either be struggling/adapting or has some some of algae on it.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Yes I think it's always best to stick to a lower light intensity until the tank is mature and therefore much more stable.
Not sure what would be a good intensity with your light, which I'm guessing is a Twinstar 900E.
But I'm sure someone will be able to offer advice.

 

[JackMartins]

An impressive start for a "complete noob";
Congratulation, keep us posted;

In case of your "strong light issue", I would recommend not reducing(I also have a Twinstar E), but on the other hand, increase the "water change" frequency;
Something like, every 2~3 days a new 30%~50% water change; This will reduce the excess of nutrients in the water;

Also, use the time you don´t have livestock and PUMP your CO2 (yellow on drop checker);

One other hint, do not start dosing fertilizers in the full recommendation; Start with half, check the plants evolution and increase the dose linearly;

 

[PAYN3Y]

An impressive start for a "complete noob";
Congratulation, keep us posted;

In case of your "strong light issue", I would recommend not reducing(I also have a Twinstar E), but on the other hand, increase the "water change" frequency;
Something like, every 2~3 days a new 30%~50% water change; This will reduce the excess of nutrients in the water;

Also, use the time you don´t have livestock and PUMP your CO2 (yellow on drop checker);

One other hint, do not start dosing fertilizers in the full recommendation; Start with half, check the plants evolution and increase the dose linearly;

Great, thanks for the advice. I have been doing 50-70% water changes every 2 days so far. I have been doing the aquascaper plant food at 10ml per day which I believe is around half the recommended amount already.

My drop checker has been going green but not a bright green. I think I'm about 5bps but didn't want to increase too much because of the amano shrimp. Will they be ok with more CO2?

I did do a water test the other day and was surprised at the results. I'm not sure why I have such a strong Nitrate level for a tank that's 10 days old. I've decided to ignore the results for now.

 

[Zeus.]

My drop checker has been going green but not a bright green. I think I'm about 5bps but didn't want to increase too much because of the amano shrimp. Will they be ok with more CO2?

My Dc goes nearly clear and my Amanos are fine, so even if the DC is yellow you should be good

I did do a water test the other day and was surprised at the results

We generally in the hobby dont bother with test kits as at the hobbyist level they are unreliable so there results are meaningless


BTW great start

 

[paul_j]

Great start! I like that the upside of the piece of wood is horizontal.

 

[alto]

I did do a water test the other day and was surprised at the results. I'm not sure why I have such a strong Nitrate level for a tank that's 10 days old. I've decided to ignore the results for now.

Did you test your tap water as well?

You can (usually) find your tap water analysis online & confirm your test kit results,
eg, if test kit yields 20ppm nitrate in tap water, but water report indicates 0-5 nitrate range for tap water, kit - or more likely operator - may be in error

When testing tank water, other factors may contribute to results, eg, Seachem Prime will interfere with Nessler (reagent) Nitrogen test kits, instead use a Salycilate based kit
Read Seachem’s Prime FAQ

I’ve a background in biochemistry & found hobby kits to be surprisingly decent
eg, I ran standard curves for known amounts of nitrate using RO, tap & tank water as the solvent, spiked given samples with known amount nitrate, tested an “unknown” nitrate sample (prepared by a colleague) ... while a couple kit brands yielded odd results, most kits were decent: some test kits include a “reference” sample which can be used to “test” kit & operator

BUT kits can be expensive & it’s quite possible to run very successful tanks with nary a kit

They can be helpful to starting aquarists, as lack of experience makes it more difficult to asses tank based upon fish activity (exactly what is “normal” for that species, is the stress water quality - or inappropriate tankmates, or illness or ???), plant growth/activity, also SMELL (fewer discussions lately on this but certain algaes contribute very different odours, also nitrates, excessive wastes etc)

What is your substrate?
ADA, Tropica, Tropica Growth Substrate, Dennerle etc - nitrogen’s can be released, depending

If you’re close to a shop that tests customer water samples, you can bring in fresh samples - my favourite is the dead fish included in water sample


I rarely use test kits these days, but they can be a useful tool when communicating aquarium details on forums

 

[PAYN3Y]

Hi,

Many thanks for your detailed reply. I have annotated your comments below.

Did you test your tap water as well?

I haven't tested my tap water so far.

You can (usually) find your tap water analysis online & confirm your test kit results,
eg, if test kit yields 20ppm nitrate in tap water, but water report indicates 0-5 nitrate range for tap water, kit - or more likely operator - may be in error

Here is my water quality report. Does this mean circa 25ppm? I did follow the kit instructions properly and gave it a shake for over a minute.

