# Hillside view turned into South American "biotope"



## Martin in Holland (9 Oct 2017)

It's been a while since I posted a journal, now with my new layout I will try to let you guys learn from the mistakes that I'm going to make.

Tank: 120 x 45 x 55cm
Lights: 2 metal halides 150W each
Filters: 2 Atman canister filter each 15500 l/hr turnover
Fertilizer: PPS pro
CO2: pressurizer bottle injected via external diffuser
Halea Chiller to keep it at 25 degrees Celsius

Tank it clean and ready to go.



 

Some bags with cheap filter media to start the hills


 

The substrate covers those ugly bags nicely.


 

After some some playing around with the substrate was it time to add the rocks.


 
Of course I'm never satisfied and added, and removed some more rocks later on.



A bit water in and I start planting (for now only glosso and hair grass)


 

Planting done, fill up with water. Tap water here at the moment is about 30 degrees Celsius, the chiller had it's work cut out.


 

A few seconds after the water is in.



I hope the plants will grow fast, it doesn't look like I planted enough in the photo, but I had to look for space to put the last pots in. (22 pots Glosso and 6 pots Hair Grass) There will be some more plants added soon.

The Substrate I used was a gift from a manufactory, but was already crumbling to dust, which made planting quit difficult and is tanning the water brown/greenish. I hope with a lot of big water changes the next few weeks that it will be OK, otherwise I have to start all over.


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## Edvet (9 Oct 2017)

Hey Martin. still doing those shop tanks?


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## Martin in Holland (9 Oct 2017)

Edvet said:


> Hey Martin. still doing those shop tanks?


I did one. That whole area has been evicted by the government and all shops are gone, my friend found a new place and we (together with another guy) made a huge paludarium in the display window of the new shop.


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## SeanOB (9 Oct 2017)

now that paludarium is quite an achievement, looks so natural! Do you have to stand in the water to trim the plants? 

looking forward to the aquarium too, nice dimensions to play with.


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## Martin in Holland (10 Oct 2017)

SeanOB said:


> Do you have to stand in the water to trim the plants?


 Yes, that's why there aren't any rocks or substrate yet on the bodem.


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## ceg4048 (10 Oct 2017)

Wow, nice one mate. Really nice! 

Cheers,


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## Martin in Holland (11 Oct 2017)

ceg4048 said:


> Wow, nice one mate. Really nice!


Are you referring to the fish tank or the paludarium? Either one it is,thanks.


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## Eduard18 (11 Oct 2017)

the paludarium is a " visual orgy "


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## ceg4048 (11 Oct 2017)

Martin in China said:


> Are you referring to the fish tank or the paludarium? Either one it is,thanks.


 Well we'll wait til the fish tank grows in to judge (but it is a nice start). The paludarium is amazing...

Cheers,


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## Martin in Holland (14 Oct 2017)

After just one week, plants have already grown crazy (I also planted too long plantlets), time for a first trim and replant the cuttings.

I measured the TDS (just for the fun of it) on the second day and it was sky high, over 950 ppm. Everyday I'm doing a water change until its about 300 ppm (btw. I'm using 2 hoses to do this water change, one draining to water on one side of the tank, the other hose one the other side of the tank filling it up at the same time. I let it run for about 30 to 45 minutes while I'm having dinner.
Not sure though where this high TDS is coming from, I guess the substrate is leaching more than only Ammonia.



 Start of trim and replant



 



 

I still left the Pothos plant in the tank as compensation for fast growing plants which I do not have.


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## Martin in Holland (19 Oct 2017)

First algae started to appear, switched the lighting of the Metal Halides from 5 hours to 2.5 and added the PL (4x36 W) on for 6 hours. This means I got a full burst of light for 2.5 hours and 6 hours of light in total.
I keep doing water changes every other day.


