# Island Shore - 60 x 30 x 45 Rock, grass and hopefully class!



## Chris Jackson (30 Aug 2014)

Hello! So a new project commences...
Having run a v large 120x60x60 tank for the last 9 years I've decided to downsize to something smaller and easier to manage tightly. For this fresh start I wanted only v high quality equipment that will integrate beautifully into our home. I spent ages looking at different LED light units with non really inspiring me until I discovered the Amano Aquasky units which really are a thing of minimalist excellence that apparently perform as well as they look. I selected the 602 unit in order to be sure to have ample light for grasses and carpet plants in a 45cm deep tank. To start I am going down the full Amano route with Aquasoil Amazonia and Powersand substrate and fertilisers. I built my own cabinet out of birch ply, walnut and zebrano and walnut veneers. It cost less in materials than a quality Amano or german tank and building it was more fun than buying one and allowed me to make it at 90cm high rather than the usual 70ish and, to my eye, better proportioned to the 45cm high tank.



 

I've run it without plants for 3 weeks changing 70% of the water each week as recommended by those helpful guys at The Green Machine. Planting happened a day ago using excellent tissue culture plants from Aqua Essentials (I figured the Green Machine had had enough of my cash for now..!) 
Very simple:
Eleocharis sp
Eleocharis parvula
Micranthemum 'Monte-Carlo'

I maybe over ordered...


 

One day on there are early signs of roots taking hold... I'm using the dry start technique to get things established swiftly with hopefully a minimum of plants up rooting and floating off..



 

Stay tuned...


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## TOO (30 Aug 2014)

Looks really nice. What are the stones?

I am just starting up an ADA 60P, which is the same size except only 36 cm high. I also have the Aquasky, but only the 601, as well as the same plants that you do (and lots of others). I absolutely enjoy the design of the lamp and its colour rendition. I would strongly recommend that you only use one of the two units at first. I am two weeks in and the above plants seem to be doing quite well under just one unit. I am aware that you have some more height, but none of these plants are very light demanding, so with good co2 they should do well. With two lights on you really need to be on top of your game. I was surprised at how bright the 601 is. 

Looking forward to following this.

Thomas


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## Crossocheilus (30 Aug 2014)

I know nothing about dry starting but from what I've heard no plants should be submerged under water, the substrate should be damp, the tank sealed and the humidity kept as high as possible with regular misting. You seem to have submerged the Monte Carlo, are you sure this is the right thing to do? That aside it looks great, nice equipment, should be a very good minimalist iwagumi 'scape. What rock have you used? The hardscape positioning is spot on 
Good luck!


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## mr. luke (31 Aug 2014)

That rock is slate i belive 
Look in any garden center, this type is labeled as rustic slate.
Very nice use of it i might add.
Agree on the dry start method, drain as much water out as you can and it will be about right


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## Roddy123 (31 Aug 2014)

Looking great! I went with nearly the same set up but instead I have a 60P. Love your cabinet looks really retro. Good luck with the rest.


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## Chris Jackson (31 Aug 2014)

Thanks, yes I agree about the water level! I left that in while I considered humidity levels over the first day or so. With a cover glass mounted that does not seal the tank thoroughly it was all looking a bit dry particularly on the high ground in spite of regular misting with a sprayer. So yesterday I sealed across the cover glass and top of tank with cling film and this morning everything is good and steamy. So out with some airline tube and syphon off the excess water...all aided by the prompting from you wise people...

The rocks are local Cornish slate that I sulvaged from a pile of rocks used for building a dry stone wall in our garden.  For the lighting I went with the 602 because I felt that gave me the most options because I can turn a bank off far more easily than adding another. I also have a theory that including one or two hours of high intensity light to simulate the noonday sun pays dividends....


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## mr. luke (31 Aug 2014)

You would be supprised how dry you can have the leaves 
Hairgrass can be grown in open air as long as they can access water, and i know hc can be grown in the same way so maybe h can too?


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## Martin in Holland (31 Aug 2014)

Great start, can't wait to see it fully green


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## Alexander Belchenko (31 Aug 2014)

I like how you layered your rocks. It rocks!


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## Chris Jackson (31 Aug 2014)

Cheers,

Day two, small signs of root development....


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## Chris Jackson (1 Sep 2014)

Day Three:

Clear signs of the plants settling in with more leaves moving to face the light and stems spreading out.

It's not very scientific but I'm possibly giving a mild Co2 enrichment by exhaling a few held breaths into the tank in the morning by lifting the cling film at each side so that the air exchanges across the tank  . 8 hours of full intensity light initially so that the plants have everything going for them to get their strength back after the trauma of being planted out. I'll reduce this once the tank is flooded and algae becomes more of an issue.


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## Vinkenoog1977 (1 Sep 2014)

Looks good, however, it looks very wet!!! Be sure to keep the water level WELL below the substrate, basically drain out as much water as you can, with a syringe or a turkey baster, or something like that. Also, you can increase the light period to 14 hours if you want to, in a dry start, the longer the light is on, the better. You might want to dim the light, if possible, to maybe 80%, and they should grow and root very well and quickly! You can either poke a few tiny holes in the cling flim with a tooth pick or something, or let it "breathe" a bit every day; too high a moister and/ or water level could cause mould; been there, done that. A light misting, LIGHT, twice a day should help, but keep the water levels down, so drain the excess water from the substrate every couple of days.

Really like the hardscape and planting by the way!


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## Chris Jackson (1 Sep 2014)

Right oh...this is my first dry start so I'll take your advice and remove some more water. 

I was picturing some swampy wetland ground as my "dry" much like I imagine the native environment to be but I haven't really researched the method v much.

Thanks


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## Chris Jackson (2 Sep 2014)

Dat Four:

Plenty of new growth and runners heading out. I had a bit of a pruning session and sowed some cuttings as well.
I've decided that I am happy with how wet things are because drawing any more water out simply doesn't feel like the way forward and ultimately I have to trust my own judgement. However I have seen talk of ammonia spikes with Aquasoil Amazonia so I did a test on the water in the substrate and got a well below 10 reading exactly as the water that came out of the tank after three weeks of filtration in virgin media (ADA Carbon and Bio Rio). So that is encouraging...


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## Chris Jackson (3 Sep 2014)

Day Five:

Romping away now...lots of fresh young growth...


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## TallDragon (3 Sep 2014)

Chris, could I ask you to take picture of the inside of your cabinet, please. I am gathering ideas for my own custom cabinet plans. What were your considerations when designing the cabinet? Also, more questions: does the 90cm height of the cabinet and the 45 height of the tank make it convenient to maintain the tank? For this size tank would you think that a JBL CristalProfi e901 is sufficient, or should I save up more and get an e1501? What filter will you be running this tank with, with what media? Please share plans.


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## Chris Jackson (3 Sep 2014)

Hi TallDragon,
I'll add more cabinet pictures with tomorrows update. 
I'm 6' 2" and the 90 + 45 turns out to be pretty much perfect for access for me though I did not really consider this much as I've long been used to standing on a kids chair to maintain my old big tank. 90cm is the standard height for kitchen worktops and as this tank is sighted in a kitchen/family room it fits well and I like the 2:1 ratio to the tank height. The space under the doors is 9cm high and the radius of the curves to the legs is exactly half that of the curves next to the tank so there is a lot of 2:1 balance going on. I also felt 2 doors rather than one was more elegant visually, encroached less into the room when open and made for easier access.
Other than that I wanted strong, stable, different and fun and a bit challenging to build which was why I added the curves, veneers and solid walnut face frame. I don't have any detailed drawings I just drew a basic design on graph paper. 
Personally I'd have thought the JBL e901 would be ideal (I'm using a Eheim Experience 250T) but I have noticed a lot of focus on high flow rates on this forum so others may think differently.