When testing tank water, other factors may contribute to results, eg, Seachem Prime will interfere with Nessler (reagent) Nitrogen test kits, instead use a Salycilate based kit
Read Seachem’s Prime FAQ

I have been using Seachem Prime, Stability & Purigen.

I’ve a background in biochemistry & found hobby kits to be surprisingly decent
eg, I ran standard curves for known amounts of nitrate using RO, tap & tank water as the solvent, spiked given samples with known amount nitrate, tested an “unknown” nitrate sample (prepared by a colleague) ... while a couple kit brands yielded odd results, most kits were decent: some test kits include a “reference” sample which can be used to “test” kit & operator

BUT kits can be expensive & it’s quite possible to run very successful tanks with nary a kit

They can be helpful to starting aquarists, as lack of experience makes it more difficult to asses tank based upon fish activity (exactly what is “normal” for that species, is the stress water quality - or inappropriate tankmates, or illness or ???), plant growth/activity, also SMELL (fewer discussions lately on this but certain algaes contribute very different odours, also nitrates, excessive wastes etc)

What is your substrate?
ADA, Tropica, Tropica Growth Substrate, Dennerle etc - nitrogen’s can be released, depending

My substrate is Prodibio Aquagrowth and I used a bacteria kit.

If you’re close to a shop that tests customer water samples, you can bring in fresh samples - my favourite is the dead fish included in water sample

I may try that at some point but I'm trying not to get hung up on results. I'd rather be patient and wait for nature to take it's course.


I rarely use test kits these days, but they can be a useful tool when communicating aquarium details on forums

 

[PAYN3Y]

So last night was my first panic. I noticed a few plants appeared to be dying and most of my Monte Carlo was gone.

On further inspection it seems that the Amano Shrimp have been uprooting the Monte Carlo. Perhaps I should have waited for it to take hold before adding the shrimp? The plants that appear to be melting are the Crypts. After googling in a panic it seems that Crypts often melt after a move and recover or begin a transition to submerged growth. Hopefully this is the case. Should I uproot them to clean off the melting leaves/check for new growth or just pull off the melting leaves in situ? The shrimp seem to be enjoying the dead plant matter but I'm sure I need to remove it.

 

[Nubias]

Great work, look forward to seeing the tanks progress but looks like an amazing start.

Only wish I could have room for another tank to do something more like this. Also good work on taking a suggestion from your 3yo and turning it into an obsession for yourself.

George does make a good video doesn’t he.... I think he should start doing a species spotlight series on different flora and fauna as I find him the most clear and concise out of all the YouTube I’ve watched on the hobby... and I’ve watched a lot.

 

[PAYN3Y]

I've added a few new additions this weekend. 32 RCS, 6 Cardinal Tetras and a few new plants.

As you can see from the pictures I've lost the majprity of my Monte Carlo. The Eleocharis seems to be holding in there and the Hydrocotyle Verticillata is growing new shoots pretty well. I've added a few new crypts around the mid-ground and a bunch of Limnophila Sessiliflora to the back left. My Ludwigia is growing well and has gone a lovely red that the pictures don't do justice.

I'm looking for suggestions on what to do with the big rock on the right. That was originally placed there to hold the wood in place with the intention being to move it later. I'm now thinking it should stay but its certainly needs something attaching to it. Should I buy 6 varieties of Bucephalandra, try to cover it in moss or something else?

 

[PAYN3Y]

Yesterday I decided to remove all of the Monte Carlo. The amano shrimp had ripped most of it up anyway and it was looking a bit messy. I've given that a good clean but it was interesting to see how many dead brown roots were under there. Personally I think it looks better without the carpeting plants but I'm starting to regret not having the front left of the tank as a sandy/beach area. Would it be a complete nightmare to do that now the tank has some livestock?

I also moved the C02 diffuser and added a power head yesterday. The power head is giving the trident fern some nice flow and really pushing the C02 bubbles around the tank. Hopefully this will improve flow and plant health overall. The Anubias are really starting to take off now and the stem plants are growing like mad. Some crypts are taking a while to recover and the Buce don't seem to be doing anything yet.

I'm thinking off adding another 14 cardinals at the weekend. Undecided on the second shoaling fish. Harlequins?

 

[tam]

It looks good

Yes completely normal for crypts to melt and grow back. They grow big root systems so often there is a lot going on under the substrate even if the top looks sad.

