Hi Folks, it's bout time you had a journal from me! Well, it's not much of a journal because the aquascape is almost finished but here's the journey so far…..
Last year I set up an awful lot of tanks and the lead up to Aquatics Live was a very busy time. Consequently after the show was over I decided to do a tank "just for me" so to speak. I wanted n pressure, just a nice challenge which I was comfortable with. So here goes….
The Spec:
Tank - 80 x 60 x 30cm Optiwhite
Filter - Fluval G6
Lighting - 80cm Fluval Plant LED
CO2 - 1.5bps using a Fire Extinguisher and Up 17mm inline diffuser
Substrate - Fluval Stratum
Fertilisation - 25ml Tropica Plant Growth Premium per day
Carbon - 10ml TNC Carbon per day
Plants - HC, New Ludwigia species Red, Bacopa species, New Eleocharis, Unknown Rorippa species, Unknown Carpeting species, Alteranthera species, Riccia, Blyxa alternifolia, Christmas Moss, eriocaulon Taiwan.
Fish - 50 Micro Rasbora
Shrimp - 7 million cherry shrimp, give or take a few.
The tank after a very long day at Aquatics Live, Ian Holdich is the model
The day of setup - 15/10/2012
Here it is after after 6 weeks of growth
The perils of owning a shallow tank LOL
Growth was good but the fish were not, they never suited the shape of the tank so I decided i'd swap them for some Micro Rasbora, i've got that wrong too IMO I'm looking to exchange them for some Pencil Fish I think.
The Big rock on the back left was to heavy for the 'scape so I thought i'd swap it our for a tree trunk kind of think and IMO it's a huge improvement….
Heres a few detail shots. Note the delightful "unknown carpeting plant" I started out with 5 stems, it didn't take long to adapt to my tank and once it got going - it REALLY got going!
Two weeks later
Eriocaulon Taiwan getting smothered.
I've filled the area behind the stones with substrate and laid a thin layer over the top of the stones in the hope that it'll do this, and it does :0)
A nice forest floor feel, my idea of what a carpet should look like
Here's the "Unknown Rorippa species". I love it, perfect for informal planting.
And this is it at the minute, I've got too much riccia so if anyone wants any please let me know and I'll post it out. The massive ball of it on the left is weighted down with slate, at about 9pm every evening it lifts up and floats around the tank, finding it's self a new place to sleep overnight.
So, what's next? The carpet is seriously thick so i'm going to get really scissor happy over the next week or so, everything else is getting overgrown too so i'll do some damage and post a before and after photo.
Oh, I forgot to mention, I do a waterchange every 6 weeks! It's been the most trouble free tank i've ever owned. Is it down to the shape, filtration, ferts, lighting? Yes, yes, yes and yes - we always talk about finding that magical and sometime elusive "balance". Well this time I smashed the nail on the head, not through skill, just pure luck. I used the equipment I had and it just worked, a testament to what can be done with the right gear :0)
Last year I set up an awful lot of tanks and the lead up to Aquatics Live was a very busy time. Consequently after the show was over I decided to do a tank "just for me" so to speak. I wanted n pressure, just a nice challenge which I was comfortable with. So here goes….
The Spec:
Tank - 80 x 60 x 30cm Optiwhite
Filter - Fluval G6
Lighting - 80cm Fluval Plant LED
CO2 - 1.5bps using a Fire Extinguisher and Up 17mm inline diffuser
Substrate - Fluval Stratum
Fertilisation - 25ml Tropica Plant Growth Premium per day
Carbon - 10ml TNC Carbon per day
Plants - HC, New Ludwigia species Red, Bacopa species, New Eleocharis, Unknown Rorippa species, Unknown Carpeting species, Alteranthera species, Riccia, Blyxa alternifolia, Christmas Moss, eriocaulon Taiwan.
Fish - 50 Micro Rasbora
Shrimp - 7 million cherry shrimp, give or take a few.
The tank after a very long day at Aquatics Live, Ian Holdich is the model
The day of setup - 15/10/2012
Here it is after after 6 weeks of growth
The perils of owning a shallow tank LOL
Growth was good but the fish were not, they never suited the shape of the tank so I decided i'd swap them for some Micro Rasbora, i've got that wrong too IMO I'm looking to exchange them for some Pencil Fish I think.
The Big rock on the back left was to heavy for the 'scape so I thought i'd swap it our for a tree trunk kind of think and IMO it's a huge improvement….
Heres a few detail shots. Note the delightful "unknown carpeting plant" I started out with 5 stems, it didn't take long to adapt to my tank and once it got going - it REALLY got going!
Two weeks later
Eriocaulon Taiwan getting smothered.
I've filled the area behind the stones with substrate and laid a thin layer over the top of the stones in the hope that it'll do this, and it does :0)
A nice forest floor feel, my idea of what a carpet should look like
Here's the "Unknown Rorippa species". I love it, perfect for informal planting.
And this is it at the minute, I've got too much riccia so if anyone wants any please let me know and I'll post it out. The massive ball of it on the left is weighted down with slate, at about 9pm every evening it lifts up and floats around the tank, finding it's self a new place to sleep overnight.
So, what's next? The carpet is seriously thick so i'm going to get really scissor happy over the next week or so, everything else is getting overgrown too so i'll do some damage and post a before and after photo.
Oh, I forgot to mention, I do a waterchange every 6 weeks! It's been the most trouble free tank i've ever owned. Is it down to the shape, filtration, ferts, lighting? Yes, yes, yes and yes - we always talk about finding that magical and sometime elusive "balance". Well this time I smashed the nail on the head, not through skill, just pure luck. I used the equipment I had and it just worked, a testament to what can be done with the right gear :0)
