# The Root - 02/02/2016 (pics)



## Jaap (25 Oct 2015)

Hello everyone,

after failing with my previous attempt of creating a healthy aquascape, here I go again with something new.

These are the specs:
1. Tank - 60cmx40cmx40cm
2. Juwel 120 cabinet
3. Pressurised CO2 with inline diffuser connected to the filter inlet
4. Filter - Fluval 305 1000 l/h
5. Substrate - ADA Power Sand Special & ADA Amazonia
6. Light - TMC GroBeam 1500 Tile with controller
7. Plants - undecided
8. Fertilisation - Tropica Plant Growth Specialised

I need some help on the hardscape at the moment. So here are some pictures and more are to come hopefully better quality ones:


































Thanks


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## Andy D (25 Oct 2015)

I look forward to the updates!


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## Jaap (25 Oct 2015)

I am not pleased with my hardscape...I think it needs something more....maybe when I add the soil and I can add more rocks it will look better...any suggestions? I am trying to have a higher part around the trank of the root and lower soil level in front on the left where the monte carlo will grow...

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## bloskas (25 Oct 2015)

Looks very promising to me!


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## PARAGUAY (26 Oct 2015)

Nice wood,I  would leave for now and see how it develops


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## Tim Harrison (26 Oct 2015)

Wow, that really is scaping from scratch...looking good so far.


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## Alexander Belchenko (26 Oct 2015)

I had similar layout in the past (aqua @ pet shop - layout #1 - on my current avatar). Looking back I should say that many people told me about too much sand area at the left side, and they were right. So, this is my advice - continue rocks wall further to the left, up to 2/3 or even 3/4 of the length of your tank. That will improve impression of the tank.

Also, do you have specific plan for the upper branch which goes out of your tank? If it's long enough I'd cut it below the twist, and stick the rest to back right corner. So, you'll have 3 branches as 3 rays going from one source.


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## Jaap (26 Oct 2015)

I never had the intention to add sand because I feel mote plant mass will help things go smoother for a beginner like me. I will add monte carlo everywhere outside the rocks around the root...but I will add more rocks for sure...


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## Jaap (5 Nov 2015)

This is the hardscape. It needs a few final touches but I am getting there.


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## Greenfinger2 (6 Nov 2015)

Hi Jaap, Looking fab


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## Jaap (8 Nov 2015)

I have finally planted the tank. However, even after of so many years of unsuccessful aquascapes, I expected more of myself and should have avoided a big mistake. When everything was ready, planted and the tank slowly filled up with water, the whole root floated upwards and destroyed most of my hardscape. I never soaked the root before hand and never thought of it, a very amateur and stupid mistake. Another mistake was having a very shallow layer of Amazonia on the left hand side of the aquarium, as I thought it would be good enough for Monte Carlo. It was just enough, maybe a bit more would have been better, but when I tried to plant a few stem plants they just didn't stay put. It was very shallow!

I have to say I am a bit disappointed, however, one could say that since 1995 when I first came into this hobby, I ought to get used to this feeling judging from my results 

Today the water should be clear. I will do a 50% water change and try to add a few plants that got uprooted when the root floated. I couldn't put them back for two reasons. First, the water was all dusty and black from the Amazonia, I couldn't see much. Second, the upward movement of the root caused most of the soil that was around it to move underneath it and restrict my planting space. I see a few plants squashed and out of place but I am hoping that when they grow it will look better.

These are the pictures from yesterday. I will put more up today after the water change and a bit more planting.


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## banthaman.jm (8 Nov 2015)

Coming along nicely Jaap.
Jim


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## Jaap (16 Nov 2015)

I have noticed that the first couple of days I was not adding CO2. No foul no harm though and now plenty of CO2 is in the tank. The light is at 65% and 50cm over the substrate. Everything seems to be ok at the moment. Doing daily 50% water changes and dosing 1ml each day of Plant Growth Specialised Fertilizer. The outlet lilly pipe broke so I used the original Fluval outlet and this has an advantage. The lilly pipe was pointing downwards and so I had to decrease the flow so it wouldn't unsettle the substrate. With the fluval outlet though because it is pointing straight, I increased the circulation and have some rippling effect as well.

