TallDragon
Member
- Joined
- 5 Mar 2013
- Messages
- 211
Grasses looking nice. Thanks for the cabinet pic.
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Island Shore - 60 x 30 x 45 Rock, grass and hopefully class!
- Thread starter Chris Jackson
- Start date
Chris Jackson
Member
Day 8 - The rainy season arrives and floods the river bank, heavy clouds linger, bringing respite from the relentless sunlight whilst soft nutrient rich waters comfort the plants in their new aquatic home...
Alexander Belchenko
Member
Looks great. Thank you for side view. I didn't expect the slates are so thin.
Sent via Tapatalk
Sent via Tapatalk
Ian Holdich
Member
Love this Chris, keep up,the good work!
Chris Jackson
Member
Day 9: And away we go....
The tank get's a bit of early morning sunlight which was enough to set the plants away pearling bubbles this morning..
CO2 is working well with drop checker green. My filtered tap water here in Cornwall shows a very low KH so I've added Sodium Bicarbonate to raise it to KH5 which should mean around PH 6.7. I have an antique Dennerle CO2 Controller that I plan to use for monitoring rather than control CO2 but PH electrode wouldn't re-calibrate yesterday but as the calibration solution shows an expiry date of 2008 (umm!) I've ordered some more before I decide whether it's worth replacing the electrode. CO2 is bubbled through an adapter I cobbled together into the inlet feed to the filter which acts as a reactor by trapping CO2. This method has always worked very well for me and keeps the tank uncluttered and avoids mists of micro bubbles that I don't really care for.
There is slight algae growth on the rocks and a bit on some of the Hairgrass but that is only to be expected and I'm not aiming for zero algae, just balanced amounts of algae. I have added an Otocinlus, that made itself available from my old tank, to start adding some load to the filter and nibble algae. Lighting is 5 hours on one bank of aquasky led and one hour in the middle with both banks.
Some Amano shrimp will be added in a day or two....not much chance of netting any out of my big old juggle of a tank though....
The tank get's a bit of early morning sunlight which was enough to set the plants away pearling bubbles this morning..
CO2 is working well with drop checker green. My filtered tap water here in Cornwall shows a very low KH so I've added Sodium Bicarbonate to raise it to KH5 which should mean around PH 6.7. I have an antique Dennerle CO2 Controller that I plan to use for monitoring rather than control CO2 but PH electrode wouldn't re-calibrate yesterday but as the calibration solution shows an expiry date of 2008 (umm!) I've ordered some more before I decide whether it's worth replacing the electrode. CO2 is bubbled through an adapter I cobbled together into the inlet feed to the filter which acts as a reactor by trapping CO2. This method has always worked very well for me and keeps the tank uncluttered and avoids mists of micro bubbles that I don't really care for.
There is slight algae growth on the rocks and a bit on some of the Hairgrass but that is only to be expected and I'm not aiming for zero algae, just balanced amounts of algae. I have added an Otocinlus, that made itself available from my old tank, to start adding some load to the filter and nibble algae. Lighting is 5 hours on one bank of aquasky led and one hour in the middle with both banks.
Some Amano shrimp will be added in a day or two....not much chance of netting any out of my big old juggle of a tank though....
Crossocheilus
Member
Exactly what I thought, I had always just assumed they were more 3D, a testament to your skill at creating illusions with depth.
Chris Jackson
Member
Day 10: Hardscape notes and a bit of algae maintenance.
Thanks for the generous comments about the hardscape 🙂... In planning this I made a mock up of the back and base of the tank in plywood and spent an afternoon messing. It's far easier to move and place rocks about like this without fear of scratching or damaging posh glass tanks. Not having front and sides in the way also makes things easier, once I was happy I then positioned this mock up near the empty tank and transferred it bit by bit, adding some hot melt glue here and there to keep things positioned. Next time I'd also use a temporary gravel/sand substrate with the mock up so that this was worked out better in advance. The actual scape has ended up sat a little lower in the substrate than I'd originally intended...
Today I had a clean up session on the algae developing on the rocks. It is very noticeable that there is more of this low in the tank where the humidity was much higher during the "dry start" phase and is almost certainly something that established then which is only to be expected really.
It looks like it's following lines where water has run down the rock... Anyway I figured that it could become problematic so I set to with a small brush and an airline tube syphoning it off.
TOP TIP: For a really useful selection of cleaning brushes get a "spray gun cleaning kit" similar to this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ultimate-...Material_Paint_Varnish_MJ&hash=item4d00ca9532
Here is the finished result...