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## TallDragon (4 Sep 2014)

Chris Jackson said:


> Hi TallDragon,
> I'll add more cabinet pictures with tomorrows update.
> I'm 6' 2" and the 90 + 45 turns out to be pretty much perfect for access for me though I did not really consider this much as I've long been used to standing on a kids chair to maintain my old big tank. 90cm is the standard height for kitchen worktops and as this tank is sighted in a kitchen/family room it fits well and I like the 2:1 ratio to the tank height.



Thanks for the answer. I'm 6'8" , so that is why the 70cm typical cabinet would be a bit too low, especially with a 45cm tall tank. I love your cabinet, it has a nice visual balance. Looking forward to the inside pictures. If I go with a custom cabinet I do not really want to say in a few months/years : "I wish I had put in X".


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## TallDragon (4 Sep 2014)

Chris, have you considered taking any extra measures to increase the oxygenization of the tank, given that it is quite voluminous, and has a relatively smaller surface area, given its height?


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## Chris Jackson (4 Sep 2014)

Day 6:
All looking well with noticeable growth from the hair grasses also:


 

Here is a cabinet shot...it's not very exciting! So far I've installed a double set of surface mounted individually switched sockets right up at the top where they will be accessible regardless of intrusions from CO2 cylinder and pipework etc. (I'm sick of nasty wobbly multi socket extension leads with no space for timers or loads of cables getting in a mess squashed behind the cabinet) 
The CO2 cylinder will be positioned to the right and once that is finalised I'm currently thinking I'll arrange small shelves/hooks for tools and ferts. on the door backs so that everything comes easily to hand. Other less used stuff like test kits, pipe cleaners, syphon hoses and replacement filter media is stored in a nearby utility room. 
No thoughts for increasing oxygenation during daylight hours at least as I'm quite confident the plants will take care of that and I have run a bigger tank at 120 x 40 x 60 with a low surface area without any dramas. Night time aeration might be on the cards but really I want to keep everything as simple as reasonably possible so I'll see how things progress.


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## TallDragon (4 Sep 2014)

Grasses looking nice. Thanks for the cabinet pic.


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## tinthree (6 Sep 2014)

Wow that was a nice read. Looking forward to more updates. I particularly like your hardscape.


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## Chris Jackson (7 Sep 2014)

Day 8 - The rainy season arrives and floods the river bank, heavy clouds linger, bringing respite from the relentless sunlight whilst soft nutrient rich waters comfort the plants in their new aquatic home...


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## Alexander Belchenko (7 Sep 2014)

Looks great. Thank you for side view. I didn't expect the slates are so thin.

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## Ian Holdich (7 Sep 2014)

Love this Chris, keep up,the good work!


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## Chris Jackson (8 Sep 2014)

Day 9: And away we go....

The tank get's a bit of early morning sunlight which was enough to set the plants away pearling bubbles this morning..



 

CO2 is working well with drop checker green. My filtered tap water here in Cornwall shows a very low KH so I've added Sodium Bicarbonate to raise it to KH5 which should mean around PH 6.7. I have an antique Dennerle CO2 Controller that I plan to use for monitoring rather than control CO2 but PH electrode wouldn't re-calibrate yesterday but as the calibration solution shows an expiry date of 2008 (umm!) I've ordered some more before I decide whether it's worth replacing the electrode. CO2 is bubbled through an adapter I cobbled together into the inlet feed to the filter which acts as a reactor by trapping CO2. This method has always worked very well for me and keeps the tank uncluttered and avoids mists of micro bubbles that I don't really care for.



 

There is slight algae growth on the rocks and a bit on some of the Hairgrass but that is only to be expected and I'm not aiming for zero algae, just balanced amounts of algae. I have added an Otocinlus, that made itself available from my old tank, to start adding some load to the filter and nibble algae. Lighting is 5 hours on one bank of aquasky led and one hour in the middle with both banks. 



 

Some Amano shrimp will be added in a day or two....not much chance of netting any out of my big old juggle of a tank though....


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## Crossocheilus (8 Sep 2014)

Alexander Belchenko said:


> Thank you for side view. I didn't expect the slates are so thin.



Exactly what I thought,  I had always just assumed they were more 3D, a testament to your skill at creating illusions with depth.


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## Chris Jackson (9 Sep 2014)

Day 10: Hardscape notes and a bit of algae maintenance.

Thanks for the generous comments about the hardscape ... In planning this I made a mock up of the back and base of the tank in plywood and spent an afternoon messing. It's far easier to move and place rocks about like this without fear of scratching or damaging posh glass tanks. Not having front and sides in the way also makes things easier, once I was happy I then positioned this mock up near the empty tank and transferred it bit by bit, adding some hot melt glue here and there to keep things positioned. Next time I'd also use a temporary gravel/sand substrate with the mock up so that this was worked out better in advance. The actual scape has ended up sat a little lower in the substrate than I'd originally intended...

Today I had a clean up session on the algae developing on the rocks. It is very noticeable that there is more of this low in the tank where the humidity was much higher during the "dry start" phase and is almost certainly something that established then which is only to be expected really. 



 

It looks like it's following lines where water has run down the rock... Anyway I figured that it could become problematic so I set to with a small brush and an airline tube syphoning it off. 
*TOP TIP: *For a really useful selection of cleaning brushes get a "spray gun cleaning kit" similar to this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ultimate-...Material_Paint_Varnish_MJ&hash=item4d00ca9532

Here is the finished result...



 

Currently I'm doing 40% water changes daily..I cleaned the algae first then removed more water and topped up. At this point I'm using ADA Green Step 1 and Brighty K to recommended doses along with Green Bacter. I've admired Mr A's work since I first got a copy of Nature Aquarium World back in 1997 but other than subscribing to the early English Aqua Journal Editions and buying a ridiculously costly but really delightful set of ADA scissors and tweezers I've never used any of his aquarium products. For this project I wanted to have a go, at least for the first few months.


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## Chris Jackson (11 Sep 2014)

Day 12: Lush! 
Everything growing in well and feeling balanced. Now stocked with 2 Ottos and 3 Caridina multidentata aka Amano shrimp.


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## Chris Jackson (12 Sep 2014)

Day 13:
Not much to report really. The hair grasses are making a greater showing of new growth whilst the monte carlo still seems very happy indeed, there's a little hair algae about but nothing rampant. I'm debating fish choices now and leaning towards something in the Phantom Tetra family as the body shape fits nicely with the dimensions of the tank and shape of the rocks...

Being playing about with my camera as well:


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## TallDragon (12 Sep 2014)

Looking very lovely. Keep playing with the camera too! Tranquility! - that is what I think pops off the pictures. I am eagerly awaiting the fish population,too.


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## tim (13 Sep 2014)

Great scape Chris, simple choice of plants and hardscape very well executed, journal made a nice Saturday morning read, keep the updates coming


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## Chris Jackson (15 Sep 2014)

Thanks for the positive comments...
Yes "Tranquility" that is certainly something I'm looking for with this scape..

It's really growning in well and pretty amazing for only being planted 15 days ago...got to love ADA Amazonia, that dry start technique and tissue culture plants! 

