Manisha
Member
Looking great planted up so for - your scape tool is great ( I found for if you change things later on!)
-
You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up
Tidy Jungle
- Thread starter Courtneybst
- Start date
Courtneybst
Member
Day 5 Update:
Everything is still taking root so no explosive growth.
Monte Carlo is growing in slowly. Some of it on the right side is melting but only a very small amount.
Staurogyne and Alternanthera Reineckii Mini are loving it, growing well. I'm glad that the AR stayed red!
Ludwigia Palustris is doing good, side roots coming off.
Limnophila Hippuridoides is just beginning to grow with a few leaves falling off. The rotala rotundafolia is putting out one set of new leaves but they seem to still be in emersed form. Does it not even realise it's underwater?
haha
Hydrocotyle Tripartita facing upwards and starting to root. Some pinholes in some of the leaves.
I also added my 4 amano shrimp from the old tank. They're enjoying the peace whilst it lasts.
Everything is still taking root so no explosive growth.
Monte Carlo is growing in slowly. Some of it on the right side is melting but only a very small amount.
Staurogyne and Alternanthera Reineckii Mini are loving it, growing well. I'm glad that the AR stayed red!
Ludwigia Palustris is doing good, side roots coming off.
Limnophila Hippuridoides is just beginning to grow with a few leaves falling off. The rotala rotundafolia is putting out one set of new leaves but they seem to still be in emersed form. Does it not even realise it's underwater?
haha Hydrocotyle Tripartita facing upwards and starting to root. Some pinholes in some of the leaves.
I also added my 4 amano shrimp from the old tank. They're enjoying the peace whilst it lasts.
Courtneybst
Member
I was thinking of setting up a pressurised CO2 system on my tank to help the plant growth. However, since using Black Earth substrate and a piece of driftwood my ph has dropped from its normal 7.4 to around 6.4.
I heard that using CO2 drops the ph by about one unit which would make it around 5.4. I know these fish come from soft water in the wild but is this going to be too low? Just wondering.
I heard that using CO2 drops the ph by about one unit which would make it around 5.4. I know these fish come from soft water in the wild but is this going to be too low? Just wondering.
kadoxu
Member
I was thinking of setting up a pressurised CO2 system on my tank to help the plant growth. However, since using Black Earth substrate and a piece of driftwood my ph has dropped from its normal 7.4 to around 6.4.
I heard that using CO2 drops the ph by about one unit which would make it around 5.4. I know these fish come from soft water in the wild but is this going to be too low? Just wondering.
PH drop from CO2 injection depends on 2 things actually. KH and the ammount of CO2 you add to the water.
CO2 is acidic, so the more you add, the more the PH will drop. How much it drops depends on your KH (buffering capacity), meaning, the higher your KH, more CO2 needs to be added for a PH drop.
Check the chart posted by @zozo in this thread
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/drop-checker-color-relation-to-kh-question.42795/
If you check the KH column with you KH level, the greyed cells in that column represent the recommended amount of CO2 in the water (should be around 30ppm in a high tech tank). You can then check the PH you should expect with these levels.
Jack Reilly
Member
Interested in how this black earth works out long term. What I've read so far has been positive but there's not as much information as there is on Ada soils obviously. I prefer the cal aqua lily pipes to my do aqua pipes (which broke easily).
Courtneybst
Member
As am I Jack. It hasn't been around for very long and so there's not much info on it. It's also not readily available here in the UK so I hope my journal gives people a good insight into its capabilities over the coming months/years.
I could only find good reviews on it so far. As it stands I'm quite pleased with it but it's early days still.
Courtneybst
Member
Just got my dosing pump for when I go on holiday. Gotta keep them plants happy 
Courtneybst
Member
I just bought a dosing pump for when I go on holiday. What do people do to keep their planted tanks in line when they're away? I haven't seen anyone really using a doser.
I'm curious.
I'm curious.
Courtneybst
Member
I did a mini trim today, and couldn't help but notice the colour of the Alternanthera Reineckii Mini 
It looks amazing at the moment. Team Low Tech! 
It looks amazing at the moment. Team Low Tech! 
Courtneybst
Member
I've added some of the squad now. I've got the following:
1 Pterophyllum Scalare
2 Glossolepis Incisus
1 Melanotaenia Lacustris
16 Hemigrammus Erythrozonus
4 Caridina Multidentata
1 Supposedly M. Splendida but looks like either Trifasciata or Aru II - Still too young for me to tell.
Looking to add some Bosemani in the next few days. I'm also on the hunt for a Trifasciata as my LFS is now out of stock for a while.
1 Pterophyllum Scalare
2 Glossolepis Incisus
1 Melanotaenia Lacustris
16 Hemigrammus Erythrozonus
4 Caridina Multidentata
1 Supposedly M. Splendida but looks like either Trifasciata or Aru II - Still too young for me to tell.
Looking to add some Bosemani in the next few days. I'm also on the hunt for a Trifasciata as my LFS is now out of stock for a while.
