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Going to have a go!

DianeC

Member
Joined
1 Dec 2018
Messages
52
Location
High Peak
I've decided the best way for me to learn how to do this is to jump in with both feet, hardly any experience, not much budget, bags of enthusiasm and hopefully lots of help!! So here goes...!
My aim is for a low tech, 'absolutely fabulous' natural looking aquascape, my result maybe a little different though!I
My tank is an Ebay bargain Aqua One nano 60, 60l x 40w x 47h (usable space 60x30x47) inbuilt filter and standard light.
Substrate is ' Ocean free aqua plant and shrimp soil '
I bought 4 bits of rocks and 3 bits of Manzanita wood at LFS .
Plants
These are a bit hit and miss as I don't really know what some of them are and /or will look like when grown in.
Some are leftovets/clippings from my Fluval Spec V (my trial fish tank!) So far I have;
Anubius x2 types?!
Java fern broad leaf.
Micrathemum Monte Carlo
Ceatopteris siliquosa
Hygrophila corymbosa
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'green'
Vallina spiralis
and I think Hydrocotyle leucocephala.
This is not the final list but as mentioned I am having to stick to a budget so am trying to use what I have.
I have played around with the hardscape and came up with this. Comments/critics most welcome!
IMG_20190114_173152.jpg
 
I forgot to say this isn't the final planting I just planted up what I had to start cycling the tank.
 
Hi
Hardscape is looking good.
There are few recommendations I have for U.
First If U have them floss and carbon pads in sump take them out and replace them with sponge block (20ppi).If your pump is near the top is good to find way to lower it down as if your media gets clogged your water level in sump will drop down and the pump may be exposed.
Second those tanks have tendency to keep a lot of the waste accumulated near the back wall due to main suction point to the sump being high.This is resolved If U modify the outlet to get it connected to a small spraybar on the back of tank blowing towards the front glass.That will give U better flow and particles will be suspended longer and will find their way out easier.
Plants to consider:
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis-foreground(will addapt slow and will take ages to carpet)
helanthium tenellus- foreground
Marsilea hirsuta-foreground
Cryptocorine beckettii petchii-small one
Cryptocorine legroi-small one
Cryptocorine albida brown-small one
Cryptocorine wendtii brown/green-medium ones
Hygrophila Araguaia-small /meduim size
Hygrophila Siamensis b53-background
Heteranthera zosterifolia-background
Limnophila sessiliflora-background
Bucephalandra sp
Java fern pettite
Those plants are more or less bulet proof and should grow happy with a complete fertiliser addition.
Maybe get some floating plants in the begging too.It will help U a lot.
Regards Konsa
 
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I'm glad you started a journal Diane. The tank looks good so far. I agree with Konsa with regards to floating plants. Salvinia is good, good old duck weed is cheap but can take over or amazon frogbit (still haven't found a source of this yet).

Another option would be hornwort. Not a floating plant as such but hangs around at the top and grows like crazy.

Keep up the journal.
 
Hi all, I always have spare if you are still looking.

I've also seen Limnobium (or Salvinia?) in Pets@Home as Tropica 1-2 grow pots.

cheers Darrel

Thanks Darrel. I've not found Limnobium only Salvinia and the goldfish treat that like a salad bar.

I'd be more than happy to pay for some frogbit.
 
Thanks for the replies and suggestions.I
With regard to the filter at the back, I've already had issues with that! Media is a sponge and ceramic rings now, plus the power head is under the outlet hole.
Plants ...where do I start, there are so many to choose from and I'm like a kid in the Sweety shop.
I have looked up all suggested plants ( and many others) and now have questions;
I'm hoping to run my tank on the cooler side 20C to 22 max. Is this something to bear in mind. I.e. keep away from ones that like higher temps ( although I found the temp parameters suggested for the same plant differ?)
As my budget is tight, is it better to go for 'cultured' pot things or an established plant as I won't be using CO2.
I have tried to show what I'm looking to achieve with the planting (technology and me don't get on so excuse low quality images!)
IMG_20190116_130727_kindlephoto-221520822.jpg Or IMG_20190116_122026_kindlephoto-213601585.jpg the darker colour is background plants. Existing Ceratopertis siliquosa and ?
The middle green mid ground: existing Hygrophila corymbosa, Vallisneria asiatica, Java Fern
Foreground existing Cryp. Wendtii green and ?
Carpeting existing Micranthemum Monte Carlo ? Lilaeopsis.
I get the feeling it is a ' try it and see' exercise with how they look until I get some experience.
 
Hi
Didn't realised it was your thread about the water level in sump.lol
About being on budget I am there too.I have planted loads of plants recently and waiting currently to see if they gonna make it as I have low tech tanks with inert substrate and I tend to just trow different plants in and wait to see which one will fight their way trough.It may be a month or two but if I have trimmings will post them to U just for postage cost. Im sure if U post in sales subforum someone else may help with free cutting too.
Regards Konsa
 
Thanks Konsa, I would be very interested in the plants (and if any of my limited stock interest you, just let me know when your ready) I haven't got access to the Sales part as there is a minimum number of posts 'to open the door'!
 