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## Martin in Holland (25 Oct 2017)

I had some melting of Glosso, I'm not sure why, but the CO2 was low and even one day almost no CO2.... also I found an old bottle from Easy life anti algae which I probably shouldn't have used.
Hopefully lots of big water changes will ensure that the meltdown stops and good CO2 of course.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (25 Oct 2017)

Martin in China said:


> I measured the TDS (just for the fun of it) on the second day and it was sky high, over 950 ppm



Could the TDS be coming from the stone? Having said that I doubt if you're changing water every other day it would time to raise the TDS much. Wonder if the "cheap" filter media you used to build your hills with is inert?


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## kadoxu (25 Oct 2017)

Martin in China said:


> I'm using 2 hoses to do this water change, one draining to water on one side of the tank, the other hose one the other side of the tank filling it up at the same time


You'll waste a lot of water doing it that way... filling at the same time you are removing water means that you'll be removing less dissolved particles in the long run.

Also, as @AverageWhiteBloke mentioned, the rocks may be leaking something to the water as well.


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## Martin in Holland (26 Oct 2017)

The rock (and filter media) came from my old scapes, I suspect the substrate more for the high TDS, but it's stabelising now. Yes, the way I do this water change is wasting more water, but this way I can do it while I'm cooking, eating or watching TV even. I measure the TDS when I start and at the end of the water change, and it's consiberely lower at the end (from 600 to 200), I want to get it stabel at about 200 TDS before adding any fauna.


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## Martin in Holland (13 Nov 2017)

Yep....done it.... left home for a week without checking if I had enough CO2 and of course there wasn't, one light timer didn't turn off and so the plants (glosso) almost all died  (melted away)
Well, good time for a rescape 

With the Cardinal tetras back in the tank, I found that the combination (hardscape and fauna) wasn't that good, the tetras kinda looked as if bleached. I dumped in some wood and voila, colourful tetras instantly. So the next scape is going to be dedicated to the Cardinals and will be (more or less) a South American biotope, this is something I always wanted to try. I collected some boulders, still got the wood, looked for some Amazon swords, luckily the hairgrass is still good, they will come in the foreground. I want to keep it really simple, a big school of Cardinals, some Coridoras and maybe one more fish such as a Bleu Rams (I'm open for suggestions), simple planting, sword, hairgrass and maybe some floaters.


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## Edvet (13 Nov 2017)

Martin in China said:


> a South American biotope


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## Martin in Holland (14 Nov 2017)

Unexpected chance today to rescape my tank. It's not completely ready yet (need some different stones on the right), but here are some pictures of it. 


 

 
I like this evening view (sorry for the glare)


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## Martin in Holland (17 Nov 2017)

I've added some leave litter to make it all look more natural, planning to change the back into a black one, I don't like the back being so light now.
Pictures will follow


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## Edvet (17 Nov 2017)

Could you get a blue-greenish frosted one with some diffuse LED high behind them? 
to get this color effect:


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## Martin in Holland (18 Nov 2017)

Nice one Ed, but I was already happy when I found the "white" frosted one.... I will keep looking though, cause this effect looks very nice, thanks for the tip.


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## Edvet (18 Nov 2017)

Coloured LED?


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## Martin in Holland (19 Nov 2017)

I'm lighting fast and already took the frosted back off.


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## Martin in Holland (28 Nov 2017)

The black back definitely looks a lot better and with the small light (evening glow) it looks smashing to me atleast.



 
For some reason I enjoy this tank more than my previous havely planted tanks, I guess it is that I'm no longer stressed about a bit of algae here and there or plants not growing as well is I hoped, it's all natural now and I actually hope to get some nice green algae on the stones. Before, fish were less important, they only complemented the tank, but now they became the main feature and I love looking at their behaviour, don't even turn on the TV.

I need to make a better picture of the evening view, but here is a preview.....


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## PARAGUAY (28 Nov 2017)

Lovely looks like Sun catching edge of river stream


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## Martin in Holland (29 Nov 2017)

BTW, don't know if anyone noticed, I'm going for a biotope style in this setup, not sure if the hairgrass should be in it, but it looks good for now. It's not a realistic biotope per say, there are some Amano shrimp in it and the stones, and wood are not really from South America, I just try to catch that natural feeling of South America. It is a tank dedicated to Cardinal Tetras, something where they feel and look at home.
Any comments are welcome.


