# Mangrove Beach (A journey into the unknown!)



## Chrispowell (6 Jul 2016)

Hi all,

So today is the 6th of July 2016, the day in which the first few pieces of the puzzle have started to arrive. This will be my first planted tank and so I am sure its going to be a long and enjoyable jouney into creating a peacful piece of nature in my living room!

As this is my first planted tank I am purchasing 99% of the bits as I go, many of which I am still looking for suggestions/ recommendations for so please feel free to offer your advice..

Currently purchased -
*Tank* - (Length 110cm, Depth 54cm, Height 42cm) Optiwhite glass, clear Silicone, braceless.
*Lights* - 2 x ZETLIGHT ZP4000 42w LEDs, wireless recievers and controller
*Filtration* - 2 JBL e1501
Two sets of glass lily pipes from co2 supermarket
*Co2* - Pub cylinder, Dual output needle valves, 2 bubble counters and 2 Original UP inline diffusers

*Substrate*
ADA amazonia
ADA Mekong sand

*Hardscape*
Large driftwood piece and approx 40kg of rock*
*
As for plants Im going to decide on a hardscape I like and then decide on planting after this.

Tank arrives next week, looking forward to that! Please let me know any thoughts!


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## Chrispowell (6 Jul 2016)




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## Tim Harrison (6 Jul 2016)

Sounds like a great project. For reasonably priced hardscape etc try Destination Aquatics, one of our sponsors. 
They're based in Milton Keynes, but I'm sure they will courier items out.
Look for Grey Pillar Rock on their website it's Seiryu by another name, but much cheaper.


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## Chrispowell (6 Jul 2016)

Troi said:


> Sounds like a great project. For reasonably priced hardscape etc try Destination Aquatics, one of our sponsors.
> They're based in Milton Keynes, but I'm sure they will courier items out.
> Look for Grey Pillar Rock on their website it's Seiryu by another name, but much cheaper.



thanks, I have a trip planned for DA in the next couple of weeks, I may try and tie aquarium gardens into the same road trip, Looking at their site the rocks didnt look the same even though I heard grey pillar rock is the same thing. Will take a trip and pick some peices out in person I hope!


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## Tim Harrison (6 Jul 2016)

The pics aren't that good...check my latest journal out for slightly better photos http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/windswept-eternity-algae-free.37490/
I think George is using it in his Custom eaReef as well http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/custom-eareef-1200s-my-ideal-aquascaping-aquarium.41133/


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## Chrispowell (9 Jul 2016)

Cheers Troi, Im off to DA in the morning to pick up some hardscape materials 

*Can anyone recommend a single filter that will give me ample flow and I can fit a lilly pipe to?? *


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## Chrispowell (10 Jul 2016)

Road trip today, a very worth while road trip! 



More to come later


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## Chrispowell (10 Jul 2016)

The stand is now cleaned up and ready for the tank (which is being delivered this Wednesday! )



Had a sneaky suspicion I may have gone OTT with the hardscape materials but didnt want to leave myself short.. I now have ample amount of seiryu rock (approx 40KG) and some amazing bits of bog wood! Now to start the many hours of head scratching to try and get something I am happy with! 











You can never have too many spare pieces... right?


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## Tim Harrison (10 Jul 2016)

Right!
The more you have the easier it is to create something you're happy with...


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## Chrispowell (13 Jul 2016)

Tanks arrived! 










The wood placement is literally put in the rough area and format, will start looking at hardscape ideas tomorrow


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## frogbit (13 Jul 2016)

That a gorgeous piece of wood. Looking forward to seeing how your scape progresses.


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## Glen Williams (14 Jul 2016)

Loved that wood.  

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk


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## rebel (14 Jul 2016)

Beautiful start indeed! Where do you plan yo get those acrylic raisers to raise the light??


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## Chrispowell (14 Jul 2016)

My first plan was to visit eBay and see who's selling acrylic bits and bobs and send some emails.

I have thought about some other ideas but not decided yet


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## Chrispowell (14 Jul 2016)

Here we go, I think im 90% happy with this layout, will leave it for the next few days and jiggle some bits around if Im not 100% 

Comments and suggestions very welcome, Im planning to have sand in the foreground and banked amazonia in the background.. 