Hi
Thank U for the kind offer.Im ok for plants atm.If anything have a lil too many species atm but like I said not everything will make it.Unfortunately this is how my tanks roll lately.lol
Upped the ferts since Monday and will pm when there is sth that justify the postage cost.
Regards Konsa
 
The latest update.
After visiting the LFS who had a fabulous range of plants and I just so happened to have my xmas money on me, I took part in some retail therapy and bought more than I should. I have also managed to lose the description of what I bought, I can remember Amazon sword (smaller variety) Rotala -Variety of and the floating plant limnobium.
Anyway this is what I managed to achieve. I ask the advise of the women in charge of the planting section which would cope with the cooler water and low/medium light however she did say try them and see.
The planting idea I am trying for is a solid in the centre with grading to the sides and to the front.
I have found the limited depth in the tank more challenging to get the layering effect and there is an art form in getting the plants into the soil AND staying there!
IMG_20190121_142624.jpg
Comments always welcome and Konsa I'm still up for the plants!
 
IMG_20190210_091747.jpg IMG_20190303_142723.jpg IMG_20190303_142842.jpg Finally managed an update.
It has been quite eventful since I last posted, starting with my light! I had to replace my stock light after it decided to flicker and ended up with an Aquasky as I was disappearing on holiday the day after and it was the only available light at LFS. Unfortunately it was a lot more powerful than the original and I came back to an aquarium full of algae.
I have spent weeks trying to get a balance in the tank since, I seem to have it right for the fish as they keep breeding but I must be the only person who can destroy Anubis along with all the other plants in there. Serious melt doesn't really cover it. IMG_20190210_091747.jpg The tank after the week away and now IMG_20190303_142723.jpg the Anubis IMG_20190303_142842.jpg
I have reduced the lighting time and raised it above the tank. My floating plants all went into mass melt and I have only managed to bring some back in the fry cage, this may have been an issue with the lid been on and about an inch above! My heater then decided to malfunction and try and boil the tank, it has been replaced!
I was given some cherry shrimp to possibly help with the algae but some escaped into the filter compartment which involved breaking down the whole of the back filtration area to catch them. One didn't make it . I

So all in all this 'relaxing' hobby has ben a bit more stressful than I remember!
 
I have decided to try and post a monthly update to see how the tank develops (or not!) Over the coming months starting with this;

March 2019

IMG_20190314_115020.jpg
The tank is holding its own since the light change and trying to balance the more powerful light with algae growth. The plants are looking worse for wear but there is new growth on most even on the Anubus which I honestly thought had had it. IMG_20190314_110407.jpg At present the livestock consists of 3 adult gold WCMM and one juvenile, 2 adult WCMM and 6 juveniles. There are supposed to be 5 red cherry shrimp but I can only ever see 4, they seem to be masters of hiding and I have added 2 Zebra Nerites to the snail population of 1 bladder,3 pond and don't know how many ramshorn! I am trying to remove the non Nerite snails as something is eating my plants. IMG_20190314_110527.jpg My ph seems to be hovering between 6.5 and 7 which I worry its too low for the nerites. The tap water is 7.5 but the substrate sems to be acidifiying it. Last water check ammonia and nitrites okay. Water changes between 20 to 30% a week. The temp is 22C . I am wondering if I should add plant food as the plants look poor (see photo) anyone suggest what could help ?
I also have some white stuff growing anyone know what it is? IMG_20190314_110540.jpg
 
April 2019

I seem to be winning the war with varies algaes that had appeared in the tank. I ended up reducing the lighting period by an hour, moving the light a bit higher up, changing the direction of flow on the outlet pipe, washing the back of the tank and added my Fluval 206 external filter to the filtration compartment to the back as well. This was more to see if I could get clearer water as my water seemed to have particles floating in it, it's a lot clearer but still not crystal!
The plants seem to be improving from the total meltdown, I have new leaves on the Anubias, and swords and my Rotala has decided not to melt anymore!I have started to add JBL Ferropol (recomended at LFS to be safe with shrimp ) with the water changes so maybe by next month I'll be reporting on my jungle!!!I
Livestock seems to be having ups and downs; I added 10 Pygmy Corydoras of which I know I have had 1death but I haven't counted more than 5 since they have been in. They are masters of hiding so I don't know how well they are doing. My shrimp seem to be the same, I have added 12 of which I know I have had 3 deaths but again 5 is the maximum I have seen at one time. My WCMM number is 16 in total. I managed to raise 7 babies out of the last batch of 61 fry and hopefully that is where the numbers will stop.
I have added a bit of cholla wood to provide any baby shrimp/fish with a bit more protection (she is hoping!) It is an interesting shape but as yet not really sitting well with the theme of the aquascaping, I'll have to keep playing around. IMG_20190423_180909.jpg
 
May 2019

Okay major breakdown month regarding the tank (mentally!)

I seem to have managed to get completely on top of my algae issues, the water clarity is much better than before but my planting is not doing what I had planned for in this scape. I wanted a central, tall area petering out to the sides and front like a outcrop in a stream, but the plants are not playing ball! My amazon sword seems to be reducing in height creating a line of 2/3 rds along the back and my plants in the front have gone on strike for growing. Now I understand why people break down their scapes, itchy fingers to improve or change it.
I also thought I was doing well with the livestock, having not seen my Corys in numbers other than 3, I counted 7 ( have according to what went in and recorded deaths 9) but today I found one floating. My pH value also seems to be going wrong. I did my weekly water change 20% yesterday, checked pH today and it is 6. I've slowly added some JBL stuff as recommended by LFS to try and bring it up. Possibly the reason with the Cory?!
On the positive side my WCMM are still alive and I have counted up to 6 shrimp, my floating plants ARE increasing in number and the water isn't green or smelly!!!
This months image
IMG_20190524_121432.jpg
 
Its starting to look loads better though are you putting any ferts in to the tank as low tech you should be putting in about 6ml of complete food a week for the plants
 
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