First time aquascape

[Rasbo]

Been running a number of tanks (well 7 actually) for a while now, all containing plants but none planned and scaped and all of which have for one reason or another been a disappointment so I am having a go using a 24x8x8 tank and a cheap over tank led light off Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aquarium-...UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&var=&hash=item51c6fa7005

This might well also be a disaster but being a small tank it is good to experiment with. The shape of the tank makes layout particularly tricky and limited depth may well mean that there is too much light but as they say he who tries...





Got some small pieces of bogwood from Maidenhead sold by weight so only a few quid and juggled with layouts.

Substrate is a thin layer of soil which has been in a bucket for months flooded by an overflowing gutter and emptied a few times so probably mineralised. Cap is Tesco cat litter left over from an earlier tank.







Decided to try In vitro plants and was pleasantly surprised by how many there were. Plenty of pogo, HC, pygmy chain sword and Hemianthus Micranthemoides for my needs.





Add some anubia nana cuttings from another tank



5 days later and some christmas moss added, visibly growing after only a couple of days



Two weeks later



Anubias had to be replaced as I had stupidly wiped the leaves with Easycarbo. Reduced water level as getting a little algae, roots should be down enough by now.





Still having trouble with anubias, might be too much light as had been running whites and blues

Aiming to flood New Years day.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Nice start...looking good.

 

[Rasbo]

Time on my hands today so decided to take the plunge and flood the tank.

Before



After



Pogostemon have no roots at all so a couple came adrift along with odds and ends of HC but on the whole looks good. Now I have to keep it that way! Was a bit worried that the small PondSolutions filter would be inadequate but with spray bar down the middle of the tank I appear to be getting a steady but not too vigorous flow even over the HC. A few bloodworm appeared, presumably from the soil. Will add some Glute for the next week or two to aid transition. Anubias still struggling on but I may have to rethink those.

Was thinking of putting in some daphnia to combat any algae threat what do you guys think?

 

[Dantrasy]

Looks great. I'd guess this was your 10th scape, not your first.

How are the pogos going? I've never had any luck with them. They start to melt the second I put them in.

How can always add some floating plants while the soil nutrients is very high. Your soil appears DIY, so it would be a good precaution.

 

[naughtymoose]

What would be good floaters to add to a new tank? Do they help with the uptake of surplus nutrients leaching from the soil?

 

[Tim Harrison]

There are more than a few to choose from, but popular choices are Salvinia natans and Limnobium laevigatum. Yes they will help remove organic compounds, especially since they have the aerial advantage.

 

[Rasbo]

First day after flooding, HC pearling and pogo visibly issuing oxygen bubbles, some on moss too. Minor problems with some HC uprooting due to pearling - not sure that the cat litter is heavy and dense enough to offer sufficient rooting for HC but have placed a lead weight on top and will wait outcome. Elsewhere pogo uprooted again so similar treatment. As water came from another tank and filter has been running in another tank is essentially cycled so popped in a few daphnia in contemplating some cherry shrimp to head off any algae issues.

Lessons learnt - would use black basalt or silica sand next time as these seem to do best as a substrate for me. More care required with superglue as it shows white after flooding, hopefully this will lessen with plant growth.

One slight problem, in a tank of around 4 gallons what to use to measure the necessary liquid carbon dose say 0.4ml - any suggestions?

 

[Rasbo]

10 days on from flooding and all going well. Added a dozen or so cherry shrimp to combat any algae and apart from a slight ammonia spike (which shouldn't happen after a dry start) when they all swam about frantically put right with a water change plants are looking good. Dwarf swords putting up strong new growth, Micranthus growing steadily but HM still not rooting satisfactorily in the cat litter. Decided to add a small cap of sand to hold it down - might with time mix in but hopefully by then some roots will be in place. Added a small buce and hymenasplenium though not sure if these really add anything. Adding just Ferropol weekly and pogo visibly oxygenating.

 

[Rasbo]

Two weeks after flooding and ticking along nicely, slight algae on the glass but nothing major. RCS doing a good job. Sand cap has made right hand side look a bit sparse but that will rectify with new growth.

 

[Greenfinger2]

Hi Rasbo,
Looking great Love the Pog
With the dosing of liquid Co2 try using a syringe to measure the dose mine go down in 1ml graduations use 1/2 of 1ml to get near to 0.4

 

[Rob Dahl]

Very nice job so far overcoming problems with solutions. I like the way you laid out your hardscape. Keep up the good work.

 

[stu_]

re syringes.
You can buy graduated 1ml syringes from Boots.
Ask at the pharmacy counter.They use to be under a quid.

 

[ian_m]

ou can buy graduated 1ml syringes from Boots

I get my 1ml syringes, for measuring out hardener for resin casting, from Ebay, about 3 for £1.

 

[Rasbo]

A month on and it has all gone a bit crazy.

Hardscape getting obscured so time for a trim I think.

Pogo still not rooted so comes adrift on trimming.

What to do with trimmings?

I know another tank!


Not quite what I originally set out in mind but difficult to find bogwood to fit.

 

[Rasbo]

Some good news about the anubias I treated with Easycarbo. New leaves are appearing, ever so slowly but there is definite growth, just lost one rhizome. Pogo is growing insanely fast and still not staying in the substrate. Shrimp and cory hastatus appear quite content only algae is a small green spot on the back glass and some diatoms on the front. Overall relatively happy, time will tell.

 

[Rob Dahl]

Your bogwood looks like some prehistoric reptile in mid-stride. Interesting.

 

[Rasbo]

I was looking for something "branchy" as due to the tank dimensions 60x20x20 I'm very limited on space. This is the only one remotely close from some half dozen shops and I think it works. Will have to see what a weeping moss coat does for it.

 

[Rasbo]

Time for an update. Shrimp breeding like crazy but have lost a couple of cory hastatus. One may have been due to heater malfunction - only 2 months old - short circuit. Fortunately had a spare but water temperature dropped to around 17C. Plants growing now without liquid carbon or added ferts relying on soil base layer. Pogo going mad - needs a trim - anyone in need? HC slow and still not a carpet but fine nonetheless. Brown diatoms on glass and odd bits of algae nothing catastophic. Photos below

 

[Christos Ioannou]

Plants growing now without liquid carbon or added ferts relying on soil base layer.

This is without pressurized CO2 and that internal filter? I for one, am impressed!

Sand cap has made right hand side look a bit sparse but that will rectify with new growth.

Do you think capping the kitty litter with sand helped your HC to root better? Is the sand still sitting on top of the kitty litter after almost two months?

 

[Rasbo]

I think it is because the tank is so shallow, better light and a relatively large surface area to volume. The filter is the smallest All Pond Solutions filter rated at 200lph with spraybar flowing length of the tank at surface so some ripple helping too. After decoration and substrate tank is probably only 20lt. Cat litter is too light for HC to root and hold. Sand has not mixed as much as I had expected so is still sitting on top on the right side.