One small problem, one bunch of Rotala Bonsai seen on the left has melted. Don't know why.





Here are a few pictures:


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## Sarpijk (16 Nov 2015)

Γεια σου φιλε! 

I see that you have a Fluval filter. You mention that you have an inline diffuser. Can you post some pics of the connection?


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## Jaap (16 Nov 2015)

Here you go φίλε μου!


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## Christos Ioannou (16 Nov 2015)

Thats a nice cabinet!

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## Jaap (19 Nov 2015)

Update!

I have spotted some Green Dust Algae on the glass and maybe, not sure yet but I think very little algae on certain mc leaves although its so little that I am unsure of it. I have good growth so I decided to decrease the light intensity from 65% to 55%. I am continuing on the daily water changes and now I am adding water conditioner for the chlorine. Here is a front view shot.

So decreasing the light intensity is a smart move for GDA? 






*What kind of plant is this?*




*How can I stop the runners from spreading all over the place? Will a small rock suffice? *




Thanks


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## banthaman.jm (20 Nov 2015)

Jaap it is looking good, good idea to decrease the light intensity.  If the GSA continues the photo period could be pulled back a small bit as well.
Jim


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## tim (20 Nov 2015)

Do you mean the eleocharis (grass type plant) ? You can snip the runners off beneath the substrate and pull them up using a small stone will just divert them rather than stop them.


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## Jaap (20 Nov 2015)

tim said:


> Do you mean the eleocharis (grass type plant) ? You can snip the runners off beneath the substrate and pull them up using a small stone will just divert them rather than stop them.



Is that Eleocharis Parvula or Eleocharis sp?


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## Alexander Belchenko (20 Nov 2015)

Probably eleocharis acicularis - due it's size.


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## Jaap (21 Nov 2015)

I have an advice for the people that will use ADA Amazonia in the future. Create your hardscape, add your Amazonia and DO NOT plant. Allow the tank to work for 2 weeks. This will help you in two ways. You don't have to make daily water changes just weekly ones since there will be no need with no plants and no lights. Also, I have experience alot of amazonia dust on the leaves and its kind of stuck on them. You will not have such a problem since the dust will have resided and removed with water changes.

Now back to the journal. I have spotted some melting of 1-2-Grow Rotala Bonsai and Monte Carlo. I am guessing that this is due to the emersed submerged transition. If this continues I will decrease the light even more since I have already decreased light intensity from 65% to 55%. 

Any other suggestions for the melting of these two plants?


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## Jaap (25 Nov 2015)

UPDATE

So there is more melting...not much but it is more than before. I have also observed some algae of the plants closer to the light so I decreased light intensity from 55% to 45%.

All and all I am unsure of my light intensity. I am positive everything else is just fine except my light intensity.

The plants are either deteriorating in health due to too much light which is not helping with their transition from emersed to submerged OR the light isn't strong enough t promote good health.

The plants closer to the light have some algae on them. The lower plants e.g. staurogyne repens are doing fine but they were submerged unlike the lowest plants which is the monte carlo which was 1-2-Grow. So its a bit confusing on whether I have too much light at the moment or too little.

Any thoughts??


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## Pedro Rosa (26 Nov 2015)

Jaap said:


> I have an advice for the people that will use ADA Amazonia in the future. Create your hardscape, add your Amazonia and DO NOT plant. Allow the tank to work for 2 weeks. This will help you in two ways. You don't have to make daily water changes just weekly ones since there will be no need with no plants and no lights. Also, I have experience alot of amazonia dust on the leaves and its kind of stuck on them. You will not have such a problem since the dust will have resided and removed with water changes.



Jaap, I don't agree with you here. Planting should be done since day one. You're using a good soil so that plants have lots os "food" and planting some weeks later is like wasting food where there is no one to eat. Do you make dinner if you know that you'll not eat it? 
And then there is the cycle... how do you help your aquarium/filter without making the necessary water changes, with or without plants?