Currently I'm doing 40% water changes daily..I cleaned the algae first then removed more water and topped up. At this point I'm using ADA Green Step 1 and Brighty K to recommended doses along with Green Bacter. I've admired Mr A's work since I first got a copy of Nature Aquarium World back in 1997 but other than subscribing to the early English Aqua Journal Editions and buying a ridiculously costly but really delightful set of ADA scissors and tweezers I've never used any of his aquarium products. For this project I wanted to have a go, at least for the first few months.
Thanks for the generous comments about the hardscape 🙂... In planning this I made a mock up of the back and base of the tank in plywood and spent an afternoon messing. It's far easier to move and place rocks about like this without fear of scratching or damaging posh glass tanks. Not having front and sides in the way also makes things easier, once I was happy I then positioned this mock up near the empty tank and transferred it bit by bit, adding some hot melt glue here and there to keep things positioned. Next time I'd also use a temporary gravel/sand substrate with the mock up so that this was worked out better in advance. The actual scape has ended up sat a little lower in the substrate than I'd originally intended...
Today I had a clean up session on the algae developing on the rocks. It is very noticeable that there is more of this low in the tank where the humidity was much higher during the "dry start" phase and is almost certainly something that established then which is only to be expected really.
It looks like it's following lines where water has run down the rock... Anyway I figured that it could become problematic so I set to with a small brush and an airline tube syphoning it off.
TOP TIP: For a really useful selection of cleaning brushes get a "spray gun cleaning kit" similar to this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ultimate-...Material_Paint_Varnish_MJ&hash=item4d00ca9532
Here is the finished result...
Currently I'm doing 40% water changes daily..I cleaned the algae first then removed more water and topped up. At this point I'm using ADA Green Step 1 and Brighty K to recommended doses along with Green Bacter. I've admired Mr A's work since I first got a copy of Nature Aquarium World back in 1997 but other than subscribing to the early English Aqua Journal Editions and buying a ridiculously costly but really delightful set of ADA scissors and tweezers I've never used any of his aquarium products. For this project I wanted to have a go, at least for the first few months.
Chris Jackson
Member
Day 12: Lush!
Everything growing in well and feeling balanced. Now stocked with 2 Ottos and 3 Caridina multidentata aka Amano shrimp.
Everything growing in well and feeling balanced. Now stocked with 2 Ottos and 3 Caridina multidentata aka Amano shrimp.
Chris Jackson
Member
Day 13:
Not much to report really. The hair grasses are making a greater showing of new growth whilst the monte carlo still seems very happy indeed, there's a little hair algae about but nothing rampant. I'm debating fish choices now and leaning towards something in the Phantom Tetra family as the body shape fits nicely with the dimensions of the tank and shape of the rocks...
Being playing about with my camera as well:
Not much to report really. The hair grasses are making a greater showing of new growth whilst the monte carlo still seems very happy indeed, there's a little hair algae about but nothing rampant. I'm debating fish choices now and leaning towards something in the Phantom Tetra family as the body shape fits nicely with the dimensions of the tank and shape of the rocks...
Being playing about with my camera as well:
TallDragon
Member
- Joined
- 5 Mar 2013
- Messages
- 211
Looking very lovely. Keep playing with the camera too! Tranquility! - that is what I think pops off the pictures. I am eagerly awaiting the fish population,too.
tim
Member
Great scape Chris, simple choice of plants and hardscape very well executed, journal made a nice Saturday morning read, keep the updates coming 
Chris Jackson
Member
Thanks for the positive comments...
Yes "Tranquility" that is certainly something I'm looking for with this scape..
It's really growning in well and pretty amazing for only being planted 15 days ago...got to love ADA Amazonia, that dry start technique and tissue culture plants!
However for the last few days I've been feeling that the Monte Carlo is looking a touch too pale and bordering on yellowy. So having read up on ADA Green Step 1 a little I have concluded that the tank is probably a little nitrogen depleted particularly as my filtered tap water is very short on nitrates. I grew loads of the similar micranthemum umbrosum a while back and found it's colour to be very good indicator for low KNO3. That tank was run on a constant drip of filtered rain water with no water changes which meant that the usual EI technique couldn't really be tracked properly so I added pinches of fert. powders or liquids as seemed appropriate according to plant growth and rain flow. It worked but was all a bit imprecise and random but did give me useful experience. So the upshot for this tank is that I added a pinch of KNO3 last night and a smidgen more this morning and I'd say I'm already seeing a change for the better...