Thanks, Chris


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## EdwinK (14 Jul 2016)

All in all looks very nice. Only that vertical stone on the left hand side somehow doesn't look natural.


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## Chrispowell (16 Jul 2016)

FINALLY! I have decided on my hardscape! Very happy with it, now I need to work out how I am going to stop the substrates mixing and get all of that in place! 

Two JBLs ordered today too! Now looking for clear filter hoses and lily pipes! Exciting times










Free free to comment and let me know your thoughts

Chris


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## Chrispowell (17 Jul 2016)

Got the substrate in today! Used some electrical conduit to act as a substrate divider... Bent to shape and then glued to the tank base, I then banked the sand at the forground higher then the Amazonia at the back of the divider. Fingers crossed it will help.

Here's a quick video of how it's looking now! Would love to hear your thoughts! 



Thanks, Chris


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## Alexander Belchenko (17 Jul 2016)

If you have small spare rocks you might put them on top of border between sand and amazonia. That will help to keep them separated.


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## Chrispowell (17 Jul 2016)

This is how I went about it, not sure if that's how most do it..






i will break the clean lines with suitable plants, thanks


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## Chrispowell (24 Jul 2016)

I think I have completed the purchase of all my hardware this morning! I'm going to update the opening post with purchased goods.

My aim is to buy everything right now and not spend money on buying/upgrading parts in the near future!!


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## Chrispowell (26 Jul 2016)

It's Christmas!!!


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## Chrispowell (27 Jul 2016)

Finish the light raisers I have been working on today, reasonably happy. I'm abit of a perfectionist so am never 100% happy with my own work. They do their job though..








Chris


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## Doubu (28 Jul 2016)

Wow - did you fabricate the light raisers completely from scratch? Those look amazing O_O.


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## Chrispowell (28 Jul 2016)

Thanks! Yes, I only used an air saw and shed loads of rubbing down paper, took about 4 hours I guess.

Acrylic is quite a hard material to work with as it didn't like getting hot, it feathers the edges or chips them. Overall I am happy though


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## EdwinK (28 Jul 2016)

Nice scape Chris. I think a laser cut should be more time effective in such cases than an air saw.


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## zozo (28 Jul 2016)

Chrispowell said:


> Finish the light raisers I have been working on today, reasonably happy. I'm abit of a perfectionist so am never 100% happy with my own work. They do their job though..
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice job, Acrylic is indeed a very difficult material to machine with diy tools.. I know the feeling i'm a bit the same, always with an image in my head more pefect than the end result. But hey, in the end the little imperfections only highlight the diy aspect and show the craftsmanship of good vintage handwork involved.  And as long it meets the functional needs, the little flaws in it are something you'll have learn to like as well. It gives that little beautifull artistic abstract a robot could never replicate.  I love it.


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## Chrispowell (28 Jul 2016)

I think I'm ready to test fill her and make sure everything is working, ready for plants next week


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## alto (29 Jul 2016)

Looking great 

BUT
(how can I not have a but )
I really liked the hardscape with a bit more "stretch" to the wood ... somehow that jumble just seems a little too tight/dense (though this will soften with plants) 

Depending what sort of fish you're intending, you might wish to include another possible "territory" (rather than the singe root zone)

Do you have a plant list in mind?

(you mentioned looking for Saturday plant delivery but you could easily store shipped plants a couple days without ill effect)


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## Chrispowell (29 Jul 2016)

Thanks for your input alto! 

Here is my initial plant list, was unsure if this would be enough to give the tank a good start though? Also being a beginner to this I'm on the side of caution when it comes to plant choices.

My aim is to soften the bulk of that would with huge amounts of trident and narrow lead Java fern?

Here's my shopping list so far, changes and improvements are very welcome!