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## Edvet (29 Nov 2017)

If going for biotope style try the light on the other side of the tank. The middle of the stream has more light then the sides, some more wood and floaters on the hill side to give them dark hiding places.


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## Martin in Holland (30 Nov 2017)

Thanks Edvet, I am thinking of getting some clip on lights, but no floating plants, however I will add some Cabomba which will be allowed to grow to the surface and hopefully give me the pleasure of forming those Lily like leaves. As I said, I'm not trying to have a real biotope, more just something I like and looks natural.


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## Martin in Holland (5 Dec 2017)

Just some shots


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## Martin in Holland (5 Dec 2017)

Plants starting to show good growth, except for the hairgrass, it is growing but not fast yet.


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## Martin in Holland (11 Dec 2017)

The swords are reaching the top of the water now, growing very good..... the hairgrass, which has been planted in the sand, is starting to grow and to encourage it to grow more, I cut it back to about 1.5 cm....
No (green) algae growing yet, I hope they will invate the stones soon.


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## Tim Harrison (11 Dec 2017)

Martin in China said:


> not sure if the hairgrass should be in it


I think that's fine. Eleocharis has a cosmopolitan distribution with centres of diversity in the amazon Rainforest, amongst other places.


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## Nelson (11 Dec 2017)

Love it .
I'm finding it so much more enjoyable with my blackwater tanks.Who care's if there's a bit if algae.
No constant trimming etc.
More time to enjoy the tank.


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## Tim Harrison (11 Dec 2017)

Must admit I'm beginning to feel the pull of a more fish-centric tank again, especially looking at yours Neil, and this one Martin.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (11 Dec 2017)

Nelson said:


> I'm finding it so much more enjoyable with my blackwater tanks.Who care's if there's a bit if algae.





Tim Harrison said:


> Must admit I'm beginning to feel the pull of a more fish-centric tank again, especially looking at yours Neil, and this one.



Must be something in the air right now. I'm about to embark on a low tech setup with a blackwater feel to it and I haven't even gave the plants much of a thought. There will be some don't get me wrong but it will purely be survival of the fittest. Going to try various cutting of the numerous plants I have in other setups and if they don't like the way the water comes out of my tap other than the addition of some fertiliser as and when required then they will have to go. Going to concentrate more on the fish needs and enjoying watching what they do as opposed to stressing over what my plants are ailing this week.


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## Edvet (11 Dec 2017)

Lol. everyone coming over to the "dark"side


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## PARAGUAY (12 Dec 2017)

Tim Harrison said:


> I think that's fine. Eleocharis has a cosmopolitan distribution with centres of diversity in the amazon Rainforest, amongst other places.


One of my favourite Amano aquascapes is the Hairgrass only one of his view of the flooding of dry land after the rains


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## Martin in Holland (24 Jan 2018)

Got some new addition to the tank.


 
Moenkhausia costea

The best schooling fish I've ever seen.


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## Martin in Holland (7 Mar 2018)

The tank has been sold ...... As most of you know I live in China, but now there are plans to move back to Holland  and I can not (dare not) to take the tank with me on the airplane. I still have the 40cm cube tank and ofcourse I will set up a new tank as soon as possible when I'm back.
I have to say, it was heart breaking to see it go, but live is full of surprises and who knows where it will lead me.


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## alto (7 Mar 2018)

Congratulations 

(sounds like this is a good surprise)


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## PARAGUAY (7 Mar 2018)

Don’t forget take a bit of stone with you Martin, plenty of substrate in Holland but not a lot of Rocks we hear ,good luck moving


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## Edvet (7 Mar 2018)

Well if you ship gear with a container there is plenty possibility to add hardscape


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## Tim Harrison (7 Mar 2018)

Good luck with the move Martin.


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## Martin in Holland (8 Mar 2018)

Maybe I should set up a shop for hardscape material?


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## PARAGUAY (11 Mar 2018)

So if a low flying plane is going into Holland it’s Martin and his luggage


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