However for the last few days I've been feeling that the Monte Carlo is looking a touch too pale and bordering on yellowy. So having read up on ADA Green Step 1 a little I have concluded that the tank is probably a little nitrogen depleted particularly as my filtered tap water is very short on nitrates. I grew loads of the similar micranthemum umbrosum a while back and found it's colour to be very good indicator for low KNO3. That tank was run on a constant drip of filtered rain water with no water changes which meant that the usual EI technique couldn't really be tracked properly so I added pinches of fert. powders or liquids as seemed appropriate according to plant growth and rain flow. It worked but was all a bit imprecise and random but did give me useful experience. So the upshot for this tank is that I added a pinch of KNO3 last night and a smidgen more this morning and I'd say I'm already seeing a change for the better...

The shrimps appear to be feeling playful...or amorous


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## Chris Jackson (17 Sep 2014)

Today marks 18 days since first planting and it was time for the first major pruning session. Water changes are down to 40% every other day, ferts are three shots of ADA Green Step 1 and Brighty K daily, plus a small pinch of KNO3 as I see fit. There are now 3 Ottos and 4 Amano shrimps on gardening duty that I managed to rob from my other tank. I've also added a pot of eleocharis parvula strategically amongst the other hair grasses at the back.

Pre trim:



 

Post Trim


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## Chris Jackson (29 Sep 2014)

Well now....
I had to go away last week so no updates and no tank maintenance...but things weren't too bad on my return though still somewhat less than ideal. Plenty of plant growth and more filamentous algae growth as well, mainly in the tall hair grasses and caught on the surface..

 


 

However it all cleaned up very easily and I'm here for a while now and able to keep a good eye on things. New arrivals yesterday....



 

Next challenge is to improve the photography by fashioning some kind of screen to block all the reflections from the glazing on the other side of the room and maybe fiddle with the background lighting..


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## flygja (30 Sep 2014)

This really brings back memories of Mark Evans. He was the king of fast growth and I think you run him real close for the title. A full carpet in 12 days! Way to go mate!


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## glenn farrar (30 Sep 2014)

Very nice It all looks very healthy indeed!


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## Chris Jackson (30 Sep 2014)

Thanks! Yes it sure is growing in pretty darn quick...seems this ADA Amazonia/power sand substrate with Aquasky lighting really is is a potent mix


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## Chris Jackson (1 Oct 2014)

31 days since first planting and everything is growing very well. 

So now it's into the "Zen" phase that I really enjoy about this hobby...just watching, enjoying and sort of sensing meditatively to get a feel for the balance of the layout and what calls for trimming or adjustment. 
Certainly right now I'm not entirely happy with the composition as the plants are growing in but it's early days. At the moment I feel that the tall background grasses are overpowering the rocks and throwing things a little out of kilter...




So I had a little trim...





I think that helps...
In time the background grass will thicken and spread wider and give me more scope for adding depth and adjusting balance...I hope!


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## Chris Jackson (6 Oct 2014)

So first major clean yesterday. Filter and Lilly Pipes cleaned, filter carbon removed and replaced with ADA Bio Rio. The Eheim 250T has two baskets and I have it set up with Eheim coarse foam in the lower basket and now just Bio Rio in the upper basket (it was 50/50 with ADA Carbon) and a fine filter pad on top. Along with this I gave the Micranthemum a v heavy mow and airline tube syphon clean...3 hours later! 60cm is quite big enough for a carpet!


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## Greenfinger2 (7 Oct 2014)

Hi Chris, Great rock work very pleasing to the eye  Plants look fab and healthy to congratulation on a super Aquascape


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## Chris Jackson (7 Oct 2014)

Thanks Greenfinger2!

A bit of playing with backlighting tonight. As mentioned earlier the tank uses an ADA Aquasky 602 but I'm only using one of the Led banks. I did have the second one on for one of the 6 hours of lighting for a couple of weeks but stopped that as algae was growing a little quick and it made the O2 pearling ridiculously vigorous. So today I put this largely redundant light to good use by lifting it from the fitting and positioning it to shine on the wall behind. A promising start for photographic purposes but for everyday domestic pleasure I think I shall look into getting a a thin LED strip light to mount discreetly behind. Photography wise I can see a long day coming spent trying to herd the fish into good pose! 

These Images are taken at f/8 1/250 at ISO 1600 with a 23mm lens


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## Greenfinger2 (7 Oct 2014)

Hi Chris, Superb  And stunning photos


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## Chris Jackson (14 Oct 2014)

Hi all,
Well I'm very pleased with how this tank is settling in now. There is very little algae, excellent plant growth and happy critters. I've backed off a little on the ferts dosing 3 pumps of ADA Green Step 1 and Brighty K every other day with a 40% water change weekly. KH is kept at 5 with the addition of some sodium bicarb to the water change water. CO2 is at about 1-2 bubbles per sec directly into the filter input hose and is set on a solenoid to come on at midday and off at 10pm. Lighting is one bank of ADA Aquasky 602 from 2pm to 8pm. My PH probe is showing ph between 6.6 and 6.8 and the drop checker is nicely green. 

As an experiment I fixed some car window tint to the back of the tank to see how it would look and photograph. I'm not sure I'm going to keep it that way (not least because my 13 year old daughter hates the look) but I do quite like the photo effects possible. The pearling almost looks like stars in the night sky...



 

But using some back light the effect is more subtle..



 

The position of the tank in the room is bit messed up by window reflections but these are less noticeable in the flesh than in photos but here you can see the difference the back ground makes.. 
I think I prefer the natural look


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## GreenNeedle (14 Oct 2014)

Very nice journal and a good read   I like the day by day updates at the beginning.  Scape looks very nice and in the photos the black background looks great as does the gradient (greyer) backlighting.  Also love the cabinet especially the Zebrano


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## Chris Jackson (23 Oct 2014)

So nearly 10 days later and things are still going very well. The grasses are really growing in now whilst the Monte Carlo has needed another quite severe trim. I am now starting to shape the carpet a little to help further form my vision for the scape. 



 

You don't see many black and white aquascape shots but I rather like the effects that can be achieved. I like the wintery mood created here from processing the image above..


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## Greenfinger2 (23 Oct 2014)

Hi Chris, 
I agree not enough B/W photos  It brings out the structure of the stone in this photo


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## NC10 (23 Oct 2014)

Fantastic idea with the tint, it never even crossed my mind.  (from an ex tinter, wrapper and signmaker )

I like a black background, but to be able to change it at the flick of a switch is perfect for what I was looking for on my new tank.

What % tint did you use?

Thanks again, best idea I've seen in a while and will definitely be making an appearance on my new tank


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## Chris Jackson (24 Oct 2014)

Thanks
I used something calling itself "Defender Auto Film - Light Smoke" from Motor World. I've removed it now which was far more difficult than applying it particularly due to the restricted access behind the tank so be warned and choose wisely


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## Dantrasy (24 Oct 2014)

Looks wonderful. I prefer it without the black tint background.


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## The_Iceman (24 Oct 2014)

The black one is definitely giving you more contrast... but I prefer the white background. Looks more friendly and "open"


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## Chris Jackson (24 Oct 2014)

Yes,  I prefer the light background with this scape at least. Here's a monochrome version


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## Ryan Thang To (24 Oct 2014)

chris! your tank is amazing keep up the good work.

cheers
ryan


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## Alexander Belchenko (24 Oct 2014)

Your tank is almost perfect. It looks nice with any background, imo.

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## ADA (25 Oct 2014)

Great scape, final shot time imo, looks perfect.


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## Jason King (5 Nov 2014)

Nice tank  great job


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## Chris Jackson (6 Nov 2014)

Well hello again. Thanks for the positive comments... however I've had a slight setback by virtue of a bit of an algae outbreak...Doh!

