# New member, new planted tank.



## Jester (9 Aug 2016)

hello all, I've been running a small 38lr trickle filtered planted tank for the last 5 years, now I'm starting to find it difficult finding parts like bulbs and light covers. So I decided to start a new tank. Plants came this morning so I planted her up.



 
sorry I'm not much of a photographer, here's a pic. DAY 1
It's an aqua one aquaopti 55 on an inspire 40 cabinet. 
eheim ecco pro 200 filter.
Fluval aquasky 12w led.
JBL aquabasis plus topped with black gravel.
Lump of bogwood (been soaking 3weeks).
juncus repens rear left with lindernia mid left, echinodorus tenellus front left.
 hydrocotyle tripartita 'japan' rear right and pogostemon helferi front right.
I'm only going to using liquid co2.
Any help, criticism, abuse etc. given would be accepted greatfully ish! hope you like it.


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## Manisha (10 Aug 2016)

Hi, lovely tank ☺ Not much criticism required haha! I'd just keep photoperiod shorter (6/7) in the first couple of weeks whilst the plants are establishing & try to do at least a 50% water change once a week!
Another big help when starting a tank is to have a fast growing stem plant to use any excess nutrients in the water so algae can't! Plants like elodea or egeria are sometimes used for the initial start up & then removed as there appearance can deteriorate over time. Good luck with the tank & welcome to Ukaps


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## rebel (11 Aug 2016)

Tank is looking very good. Yep keep lights to 5-6 hours and attack any algae with large water changes and manual removal.

Looking forward to updates....


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## Jester (11 Aug 2016)

Thanks for the replies, I am currently running the lights 9am- 12.30 then 3.30- 19.00. I am dosing 1.5ml of flourish excel liquid carbon in the evening light period as I work day then night shifts so I know I'll always be home at 3.30. I've put 3 bunches of Cambonda from my other tank in this morning after you're advice. I'm not sure about the juncus repens at the back, bought it on the strength of some pictures where it looked a lot thicker than what I have. Will it fill out and reach for the light once its roots find the substrate? I have some Echinodorus bleheri waiting and I'm considering swapping them. I just wanted something to mask the lovely green eheim tubing.


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## Jester (11 Aug 2016)

echinodorus is weighted in some 'natural' holes in the bogwood for now!


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## Manisha (16 Aug 2016)

Looks good ☺ I've no experience with juncus repent, sorry - but echinodorus bleheri gets big & tall and would definitely work if you wanted to swap the plants. I think echinodorus species tend to do better in the long run when planted in the substrate as are heavy root feeders rather than attached to hardscape! Also, it might be handy to get a timer for your lights and run for a single period instead ☺


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## Jester (17 Aug 2016)

I moved some the juncus forward a little and planted the swords in the rear. If you look in the pic below you'll see I have plenty of substrate in that corner!

I took some bad advice about giving plants a light break during the day, lights have been  on a timer for 6 hours constant for the last 3 days.

Hydrocotyle tripartita has shed a few leaves but nothing drastic, yet!

Some of the Lindernia has melted, which doesn't bode well. Time will tell I guess.

Cambomba is still weighted down in the bogwood, this will be removed when the other plants establish a little. This stuff has sent out about 6 lilly pad type leaves and what looks like some flower buds.

I am planning a 3rd 50% water change tomorrow.


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## Jester (8 Sep 2016)

Day 30 update,



All is going well, no algae, plants seem to be growing if some are a little slower than others. 
 I have 6 oto's and 4 shrimp that have been at home for a week now (more shrimp to come I think) and  have started stocking fish today, 8 White Cloud Mountain Minnows to start I will add more at a later date once the filter has matured more.
Lights are on 6 hours and I'm adding liquid carbon daily.
I have a question for you guys, I have some complete ferts left over from my last tank, and I would like to know whether I should start dosing or just let the plants do their thing? I don't want to cause an algae bloom. The fish should start supplying some natural ferts from now?


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## Mark Allen (8 Sep 2016)

Your tanks looking good, my little 60ltr is looking pretty dead and sorry for its self. I blame it on tissue culture plants lol. They don't seem to like me.

Can't answer your questions as I'm a newbie too


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## HiNtZ (8 Sep 2016)

Nice, that Japan is really bushy!


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## kadoxu (9 Sep 2016)

Jester said:


> Lights are on 6 hours and I'm adding liquid carbon daily.
> I have a question for you guys, I have some complete ferts left over from my last tank, and I would like to know whether I should start dosing or just let the plants do their thing? I don't want to cause an algae bloom. The fish should start supplying some natural ferts from now?


So, day 30, you haven't used any ferts so far... and your plants look that good?! Please teach me, Master!! 
I'm on day 16 and half my plants are dying!

I'd say if you haven't added ferts so far, now with livestock you probably won't need them anyway.


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## HiNtZ (9 Sep 2016)

kadoxu said:


> So, day 30, you haven't used any ferts so far... and your plants look that good?! Please teach me, Master!!
> I'm on day 16 and half my plants are dying!
> 
> I'd say if you haven't added ferts so far, now with livestock you probably won't need them anyway.



It's more than likely that he has good water, along with only a 12w fixture, and a 6 hour photo period.

