# Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  updated 14/7 pics



## magpie (7 Jun 2010)

So.... 

The cabinet's here, and painted.

The tank's here and we found one strong man and three less then strong women and we carried it in from the car _and didn't drop it. _Miracle.

The Columbo Fluro Base is here, as is the sand. 

The bog wood (pauses to hear groans, but it fits what I want to do) is here and soaking. 

I've got the plastic lawn edging and various other plasticy things to act as barriers between black flora-base and white sand. 

Ready to go. 

eeek

This is it in situ:

Side View: - 75 x 45 -  This is the view we'll see when we walk in from either of the two doors






Front view - 90 x 45 - with 75 cm depth....   This is the main view, when we're sitting down






Plan:  tank: Opti white 90 x 75 x 45 Opti White from TGM
so far no lid but may bet an acryclic one made - in 3 parts, with breaks horizontally so I can clean and work inside without lifting a sheet of 90 x 75 every time... 
Cabinet - made by my partner's brother.  He swears it will hold half a tonne. 
Substrate: Columbo Flora-base from PlantedBox.com plus Argos white sand with bits of ADA sand for colour
Hardscape: bogwood and dragon stone from TGM
Filter: Eheim 2075 from TGM (will need more circulation - either another filter or Koralias x 2?)
Filter media: Siporex
CO2 - FE route with Sera diffuser from TGM (all the rest from ebay - I used to be a veterinary anaesthetist. If I can't do gases, I need to give up.)
heater - in line from TGM
lighting, Luminare w 4 x T5 w two switches, so can have 2 or 4 on at one time. 
plants - HC lawn front left and on island to the right, others - yet to be decided, to define the river and form triangular backdrop back left and left side - Planning a Dry Start Method (thanks to NeilW  and Ceg4048)
fauna - tbc 

I haven't finished the first draft of the new book yet, so haven't got time to play with the various arty programs to draw layouts - but the primary plan is to have a 'river' of white sand snaking back from a sandy bay and 'cave' of bogwood (it'll make sense when you see it, promise) towards the back right when seen from in front, bending round so that it disappears behind an island of florabase topped with a bit of dragon stone - so there'll be an island on the right and a mass of florabase 'mainland' on the left.  HC on the island and on the 'shores of the sandy bay at the front of the tank (seen along 90cm edge), possibly also along the river banks to hide the plastic lawn edging which will keep the river and the island/mainland separate.  Then Staurogyne, P. helferi and others growing taller to the back.  
I have this: http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2007.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=1&id=203  an this http://photos1.blogger.com/photoInclude/blogger2/5947/4210/1600/foto_05_05.jpg as models.  But want a *lot* of moss on the wood.

So - big question is: if I make a river of sand, rising and narrowing to the back, but keep it separate from the flora-base with the plastic lawn edging - am I setting myself up for dead spots in the sand? Do I need to put something underneath to allow water to circulate? I have two pieces of 60 x 60 egg crate and had thought of putting them underneath at opposite angles to allow water through. Also have some Siporex and could line that underneath to lift the plastic and form little tunnels through... 

or is it OK as it is?


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## Celestial (7 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Woooooaaaa thats deep lol  This will be very interesting because of the strange dimensions I'm sure! I think that if you have the plastic edges in you can take them out when filled - and I'm sorry but I can't help about creating dead spots I don't really know about that sort of stuff.

Thanks, Celestial.


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## JamesM (7 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Wow, how much fun are you going to have?! 

Your brother in law did a great job with the cabinet, looks really good. Looking forward to following this one


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## samc (7 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

excellent dimentions.

i have always wanted to try a layout like these ones http://www.aquajournal.net/na/gallery/create.html

but i just dont have the depth. unlike you


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## magpie (7 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Oh, wow, Sam....  That's amazing. If I can create that kind of depth... I just yearn for a carpet of HC... but maybe it won't work. I"ll keep thinking. 

and JamesM - thank *you* - will keep posting as I go along -bound to need help 

and Celestial... I think I might need to keep a bit of the plastic in, but will wait and see... Off to unpack today's goodies. This is like Christmas.  Still haven't finished the first draft yet tho'.../sigh...


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## George Farmer (7 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

I've got depth envy!   