I think that primarily I backed off on the ferts a bit too much. In hindsight there were a few indicators as far as slowing plant growth but I was also kind of happy for things to slow a bit as the maintenance can be inconvenient! Hair grasses are a sod for trapping waste also and I think that that combined with some relatively dead water flow areas has all been a contributor



 

The Monte Carlo is unaffected and quite tellingly the grasses at the other end of the tank (photo below) where water flow is higher is also much less affected...



 

So I've given the worst affected areas a trim right back, syphoned off the detritus caught in the grass and am selectively trimming the worst affected leaves. I've upped the ferts and will be doing a 40% water change every 3 or 4 days. Oh and I've ordered a longer and larger inflow pipe to improve circulation in that corner of the tank.. New growth seems to be largely unaffected so i'm fairly confident that I can get back on track reasonably quickly... 



 

Stay tuned...


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## Chris Jackson (16 Nov 2014)

Still in the land of algae bloom here and after a week of knee jerk adjustments (Extra ferts basically) I've spent some time reflecting and researching...



 

From what I can tell, as far as algae is concerned, there is no absolute clear consensus on causes or cures but CO2, flow, distribution, nutrients and light can all combine to create success or failure. Now I've been running planted tanks continuously for some 24 years now and if you count my childhood then a fair few more years on top of that however in those 24 years I've only actually started completely anew about ½ a dozen times. Algae hasn't been too great an issue for the most part but my worst breakouts have all been of the blue green variety and mostly down to lack of ferts and or circulation. I've noted a behavioural pattern though that runs something like this....

Yikes I've got algae....I'll try this...
A couple of days later...maybe adjust this..
A couple of days later....oh maybe if I change this..
A couple of days later....oh of course I should do this...
A couple of days later...oh no I probably shouldn't have done that..
A couple of days later...ok, I've got it now, I'll do this..
etc. etc.
Finally, having got totally fed up with fiddling about with parameters, I leave it be for more than a few days and...ta dah...improvements, then gone...

So in the case of this setup I'm thinking along the lines that...algae broke out when I backed off on the recommended ADA Step 1 and Brighty K regime and I moved to weekly water changes even though I had increased fish and food wastes to contend with...

Another thought I have is that it may just be that algae blooms can be a natural part of cycling a new tank and that rather than panicking we should simply ride them out with the minimum of messing. What I can say unequivocally is that historically all the troubles I have with my tanks have been down to either neglect or tweaking...



 

The shot above is of my tank this evening before cleaning/trimming..there's plenty of new growth in both plants and algae. Last water change and trim was 4 days ago when my new deeper Cal Aqua x2 inflow pipe was installed which improves flow lower in the tank due to it greater depth and all round because of the increased water flow through the additional slots in the tube. 
So tonight I rinsed out the filter media with aquarium water and did a 50% water change adding just ADA Step 1 and Brighty K and enough Bicarb to give me KH 5. I've been tempted to switch to another fert regime because ADA seems so overpriced but in a small 60cm tank ADA costs aren't extreme and it is the system that I've been wanting try for years so I'm going to stick with it and order up some Step 2 as I'm easily at the 3 month stage. My drop checker and PH meter all suggest that CO2 is fine and in such an open tank I'm pretty darn sure flow is ok so I'm resolving to ride things out for awhile without meddling..... 



 

Be back next week!


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## Chris Jackson (23 Nov 2014)

Meanwhile....

It's been an entertaining week and I do believe the plants are now overtaking the algae in terms of growth. I mentioned that I was planning to continue with ADA fertilisers but having realised that the recommended package of Step 2, Brighty K, Green Gain and ECA works out at a little shy of £95.00 I concluded that I simply cannot justify that for fertiliser, be it sprinkled with ADA fairy dust or not. I already have stock of most of the dry salts I need and they are equally well proven to be efficacious so I've made up some stock solution of macros and traces according to the online calculator at http://blog.fluidsensoronline.com/calculators/estimative-index/ as well as reading up on the theory a bit more. Great resources here http://www.prirodni-akvarium.cz/en/index.php

In reflecting on what might be lacking in my tank I realised that my GH is very low and that calcium and magnesium maybe lacking so I've addressed that with GH powder. 

Next up I've being considering how to optimise everything and have concluded that bubbling CO2 directly into the filter is probably not optimum for either CO2 distribution or filtration so I've added an UP inline diffuser (http://www.co2art.co.uk/collections...ine-co2-atomizer-diffuser-system-16-22mm-hose) to the outflow and oh what a difference that makes. It creates the finest of mists of micro bubbles that are visible on close inspection but are not unsightly in the tank while the tank remains delightfully uncluttered by a CO2 diffuser. This then also allows you to see the water flow around the tank and plants and this must be an easier way for the plants to get sufficient CO2 in a well lit aquarium. You can see the micro bubbles in the close up below with the bigger bubbles being O2 from the plants.





I've also been browsing some ADA videos for inspiration and happened upon one that showed ADA staff raising lilly pipes to aerate the water at night and that set me thinking... well greater dissolved O2 during darkness can surely only benefit the O2 consuming micro organisms in the filter and substrate etc. so I've adopted this habit as well as it seems a very elegant way to accomplish some aeration without adding any extra equipment. The improved CO2 addition via the diffuser also allows me to get CO2 levels back up to speed before lights on with ease.

This is a section of growth from the 19th Nov.


 

And the same section from 23rd.



 

Tonight I've done some heavy trimming in some areas and this next week will be very revealing as I see how cleanly that grows back in.

Now talking of ADA videos I recommend these:

This coverage of the 2012 ADA Nature Aquarium party by the Aquarium Design Group 
This ADA produced one of Mr Amano guiding and inspiring his staff is a delight 
And finally this after hours look at how the huge ADA tanks at the Sumida aquarium in Tokyo are maintained each night is pretty impressive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r50d7WkIMTA 

Oh and as it's "Movember" http://uk.movember.com/?home , how about this photo from an early/mid 90's Dennerle catalogue, white socks and all...


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## Paks (30 Nov 2014)

Hmmmm does Iwagumi set-up still requires some EI ? And last,may i know what type of CO2 tank youre using ? Thanks


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## Chris Jackson (30 Nov 2014)

Hi Paks,

All tanks will require ferts to some degree and I like the EI method but I am not dosing for a tank full of fast growing stem plants. I believe the issues I'm having revolve around balancing the needs of a relatively low biomass of plants within the high light intensity environment provided by the Aquasky Led. things are improving greatly now that I am getting a better grip on my CO2 provision. I'm using a fire extinguisher cylinder with a Dennerle 2 stage regulator. I got the cylinder from a local company that fits and maintains fire fighting systems on ships etc. they also re-charge it as needed.


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## Chris Jackson (30 Nov 2014)

Things are improving on the algae bloom front but I'm not fully out of it yet. I am enjoying myself learning more and sharpening my game so to speak. I've read a lot from Tom Barr this week regarding algae, fertilisers and CO2 that makes total sense to me. 

I have a few plans for some technical changes in the week ahead but more about that next week. This week I added some Riccia by parceling it up in some net weighed down with shot as a way to get it to fill a crevice in the central stone and then lower down between the stones I'm hoping that the hair grass with grow through and amongst it in a natural manner. It's made some progress between Wednesday and today but just how satisfactorily it grows in remains to be seen.