Regarding plant melting, 1-2-grow needs fertilisation since day one - smaller plants, less nutrients on the plants when you plant them (Mick might help here). Are you fertilising your aquarium? If so, with what and how much?

Pedro.


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## Jaap (26 Nov 2015)

I am fertilizing daily with one squish of Tropica Plant Growth Special Fertiliser.

Don't you think this is a light issue though?



Pedro Rosa said:


> Jaap, I don't agree with you here. Planting should be done since day one. You're using a good soil so that plants have lots os "food" and planting some weeks later is like wasting food where there is no one to eat. Do you make dinner if you know that you'll not eat it?
> And then there is the cycle... how do you help your aquarium/filter without making the necessary water changes, with or without plants?
> 
> Regarding plant melting, 1-2-grow needs fertilisation since day one - smaller plants, less nutrients on the plants when you plant them (Mick might help here). Are you fertilising your aquarium? If so, with what and how much?
> ...


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## Pedro Rosa (26 Nov 2015)

One squish daily for 100l? So you're giving less then Tropica says on the bottle? Plants are dying for some food. Start by something like 3 times that amount and evaluate after one week and a half or two weeks. For the first day you can give even more.

Pedro.


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## Jaap (26 Nov 2015)

My tank is 60x40x40 which gives 96L. However with the substrate, the lower water level, the rocks and the driftwood I am guessing I have around 70 litres. The recommended dosage of Tropica is 10 pumps per 100L a week and I am dosing a pump a day which gives 7 pumps a week. Please also take into account that currently my biomass is low. Am I doing something wrong?

Also if this was a deficiency wouldn't this appear as something different apart from melting?

I still think its the light...no? 

I'm just throwing ideas out there...



Pedro Rosa said:


> One squish daily for 100l? So you're giving less then Tropica says on the bottle? Plants are dying for some food. Start by something like 3 times that amount and evaluate after one week and a half or two weeks. For the first day you can give even more.
> 
> Pedro.


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## Jaap (27 Nov 2015)

Good morning,

As Pedro Rosa and many other UKAPS members pointed out, I am starving my plants. So The first correctional move was to add daily 8 pumps (10 ml) of Tropica Plant Growth Specialised Fertilizer instead of 1 pump. 

The second correctional action was to decrease the lights as I have mentioned previously and now lights are at 45%. The light intensity might be decreased even more if I see the melting continuing. On top of this, a good friend will donate some monte carlo so as to supplement my aquarium. The reasons behind my decision to decrease light intensity were the partial melting and the fact that I have spotted algae in a few places. You can see from the pictures bellow that leaves, rocks and wood have started to develop algae on their surface.


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## Jaap (27 Nov 2015)

It looks like I am in trouble...


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## Jaap (6 Dec 2015)

Hello guys

After talking with George Farmer where he advised me to increase light intensity to 100%, I am now at 80% where a few days ago I was at 40%. I have planted some pogostemon helferi on the right and some fresh monte carlo from a friend. All of my rotala bonsai is now gone but I have a new plant at the back right side of the tank.

I have carried out a 70% water change and will do another one in a few days but this time will scrape off the algae from the rocks. I think plants look a bit better. In a week or so we will find out. Photoperiod also changed. 1 hour ramping up 5 hours full light and 1 hour ramping down. 







Thanks


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## Jaap (26 Dec 2015)

So things are not looking so good! I have plenty of brown algae, some BBA, some green thread algae and God know s what else!

I believe things went south when I decreased light intensity in the beginning from 65% to 40%. The light is now on at 100% and 45cm from the substrate. I didn't have much growth and thus I have lowered the light closer to the substrate. I have also started to aerate the tank during the night when lights and CO2 are off.

I have now added 3 red cherry shrimp. Later on I will add more and a few Ottos hoping they will clear up some of the algae. 

I believe I have everything setup correctly (circulation, fertilization, lights and CO2) but once I made the mistake of lowering light intensity and everything started to melt, algae started to grow on the suffering plants and now I am fighting to bounce back.


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## Jaap (1 Jan 2016)

This is my 1000 post! I am still failing but I am still trying and all with the support of this forum! An update will come soon and things are looking better!