Many thanks
Chris


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## alto (29 Jul 2016)

Some additional plants you might consider

Nymphoides hydrophylla Taiwan - this plant starts fast & furious so is a good "early" plant, it offers different leaf shape & color for your list
Myriophyllum sp - again these can be good start up plants as they seem to require almost no transition period, again offer leaf shape & color contrast

I'd be inclined to add a "grass" type plant to soften the transition between sand & substrate (once established it would also provide a barrier to limit transfer of soil onto the sand) - E parvula is likely the quickest to fill in densely

C wendtii green is a lovely soft leafed crypt, it can vary considerably in height, if you want something that is consistently smaller & a deeper green color, C beckettii 'Petchii' is one of my favorites (in the photo you can see the very nice contrast with P helferi)

Both Cardamine lyrata & Hydrocotyle tripartite would look nice winding about the wood

I'd extend your plant choices somewhat as you've a couple of species that *can* be given to "melt" (S repens - read the Tropica article - & P helferi) & a few that take some time to establish (microsorum sp)
Depending on how easy it is to pick up additional plants, you might do better to begin with a bit more variety
If you want to stay within a certain budget, I'd sub out 2 of the M trident (this can actually fill in quite quickly once settled) & 1 S repens,  buy just singles of the H siamensis 53B & R rotundifolia (both grow quite quickly & should (trim) propagate easily)

Don't forget that ADA protocol means daily water change for the first weeks, then alternate day, then twice weekly etc, also lean dosing (mostly potassium I believe) during the first weeks.


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## Chrispowell (29 Jul 2016)

Alto! Once again thankyou for such an educating post, I am more then happy to change some of the plant choices up to make this tank work better and look stunning!

Hows this updated plant list? 

Vesicularia Ferriei 'Weeping' Moss Portion x2
[URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-1059-p.asp']Microsorum pteropus 'Trident' x3[/URL]
[URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-1059-p.asp']Rotala Rotundifolia x 2[/URL]
[URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-1059-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum--narrow-leaf-448-p.asp']Microsorum Narrow Leaf x2[/URL][/URL]
[URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-1059-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum--narrow-leaf-448-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cryptocoryne-wendtii-green-110-p.asp']Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green x3[/URL][/URL][/URL]
[URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-1059-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum--narrow-leaf-448-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cryptocoryne-wendtii-green-110-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hygrophila-siamensis-53b-1040-p.asp']Hygrophila 'Siamensis 53B' x1[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]
[URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-1059-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum--narrow-leaf-448-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cryptocoryne-wendtii-green-110-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hygrophila-siamensis-53b-1040-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/staurogyne-repens-tissue-culture---hortilab-891-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0']Staurogyne Repens Tissue Culture - Hortilab x2[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]
[URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-1059-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum--narrow-leaf-448-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cryptocoryne-wendtii-green-110-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hygrophila-siamensis-53b-1040-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/staurogyne-repens-tissue-culture---hortilab-891-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/eleocharis-parvula-1198-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0']Eleocharis Parvula x3[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]
[URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-1059-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum--narrow-leaf-448-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cryptocoryne-wendtii-green-110-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hygrophila-siamensis-53b-1040-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/staurogyne-repens-tissue-culture---hortilab-891-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/eleocharis-parvula-1198-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hydrocotyle-tripartita-japan-tissue-culture---hortilab-857-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0']Hydrocotyle tripartita 'Japan' Tissue Culture - Hortilab x2[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]
[URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-1059-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum--narrow-leaf-448-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cryptocoryne-wendtii-green-110-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hygrophila-siamensis-53b-1040-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/staurogyne-repens-tissue-culture---hortilab-891-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/eleocharis-parvula-1198-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hydrocotyle-tripartita-japan-tissue-culture---hortilab-857-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cardamine-lyrata-794-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0']Cardamine lyrata x1[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]
[URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-1059-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum--narrow-leaf-448-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cryptocoryne-wendtii-green-110-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hygrophila-siamensis-53b-1040-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/staurogyne-repens-tissue-culture---hortilab-891-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/eleocharis-parvula-1198-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hydrocotyle-tripartita-japan-tissue-culture---hortilab-857-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cardamine-lyrata-794-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cryptocoryne-becketii-193-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0']Cryptocoryne Becketii x2[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]
[URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-1059-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum--narrow-leaf-448-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cryptocoryne-wendtii-green-110-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hygrophila-siamensis-53b-1040-p.asp'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/staurogyne-repens-tissue-culture---hortilab-891-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/eleocharis-parvula-1198-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hydrocotyle-tripartita-japan-tissue-culture---hortilab-857-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cardamine-lyrata-794-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][URL='http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/cryptocoryne-becketii-193-p.asp?uid=3798dc1b-c304-4475-b0dd-fb950c03c8a0'][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]
Also looking for an all in one fertiliser recommendation? Will this amount of plants give me a good head start to compete with any algae? 

