# 240l Dutch/Nature Aquarium



## PLANTASTIC (31 Oct 2014)

Hello, my name is dan and i think its finally time to stop being so lazy and start my journal.
Ive had various tanks for the past 8 years and learnt alot from this and other forums!

I currently have a 240l tank which im finally able to say is working without any problems apart fom its to small and the dimensions can be a nightmare. I have tried various differnet methods and equipment but have finally got everything working together.

*Tank Stats*

Juwel Rio 240l 120x41x55
Ati sunpower dimmable 4x54w currently running 11 hours a day with max power at 70%
2 x giessemann midday 1x aquaflora 1x jbl solar natur ultra
Sun sun 304b 2000lph with spray bar connected to co2 reactor
2x ehiem 2213 440lph
hydor koralia nano 1600
2kg co2 bottle
jbl regulator, (need to upgrade)
aqua medic reactor
substrate is jbl manado with aqua basis underneath
Ei dosing but with EuDrakon n as Nitrogen source because i cant get hold of KN03 here in germany.

*flora*

Anubias Nana
Anubias barteri
Crypt wendtii brown
Java fern
Java fern narrow leaf
Java Moss
Rotala Green
Rotala Macandra
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala Brevipes
Ludwigia Repens red
Pogostemon erectus
Pogostemon helferi
Riccia

*Red Removed*
Rotala wallichii  
Alternanthera reineckii mini              
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea  
Myriophyllum tuberculatum

*Fauna*

Blue Gourami x2
Harlequin Rasbora x1
black skirt tetra x5
red phantom tetra x5
Siamese Algae Eater x3
Otocinclus macrospilus x4
julii corys x3

a few pics:



 



 



 

New Layout



 



 



 



 



 



 

Sorry for The Quality, There with my phone camera and photography is not my strong point.

Regards Dan


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## Vazkez (31 Oct 2014)

Hello and welcome 

What to say... Just stunning


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## Bhu (31 Oct 2014)

Wow! Stunning tank  will be following this one


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## PLANTASTIC (31 Oct 2014)

Thanks guys, got Some recent photos from tonight just waiting for them to upload on my computer, from the wifes phone tho, so not the best quality. plus my pic skills leaves alot to be desired lol  

Going to have to lend the real camera from my mother inlaw!


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## PLANTASTIC (31 Oct 2014)




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## PLANTASTIC (31 Oct 2014)

Few plants to be replaced nextweek. Riccia is finally going because it grows to fast and is becoming a PITA, being replaced with Blyxa Japonica. the Pogostemon helferi is getting replaced with staurogyne repens or Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (Micro Sword) not sure yet, and the large java fern is getting replaced with Rotala Bonsai? (ammannia bonsai) What you think?


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## Bhu (31 Oct 2014)

Well that's a stunning growth and collection of plants. I'm having very little luck with my LB still love it just no growth. Saying that no decay or algae so there's still hope! For you I think it will be a good grower as you seem to have things going well... Will defianately be following now as I'm really curious how you get on with LB. My echinodorus Tenellus grows like a weed...


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## parotet (31 Oct 2014)

Awesome Plantastic! Love how the layout has evolved, gets better and better

Jordi


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## drodgers (31 Oct 2014)

Stunning layout and it looks immaculate.


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## Crossocheilus (1 Nov 2014)

There is such a diversity of plants textures and all super healthy! 
About the ammania bonsai, I really like the left hand java fern and think that should defo stay, although I wouldn't miss the one on the right as it is amongst many other plants.
Personally I really like pogostemon helferi, perhaps it is not growing well due to being overshadowed by the cryptocoryne?


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## PLANTASTIC (1 Nov 2014)

The downoi is still in good shape, albeit  slow growth due to the overshadowing from the cyrpts, but I like it like that as it is now not a time consuming plant!  

The java fern on the left has been there for a while and it's just time for a change! But if I don't like the ammania bonsai or it doesn't fill in the gap well then the fern will be going right back in!


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## Crossocheilus (1 Nov 2014)

Change is always good, so I say go for it!


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## PLANTASTIC (4 Nov 2014)

So just ordered tropica1 2 grow (ammania bonsai) to replace the java fern! Looking forward to see how that's going to work out?! Also just ordered aqua rebel special n and flow grow to try out, apparently some people are having good results with it!


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## GreenNeedle (4 Nov 2014)

There are a lot of old school filled out and colourful scapes around at them moment and this is another one   Looks superb and lush too.  You must love sitting in front of it and just watching.


