# Blue Garden



## Jimmy Dale (31 Jan 2014)

Alright - it's not very blue, more purpley but I always seem to be listening to 'Blue Garden' by Masters of Reality whenever I do any maintenance so it seemed apt. This is a more grown in incarnation of my little under water garden. It is my first high tech scape and I have recently replaced the LED street light I was growing under (!?) for an ADA solar II which has made such an unbelievable difference. With the new light I am considering adding some red plants soon so I may change it again to 'Red Garden' or 'Pinky Maroon Garden'. Any feedback welcome.


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## Gary Nelson (31 Jan 2014)

That's really nice and you have some great contrasts with plants, how do you find that skimmer that's built into the inlet... Is it acrylic?


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## darren636 (31 Jan 2014)

Looks immaculate


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## parotet (31 Jan 2014)

Very nice!


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## Andy D (31 Jan 2014)

Very nice indeed!


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## Jimmy Dale (31 Jan 2014)

Gary Nelson said:


> That's really nice and you have some great contrasts with plants, how do you find that skimmer that's built into the inlet... Is it acrylic?


 

Thanks Gary. I'm really happy with the skimmer. I got it from ebay -  NAG 12/16 Glass inflow Surface skimmer | eBay it's quite reasonably priced and good quality for 'fake' glassware. The skimming part is an acrylic float but the rest is good quality thick glass. It takes some balancing in terms on maintaining tank level and sometimes if it is not set properly it can suck air into the filter but this is easily avoided. Otherwise It's a good bit of kit and the pros definitely outweigh the cons. 

I still use my Eheim skim 350 after maintenance to catch any floaters and the glass skimmer keeps the film / dust off the surface.


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## MARKCOUSINS (31 Jan 2014)

Good job!Any chance of a plant list?Is that Limnophila aromatica in the back/centre?Cheers Mark


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## Jimmy Dale (31 Jan 2014)

MARKCOUSINS said:


> Good job!Any chance of a plant list?Is that Limnophila aromatica in the back/centre?Cheers Mark


 

Thanks Mark, the plants are as follows:
Riccia fluitans
Eleocharis parvula
Fissidens fontanus (not really grown much yet!)
Pogostemon helferi
Pogostemon stellata
Pogostemon erectus
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Limnophila aromatica 'hippuroides'


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## Jimmy Dale (2 Feb 2014)

A little update - added Marselia crenata and Alternanthera reinickii mini a couple of days ago. I'm also toying with the idea of a little bit of delicate branch work coming through the hippuroides and stellata which might let me bring them a bit taller.


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## Jimmy Dale (5 Feb 2014)

I don't seem to be having much luck with P. helferi in this tank. It keeps on melting. Everything else seems to be doing nicely. Does anybody have any suggestions?


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## harryH (8 Feb 2014)

Your scape is just lovely.


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## TallDragon (28 Feb 2014)

Jimmy Dale said:


> A little update - added Marselia crenata and Alternanthera reinickii mini a couple of days ago. I'm also toying with the idea of a little bit of delicate branch work coming through the hippuroides and stellata which might let me bring them a bit taller.




Jimmy, what is your maintenance routine? Any chance of a fresh picture?


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## Jimmy Dale (2 Mar 2014)

TallDragon said:


> Jimmy, what is your maintenance routine? Any chance of a fresh picture?



 

Here's a 'warts and all' shot of how it looks this very minute. The glass is a bit dirty so the photo looks a bit hazy. I'll get a cleaner one up soon. I have a small change to make - I think I am going to pull out the Riccia and replace with fissidens. The riccia has gone rampant and needs hacking back every week now.

My maintenance is weekly every monday night. 
50% water change with tap water.
Add 10 pumps of tropica specialised fertiliser
Add 30 drops ADA ECA
Add 5ml Easylife algexit.
Trim  / replant and necessary
Replace cosmetic 'la plata' sand as necessary

Monthly (ish) open filter, rinse media in tank water. Replace filter floss.

Currently I only clean the glass weekly but by Friday the tank usually has a biofilm on the glass. I think I should get myself a decent magnet.


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## JCollier420 (2 Mar 2014)

Puts my tank to shame. This is a gorgeous planted tank!


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## Rob P (2 Mar 2014)

Jimmy Dale said:
			
		

> Currently I only clean the glass weekly but by Friday the tank usually has a biofilm on the glass. I think I should get myself a decent magnet.



It's a pain isn't it? I do maintenance every Sunday AM and find the glass a bit acky by Friday, typical when guests etc are most likely to appear at the weekend  lol. Tried a magnet but they're pretty crap, if it really bothers me I just get my hands in for 5 minutes with a scourer pad but I don't usually bother until Sunday...


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## Alastair (2 Mar 2014)

Jimmy Dale said:


> Here's a 'warts and all' shot of how it looks this very minute. The glass is a bit dirty so the photo looks a bit hazy. I'll get a cleaner one up soon. I have a small change to make - I think I am going to pull out the Riccia and replace with fissidens. The riccia has gone rampant and needs hacking back every week now.
> 
> My maintenance is weekly every monday night.
> 50% water change with tap water.
> ...




Looks superb with the extra height at the back jimmy. Very nice. 
I think the fissedens will blend more between the rocks and sand


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## Jimmy Dale (2 Mar 2014)

Thanks all 



Alastair said:


> I think the fissedens will blend more between the rocks and sand


I love the texture of fissidens. I have a big clump awaiting me from a friend's tank. The riccia was only really meant to serve as a barrier to stop the aquasoil from spilling through the gaps which it did, but now it's turned into a monster!




Rob P said:


> It's a pain isn't it? I do maintenance every Sunday AM and find the glass a bit acky by Friday, typical when guests etc are most likely to appear at the weekend lol. Tried a magnet but they're pretty crap, if it really bothers me I just get my hands in for 5 minutes with a scourer pad but I don't usually bother until Sunday...



Ha ha I have the exact same timing issue. I've even considered changing my maintenance day to a wednesday or thursday night to ensure it's still looking nice at the weekend.


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## Jimmy Dale (30 Apr 2014)

Been a while since my last update and I have made a couple if changes, here's the latest.



b


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## AquamaniacUK (9 May 2014)

Really cool scape.
Love it.
How big is that tank?


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## Jimmy Dale (11 May 2014)

AquamaniacUK said:


> Really cool scape.
> Love it.
> How big is that tank?



Thanks! It's 50 x 30 x 30cm


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## Greenfinger2 (11 May 2014)

What a stunner


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## Jimmy Dale (26 May 2014)

** I have taken this down temporarily until after the competition


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## tim (26 May 2014)

Your not supposed to show them before the judging jimmy, looks stunning though mate


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## ADA (26 May 2014)

Lovely scape, I'd re take the pic an hour or so later just so the stems are awake at the top.


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## Jimmy Dale (18 Sep 2014)

Hi all, here's a final shot of the tank. I entered it into this years IAPLC, it was placed 1327. Not bad for a first entry  


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## Jimmy Dale (18 Sep 2014)

The hippuroides in the middle has looked much better but I'm pretty happy with the tight stands of erectus and stellata. Especially in a small tank. 


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## REDSTEVEO (18 Sep 2014)

I liked the tank in its early stages when the Riccia was pearling like mad, that first shot is stunning, I think sometimes it is a pity we can't freeze frame it and keep it at that stage...almost wished I hadn't seen it because it always makes me want to go out and get the Riccia going again, but I know from experience it can be or is very high maintenance, looks bloomin lovely when it is at its peak though... 

The later pictures show how the garden grows and no matter how we try nature takes its own route...


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