Critique my hardscape Low tech Do!Aqua 60P

[Keith GH]

Lucaz

If the tank is fully Cycled you can add your inhabitants very slowly now.

Keith

 

[lucaz koh]

Quick update

Plants growing in further.

Also added 4 ottos and 4 Amano Shrimp.... who have taken a liking to the fungus on the wood but spread it all over the tank (water column and plants)

Going to get an army of 20 orange shrimp this Monday to help out.

 

[Keith GH]

Lucaz

Can you move the little outlet towards the center of the end it might help with a better water circulation.

If you can lift the DW out give it a good hosing and scrub it with a very clean stiff brush and that should remove all of it.

Keep up the water changes and clean your filter as well

Keith

 

[lucaz koh]

Did you mean the lilypipe? I think my filter just doesn’t give enough flow hence why I added the pump. It’s unsightly but it serves its purpose.

Don’t really fancy moving the wood as I hate cloudy water, after the 20 shrimp I put in this Monday have had a go I’ll consider taking it out if it’s not clean yet

 

[alto]

Just scrub the wood in situ (one hand stabilizing wood), then large water change with careful syphoning to remove as much gunk as possible

Then daily water changes to move missed globs

This will pass

 

[lucaz koh]

I don’t really mind it to be honest. Otos and amanos are really keen on grazing on it.

 

[Keith GH]

lucaz

Its at the back of your tank LH end it could be the pump.

Keith

 

[lucaz koh]

lucaz

Its at the back of your tank LH end it could be the pump.

Keith

Ah right. The back left end gets good circulation from the filter but it’s the right back end and underneath the lilypipe that gets bad flow. So the way the pump blows now circulates water to both those ends

 

[Keith GH]

lucaz

I was more concerned with water movement through the DW to remove the ???
.
Could you try placing the pump in the center of the back of the tank. To get a true reading of water circulation you have to add a safe coloured solution in front of an outlet and watch the result. I often used a product that was designed to collect all the fine particles and return them to the filter. The water turns a light milky colour and within 10-15 min the tank was crystal clear.

Keith

 

[lucaz koh]

The fungus grows on the wood quite readily even with flow on it so moving the pump doesn’t do much.

2 week update, wood much cleaner after adding 4 amanos and 4 otos. Sadly lost 1 too last night who was struggling since the day it was added. RIP.

Added 20 Orange shrimp today from a local breeder to help out with the rest of the fungus on the wood.

Still debating on whether to add fish before I leave on holiday on the 27th of May.

 

[alto]

I'd only add the fish if you've got at least 2 weeks to settle them in before leaving

How long are you gone?
Who's in charge of the tank while you're away?

 

[lucaz koh]

Today would be about two weeks to the day but I will have to ask my LFS to order them in and then they will be quarantined for a week so that’s a no go. Looks like after I get back it is.

Going away for 8 days, have a friend who will come in once midweek just to top up water and dose ferts.

Lowering light and co2 to 4 hours starting next Monday. Do you think this is best? Or since I have a dimmable led, lower lights to 50% intensity and keep photoperiod to 7 hours?

I'd only add the fish if you've got at least 2 weeks to settle them in before leaving

How long are you gone?
Who's in charge of the tank while you're away?

 

[alto]

Sounds as if you're adjusting light, CO2 a week before your leave - this should allow you time to judge how well it's working - then large water change as close to leaving date as possible

I'd go with the shorter photoperiod at same light level that tank is currently running
If you were going to be gone 2 weeks or longer, I'd lower light levels etc

 

[lucaz koh]

Sounds as if you're adjusting light, CO2 a week before your leave - this should allow you time to judge how well it's working - then large water change as close to leaving date as possible

I'd go with the shorter photoperiod at same light level that tank is currently running
If you were going to be gone 2 weeks or longer, I'd lower light levels etc

Thanks for the input. What do I do about ferts? Just normal amount I usually do (for a 7 hour photo period at 100% intensity) and then my friend will come in after 4 days to dose the same again?

 

[lucaz koh]

3 week update

Added 24 orange shrimp on Monday and found 3 berried today!

Also one Amano is berried, sadly the babies won’t survive.

Have some green neons in order which should be here for when I get back after my trip

Have also found a friend who can come in Monday to Friday to dose my tank with ferts. Question is, I dose 4 pumps of ADA BRIGHTY K and STEP 1 everyday. Now, since I’ll be away on Sunday 27th to Monday 4th, tank will have no ferts on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd. Should I get my friend to dose 3 pumps of each to allow for accumulation of ferts for those two days or just dose 4 as usual? Lighting and co2 will remain at its normal settings, 8 hours per day for lighting and co2 on 2.5 hours before lights and off 1 hour before.

Thanks

 

[lucaz koh]

6 weeks in.

Added java fern onto wood
Added some green neon tetras
Trimmed rotala last week, seems to be bouncing back VERY slowly.
Carpet could use a trim as well

Fungus on wood is persistent. Took out wood and scrubbed all of it off and the next morning it was back!

Might just get rid of it and replace with more seiryu stones that I’m picking up today if it doesn’t get under control.

 

[alto]

Tank is looking fantastic
I really like the green neons! & the java fern is just the right color/structure contrast & wood modifier

Sorry about seeming to ignore your fertilizer queries - thread notifications seem to have failed (or I'm just getting doddery )

Perhaps post what you did too for posterity - tank seems to have done well in your absence

I'd wait out the wood fungus - try to resist the urge to vigorously scrub (as this can just break open more wood tissue to feed the fungus), just gently rub off what you can, boil or steam wood to sterilize
Do you have snails - nerites seem to be like tidying the wood - as you're feeding fish now, shrimp will be less interested in wood fungus

I love the wood extending out over the grass & suspect the green neons are rather keen as well, they are less confident than cardinals & can easily become fish that you rarely see or faded out versions (though still eating readily)

 

[alto]

rotala Vietnam h’ra at the back of the wood

How tall was this before trimming
- it's definitely slower growth/response than some other Rotala's & can take awhile to really settle in
Once established in high light,CO2 etc tanks it can become rampant

 

[lucaz koh]

Thanks for the compliment!

Java fern still needs attaching to wood hence using a small piece of porcelain to weigh it down.

Don’t worry about not replying, I managed to get a mate to come by every day and dose ferts for me so all went well..... until co2 ran out at some point. Had some staghorn on the wood and leaves but was manually removed just by using tweezers to firmly grip and pull them out. Never came back since.

Shrimp don’t seem particularly interested in wood fungus even without feeding fish. They ignore it completely now. I’ll just wait it out further and see what happens. No snails as I’m not keen on them, just a personal preference.

I let the rotala grow to the top before trimming, albeit only about 10-15 stems made it there. The bottom part where I trimmed down to seemed to be dying off, I wonder if it was due to my technique of planting them in clumps of stems instead of individually and suffocating the bottom of space and light. In any case if they don’t bounce back I’ll just yank them out and replant from healthy individual stems.

Picked up 30kg of Seiryu Stone from a fellow member here today for £40!

Lots of other tiny pieces as well. I smell an iwagumi coming when this tank is rescaped.... or if I can convince my partner... maybe a second tank!

 

[Keith GH]

lucaz

Looks like you have a very good selection of rocks to choose from.

Keith