Sand is ok without anything underneath long-term if you maintain it little and often.  This is usually a case of simply poking it to ensure excess anaerobic pockets don't build.  If the sand is a thin layer then the risk is lower still.  Play sand will compact quicker as the grain size is so fine.  Simply poke it all over with your fingers every couple of weeks or so.

Yet another journal for me to follow!  The UKAPS massive is keeping us busy!


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## magpie (7 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Perfect timing, St George... thank you...

everything takes so much longer than I'd imagined... even fitting the extension leads in the cabinet was a nightmare, but that was mainly because Herself's daughter had nicked the drill and taken it to the boyfriend's to fix the van... It used to be that all my tools went missing into OH's studio. Now they could be anywhere in Shropshire.

Anyways, got the diffuser background and side on, with difficulty  - not at all sure it's going to stay. Are we *really* supposed just to do it with spray-on water as per the Ollie Knott TGM video? Or did he have something extra sticky in the bottle? 

that aside, I'm about to start sticking down the green lawn edging, so we'll get an idea of scale.  Oh... this is fun...

m


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## NeilW (7 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

What a lovely sized tank you have there!  I'll be keeping my eyes peeled.

With the sand +1 on what George has already said, but I just use my long tweezers instead of a finger when I'm already doing the general maintenance.  When you whack the sand in there keep it thin as possible and you shouldn't have any issues.  My shrimp love it when I stir up the sand as it unearths lots of uneaten micro food.


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## Graeme Edwards (7 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Hey Manda,

Well, the dog doesnt seem to be that impressed, but we all are.

I cant wait to see your start to scape this, very exciting....

I have never had to much trouble with sand, only when it is very very fine sand, like silver sand. The more course sand like the ADA has always been very good and has never caused me dead spots in the substrate.

Cheers.


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## Tony Swinney (8 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Hi Magpie

As has been said - thats a great size tank to work with and I look forward to seeing it shape up    I had silver sand in my discus tank for nearly 3 years and it was generally OK.  I would heed Georges advice about disturbing the sand every so often.  I didnt and the only trouble I had was after a couple of years when I replanted the tank, disturbing all the sand and I then had a spike which led to a spyrogyra outbreak.



			
				magpie said:
			
		

> lighting, Luminare w 4 x T5 w two switches, so can have 2 or 4 on at one time.



If this is an arcadia luminaire with two switches, but with only one plug its well worth rewiring it so that each switch runs off its own plug, so that you can control each bank of lights with a timer.  I did mine last night and its dead easy 

Good luck with it and keep the pics coming   

Tony


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## George Farmer (8 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*



			
				magpie said:
			
		

> Are we *really* supposed just to do it with spray-on water as per the Ollie Knott TGM video? Or did he have something extra sticky in the bottle?


Yes, it works fine.  You _can_ put a drop of washing up liquid in there to make it more adhesive.  Our resident background sticking pro, Dan Crawford, does this.


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## magpie (8 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Thanks, all - pics soon of the interesting (but perhaps useless) attempts to sketch something out last night. 

Tony - the lamp is from AllPondSolutions who rewired it for me with an extra plug (nice people)  Tho' I realise late that it might not send the light to the right place. Pics will tell that, too. Need to change the bulbs... also later.. Everything later... got a 1st draft to finish... 

thanks for all comments. 

m


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## Gill (8 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

The Tank Looks amazing, can't wait to see it develop


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## magpie (8 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Day two:

Diffuser on back and left, sort of. 

Lights on, but need to change bulbs.  Two leads are on the wrong side for good aesthetics, so have turned the light round. Looks OK, but may not shed enough light over the tank

First efforts at hardscaping.  Nasty.  Considering throwing 50 liters of florabase at it and sticking plants on top.... 

evidence below:

Front view:

Bogwood to the left.  I want a cave and a cove and a river of sand - that's my plan. With moss-magic on the wood. The bits of green lawn edging are outlining the river, the cove and an 'island' to the right which will have dragon stone in it - maybe. More images of that later. might be a terrible waste of nice stone given that it'll be over grown. Might go for slate. Or simply flora base. Dunno.  Currently the bend in the river is the focal point at the 2/3: 1/3 boundary when seen from both the front and the right. 





Right end view - this also has a bay and a curving river... 