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## Paks (1 Dec 2014)

Thank you for your response Chris. The reason im asking for co2 tank is because the CO2 Set here in our country is damn very expensive with small volume too


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## Chris Jackson (1 Dec 2014)

Hi Paks, 
Yes well regulators, solenoids, cylinders and needle valves are all widely used for many purposes other than aquatics so you maybe able source what you need far cheaper from other industry sources? Good luck


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## Chris Jackson (7 Dec 2014)

Well now this past week has seen the introduction of some light reduction as this seemed the best way to favour the plants over the algae. I found some great little inline dimmers that hook straight into the existing plug and sockets on the Aquasky units as described here http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/led-dimmer-solution.35341/

So now the first light unit comes on at 2pm at about ⅔ power and then the second unit comes on for the final couple of hours between 6 and 8 at a similar level to give the riccia particularly a boost. It seems to be working.



 

I've got the CO2 going well now with a PH at 6.45 come lights on and dropping to 6.3 or a little lower by lights out which should guarantee well over 30ppm with my KH 5 water. Previously I was targeting PH 6.7 which was clearly not enough. I've discarded my edge drop checker as it was lagging so many hours behind what was actually going on in the tank that it was pretty much useless.



 

Next task is further improving circulation. To get an idea of what things are running at now I measured the outflow from my filter into a bucket prior to rinsing it out today and in 1 minute it pumped 3 litres or 180ltr per hour which is a far cry from the 700ltr per hour that Eheim quote for an Experience 250T. Having rinsed and squeezed out the coarse foams in the lower basket and the rinsed the ADA Bio Rio in the upper basket I discarded the fine filter pad and measured the outflow again. The result was 4.7ltr/min or 288/hr which is a fair difference but still a bit low. Certainly the grasses aren't all swaying easily in the current in the way I'd envisioned in the beginning so next up will be an increase in pump power but that's for next week.


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## Chris Jackson (14 Dec 2014)

Getting back on track now...lots of growth and algae well into decline. Not sure about the Riccia caterpillars at all but it is a work in progress..



 

I've been in the workshop again and created a secondary powered CO2 reactor/water polisher inspired in part by Foxfish's http://www.ukaps.org/forum/posts/377498/.



 

I found a used Iwaki MD10-220 (As in 10 lpm and 220v) pump on eBay of the type used on the ADA Powerjet filters and have mounted it onto a water filter housing inline with my Ehiem 250T filter. An UP CO2 atomiser is connected between the two with the atomised CO2 water then being drawn in down a central tube to the bottom of the water filter housing and then flowing up through and around 75 18mm bioballs. The idea being that a good percentage of the CO2 bubbles are being slowed or trapped on their journey and so reducing the fine mist in the tank and whilst the bio balls give the filter return water an extra "polish" with minimal flow restriction. The Iwaki pump is industrial quality with a powerful 32w motor and manages a real 6.6ltr per min combined with the Eheim as measured by weighing a minutes worth of output into a bucket. I tried removing the impeller in the Eheim and running things on just the Iwaki but there was naturally some slowing in turnover so I settled on running the two in tandem.

The whole thing is totally over the top really and I'd probably have done almost as well to simply add a stock Eheim Classic with bio balls or not to bother at all but where is the fun in that! 

However the result is that the CO2 misting in the tank is dramatically reduced which is what I wanted. Crystal clear water rules!

Hopefully the grasses will grow in well now and I'll get nearer to my original vision for the scape.


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## jack-rythm (2 Jan 2015)

Those riccia pods you have made and dropped onto those two rocks to the left really look great! Nice work, I must ask, did the fishing weights effect the Ph levels of the water?


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## Chris Jackson (2 Jan 2015)

Hi Jack glad you like them.. 

I'm liking them more myself as they are growing in and no there was no change to PH and I like to think there are plenty enough water changes to be sure lead poisoning isn't an issue though I'm not sure that the shot is actually lead but as the pack didn't say "lead free" that is my only concern. If you plan on doing something similar then I reckon lead free shot is a safer option.


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## Mark-jan (2 Jan 2015)

Really liking this one! But I'm not sure about the riccia, think i liked it better without it.


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## Tim Harrison (2 Jan 2015)

Riccia caterpillars...nice idea and it seems to have worked well.


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## Chris Jackson (2 Jan 2015)

Thanks yes I think the Riccia is overpowering the stones and contrasting too much with the hair grass as seen in the last photo particularly as there is still so little plant growth in the background. I now have Juncus repens added behind and I'm liking the look of it with the riccia much more. I'll be posting a new photo update in the next few days...


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## Another Phil (2 Jan 2015)

Hi Chris,
Don't know if it helps, but lead has been banned for use in fishing weights for a while now except less than 0.06g or over 1oz/28g https://www.gov.uk/freshwater-rod-fishing-rules/tackle-you-can-use so depends where you bought them.

cheers phil


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## Chris Jackson (2 Jan 2015)

Thanks Phil, yes I'd heard that so I'm thinking they're probably lead free but I don't know that for certain.


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## Chris Jackson (4 Jan 2015)

Happy New Year!

Here are a couple of photos. New addition is an outflow with surface skimmer combined from Co2 Art...works a real treat though it is a bit more intrusive than the previous Cal Aqua model. Maybe if everything is absolutely perfect then you don't get surface films but this ain't perfect yet and I strongly suspect that my TNC trace solution is a film builder because there is a particularly marked increase in film if I add a heavy dose. So don't overdose! Ha that's a work in progress... 

In the meantime I have sparkly clear surface water with a nice mild ripple and good gas exchange..

Second change has been to ditch the UP Atomiser as I really didn't like the bubbles even if they were tiny, it wasn't so much the 7up look but rather the mousse of a fine champagne!

I've now reinstalled the T piece I was using to bubble CO2 directly into the filter at the beginning of this project but instead set it inline between the main filter and the secondary reactor/filter. I've modified the reactor a little by fitting a central chamber (re-purposed gravel cleaner and CO2 ladder reactor parts) full of bio balls so that the inflow with CO2 bubbles is sent down through the bio balls. Two small holes drilled in the top of this allows gas lock build ups to release automatically but still ensures that the CO2 gets trapped and swirled around the bio balls. This is working really well and I again have lovely clear water and excellent CO2 absorption from around 3 bubbles a second. A glass of tank water showed a PH of 7.5 after standing for a day. I'm getting 6.3 for lights on now and watching that closely, plants seem very happy and algae is staying in check though by no means completely gone yet. I added Juncus Repens on Xmas eve and this is settling in well. The Riccia was added primarily to increase biomass to help with my algae issues and I'm still not convinced about it as things stand, though it does look far better in the flesh than these photos suggest. Oh and I double checked my shot weights and they are definitely lead free...

Till next time....


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## Robert H. Tavera (5 Jan 2015)

It's so different of everything I've seen before, In the good way of course !! Congratulations!


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## Chris Jackson (6 Jan 2015)

Thank you Robert.

It's a work in progress and I'm not happy with it yet...


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## Chris Jackson (18 Jan 2015)

Update time...



 

So the algae is receding whilst the plant growth is mostly improving as evident by the lush carpet of MC that is growing a bit out of control. The Juncus Repens I added on Xmas eve however has not settled in very well after all. There is new growth but the original leaves have melted and been ravaged by algae and tonight I trimmed it right back to almost to the base which has rooted well so it may recover. The dwarf hair grass is throwing out a lot of algae free new growth but the old growth is still a bit rank and a sod to trim out without also catching the new growth but these things take time.. The riccia is a pretty rampant as well..



