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Our very first tank - the Fluval Edge 46 litre!

Glenda Steel

Glenda Steel

Member
Joined
2 Jul 2014
Messages
154
Location
Lincolnshire England
I am hesitant in posting these photo's at all as there are so many expert tanks on show here, but I hope you'll forgive the novice blunders (and my terrible photography)! Our tank is as follows:
- Tank: Fluval Edge 46 litre (12 Us gallons), no additional lighting but an E series Fluval heater.
- Stand: from the Pure range in high gloss white by Askoll.
- Substrate: Sand is "Pewter" sand by Pets at Home (I hunted high and low to find one that wasn't orange but a pale stone shade and yes it does match the curtains!!!) it's particularly gorgeous in the evening when it almost looks like coral sand. Then smaller stone and large smooth river type pebbles
- Wood: Red Moor from Maidenhead Aquatics (Belton Garden Centre near Grantham Lincs) which we soaked for nearly 3 weeks before it would sink (changing the water frequently)
Plants:
Cryptocoryne beckettii
Cryptocoryne undalatus kasselman
Rotala rotundifolia
The tall grass like plant at the back I can't remember and it doesn't have a plant label any help to identify most welcome
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I think I may have planted rather too sparsely but I hope that the long grasses will eventually grown up and under the top of the tank with the Rotala rotundifolia forming a clump in the middle ground in front of the wood. Actually we'd be thrilled if it all just lived!!!

We are attempting to fishless cycle with food (hence the specs on the wood and planting) the water has gone a little tea coloured despite the wood being soaked for so long - will it clear? Also the wood is now covered in a white furry fungus, I understand from the forum that this is normal.

If all of this doesn't die I'll add more photo's later. Any tips on photography with a limited camera welcome!
 
That looks great! I'm sure as it grows in you'll feel more confident.

For photos, try taking them when its dark and turn all the lights off bar the tank. Wear a dark top so you don't reflect onto the glass. Then shoot at an angle so you don't see the light :snaphappy:
 
You're both so kind thank you so much, I think we need all the help we can get, I'm feeling a little deflated as I've just had to replant 2 plants as I found them floating! With this tank it means emptying a good 10% of water out first which I've just done twice!!!! I don't think this would have happen if I hadn't tried to plant with the tank half filled with water. I had thought it may stop the wood from floating, which it did, but it was extremely difficult! I'm in awe of all the sublime aquascaping on this forum. Still the Rotala rotundifolia seems to have grown since the weekend, so perhaps it will be ok.

There is a carbon section in the filter we have running, perhaps given time it may clear more. At the moment with the dirty looking water, white fluffy fungus and the smell of stagnant pond water I'm not feeling very confident it will ever be suitable for stocking with fish and shrimp.

If it ever does stop looking like a neglected ditch and more like the serene Zen aquascape we have dreamt about I'll take some more photo's. I'll certainly try the photography tips, thank you, it's such a problem with most of the room being white (including the sofas)! You're right James O, I did end up with far more tank "selfies" that I bargained on!!
Thank you so much once again and any tips and advice are most welcome and greatly received!
 
That looks very nice!
Re fish food for cycling, while it might work it's not a very reliable way to 'cycle' a tank. Most folk here just let the plants do their thing for the nitrogen cycle, a 'silent cycle', (You do need quite a good plant mass though, quick growing stems for example) along with regular ferts and frequent water changes instead for a few weeks while the plants grow on.
Some moss or anubias attached to the wood root would look good too. when the fungus has cleared!
 
Thank you so much Fern, that's so kind of you! At the moment with a tank filled with food, fungus, slime and mould it's far from how I imaged it! I like the idea of the plants doing the cycling it sounds so much "cleaner", although we didn't want to cover the wood too much (I adore it - or did pre the fuzz) I do love your idea of moss though! That's definitely on the list! Would moss balls look good do you think? Perhaps they're a bit too "topiary" for this set up? I really want something controllable in the moss department and more Japanese in influence - any suggestions? One good point is the food cycling does seem to be very slowly working as the Ammonia levels are gradually creeping up. We're only into the beginning of the second week, so fingers crossed. Is it the uneaten fish food that's causing the stagnant pond smell? Luckily the stand we have the tank on has a handy shelf perfect for a White Company scented candle or two (unlit) and it is a good excuse to buy an extra large bunch of lilies for the living room but please tell me the house won't smell of ditch water forever! That's not in my Zen, tranquil tank vision at all!!!!
 
The plants will settle in and stop floating once they have some fresh roots.

Do you know anyone with a mature tank? If you can snag some mature filter media this can speed things up. I've also known people to throw in some duckweed as additional plant mass 😀

As for the smell.....water changes
 
Agree with James, fresh water does wonders for a planted tank 🙂
 
So do I not need to keep replanting the floating plants? No, we don't know of anyone with a tank, mature or otherwise and I'm beginning to see why!!! We really wanted minimal, purposeful planting to add to the movement and structure... ummmm???!!! Perhaps given time (who am I kidding)?
I've been avoiding water changes as the tank has only been up and running for just over a week. If I did a water change wouldn't it stop the ammonia level coming up? I can put up with the smell if its working besides, it is a good excuse to buy more scented candles (you can never have enough)!!! I've just been looking at the other "first tank" photo's on the forum and am so embarrassed about ours, what was I thinking posting them? Why isn't our water clear and why do our plants look like they've been mangled... oh wait ..... perhaps it's because they have? Ho hum.
 
OP is advised to perform large and frequent water changes. That is best for plants. What is best for plants will then be best for the rest of the tank.

Cheers,
 
Well Glenda, I have been reading allot of your posts and various questions you have asked and I would say you are very much on the right track and you should be very proud of your first tank - it looks great!
Remember this hobby always offers loads to learn and as you will read, some of us here have been doing this for years and still have problems. If this was my first scape I would be very pleased (and by the way, it's much better than I did on my first go)
New setups always offer a few teething issues, keep at it and I'd say in a few months you will have a little cracker :thumbup:
 
It looks good so you can stop beating yourself up.
As said above, keep the tank clean. Get in with a toothbrush and rub the wood, clean the glass and change 50% water everyday if you can. What you do now will determine how the tanks is for months to come, for as long as it's dirty and stagnant algae spores will be gathering like a marching army ready to beat you up.
Clean tank = happy tank.

The cycle will look after itself 🙂
 
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Thank you all so, so much, I will make it my priority today to get the tank clean and do a 50% water change. Your advice makes complete sense, I love a clean tidy home and will apply the same ethics to our tank![DOUBLEPOST=1407911845][/DOUBLEPOST]
ceg4048 said:
OP is advised to perform large and frequent water changes. That is best for plants. What is best for plants will then be best for the rest of the tank.

Cheers,
Click to expand...
Hi Ceg4048, Could I possibly ask what OP stands for please (sorry not yet up to speed on the abbreviations)? Thank you so much for taking time to give me advice!
 
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