Top view:

Not enough room behind the bog wood for my planned plants.  Need to bring it forward





The cave and cove:

Need to create a break between flora-base behind and sand/pebbles in front while maintaining the 'see through' ability of the cave.  





Lots more work before I even get to open the bags of flora-base.

/sigh

but fun

Now to the fight scene at the end of the fourth section of the book... 

m

PS: Edit to add stones: 

Nice arrow stone: 





middle stone:





Biggest stone:






any or all could be used either under the leading edge of the wood (original plan, but I think there isn't room) or in the island to the right, to form the right bank of the river. But may be entirely redundant in which case I"ll take them back to TGM and someone more worthy can use them in a magical scape and I'll wonder why I didn't think of it... 

m


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## bumcrumb (8 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

heyyy! looking good, i like the idea of a 'cave'. keep it up


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## magpie (8 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

OK - so.... I'm looking at the Amano stuff, and at this http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2008.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=2&id=102 and thinking that they don't seem to leave barriers in holding the two types of substrate separate, and if they do, they cover the join with rocks... which I don't have unless I'm going to smash up some seriously nice bits of dragon stone which would be better kept intact. 

so two questions: 

1. - if I decide to keep the plastic in there and just hope the plants grow over it, what's the best way to hold it in the tank

2. if I decide to use cardboard and pull it out, what's the likelihood of the substrates staying separate? 

this may be harder than I'd thought...


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## JamesM (8 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Depends on many things, including fish choice, maintenance and flow rates.. Shrimp also love to pick up grains of soil for kicks and giggles  

What about using moss to hide the barrier? Tie to small stones (slate or pebbles are great for this) and cover the plastic edge. You could also use riccia, but this could get a little demanding as it will require regular pruning and good co2 levels.


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## NeilW (8 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Keeping sand and soil apart is the bane of my tanks.  I am now very thorough in planning barriers with rocks and gravel above and below the surface.  Moss rocks are good as James says and you can also grow HC over the join if you use plastic (see Andyh's kitchen tank starting from page 5 or so, theres some good tips there).  Every now and then I used to remove the old mixed sand and refresh it with new sand from the bag.  I must admit though this was the final nail in my old 'scape though as there was just one leak I could never plug...hopefully with better planning my new tank won't suffer the same fate.


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## magpie (8 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Thanks James/Neil... all... 

I spent an hour or two moving stones before I read your posts, particularly Neil's, so maybe I'll resort to the plastic lawn edging stuff.  Plan A for tonight was to tie/superglue/whatever moss to the slate to create a moss wall.
That said, Plan B, which seems rather better now, is to abandon the idea of decorative sand, and simply throw in the florabase and learn to grow plants... I imagine I could create a 'river' of hemianthus between walls of other stuff... but then I imagined I could create a sand river effortlessly too... /sigh

pics of tonight- two tiny partitions of plasticy stuff from Jim at TGM, the rest is stone... 

Front view:





Right end view: 





Top view:

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/4300/img09882329380.jpg

View 'upriver': 




view of the bogwood, just because I think it's cool... 





off to bed, to think of fight scenes and end of first draft...and better ways to make this work that don't involve stupidity... and will let me have shrimp and corries (argh - so I'd need sand... double argh...  :? ) and snails and general nice community fish... 

m (edited for spelling and seeing Neil's post)


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## beeky (9 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

That's cool bogwood. Looks like something from Giger!


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## magpie (9 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Cool... but I think I may have been a tad over-ambitious with this idea of a river and an island... I finished the first draft an hour or so ago (  ) and just took out all the rock and wood (and cleaned all the grotty bits of dragon wood from the bottom of the tank (you wouldn't want to be climbing this stuff, it's horrid-rotten) and worked out that I need the green lawn edging or something of that ilk again to form a barrier and then put rocks/wood on top of the substrate once I've filled the two islands... 

but it looks desperately implausible. 

