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'Peerie Jungle' low-tech nano

brodnig

Member
Joined
21 Dec 2011
Messages
33
Location
Bigton, Shetland
Hi all,

I have had this tank up and running about 6 weeks. I mentioned in a discussion in the low-tech forum that I would start a journal so here it is!

Tank specs:
Aquaone AR380 (38(w) x 25(d) x 46(h) cm) - 34 litres
Built-in trickle filter powered by 400lph powerhead (I have also fitted a Fluval Edge pre-filter sponge over the intake)
APS Boyu 50W digital heater
11W Aquaone daylight lamp (6 hour photoperiod)

Substrate is 2-4 cm of J. Arthur Bowers aquatic compost capped with 3-4 cm of gravel. The compost is nice and heavy and pretty easy to work with.

Flora:
Nomaphila stricta Thai
Alternanthera rosaefolia
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
Crypt. beckettii
Crypt. wendtii Brown
Lobelia cardinalis Dwarf
Java Moss
Micranthemum umbrosum

Above is the plant list that I started out with, the Micranthemum umbrosum has since died. Hardscape is a couple of pieces of Bogwood - one with the moss attached. I ordered the plants from Aqua Essentials - one of their selections for a 35 litre tank plusthe crypts and moss. I wanted to go heavily planted from the outset and I certainly managed that!! The plants were great quality with some AE micro ferts thrown in too.

The dimensions of this tank are a wee bit challenging with lots of height and not a lot of front to back depth. This made planting difficult, especially with the volume of plants that I went with from the start. There is no 'scape as such as this is my first go at a planted tank and I wanted to experiment with growing plants under these conditions before I attempt anything more ambitious.

Pics will follow shortly! (Waiting on a Flickr upload)
 
OK, here is a few photos from immediately after set up.

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FTS

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Right hand side

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Left hand side

I was pretty pleased to see so little clouding from the substrate although I was careful when filling.

Since those pictures were taken I have taken out the dead M. umbrosum (think the lighting was too low?) and added 8 Norman's Lampeye and 8 Tiger Shrimp, all of which seem to be doing well!

I've had a lot of growth in that time too. Today I did my first stem plant trim as I had emergent growth from the A, rosaefolia :)

Here are pictures from today and earlier this week:

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Everything is showing growth. Moss is needing a trim soon

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Shows the height of the stems at the back. Quite a marked difference from when planted.

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One of my Tigers

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Emergence!

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FTS from earlier this week

I'm pretty pleased so far. Have had some algae but the shrimp are helping out with that. I do a water change weekly (about 25%), clean the glass and squeeze out the pre-filter sponge. I also add roughly 10ml of the AE ferts once a week.

Any comments, questions welcome! :thumbup:
 
Thanks guys :thumbup:

I'm pretty pleased with the growth. The fact that the colours have been sustained is also a bonus. Plant selection was something of a 'lucky dip' with the AE plant box but I got a good variety in there.

This is hopefully a bigger version of the last FTS that shows off the colour a bit more:

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As you may be able to make out, i get a lot of micro bubbles in the tank. I think it's related to the pre-filter sponge as it started around the time I fitted that. Makes photography tricky, especially as I only have a point-and-shoot compact.

I'll try and get some fauna pics this week I think...
 
Some observations on this tank:

Very pleased with the growth of the plants, the stems are rocketing up and the crypts and moss are filling out nicely.

I do, however, have quite a lot of hair algae. It's confined to the upper reaches of the stems and I think it may be down to indirect sunlight from a nearby window (getting a lot of daylight up here past 60 degrees north the now :lol: ). I did a big trim the other day to to try and encourage more vigorous growth from the stems and see if that helps, though it doesn't bother me too much.

Finally, the Lampeye's have spawned! Last night my wife noticed a single fry at the top of the tank, very charming having already developed the 'lamps' above the eyes. Having read up a wee bit this isn't terribly surprising - they breed fairly readily - but it's our first breeding success so we're chuffed!!

Will post pics hopefully soon.
 
Brilliant journal. Nice tip on the compost, i may give it a go.

The bigger FTS really shows what is happening in your tank and speaks a thousand words. :clap:

Well done on the breeding front too! :D
 
Hello,

Thanks again for all the feedback!!

Update:
We lost the baby lampeye :(

Also, the tank became a bit of an algae farm :(

I think the algae issue is down to low flow as well as the indirect sunlight coming through the nearby window. The sponge I'd placed on the filter intake was really retarding flow despite regular rinsing out. I've moved back to the original intake and flow is obviously a lot higher. To me it looks like the situation has improved over night but I think i may just be delusional :lol:

I've also decided to have a go at dosing liquid carbon to encourage growth and help me keep on top of the algae. I think that will put me in the realms of Troi's "hybrid energy" so I may also review my photoperiod and fert dosing regime in the near future.

I'm still enjoying the tank and the experience of keeping live plants. A lot of people have commented favourably on the look of it despite my recent algae issues so that helps keep my chin up along with the feedback on here. Cheers! :thumbup:
 
Liquid Carbon has been delivered so going to start dosing that this evening. Hopefully it helps with my algae issues (although improved flow does seem to have made a difference :deluded: )

Heh :)
 
Re: 'Peerie Jungle' planted nano - photo update 27/07/12

Photo update :)

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The algae I'm dealing with
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Elusive lampeyes

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There's a tiger in there somewhere....

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Pleased with the growth of this crypt, think the soil is working well (apologies for reflection/mucky glass :oops: )

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(Slightly squint) FTS
 
Hi all,

Long time no post! This tank is still up and running, although has changed a fair bit.

A house move about 4 months ago prompted me to review the tank, which had lost its way a bit. Scraggy stems and algae, all looking a bit tired. I'd also lost almost all my shrimp and most of the lampeyes, which was quite upsettting. I pulled out a lot of the stems and planted a few crypts (as they seemed to be doing well).

That left it looking like this:

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Still a bit scruffy.

Took a few photos of how it looks today, the clump of java moss has come out and the crypts have grown a bit. I'm still a bit unhappy with it but think that might be down to the tank itself as much as the content! This nano was bought three houses ago to fit a very specific space and I think it may soon be time to ditch it in favour of a better one with more forgiving dimensions and better filtration options.

Today:

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One of our three surviving lampeyes:

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FTS:
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I know the lobelia cardinalis looks a bit poor but i'm keeping it there for sentimental reasons! Heh. :lol:

I'm treating this as a learning experience as aesthetically I'm not happy with it. Hope one day to have a bigger tank to work with :thumbup:
 
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