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## PLANTASTIC (4 Nov 2014)

Thanks supercoley1, the tank sits by itself in the living room, so I get plenty of time to stare at it! I have always found the typical old school Dutch aquascapes to be amazing, but the next tank is defo goin to be more natural (Amano) style!


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## Alexander Belchenko (4 Nov 2014)

fantastic plantastic.


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## PLANTASTIC (8 Nov 2014)

So ive replaced the Java fern with ammania bonsai (tropica 1 2 grow) looking forward to See how well that gets on( so far so good)
Also replaced Most of the riccia with 10 stems of blyxa japonica. Also got some new foam for the one filter and added another 900lph power head! 
Will try and add some pics tomorrow!


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## PLANTASTIC (8 Nov 2014)

Ps. The new aqua rebel ferts seem to be working really well too!


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## PLANTASTIC (9 Nov 2014)

A few pics of the blyxa japonica  in place of the riccia, plus the java fern has gone to a friend and replaced with ammania bonsai, which is too small to see at the moment,


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## PLANTASTIC (7 Dec 2014)




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## PLANTASTIC (7 Dec 2014)

Just a quick update to how things are getting on! Everything's growing well and the new bylaxa has started to finally take off. The ammania  bonsai has slowly started to creep over the wendetti crypts.

Changed back to my old trace mix combined with the aqua rebel flow grow because I started to note a slight deficiency in one of the trace elements. This was proberbly due to the weak chealeters init combined with my fairly hard water,

Also changed the n supply to magnesium nitrate instead of the special n because I found somewhere to get it and will work out cheaper in the long run ,


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## PLANTASTIC (7 Dec 2014)

Plus a bit of extra magnesium can't hurt.


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## Alexander Belchenko (8 Dec 2014)

Beautiful. It seems you just need to make ludwigia arcuata and ludwigia palustris(?) at the back more reddish, to create contrast to green and brown.


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## flygja (9 Dec 2014)

Just as your nickname implies... simply plantastic!!


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## PLANTASTIC (13 Mar 2015)

Update. 
Been a while since last the post. Had a lot going on redecorating the house for when the 2nd baby arrives.

So back to the tank it is what has been on standby for the last few months.

First things first,
The cabinet got a remake to match the new white cupboards,coffee table etc in the living room.




 

As you can see the doors got replaced with full length and in white, and also the trim got modded with white vinyl, same as the sides which cannot be seen.


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## PLANTASTIC (13 Mar 2015)

Another shot of the tank before it got a bit of a remake


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## PLANTASTIC (13 Mar 2015)

So like I said tank got a bit of a remake, due to having a bit more time and also that the I was getting bored at staring the same thing.

So the large wood with java fern and anabus got removed. Will have to take a pic of the size, it was absolutely huge!! It took so much space up and I am really happy to see it removed.

Once removed I changed the flow of the tank to go from back to front glass down and back. 
And I must say I am so glad I did, finally the plants do not lean on a 45 degree angle but sway gently in the flow, with even better surface agitation. 

So a few pics to show what's going on

1st with all 4 lights on 




2nd is sunset in the evening with only 2 lights on




once the new plants on the right have grown out I will post another pic

All in all I am really happy with the left side.


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## Jose (13 Mar 2015)

The ludwigia looks so cool man. Some more pics of plants please.


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## Jose (13 Mar 2015)

Can I ask how you go about CO2. Do you measure pH?, just the dropchecker? Do you add extra aeration at night?


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## Alexander Belchenko (13 Mar 2015)

beautiful!


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## PLANTASTIC (13 Mar 2015)

Co2 ist fed from a aquamedic reactor connected to a sun sun 304 filter pushing through a spray bar the length of the tank (back to front). 
Ever since I've had the reactor I've had only minor problems with co2. And I've tried lots of different methods.

As for the ph, I have been using a ph meter permanently in the water so giving me a constant reading and aiming for a 1.1 to a 1.2 drop. This has been working very good for the last year, but unfortunately I broke the probe cleaning a couple of months back.

So I have just been relying on the drop checker to get me in the ball park. But mostly looking out for plants stunting , algae etc. 

I also have quite a bit of water movement to keep the co2 stable and provide enough oxygen day and night.


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## Jose (13 Mar 2015)

Thanks a lot PLANTASTIC. I was just curious because I was reading the following thread at thebarrreport.com.
http://www.barrreport.com/forum/barr-report/co2-enrichment/9367-stable-enough-co2
From the graphs its interesting to see that for most people co2 just keeps going up through the day period. Not that this is necessarily bad if fish are ok.