 

What has changed? Well CO2 and distribution for sure and less light. I have one bank of LED on about ⅔ rd power for 6 hours (2-8pm) with the second bank coming on at nearly full from 5:15-7:00pm at which point everything pearls like crazy.  I've made an acrylic spray bar using tube and a silicone tube bender bought from eBay (Google and Youtube for how to info) and it is working very well directing flow down the front of the tank onto the MC carpet. Initially this meant very little circulation behind the stones so I added a couple of more holes to the bottom of the tube to direct flow behind the stones and now I think I'm dead spot free. Holes are 3cm apart and 3mm diameter, 15 in all. 
The surface skimming output is superb and I now have zero surface film and more aeration which does mean I have to pump in a bit more CO2 on the one hand but it also means the CO2 rises (PH lowers) and then levels out whereas before the PH would tend to get lower and lower as the CO2 level rose. Over night the CO2 off gasses with plenty of O2 being supplied to feed the filter bacteria. 



 

Fertiliser wise I was adding less than full EI amounts because I'd read so much about the nutrient supply from Aquasoil Amazonia that I figured there was no way I needed a huge supply of ferts but as I upped the dosage things firstly improved but then went back the other way to some extent and I was still getting some slime algae on the Juncus particularly which still suggests low KNo3 so I've backed off on the EI solution a little and am adding a bit more KNo3 because something tells me I really don't need so much MgSO4 but that is only a hunch and not scientific at all.

A bit of a redesign is in progress and I've added some new plants today but more on that another time...


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## Thrills24 (20 Jan 2015)

I've just got through reading this journal and have to say great comeback in the ever going battle against algae. I also have trouble working out the correct dosage for EI ferts because not all of my plants are fast growing stems. That aside, these gorgeous tetra caught my eye. 



 

I'm currently trying to decide between flame, glowlight, and serpae tetras and I'm wondering what these are like with bee\cherry sized adult shrimp?


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## Chris Jackson (20 Jan 2015)

Hi, thanks for reading and your positive comments. Yes ferts and balance seems as much art as science

 I'm no expert on tetra and shrimp but what I can say is that these phantoms are very enjoyable to watch and pay no attention to the shrimp. When startled they go almost see through but then at most other times they're nearly black and appear particularly dark in the evenings. They spend most of the time shadowing each other around whilst performing entertaining kind of sparring matches. They shoal pretty well unless you point a camera at them. I really like them ..serpae were on my list as well but my local shop were out of stock at the time so phantoms won the day.


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## Chris Jackson (1 Feb 2015)

Hi  again,

Well the algae drama is about over but the tank has become a bit of a mish-mash now with the Monte Carlo particularly overgrown, it's exhausting stuff that really needs trimming daily but even then it gets ahead of itself.

Some new additions are settling in well enough but the whole thing looks decidedly ragged to my eye..



 

Way back in October it was looking far more as I'd originally planned....



 

So I'm considering....options.

1. Break it down and full re-scape.... Not so keen on that...too much work and upheaval.
2. Major re-planting using the existing stone hardscape.... Tempting but again that's a lot of work..or is it really..
3. Gradually adapt what's there already... That was always my plan until earlier tonight when I got to thinking - Ugh, I'm bored with this!

Any suggestions?


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## Andy Thurston (1 Feb 2015)

1! In a different style maybe use some of your existing plants
Otherwise you'll just keep coming back to "Ugh, I'm bored with this!"


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## Chris Jackson (1 Feb 2015)

ummm good point Andy. Though, I'm still liking the challenge of creating a very different feel but with the same hardscape...that could be laziness of course.


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## Andy Thurston (1 Feb 2015)

You could possibly move the hardscape forward a little and have a bigger bush behind the slates. 
Most people think you got this one right from day one its going to be hard to improve on that especially in a small tank but if your up for a challenge go for it


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## Ryan Thang To (3 Feb 2015)

Hello chris

Could you give me some info on your co2 filter adaptor. Is a 13mm to 4mm Reducing tee od 16mm?

Cheers
Ryan


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## tim (3 Feb 2015)

Full on rescape fella or I feel you'll be thinking I'm bored of this within weeks  new journal time


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## naughtymoose (3 Feb 2015)

I'm nicking the caterpillar idea


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## Chris Jackson (4 Feb 2015)

legytt said:


> Hello chris
> 
> Could you give me some info on your co2 filter adaptor. Is a 13mm to 4mm Reducing tee od 16mm?
> 
> ...



Hi Ryan,
I take it you are referring to this..




 

I'm afraid this is not a stock fitting. It's a 12 mm - ¼" threaded T and the little blue elbow that the CO2 is connected to was robbed from an old leaky bubble counter. I cut a thread into the T and screwed it in with PTFE tape to seal it. I'm fortunate in that I have a reasonably well equipped workshop to cater to my "I'll knock something up in the shed" type needs.


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## Ryan Thang To (4 Feb 2015)

Chris Jackson said:


> Hi Ryan,
> I take it you are referring to this..
> 
> 
> ...



yep that the one im talking about. I manage to find one call aqua medic reducing t-piece look like the one you using. Are you still injection co2 this way? And how is your filter?

Cheers
Ryan


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## Chris Jackson (4 Feb 2015)

legytt said:


> yep that the one im talking about. I manage to find one call aqua medic reducing t-piece look like the one you using. Are you still injection co2 this way? And how is your filter?
> 
> Cheers
> Ryan




If you look further back in this thread you'll see that i switched to an atomiser and then an independent pumped reactor I put together because I was not getting enough CO2 dissolution in the filter to meet the demands of the Aquasky lights and I hate the atomiser mist effect in the tank. The CO2 is still introduced through this T setup into the new reactor. I have run a tank for years using just a filter as reactor without issues but it wasn't that intensely lit much of the time and I had a second larger filter also running. I'd say using the filter as reactor is great for simplicity and low cost in a low to moderately lit tank but a decent quality reactor or atomiser/diffuser is better in a brightly lit tank.
Cheers
C


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## Ryan Thang To (4 Feb 2015)

Chris Jackson said:


> If you look further back in this thread you'll see that i switched to an atomiser and then an independent pumped reactor I put together because I was not getting enough CO2 dissolution in the filter to meet the demands of the Aquasky lights and I hate the atomiser mist effect in the tank. The CO2 is still introduced through this T setup into the new reactor. I have run a tank for years using just a filter as reactor without issues but it wasn't that intensely lit much of the time and I had a second larger filter also running. I'd say using the filter as reactor is great for simplicity and low cost in a low to moderately lit tank but a decent quality reactor or atomiser/diffuser is better in a brightly lit tank.
> Cheers
> C


Thanks chris


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## TallDragon (11 Feb 2015)

Chris, how are you liking the co2art skimmer? Does it nicely adjust to water level changes automatically?


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## Justal (11 Feb 2015)

Looking good... I like the 'high quality' approach and fitting in beautifully to a home. A nice tidy minimalist set up and even the cabinet is tidy and well organised. That's exactly what I'll be striving for with my new tank. But no doubt I'll end up with an uninspiring scape and tangle of cables, pipes and tubes everywhere!

Al.


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## Chris Jackson (11 Feb 2015)

TallDragon said:


> Chris, how are you liking the co2art skimmer? Does it nicely adjust to water level changes automatically?



I like it a lot. However it does need almost daily maintenance to clear away bits of leaf trimming (perhaps less of an issue without the likes of riccia or monte carlo to deal with) and I do get more plant debris drawn into the filter as a result which mean that needs rinsing more frequently. It adjusts to the water level perfectly as the skimming part simply floats on it's own bubble of air but this "bubble" needs adjusting otherwise it can float too high and not function properly. So it is a bit fiddly but there is zero surface film and I'm fairly well convinced that the increased aeration from the water drawing down through the skimmer is a real benefit. Fish and shrimp became far more active as soon as I added this and algae has been in steady decline as well.