Thanks

Chris


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## Tim Harrison (29 Jul 2016)

Lovely scape and great start to your journal


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## alto (29 Jul 2016)

Chrispowell said:


> make this tank work better and look stunning!



I think your planned plants would also make a stunning tank 
Don't feel compelled to change anything!

Note that Tropica branded C beckettii Petchii is a small variety of C beckettii so take note of the height difference - it will still look great inter-planted with the C wendtii but will likely be taller or similar height

You can use some of the H tripartita as the foreground plant, trim to keep it short & use the trimmings to add green tangle to the wooded areas

As you like the P helferi, why not add a pot back to order - again you can plant trimmed stems to propagate 

Note that when using the _in vitro_ plants, they need good light access so sometimes it's better to start them in more open areas & later transfer the bigger stems/plant to (intended) shaded areas
I really like the _in vitro_ cups as you get so many plants, they just need a bit more attention to detail.

I'm a fan of Tropica fertilizers - I use the duo.

For startup with ADA soil, I'd choose a potassium (I use Seachem aqua vitro as it works well in my very soft water) & Tropica Premium, adding small amounts of Tropica Specialized only if growth seems lacking etc (begin using this regularly in a month or so, depending). 
There are other branded fertilizers that work well, just understand what you're adding ... I'd choose macro & micro from a single brand as they are usually formulated to compliment each other.

I don't use the EI method as I tend to keep wild caught fish from very soft (nutrient lean) water areas.

There are many successful ways to run a planted tank -  when starting out, I (strongly) recommend choosing just one method (eg, don't jump into EI with ADA soil)


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## Chrispowell (30 Jul 2016)

Thanks Alto, I am will looking to add some LIMNNOPHILA HIPPURIDOIDES to the rear of the tank at some point but couldnt find any on aquarium gardens where I am ordering everything else from. I will add this in a month if things are going the right way. 

Will I need ferts for the first month?? I live in a hard water area so not sure if the aqua vitro ferts will be best suited for me? Also with the daily water changes required with the Amazonia will i simply be throwing the ferts down the drain to begin? 

I will take on board the tips from growing the vitro plants on and will start them in a solid light area of the tank, will the Eleocharis Parvula eventually grow in low light areas (under the wood and crypts)? 


Chris


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## alto (30 Jul 2016)

Most (fertilizer) potassium is available as potassium carbonate or potassium chloride (I prefer to add  carbonate over chloride) - request a water analysis report (may be online though sometimes the comprehensive analysis is only available through personal communication) & that should add some clarity.

I prefer Tropica over ADA so not really up on the why's & how's of ADA protocols (re ADA stepped fertilisers, TGM should be able to answer this sort of thing) ...  ADA Step 1 is (rumoured to be) predominantly a potassium additive but no idea if this is to balance some aspect of the ADA substrate series or just perhaps a high demand nutrient during plant transition  or ...
Tropica also advocates light fertilization while tank is establishing ... the larger pot plants tend to have more in the way of stored nutrients available than the in vitro plants so keep this in mind

I believe Pedro Rosa mentions his fertilizer use in Going Dutch by the book - tank sponsored by Tropica




Chrispowell said:


> Also with the daily water changes required with the Amazonia will i simply be throwing the ferts down the drain to begin?


Ever the conundrum 
Choose a time for your water changes re start of photoperiod or end of photoperiod - this should also tie in with CO2 addition (so you don't remove CO2 at start of photoperiod)
Then add (any?) fertiizers back after water change

New plants don't have a root system to access nutrients so they depend on water column availability
Some plants will show a preference for root or leaf feeding (hence the covering of both bases in planted tanks)

Hard water can be "loaded" with nutrients - that may or may not be easily accessible to plants - or it may still be nutrient lean while having heavy calcium (& carbonate, sulfate etc) hardness
I believe Darrel has posted maps etc showing the low availability of magnesium in (most) UK waters ... as I mention, it's always worthwhile obtaining a detailed water report for your area 
(you don't need the daily test data, just the annual report - I had to go through several levels of phone "support" to get to the person that could send out the information I was looking for)

No idea why this text insists on being green 
- & now it posts black!!!


