Blau - Bloody Mary 28ltr High energy

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Afternoon everyone.

This ones been percolating for a while now but just want to get the journal started. I'll add earlier and subsequent content in due course. It's getting a partial drain a relocate in early new year and will hopefully develop it thereafter. I've got more plants from cuttings going in to fill gaps/up biomass later today.

Here's a rig rundown;

Tank - Blau cubic 4025 (supplied lid is being used)
Lighting - Lumini Asta 20 ( set at about 80% and running 6.5hrs)
Filter - Oase Filtosmart 60 (positioned next tank. Input has some medium pond filter sponge in the top half to act as shrimp proofing and pre-filter. Output is configured with supplied bar across back of tank but clips are Eheim as is the input pipe I heat-drilled two extra holes in the spray bar to increase dispursion of co2/ surface exchange)
Heater - Aquael in-tank Ultra (I think) set at 23c
Co2 - Sodastream with adaptor on CO2 Art twin dial rig. Regulator set at 31psi and delivery at about 30 bmp/0.5 per second to gain mid-green DC at lights on. Distribution via Tropica diffusor anchored by wood at just above substrate level forward of spray bar output. Just back of centre square of water column)

Hardscape - Leftover Dragon stone from Tracy Island. Wood root (unknown/bought from Roman Tropicals about 5 years ago) with piece of flat Dragonstone cotton-tied to it. Plants are all spares from Tracy Island;

Mixed mosses- Spiky, Weeping and Flame.
Java fern 'babies'
Pinitifada
B. Carolina
H.S 53b
H. Tripartita Japan
R. Rotundifolia green
Salvinia
Frogbit

They're all doing fine on about 1.5ml of TNC complete per day. One little bunch of Rotala is a bit weedy but I think its still adapting. About midway through the diatoms I would guess. Bit of BG a few weeks ago but its gone.
I'm down to a 30% water change once a week and will probably drop rhat to 15% now the Marys are in.

Also bought;

A. Nana Bonsai
A. Nana Golden

A few Alder cones, mini Catappa leaves and a dried Mulberry leaf from the garden.

Critters

Seed snails (must have come across on a cutting)

3 x Zebra spiked Nerites (ebay)

10x Bloody Marys (just in yesterday after a slightly nervous 6 hour stop/start acclimation) They all made it into the tank and no losses as of this morning but it's very early days.

Temp 23c
Tds 330
Ph 7.6 (@ two hours before co2 on)
GH 14
Kh 11
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 35ppm from 40ppm tap source

Not ideal parameters but the Blue Dreams in Tracy Island are good with it (if going through a breeding stop at the moment)


I'm keeping fingwrs crossed and taking it slowly. If it goes bad and becomes a massacre I'll say so.

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[Big G]

An embarrasing and regrettable update. Seems I've lost 6-7 of my ten newly introduced B Marys. Warts 'n all this journal right?

No excuses. I should have done better sooner. Bottom line and to the best of my knowledge, I killed them through co2 poisoning. It's a hard lesson.

I've no doubt it's possible to keep Neos in a nano tank with a modicum of injection with experience but I'm not that guy (clearly) nor willing to drive that experiment further at this point. The wellbeing of my remaining fauna comes first. Three beautiful, probably female, BMs and three tiny horned zebra Nerites.

The co2 rig has been removed from the tank,vented on the regulated side and I'll no doubt shut the bottle control valve (it's a bit sticky) , vent the pressure side, clean and store all the co2 kit away for a future project.

My remaining ladies seem happy as do the Nerites.

I'm not feeding them and proprietary foods but they have a bit of Mulberry leaf I watch. It's just starting to be nibbled which is good but expect there's plenty of biofilm in ratio to demand for now.

The piece of stone that was strapped to the wood has been removed.

Lights have been pre-empively reduced in photoperiod but not intensity.
Ferts reduced from 1.5ml a day to 0.5ml a day. Syphoning and water changes upped to 40% twice a week.

I expect some fallout from the withdrawal of co2 but we'll see how it goes.
Plants so far good but I'm looking closely for signs of algae etc. A few S. Repens leaves have holes but that could be the seed shrimp and other critters piling in on die-off brought about by adjustment.
I stuck an oxydator in after switching off co2 and doing a 50% water change. No real need but I had it running in my other tank anyway.

Going forward I think I'll just try and nurse the tank through any adjustments for now. Once I'm happy things feel in balance I will start a minor rescape or a tank move followed by a minor rescape as I've got a new 60cm Inspire cabinet built and ready. Depending on covid/work situation that might form the basis for another project if the Blau doesn't move. Planting-wise I want to hide the home-made mid-density sponge pre-filter/shrimp saver I've put on the non-pressure end of the filter chain. Also like to try a red plant and maybe my first crypt.

I'll try not to let this tank get as sculptured and busy as the first . More towards a nature/jungle style.

Finally, of course, I will look to add a further 5-10 BMs to kick-start the colony again.

Painful lesson learnt and knowing many make the same mistake is of small comfort.

All the best

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