Richard40
Member
History
I’ve been keeping fish for over a year now and have a community tank. I’ve kind of just bought fish in the past for buying sake to make the community. Recently reading about plants and aquascaping has turned it into a bit of an obsession, as I’m always striving for the tank look better.
Tank Size
It’s an Aqua One 80, so 135 litres as I’ve taken out the back of the tank. Instead of spending loads on a new tank I decided after reading more and more about aquascaping to try my own tank using some redwood and lots of plants. I knocked all the back plastic out of the tank so I could change for an external filter.
Current Filter
I have been running a JBL Cristal Profi e702 for a year, but recently ordered an Oase 600 Biomaster thermo which hasn’t been delivered yet.
Current Lighting
Im currently running a Fluval Plant 3.0 light on the tank.
CO2
I’ve never used CO2 until recently when I purchased a CO2 art dual regulator with fire extinguisher.
The tank has had a weeks worth of CO2 running.
New lighting and pipework (not fitted yet)
I’ve also bought an Aquascaper glass pipework set with surface skimmer and Twinstar 600SA which again hasn’t been delivered yet with controller to set the timings.
Plants
Plants I’ve planted so far are Monte Carlo, micrantheum umbrosum, microsorium pteropus, lagenadra red, cryptocoryne willisii, limnophila hippuirdoides.
Yet to plant
Staurogyne repens, rotala H’ra, Hygrophila araguaia, Alternanthera Reineckii, Anubias petite, Hydrocotyle verticillata, rotala green, rotala rotundifolia.
Aquascape (started 2nd February shown in picture)
I had to do the aquascape whilst moving the fish. Took my Unipac micro gravel out and replaced with Tropica Soil. Temp is 24 degrees. So far I’ve done an 80% water change whilst rescaping and done two 50% water changes midweek.
Substrate
Tropica Soil
Fish and Numbers
I think I’ve too many fish in there to be honest but unsure as will be running a bigger and better external filter. I have ember, rummynose, phantom, emperor, neon tetras.
3 pearl gourami, two female and one Male. 2 bristlenose plecs, 4 corydoras, 2 pyjama loach, 1 L236 plec, 8 glass catfish, 2 Siamese algae eaters and some baby apistogramma.
Issues
I’ve noticed a lot of the Monte Carlo floating and lots of bits on the surface. I think though that it was because I planted with my fingers rather than tweezers, so lesson learnt there.
The Dream
What I want is a carpet of Monte Carlo, plants doing great with some great colours and fish to be healthy to prove to myself that I didn’t need to buy an new tank and cabinet to replace my old one I guess.
I’ve been keeping fish for over a year now and have a community tank. I’ve kind of just bought fish in the past for buying sake to make the community. Recently reading about plants and aquascaping has turned it into a bit of an obsession, as I’m always striving for the tank look better.
Tank Size
It’s an Aqua One 80, so 135 litres as I’ve taken out the back of the tank. Instead of spending loads on a new tank I decided after reading more and more about aquascaping to try my own tank using some redwood and lots of plants. I knocked all the back plastic out of the tank so I could change for an external filter.
Current Filter
I have been running a JBL Cristal Profi e702 for a year, but recently ordered an Oase 600 Biomaster thermo which hasn’t been delivered yet.
Current Lighting
Im currently running a Fluval Plant 3.0 light on the tank.
CO2
I’ve never used CO2 until recently when I purchased a CO2 art dual regulator with fire extinguisher.
The tank has had a weeks worth of CO2 running.
New lighting and pipework (not fitted yet)
I’ve also bought an Aquascaper glass pipework set with surface skimmer and Twinstar 600SA which again hasn’t been delivered yet with controller to set the timings.
Plants
Plants I’ve planted so far are Monte Carlo, micrantheum umbrosum, microsorium pteropus, lagenadra red, cryptocoryne willisii, limnophila hippuirdoides.
Yet to plant
Staurogyne repens, rotala H’ra, Hygrophila araguaia, Alternanthera Reineckii, Anubias petite, Hydrocotyle verticillata, rotala green, rotala rotundifolia.
Aquascape (started 2nd February shown in picture)
I had to do the aquascape whilst moving the fish. Took my Unipac micro gravel out and replaced with Tropica Soil. Temp is 24 degrees. So far I’ve done an 80% water change whilst rescaping and done two 50% water changes midweek.
Substrate
Tropica Soil
Fish and Numbers
I think I’ve too many fish in there to be honest but unsure as will be running a bigger and better external filter. I have ember, rummynose, phantom, emperor, neon tetras.
3 pearl gourami, two female and one Male. 2 bristlenose plecs, 4 corydoras, 2 pyjama loach, 1 L236 plec, 8 glass catfish, 2 Siamese algae eaters and some baby apistogramma.
Issues
I’ve noticed a lot of the Monte Carlo floating and lots of bits on the surface. I think though that it was because I planted with my fingers rather than tweezers, so lesson learnt there.
The Dream
What I want is a carpet of Monte Carlo, plants doing great with some great colours and fish to be healthy to prove to myself that I didn’t need to buy an new tank and cabinet to replace my old one I guess.
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