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## Chrispowell (30 Jul 2016)

Once again, thank you. 

I will give Pedros journal a good read and try to learn from his work. 

Here's the information from my tap water, not really sure what parts are useful to the plants


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## dw1305 (1 Aug 2016)

Hi all,





Chrispowell said:


> Here's the information from my tap water, not really sure what parts are useful to the plants


It is hard water (both dGH and dKH), and it has a fairly high (and consistent) level of nitrates. You could deduce from that you are going to get some potassium (K) and phosphorus (PO4---) as well.

Pretty standard water for anywhere in the SE of England where you have the combination of limestone geology, intensive agriculture and lots of people. 

cheers Darrel


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## Chrispowell (1 Aug 2016)

Thanks Darrel, anything there that isn't good for plants?


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## dw1305 (1 Aug 2016)

Hi all,





Chrispowell said:


> anything there that isn't good for plants?


No not really, a lot of plants do better in hard nutrient rich water. More nutrients means more plant growth. You may find green filamentous algae are a problem, as they often occur naturally in nutrient rich alkaline water. 

Lots of members will have similar water to yours and should be able to make suggestions for plants.

It isn't ideal if you don't have plants, because the only way you have to reduce NO3 levels are to use RO water or rely on anaerobic denitrification using a plenum etc. 

cheers Darrel


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## JackMartins (2 Aug 2016)

Really nice hardscape! Congratulations! 
Want to see this planted!


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## Chrispowell (2 Aug 2016)

Thanks again Darrel, yeah I know all about high nitrates. Before this I have kept discus for a few years - to begin I used to cut RO and tap water but storing and heating the preped water became a pain. 

In the end I purchased a nitrate vessel which was amazing, lasted a couple of weeks once you had charged the resin and gave you 0 nitrates. I was running a costant drip system too so changing around 250L of water a day. Using one with a planted tank I would probably only have to charge it 6 monthly at the most. Sad thing is I practically gave it away in the end as part of the deal when I sold the fish! 

Anyway - I still have a brand new unopened RO filter here if I ever needed to cut the nitrates down again . 

My new Co2 regulator should be here today, Im now undecided - fill the tank up and soak the wood for a couple of weeks so when I plant its ready to add everything exaclt where I want it or just leave the system dry until Im ready to plant?!


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## alto (2 Aug 2016)

Given the wood is such a major component of this scape I'd want to get the wood soaking - either in the tank or elsewhere.

Filling tank now will give your filter a start, though if you have access to some media from another tank that's the faster route.

I do like to fill the tank though & check the scape through water rather than air


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## dw1305 (2 Aug 2016)

Hi all, 





Chrispowell said:


> In the end I purchased a nitrate vessel which was amazing, lasted a couple of weeks once you had charged the resin and gave you 0 nitrates.


I'd forgotten about these, but <"nitrate ion selective anion resins"> are another option, they exchange a NO3- ion for a chloride (Cl-), and you can recharge them with salt (NaCl). I know Shirley Aquatics used to do one, and you can still get <a "Pozzani filter">. 

We used to use some <"Amberlite"> resins, but it rapidly becomes an expensive option, mainly due to fouling (not such a problem with tap water).
http://www.pozzani.co.uk/water-filters-185/product_info.html
Plants <"will do the same job">, but you need <"a fast growing plant"> with access to aerial CO2. In waste water lagoons they usually use either Water Hyacinth_ (Eichornia)_ or Water Lettuce (_Pistia), _but recent research has indicated that there may be advantages in using <"Duckweed"> (_Lemna_ spp), partially because they have a higher protein content (>40%). 