Lucky guy. My tank is practically on a nutrient drip feed!


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## HiNtZ (9 Sep 2016)

Sorry.... forgot substrate! That's going to be picking up some of the demands.

Keep us updated on this tank, really interested to see its progression


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## Jester (9 Sep 2016)

@ mark sorry to hear about your tank woes, sometimes things just don't work out. I wouldn't give up on in-vitro's the tenellus in the left front was 3 tubs, its established really well. I've never used in-vitro before but based on the performance of this stuff I'll be using it again.
@ hintz the tripartite has done really well, I lost a lot of leaves in the first few weeks but now it seems happy enough. I don't know if my water is 'good' I'm in east Anglia where the waters fairly hard, GH 250+ and KH 270, my pH is 7.6. I think you're right about the substrate I've been told that JBL auquabasis should be good for 3 years+, I hope.
@ kadoxu I am certainly no master I just followed a good routine when setting up, put some water from my old tank in the new one, transferred some biomedia from other filter, I ran a carbon filter for 2 weeks then removed it, added 100ml of fluval cycle plus 100ml of ehiem starter bacteria  over the last 4 weeks. Any melting leaves removed asap, glass cleaned every 3 days and filter pipework has been cleaned out 1 week ago.
Thanks for looking.


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## Manisha (9 Sep 2016)

Super healthy tank - your maintenance is really paying off! If your dosing liquid co2, technically your tank falls into the 'high tech catagory' & you should see faster growth so may find dosing fertilisers beneficial to your plants. This thread is worth a read http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/ei-dosing-using-dry-salts.1211/ It discusses the principles of EI dosing & basically explains if you dose your tank with excess nutrients, plant growth will not be limited & show better health (accompanied with good regular maintenance which removes organics from the tank). I dose equivilant EI levels on my small liquid carbon tank & a lesser dose on my low tech big tank with TNC complete as oppose to mixing salts but found the thread very helpful nonetheless


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## Aqua360 (19 Sep 2016)

nice tank!


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## J Art (19 Sep 2016)

love it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Reayman (19 Sep 2016)

awesome tank, jealous of the plant growth!


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## Jester (20 Sep 2016)

thanks all for your kind comments. This could all go wrong as I am starting Ei dosing (albeit at 50%) next week, gulp. Fingers crossed it will remain algae free.


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## Jester (2 Oct 2016)

Hello all, I've been soo busy doing other stuff. Started EI dosing last week and it seems to be working, only dosing 5mml as directed by the supplier of my EI kit, dosing 2ml liquid carbon daily, still no algae, yet. Today I spent some time on the tank, a 50% water change and a little trimming of my mad Tripartite 'japan'. I thought it had gained too much height and made the tank unbalanced on the right side. Lindernia has established really well and doubled in height. Pogostemon helferi is doing great I feel as the plants were not the best from the pots. Tenellus 'green' is doing the best I think . It has put runners out in around 6 places, I pin them down with some lead strips till there roots get going. Juncus repens is the slowest to get started but it seems to be getting there. Swords are doing really well, though I think they may be tropica 'mini' variety as they have not grown in height at all even though the roots are clearly visible down to the bottom of the substrate at the side of the glass.
All livestock is now in, 20 WCMM, 6 Otto's, 1 super red ancistrus bristlenose. and 4 amano shrimp.
Any how some pics.



top shot of front.



Cheers for looking.


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## Manisha (3 Oct 2016)

Lovely update - thanks for sharing ☺ I  must admit I have this tank in storage for a future project & lovely to see yours progressing so well ☺ Well done! ( Doubt I'll have the same success...)


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## Jester (4 Oct 2016)

Manisha said:


> I must admit I have this tank in storage for a future project



I'd like to see that, do you have any ideas on what light you are going to use? Do you have the cabinet? mine is the Inspire 40, it fits perfect.
Also you may want to know I cut my glass cover into three pieces so as to make a clear gap for the light. It cut really clean with an ordinary glass cutter, then I just cut down the plastic supports to match. I was going to use the excess  plastic supports left over to raise my light if needed as it fits the sides of the tank as well as the thinner top glass cover. Luckily my light isn't powerful enough to need raising.


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## Manisha (4 Oct 2016)

That's a great idea with the lid, diy isn't my strong point so I'd definitely not achieve such a neat job! I do hope to get the same cabinet, will also get an external filter (either the ecco pro or jbl cristalprofi)  Lightwise I hope to use this http://www.hinterfeld.com/uk-chihir...-lamp-12-39w-plant-fish-shrimp-light-20-60cm/ I have it on a Fluval Spec V & have been happy using - I like the dimmer on it, very handy  & it's very reasonably priced


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## Jester (5 Oct 2016)

That's a pretty powerful light, it's 4 times the lumen output of mine. Are you going to be growing difficult plants then?


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## Manisha (6 Oct 2016)

I'm not hoping to do anything too challenging - but its easier to use it on a lower setting or use floating plants & if I want to try more demanding plants I can increase the intensity as required


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## Jester (30 Oct 2016)

Quick update, still no algae, EI dosing has made my plants fill out well. The balance seems to be about right after nearly 3 months.
Some pictures.





 





Thanks for looking.


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