plantnoobdude
Member
Yes, DTPA works well for softwater tanks. I'd recommend 0.1ppm Fe from DTPA weekly. Eventually if this shows good results, you can reduce it to 0.05 Fe
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Slow 60 (ADA 60p low tech)
- Thread starter aec34
- Start date
Hi all,
I've kept them and / or <"Corydoras hastatus"> for the last ~fifteen years and they are just great little fish. For me they win out over <"Corydoras panda"> (another low maintenance option), because while <"C. panda"> is cuter as a baby, <"Corydoras pygmaeus stay cute">, even when adult.
cheers Darrel
I love mine, a lot of people <"struggle with them"> (although I'm guessing that is less true of UKAPS members ), but they are incredibly low maintenance in the right tank.
I've kept them and / or <"Corydoras hastatus"> for the last ~fifteen years and they are just great little fish. For me they win out over <"Corydoras panda"> (another low maintenance option), because while <"C. panda"> is cuter as a baby, <"Corydoras pygmaeus stay cute">, even when adult.
cheers Darrel
aec34
Member
Stuffed in some more plants - yes, I know I know.
Not holding out a lot of hope on the pinnatifida, but I’ve always wanted to have a go at it and the splendid plants came in a swap for some raccoon tigers.
At some point in the next couple of months I’m setting up a shallow tank, so to some extent I’m growing things on. Apart from back right where there is little flow, everything is ticking along. Spiralis is brightening up now I’ve thinned the floaters.
Pygmies still snuffling about happily. I wonder about the substrate being overly mulmy, but I have a high plant mass and relatively few fish so I think this is probably ok - and I’ve always assumed leaf litter detritus is a good thing.
Had an adventure with Soilent green - I’m hoping eventually to get otos which I gather like this stuff, so thought I’d see how current critters would take to it. Turns out a little blob goes a really long way… as in, disintegrates and goes everywhere. Happily, the fish and shrimp LOVE it so did a storming job of tidying up what I couldn’t get with a net. I think I’ve got about 50 years worth in the pot at this rate, so shout if anyone wants some!
Not holding out a lot of hope on the pinnatifida, but I’ve always wanted to have a go at it and the splendid plants came in a swap for some raccoon tigers.
At some point in the next couple of months I’m setting up a shallow tank, so to some extent I’m growing things on. Apart from back right where there is little flow, everything is ticking along. Spiralis is brightening up now I’ve thinned the floaters.
Pygmies still snuffling about happily. I wonder about the substrate being overly mulmy, but I have a high plant mass and relatively few fish so I think this is probably ok - and I’ve always assumed leaf litter detritus is a good thing.
Had an adventure with Soilent green - I’m hoping eventually to get otos which I gather like this stuff, so thought I’d see how current critters would take to it. Turns out a little blob goes a really long way… as in, disintegrates and goes everywhere. Happily, the fish and shrimp LOVE it so did a storming job of tidying up what I couldn’t get with a net. I think I’ve got about 50 years worth in the pot at this rate, so shout if anyone wants some!
aec34
Member
Nettles continue to be a popular dinner treat; think the shrimp are eating my floating plants again, so I must feed them a bit more.
Tomorrow may also be ‘sums involving iron day’.
Tomorrow may also be ‘sums involving iron day’.
aec34
Member
Ok, Fe sums time. I’ve got 11% FeDTPA. The tank is about 65 litres. I’m aiming at around 0.05 ppm. (All numbers on generous side.)
I reckon this means a weekly dose is c. 30mg, 5-6g in 200ml, dosed 1ml per week.
To those familiar with dosing numbers, does this seem about right? I haven’t done a Pink Tint observation yet.
I’m a bit sad I can’t just chuck some in, unless someone has a convenient way of measuring a third of a gram?
I reckon this means a weekly dose is c. 30mg, 5-6g in 200ml, dosed 1ml per week.
To those familiar with dosing numbers, does this seem about right? I haven’t done a Pink Tint observation yet.
I’m a bit sad I can’t just chuck some in, unless someone has a convenient way of measuring a third of a gram?
Looks like it adds up on my end.
I think it was our benevolent @dw1305 that said one can measure a gram (if you have a unit that will do a gram reliably), and then physically divide the little pile of powder into as equal parts as you can. Our eyes are decent at comparing things 😊
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aec34
Member
aec34
Member
Bit the bullet, and did first lot of new iron. This means the weekly diet is now:
About 0.05g Fe (11% DTPA) - on the dinky scales
A teaspoon of Epsom salts
6ml-ish TNC complete
Everyone’s still alive so far. Gratuitous fish pics:
And impressed at how pink some of these plants are:
Biggest problem is the cladophora (?); there’s lots of it round the sponge filter and under the light. I keep pulling it out, and am trying to feed with the power off. I might change the sponge which should remove a lot of it.
Incidentally, I also think I’ve lost all my limpets. I was a bit annoyed when they came in with some plants, but actually I became quite fond of them. I also see very few dinky snails, so I’m wondering if I should feed the critters a touch more to make sure.