The shrimps appear to be feeling playful...or amorous
Yes "Tranquility" that is certainly something I'm looking for with this scape..
It's really growning in well and pretty amazing for only being planted 15 days ago...got to love ADA Amazonia, that dry start technique and tissue culture plants!
However for the last few days I've been feeling that the Monte Carlo is looking a touch too pale and bordering on yellowy. So having read up on ADA Green Step 1 a little I have concluded that the tank is probably a little nitrogen depleted particularly as my filtered tap water is very short on nitrates. I grew loads of the similar micranthemum umbrosum a while back and found it's colour to be very good indicator for low KNO3. That tank was run on a constant drip of filtered rain water with no water changes which meant that the usual EI technique couldn't really be tracked properly so I added pinches of fert. powders or liquids as seemed appropriate according to plant growth and rain flow. It worked but was all a bit imprecise and random but did give me useful experience. So the upshot for this tank is that I added a pinch of KNO3 last night and a smidgen more this morning and I'd say I'm already seeing a change for the better...
The shrimps appear to be feeling playful...or amorous
Chris Jackson
Member
Today marks 18 days since first planting and it was time for the first major pruning session. Water changes are down to 40% every other day, ferts are three shots of ADA Green Step 1 and Brighty K daily, plus a small pinch of KNO3 as I see fit. There are now 3 Ottos and 4 Amano shrimps on gardening duty that I managed to rob from my other tank. I've also added a pot of eleocharis parvula strategically amongst the other hair grasses at the back.
Pre trim:
Post Trim
Pre trim:
Post Trim
Chris Jackson
Member
Well now....
I had to go away last week so no updates and no tank maintenance...but things weren't too bad on my return though still somewhat less than ideal. Plenty of plant growth and more filamentous algae growth as well, mainly in the tall hair grasses and caught on the surface..
However it all cleaned up very easily and I'm here for a while now and able to keep a good eye on things. New arrivals yesterday....
Next challenge is to improve the photography by fashioning some kind of screen to block all the reflections from the glazing on the other side of the room and maybe fiddle with the background lighting..
I had to go away last week so no updates and no tank maintenance...but things weren't too bad on my return though still somewhat less than ideal. Plenty of plant growth and more filamentous algae growth as well, mainly in the tall hair grasses and caught on the surface..
However it all cleaned up very easily and I'm here for a while now and able to keep a good eye on things. New arrivals yesterday....
Next challenge is to improve the photography by fashioning some kind of screen to block all the reflections from the glazing on the other side of the room and maybe fiddle with the background lighting..
flygja
Member
This really brings back memories of Mark Evans. He was the king of fast growth and I think you run him real close for the title. A full carpet in 12 days! Way to go mate!
glenn farrar
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2014
- Messages
- 57
Very nice It all looks very healthy indeed!
Chris Jackson
Member
Thanks! Yes it sure is growing in pretty darn quick...seems this ADA Amazonia/power sand substrate with Aquasky lighting really is is a potent mix
Chris Jackson
Member
31 days since first planting and everything is growing very well.
So now it's into the "Zen" phase that I really enjoy about this hobby...just watching, enjoying and sort of sensing meditatively to get a feel for the balance of the layout and what calls for trimming or adjustment.
Certainly right now I'm not entirely happy with the composition as the plants are growing in but it's early days. At the moment I feel that the tall background grasses are overpowering the rocks and throwing things a little out of kilter...
So I had a little trim...
I think that helps...
In time the background grass will thicken and spread wider and give me more scope for adding depth and adjusting balance...I hope!
So now it's into the "Zen" phase that I really enjoy about this hobby...just watching, enjoying and sort of sensing meditatively to get a feel for the balance of the layout and what calls for trimming or adjustment.
Certainly right now I'm not entirely happy with the composition as the plants are growing in but it's early days. At the moment I feel that the tall background grasses are overpowering the rocks and throwing things a little out of kilter...
So I had a little trim...
I think that helps...
In time the background grass will thicken and spread wider and give me more scope for adding depth and adjusting balance...I hope!
Chris Jackson
Member
So first major clean yesterday. Filter and Lilly Pipes cleaned, filter carbon removed and replaced with ADA Bio Rio. The Eheim 250T has two baskets and I have it set up with Eheim coarse foam in the lower basket and now just Bio Rio in the upper basket (it was 50/50 with ADA Carbon) and a fine filter pad on top. Along with this I gave the Micranthemum a v heavy mow and airline tube syphon clean...3 hours later! 60cm is quite big enough for a carpet!
