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Fusion

Hi, good start.
If you're in AquaJardin ,check out of the display tanks down towards the fish.They've got one using slate.
Not sure of the look you are after,to obscure the filter,but Limnophila Sessiflora has always grown well for me with no co2.
 
Hmm, slight hiccup today. My RGB LEDs for the backlighting have fallen off. The 3M adhesive backing obviously wasn't up to much. They've fallen down the back of the tank which makes it a little tricky to get to them but I think I can get them out.

My plan is to then cut a piece of wood to length, put a large staple in either end of the wood and then tie some fishing line to these staples. This should allow me to lower the wood down behind the tank. Once in position I can attach the LED strips to the top of this piece of wood. They won't fall off then as I'll use better adhesive and gravity will be on their side too. Also, the fishing line should allow me to raise them up a bit higher too and hopefully therefore make them a little brighter behind the tank.

It would be easier to do if I could get behind the tank and get to the LEDs junction box but I can;t do that without moving the tank and cabinet and I'm now unsure if I can do that with all the hardscaping in there and a little reluctant to try to do so in case it all moves.

I'm sue I'll work something out though.

Al.
 
Al,

After reading your experience with LED strips and my mates...

Please read this about using LED strips in an aquarium, before putting them in the bin, it attempting to use as main light source. I got extensively involved in trying to sort him, as he knew I was a "light expert", what ever that was. OK he was trying to replace main lighting, but sounds like you are having the same experience.
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/led-strip-experiments.32010/#post-338984
 
Thanks Ian,
I don't think I'll face most of those issues as I'll be using the LEDS as secondary lighting just for effect. They'll be mounted outside the tank and should therefore stay completely dry. I have already faced the problem of the adhesive not being strong enough though. I've now managed to retrieve the light strips from behind the tank, but can't quite get to the little control box which I stupidly glued to the side of the tank just out of reach!!. You can just see the IR remote control sensor sticking out from the RHS of the tank in the photo below. The control box that I need to get to is in behind that.

DU3g6j.jpg


It looks as though I'll have to move the tall cupboards to the left of the aquarium and then see if I can manage to shift the entire tank and cabinet to the left a few inches so that I can get to it. I just hope I don't mess any of my hardscape up in the process.

Once that is done I plan on putting the LED strips on a thin piece of wood in behind the tank. This will be attached to the top of the tank so that I can raise them up to get at them in the future should I need to do so. Kind of a mobile shelf behind the tank which will allow me to adjust where the LEDs are positioned relative to substrate levels and desired lighting effects... Got to get at that control box first though.

A7Q2z7.jpg


Al
 
If the strips have fallen off, it's not 3M adhesive then, like I think you stated.

When my mates LED's failed to stick he eventually complained to 3M that their adhesive was rubbish. The Ebay vendor shrugged his shoulders, saying might state water proof LED strip, but not for use near too much water, therefore not our problem. 3M said your adhesive has failed as the adhesive is not UV resistant (from the LED's) and that all 3M adhesives are UV resistant, thus you have been ripped off as this is not 3M adhesive. They sent a list of US suppliers selling LED strips with 3M adhesive, which worked our about £10 per metre for waterproof LED strip. One of the web sites showed the LED strip stuck to the glass inside the tank working fine !!!! Oh also available at over 1000lumens per meter, so twice as bright as Ebay ones.
 
Phew, managed to get my DIY LED backlight contraption installed this evening. It's all in place and hopefully the LED strip will stay in place now. It's actually a better effect than before as I now have a full four strips of LEDs all facing upwards which provides a brighter light and better gradient.

They do throw some light up onto the ceiling now, but that can easily be remedied by a reflector attached to the top of the tank.

I've been living with the hardscape all day and I'm feeling fairly happy with it so I may well leave it as it is.

Now to decide whether to try the dry start method to get a nice carpet of Eleocharis sp. mini and Heliathium tenellus established. I've never grown any carpeting species before or tried the DSM but it sounds as though it could be the way forward?

Al.
 
Do we think any planting on the left slope, even low growing carpeting plants, will be enough to obscure the entire hard scape on that side?
I've always known to go big with the hard scape and let the plants soften it and remove its impact slightly. I think by starting small it will get hidden

I really like the look of this project though


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Justal said:
Now to decide whether to try the dry start method to get a nice carpet of Eleocharis sp. mini and Heliathium tenellus established. I've never grown any carpeting species before or tried the DSM but it sounds as though it could be the way forward?

Al.
Click to expand...

You might read George Farmer's thoughts in this thread as he makes some valid points; reading forums, some people have great success with DSM, others rather less ...
 
Thank Jim.... Was planning on posting an update soon, not that much has happened really.

Staurogyne repens is settling in well and appears to be well rooted now, I think it has grown quite a bit already too. Pogostemon helferi seems to be quite happy too at the moment, as does the Echonidorus tenellus. It's difficult to tell with the Eleocharis sp. mini though, it's still looking healthy but I'm not sure if it is doing much, hopefully it's sending out lots of little roots beneath the substrate.

Just trying to remain patient now as I can't wait to flood the tank and see what happens then. There is a bit of algal growth on the pathway in the middle where the water just covers the gravel, so I might take some of that out and give it a god wash before flooding the tank. I might try to take some photos later to compare and contrast now that the DSM method has been in progress for 3 weeks. How long do people usually leave things before flooding the tank?

Al.
 
Eleocharis is very slow growing in my tank, flow and Co2 is the most likely cause. I'm a newbie to planted tanks and DSM, have had tanks in the past but very low tech.

Looking forward to seeing some photos to compare the progress.

Jim
 
Here you go... some photos of the progress over the past 3 weeks since first planting. I'm sure there has been some growth!

DSM.jpg

Echinodorus-tenellus.jpg

Staurogyne-repens.jpg

Settling-In.jpg

Plant-Groeth.jpg


I'm a little worried about the buildup of algae in the shallow pool of water at the front of the tank though. Has anyone got some advice on what to do about it. First up a good way to clean the algae out and secondly how to prevent it coming back. I knew there would be a 'fight' with algae at some point, but I had hoped that would at least wait until I'd flooded the tank. Creating a little algal pool before I even fill the tank was not the plan!

Algal-Pool.jpg



Thanks,
Al.
 
Looking good! As far as the algae in DSM, you need to remove as much water from the tank as you can; I usually make a little dent in my substrate at gthe lowest point, and keep removing water (with a syringe at that point), until the water level is at least 5 mm. below the top of the substrate. As Tom Barr says: they don't call it a dry start for nothing. ;)
Cleaning out the current algae, you could try some diluted liquid CO2 (1-to-8 ratio at least), but avoid spraying any of it on the plants; using a little brush would probably work better. If you have real steady hand, you could try undiluted, but as said, be sure not to get any on your plants, cause they will be sterilised and die off. The safest way would be a toothbrush, elbow grease, and lots of patience, scrubbing it of.
 
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