Editor suggested I "take the weekend off" (pause to fall over in shock) so may head up to TGM again and have a total rethink... 

anyone who can think of anything really cool and _not too complicated_ to do with a 90 x 75 cm tank - post ideas (with pics!) here... 

m (off to dog training class.. supposed to have read up the questions/answers for KC silver award. Haven't. Bad Dog Owner)


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## bumcrumb (9 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

arhh, sadly im still stuck for ideas on my 12x10x8 lol.
naughty dog! what dog is it? my partner has just taken our pug down to the vets,


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## magpie (9 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

She's a working cocker spaniel.  She's a star, I'm just a bad trainer... 

and

I have a new question... will Hemianthus grow on sand?  Without a Tropica Substrate?  I'm harking back to the Amano image that Samc referred to herehttp://www.aquajournal.net/na/gallery/create.html - think I could do something similar... but would still like to have an area of hemianthus in the foreground  - it'd be far, far easier if it'll grow on sand, preferably without needing a Tropica substrate.... 

will it work? 

tx

m (sending best wishes to the pug... used to be a vet: Pugs were great for business... )


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## George Farmer (9 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

HC will grow anywhere given that other parameters are up to scratch, especially CO2 and its distribution down there.


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## magpie (10 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

OK.... so got tired of playing and decided to jump in.  We can call this 'Learning Curve, 2.04' or thereabouts... 

Initial outline:






Trial 1: (apologies for crap lighting)






Trial 1 side view: 






Trial 2: 






Trial 2 side view: 






In the end, I think I'll take the longish piece of stone and put it in the large area of open sand to act as an island, directing in towards the cave.  And I'll play with some stones to make the sand less uniform.  Maybe. I'll see how it feels on waking. 

Plant plan is hemianthus carpet on low ground, building through Staurogyne and maybe Pogostemnon to H micranthemoides and then Rotala green and red behind.  Might have something small and wavy between the stone and the wood near the canyon so that it overhangs. Just not valis.  I loathe it.  
 I rather like the idea of a nymphea lotus somewhere, but it might be too much.  And acres of moss Taxiphylum, Vesicularia... everything... dripping from the wood and stone.... 

all comments gratefully received.


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## JamesM (10 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Would love to see some bigger pics tbh, but from what I can see it looks great - cracking piece of wood Manda


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## murph (10 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

looks great, nice flow to it.

great stone and wood, real warmth to it.


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## magpie (12 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

So..

planted it out last night and this morning

bearing in mind I'm trying out the Dry Start Method (partly because I haven't sorted CO2 yet, partly because I haven't got my head round the filter and didn't have time while I was trying to finish the first draft of the new book, and mostly because this is an exercise in learning to grow plants and DSM seems a particularly useful way to go)

so- atm we have Hemianthus cuba, P.helferi. Stuarogyne and various mosses. Stem plants to be added due course, but I'll see if I'm killing these or not first. 

I've superglued the mosses- largely because I couldn't think of a way to wind thread round the large lump of wood - also I wanted to try it out.   Some of the bits aren't utterly stuck down - and so will presumably die tho' I thought I'd see what I could do with endless spraying cling-film mediated high humidity. (I ran out of superglue.  Also thinking of renaming the tank Superglue City. Or Moss-Fingers...)

I've watered with rain water and am spraying with same tho' if I've understood the Cegipedia correctly, I could do it with unaltered, chloramine-laden tapwater and it would be fine at this stage... might do that - or perhaps add very small amounts of one of the proprietary ferts to the spray/watering water? 


pics below:

'Before' (actually, I moved a bit of the front left sand and increased the substrate after this shot'





and 'After'

Front view:





Side view: 





Close ups:





Clearly bits of the substrate are leaking onto the sand, but the sand is currently a quagmire so I'm not inclined to play with it. I'll tidy it up later. 

Lights are on a 12h time - 4 x T5, from Lamp Spec 

Comments/thoughts all welcome.

m


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## bumcrumb (13 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

that is bloody amazing, it looks like a little area of a beach lol, due to the tank been so wide and low it makes the whole scape fit so well.
im so    i havnt got any room for one like this   
cant wait to see it grow in


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## Vito (13 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Great tank magpie, I love the beech look really well done and the cave idea is really original, what will you be planting in the left corner or are you leaving it?


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## magpie (13 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Top left corner will be taller stem plants. Not sure exactly what yet. Maybe rotala sp, maybe hygrophila, maybe something more adventurous.  Fancy a clump of Shinnersia rivularis (Weiss-GrÃ¼n) for contrast somewhere

and some java fern on the wood, possibly also some bolbitis and an Anubias of some descritption - I don't want to smother the wood - it looks too good for that, but do want a wall of green, tapering down at both sides...

thanks for comments, guys. 

m


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## tyrophagus (24 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Wow! Magpie this is a great looking tank   .  I love the size and 2 viewing angles.  How are you lighting it?  