My "Duckweed" of choice is Amazon Frogbit (_Limnobium laevigatum_), There isn't much research on it, but it will perform the same function as any other floater, and what research there is (unfortunately <"it is in Spanish">) suggests that it might perform better at lower nutrient loadings than _Lemna, Eichornia etc._

cheers Darrel


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## Alexander Belchenko (2 Aug 2016)

I could be wrong, just a thought from my head.
If I'm reading your water report correctly it stated NO3 level about 30 mg/l. I think this is acceptable level for planted tank. I think you'll need to add some phosphorus though to provide balanced nutrition for plants. Fast growers like rotala and hygrophila should eat them, in my opinion. That means you can always just start your tank with enough plant mass using tap water only and then add nitrate reducing solutions if necessary.


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## Chrispowell (2 Aug 2016)

Currently filling it up!!!! 

Does anyone use one of these?


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## Jack Reilly (3 Aug 2016)

What is it


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## Chrispowell (3 Aug 2016)

It's an algae scrapper, apparently work quite well and don't scratch. 

Terrified I might scratch the glass!


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## Chrispowell (3 Aug 2016)

Terrible but quick video! Filled her up last night - loads of film and scum but 24hours it's looking much better!! 



I also turned the co2 on and was amazed at the flow the micro bubbles show up around the tank!! 



Boring update I know!

Chris


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## alto (4 Aug 2016)

Chrispowell said:


> Boring update I know!


not at all



> _no matter what you're doing there's always time to play with your friends_


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## EdwinK (4 Aug 2016)

Where are the plants?


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## Chrispowell (9 Aug 2016)

Glad you asked! 

Plants arrived today, sorry for the poor quality pictures, will try and get some better ones soon! 

Never planted a tank out before so let me know if you spot any school boy mistakes. Should I whack some liquid carbon in aswell as high co2 for a week (no live stock)?




















Feedback welcome

Chris


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## JackMartins (10 Aug 2016)

Let me just ask you.
This rock, on the sand, over the wood. Is just to hold the root down, or this will stay there. For me is a little disconnected. Sorry for that! 

On the other hand, the planting process seems to be great!


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## Chrispowell (10 Aug 2016)

JackMartins said:


> Let me just ask you.
> This rock, on the sand, over the wood. Is just to hold the root down, or this will stay there. For me is a little disconnected. Sorry for that!
> 
> On the other hand, the planting process seems to be great!



It's actually there for the opposit reason, to try and make It look like the wood was ment to be with the stone, obviously the rock on top of the main wood is just a weight for now.

Thank you for your comment


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## Chrispowell (10 Aug 2016)

Here's a video 24 hours after planting. Most plants look better, trident fern looks abit wilted - hopefully it will settle. 

Lights on at 50% for 6 hours and 3-4bps co2 going in as no livestock 

Should I add liquid co2? If so should I over dose?

Any advice welcome! Enjoy


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## AnhBui (11 Aug 2016)

Chrispowell said:


> Here's a video 24 hours after planting. Most plants look better, trident fern looks abit wilted - hopefully it will settle.
> 
> Lights on at 50% for 6 hours and 3-4bps co2 going in as no livestock
> 
> ...



You don't need liquid Co2. Pressurized Co2 is good enough, and perhaps increase it to 5-6bps. Dosing is not required at this stage. Consider it later after second week


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## Alexander Belchenko (11 Aug 2016)

Honestly, every time I see heater place diagonally, I'm cringe. And not because it won't work this way but rather it looks for me odd.


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## Tim Harrison (11 Aug 2016)

Looking great, well done


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## Chrispowell (11 Aug 2016)

The heater is purely temporary until pay day and I get an inline one, also want a dosing pump.

Thanks for the advice on liquid co2, have ordered a pond bomb to get the filters cycling ready for some ottos,SAE and shrimp. Are cherry shrimps as good as amano when it comes to algae eatting?


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## Tim Harrison (11 Aug 2016)

Chrispowell said:


> Are cherry shrimps as good as amano when it comes to algae eatting?


Good question...Most would definitely plumb for Amanos. But I reckon they probably eat different kinds, and weight for weight probably about the same amount, but Amanos are a lot bigger
I always hedge my bets and use both.
But that said if I had to choose Amanos would be top of my list.