About 0.05g Fe (11% DTPA) - on the dinky scales
A teaspoon of Epsom salts
6ml-ish TNC complete
Everyone’s still alive so far. Gratuitous fish pics:
And impressed at how pink some of these plants are:
Biggest problem is the cladophora (?); there’s lots of it round the sponge filter and under the light. I keep pulling it out, and am trying to feed with the power off. I might change the sponge which should remove a lot of it.
Incidentally, I also think I’ve lost all my limpets. I was a bit annoyed when they came in with some plants, but actually I became quite fond of them. I also see very few dinky snails, so I’m wondering if I should feed the critters a touch more to make sure.
aec34
Member
(duplicate post)
aec34
Member
Thanks @Hufsa! The back corners look distinctly less beautiful (poor circulation, bonkers pile of roots + loads of what is probably not Subwassertang), but the beasts need somewhere to hang out in private. I’ve stated to think of the back corners like a sixth form common room - enter at your peril.
_Maq_
Member
I highly appreciate your courage to run low-tech planted tank.
Hi all,
cheers Darrel
I've found they tend to come and go a bit, I don't know if that is because they are always present in the tank, but have large changes in abundance or whether they really go extinct and then are re-introduced with bits of moss etc.
cheers Darrel
Mine seemed to have been outcompeted by the other snails 🤔
I seem to recall having read this happening to other keepers as well, so im wondering if they're just not very competitive when facing up against the small Planorbis sp. and some of the others.
aec34
Member
The kind-of rescape:
This was terrifying, but over the course of two weeks I removed the big piece of wood at the right, removed a load of extra crypts at the right, and thinned the dense mat of floating plants. I did it in stages so there wouldn’t be too much change at any one time.
Hilariously, it doesn’t look much less full!!!
I haven’t tackled the left. I’m keen to get rid of the sticky cups, but am holding off in case the plants end up in the fabled shallow tank I keep promising myself I will set up.
This was terrifying, but over the course of two weeks I removed the big piece of wood at the right, removed a load of extra crypts at the right, and thinned the dense mat of floating plants. I did it in stages so there wouldn’t be too much change at any one time.
Hilariously, it doesn’t look much less full!!!
I haven’t tackled the left. I’m keen to get rid of the sticky cups, but am holding off in case the plants end up in the fabled shallow tank I keep promising myself I will set up.
aec34
Member
Meanwhile on the other side of the room, the frogbit is making a bid for freedom from the ridiculously overgrown 10 litre:
This tank also needs a massive prune. Can anyone spot a pattern…?
This tank also needs a massive prune. Can anyone spot a pattern…?
Looking great. Really healthy, and vibrant aquatic plants.
aec34
Member
Thanks! This little tank is nearly 2 years old now. It has been moved all over the house to accommodate building work, and I absolutely love it. It’s on remin-ed rainwater and has a thriving colony of raccoon tigers 🙂
Hi all,
cheers Darrel
Bizarre isn't it? I think a tank is like a tardis (or Hermione Granger's handbag for slightly younger viewers), when you come to put the plants back you <"always have more plants than you took out">, even if you have <"had a big trim">.
I thought I might have a little bit of "Susswassertang" left, but when I broke the tank (60cm tank) down (it had sprung a leak) I had a colander full........
cheers Darrel
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aec34
Member
As the tank approaches the one year mark, I’ve been neglecting it. Water changes have still been fairly regular, but the clado has got out of control on the heater and filter, and I’ve not done any cleaning for ages.
Below is after Clean Part 1, some concerted toothbrush action and pulling out the stinky green.
Then the little pot on the right fell off ☹️ And then I spotted this guy:
He’s a ramshorn snail, right? He was moving, so I’m guessing came in as a tiny thing and has been quietly cruising about. Surprise crustacean 🙂
Part 2 will be some more thinning on the left, and trying to get rid of more clado. And find somewhere for the contents of the little pots.
I’m in two minds about the long term for this tank. At some point soon-ish I will need to move it because we need to move the heavy cabinet it is on, but I wonder whether it would make more sense to close it down/partially close down and start again. But that would mean having to set up another tank now so the fish have somewhere to go in the interim. I have the empty glass box(es), just can’t work out where to put it… a 20 litre cube is too small as a temporary refuge for even tiny fish, isn’t it?
Below is after Clean Part 1, some concerted toothbrush action and pulling out the stinky green.
He’s a ramshorn snail, right? He was moving, so I’m guessing came in as a tiny thing and has been quietly cruising about. Surprise crustacean 🙂
Part 2 will be some more thinning on the left, and trying to get rid of more clado. And find somewhere for the contents of the little pots.
I’m in two minds about the long term for this tank. At some point soon-ish I will need to move it because we need to move the heavy cabinet it is on, but I wonder whether it would make more sense to close it down/partially close down and start again. But that would mean having to set up another tank now so the fish have somewhere to go in the interim. I have the empty glass box(es), just can’t work out where to put it… a 20 litre cube is too small as a temporary refuge for even tiny fish, isn’t it?