I struggled with my stems, they turned to mush.  Best advice I can give is make sure you give them as much co2 as possible, keep the drop checker yellow not green.  Once everything is growing then resist the temptation to reduce your co2 for the fish, obviously want to consider their welfare though.  I added shrimp to start (trouble is they hide so you never know if you have lost a few) then a single ottocinclus.  They survived fine so eventually added more fish.  I switch off CO2 3 hours before lights out to try get a drop in CO2 for the night when O2 is more limited for the fish.  

The point I'm trying to make is don't be scared of CO2 put as much in as you can get away with.  How are you going to generate enough flow around the tank?  

Who is going to live in the cave?   

I see you are into animal behaviour.  My other half is a no practicing behaviorist, now spends most of her time running our vet practice.  We spend so much time trying to correct the advice of the likes of Caesar Milan!!  A bit off topic but if you don't mind a bit of swearing this is a funny comedy clip on http://youtu.be/HXuj3Kss9c4


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## magpie (24 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

omygosh... I'm in the midst of a quiet fish forum and someone says the words (whisper) Caesar Milan.... 

argh :silent:  argh  :silent:  argh  :silent: 

Don't you spend your life trying to tell people he's a raving maniac?  We try saying, 'Watch it with the sound off.  Watch the dogs. Watch the body language. Then come back and tell me it isn't rank abuse." 

Nobody's come back yet, but maybe it's because we go puce and look as if we might start throwing things... I'm in mourning just now because my clicker training mentor, Alexandra Kurland, is in the UK and I don't have the time or the cash to go and see her... Of course if I hadn't set up a fish tank... but I have (2 - will start a journal on the nano sometime soon) so no visits to clicker-lady.  And missing agility tonight 'cos I have a blinding headache, which in turn is because the hens have red mite and I spent the afternoon with my head in their coop spraying dettol everywhere. Yuck. But the propane flame thrower first was fun. Burning the little b***ers is so very satisfying... 

anyways, back to this - I've got 4x39W T5s in 2 x 2 strips so I can turn down to small lighting when I finally flood it.  Need to get some pictures up - the Hc has gone wild, the Staurogyne isn't liking it though... so will wait a while and see what it needs. And may try some stems if I can find someone who produces *good* emersed stems - TGM's Tropica are all submersed by the time we get them.  (might ring Jim and see if I can get them off the boat, so to speak)  

I also seem to be growing some green algae, which is frustrating, 'cos I *can't* put any shrimp in yet... 

Have got the FEs ready for the CO2 although I have to say in the long run, I'm pretty sold by Tom Barr's description of a low tech tank - and Saintly's experiences with his low tech nano were interesting. So I think CO2 to start and then back off and let the plants do their thing. 

and in the tunnel... who knows... I'm going for zillions of small fish rather than big ones, and do so want some chocolate gouramis as the main focus, but may never get water quality good enough (plus the muck that comes out of our taps is essentially liquid chalk, and rain water collection is a tad dodgy now that summers have come back). So we'll see...  Badis badis, maybe?  Or a Ram? 

will get some pics up later, for now, back to book - got a whole chapter to throw away and rewrite from a new perspective. 

what kind of vet practice do you have? 

mx


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## NeilW (24 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*



			
				magpie said:
			
		

> I also seem to be growing some green algae, which is frustrating, 'cos I *can't* put any shrimp in yet...


On the rocks?  I also had a tiny bit but I got an old tooth brush in there  .  Either that or wait for the big fill and let the snails do their thing.


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## magpie (24 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Nope - all over the sand... 

can't wait to get snails in, but it's another 2-3 weeks, at least. 

pics to follow asap


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## NeilW (24 Jun 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

The snails will love it, I wouldn't worry


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## Celestial (12 Jul 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Any updates on pictures? It's looking pretty amazing...


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## magpie (12 Jul 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

Pictures after tomorrow night when my partner's daughter brings the camera back from holiday... the hc has almost grown to a complete carpet, the moss is doing interesting things, P.helferi seems happy and Stuarogyne is thriving - sand looks crap, but I'll top it up after the tank's flooded. 