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## Jose (13 Mar 2015)

PLANTASTIC said:


> I also have quite a bit of water movement to keep the co2 stable and provide enough oxygen day and night.



But also at the surface or just good flow in general?


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## PLANTASTIC (13 Mar 2015)

At the start I had the same problem. I had very little surface movement, which in turn caused my co2 to rise throughout the photo period. This was a major cause for stunting algae etc for me. 

Since then I have read a lot and improved massively. 
I now have the co2 come on 2 hours before lights at a higher injection rate but with more surface movement ( I'm talking the whole surface moving)

This in turn gives me a 1.2 rise before lights on and stays constant throughout the photoperiod, (0.05_0.08 rise) so still 1.2.
Since I applied that I have little stunting, no algae etc.

And flow is defo a must, I have very good flow throughout the whole tank, I find without it plants stunt in certain  (stagnant) places. Due to lack of co2 nutrients etc. 
I'm using 3 filters and 3 power heads to create a even flow throughout the tank.
Hope that helps you out.


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## Jose (13 Mar 2015)

PLANTASTIC said:


> At the start I had the same problem. I had very little surface movement, which in turn caused my co2 to rise throughout the photo period. This was a major cause for stunting algae etc for me.
> Since then I have read a lot and improved massively.
> I now have the co2 come on 2 hours before lights at a higher injection rate but with more surface movement ( I'm talking the whole surface moving)
> This in turn gives me a 1.2 rise before lights on and stays constant throughout the photoperiod, (0.05_0.08 rise) so still 1.2.
> ...




Great help. Thanks again.


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## PLANTASTIC (13 Mar 2015)

Your welcome. It's always nice to pass on knowledge and experience.


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## faizal (14 Mar 2015)

Oh wow,...your plants' health are next to none ...I love the way you had your riccia cascading down the right forefront of the tank during its earlier days


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## PLANTASTIC (14 Mar 2015)

Pics from tonight trim time tomorrow.


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## PLANTASTIC (18 Jul 2015)

So finally got round to taking a pic and a little update. With my wife having a another baby the tank was sort of on tick over mode. Also I bust my ph probe,and bubble counter within a couple of weeks of each other so was just judging co2 with plant growth. Worked at first but wen the baby arrived didn't have much time or money spare to replace the parts. So just plodded on. 
But now the little one is almost 6 weeks and money is picking up I've finally got a bit of time on my hands to get things bac on track.

I replaced the two small eheim filters with two sun sun 303 filters rated at 1400 lph each, so I could remove the 2 power heads and still keep up the flow. And to provide a little bit more filtration.
Also got a ph pen so I could see what was going on with the co2.
When I received it and checked how the co2 was doing i seen that that definitely wasn't stable, not suprising really as I was just pumping co2 into the reactor without really knowing how much is going in.  
The aquamedic was put into retirement and replaced with a diy replacement,same dimensions just 10cm longer. But the only downful it wasn't transparent so I count even count the gas going into the reactor. More fool me. But it does seem to drop the ph very low so is definitely a bit more efficient then the aquamedic.

So this pic below is from today 5days since I've sorted the co2 out. 
The stunted ludwiga brevipes is finally perking up after being stunted for a fair few weeks same for the lobelia cardinalis on the far right. 
Funnily enough the ludwiga repens and the pogostemon erects did ok during the ordeal.



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## PLANTASTIC (18 Jul 2015)

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## PLANTASTIC (18 Jul 2015)

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## PLANTASTIC (18 Jul 2015)

That's better

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## PLANTASTIC (10 Dec 2015)

So few pics of what's going on with the tank.
Also I am thinking of changing the substrate to either ada aquasoil or tropica plant soil to drop my kh down, currently at kh 7-8. as I think it might help the rotala species grow with a bit more vigour, any info would be great.





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## PLANTASTIC (10 Dec 2015)

PLANTASTIC said:


> So few pics of what's going on with the tank.
> Also I am thinking of changing the substrate to either ada aquasoil or tropica plant soil to drop my kh down, currently at kh 7-8. as I think it might help the rotala species grow with a bit more vigour, any info would be great.
> 
> View attachment 78902
> ...










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## PLANTASTIC (10 Dec 2015)

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## ipkiss (22 Jul 2016)

Hi Plantastic,  I just wanted to thank you for this thread and to say your setup and the evolution of the scape is exactly what I'd hope to emulate.   I have a problem with not being able to dump stuff and your way of tying everything together is great.  I just couldn't visualize how I could've done my scape without this thread!


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