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Cro's first go

Cro

Member
Joined
23 May 2009
Messages
103
Finally got to do my planted tank today. Below are a couple of pics, 1 before (taken a month or so back) and the other with how it is now. The second pic is with my new camera (thanks John ;) ) but I've not got to grips with it yet. :oops:

Specs:

Jewel Rio 240
Eheim Pro 3 250 (2071) filter running spray bar
Eheim Pro 3 350 (2073) filter running spray bar
2 X Sun Sun 3000lph power heads (these things are rubbish and will be replaced at a later date)
JBL M601 pressurised Co2
EI dosing to start tomorrow.
Substrate is sand at the bottom/back - JBL Aqua Basis Plus on top & Oliver Knott Natureoil Fine on top of that.

Before
P1010002.jpg


Today
P1010454.jpg


The pebbles along the front are only there temporarily until the plants root nicely.

Comment etc more than welcome.
 
Will look great when you get rid of the white pebbles, and you need to take a closer look at the fish selection too! ;)

What lighting you use? also whats the fish stock?

BTW is Oliver Knott Naturesoil ;) what you think of it? Looks great doesn't it?? ;)
 
LondonDragon said:
Will look great when you get rid of the white pebbles
Yeah, looking forward to the plants taking root properly so I can get rid of them.

LondonDragon said:
you need to take a closer look at the fish selection too! ;)
:?: Because the Loaches like to uproot everything? I realise that but can't part with them so will put up with replanting, will give me a chance to tinker too. :D

LondonDragon said:
What lighting you use? also whats the fish stock?
2 X 38W T8's, 1 X White and 1 X Soft (Plant)
Fish stock is high, a little too high tbh, but they are all very happy and I have not to distant future plans for a few of them.
2 X Kissing Gourami's
2 X Dwarf Gourami's
4 X Clown Loach
4 X Schwartzi Corydora Cat Fish
3 X peppered Corydora Cat Fish
10 X pentazonian Barbs
8 X Cardinal Tetra's
2 X Guppies
2 X Sailfin Mollies

LondonDragon said:
BTW is Oliver Knott Naturesoil ;) what you think of it? Looks great doesn't it?? ;)
:oops: Edited now, thanks.

Yeah I love it, looks great and seems to work very well in the tank too. It is a very easy substrate to work with also. I used JBL underneath it as I thought the plants could anchor a little better in that, being more of a muddy substrate.
 
Hei, the wood looks better in 2 pieces doesnt it ;)
Good luck with that one. Looking forward to see how it goes.
 
Piece-of-fish said:
Hei, the wood looks better in 2 pieces doesnt it ;)
Good luck with that one. Looking forward to see how it goes.
Hey m8,

Yeah it worked out well splitting the wood, I didn't want to but couldn't get the whole piece in the tank in a satisfactory position. It took about 3 hours to split it right without damaging it :wideyed:

I've made some changes today, planted HC and Parvula and had a little rearrangement of the current plants. I'll post up more pics when the HC has taken and I have removed the stones holding it down.
 
Well 6 or 7 weeks on and the tank is doing OK, I was hoping for a bit better but this is my first go. I've had a few problems with my Co2 running out quickly, I have put this down to splitting it between 2 diffusers (one at each end of the tank to get good even coverage) using an air line splitter which has valves (one of the diffusers seems to need more pressure than the other) I think the splitter valve leaks a bit. So I have bought a proper co2 splitter (waiting for it to arrive from Aquamagic) and have also gone for a 2kg fire extinguisher (which has a proper hand screw top valve/connector on the top) and a solenoid, so hopefully the Co2 problem will get better in the future.

P1010862.jpg


I lost all of the HC and HM as I have quite a few bottom feeders who just dug it all up. I replaced it with EP which has stayed better but still needs attention everyday due to the substrate movement. Now that is a point, Oliver Knott substrate looks very good, and is probably doing a very good job fertilising too, but, it's rubbish at holding plants in place! I am doing a lot of trimming at present to try and get the plants bushy so that's why it doesn't look very tall.

I am having trouble getting moss to stay on the Mopani wood, I had it tied for 6 weeks then started to remove some of the fishing wire but most of it just flew off. Anyone have any ideas what I have done wrong? I can go down the super glue route but don't really want to take it out of the tank for now as the fish use it a lot to hide in.

P1010863.jpg


My main problem however is the dredded algae :twisted: I have had virtually no algae on the glass since starting this tank but I do seem to be getting BBA and Stag (or maybe hair) algae. The Stag/hair algae I think came with the moss I bought from a LFS, but i don't seem to be able to get rid of it with high flow rate and overdosing Flourish Excel, again anyone any ideas? The BBA is only on the Mopani wood, again it's not going so any ideas? I'm also getting some white fluffy algae kind on clumps on one area on the Mopani wood (not pictured as I scratched it off, again, yesyerday) anyone know what this may be, and how to get rid of it?

P1010864.jpg


P1010866.jpg


All in all though i am really enjoying looking after the planted tank, even if I am replanting every day due to the bottom feeders :rolleyes: I have been putting some of the off cuts in my daughters tank and that seems to be coming on well too, the Shrimp love it. :thumbup:

Comments/suggestions more than welcome. :D
 
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