I've got a thread on that running in the EI natural/low tech section... 

so - pis soon, promise!

thank you

ms


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## magpie (14 Jul 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*

New pics - this is 5 weeks into the DSM - hemaianthus is growing out nicely. Sand looks crap and I'm going to reduce it and increase the area of florabase.  Staurogyne and Pogotemon doing nicely, as are the anubias and the mosses are in emersed mode at last

Overhead shot of left side and back - there's Hygrophila siamensis in the far corner behind the bog wood and rotala rotundifolia - both chosen because they were in the 1-2-Grow system and therefore ready for emersed growth. The hygrophila has worked, the rotala really hasn't (yet - but only 2 weeks in).  Because I am now going for low-tech, non-CO2, (see thread on that here: http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=12189) I might lift these and replace with crypts





Then front left - staurogyne, which had some black leaves untilI started spraying with TPN+ - and pogostemon - I love this, but gather it's likely to melt when I go to low light submersed, so will probably replace with crypts - tho' might wait and see.  The strange stems north of the staurogyne are something I bought on spec and can't now remember what they were - they were dying horribly, but are perked up now...






Then distant front view - I didn't have time to take the cling film off to disperse condensation, so this is how it normally looks just now






Then end right view- you can see pockets of what I assume are HS gas in the sand - but I'll tidy that up before I fill it - got some ADA nile sand and graded gravels ready.  The good bit, though, is the Hc on the right - it's almost a complete carpet






Close up of the hemianthus:





and finally

the new tank - 40litre Superfish Aqua Qube -thanks to Gareth for recommending it - this is called 'dolmen' and is also DSM and I'll start a new journal when I'm back - gottgo now - path of Hc to a single standing stone. If I get the rest right, it should have a waving lawn of lilaeopsis and then forest all about...


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## Garuf (14 Jul 2010)

Did I recommend it? Loving the tank it's so well grown in for just two weeks! I'm fully envious, what's your lighting specs do you know? I didn't notice them anywhere in the thread. How many wpg or number of tubes for how long a day?


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## NeilW (14 Jul 2010)

You've seen that DSM is the future  8) 

Looking great, thats some serious HC growth.  It's nice another optiwhite ADA style setup being used for low-tech.

What species of moss is that you have on the rocks?  Just had an idea after looking that you could also add the 'petite' version in addition to the standard _Anubias nana_ to add another variation in leaf size.

How long is your lighting running for?

[edit] sorry just realised I repeated Garufs question on the lighting


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## magpie (14 Jul 2010)

OK - this is fast because I'm half an hour past ETA for leaving (blackpool, library reading, bizarre, but apparently worth the drive...)

Lights on the big tank - 4 x 39W T5s - two Grolux and two others that I can't remember just now but were recommended on James' Planted Tank blog  - got them from Lap Spec

Empty volume is 342 litres or thereabouts - when full, taking into account the substrate, it'll be about 250 litres and I'll cut right back and have some floating plants - currently on 12 hours a day, tho' I sometimes extend in the evening 'cos it's such a good reading light (!)

Small tank  -its the 18 W clip on that came with it  - empty volume is 40 litres, full will be about 32 - again currently on 12 hours tho' there's a lot of incident light from the window - north facing, so no direct sun, but it's strong just now. 

and yes - dwarf anubias - good idea - I love these - they're a 'gold' version and two are flowering. Moss - can't remember taxohyullum and the two vessicularia that Tropica do - need more, but I think it prefers submerse, so I might wait - planning a lot more stone at the sand/substrate margins - and maybe riccia if it'll survive low tech

thanks, all - back tomorrow

m


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## JamesM (14 Jul 2010)

Yeah, Anubias Nana Bonsai would be a great addition 

Not sure about the HC in low tech conditions though... usually adores high co2 and generous levels of light, same with submerged riccia.


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## Dan Crawford (14 Jul 2010)

OMG thats so cool, so so cool, i'm well jealous and truly impressed, RESPECT!


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## a1Matt (14 Jul 2010)

*Re: Magpie's 'Learning Curve' 90 x 75  opti-white*



			
				magpie said:
			
		

> The good bit, though, is the Hc on the right - it's almost a complete carpet



Low tech HC carpet...
Awesome!


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## tyrophagus (10 Oct 2010)

What's happening Magpie?  Give us a photo or two!


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