Looks like your tap reads about 25ppm nitrate so not surprising your tanks around the same mark. I wouldn't stress over it.

I like to experiment a bit some plants do well others don't and you can try different things. Let things grow in a bit and see how they look.

What's your substrate? If it's not layered you could insert some supports, syphon out the front and add sand, would be messy to do but not impossible.

I don't mind the rock, I think it looks like it fits in as an extension of the one under the wood. The front will soften as the plants in front grow. You can try a buce if you like them but I like it as is. A lot is down to what you like so you have to decide

 

[Wulfen]

Looking good

 

[AverageWhiteBloke]

Great start, have a look into each plant you buy mate. Some just don't grow very fast regardless of what you do with them like the buce, certain crypts and anubias so don't confuse this with poor growth. Sometimes it's best to plant such plants in shaded areas so they don't get too much light. Because they don't grow fast and you are not constantly trimming them you just end up getting algae on the leaves. Faster growing stems don't get the chance as you clip them out more often. If the fast growers are growing fine the slow growers will look after themselves.

Right off topic but I'm intrigued with the TV setup, what's going on there? Really like the look of that and was contemplating something similar. I was think about wooden lats on the wall with a black backing with similar led back light but I like what you've done there.

 

[PAYN3Y]

It looks good

Yes completely normal for crypts to melt and grow back. They grow big root systems so often there is a lot going on under the substrate even if the top looks sad.

Looks like your tap reads about 25ppm nitrate so not surprising your tanks around the same mark. I wouldn't stress over it.

I like to experiment a bit some plants do well others don't and you can try different things. Let things grow in a bit and see how they look.

What's your substrate? If it's not layered you could insert some supports, syphon out the front and add sand, would be messy to do but not impossible.

I don't mind the rock, I think it looks like it fits in as an extension of the one under the wood. The front will soften as the plants in front grow. You can try a buce if you like them but I like it as is. A lot is down to what you like so you have to decide

Substrate is Prodibio Aqua Growth Soil. Nothing else under it so I guess the support option would be doable. Perhaps a big unnecessary job really. I may attempt a carpet again in the future when the tank is more mature.

Thanks for your comments. Good food for thought. I think I'll leave the rock for the time being.

Great start, have a look into each plant you buy mate. Some just don't grow very fast regardless of what you do with them like the buce, certain crypts and anubias so don't confuse this with poor growth. Sometimes it's best to plant such plants in shaded areas so they don't get too much light. Because they don't grow fast and you are not constantly trimming them you just end up getting algae on the leaves. Faster growing stems don't get the chance as you clip them out more often. If the fast growers are growing fine the slow growers will look after themselves.

Right off topic but I'm intrigued with the TV setup, what's going on there? Really like the look of that and was contemplating something similar. I was think about wooden lats on the wall with a black backing with similar led back light but I like what you've done there.

Thanks for the info. I've not really researched the plants - just put a load in and starting looking into them afterwards. I figured it'd be a quick way to learn! Are there any options for fast growing plants that are not carpet or stem plants?

As for the TV setup. I built a frame out of CLS and mounted a piece of MDF to it. I cut a hole in the middle to house the TV bracket and to get the wires through from the floating media unit below. There is 6m of Phlips Hue lightstrip around the edge of the CLS and then wallpapered the MDF and hung the TV.

I haven't got any fully finished photos but you can see what's going on here. There is a link with some WIP photos here too.

https://imgur.com/a/aVzEmgl <<<<<< Work in Progress Photos

 

[AverageWhiteBloke]

Some crypts are taking a while to recover and the Buce don't seem to be doing anything yet.

Was just referring to this mate, certain plant don't grow very fast regardless of what you do to them even in perfect conditions, in fact some prefer to be in a shaded area. Stems tend to be the fastest growers. Just don't worry if you see on plant in particular that doesn't appear to be growing much, sometimes its just the nature of the plant. It will prevent trying to fix things that aren't broken.

Nice work with the TV setup BTW. It's give me food for thought. I do interiors for a living, plasterboard features with led lighting in that kind of thing so as you'll guess my house tends to be a bit over the top that way Was fancying doing something around my TV very similar to yours, mdf sheet with some black cloth I liberated from a sound studio I recently did and Oak slats fixed with gaps between them backlit be LED like you have there. Hides all the cables and looks nice. Hopefully anyway but I like what you did there just not a fan of wallpaper (not yours obviously just in general). Once you start with wallpaper it's that way for life. Thinking maybe the same as yours but painting it out in a contrasting colour.