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Superfish Scaper 45 - Dutch Style

PaulLB

Member
Joined
18 Dec 2022
Messages
135
Location
Cheltenham
I started this tank about 3 weeks ago and just found this journals forum so please excuse this first post being somewhat retrospective.

I’m recording this tank build as a vlog, so will post the links in this journal.

First video showing tank setup and initial planting.


Second video showing my low cost fire extinguisher CO2 setup (total cost about £75).

Third video showing progress after 3 weeks having now flooded the tank.

And here’s a photo from today.
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CO2 checker seems to have stabilised nicely and as per the second video I have a couple of smart home wifi plugs controlling the lights and CO2 solenoid.

Full plant list in first video.
 
4 Week update video link below. I've added some red cherry shrimps from my breeding bowl to keep any algae in check, but I've not noticed any so far. I've also added an Oase 350 surface skimmer which does a much better job that the HOB did.

 
I notice two or three what appear to be long threads that appeared overnight in the aquarium, anybody know what this is ?

They are almost too thin to be visible but caught my attention as there are some bubbles that have become attached from the plants pearling underneath.

I assume this is some form of hair algae? Any recommendations on how to treat ?

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Looks like hair algea but bubble indecated cyano type. Depends how it develops, any smell coming from tank?
No smell at all. It’s only a few strands visible and bubbles are coming from the plants underneath pearling and releasing bubbles that are getting caught on the hair algae threads. I’ve watched it happening.

I’ve increased the number of cherry shrimp and reduced my photoperiod so will see how things progress next few days. I’ll keep a close eye on it.
 
24 hrs later things look a lot better due I believe to the attentions from the additional cherry shrimps I added. Originally I had about 5 medium sized shrimps and I added in another 20.

They also seem much happier now they’re in a bigger group.
 
Anybody know if cherry shrimps feed at night, or are they dormant?

I noticed before lights out that if there’s a thread of hair algae, then by the next morning it’s completely gone.
 
My shrimps also feed over night, for example the flow pump is off overnight and all the bits that get stuck on the intake are consumed by the cherries and Amanos.
 
The Hemianthus Micranthemoides is looking really lush and green, but is very slow growing compared to the Rotala Vietnam Hra and Ludwigia Pulustratis either side of it.

I like the contrast of the finer more delicate leaves of the HM but in hindnight I may well have opted for Rotala Rotundifola “Green” instead as it would keep pace with the Vietnam Hra better.

I am a bit disappointed in the colour of the Pogostemon Erectus as it’s more khaki and less “deep green” than I was hoping. But this could just be because this plant is still getting established and had a difficult start in this setup due to my “dry start” attempt.

Anybody else got a view / experience with PE colouration?
 
When I grew it emersed it was quite deep green, but not as an Anubias nana to be clear.
Submersed it is light green and the top becomes more and more yellow increasing light etc.
Imho yours looks fine and healthy like your other plants
 
Finally taken out the white garden label dividers so tank looking better for that. The stems seems established enough now not to be overrun by the Monte Carlo.

The Pogostemon Erectus is starting to look much healthier and seems to be on a growth spurt so hopefully it catches up with the Ludwigia and Rotala.

Even the Hemianthus Micranthemoides has taken off. I notice this plant seems happier when it has something to grab onto for support as I notice increase height where it borders it’s taller neighbours.

The Oase 350 skimmer is great however I do have to free the occasional trapped shrimp that’s wandered too close. But they seem unaffected by the ordeal……not sure they learn from it tho!

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Decided to try my hand at another Superfish 45 Scaper build and with the new aquarium just arrived couldn’t resist doubling up the LED lights in the original.

In two minds whether to stick with one or two lights on original tank. going to experiment to see how things go for a week or two while I assemble bits and pieces for the new tank.

Lates pics below.
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Gave the carpet it’s first trim yesterday and Pogostemon Erectus is starting to catch up with the other plants in height. Still a way to go as I’m looking for the plants to slope from the PE (highest point) down to the Rotala Bonsai at the lowest so some way to go yet.

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I’ve also started another “Dutch style” aquarium with a tiered layout that I’ll post about in a while once I’ve got all the plants sorted. I’m using cuttings from this tank of Rotala Vietnam, the Hemianthus M and the Ludwigia Palustratis together with some other bits I’ve ordered online (not enough as usual)

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About 10 weeks since I setup the tank. Changing about 90% of water once a week. Dosing Flora Grow Fertiliser once a week and have CO2 injection timed to an hour before lights on and off. Photoperiod 10 hours.

Livestock is just cherry shrimps, around 30, although they are breeding so this continues to increase.

Given the photoperiod and amount of natural light this tank receives, I’m seeing surprisingly little algae - pretty much nothing. There might be a very slight dusting of the glass after 4-5 days after a clean but next to nothing. Plants seem to be consuming all nutrients and cherries keeping any emergent algae under control. Will be interesting to see how this progresses as we head to summer months with longer and more intense sunlight.

As for the plants species:

- Monte Carlo carpet is very green and vibrant and completely covering every millimetre of the bottom of the tank. I have to trim once a week.

- Rotala Bonsai a slower growing and short species for sure, but seeing great growth and lots of new stems. I’ve had to trim once so far which I used as cuttings for my new tank.

- Rotala vietnam Hra has shown the most prolific growth since the start and needs trimming regularly. Again this has provided cuttings for a new tank.

- Hemianthus Micranthemoides had a slow start as the tissue culture specimens I started with looked very fragile and on the point of melting. However this plant has gone bonkers and is a very fast grower. I would say even faster than the Rotala v Hra now. What I notice with this plant is that it grows much faster with support of neighbouring stems. So might be an idea to give this plant some kind of support when getting started. Having said that cuttings taken to my new tank have needed no encouragement to get started so it may well be that you’re best-off with cuttings rather than tissue culture with this particular species. Interested to hear others’ experience with pearl weed.

- Ludwigia Palustris “super red” - this was the only plant I bought as a potted specimens (2 pots), which I cut into smaller sections for planting. It has grown like crazy right from the start and cuttings I’ve taken of this also grow and root very quickly. I did put some in a fish bowl with no CO2 and weaker light and lost the bright red colour in about a fortnight.

- Pogostemon Erectus had a shaky start as it was quite unhappy with my attempted “dry start”. It’s been by far the slowest growing stem and I haven’t trimmed it at all and it’s still not as tall as the other stems, although as you can see from the latest photo it is catching up! This really is a beautiful plant however it looks it’s best when viewed from above or looked down at from an angle because the leaves are a almost a white colour underneath as opposed to the vibrant green on top. So you might want to think about viewing angles if choosing this plant.

- Alternanthera Reineckii this has really come into its own after a very slow start. A low growing plant without the speed of Monte Carlo it’s always competing with the stems but seems to have founds its feet now and provided I keep the Monte Carlo and stems at bay is looking really striking now. A beautiful plant I would definitely use again.

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Pogostemon Erectus starting to catch up now but still 3 inches or so short of target height. Everything else needs regular trimming. The tank is certainly starting to achieve the look I was originally aiming for now - almost.
 

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