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## Chrispowell (11 Aug 2016)

Great thanks Tim! I'm looking to get some bright coloured shrimp that will enjoy hard water. Any suggestions?


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## Alexander Belchenko (11 Aug 2016)

Cherry shrimps are quite hardy, colored and tolerate hard water well.


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## BexHaystack (11 Aug 2016)

Amano's have got great personalities, they definitely deserve some time in a Thug Life video... perhaps not as important criteria as their algae eating skills 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk


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## Chrispowell (11 Aug 2016)

Thanks all for your comments!

Just got home and have had a good look over the tank, new growth showing on the Rotala and Hygrophila, crypts are looking alot healthier and there is some great pearling going on.

Fingers crossed the ferns will look stronger in the coming days


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## hrishi007 (12 Aug 2016)

Love it


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## Chrispowell (13 Aug 2016)

Thanks all, little update - Things seem to be going great for the moment. 

I can see new growth on most of the plants (Not on the ferns or moss). No sign of any melting yet although Im sure I will get some at some point. 

Currently doing 90% water change every night, wipe down of all the glass - dose 5ml of liquid carbon and 50ml of Micro or Macro solution. 

Co2 is cranked up too high for livestock but Im trying to give the plants a solid start. Lights are set at 50% for 6 hours. 

Chris


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## alto (13 Aug 2016)

Tim Harrison said:


> but Amanos are a lot bigger


are they ever 

Some mature females arrived at friend's shop, they get fed suitable shrimp foods & couple anubias etc in the holding tank - I was tidying up the plant (sale) tank & trimmed some C thalictroides that had a bit of diatoms (leak in CO2 system that I think I've traced back to the regulator now) & placed these with the Amanos for some cleanup ... well they cleaned it up alright  ... 12hours later there was nothing left but a few stems  

I only saw a few Amanos apparently taking interest in the C thalictroides while I was there, but they must've been tag teaming it 

Great update Chris


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## Chrispowell (13 Aug 2016)




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## Chrispowell (14 Aug 2016)

Latest pictures of the 53B, I noticed a couple of the original leaves look damaged. As this is brand new setup and currently have no livestock I can't blame it on them.

Done some research and would appear it's either a result of low co2 or potassium?

Co2 is running high at the moment and I can see the plants swamped by micro bubbles, so don't think it's this?

I am dosing 50ml of EI ferts everyday so maybe I need to up this?

Or is it simply a case of the plant suffering a little after delivery and things will be fine with new growth? 









Thanks for any help

Chris


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## tim (14 Aug 2016)

Hi Chris, most of the plants leaves will have been grown emersed so the plant may well shed these under water, you can trim them off and new growth will be adapted to submersed growth.fwiw the picture looks more like damage than deficiency so I would trim them off and wait for new growth.


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## Chrispowell (17 Aug 2016)

screenshot on pc

Should I trim the Parvula to encourage spread or leave it for a week or two?


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## Chrispowell (1 Sep 2016)

Have put my lights up to 100% and have started to see this algae... 









Shall I switch back down to 50/75%? Vac it out? Get some shrimp?? 

Thanks!!


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## Chrispowell (20 Sep 2016)

Hi all!!

Sorry for the lack of updates! Hopefully I can change that going forward.. I have a new camera arriving tomorrow so will do some kind of video at the weekend! 

Anyway here's the tank this evening..










click image upload

The diatoms gave up and went and I think I'm 100% algae free, although I believe the key to this is continued maintenance/ prevention.

Chris


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## CooKieS (20 Sep 2016)

Congrats, nice tank and plantation!

I think you can improve the scape by simply putting some small seiryu stones (or break one big stone and use the broken pieces) between the sand and the soil...that will break the Line and makes the hardscape look even more natural.


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## Chrispowell (22 Feb 2017)

Hi all! Long time and no update, well I have learnt a lot over the last few months and have a well balanced set up at the moment!! 

I havnt kept to a strict layout as I have been adding plants and moving them around to learn what works best for specific species.

I plan to continue doing this and then try a new layout later in the year.

Please excuse the lack of maintenance, it's two weeks this Saturday since I last touched it..



























photo uploading


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## Chrispowell (5 Mar 2017)

Just made my first video, its terrible I know but still gives a better insight then the pictures are able to. 

