• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

First tank rebooted

goodiehard

goodiehard

Seedling
Joined
9 May 2012
Messages
21
Location
amsterdam
Hi G's,

This won't be the most complete or regularly updated journal out there but I'd still like to share my experience.

Posted a pic of my first plated tank a while ago in the new members section about a month and a half ago.
New and Newby | UK Aquatic Plant Society

I knew then that the sand and "substrate" I used wasn't going to work so I've had to reboot the tank. In the meantime a couple of the plants were in such poor shape that I've had to chuck 'em.
The new substrate I'm using is an amano look-a-like I found from a supplier out of belgium called aquatic-nature. I had to look far and wide because this stuff is not as readily available in the netherlands. I'm using their plant soil powder. For sand I've stuck to riversand this time.
Really happy with the substrate so far. It's not too light, plants are easily planted and stay in place and the price was right.

This was the 7th of july
pic6_zpsa4edf92e.jpg


The plants I have now are;
Vallisneria
Cryptocoryne Wendtii 'tropica'
Cryptocoryne Wendtii 'green' -> came over from before the reboot
Hygrophila Corymbosa -> looked so nice in the LFS
Riccia Fluitans - maybe some dwarf in there as well -> got it through friendly members of a nice dutch plantforum and came over from before the reboot. has been doing really wel in the new setup.
Utricularia Graminifolia -> looked nice in the LFS, isn't doing so well now. Have to wait and see..
Taxiphynum

This is after two weeks.
pic3_zps80c3bc98.jpg

I had the new model UpAqua diffusor but it wouldn't seal properly. So I screwed it so tight that eventually it teared. That's why the white hose and in-tank diffusor is there... temporarally

Some more pics.
pic2.jpg

pic1.jpg


I think it could use some more plants, am looking at some options. No rush.

Fish will have to wait until after the vacation. Didn't want to put them through the hassle of the reboot and I don't want to abandon them for two weeks after I've just bought them.

I have really enjoyed the hobby so far. Figuring out the technical stuff, going trhough the amano books and the fora, making a "design" for the lay-out, basically all of it as well of enjoying just watching the tank (and planning improvements :D
 
Quick update.

Riccia is nice and thick and I've trimmed it. Also trimmed the dead leaves off the vallisneria. Trimmed the Hygrophila and replanted the cuttings.
I've removed the Utricularia Graminifolia. It didn't really do anything and brown algae was all over it. Don't want to risk leaving it in whilst going on vacation.
I planted the crypto's too deep initially and it's leaves started to rot. fixed that after the first week and they now look like they are starting to grow.

photo2_zps7cd7b147.jpg


I've traded for some liverwort and some Cryptocoryne beckettii "Petchii".

Thinking of adding any of these, as soon as I know where to put them and if they'll fit:
Hydrocotyle sp. ''Japan''
Myriophyllum
Anubias petite nanas
Lilaeopsis
Echinodorus Red October
Bolbitis heudelotii
 
post-vacation updates.

The flame-moss really grew big in the 2 weeks that I was away. Had some bad luck with the CO2 diffuser that came loose, but judging from the size of the riccia I'm sure that that happened in the last days of the holiday.

On the right hand side in the lower corner I've planted Rotala rotundifolia to add some color. On this pic you can also see some new inhabitants. I've added 10 Aplocheilichtys normani and 5 japonica's (and a whole lot of waterfleas).
16_aug.jpg


Yesterday I redid the riccia stones. Found some bigger ones in the river dordogne on vacation and i'm hoping that I'll have a bit more shape and undulation in the riccia "field".
21_aug.jpg


I've replaced the (1,5 month) old Up-Aqua atomizer that cracked with a smaller model. It does not dissolve the CO2 as well as it the bigger one, but this one does not have a lid that comes off (it's al glued together and nothing screws on or off). On the older model the lid was never air-tight and I ended up screwing it so tight that I ripped the plastic lid...
 
Not sure whatsup with the image links. But here's an updated pic for the journal. *just re-pasted al the imagelinks*

ppoottoo.png


It's not been trimmed for a while. Partly due to not having enough time and in part because I know I will be breaking the tank down in a couple of weeks. I'll keep the mosses, ferns and some of the crypto's in a nano along with the shrimps.

The mosses I've collected (bought from lfs, forum and found in between other mosses) are:
Stringy Moss - Leptodictyum riparium
Willow Moss - Fontinalis antipyretica
Phoenix Moss - U.S. Fissidens Fontanus
Quell Willow Moss - Fontinalis hypnoides -> at least I think so. looks like the Phoenix but a bit finer
Spiky Moss - Taxiphyllum sp
Flame Moss - Taxiphyllum sp.
Monosolenium tenerum
 
Ok. So final update on this tank.
Had to break it up last november. We are moving house, twice, and are now in a small temp appartment. I'have a 30L nano that I hope to start a journal for soon.

This is the final pic.
9016BF71-E628-4F78-8F8C-903EB2499426-643-000000B323AD1B15_zps35bb594d.jpg


It's stuffed with plants because the bolbitis, java's and anubias I bought for the nano are also in there.
 
Really nice, what lighting were you using?
 
Sorry for the late reply. I have to turn on alerts I think.

These are 2x T5 28watt Dennerle Trocal lights. Color plus in the front and Special plant in the back.
 
I didn't fert. I tried to but that only resulted in algae bloom. The soil I used had added ferts. The packaging states that it doesn't need any added fert for the first 3 months.
(I mailed the company that makes the soil because I wanted to know if anything was added. They replied: "yes". Being curious I asked them what fertilizers were in there, they replied: "THE ONES THAT MAKE PLANTS GROW!". Not kidding. just the 1 sentence, ALL CAPS. LOL).

I did dose CO2. About a drop a second. 30 mins before lights on to 30 mins before lights off and used an atomizer to dissolve it into the water. I also had a pretty strong waterflow using the eheim 2324. You can really see the difference in growth between spots in the aquarium that have good flow and the ones that do not.

The lights were on for about 6 hours.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top