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Taking a sump. Back in five minutes...

Nothing to show for a while now @MJQMJQ

Just growing it in ready for Christmas. The repens and macrandra are fresh in and look as you would expect. Going to settle with these species and let them grow in now.

These are the eventual zones I’ll be trimming to:

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From another angle:

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There’s still the potential to remove some eleocharis and plant a more complex foreground, but not got time for that just yet. Also my son likes ‘trimming the lawn’ but suspect he’ll get bored soon enough.
 
Hottonia palustris is a new one to me but looks great! Might have to look into it as a possible replacement for my rotala rotundifolia for a bit of variation :D
 
I usually go for Ranunculus inundatus for a more compact version with silmilar qualities @CooKieS

Problem is that damn stuff just turns up anywhere it likes in the scape uninvited. At least Hottonia is as easy as it comes, but big by comparison.
 
I usually go for Ranunculus inundatus for a more compact version with silmilar qualities @CooKieS

Problem is that damn stuff just turns up anywhere it likes in the scape uninvited. At least Hottonia is as easy as it comes, but big by comparison.

Agreed, R.Inundatus grows like Hydrocotyle Tripartita, very invasive...needs weekly trimming. But again ,beautiful plant!
 
Quick update and a good chance to talk about some basics if you choose to fiddle with nutrient dosing. Finally run in to the tanks first troubles but ultimately only feedback specific to this setup.

Plants colouring up nicely:

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However, GSA on older green leaves and BGA:

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The BGA runs along the glass just below the substrate with the eleocharis. It literally stops where the eleocharis stops along the tank sides.

For those that haven’t been following the thread I’ve been lean dosing just micros and potassium and awaiting the point where there’s signs the ADA Amazonia is running low on nitrate. I’ve also added a load of fast growing stems recently to speed up this process. The rapid colouration of the h’ra and newer stems anecdotally points to low nitrate. Up to now I’ve also omitted phosphate as much as possible (RO and a splash of tap) but feed the fish pretty decently.

From experience BGA is a good sign your NPK ratio is out of whack. The fact the BGA ends where the carpet ends says to me that soil has finally been stripped of nitrate by the carpet. This is also timed against the arrival of a lot of stem plants competing for resources very recently.

GSA on the older growth points to low phosphate. It also doesn’t matter a jot as you just replant the tops and address the phosphate issue.

At this point I would normally just add in root tabs to bump things up. But because of the presence of BGA that needs addressing by upping the nitrate in the water column.

I’m deliberately avoiding the temptation to put ‘ppm’ after any nutrients as a) hobby grade tests are rubbish and b) it’s an unnecessary level of detail to solve BGA and GSA.

Only thing I’ll be doing is dosing EI (full NPK and micros on alternate days) for two weeks as EI grants you the gift of not having to think too heavily as a starting point. Appropriate nutrition in the water column should address both issues. Will reassess in two weeks. Other than that just usual water change and the odd trimming and replanting of the stems.
 
From experience BGA is a good sign your NPK ratio is out of whack. The fact the BGA ends where the carpet ends says to me that soil has finally been stripped of nitrate by the carpet. This is also timed against the arrival of a lot of stem plants competing for resources very recently.
To add another POV to this: I think BGA is more in competition with our "good" biofilm, but due to missing water movement below the Eleocharis there are O2 poor regions in which our "good" biofilm dies off. I would bet you have no BGA in the back of the tank on the soil / glass.
 
To add another POV to this: I think BGA is more in competition with our "good" biofilm, but due to missing water movement below the Eleocharis there are O2 poor regions in which our "good" biofilm dies off. I would bet you have no BGA in the back of the tank on the soil / glass.

Yes, think so as well @Thumper the root system is extremely dense and choking everything below the substrate. BGA has found its niche environment in this system. No reason to doubt that mine and your thoughts both apply in this situation simultaneously.

If I was really pushing the boat out then slicing the eleocharis back an inch from the glass and replacing with soil would be a quick remedy. This however may only be a temporary fix before the cycle happens again.

A more long term fix would be changing the foreground, possibly a sanded area right in the middle/front which drops the scape down to the bottom glass panel and a species of plant with larger, but less dense root system up the sides. Pogostemon helferi would fit the bill.

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Got lazy, bit overgrown:

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Mahoosive trimming session, no replanting of cuttings:

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Giving an ADA cocktail a go post trim this time; ECA, Green Gain, Phyton-Git and some additional iron. Other than that returning to lean dosing after a period of EI.

Tank usually colours up pretty quick in the days after a trim, but will see if any of the potions make any difference this time and report back any noticeable difference.

May do the foreground if there’s time over the Christmas break too.
 

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Right... so admittedly I’ve been lazy with the premise of this tank. Decided to pull my finger out and crack on finishing up. Should take a month.

Anubias and buce up front:

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Buce red on the rocks as it’s the only variety that will withstand the punishment from the two ONF lights:

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There’s a third rock in the back left corner that I’ve held off planting on. Would have shaded the stems early on, but plopped some pinnatifida and some buce red on there now. Should make a nice contrast at the back with a third island:

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The stems are right where I want them as will spend the next month (maybe a bit longer) pruning and bushing out to the right height now they’re growing clean from root to tip:

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The macrandra at the back left is the pace setter as it takes the longest to grow so will attempt to match it over the next month when pruning.

Unfortunately the super red started showing signs of potassium deficiency but is bouncing back as switched to EI dosing. The Staurogyne repens and Rotala Wallichii took a beasting from the Amanos I put in from the 4ft scape coming down. Undecided on whether to persevere with those or come up with an alternative.

Beyond that... mow the lawn and gradually pinch the pinnatifida back nice and compact.

The depth should be from the plant textures and sizes eventually:

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They should fill up the back wall and deliver some height. Ideally it should look it’s best from child height looking slightly upwards, which was always the intention so the kids can see. We’ll see if it works.
 
Looks great and very vivid colours wish my colours looked as good what do you dose a all in one or EI etc as looks great.

Thanks dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 
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