Best viewed in HD


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## DanM621 (7 Mar 2017)

Lovely tank, great video!


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## Chrispowell (7 Mar 2017)

New light arrived today... What do you think?

https://postimg.org/image/sa9va4419/


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## Chrispowell (11 Mar 2017)

Really happy with the ascetics of the new light unit. The light is ALOT stronger then the ZETLights too. Hope to get the rotala colouring up, greens look a lot more vivid and the fish colours 'pop'

Heres a couple of images, sorry for my lack of photography skills!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152853125@N05/shares/L13Hro


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## Daveslaney (11 Mar 2017)

Very nice. Cant beat the colour retention of t5s.
You went with the Iquatics unit?


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## Chrispowell (11 Mar 2017)

Daveslaney said:


> Very nice. Cant beat the colour retention of t5s.
> You went with the Iquatics unit?



Yep! Love it but will see how the plants get on with it, I think it's going to be a big improvment. I didn't realise how washed out the LED's were making the colours look.

Big fan of suspended lighting also (even if the wife wasn't over the moon when I was drilling the ceiling..)

Watch this space I guess


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## Chrispowell (13 Jun 2017)

I think this scape/ learning curve is coming to an end, will get some pics at the weekend without equipment


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## Tim Harrison (13 Jun 2017)

Nice looking scape It's matured well.


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## Chrispowell (13 Jun 2017)

Thanks, i feel I'm ready to try again now. Going to try a nature style with mainly easy plants and lower light


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## Tim Harrison (13 Jun 2017)

Definitely the way to go if you're after lower maintenance...I think my next scape will be similar.


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## Chrispowell (13 Jun 2017)




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## Dominik_K (14 Jun 2017)

Just a fantastic planted tank. If I understood everything correct, this is your first attempt? If so, I have just one word for you: overwhelming! Two thumbs up from my side!


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## Chrispowell (14 Jun 2017)

Dominik_K said:


> Just a fantastic planted tank. If I understood everything correct, this is your first attempt? If so, I have just one word for you: overwhelming! Two thumbs up from my side!



Thankyou! Yes it is, not my last though. It's now opened my imagination up to hundreds of ideas!!


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## Dominik_K (14 Jun 2017)

Chrispowell said:


> It's now opened my imagination up to hundreds of ideas!!



I know that feeling. I am currently into my third build, but the first did only last for a few weeks  The possibilities are endless and I would like to try them all. Sadly my significant other mislikes a second tank within our tiny flat


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## Chrispowell (19 Jun 2017)




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## alto (19 Jun 2017)

Well done 

Did you notice a significant difference after switching out the Zetlight LED for the T5's (missed which unit this is)


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## Chrispowell (19 Jun 2017)

I have found the t5's harder to work with. The ZETlights seem to be a safe option, plug them in and away you go. I didn't find them intense enough to cause any issues. 

The t5's have taken me a few months to get the balance right, I now run 4 out of the 6 tubes for 6 hours and all 6 for an hour in the middle of the day. 

I do not currently have the skill or knowledge to run a stable high light tank. The unit is an Iquatics 6 tube unit 

Chris


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## Chrispowell (24 Jun 2017)




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## Chrispowell (28 Jan 2018)

Due to moving house I re-homed everything from the previous tank into my ADA 45c. Here it is, been running 3 months


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## Tim Harrison (28 Jan 2018)

That's looking very accomplished Chris.


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## alto (28 Jan 2018)

The 45C is such a fantastic tank (dimension) 

Though I imagine those Rummynose are plenty  at you over the reduction from 110cm Runway to a mere 45cm Path


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## Chrispowell (28 Jan 2018)

alto said:


> The 45C is such a fantastic tank (dimension)
> 
> Though I imagine those Rummynose are plenty  at you over the reduction from 110cm Runway to a mere 45cm Path



When my move progresses and I get more floor space, so will they


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## Chrispowell (6 Feb 2018)

Please view my latest video, a 60 second maintenance timelapse.

Best view in HD, video was designed for my Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/chrispowell_uk/
Enjoy! Comments welcome!!


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