I am however toying with the idea of making a new spray bar with a couple of jets angled more towards surface to achieve a similar effect, but without the tank clutter, but that system doesn't adjust to water level quite so well.... a work in progress.


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## Chris Jackson (12 Feb 2015)

Sorry no complete re-scape just yet...I feel I can still enjoy getting some interesting mileage out of this pile of stones for a while longer...

The pic above was taken today exactly a week after I lifted the vast majority of the Monte Carlo carpet. In it's place I have Helanthium tenellum and Alternathera reineckii 'mini with the tentative idea being to build up the light levels until I have something approaching a red carpet. The stragglers in the back left are some stems of Rotala rotundifolia taken from my sadly neglected and currently low tech big tank that I'm nursing back to health. Other new additions are Rotala Wallichi and Hygrophila 'Araguaia' which are settling in well in the background. The old Juncus Repens is also re-grouping. It wont be too long before the look and feel of the tank will be dramatically different.

Now the algae was already well into decline before I removed the MC carpet but it has to be said that there seems to have been an even bigger change now that it is gone. I strongly suspect that the leaf die back from beneath the overgrown carpet was polluting the tank more than I realised....ummm


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## Ryan Thang To (5 Mar 2015)

hey chris how the tank doing?


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## FIsh i (5 Mar 2015)

Great Cornish rock- lovley tank, where in Cornwall are you chris?


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## Chris Jackson (5 Mar 2015)

Thanks for the prompt Legytt...

Here's an update...

E.Tennelus / Helanthium tenellum is growing in very well but I've realised that the 1 2 Grow version I've bought is specifically "Green" which rather puts pay to the red tinged carpet..Doh! I rather like it though and it's height is in keeping with the dimensions of the tank however it is far faster growing than the Alternathera reineckii 'mini' so it's going to take some very regular trimming to get that balanced.

The Alternathera reineckii 'mini' and Hygrophila 'Araguaia' has suffered a fair bit of leaf melt but new submersed growth is now going in strongly while the Rotala Wallichi as also picking up but still very green.

The Alternathera Rosanervig in the mid ground has had a trimming with the tops then replanted and will soon be making a bigger presence in a more compact form.

I've made a mark two spray bar that I'm very happy with. This version has a removable bung at the far end to make for easier cleaning and has 6 x 3mm holes along the front and 3 on the back pointing towards the glass to direct water down in the background. It also has a 2mm hole at each end directed towards the surface to provide surface agitation for gas exchange and bio film prevention. I've removed the Co2 Art skimmer because I really didn't like the intrusion into the tank or the amount of maintenance it required. The new modified spray bar achieves a similar result.

Finally, (and I'm a tad proud of this ) I've modified my Co2 reactor so that it is ultra efficient and now runs at 1-2 BPS with virtually no "burping" which is very satisfying compared to the hasty stream of bubbles that the previous UP atomiser required to get the same PH drops.

More on that to follow...


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## Chris Jackson (5 Mar 2015)

FIsh i said:


> Great Cornish rock- lovley tank, where in Cornwall are you chris?



Thanks, I'm near Falmouth.


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## BBogdan (6 Mar 2015)

Looks realy nice  , but I'm seeing that Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini' is not doing really well.
Maybe you shoul dose Fe (iron) separately , if you're not already doing that.


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## Chris Jackson (6 Mar 2015)

Yes I have a close eye on the "Mini" and it is picking up rapidly now, my EI trace nutrients should have FE well covered but I have some straight FE in case.

Here's a peak at the improved CO2 Reactor:



More details here http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/very-high-efficiency-reactor-design.36432/


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## Chris Jackson (10 Apr 2015)

Bout time for an update!






New lighting! I've no got a pair of Giesemann Pulzar HO LED bars and Tezla BT controller. I've reviewed them here http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/giesemann-pulzar-ho-and-bt-interface-review.36800/#post-396287

It's been a long wait for them but I'm very happy with the result and the control the BT interface gives is brilliant. The plants are happy with everything growing strongly.

Below is the light cycle I'm using now which has the tank at least partially illuminated for much more of the day than before but hopefully without nuking the plants or creating an algae farm...





Algae wise my only issue is green slime cyanobacteria which has been in decline for sometime but still not fully eradicated but a 2-3 times weekly air hose vacuum session is slowly removing it along with upping the KNO3 a bit. Over the years this has been my most frequent issue due largely to slack filter maintenance and under fertilisation I reckon. I thought I was really on top of this tank though maintenance and fert wise but it has certainly given me a schooling these last 6 months..
Anyway filter wise I have gradually replaced the Eheim and ADA porous media with KI micro media meaning the filter now has just coarse foam and KI micro which is easy to clean and to my mind less prone to clogging or dead areas leeching pollutants back into the tank. There's also an occasional tuft of BBA on the rocks but nothing rampant. Oh and the add more FE suggestion from BBogdan was good advice because I did and things definitely perked up in spite of the EI macro dose supposedly having that covered.. 

Now that spring is in the air the tank gets a ½ hour or so spell of dawn sunshine on a good day but this does't seem to be causing a problem.





So in short I feel I've made it well through my earlier struggles and now just have to craft what's here into something presentable for the 2015 IAPLC...

I have further mods underway mind you, including a overflow and sump filter that I've built and a special fixture for the new lights...busy times in the workshop!

Now if anyone reading here wants to buy my Aquasky 602 unit (and dimmers if wanted) then send me a message quick otherwise I'll be putting then in the For Sale section sometime soon..

Cheers
Chris


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## Dantrasy (11 Apr 2015)

I've beaten bga (cyanobacteria) with a product called ChemiClean. You might want to look into it. 

Excellent looking scape btw! I love the fuller look.


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## Chris Jackson (11 Apr 2015)

Dantrasy said:


> I've beaten bga (cyanobacteria) with a product called ChemiClean. You might want to look into it.



Thanks, yes I've heard of that and I'm sure it's good but I'm a bit stubborn in my purist refusal to use chemicals to clear algae excesses. I want to address the underlying cause(s) and learn what the algae is telling me is out of balance and get on top of it that way.

In this tank there has been the problem of all the die back from the earlier algae troubles, particularly in hard to access areas behind the stones at the back. The hair grasses are very prone to catching debris and the down flow of water to the front of the tank sends everything into the chain swords that then filter it out like a comb. Added to that there is also a lot of natural light hitting the front of the tank and the soil line so things can quickly gunge up along there. I've always found that BGA develops first in slow flow dead spots where there is an accumulation of organic waste and that it is not quite as simple as just a lack of nitrates as some may say. 

Next issue is that in the process of syphoning it up small bits then end up getting trapped in other plants and can easily develop there. I've cleared a few outbreaks of this before in other tanks by steady removal and improved maintenance but it isn't an instant fix. I'm pretty confident I'm winning here now though as it is really getting pretty minimal...


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## karla (11 Apr 2015)

This is very nice, and those lights are very sexy.


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## ADA (11 Apr 2015)

Looking good, yeah it's always a pain when the algae causes melt which in turn causes more algae, I had it in mine but slowly getting on top of it.


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## Patrick Buff. (12 Apr 2015)

Great looking tank you have and I love the light.
I had a demonstration of it, by my lfs from Giesemann, and I was very impressed of all it's features built in. I'm thinking off buying one in the future, there for my question about it. You are using two of them, is that because the depth of you tank or something else? I mean they are producing a lot of lumens the single one or are they dimmed? I'm looking for it to use on a 60x30x36 cm.