Last edited:
Courtneybst
Member
This is the tank currently. I'm away for 4 days so I'm hoping I'll come back to some nice growth. Some of the plants are showing some signs of either stunting or deficiency but I reckon it's CO2 since I reduced my Easy Carbo dosage slightly. Hopefully it picks up.
I'll wait it out and if it doesn't improve I'll be looking to setup a pressurised CO2 system.
Another squad photo
I also added one female Lacustris, two female and one male Bosemani.
I'll wait it out and if it doesn't improve I'll be looking to setup a pressurised CO2 system.
Another squad photo
I also added one female Lacustris, two female and one male Bosemani.
Courtneybst
Member
Back from my 4 day trip and I found just what I expected...algae.
It was nothing to cry over, just a little brown and gsa on the glass and that's it. I gave the Ludwigia Palustris a trim since it's growing out of my ears now!
I've redirected the flow of the internal filter to face the Limnophila and Rotala as they were not growing much. We'll see what happens there. The Monte Carlo is spreading slowly but surely
I noticed some 'dissolving' on some of the staurogyne and Alternanthera. Not sure what it is but I've redirected the external filter flow over that area to ensure it gets what it needs.
As for the Nymphoides Hydrophyla Taiwan...I wish I knew about this plant sooner. It's really fast growing and vivid green. I'm looking forward to it reaching the surface!
Tank Currently:
It was nothing to cry over, just a little brown and gsa on the glass and that's it. I gave the Ludwigia Palustris a trim since it's growing out of my ears now!
I've redirected the flow of the internal filter to face the Limnophila and Rotala as they were not growing much. We'll see what happens there. The Monte Carlo is spreading slowly but surely
I noticed some 'dissolving' on some of the staurogyne and Alternanthera. Not sure what it is but I've redirected the external filter flow over that area to ensure it gets what it needs.
As for the Nymphoides Hydrophyla Taiwan...I wish I knew about this plant sooner. It's really fast growing and vivid green. I'm looking forward to it reaching the surface!
Tank Currently:
Courtneybst
Member
A comparison of the tank between now and 3 weeks ago. Bearing in mind this is a low tech tank.
tim
Member
Nice growth for 3 weeks low tech mate 
Courtneybst
Member
Courtneybst
Member
UPDATE
I have decided to only use the dosing pump when I'm away. It seems a shame considering how much it cost but I'm not confident in having to dose both macro and micro on the same day. Some of it gets wasted when I do water changes too.
I'm not saying that the dosing pump is 100% to blame but since using it some plants are showing signs of not getting enough nutrients. I usually dose my ferts and easycarbo directly in front of the filter flows when done by hand.
I think it's good to have but I'm simply not away enough to make using it daily worth it. I'd rather do it myself whilst I'm here.
On another note, I went out and got a whole range of frozen foods for the fish. I want the rainbows to reach their maximum size and colour so I'm now feeding a selection of foods twice a day instead of once. They seem to prefer these to flakes.
I have decided to only use the dosing pump when I'm away. It seems a shame considering how much it cost but I'm not confident in having to dose both macro and micro on the same day. Some of it gets wasted when I do water changes too.
I'm not saying that the dosing pump is 100% to blame but since using it some plants are showing signs of not getting enough nutrients. I usually dose my ferts and easycarbo directly in front of the filter flows when done by hand.
I think it's good to have but I'm simply not away enough to make using it daily worth it. I'd rather do it myself whilst I'm here.
On another note, I went out and got a whole range of frozen foods for the fish. I want the rainbows to reach their maximum size and colour so I'm now feeding a selection of foods twice a day instead of once. They seem to prefer these to flakes.
Courtneybst
Member
Low Tech Monte Carlo carpet is spreading well. I know I'm gonna have to be EXTRA patient.
Amano shrimp are going to town on the algae. I can't believe my amano shrimp are nearly 7 years old! I want to add more but at the same time I don't because I want to see how long these soldiers can last. They've been in 5 different tanks, inside and outside the aquarium
and they are still fighting fit.I may get some otocinclus to help with the brown algae. Always liked them cheeky monkeys.
Happy Fish Keeping
kadoxu
Member
7 year old Amanos?! Wow!
It's pretty rare (to me) to ear about Amanos with much more than a couple of years. I didn't get Amanos, because I was told ate the time that they would only last around 1 year! But I've recently read that they can actually live for more than 10 years.
It's pretty rare (to me) to ear about Amanos with much more than a couple of years. I didn't get Amanos, because I was told ate the time that they would only last around 1 year! But I've recently read that they can actually live for more than 10 years.
Courtneybst
Member
Yeah I know, they told me only a few years but I promise you it's been the same shrimps since the beginning. They are resilient as hell!
Courtneybst
Member
Water change update. Tank is going well so far