Thanks!


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## Jaap (9 Jan 2016)




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## flygja (11 Jan 2016)

Did you manage to get Otos in there? Otos will make short work of brown diatoms. Plants are not in good health too, what sorta CO2 and fertilisers are you dosing?


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## Jaap (11 Jan 2016)

Hi there.

Yes I added Ottos a week ago and they are doing a good job.

Plants were in worse health than now but for the past couple of weeks I have managed to balance everything and now I am getting good and healthy growth. Things are better than before.

Fertilisers are EI and CO2 goes into the filter via inline diffuser.

Thanks



flygja said:


> Did you manage to get Otos in there? Otos will make short work of brown diatoms. Plants are not in good health too, what sorta CO2 and fertilisers are you dosing?


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## zozo (11 Jan 2016)

Jaap said:


> I am fertilizing daily with one squish of Tropica Plant Growth Special Fertiliser



I use it too  great stuff.. But it's a little on the heavy side, especialy for immature tanks.. As complete micro macro fertilizer it contains also nitrogene and a bit amonia. When i starter using in i noticed a bit of amonia rise (not much but still) and also some extra beard algae growth. I reduced the use off Tropica and cocktailed it with Easylife Profito 50 - 50. Profito is only Micro. 1 day a few squirts TPG the other day a few squirts of Profito. Since my little tank is fully packet with many different plant species with different needs (it's extra difficult) i still wasn't satisfied with the results. Added some HSaqua clay cones (roottabs) for some root feeders, like Nymphea, enchinodorus and crypts. And this did the trick.. Next to that it took over a half a year for the tank to start maturing and balance out, in that half year there was always something melting a bit. Using to much macros on plants in distress will actualy only distress them more, all they can't use will only burn (melt) them even more.. 

No matter what i tried to push down their troath, Downoi and Staurogyne R. do not want to grow in this tank. This is something that happens to many of us, time will tell, have patience, don't panic and don't think to quick "i'm in trouble) it's often a combination (and a learning curve) of which sp. go well together and stay happy with the same regime. To many (little) factors can play a role in why not so we can't say in general if it works for me it should work for you to.


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## Jaap (24 Jan 2016)




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## Jaap (2 Feb 2016)

Things are looking good. Not in the best shape but better. One my concerns is that plants in the corners of the tank don't grow well and thus some have some BBA while other struggle to grow.

My current light fixture is at 45cm from the substrate and at 100% intensity. Now I can lower it but will this decrease the spread of the light thus making things worse?

The other choice that I have is either to change light fixture (which would be a pity considering the amount of money I invested in the controller and 1500 tile) or to add in some way my GroBeam 600.

Any suggestions?


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## AndreiD (2 Feb 2016)

What have you done that you improved plant grow except increasing the light ?


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## Jaap (2 Feb 2016)

AndreiD said:


> What have you done that you improved plant grow except increasing the light ?


The light and an air pump that comes on at night....but I dont think that played a major role since I had surface agitation before with my filter. The filamentous algae left by itself but it wouldnt have had if I did not treat the water with dechlorinator each water change.

The major change was light! More light!


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## Jaap (7 Mar 2016)

This is a shot taken on the 07/03/2016 after a water change. It is the best condition of my tank yet.


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## Alexander Belchenko (7 Mar 2016)

Nice lawn!


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## Christos Ioannou (7 Mar 2016)

bravo friend! 

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## bloskas (7 Mar 2016)

Hi Jaap!
nice smooth carpet! 
i would add some fissidens maybe to the long part of the root and a nice stem plant maybe rotala indica red to the rear right corner.


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## tim (7 Mar 2016)

Looks great.


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## Jaap (8 Mar 2016)

bloskas said:


> Hi Jaap!
> nice smooth carpet!
> i would add some fissidens maybe to the long part of the root and a nice stem plant maybe rotala indica red to the rear right corner.


Actually that is somthing that I have done and the plants are growing behind the root an also trying to find moss for the wood.


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## tomh (8 Mar 2016)

Looks great


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