Patrick


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## Chris Jackson (12 Apr 2015)

Hi Patrck,

i'm using 2 simply because my old Aquasky was a 2 light unit and i want the ability to have loads of light if I want ( can be good for photography) and two give a more even spread. 
if you look above at the program curve i'm currently using (above) you'll see that they're on full power for only about three hours in a 12 hour cycle just now. I'm pretty sure a single would be fine for most purposes as well. It has to be said everything has perked up in the tank since I got these.


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## pepedopolous (12 Apr 2015)

Looks awesome Chris! Just wondering what the light program tells you about colour temperature... Have you chosen a particular kelvin value? Are all the colour channels switched on in the pictures above?

P


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## Chris Jackson (13 Apr 2015)

Morning P,

Well now the colour temperature control is a bit of a disappointment. 3 different colour channels can be independently adjusted with the Colour Mixer option but they are named according to the marine version of the light unit as White, Royal Blue and Marine Blue but apparently a new version of the software is in development where these channels can be re-named. 

As is, White controls all the bright white led's as far as I can tell.

Royal Blue controls a mix of green white and blue.

Marine Blue controls a mix red and white.

I've had quite a fiddle and frankly I prefer it at the standard mix / temperature it really is very natural looking. I was hoping there might be a single blending kelvin slider control but there isn't. Maybe in the updated software....


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## Chris Jackson (3 May 2015)

Yo, a couple of progress shots before tomorrows trim and clean.

I'm quite liking the more grown in look to some degree (The Phantom tetras like it as well and are much more chilled out) but the whole tank has become a bit of a mish mash and lacks cohesion in my opinion. I'm getting ever more diverted by thoughts of a tear down and re-scape. Very good growth from the new lights though and the Wallichi is looking increasingly healthy, but not very pink as yet, and really seems to want lots of iron. I backed off on Fe a bit for a week and just used trace mix and there was a noticeable decline with it and the Alternantheras. As for the Myriophyllum matogrossense, well I can almost see it grow and I trim a bit out pretty much daily. 



 

I removed one of the Riccia "slugs" a few weeks back and this remaining one is now making a bid for the surface...


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## Greenfinger2 (4 May 2015)

Hi Chris, Looks Wonderful


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## Tim Harrison (4 May 2015)

Nice textures


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## Chris Jackson (29 May 2015)

A little update....



 

Finally I have found time to install my trickle/sump. It's been sat in my workshop for well over a month getting cycled and fed on fish food.



 



 

First chamber is a coarse foam pre-filter over a trickle plate and a basket of K1 micro media which leads in the the main chamber made up  of coarse (black), medium (blue), Japanese matting (blue/white) and then coarse again. Working with acrylic is new for me but wasn't too difficult at all. The pieces were cut with a compact Japanese pull saw, temporally held together with masking tape and then glue welded virtually instantly with Plastic Weld (eBay). The overflow was more difficult due to its compact size and the bending of the plastic with a heat gun. The comb was bought off eBay and cut to fit. After 3 days running the water has become as clear as if I'd put new activated carbon in the old canister filter. As far as CO2 consumption is concerned I have had to turn the flow up a little to not extreme 4bps ish but everything seems very happy and the Phantoms seem blacker. With just the Iwaki pump running now flow is somewhat less than before but I'm going to watch and see how things go with lower flow because I'm still not entirely convinced that we truly need the flow levels that are so widely promoted on this forum. Why change to a sump filter? Well looking at the bigger ADA scapes they are all run on sump filters and everything about a wet/dry filter suggests higher performance so surely this can only benefit a smaller tank as well? Then there is the major attraction of far easier access and maintenance with the bonus of having all equipment such as ph probe and heater outside the tank.


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## Chris Jackson (14 Jul 2015)

Ok folks this scape has ceased to be...

Final post will be when i get my IAPLC result around mid august.

In the meantime you can follow it's replacement here

So long and thanks for watching.


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## Chris Jackson (31 Aug 2015)

Final Shot 

IAPLC 2015  Placed #1305 

Considering the algae dramas I had earlier with this I'm pretty happy to have got to here.


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## alto (31 Aug 2015)

Well done!
though I'm curious how it might've scored at the grasses/rock stage from page 3 (that was my favorite "period" )


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## Alexander Belchenko (31 Aug 2015)

It's nice and colorful tank, it looks more like Dutch style. I like it.

(I think if I were you I'd send something around 7-14 October 2014 to the contest. That was more Japanese in style, IMO. Just a thought)

Anyway, let's keep scaping, I'm watching your new project with big interest!


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## Greenfinger2 (31 Aug 2015)

Hi Chris, Congratulations on your ranking  Love the colours and the plant health


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## Chris Jackson (31 Aug 2015)

Hi Alexander Yes the earlier version of the scape was more original and Japanese-esque for sure but as I never got it to how I'd originally envisioned it I didn't feel inclined.

Thanks Greenfinger2, I'm not so impressed with a 1305 but I think that is a more than fair result for the scape. 

I entered once before in 2006 and got a 299th which I was rather pleased with so that's the target to beat and I knew for sure that this wouldn't better that. I learnt loads with this journal though which is good.


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## Alexander Belchenko (31 Aug 2015)

Chris, I think I understand what you said about the vision. My work this year wasn't great either, I think I sent it just for statistics, because I can, not because I think it's ready for contest.
Well, I'd like to think we made our tanks and wanted them to be as much good as we want, and not because we ought to make something for contests. Well, at least we can not be obsessed with those numbers.

I think I want to say something positive, but I lack a bit of English words, sorry for this.


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## Chris Jackson (31 Aug 2015)

Alexander Belchenko said:


> Chris, I think I understand what you said about the vision. My work this year wasn't great either, I think I sent it just for statistics, because I can, not because I think it's ready for contest.
> Well, I'd like to think we made our tanks and wanted them to be as much good as we want, and not because we ought to make something for contests. Well, at least we can not be obsessed with those numbers.
> 
> I think I want to say something positive, but I lack a bit of English words, sorry for this.



Exactly! I'm doing this for me not for a contest but it's still fun to submit something and see how it places...


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## parotet (1 Sep 2015)

Chris Jackson said:


> Final Shot
> 
> IAPLC 2015 Placed #1305
> 
> Considering the algae dramas I had earlier with this I'm pretty happy to have got to here.


I would be proud of having that tank at home...

Think about it this way: you don't have a 180-210 cm tank (so you miss the first 300 positions), you don't have a dramatic layout copying a terrestrial landscape or an impossible perspective (you miss 300 positions more), your final picture is not taken by a pro with surface rippling, fish flying over the terrestrial landscape in a perfect position (you miss 200 more) and you don't have a cracking title for your tank (such as "the pale reflections of the mystic island shore by the twilight", just island shore? it sounds much too common, sorry you miss 200 more).... so congrats, you are in the top 305 world ranking of normal planted tanks! 

Jordi


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## Chris Jackson (1 Sep 2015)

Ha thanks Jordi... for the IAPLC I actually renamed it "A Hill Of Dreams" as the island had moved from shore...
I just couldn't get the Phantoms to pose cooperatively at all, worse than herding cats!


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## Alexander Belchenko (1 Sep 2015)

Jordi, count aloud was never so funny!


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## alto (1 Sep 2015)

Yes - a perfectly analytical rendering


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## rebel (3 Oct 2016)

Chris Jackson said:


> I just couldn't get the Phantoms to pose cooperatively at all, worse than herding cats!


Apparently they just put them in the tank minutes before the money shot to force them to gather together etc.. :cheers:


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